POLITICO

Kamala Harris’ first major decision as her party’s nominee is picking a running mate who can not only help her govern, but win. “It really does come down to a political calculus,” said former Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, a veteran of two Democratic veepstakes. Link below for our full list of Harris’ VP contenders and some reasons to pick – or pass over – each. 📷 AP https://lnkd.in/eCtsBtAD

As fireworks were exploding above the White House on July 4, two epic sagas were unfolding behind the scenes that would come to help define President Joe Biden’s presidency: a historic U.S.-brokered prisoner exchange, and his disintegrating reelection campaign. The deal to free Americans from Russian custody was underway well before Biden’s disastrous debate performance on June 27. And though U.S. officials stress his calculations did not affect his considerations of whether to step down, the two events are inextricably linked. Link below for the full story on how Biden managed a historic prisoner swap amid political turmoil. 📷 Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP https://lnkd.in/eccKg8JM

For most of its history, America decreed that anyone with any African ancestry was Black – and rumors of purported Blackness could derail a career, a marriage, a life, writes Teresa Wiltz, POLITICO Magazine deputy editor for special projects. Now, the irony is that some feel comfortable accusing the same people of making up their Blackness altogether – or not being “fully Black” if they come from multiple racial backgrounds. But the problem with trying to decide who qualifies as Black and who doesn’t is that there are many, many ways to be Black in America, thanks largely to slavery, writes Wiltz. Link below for her full account on what Donald Trump gets wrong about Black identity. 📸 Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO https://lnkd.in/edur9mWx

Four Americans and 12 Germans were released from Russia on Thursday in a complex prisoner swap involving seven countries, according to Turkish officials. The Americans included three journalists: Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, according to U.S. officials. Paul Whelan, a former Marine, was also released. One of the freed Germans was Rico Krieger, who had been sentenced to death in Belarus. In exchange, Moscow received eight Russians who had been imprisoned in five different countries. More soon on the complex prisoner swap at the link below. https://lnkd.in/e2j2GJsd

Scrambling to put an end to Kamala Harris’ ascent, Donald Trump’s campaign and outside allies came up with a plan: Hit her on immigration, her record as a “liberal prosecutor” and as a “radical.” It didn’t last long 👀. Link below for a look inside the Trump campaign’s unraveling strategy. 📷 Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO https://lnkd.in/evnMUU8r

Kamala Harris was expected to have fundraising trouble, but major donors are already lining up in droves, helping her campaign raise more than $200 million in its first week after Biden bowed out. Donors told us that with Harris assuming Biden’s spot at the top of the ticket, they’re now more willing to support a Democratic presidential candidate again. Some were also motivated by their desire to beat GOP nominee Donald Trump. Link below for more. 📷 Erin Scharr/The New York Times via AP https://lnkd.in/eRPbbZ4i

Paul Dans, who directed the Heritage Foundation’s controversial Project 2025, is stepping down from his role in August, according to an internal email to staff and one person familiar with the matter. https://lnkd.in/e2aPPCvg

President Joe Biden’s summer of reversals continued in a dramatic form on Monday as he announced that he now supports sweeping Supreme Court reform – including term limits and a binding ethics code – after a long career of opposing such measures. Senior POLITICO Magazine columnist Ankush Khardori asks: Is it too little too late? After all, Biden faces a Republican-held House that won’t go anywhere near these proposals. Even when Democrats had full control of Washington in Biden’s first two years as president, the party shied away from Supreme Court reform – thanks in significant part to Biden himself. But now, despite outward appearances and a challenging political terrain, the path to reform is beginning to take shape. Based on interviews on and off the Hill, there’s rough consensus and strategy that could actually lead Dems to embrace Biden’s new strategy and act on the court – if they can win in November. Read Khardori’s latest column on how Biden’s Supreme Court reversal could actually lead to real change — link below. 📷 J. Scott Applewhite/AP https://lnkd.in/eBx4-rkZ

Joe Biden is calling for major changes to the Supreme Court today – the clearest sign yet of his deepening frustration with the court's 6-3 conservative supermajority. But the first two items would require congressional approval – and changing the immunity bit needs a constitutional amendment, which is even more difficult. Full details on the potential paths forward: https://politi.co/4doSEPx

Who's the more crypto-friendly presidential candidate, Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Our reporter explains 👇