“The network of groups affiliated with billionaire conservative donors Charles and David Koch are taking a new look at which Republican candidates to support this year,” The Hill reports.

“The groups still plan to spend up to $400 million on politics and policies this election cycle, but they’re deeply frustrated by what they view as the GOP’s refusal to take up major legislation ahead of the midterm election.”

“Some of the network’s donors privately tell us that the House majority looks like a lost cause, potentially accelerating the movement of money toward protecting the Senate majority.”

New York Times: “Their secret weapon is the Grassroots Leadership Academy: a training program dreamed up by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, the political education arm of the Koch network, and intended to groom the next generation of conservative activists to shape the future of the Republican Party.”

“Taking inspiration from icons of the left like Saul Alinsky, the Marxist-inspired Frankfurt School, and even President Obama’s Organizing for Action, the academy offers classes like ‘Messaging to the Middle’ (about reaching not just the conservative base but also persuadable voters), community organizing and how to wage a successful public protest, complete with costumes.”

“The goal is not just to equip activists to compete with the left, but also to help rebuild the conservative movement in the wake of a Trump loss — or even a Trump victory.”

“The powerful network helmed by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch is cancelling advertising in the Ohio Senate race, a sign that Republican Sen. Rob Portman is viewed as increasingly likely to win,” The Hill reports.

“The grassroots empire of billionaire businessmen Charles and David Koch may be notably absent when Republicans gather to pick the party’s presidential nominee in Cleveland this summer.”

“Sources with knowledge of the plans told the Washington Examiner that the brothers have withdrawn their political network’s presence from the festivities surrounding the Republican National Convention.”

If the 2016 presidential election is a Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton match up, the Koch brothers may not participate, Vanity Fair reports.

Said one unnamed adviser: “I could see the network not participating in the presidential election at all.”

“The Koch brothers’ donor network spent close to $400 million last year, and is on its way to spending an unprecedented $889 million supporting right-wing politics and causes during the 2016 cycle,” The Hill reports.

“The Koch brothers are on a publicity tour to change their image,” The Hill reports.

“Long caricatured by Democrats as shadowy billionaires who buy Republican politicians so they can grow their profits and destroy the environment, Charles and David Koch did on Tuesday something they have never done before: a joint television interview.”

“The head of the Koch brothers’ flagship political organization says a Republican winning the presidency is becoming a higher priority for more of its members, suggesting a rift between pragmatists and ideologues,” the AP reports.

“I wish good luck to all of the Republican candidates that traveled to California to beg for money etc. from the Koch Brothers. Puppets?”

— Donald Trump, on Twitter.

New York Times: “After two elections in which Democrats and liberals sought to cast them as the secretive, benighted face of the Republican Party, the Kochs are seeking to remake public perceptions of their family, their business and their politics, unsettling a corporate culture deeply allergic to the spotlight.”

“Even as their donor network prepares to spend extravagantly to defeat Democrats during the 2016 campaign, the Kochs have made cause with prominent liberals to change federal sentencing rules, which disproportionately affect African-Americans, while a Koch-backed nonprofit, the Libre Initiative, offers driving lessons and tax preparation services to Latinos.”

Washington Post: “The summer canvassing is part of a mission that consumes the political network backed by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch that plans to spend $889 million in the run-up to the 2016 elections. The network’s resources are financing a host of activities… But one of the prime objectives could have a direct impact on Election Day 2016: to create a permanent ground force powered by a vast trove of data, replicating the kind of infrastructure that helped President Obama win reelection.”

“Already, roughly 1,000 full-time staffers are working for Koch network organizations such as AFP, Concerned Veterans for America and the Libre Initiative — more than double the number four years ago, according to officials.”