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Ben Carson slashes staff as funds dry up — CONCORD, N.H. — Ben Carson, the famed neurosurgeon whose bid for the Republican presidential nomination has struggled to keep pace with rivals, will cut more than 50 staff positions on Thursday as part of an overhaul and downsizing of his entire campaign.
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Branstad says Cruz employed ‘unethical and unfair’ tactics Monday night (AUDIO) — Governor Terry Branstad is crediting Ted Cruz for running an “old-fashioned”, 99-county campaign that yielded victory in Monday night's Iowa Caucuses, but Branstad is joining the chorus criticizing Cruz for “questionable” campaign tactics.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, USA Today, Politico, Business Insider, New York Times, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit and Trail Blazers Blog


EXCLUSIVE-Voicemails: ‘Ben Carson Suspending Campaigning’; Cruz: ‘Accurate Report’ — New audio obtained exclusively by Breitbart News indicates that as the Iowa caucuses began on Monday night, the Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) campaign called precinct captains informing them that Dr. Ben Carson …
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Last Refuge, Mediaite, Power Line and The Right Scoop

The fury of Ben Carson — MANCHESTER, N.H. — Five days from the New Hampshire primary, Ben Carson has yet to set foot in this state since his fourth-place finish in Iowa. His detour to Florida for a fresh set of clothes has become a running joke online. The candidate is, by all indications …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, The Resurgent, Steve Deace Show and Iowa Starting Line

Ted Cruz Schools ABC on ‘Dirty Trick’ Claim
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Young Conservatives

Republican Race Tightens Nationally; Clinton Still Solid — PPP's newest national poll finds the race on the Republican side tightening considerably in the wake of Donald Trump's surprise loss in Iowa on Monday night. Trump's lead has fallen to just 4 points- he's at 25% to 21% each …
Discussion:
RedState, The Daily Caller and Hot Air
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Donald Trump's poll numbers took a nosedive in the first national survey after Iowa — Real-estate mogul Donald Trump's standing in the Republican presidential race deflated in the first national survey released after his loss to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the Monday-night Iowa caucuses.
Discussion:
The Week, Political Wire and Florida Politics


Hiller Instinct: 7News/UMass Lowell New Hampshire tracking poll day 4 — It's not an earthquake, yet...But the political ground in New Hampshire is moving. — We're seeing more of Iowa's impact, and the war of words underway here. — Hillary Clinton is coming back; and Marco Rubio is coming up.
Discussion:
The Hill and Slantpoint


Chris Christie and Jeb Bush Team Up on a Mutual Target: Marco Rubio
Discussion:
RedState, Hot Air, No More Mister Nice Blog, Business Insider, Althouse and Eschaton

The Many Attacks Chris Christie Has Hurled at Marco Rubio Since Iowa
Discussion:
Politico, New York Times, The Federalist and Hullabaloo

Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio Made History. Didn't You Hear?
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications and EcoWatch

Santorum can't name any of Rubio's Senate accomplishments
Discussion:
CNN, RedState, The Daily Caller and Daily Kos


What Hillary needs to hear — I hope this column provokes a strong reaction from my brothers and sisters in the Democratic establishment, against whom I dissent in large measure today despite my history of working for Democratic leaders in Congress. — I am breaking rank and going rogue …
Discussion:
Politico, CNN and Taylor Marsh
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Goldman Sachs chief Lloyd Blankfein: Sanders candidacy a ‘dangerous moment’ — The head of Goldman Sachs said on Wednesday that Bernie Sanders' insurgent candidacy “has the potential to be a dangerous moment.” — Lloyd Blankfein, who is chairman and CEO of the bank, was speaking to CNBC's “Squawk Box.”


This one moment perfectly captures the Clinton-Sanders war over progressivism
Discussion:
Associated Press, CNN, MSNBC, Mother Jones, Vox and Slantpoint

First on CNN: Former NAACP head to endorse Bernie Sanders
Discussion:
Greenville News, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Common Dreams, The Week and Liberty Unyielding

Clinton blasts Wall Street, but still draws millions in contributions
Discussion:
Vox, Common Dreams, Mediaite, Washington Free Beacon, Politico, Truth Revolt and Prairie Weather

Young Democrats Flock to Bernie Sanders, Spurning Hillary Clinton's Polish and Poise
Discussion:
Gothamist and American Power

Female senators urge Warren: Back Hillary Clinton
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, Yahoo Politics and ABC News

The Daily 202: Hillary Clinton makes her Wall Street problem worse
Discussion:
Vox and Common Dreams


Last Slide — Once again the world is laughing at Iowa. Late-night comedians and social media mavens are having a field day with jokes about missing caucusgoers and coin flips. — That's fine. We can take ribbing over our quirky process. But what we can't stomach is even the whiff of impropriety or error.
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The Iowa Democratic Party Chair Refusing To Review Caucus Results Is A HUGE Hillary Supporter
Discussion:
American Spectator and The Resurgent

Des Moines Register calls for audit of Sanders-Clinton result in Iowa
Discussion:
Raw Story, American Spectator and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Effect of Removal of Planned Parenthood from the Texas Women's Health Program — BACKGROUND — Texas is one of several states that have barred Planned Parenthood affiliates from providing health care services with the use of public funds. After the federal government refused to allow …
Discussion:
Common Dreams, Mother Jones and ThinkProgress
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This Is How Much the Koch Brothers Hate Donald Trump — There is one man standing in the way of the Koch brothers' plans to elect a free-market conservative to the White House in November. His name is Donald J. Trump. — The Kochs, whose donor network is raising nearly $900 million …
Discussion:
Vanity Fair and Mashable
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Why Mike Bloomberg Can Win
Discussion:
Politico and Bloomberg Business


Family finds spider crawling inside bag of salad — (Feb. 4, 2016) - You definitely don't want to see something crawling inside your bag of lettuce, but that's exactly what happened to an Australian family. — Zoe Perry posted a video of the creepy encounter to Woolworths' Facebook page with the following message:
Discussion:
fox8.com
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Hair tourniquet? Dad shares photo of baby's swollen toe to warn parents of common hazard … WICHITA, Kansas — A Kansas father has a warning for all parents after finding something strange on his infant daughter's foot. — He shared a photo on Facebook to warn other parents.
Discussion:
FOX 61 and fox4kc.com


At Baltimore Mosque, Obama Crushes the Muslim Haters — The president's speech at that Baltimore mosque reassured a nervous population and struck just the right note—we're Muslim and American. — The two most powerful moments during President Obama's first visit to an American mosque on Wednesday didn't happen during his speech.
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Trump and Rubio question President Obama's visit to a mosque
Discussion:
Vox, ThinkProgress, CNN, Talking Points Memo, MSNBC, The White House, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Mediaite, Breitbart, RedState, BuzzFeed, Shakesville, Fox News, New York Magazine, Daily Kos and Mother Jones


The Great GOP Realignment — Ted Cruz and Donald Trump may herald an historic working-class Republican revolt against the party establishment. — JoshuaGreen — A few days before the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses, Brad Martsching was barreling down a Pennsylvania highway, hoping to unload …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly


The Strange Career of James Crow, Esquire — A protest for voting rights in North Carolina Chuck Burton / AP — One hundred and fifteen years ago, George H. White took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives—to say goodbye. A black Republican elected in 1896 by North Carolina's Fusion Party …
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Ryan backs voting rights bill — but tells black caucus it's out of his hands
Discussion:
Politico, Talking Points Memo, The Bob and Chez Show, Booman Tribune and Daily Kos


The political wars damage public perception of Supreme Court, Chief Justice Roberts says — BOSTON — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said late Wednesday that partisan extremism is damaging the public's perception of the role of the Supreme Court, recasting the justices as players in the political process rather than its referees.
Discussion:
Political Wire
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Sonia from the Bronx — Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice …
Discussion:
New York Times, Althouse and SCOTUSblog


Smirking drug CEO antagonizes lawmakers after pleading the Fifth — Embattled drug executive Martin Shkreli antagonized lawmakers on Thursday by smirking and posing for pictures during his first appearance on Capitol Hill even as he refused to answer questions about drug prices.
Discussion:
Politico, Point of Order and Joe.My.God.