memeorandum: Ron DeSantis and his backers paid $95,000 to an Iowa religious leader's group (Reuters)

3:10 PM ET, August 12, 2023

Top Items:

CNN:

First on CNN: Fulton County DA to present Trump election subversion case to grand jury early next week — An Atlanta-area prosecutor has notified at least one witness to appear before a grand jury early next week, the most significant indication of her intention to seek indictments …

Discussion: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Raw Story and The Gateway Pundit

New York Times:

Republicans Wanted a Special Counsel Investigation of Hunter Biden. Now Many Oppose It. — Although some G.O.P. lawmakers see the appointment of David C. Weiss as a vindication of their strategy, others criticize the now-scuttled plea deal he struck with Mr. Biden.

Jon Levine / New York Post:

GOP 2024 candidate Vivek Ramaswamy ‘open’ to pardon of Hunter Biden — GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is considering issuing hundreds of pardons should he be elected president — eventually including members of the Biden family. — “After the I am leading the great revival.

Discussion: The Hill, PJ Media, The Daily Caller, RedState, The Messenger and CBS News

Julia Shapero / The Hill:

‘Liar,’ ‘loser,’ a ‘national security threat’: Hurd rips into Trump — Republican presidential hopeful and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd ripped into former President Trump on Friday, calling him a “liar,” “loser” and “national security threat.” — Hurd, who has been sharply critical …

Discussion: HuffPost

CNN:
Judge Chutkan says Trump's right to free speech in January 6 case is ‘not absolute’

Discussion: Mediaite, The Guardian, Raw Story, Roll Call, The Daily Caller, The Hill, Washington Free Beacon, Wall Street Journal, Twin Cities, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, Al Jazeera, CBS News, Crooks and Liars and ABC News

Brad Reed / Raw Story:
Judge Chutkan ‘not amused’ as Trump lawyer keeps bringing up 2024 presidential campaign: reporter

Discussion: REALITYCHEX.COM, The Federalist, The Daily Beast, RedState, Just The News and Political Wire

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Judge warns Trump: ‘Inflammatory’ statements about election case could speed trial

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, NPR, New York Daily News, The Hill, Raw Story, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Fox News, Rolling Stone, Orlando Sentinel, New York Times, Washington Post and Associated Press

Pilar Melendez / The Daily Beast:

Sheriff Says Former Trump Doctor Threatened to Beat Officer — Republican Congressman Ronny Jackson reportedly threatened a state trooper and vowed retribution against a local sheriff after he was briefly detained at a rodeo in July. — A Texas Republican who previously worked …

Discussion: The Texas Tribune

Todd J. Gillman / Dallas Morning News:

Sheriff: Ronny Jackson threatened to ‘beat’ state trooper after being handcuffed at rodeo — Aide to ex-White House physician says he wasn't drinking and shouldn't have been detained while trying to help a teen suffering a seizure. — Update: — 8:20 p.m. with response from Jackson.

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Raw Story and Political Wire

Roni Caryn Rabin / New York Times:

Growing Segregation by Sex in Israel Raises Fears for Women's Rights — Ultra-Orthodox members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition want to expand the powers of all-male rabbinical courts, and to bar women and men from mixing in many public arenas. — Reporting from Tel Aviv

Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector:

Police stage ‘chilling’ raid on Marion County newspaper, seizing computers, records and cellphones — Eric Meyer, publisher of the Marion County Record, answers questions in his newspaper office Friday after police seized computers, servers, cellphones and other items.

Discussion: TMZ.com, BizPac Review, Zandar Versus The Stupid and New York Post, more at Mediagazer »

James West / Mother Jones:

Debunking Florida's Argument That Slavery Could Benefit the Enslaved, in 120 Seconds — In my latest video, I tackle the controversy surrounding Florida's teaching standards. These new guidelines, approved last month, sparked an avalanche of criticism by suggesting that enslaved Americans …

Reuters:

Ron DeSantis and his backers paid $95,000 to an Iowa religious leader's group — As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis scrambles to shore up his struggling run for the Republican presidential nomination, he has spent far more than any rival on courting an influential Christian conservative leader …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, RTÉ, Just The News, The Messenger, The Post Millennial, Political Wire, Politico and Associated Press

MacKenzie Ryan / The Guardian:

‘Better martyrs’: the growing role of women in the far-right movement — The pipeline from mommy blogger to Tradwife to book-banner is an important aspect of the extreme right wing in the US — Researchers who track how the far right in in the US mobilizes, self-promotes and recruits …

Discussion: Raw Story

Chris Pandolfo / Fox News:

Pence previews debate strategy at Iowa State Fair: Attack on abortion — Pence supports a national 15-week abortion ban — Former Vice President Mike Pence signaled Friday he will go on attack on abortion at the upcoming Republican presidential primary debate.

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Houston Keene / Fox News:
DeSantis torches Trump for refusing to sign GOP candidate pledge: 'You don't take your ball and go home'

Discussion: RedState, PJ Media, New York Post, Althouse, National Review and The Hill

CNN:

Nevada GOP Senate candidate raised money to help other candidates — the funds mostly paid down his old campaign's debt instead — Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown created a political action committee to “help elect Republicans” but most of its funds were spent paying down debt from his failed previous campaign.

Discussion: Political Wire

Kate Riga / Talking Points Memo:

Right Wingers Furious That The FBI Killed A Man Threatening Biden. Trump's Truth Social Tipped Agency Off — Truth Social, the social media company owned by Donald Trump, tipped off the FBI to threats Craig Robertson was making against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg back in March …