memeorandum: The Big Ask of Black Voters: Trust the Government (Astead W. Herndon/New York Times)

5:25 AM ET, January 20, 2020

Top Items:

Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren — THE DEMOCRATS' BEST CHOICES FOR PRESIDENT — American voters must choose between three sharply divergent visions of the future. — The incumbent president, Donald Trump, is clear about where he is guiding the Republican Party …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Axios, Power Line, CNN, Fox News, Townhall, Breitbart, HuffPost, Politico, Sara A. Carter, Mediaite, New York Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Quad City Times

Astead W. Herndon / New York Times:

The Big Ask of Black Voters: Trust the Government — Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg are trying to woo older black voters with policy. Those policies may be why they're struggling to win their support. — DANVILLE, VA. — Ten minutes into a small community meeting …

Discussion: Bloomberg

Lisa Lerer / New York Times:

New York Times Editorial Board Endorses Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren — The New York Times editorial board endorsed the two leading female candidates for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on Sunday, throwing its support behind Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Discussion: Slate

Deb Riechmann / Associated Press:

AP sources: Security probe targets Trump's Russia adviser — WASHINGTON (AP) — A White House adviser on Europe and Russia issues has been placed on administrative leave pending a security-related investigation, two people with knowledge of his exit said Sunday.

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA

NBC News:

White House's top Russia official put on leave pending investigation — It's another jolt of uncertainty to an office in the White House that has seen significant turnover during the past year. — The top White House official responsible for Russia and Europe has been put …

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Caller and Axios

Axios: Trump legal team to argue calling new witnesses could compromise national security

Anne Gearan / Washington Post: Top National Security Council official placed on leave pending security investigation

Axios:
Trump to decide in coming days on when to release Middle East peace plan

Discussion: Raw Story

John Bresnahan / Politico:
Schiff says NSA, CIA withholding Ukraine info due to White House pressure

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Slate, KTLA, The Hill and NBC News

Kurt Bardella / NBC News:

Trump's MAGA supporters and Twitter Bernie Bros have this ugly tactic in common — Bernie Twitter operates under the self-righteous guise of being the true progressives of the internet. But their harassing tactics are anything but progressive. — On the morning after Tuesday's Democratic …

Discussion: Associated Press and Daily Kos

Alex Thompson / Politico:

Warren joins Bernie in jabbing Biden on Social Security — DES MOINES — Elizabeth Warren hit Joe Biden for his past stances on changing Social Security and expressed solidarity with Bernie Sanders on the issue as the two liberal senators seek to move past their recent feud.

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press, CNN and New York Times

Eliza Collins / Wall Street Journal:
Sanders Lands Key Endorsement of Progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal

Discussion: The Hill

Washington Post:
Rep. Jayapal, a leading liberal congresswoman, endorses Sanders for president

Discussion: Raw Story, HuffPost, Common Dreams, The Hill, CNN, Axios, Associated Press, The Guardian and Des Moines Register

Wall Street Journal:

Lev Parnas Paid His Way Into Donald Trump's Orbit — Ukrainian-American with reputation for quick access to financing made inroads at White House, won GOP allies while his business ventures soured — After Donald Trump's election, Lev Parnas saw a chance to cash in on his connections.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and emptywheel

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
House Democrats may call new impeachment witnesses if Senate doesn't

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Week and The Mahablog

Chandelis Duster / CNN: Senate Democrat says ‘fine’ if Hunter Biden were to testify in impeachment trial

Eleanor Mueller / Politico:
Cornyn: Giuliani ‘not relevant’ to impeachment trial

Discussion: Axios and The Hill

Dana Loesch:

A Note for Fellow Second Amendment Supporters Rallying in Virginia — Some in media and many anti-gun/gun control advocates are desperately trying to gaslight everyone into thinking that Virginia's Second Amendment lobby day will be Charlottesville 2.0. Since 2002 the Virginia Citizens' Defense League …

Lois Beckett / The Guardian:
Virginia gun rally: anti-fascist activists will not mount counter-protest

Discussion: VICE and Washington Post

Robert Evans / bellingcat: Richmond Gun Rally: Is A Virginia Cop Giving 4Chan's /pol Board Inside Info?

Ryan Saavedra / The Daily Wire:

McConnell Creates ‘Kill Switch’ To End Impeachment If It Becomes ‘Circus Run By Adam Schiff’ — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has reportedly created a “kill switch” for President Donald Trump's upcoming Senate impeachment trial that would allow for the president's legal team …

Discussion: Fox News, The Gateway Pundit and The Federalist

Washington Post: When McConnell speaks, Trump listens. Impeachment trial will test the unlikely bond.

Matthew Boyle / Breitbart:
The Impeachment ‘Kill Switch’: McConnell Dismissal Rule Corners Democrats, Blocks Antics as Trial Commences

Discussion: Axios, No More Mister Nice Blog, Politico and The Hill

George Conway / Washington Post:

Why Trump had to hire this legal odd couple — This is what happens when you don't pay your legal bills. — President Trump, whose businesses and now campaign have left a long trail of unpaid bills behind them, has never discriminated when it comes to stiffing people who work for him.

Discussion: Digby's Hullabaloo, Mediaite, Slate and Raw Story

Laurence Tribe / Washington Post:

Trump's lawyers shouldn't be allowed to use bogus legal arguments on impeachment — Laurence H. Tribe is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard and the co-author, most recently, of “To End a Presidency: The Power of Impeachment.” His Twitter handle is @tribelaw.

Discussion: Vox, Raw Story, HuffPost and Politico

Jacob Knutson / Axios: Dershowitz claims abuse of power is not an impeachable offense even if proven

KHNL:

Suspect fatally shot 2 Honolulu officers, set fire that destroyed several homes: Sources — HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two police officers were fatally shot Sunday, a third was injured and at least four homes in an affluent Diamond Head neighborhood were destroyed by fire …

Discussion: CNN, WIBW-TV, Breitbart, Big League Politics, FOX2now.com, The Gateway Pundit, fox8.com, Raw Story, The Independent, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Townhall, Fox News, New York Post and The Hill

Rebecca Mansour / Breitbart:

‘Profiles in Corruption’ Contains 1,126 Endnotes, No Unnamed Sources — The forthcoming bombshell investigative book Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America's Progressive Elite contains 1,126 endnotes totaling 83 pages of source material, Breitbart News has learned.

Axios:

Scoop: “Birth tourism” is Trump's next immigration target — The Trump administration has a new target on the immigration front — pregnant women visiting from other countries — with plans as early as this week to roll out a new rule cracking down on “birth tourism,” three administration officials told Axios.

Discussion: Sputnik News, The Gateway Pundit and The Hill

Heather Long / Washington Post:

Sanders, Warren are hot discussion topics as global elites gather in Davos — DAVOS, Switzerland — Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are not attending the annual gathering of billionaires and global elites in this Swiss ski town, but many here are alarmed …

Discussion: Bloomberg