Morning Must Reads: July 13

And then there were 15. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced in a video this morning that he is running for president, and will deliver a more formal announcement speech later Monday. All-in in Iowa, Walker is betting on winning over the party’s conservative core, but faces skepticism of his authenticity. Hillary Clinton will deliver her first major policy address Monday in New York on the economy, where she will follow the Democratic base leftward on economic policy, focusing on incomes over overall growth. Republicans used Donald Trump for years to help boost their fundraising, and now they’re living with the consequences. Weeks after he entered the race, he is dominating the GOP conversation, forcing all candidates to respond to his controversial statements on an almost-daily basis. Rising in the polls on a protectionist and populist message, Republicans are slowly coming to grips that he isn’t going anywhere. And the Iran Nuclear Talks in Vienna are growing closer to an agreement after more than 18 months of negotiations.

Here are your must-reads:

Must Reads

Scott Walker Seeks to Calm Conservatives as He Joins 2016 Race
TIME’s Philip Elliott reports on the latest GOP presidential candidate’s frought relationship with conservatives

Republicans Plot New Tactics to Take On Donald Trump
They made him, now they have to deal with him [TIME]

Hillary Clinton Will Set Out a Progressive Economic Vision
A focus on income [TIME]

Iran Nuclear Talks Are Nearing a Deal With Fewer Obstacles
Announcement is possible on Monday [New York Times]

A New Crop of Backers Are Hosting Clinton Fund-Raising Galas
Clinton expands Democratic finance network [Boston Globe]

Sound Off

“I think he’s uninformed. I think he’s a wrecking ball for the future of the Republican Party in the Hispanic community, and I think we need to push back.” — GOP presidential candidate and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham on Donald Trump on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday

“You start in Iowa and lock up conservatives, because if you don’t do that, none of the rest matters…It’s much easier to move from being a conservative to being a middle-of-the-road moderate later on.” — A “longtime Walker adviser” to National Journal on Sunday

Bits and Bites

Donald Trump outdoes himself In defiant Phoenix speech [TIME]

Grieving Joe Biden focuses on the job he has now, not the next one [New York Times]

OPM Director Katherine Archuleta resigns after massive personnel data breach [Wall Street Journal]

Walker’s lead in Iowa both enviable and precarious [Des Moines Register]

After Aaron Schock scandal, Congress weighs crackdown [Politico]

N.Y. Times, Cruz duel over book sales [Politico]

Watch David Letterman deliver Donald Trump-themed Top Ten list [Rolling Stone]

As Scott Walker enters 2016 fray, he feuds with both parties at home [Washington Post]

How Big Water is trying to stop the National Park Service from cleaning up plastic bottles [Washington Post]

Trump vs. Trump: A Look at Donald Trump’s evolving positions over the years [Meet The Press]