TRUMP’S EMOLUMENT TRAP: On Wednesday, a federal judge rejected President Trump’s latest effort to stop DAGA Co-Chair and District of Columbia AG Karl Racine and Maryland AG Brian Frosh’s lawsuit that alleges Trump is violating the emoluments clause in the Constitution by continuing to do business with foreign governments.

• AG Racine caught up with MSNBC’s Ali Velshi about the court victory, and what lies ahead for the lawsuit.
• Merriam-Webster reported that “emolument” was its top search of the day, and searches for the word had spiked by 9,100% since the lawsuit was filed.
  
• MUST READ: the New York Times piece, Trump’s Emolument Trap, written by AG Racine and AG Frosh, along with their co-counsel Norman L. Eisen. The op-ed notes, “Mr. Trump apparently agrees that other government officials should not “monetize their public service” — which is why he is threatening to revoke the security clearances of some of his critics. We should apply the same standard to him.”

#SAVETHECENSUS: A federal judge ruled that the administration must face the multi-state lawsuit led by New York AG Barbara Underwood which challenges the Department of Commerce’s proposal to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. Read about the census lawsuit in more depth from Lydia Wheeler at The Hill.

STOPPING BETSY: On Wednesday, Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education released proposed regulations for student-loan forgiveness that would severely weaken the existing “borrower defense rule”, a rule that protects students from predatory for-profit colleges, while making it easier for the institutions to prey on students. California AG Xavier Becerra and Massachusetts AG Maura Healey urged DeVos to protect students from unfair borrowing practices in a letter sent Wednesday. AG Healey tweeted, “We’ve fought for years to help students get the relief they deserve and we’re not going to stop. Read more about AG Healey and AG Becerra’s letter in this profile by Rolling Stone.

PROTECT ELECTIONS: As news continues to swirl around foreign election interference, a bipartisan coalition of 21 AGs led by New Mexico AG Hector Balderas sent a letter this week to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul and Senate Rules and Administration Committee Chairman Sen. Roy Blunt, asking them to protect the security and integrity of the 2018 midterm elections. Read the full letter here.

STANDING WITH NEW JERSEY AG GREWAL: On Wednesday, two conservative radio hosts used bigoted and xenophobic language in discussing New Jersey AG Gurbir Grewal. The hosts have since been suspended. AG Grewal shared a powerful video and noted “We rise above this. Now let’s get back to business.” California AG Xavier Becerra echoed the support of DAGA in a tweet, “The good people of NJ are super fortunate to have @GurbirGrewalNJ as their champion & defender. He’d be the 1st to defend legitimate 1st Amendment rights of even ignorant, mean-spirited haters. I’m proud to stand with him & call him my friend & colleague.”

ELECTIONS UPDATE: 102 days ‘til Election Day 2018!

CONNECTICUT RACE HEATING UP: The Hartford Courant’s Daniela Altimari reported this week on the upcoming primary on August 14^th in Connecticut, “Democrats are framing the 2018 midterm elections as a referendum on [Donald Trump’s] presidency.” DAGA Executive Director Sean Rankin stressed that “Voters really want to see someone who will put their interests first, who will hold those in power accountable — that includes, but is not limited to President Trump, and who is committed to making sure the law is applied fairly.” Read the full article in the Hartford Courant here. Check out this note on GOP front-runner Sue Hatfield here.

INTEGRITY VS INDICTMENT: In the Texas Tribune spotlight on the Attorney General race this week, Texas candidate Justin Nelson narrowed on the choice voters have in November, “voters will be able to choose me, someone who has clerked for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court, who has taught at the University of Texas law school, Texas Super Lawyer, a partner at a successful law firm, versus my opponent, who it’s embarrassing that he’s indicted for fraud in one of the most heavily Republican counties in Texas. Read the full article in the Texas Tribune here.

ENDORSEMENTS:

• In Wisconsin, Josh Kaul secured the endorsements of Citizen Action of Wisconsin and Our Revolution Wisconsin.
• In Michigan, Dana Nessel won the endorsement of the Human Society Legislative Fund as well as NARAL Pro-Choice America. 
• In New York, Tish James earned the endorsement of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 2013.
• In Minnesota, Keith Ellison earned the endorsement of The Minnesota State Council of Machinists.