memeorandum: Blinken: Ukraine has already retaken 50 percent of occupied territory (Sarah Fortinsky/The Hill)

1:05 PM ET, July 23, 2023

Top Items:

Dana Blanton / Fox Business:

Fox Business Poll: Trump leads in Iowa, as DeSantis and Scott round out the top 3 — Iowa's caucus kicks off the GOP nomination process — An early read on the race for the Republican nomination in Iowa shows former President Donald Trump the clear frontrunner — and then there is a sharp drop off to the rest of the field.

Discussion: The Messenger, The Hill, National Review, Simply Ivanka, Florida Politics and Political Wire

Politico:

Trump just qualified for the first debate. But will he show up? — Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie and Tim Scott also qualified based on the latest polling. — Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie and Tim Scott have all met …

Discussion: New York Post, NewsNation, Semafor, CNN, Washington Examiner and The Hill

Brianne Pfannenstiel / Des Moines Register:

Ron DeSantis super PAC will host bus tour through Iowa ahead of Lincoln Dinner — Never Back Down is beginning to take over some event planning from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, launching a bus tour that will take him through Chariton, Osceola and Oskaloosa ahead of Friday's Iowa GOP Lincoln Dinner.

Discussion: Political Wire

Harry Enten / CNN:

Why Tim Scott may be one to watch in the GOP presidential race — Can the nice guy finish first? — That's the question a lot of analysts are asking about the Republican race for president, with headlines such as “Tim Scott is turning heads with donors and early-state voters” and …

Discussion: National Review, RedState, The Capitolist, Florida Politics, Political Wire, Digby's Hullabaloo, al.com and New York Times

New York Times:

A ‘Leaner-Meaner’ DeSantis Campaign Faces a Reboot and a Reckoning — The campaign's missteps and swelling costs have made donors and allies anxious. One person close to the Florida governor said he had experienced a “challenging learning curve.” — Throughout the spring …

Discussion: PoliticusUSA and Florida Politics

Sarah Fortinsky / The Hill:

Blinken: Ukraine has already retaken 50 percent of occupied territory — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that Ukraine has already retaken about 50 percent of the territory that Russia initially seized, stressing that Kyiv's counteroffensive is still in its “relatively early days.”

Discussion: Reuters and Political Wire

Wall Street Journal:

GOP Splits Over Jan. 6 Deepen as Trump Indictment Looms — Prominent Republicans like Ron DeSantis and Kevin McCarthy appear torn between criticizing the riot and defending the former president — The likelihood Donald Trump will be indicted over efforts to undo his loss in the 2020 election …

Discussion: USA Today

Libby Cathey / ABC News:
Mike Pence ‘not interested in trading insults’ with Trump as he tries to win New Hampshire

Discussion: USA Today, Insider, The Messenger, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, Rolling Stone, Raw Story, HuffPost, The Hill and Associated Press

Andrew Zhang / Politico:
Sununu: Most New Hampshire voters are ‘not with Trump’

Discussion: Fox Business, Insider, RedState, HuffPost, The Wrap, Raw Story, The Hill and Florida Politics

Charlie Sykes / MSNBC:

A federal judge confirmed one of Trump's worst labels — and the GOP didn't blink — But we still have a moral obligation to be shocked, don't we? — A quick public service announcement: You did not, in fact, take crazy pills this week. — It's just the news cycle.

Discussion: Washington Post and Raw Story

Roger Sollenberger / The Daily Beast:

Inside the DeSantis Doc That Showtime Didn't Want You to See — Vice put together an in-depth documentary exploring DeSantis' time at Guantanamo Bay. Showtime suddenly shelved the documentary one day after DeSantis declared for president. … When executives at Showtime pulled …

Joe Jacquez / The Hill:

Tulsi Gabbard pushes back against Jack White's anti-Trump comment — Former Republican presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard blasted musician Jack White's criticism of former President Trump on Twitter Saturday. — Gabbard, who served as U.S. representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district …

Discussion: BizPac Review, Fox News and An Eclectic Mix

Darlene Superville / Associated Press:

Biden Will Establish A National Monument Honoring Emmett Till, The Black Teen Lynched In Mississippi — A White House official says President Joe Biden will establish a national monument honoring Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. — President Joe Biden will establish …

Discussion: USA Today, Fox News, CNN, BizPac Review, Chicago Sun Times, CBS News, The Hill and Political Wire

Akayla Gardner / Bloomberg: Biden Approves Monument to Honor Emmett Till in Civil Rights Win

The Daily Beast:

Trump Unlocked a Whole New Level of Bullshitting in Iowa — New Abnormal podcast hosts Andy and Danielle react to Trump's nonsensical answer to a question from a voter in Iowa. Plus! Illuminati conspiracies once influenced a U.S. election. … Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal …

Discussion: Stitcher

Steady:

Teach The Truth — Ominous lessons from Florida — I was born 66 years after slavery was legally abolished by the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Not exactly ancient history. Today, that's how long ago the Eisenhower administration was, or Elvis Presley's first number one hit.

Discussion: NBC New York

Washington Post:

DeSantis doubles down on claim that some Blacks benefited from slavery — GOP presidential candidate draws renewed criticism after suggesting slavery helped African Americans develop skills such as being a blacksmith — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is intensifying his efforts to de-emphasize racism …

Discussion: Informed Comment, Raw Story, Bloomberg, PoliticusUSA, Florida Politics and TheBlaze