memeorandum: A gay couple ran a rural restaurant in peace. Then new neighbors arrived. (Tim Carman/Washington Post)

2:40 PM ET, July 15, 2023

Top Items:

RFK Jr. says COVID was ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jews — Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dished out wild COVID-19 conspiracy theories this week during a press event at an Upper East Side restaurant, claiming the bug was a genetically engineered bioweapon that may have been …

Lawrence Mower / Tampa Bay Times:

Veterans quit DeSantis' Florida State Guard over militialike training — One retired Marine Corps officer called the police on instructors, alleging abuse. — Emma Rose BrownMiami Herald — When the first recruiting class of Gov. Ron DeSantis' new Florida State Guard showed up for training …

Discussion: The Guardian, New York Times, Joe.My.God., The Messenger, Diane Ravitch's blog and Raw Story

Tim Carman / Washington Post:

A gay couple ran a rural restaurant in peace. Then new neighbors arrived. — Deep Reads features The Washington Post's best immersive reporting and narrative writing. — As soon as she spotted the lifeless vermin, Tiffany Foster had a hunch about how it appeared near the trash bins behind …

William Vaillancourt / The Daily Beast:

GOP Rep Flip-Flops on ‘Asshole’ Abortion Bill: Just Travel — ‘CONSISTENT’ — Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) was grilled Friday on why she voted in favor of an amendment that she had previously characterized as a move that equates to “being assholes to women.” Appearing on CNN Primetime …

Discussion: HuffPost, The Guardian, Mediaite, Daily Kos, HotAir and Politico

Amy Walter / Cook Political Report:

Three Things To Watch This Summer That Could Impact The GOP Primary Race — By any reasonable measure, the news this summer hasn't been slow. — Congress and the White House agreed on a debt ceiling deal in early June. Two weeks later, Special Counsel Jack Smith announced a 37-count indictment …

Discussion: NBC News and Raw Story

Steven Shepard / Politico:

The Electoral College is the big factor in a third-party nightmare for Democrats — Battleground states may actually be the least likely places for non-major party candidates to draw support. — Democrats are rightly spooked by the prospect of credible third-party candidates this cycle.

Discussion: Washington Examiner and National Review

James Davey / Reuters:

UK defence minister Wallace to step down as lawmaker at next election — British defence minister Ben Wallace will not stand as a member of parliament (MP) in the next UK national election, he told The Times newspaper on Saturday. — Wallace, MP for Wyre and Preston North …

Discussion: Bloomberg, The Guardian and Metro.co.uk

Khristopher J. Brooks / CBS News:

AAA pulls back from offering insurance in Florida, following Farmers — AAA will not renew the auto and home insurance policies for some customers in Florida, joining a growing list of insurers exiting the Sunshine State amid a growing risk of natural disasters.

Discussion: The Guardian, Outside the Beltway, Raw Story, Joe.My.God., The Hill, The Capitolist and New York Times

Fred Grimm / Sun-Sentinel:
MAGA propaganda collides with Florida reality

Discussion: Raw Story

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Florida might pay for MAGA cruelty and know-nothingism

Discussion: Twitchy, Democrats and Raw Story

Rachel Weiner / Washington Post:

The ‘Shoe Bomber’ testified for him. He was acquitted of terror charges. — Nizar Trabelsi, a former professional soccer player in Germany, was arrested just after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack and accused of plotting to kill Americans in Europe — The British man who tried to blow up a flight …

Discussion: KTVZ-TV

NBC News: Ex-soccer star accused of plotting terror with Osama bin Laden found not guilty

Steff Danielle Thomas / The Hill:

Judge upholds stringent Oregon gun control law as constitutional — A federal judge on Friday found Oregon's new gun law — which bans large capacity magazines and requires residents to obtain a permit to purchase firearms - does not violate the Second Amendment.

Discussion: Oregon Firearms Federation, Oregon Capital Chronicle and Oregonian

Washington Post:

Door-knocker complaints show risks of DeSantis super PAC strategy — Unlike traditional campaign volunteers, the pro-DeSantis effort is relying on paid canvassers — With his foot on a front porch of a stately home in Charleston, S.C., a canvasser for a $100 million field effort supporting Florida …

Discussion: HotAir, Insider, Raw Story, Florida Politics, WFLA-TV, Washington Examiner and Joe.My.God.

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Two senior DeSantis advisers are leaving to help run outside effort

Discussion: Slate, CNN, NBC News, Joe.My.God., Daily Caller News Foundation, WFLA-TV, Political Wire, RedState, The Messenger, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Hill

Nick Robertson / The Hill:

Russia investigating if North Korean test missile crashed in its waters — The Russian government is investigating whether a missile test-fired by North Korea on Wednesday ended up in its territorial waters in the Sea of Japan. — Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said the country …

Discussion: TASS, UPI and Metro.co.uk

The Daily Beast:

George Santos Mysteriously Got Big Bucks From a Bunch of Newbie Donors — Rep. George Santos' latest campaign filing has some very interesting new donors giving the maximum allowable amount. There may be an interesting reason for that. … Since his May 10 indictment, Rep. George Santos …

Discussion: New York Post, Mother Jones, New York Times, Raw Story, New York Daily News, Forbes, Washington Post, CNN, Washington Examiner, NBC News, Bloomberg and Politico

Claire Thornton / USA Today:

Vermont flooding updates: State reports first fatality, braces for more heavy rains — Officials in Vermont said a man drowned in his home this week, the first death linked catastrophic flooding in parts of the state. — Stephen Davoll, 63, of Barre, died on Wednesday, the state's emergency management department said.

Discussion: UPI, Media Matters for America, ABC22 & FOX44 and Talking Points Memo