memeorandum: First on CNN: Rick Santorum dropping presidential bid (John King/CNN)

4:30 PM ET, February 3, 2016

Top Items:

Sarah Palin / Facebook:

Dirty Politics: Witnessing Firsthand It's Always Heartbreaking, Never Surprising — Thank heavens Donald Trump opened so many eyes to the lies, corruption and total lack of accountability that come so naturally to the permanent political class. And Sen. Ted Cruz was spot on when he once noted that …

Discussion: RedState, The Gateway Pundit, AOL, Mediaite, The Stream, Fox Business, The Daily Caller, BizPac Review, Politico, Joe.My.God. and CNN

Nick Gass / Politico:

Trump accuses Cruz of ‘fraud,’ calls for new Iowa election — Donald Trump's moment of humility didn't last long. The billionaire businessman, still licking his wounds after a decisive loss in Iowa on Monday, is now crying foul, accusing Ted Cruz of stealing the election and calling for a do-over.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Hill, RedState, Trail Blazers Blog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Vox, New York Times, Yahoo Politics, Rush Limbaugh, The Federalist, Washington Post, Telegraph, National Review, addictinginfo.org, Patterico's Pontifications, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, AOL and Joe.My.God.

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:

Trump Says He'll Probably Sue Over Iowa Results, Accuses Cruz Of “Voter Fraud” — “This guy is really fraudulent,” Trump says of Cruz. — Joe Raedle / Getty Images — w.soundcloud.com — Donald Trump says he will probably sue over the results of the Iowa caucuses, accusing Ted Cruz of committing voter fraud to win.

Discussion: RedState, Hot Air, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, NewsBusters, Daily Kos, Washington Post, Politico, CNN and The Stream

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
Cruz On Carson's ‘Dirty Trick’ Claim: I'm Not Gonna Scapegoat My Staff

Discussion: neo-neocon and The Right Scoop

John King / CNN:

First on CNN: Rick Santorum dropping presidential bid — (CNN)Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is ending his presidential bid, two Republican sources told CNN. — He is expected to make the announcement Wednesday night.

Discussion: Yahoo Politics, Vox, The Atlantic, Little Green Footballs, American Spectator, Towleroad, The Stream, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mashable, Mock Paper Scissors, WBAY-TV, The Week and Outside the Beltway

Daniel Strauss / Politico:

Rand Paul drops out of White House race — Rand Paul dropped out of the 2016 president race on Wednesday, short on cash and support, two days after finishing with under 5 percent in the Iowa caucuses — less than one quarter of the support his father had drawn four years earlier.

Robert Costa / Washington Post:
Rick Santorum to drop out of 2016 presidential race

Discussion: Right Wing Watch and Political Wire

CNN:
First on CNN: Rand Paul dropping out of presidential race

Discussion: American Spectator, WTKR-TV, Q13 FOX News, Courier-Journal, The Federalist, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, BizPac Review, Washington Free Beacon, Balloon Juice and WBKR

Meridith McGraw / ABC News:
Rand Paul Suspends 2016 Presidential Campaign

Discussion: WCTX-TV and TVNewser

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

It's on: We're getting four more Democratic debates — The campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have agreed on a rough schedule for four new debates over the next few months, according to various sources, a move that shows the Democratic primary is now set to shift into a higher gear …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Fox17, TVNewser and Daily Kos

Sandra Sobieraj Westfall / People.com:
Hillary Clinton Blasts Donald Trump: ‘We Were Not Friends’

Discussion: Washington Post and The Week

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:
Sanders says he'll debate Clinton on Thursday

Discussion: Politico, Taylor Marsh, The Daily Caller and Daily Kos

Chicago Tribune:
Hillary Clinton and the FBI primary

Discussion: The Resurgent

Jennifer Jacobs / Des Moines Register:
Iowa's nightmare revisited: Was correct winner called?

Andy Hiller / WHDH-TV:
Hiller Instinct: 7News/UMass Lowell New Hampshire tracking poll day 3

Discussion: Washington Post

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
Sanders won't debate Thursday unless Clinton agrees to future debates

Discussion: Politico, Esquire, Washington Post, The Mahablog, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, The Week, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, The Right Scoop, The Slot, Business Insider, Vox and Slantpoint

Courtney Enlow / Pajiba: An All-Caps Explosion of Feelings Regarding the Liberal Backlash Against Hillary Clinton

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Cut Clinton some slack

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Shakesville, Balloon Juice, CityLab and RH Reality Check

Frank Bruni / New York Times:
Hillary Clinton's Dutiful Slog

Discussion: Washington Post, Slantpoint, The Great Debate and JustOneMinute

Rebecca Traister / New York Magazine:
In Iowa, Hillary Shows She's Learned Something About Running While Female

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly and The Atlantic

Robert W. Wood / Forbes:

Winner Of $1.6 Billion Powerball Jackpot Sued By Prisoner — As the Powerball jackpot topped $1 billion, the frenzy grew. It was fun to dream, even if you knew you stood little chance. But often, a winner faces suits by friends, co-workers, even family.

Dallas Franklin / KFOR-TV:

Inmate suing Tennessee couple who won Powerball jackpot — MUNFORD, Tenn. - Less than a month after winning the Powerball jackpot, a Tennessee couple is being sued by an inmate. — Last month, a Tennessee couple came forward, claiming they are one of the three winners from the massive $1.6 billion Powerball drawing.

Discussion: FOX2now.com

CNN:

Obama to rebut GOP Muslim rhetoric in first U.S. mosque visit — (CNN)Seeking to rebut what he views as perilous election-year bombast about Muslims, President Barack Obama heads Wednesday to a mosque in Baltimore, his first visit to such a site in the United States.

Discussion: Jihad Watch, addictinginfo.org, Pamela Geller, NPR, RedState, Fox News, The Week and KFOR-TV

Jordan Schachtel / Breitbart:
Obama To Meet With Baltimore Mosque's Anti-LGBT Hate Preacher

Discussion: ThinkProgress, PinkNews, Center for Security Policy and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

New York Times:
Obama's mosque visit demonstrates tacit acceptance of a form of gender apartheid

Discussion: NBC News, Baltimore Sun, BizPac Review and Center for Security Policy

New York Times:

Jeb Bush, an Also-Ran in Iowa, May Be Pivotal in New Hampshire — MANCHESTER, N.H. — In the crowded New Hampshire primary, no candidate may shape the direction of the Republican presidential campaign more than the man who finished sixth in Iowa: Jeb Bush. — With Senator Ted Cruz of Texas …

Discussion: Vox, Mediaite, RedState, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, The PolitiStick, Political Wire, Business Insider and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Cristian Farias / The Huffington Post:

Ted Cruz Is A ‘Natural Born Citizen,’ Board Of Election Finds — “Further discussion on this issue is unnecessary.” — Legal Affairs Reporter, The Huffington Post — On the same day he won the Republican Iowa caucus, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas got a favorable decision from the Illinois Board of Elections …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Excess of Democracy, CNN, Trail Blazers Blog, RedState, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Shakesville, The Right Scoop, Althouse, Slantpoint and The Daily Caller

Fred Barbash / Washington Post:
What would it take to find out for sure if Ted Cruz (or others like him) is eligible for the presidency?

Discussion: ballot-access.org

Anna Giaritelli / Washington Examiner:
Ruling: Ted Cruz is a ‘natural born citizen’

Discussion: Hot Air and neo-neocon

Liz Szabo / USA Today:

CDC: Young women should avoid alcohol unless using birth control — Women of childbearing age should avoid alcohol unless they're using contraception, federal health officials said Tuesday, in a move to reduce the number of babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Discussion: Death and Taxes, Washington Post, The Daily Caller and The Week

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Alcohol and Pregnancy

Discussion: The Atlantic, WCMH-TV, KOIN-TV, ThinkProgress and CBS Boston

John Branch / New York Times:

N.F.L. Great Ken Stabler Had Brain Disease C.T.E. … Shortly before he died last July, the former N.F.L. quarterback Ken Stabler was rushed away by doctors, desperate to save him, in a Mississippi hospital. His longtime partner followed the scrum to the elevator, holding his hand.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, CBS Boston, fox4kc.com and KQED News

Kellan Howell / Washington Times:

Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize — Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump is reportedly in the running to receive the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. — Mr. Trump, who has attracted international backlash over his controversial rhetoric and call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. …

Discussion: The Independent, AOL, The Week, addictinginfo.org and Agence France-Presse

Joe Weisenthal / Bloomberg Business:

Goldman Sachs Says It May Be Forced to Fundamentally Question How Capitalism Is Working — The profit margins debate could lead to an unsettling conclusion. — One of the most heated debates among investors is the question of whether corporate profit margins can maintain their elevated level …

Discussion: Shadowproof, The Daily Caller and The Verge

Melissa Harris-Perry / Anna Julia Cooper Center:

Of Teachers and Students — I don't know if he was there to kill me. — Monday night I was sitting in a hotel lobby in downtown Des Moines with my back to a wall of windows, my eyes fixed on the TV, my attention wholly focused on early caucus results. I didn't notice until …