memeorandum: The Good, Bad, and Very Ugly — Breaking down last night's elections. (Charlie Sykes/Morning Shots)

1:15 PM ET, August 3, 2022

Top Items:

Kansas Votes to Preserve Abortion Rights Protections in Its Constitution — OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Kansas voters resoundingly decided against removing the right to abortion from the State Constitution, according to The Associated Press, a major victory for the abortion rights movement in one of America's reliably conservative states.

Charlie Sykes / Morning Shots:

The Good, Bad, and Very Ugly — Breaking down last night's elections. — My colleague, Bill Kristol, weighs in on the last 24 hours: … Happy Wednesday. — Join — Team Bulwark was up late last night, digging through the rubble of Tuesday's election results.

Discussion: HotAir, New York Times, The Guardian, Civilization …, NPR and Political Wire

Politico:

Roe jolts the midterms — 5 takeaways from a key primary night — Democrats can see glimmers of new midterm life, after the stunning defeat of an anti-abortion measure in Kansas. Eric Greitens is the big loser in Missouri — which means the Republican Party as a whole won.

Discussion: Pajiba, KTVX-TV, NBC News, The Topeka Capital-Journal and Slate

New York Times:

Kansas Abortion Amendment Election Results — Kansans will vote on an amendment concerning whether to remove abortion rights protections from their State Constitution. If the measure passes, it could pave the way for state lawmakers to pass far-reaching abortion restrictions, or even to pursue a ban.

Discussion: Bolts, Vanity Fair, Mother Jones, USA Today, Breitbart, Insider, American Prospect, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Signal, PoliticusUSA, Heartland Signal, Super-Probably Relevant …, NBC News and ABC News

New York Times:

Here's how abortion rights supporters won in conservative Kansas. — Supporters of abortion rights won a huge and surprising victory on Tuesday in one of the most conservative states in the country, with Kansas voters resoundingly rejecting a constitutional amendment that would have let state legislators ban …

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Magazine, Washington Examiner, Slate, The Daily Caller, Joel Mathis, Raw Story, Quarantine Creatives …, The Hill, Sacramento Bee, The 19th and The Guardian

Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:

Election Victories by Trump Allies Showcase His Grip on the G.O.P. Base — PHOENIX — Primary victories in Arizona and Michigan for allies of Donald J. Trump on Tuesday reaffirmed his continued influence over the Republican Party, as the former president has sought to cleanse the party of his critics …

Discussion: Arizona Mirror, CNN, Fox News, Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, Washington Post, The Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, The Bulwark and Missouri Independent

Domenico Montanaro / NPR:

Abortion rights shockwave rocks the midterms and 3 other takeaways from primaries — Here are four takeaways from the results in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington state: — 1. Abortion-rights supporters get a major boost. — Voters in Kansas rejected a ballot initiative …

Discussion: The Guardian, Bloomberg, Kansas City Star and Vox

Jonathan V. Last / The Triad:

What Are YOU Doing To Protect “Good Republicans” From Their Voters? — Whose fault is it that Republican voters keep choosing illiberal conspiracy theorists? — Tomorrow night on TNB I'll be joined by the OGs, Mona Charen and Bill Kristol. Mark it down now: Thursday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

Discussion: Twitchy, The Daily Beast, Townhall, Reason, RedState, Detroit News, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, Ground News, Roll Call and Michigan Advance

The White House:
Statement by President Joe Biden on Defeat of Kansas Ballot Measure Threatening Women's Right to Abortion

Discussion: LifeNews.com and Unprecedented

KCUR 89.3:
Kansas voters overwhelmingly say ‘No’ to stripping abortion rights from the state constitution

Discussion: Bloomberg, ABC News, Kansas City Star, MSNBC, Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, The Editorial Board, No More Mister Nice Blog, Shot in the Dark, David Bitter, Politico, Reason, CNN, The Wichita Beacon and FOX News Radio

Kyle Morris / Fox News:
Kansas voters reject constitutional amendment granting lawmakers ability to regulate abortion

Discussion: Washington Examiner, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Politico, HotAir, National Review, The Guardian and WGN-TV

Zach Montellaro / Politico:
One GOP impeachment backer falls, two more locked in tight primaries

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Talking Points Memo, Al Jazeera, Breitbart, The Guardian, Fox News, Power Line, The Status Kuo, Townhall, Axios and Associated Press

ABC News:

Ex-White House counsel subpoenaed by federal grand jury investigating Jan. 6 attack — Pat Cipollone spoke to the House Jan. 6 Select Committee last month. — A federal grand jury has subpoenaed former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone in its investigation into the Jan. 6 assault …

Discussion: Insider, NBC News, USA Today, CNN, Washington Post, emptywheel, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner, New York Post, Washington Times, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, HuffPost, KDFX-TV and Political Wire

Pamela Brown / CNN:
Federal grand jury subpoenas Trump's former White House counsel in 2020 election probe, source says

Discussion: The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Insider, Just The News, New York Times and KDFX-TV

Mike Allen / Axios:

First look: Former Treasury secretaries push Manchin bill — Five former Treasury secretaries — including Hank Paulson, who served under President George W. Bush — signed a statement strongly backing the “Inflation Reduction Act” brokered by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

Discussion: Fox News, The Hill and Townhall

Wall Street Journal:

The IRS Is About to Go Beast Mode — The Schumer-Manchin bill has $45.6 billion to audit the middle class. — Progressives want Joe Biden to unleash what they call “beast mode” executive power, and the Schumer-Manchin tax bill supplies the cash to turn the Internal Revenue Service into Wolverine.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Scott Wong / NBC News:
Senate passes veterans health bill after Republicans cave to pressure

Adam Edelman / NBC News:

Election-denier Mark Finchem wins Arizona GOP secretary of state primary, NBC News projects — Mark Finchem, a prominent 2020 election denier and an Arizona state legislator, has won the Republican secretary of state primary, NBC News projects. — With 99% percent of the expected vote in …

Discussion: Insider, Big League Politics, Politico, Fox News, Talking Points Memo, Bloomberg, Slate, NPR, Raw Story, HuffPost and Washington Examiner

Allan Smith / NBC News:
Rusty Bowers, a Jan. 6 committee star witness, loses GOP primary in Arizona

Discussion: Arizona Mirror, Arizona Republic, Townhall, Townhall, The Hill, Raw Story, Washington Examiner and Axios

Bob Christie / Associated Press:
Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers loses state Senate bid

Discussion: Insider, Breitbart, New York Post, CNN, CBS News, Voice of America, HuffPost and Politico

Alayna Treene / Axios:

Scoop: 2024 GOP hopefuls back Trump's plan to purge civil servants — Several possible 2024 Republican presidential candidates tell Axios they support former President Trump's plan to make it easier for the president to purge federal workers. … Democrats, increasingly concerned, are scrambling to block that possibility.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Ron Faucheux / Washington Examiner:

How do Democrats solve a problem like Joe Biden? — Democratic Party strategists increasingly fear that President Joe Biden can't win reelection. Polls show that most Democrats believe he shouldn't run. — One recent survey has Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg leading both Biden …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

Associated Press:
Two top House Democrats decline to say Biden should run in 2024

Discussion: ABC News, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, Sputnik News, HuffPost and The Hill

Taylor Lorenz / Washington Post:

A TikTok rival promised millions to Black creators. Now some are deep in debt. — Triller made its name recruiting talent with lavish perks. Now, dozens of influencers are struggling to get paid. ‘We were made to look like fools,’ one creator said. — Last fall, David Warren seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough.

Matthew Yglesias / Slow Boring:

Answering Bill Maher's concerns on traffic and One Billion Americans — Solve the problem, don't shy away from growth — Bill Maher wants the United States of America to stop kowtowing to China and worries that we are losing to China because it's too hard to get things built in this country.

Michael Ruiz / Fox News:

Paul Pelosi allegedly slurred speech, had drug in system and handed over police privilege card during DUI bust — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, was arrested on suspicion of DUI on May 28 — Fox News Flash top headlines for August 2 — Paul Pelosi, the multimillionaire husband …

Discussion: Townhall, New York Post, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit and RedState

New York Times:

Giuliani Is Unlikely to Face Criminal Charges in Lobbying Inquiry — A federal investigation into Donald Trump's former lawyer over his work in Ukraine during the 2020 campaign is winding down with no indictment expected. — As Rudolph W. Giuliani comes under intensifying scrutiny …

Jonathan Tamari / The Philadelphia Inquirer:

John Fetterman's parents gave him money into his 40s. Republicans say that undercuts his blue collar image. — In his ads, and much of the public imagination, John Fetterman is a tattooed everyman from a rugged steel city outside Pittsburgh.The phrase “blue collar tough guy” …

USA Today:

Arizona GOP candidate gets warning about election interference over tweets encouraging pen theft — Robert Anglen Sasha HupkaArizona Republic — The Maricopa County Attorney's Office on Tuesday ordered a Republican candidate to stop urging voters to replace government-issued pens at polling stations.

Shane Harris / Washington Post:

Zawahiri appeared on his balcony. The CIA was watching — and ready to kill him. — After eluding U.S. intelligence agencies for two decades, the al-Qaeda leader showed up on the balcony of a house in downtown Kabul — Ayman al-Zawahiri, the 71-year-old leader of al-Qaeda …

Discussion: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Lawfare, Washington Examiner and The White House

Megan Brenan / Gallup:

Abortion Issue Top Factor Urging Americans to Protest — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly four in 10 Americans, 39%, say they have felt the urge to organize or join a public demonstration. This is statistically similar to the previous 36% reading in 2018 but much higher than the 10% who said the same in 1965.

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Times and Opinion Today

The White House:

FACT SHEET: President Biden Issues Executive Order at the First Meeting of the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access — President Biden will issue an Executive Order on Securing Access to Reproductive and Other Healthcare Services, building on actions that the Biden-Harris Administration …

Discussion: Townhall, The Daily Caller, UPI, PoliticusUSA, LifeNews.com, New York Times and U.S. Department of Justice

Jim Vertuno / Associated Press:

Sandy Hook parents: Alex Jones claims created ‘living hell’ — AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Fighting back tears and finally given the chance to confront conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, the parents of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting described being put through a …

Discussion: CBS News, ABC7, Rolling Stone, CNN, Associated Press, The Independent, The Newsletter, New York Times, Insider, The Daily Beast and VICE

Elisabeth Zerofsky / New York Times:

How the Claremont Institute Became a Nerve Center of the American Right — They made the intellectual case for Trump. Now they believe the country is in a cultural civil war. — To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

Discussion: Althouse

Sam Adler-Bell / New York Times:

Arizona Just Chose a Senate Candidate More Extreme Than Donald Trump — Blake Masters's first campaign ad opens with a shot of the Sonoran Desert. A plaintive piano theme tinkles as Mr. Masters, a 35-year-old venture capitalist and, as of early Wednesday morning, the Republican nominee …