memeorandum: Seattle CEO who set firm's minimum wage to $70G says he has hit hard times (Fox News)

4:50 PM ET, August 2, 2015

Top Items:

Carrie Dann / NBC News:

Donald Trump Surges in New NBC News/WSJ Poll — Days before the first Republican debate, Donald Trump has surged into the national lead in the GOP primary race, with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush following, a new NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll shows.

Discussion: Politico, Yahoo Politics, CNN, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, Guardian, SaintPetersBlog, OnPolitics, Scared Monkeys, Sun-Times National, Towleroad and Observer

Kevin Cirilli / The Hill:

Trump builds his political machine — Donald Trump is assembling a team of political strategists and campaign staffers charged with sustaining his lead in the Republican presidential polls. — While strategists say Trump still got a ways to go to catch up to his rivals for the White House …

Discussion: Politico

Janet Hook / Wall Street Journal:

Donald Trump Leads Republican Presidential Pack, WSJ/NBC Poll Finds — Share of GOP voters choosing Mr. Trump as their first and second choice rises, despite controversial statements — Donald Trump has jumped to the front of Republicans' 2016 presidential candidate field nationally …

Discussion: Political Wire, Business Insider and Washington Post

ABC News:

Donald Trump Plays Down Expectations, Says 'I'm Not a Debater' — Republican presidential contender Donald Trump played down expectations for the first GOP debate slated for Thursday, saying “I'm not a debater” and he would not be “throwing punches” against his opponents on the stage.

Discussion: Political Wire and Daily Mail

Zachary Warmbrodt / Politico:
Trump leaves door open to third-party run

Discussion: ABC News

Steven Shepard / Politico:
Debate standings: Perry in 11th place

Discussion: McClatchy Washington Bureau, Washington Monthly and NBC News

ABC News:

‘This Week’ Transcript: Donald Trump — ANNOUNCER: Starting right now on ABC's THIS WEEK, breaking news — new debris found. — Is it from Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 and will it help pinpoint where the plane went down? — Crunch time — Donald Trump surging in the polls, ahead of the crucial first GOP debate.

Discussion: Slantpoint and The Week

Heather / Latest from Crooks and Liars:

Trump: Compared To Chopping Off Heads, 'Waterboarding Doesn't Sound Very Severe' — More tough talk about of the GOP's leading carnival barker, Donald Trump. — From ABC's This Week:

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Kaitlyn Schallhorn / TheBlaze.com:

Black Memphis Police Director Has Chilling Message After Officer was Fatally Shot During Traffic Stop — Speaking to reporters after Officer Sean Bolton was fatally shot during an apparent traffic stop Saturday night, Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong had a message for the community.

Discussion: CNN, Young Conservatives, Hinterland Gazette, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and BizPac Review

New York Times:

Obama to Unveil Tougher Climate Plan With His Legacy in Mind — WASHINGTON — In the strongest action ever taken in the United States to combat climate change, President Obama will unveil on Monday a set of environmental regulations devised to sharply cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions …

Discussion: Chicago Boyz, Common Dreams, Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Joby Warrick / Washington Post:
White House set to adopt sweeping curbs on carbon pollution

Discussion: Facebook and Slantpoint

Fox News:

Seattle CEO who set firm's minimum wage to $70G says he has hit hard times — The Seattle CEO who reaped a publicity bonanza when he boosted the salaries of his employees to a minimum of $70,000 a year says he has fallen on hard times. — Dan Price, 31, tells the New York Times that things …

Discussion: NO QUARTER USA NET, Forbes, The Right Scoop, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Mail, The Daily Caller, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway

Kenneth P. Vogel / Politico:

Charles Koch: ‘Life or death struggle for our country’ — Kicking off a donor seminar, the billionaire casts reckless foreign policy and overspending as bipartisan problems. — DANA POINT, Calif. - Charles Koch, in a Saturday evening speech welcoming major donors and leading Republicans …

Discussion: Washington Post, Common Dreams, Slantpoint and Hullabaloo

Amir Taheri / New York Post:

Iran publishes book on how to outwit US and destroy Israel — While Secretary of State John Kerry and President Obama do their best to paper over the brutality of the Iranian regime and force through a nuclear agreement, Iran's religious leader has another issue on his mind: The destruction of Israel.

Discussion: BizPac Review, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Power Line and Israel Matzav

Richard Winton / Los Angeles Times:

Overdoses suspected in deaths of 2 women at HARD Summer music festival — Two 19-year-old women died of suspected drug overdoses after collapsing at the HARD Summer music festival at the Fairplex in Pomona, authorities said Sunday. — Both women were found unresponsive at the festival Saturday evening …

Discussion: KTLA