July 23, 2023 - Your Evening Digest

DeSantis failing, Tensions rising, and more this evening

Today is July 23, 2023, and here is all of the news you missed from today. If you enjoyed this content and want more, exclusive content, or just want to support my work, please consider a monthly subscription:

1) Ron DeSantis’ Campaign is Failing

New polling has Ron DeSantis in third place, behind Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, in the battleground state of South Carolina. This poll comes just 48 hours after a national poll had Ron DeSantis tied for distant second place with Vivek Ramaswamy. Amid reports of tension within the campaign, Ron DeSantis’ campaign manager, Generra Peck, released an internal memo detailing a change of strategy. Rather than doing large events DeSantis has been most comfortable in, he is now changing his schedule to include more intimate appearances with voters.

This change in strategy comes just days after the campaign fired around one dozen staffers due to lacking poll numbers. An source even told NBC News that “the entire campaign is on the brink. I’ve never seen anything like it.” It is becoming increasingly likely that DeSantis’ campaign may end before the Iowa caucuses in January.

2) Tensions Continue to Rise Between Russia and Poland

This morning, Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the meeting, Lukashenko made several troubling statements about Poland, Ukraine, and more. First, Lukashenko asserted that Wagner troops want to go on an “excursion” to Poland. Specifically, they want to go to the towns of Warsaw and Rezeszow. According to Lukashenko, the town of Rezeszow is of utmost importance to Wagner forces as it was near Bakhmut, where Wagner fought for many months. These latest statements come just 48 hours after Vladimir Putin issued a veiled threat to Poland. Watch Lukashenko’s full statement here:

3) Russia Damages Historic Orthodox Cathedral

Russia has now launched strikes on the Southern Port town of Odesa for five days in a row. Latest strikes badly damages the historic Transfiguration Cathedral located in Odesa. The Cathedral is Odesa’s largest church building and was consecrated in 1809, before being destroyed during the Soviet era in 1936, only to be rebuilt when Ukraine gained its independence. The cathedral is located in Odesa’s city center and was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Italy has since announced that it will help in the restoration of this important religious site. Several other historic monuments were damages in this latest round of strikes. At least one person was killed and several others were injured in these attacks on Odesa.

4) Judicial Reforms Begin in Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is moving forward with his controversial judicial reforms. Israeli lawmakers have begun debating the first judicial reform bill to come up for a final vote. This vote will occur while Netanyahu is currently in the hospital after having been fit with a pacemaker. Opponents of Netanyahu’s plans are continuing to protest, calling the plan a coup that turns Israel into a dictatorship. Debate is scheduled to last for 26 hours, starting at 10 am local time Sunday morning an lasting until noon the following day.

The first prong of this plan, the reasonableness bill, would strip the Supreme Court of the power to declare government decisions unreasonable. Protests are continuing today, and it remains to be seen whether they will have an effect on the plan’s passage. Stay tuned for more.