NATIONAL

“In a ruling this morning, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rendered official what observers have long known: Wisconsin Democrats did, in fact, launch a massive, multi-county ‘John Doe’ investigation of the state’s conservatives, featuring extraordinarily broad subpoenas and coordinated ‘paramilitary’ raids of private homes; the ‘crimes’ that provided the investigation’s pretext were not crimes at all, but First Amendment-protected speech; and the legal theory underpinning the investigation was bunk, ‘unsupported in either reason or law,’ as the court put it.” – National Review

“The consequence of all this disingenuous oratory: The United States and its partners have concluded a dreadful agreement with a treacherous regime in Tehran — an agreement that places Israel, but emphatically not only Israel, in considerable danger. And they are now busily compounding their failure by misrepresenting what has unfolded, and pointing some of the blame, thoroughly unjustifiably, at what Hammond so charmingly called ‘Tel Aviv.’” – Times of Israel

“The grand bargain enriches the regime and, compared to long-standing United Nations resolutions and practices, actually makes it easier for the Iranians to pursue nukes. If you read the fine print in the main document and the five annexes, you’ll find a roadmap for the Iranians to avoid detection and escape punishment. In every case that matters, our ability to quickly investigate evidence of illicit activity gets referred to a committee (in which the Iranians always participate), which in due course (at least 20+ days) decides if the investigation will be permitted. If the committee can’t resolve it, foreign ministries come into play, adding further delays and complications.” – Michael Ledeen/Forbes

“Or maybe it’s totally obvious: Which would you choose? A shaggy, avuncular ex-hippy with the persona of Vermont’s biggest industrialists – Ben and Jerry, purveyors of cold, creamy goodness with ribbons of social justice and nuggets of truth that don’t redound to the credit of the Obama Administration? Or the tightly coiffed, elusive, painfully scripted Wicked Witch of Washington? Karamel Sutra or flying monkeys?” – Lisa Schiffren/New York Observer

“Although Hillary Clinton outraised Sanders by a whopping $31.5 million this quarter, it appears that more individuals may have donated to Sanders’ campaign than Clinton’s campaign. While Sanders said that more than 284,000 people donated to his campaign, Clinton said ‘more than 250,000’ donated to her own campaign. Clinton announced her candidacy on April 12, two weeks before Sanders did. Still, it’s unclear exactly how many more than 250,000 people donated to Clinton’s campaign.” – National Journal

“In the wake of Kate Steinle’s murder at the hands of an illegal immigrant, mass immigration advocates have begun a campaign of lies in defense of their cheap labor. ‘Studies show,’ they say, that immigrants commit LESS crime than the native population.” – Ann Coulter/Human Events

“It’s very bad,” McCain, who was eager to talk about Trump, told me on Monday when I stopped by his Senate office. The Senator is up for reëlection in 2016 and he pays close attention to how the issue of immigration is playing in his state. He was particularly rankled by Trump’s rally. “This performance with our friend out in Phoenix is very hurtful to me,” McCain said. “Because what he did was he fired up the crazies.” – New Yorker

“As reported earlier, Major Garrett faced backlash today from certain quarters over his question to President Obama about hostages being held in Iran. The President offered a scolding of Garrett for his phrasing, and the internet devolved into rage-frenzy. Garrett himself spoke about the so-called scolding with Contessa Brewer shortly after the press conference for CBS’s online streaming service.” – Truth Revolt

“When the group Center for Medical Progress released the now-infamous lunchtime conversation with Planned Parenthood’s senior medical adviser, some wondered why the group waited a year to publish the video. CBS News picked up the story this morning, with Jan Crawford giving an unsurprisingly fair report on the nearly three-year probe. There is more coming, Crawford reports — much more:” – Hot Air

“Under the guise of attacking Donald Trump for Trump’s attacks on illegal immigration, the GOP Establishment — notably Jeb Bush — is ever so-not-subtly playing the race card. Well aside from deliberately misrepresenting Trump’s attacks on illegal immigration as an attack on all Mexican immigrants — itself a deliberate dishonesty. Borrowing the absolute worst from the Party of Race, that is the Democrats — these on-the-record supporters of every skin color judging formula from slavery to segregation to lynching to the Ku Klux Klan to racial quotas to, now, illegal immigration — these Establishment figures are playing that favorite of the race card players: identity politics.” – Jeffrey Lord/American Spectator

LOUISIANA

“Under that scenario, a big domino could fall. Would a Gov. Vitter pick a placeholder to fill out the rest of his term until January 2017 while Republicans fight in a primary? Or would he comb through the field of Republicans who have been laying the groundwork to run, have instant incumbent status and support from the party’s infrastructure, such as the National Republican Senatorial Committee?” – Roll Call

“Democratic presidential candidate and United States Senator Bernie Sanders is coming to our July 25th J-J Dinner in New Orleans! In addition to our hero Mary Landrieu, our keynote speaker Sen. Amy Klobuchar, gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards, Lieutenant Governor candidate Kip Holden, Secretary of State candidate Chris Tyson and state legislative candidates… a 2016 presidential candidate will be attending IN PERSON!” – Louisiana Democrat Party

“Organizers of the years-long city of St. George incorporation effort announced this morning that they will not file a legal challenge to a recent ruling by a Baton Rouge judge that effectively killed the effort—but they say the fight is far from over.” – Baton Rouge Business Report

“The state’s coastal authority approved sending a request for $38.3 million to the U.S. Department of Treasury for coastal restoration projects.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“Take away the visible symbols of the modern era — the variable message boards, the cell towers, the SUVs — and today’s Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is essentially the same bridge that opened in 1956 with one span, followed by the second bridge in 1969.” – NOLA.com

“The President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association has concerns that the Iran nuclear deal will negatively impact oil producers in Louisiana and the United States. Don Briggs says the agreement will allow Iran to export crude oil into an already flooded market.” – WWL Radio

“Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell won’t be weighing in on Gov. Bobby Jindal’s ‘Marriage and Conscience Order.‘ Despite a formal request from state Rep. Pat Smith, the Attorney General’s office says it won’t issue an opinion on the order, which seeks to carve out protections for people who oppose same-sex marriage, because of an ongoing lawsuit.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“Economics at its simplest is the balance of supply and demand. So is there enough demand that advocates for reviving a passenger train between New Orleans and Baton Rouge can hope to supply four trains a day?” – NOLA.com

“The Lake Charles City Council voted against a resolution Wednesday to remove the South’s Defenders Monument at the Calcasieu Courthouse.” – KPLC-TV

“LSU was picked to finish third in a very competitive Southeastern Conference West Division as the media’s predicted order of finish was released at the conclusion of SEC Media Days on Thursday.” – Baton Rouge Advocate