Morning Must Reads: July 28

In the latest indication in recent months of corporate America wading in to provoke social change, Facebook and other corporate bigwigs are backing new protections for LGBT Americans, TIME’s Philip Elliott reports. This comes after the business community played a major role in halting a proposed “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” in Indiana over concerns it would sanction discrimination and encouraging South Carolina to remove the Confederate battle flag from its capital grounds.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is fading in the polls and in his influence in the GOP race. Overshadowed by Donald Trump, and marginalized on national security issues by a Republican base that has grown more hawkish with the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria, Paul is resorting to stunts, like taking a chainsaw to the tax code, in order to get attention.

President Obama took a swing at his would-be GOP successors’ inflammatory rhetoric on Monday, which only emboldened those he criticized. In his first extended Spanish-language interview of the campaign, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush spoke of the time his children were taunted for their skin tone. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is unveiling her climate change plan, but is remaining silent on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. And Obama, speaking at the African Union Tuesday morning, lamented not being able to run for another term. “I actually think I’m a pretty good president,” he said. “I think if I ran, I could win. But I can’t.”

Here are your must-reads:

Must Reads

Facebook, Corporate Giants Back New LGBT Protections
TIME’s Phil Elliott with the exclusive

President Obama Says GOP Criticism ‘Ridiculous’
Obama responds to Republican rhetoric [TIME]

U.S. Prepares to Fly Deeper into Syrian Civil War
TIME’s Mark Thompson on the latest anti-ISIS plan

‘The Most Interesting Man in Politics’ Isn’t Drawing Much Interest in New Hampshire
Rand Paul’s influence is waning [Washington Post]

Jabbing at Republican Rivals, Jeb Bush Calls for Civility
Having it both ways [New York Times]

Sound Off

“We are very Hispanic, in that we speak Spanish in the house. Columba is a good Mexican, proud of her citizenship of this country, of course, but we eat Mexican food in the home. My children are Hispanic in many aspects. We don’t talk about it, but the Hispanic influence is an important part of my life.” — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, speaking in Spanish in an interview with Telemundo

“I will refrain from commenting because I had a leading role in getting that process started and we have to let it run its course.” — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline during remarks about climate change

Bits and Bites

Donald Trump Is Not as Aggressive on Immigration As He Sounds [TIME]

Jon Stewart’s Secret White House Visits [Politico]

N.S.A. Will Not Be Allowed to Keep Old Phone Records [New York Times]

Jewish Americans Support the Iran Nuclear Deal [Washington Post]

Bush, Cruz, Rubio and Walker to Court Koch Donors [Politico]

Arizona Senator May be Best Shot for Bipartisan Support of Iran Deal [Wall Street Journal]

Trump Slams Walker as Governor Leads in Early Voting Iowa [Associated Press]