memeorandum: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Covid Remarks Raise Questions of Antisemitism (Jonathan Weisman/New York Times)

1:00 PM ET, July 16, 2023

Top Items:

Here's who won, and lost, and face-planted in the presidential money race last quarter — Nearly every candidate's fundraising came with a caveat. — Ron DeSantis has money problems. — Tim Scott is on a bit of a spending binge. — Rich candidates are parting with their money, while also-rans are struggling to break through.

Discussion: The Messenger, NBC News, Raw Story, Florida Politics, Balloon Juice, CNN, Washington Examiner, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Just The News and PoliticusUSA

NBC News:

Ron DeSantis fires roughly a dozen staffers in a campaign shake-up — The Florida governor has struggled to break into Trump's lead and his campaign has been burning through money. — Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign has fired roughly a dozen staffers — and more are expected …

Discussion: USA Today, Mother Jones, The Messenger, Deadline, New York Post, Florida Politics, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, HotAir and Political Wire

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

DeSantis campaign sheds staff amid cash crunch — Fewer than 10 staffers were let go Thursday, according to a person familiar with the campaign. — Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign is shedding staff as it navigates a cash crunch. — Fewer than 10 staffers were let go by the Florida …

Discussion: New York Times, Insider, ABC News, National Review, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, Mediaite, Florida Politics, The National Pulse+, Just The News, The Hill, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Sacramento Bee and Bloomberg

NBC News:

Ron DeSantis' campaign finances have some flashing warning signs — Most of DeSantis' money came from donors who “maxed out” and can't give again, as small donations have been a struggle for Trump's GOP challengers. — WASHINGTON — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped out top donors …

Discussion: CNN, Insider, The Hill, Mother Jones, Washington Post, New York Post, Rolling Stone, Associated Press and Political Wire

CNN:

Ron DeSantis to sit down with CNN's Jake Tapper for an exclusive interview Tuesday — Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis will sit down with CNN's Jake Tapper on Tuesday for an exclusive interview, the network announced Sunday. — As the Florida governor travels across the country …

Discussion: PoliticusUSA and Florida Politics

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Covid Remarks Raise Questions of Antisemitism — The long-shot candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination has a history of embracing conspiracy theories. His latest comments claimed the virus spared certain ethnic and religious groups.

Discussion: The Hill and New York Post

Ruby Cramer / Washington Post:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggests covid was designed to spare Jews, Chinese people — Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advanced a dangerous conspiracy theory this week that the coronavirus could have been a bioweapon “deliberately targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews …

Discussion: Associated Press, CNN, Mediaite, Raw Story, New York Post, The Hill and National Review

Jon Levine / New York Post:
RFK Jr. says COVID was ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jews

Devlin Barrett / Washington Post:

Trump's outbursts met with silence so far by prosecutor, judge — Other defendants might get in trouble for publicly calling the prosecutor a deranged drug user. Not Donald Trump. — Since his indictment last month on charges of withholding classified documents, former president Donald Trump …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Western Journal and The Messenger

ABC News:

7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes near Alaska Peninsula, prompting tsunami advisory — A tsunami advisory was in effect in some coastal areas, NWS officials said. — A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck near the Alaska Peninsula late Saturday. — The quake prompted the National Weather Service …

Discussion: KTUU, Associated Press, UPI, ZeroHedge News, Fox News, Metro.co.uk, KRON4, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, Reuters and TASS

Benjamin Lindsay / The Wrap:

Democratic Lobby Group Airs Steamy Sex Scene Takedown of GOP: ‘Keep Republicans Out of Your Bedroom’ (Video) — The political ad comes from Progress Action Fund and asks Ohioans to vote no on the controversial State Issue 1 — In what might be the subjectively raciest political ad ever …

Discussion: HotAir

Washington Post:

Personal debts said to scuttle nomination of Biden's acting cyber director — The rationale for not permanently nominating Kemba Walden to be national cyber director has stunned colleagues — The acting White House national cyber director was told in recent weeks that she would not be considered …

Discussion: Reuters

Associated Press:

At least 4 killed in mass shooting in small Georgia city outside Atlanta, spokeswoman says — The shooting occurred at around 10:40 a.m. in Hampton, a city south of Atlanta, officials said. — HAMPTON, Ga. — A county government official in Georgia says at least four people have been killed …

Discussion: Associated Press, The Messenger, Bearing Arms, ABC News, New York Post, Washington Examiner, Just The News, The Hill, New York Daily News and Metro.co.uk

Dharna Noor / The Guardian:

Big oil quietly walks back on climate pledges as global heat records tumble — Energy firms have made record profits by increasing production of oil and gas, far from their promises of rolling back emissions — It was probably the Earth's hottest week in history earlier this month …

Discussion: Cafe Hayek, The Hill and The Daily Caller

Ray Hartmann / Raw Story:

DeSantis asked by GOP officials in Florida to ban vaccine as ‘biological weapon’ — The Brevard County Republican Executive voted by a supermajority this week to call upon Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to ban sale and distribution of Covid “and all related vaccines” in the state, Florida Today reported.

Discussion: New York Times

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: CNN, Outside the Beltway, Washington Examiner and National Review

MacKenzie Ryan / The Guardian:
Biden stability beats Trump volatility in 2024 match-up, experts suggest

Discussion: Raw Story and The American Spectator

Michael Scherer / Washington Post:
No Labels releases proposals to guide third-party presidential ticket

Discussion: ABC News and New York Times

Fredreka Schouten / CNN:

Chris Christie raises $1.65 million during second fundraising quarter — Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie raised $1.65 million over the first 25 days of his candidacy through June 30, according to the former New Jersey governor's latest fundraising report.