The Hill’s 12:30 Report

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The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Ryan says his endorsements aren’t ‘blank checks’ | Clinton dominates new battleground polls | Why Koch won’t meet Trump | Warren’s sassy take on the ‘Wonder Twins’ | National IPA Day (!)

JUST NOW — OH YOU! OF COURSE I’M STAYING WITH YOU!: Via AP’s Erica Werner, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) reaffirmed his support for GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his first interview since Trump refused to endorse him in his primary race. “The only endorsements I want are those of my own employers here in the 1st Congressional District, and that’s really what my focus is.” On his own endorsement of Trump, Ryan said he hadn’t given the candidate a blank check. “None of these things are ever blank checks. That goes with any situation in any kind of race.” http://abcn.ws/2aTCXpm

Happy Thursday! Anyone else feel like this week in news has made you want to crawl into a hole and hide? Nah? Just me?  I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of what you missed this morning and what’s on tap for the rest of the day. Send comments, story ideas and chocolate chip cookie recipes (!) to cmartel@digital-staging.thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook.

{mosads}IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S –NAH, IT’S YOU: The Hill’s Jonathan Swan has a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look from Colorado Springs, Colo., on why Charles Koch won’t meet with GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. “Koch told [multimillionaire Trump supporter Doug] Deason that he knew Trump socially. They’d played golf together and David Koch moved in the same Manhattan social circles as Trump. But Koch bases all of his decisions … on a set of “guiding principles” that underpin his free market philosophy. He is known to carry the checklist, which includes the words integrity, humility and respect, in his suit jacket pocket.” http://bit.ly/2aT4yqO

A COMMON THEME IN THE HEADLINES DRIVING THE MORNING:

— “Poll: Clinton leads Trump by 10 points nationally” http://bit.ly/2axXZHS

— “Pennsylvania: Clinton has double-digit lead over Trump” http://bit.ly/2awTUQY

— “Clinton leads Trump in Michigan” http://bit.ly/2aLeAaY

— “Clinton leads Trump by 17 points in New Hampshire” http://bit.ly/2aVqTV0

— “Clinton’s support among Hispanics equal to Obama’s in 2012, 2008” http://bit.ly/2b5xAzM

BUT: Donald Trump‘s campaign chief says polls showing the candidate slipping were “expected” and predicted they will even out this month. http://bit.ly/2awcJWA

TELL YOUR DAUGTERS — RACY PHOTOS MAY COME WITH REGRET: Via Politico’s Ben Schreckinger and Gabriel Debenedetti, racy photos published by the New York Post are testing Melania Trump‘s immigration story. How: They raised questions about whether Trump had a visa that would have legally allowed her to work in the United States at the time of the photo shoot and about when she first came into the country. http://politi.co/2aFNyAf

REACTION FROM TRUMP: Melania Trump tweeted late this morning: “Let me set the record straight: I have at all times been in full compliance with the immigration laws of this country. Period. Any allegation to the contrary is simple untrue.” http://bit.ly/2aVFxvB

GET THAT BROWNIE MIX READY: Via The Hill’s Reid Wilson, marijuana proponents are seeing momentum this year, with five states voting on whether to legalize pot for recreational use and four others on legalizing it for medicinal purposes. http://bit.ly/2avWM2C

WOW, THIS IS WORTH WATCHING: The New York Times published a montage of the profanity at a Trump rally to show what it’s actually like. It’s seriously worth your time: http://nyti.ms/2aRY8bP

EVEN YESTERDAY: Via CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, here’s a “REALLY upset protester at Trump’s Daytona, FL rally.” Daaamn. http://bit.ly/2avZxB9

TALKED ABOUT IN SPORTS NEWS — CIAO, GOLF: Nike will stop making golf bags, balls and clubs. Back story: Nike’s golf line accelerated in popularity in the late 1990s because of Tiger Woods’s sponsorship. But it hasn’t been able to bounce back since his personal and professional struggles. http://for.tn/2aXeYmx

‘LIBERAL WONDER TWINS’ HAS A NICE RING TO IT: Bloomberg Politics published an interview with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass. on GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Best line (h/t to The Hill’s Vicki Needham):

Q: “I know you have grandchildren. I don’t know if they watch Saturday morning cartoons. But a banker I spoke to at the Democratic convention said he worried you and Bernie Sanders would become the liberal Wonder Twins if Democrats take over the Senate. How will you and Bernie work together next year?”

Warren: “We will touch our rings together and use the lightning bolts to energize all of our colleagues.” Lol, well played. Full interview: http://bloom.bg/2aTpGgi

 

NOTABLE TWEETS:

The Boston Globe’s Matt Viser
Mike Pence is not the Trump campaign’s Attack Dog. He’s the campaign’s Clarifier in Chief. http://bit.ly/2axNFiW

NBC’s Frank Thorp added:  Correct. Trump is the Trump campaign’s Attack Dog. http://bit.ly/2axghM6

Yahoo’s Olivier Knox
“My sign language is not so good.” Obama candidly just now to Young African Leaders. Riff on the media was quite something. http://bit.ly/2aFhCvG

The Huffington Post’s Jennifer Bendery
Paul Nehlen, Paul Ryan’s challenger, is holding a press conf right now w/ a guy holding up his script as he talks. http://bit.ly/2avZq8w

 

ON TAP:

Today: The men’s soccer competition begins at the Olympics. Full schedule: http://bit.ly/2aAqIw1

1 p.m. EDT: Marie Harf, senior adviser for strategic communications at the State Department, speaks on the Sidewire app.

2 p.m. EDT: Donald Trump holds a town hall in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

2:30 p.m. EDT: Hillary Clinton tours the Mojave Electric Company in Las Vegas.

2:30 p.m. EDT: President Obama and Vice President Biden hold a National Security Council meeting at the Pentagon on fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

2:30 p.m. EDT: Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau and Republican strategist Doug Heye speak on the Sidewire app.

3 p.m. EDT: Mike Pence campaigns in Virginia Beach, Va.

3:45 p.m. EDT: Hillary Clinton holds a rally in Las Vegas.

4:15 p.m. EDT: President Obama holds a press conference in the Pentagon briefing room.

7 p.m. EDT: Mike Pence campaigns in Norfolk, Va.

8:30 a.m. EDT tomorrow: July jobs numbers are released.

 

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF … :

Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day (!) and National IPA Day (!!) If you’re in D.C., Churchkey is hosting an IPA celebration with 11 hard-to-find ales. http://bit.ly/2aXskii

SORRY, MAN. DATING CAN BE TOUGH: Actor Zac Efron signed up for Tinder but said he barely matched with anyone because people assumed his profile was fake. 🙁 Having some regrets now, Tinder users? http://bzfd.it/2auZslb

And with that, here’s the funniest photo/caption combo I’ve seen in awhile: http://bit.ly/2anRrsx

 

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