NATIONAL

“The House is leaving for its summer recess until September 8 without voting on legislation to defund Planned Parenthood in the wake of the recent gruesome videos released of the abortion giant’s practice of harvesting the body parts of aborted babies for sale to biomedical companies.” – Breitbart

“Whether or not the story generates major media attention, the Center for Medical Progress’ expose of Planned Parenthood’s participation in the harvesting and sale of fetal organs continues to feature major updates. Here are 10 of them.” – Mollie Hemingway/The Federalist

“Since March, Hillary Clinton has repeatedly claimed that nothing that she sent or received through her e-mail system contained information that was classified at the time. Two Inspectors General referred the matter to the Department of Justice, claiming that material transmitted in four of the 40 emails they sampled contained information that was “classified when they were sent and are classified now.” Who is correct? An exclusive report from McClatchy provides some much-needed context. The information contained in those e-mails came from five intelligence agencies, including the NSA — sources that produce some of the most sensitive and classified information for the US government:” – Hot Air

“It came two days after the announcement of the nuclear agreement with Iran, yet little mention was made on July 16 of the 70th anniversary of the first nuclear explosion, near Alamogordo, New Mexico. The anniversary underscored that the agreement attempts to thwart proliferation of technology seven decades old.” – George Will/National Review

“Judicial Watch announced that U.S District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan today threatened to hold the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and Justice Department attorneys in contempt of court after the IRS failed to produce status reports and newly recovered emails of Lois Lerner, former director of the Exempt Organizations Unit of the IRS, as he had ordered on July 1, 2015.” – Judicial Watch

“New documentation released by the House Oversight Committee this week again raises questions on how Lois Lerner’s hard drive was physically damaged and whether there was some kind of deliberate act to destroy data on it.” – Americans For Tax Reform

“Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders told supporters they were making history as he live-streamed from a modest, packed, and steamy apartment in Washington, D.C on Wednesday night.” – Fox News

“By now, almost everyone has seen the list of presidential candidates who had excellent poll numbers the year before the race, but who eventually faded or collapsed. I won’t rehearse the full list, but think of Rudy Giuliani and Howard Dean. I believe Donald Trump will join this list, primarily because until fairly recently he was a Democrat and more liberal than conservative. But even if I’m right, Trump might well scramble the GOP race, delivering major blows to ‘top tier’ candidates and throwing lifelines to candidates not so highly rated.” – Paul Mirengoff/Power Line

“Six weeks after setting her candidacy into high gear, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers are continuing to fall, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.” – TIME

“Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton received a Fifth Avenue in New York City last Friday that cost more than the average American makes in a week.” – Washington Times

LOUISIANA

“Another national poll of support for Republican candidates for president, another rating in the low single digits for Gov. Bobby Jindal that puts him outside the charmed circle of the top 10.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“Mayor Mitch Landrieu is hosting a private meeting Thursday (July 30) with church leaders from throughout the city to discuss his proposal to take down four Confederate monuments from public property. It’s the first of two planned meetings facilitated by Welcome Table New Orleans, a racial reconciliation program Landrieu started with the help of the William Winter Institute at the University of Mississippi.” – NOLA.com

“The cop known as the ‘Cajun John Wayne’ has seen his blunt persona played for laughs. Good thing he has a sense of humor.” – Monroe News Star

“LSU student media leaders are weighing proposals for potentially drastic changes to campus news offerings, including possibly cutting the print frequency of LSU’s Daily Reveille student newspaper.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“Floyd is one of many low-income workers being priced out of the city’s historic core, neighborhoods where the working poor were once able to find cheap housing. It was often substandard, but it was close to work, allowing residents to sidestep the expense of a car and a public transportation system that leaves much to be desired, especially for those living in far-flung neighborhoods. Housing advocates are increasingly worried the future of New Orleans might be one where, unless the city undertakes some policy changes, the working poor will no longer have a place in the neighborhoods they used to call home.” – NOLA.com

“The number of people willing to recommend the Capital Area Transit System to a friend has plummeted for the first time since the agency started measuring satisfaction more than a year ago.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“With deep budget cuts dodged by Louisiana’s public colleges, national credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s has removed five higher education institutions from a negative credit watch.” – Lake Charles American Press

“Donors can make unlimited contributions to a super PAC supporting Republican U.S. David Vitter for governor. But it came at a financial cost to Louisiana taxpayers. The Fund for Louisiana’s Future challenged the constitutionality of a Louisiana law limiting contributions in federal court last year and won.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“For 45 minutes the Saints brain trust was peppered by questions, largely about former linebacker Junior Galette. The big takeaway: Payton and Loomis are ready to move on from the four-year, $41 million Galette debacle. The deal was a mistake, they both admitted.” – WWL-TV

“LSU was ranked No. 13 in the USA Today Amway coaches preseason football poll released Thursday.” – NOLA.com