memeorandum: Parnas recording shows Trump talking with indicted businessmen the President has said he doesn't know (Erica Orden/CNN)

11:15 AM ET, January 26, 2020

Top Items:

Endorsement: Elizabeth Warren will push an unequal America in the right direction — Tough and compassionate, pushing unequal America in the right direction — No wonder Iowa Democrats are unsettled. — Each of the remaining candidates campaigning across Iowa ahead of the caucuses could make a fine president.

UnionLeader.com:

Amy Klobuchar can win — If you are a New Hampshire voter who thinks Donald Trump is doing a good job, you can probably sleep in on primary day, Feb. 11. Try as they might, his Republican challengers have not made a dent in the President's popularity within the party here.

Discussion: Axios

Des Moines Register: Endorsement: What intrigued us and what gave us pause about the other Democrats

Brianne Pfannenstiel / Des Moines Register:
Des Moines Register editorial board says Elizabeth Warren is its choice for president

Discussion: Politico

Washington Post:

Biden and Sanders are breaking away from the pack of candidates among Democrats nationwide, Washington Post-ABC News poll finds — Former vice president Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), whose candidacies embody competing wings of the Democratic Party, have emerged as the leaders …

Discussion: Axios and The Hill

CNN:

CNN poll: Sanders adds to momentum with lead in New Hampshire — (CNN)Bernie Sanders leads the race for the Democratic nomination in New Hampshire, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire. — Overall, 25% of likely Democratic primary voters back the Vermont senator …

Discussion: The Hill and Washington Times

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:

Biden holds steady, Warren slips in national poll as Iowa caucuses approach — Joe Biden holds his ground in the new national ABC News/Washington Post poll. — Joe Biden is holding his ground in the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, according to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll …

Discussion: NBC News

Zach Montellaro / Politico:
Andrew Yang qualifies for New Hampshire primary debate

Discussion: The Hill

Dana Blanton / Fox News: Fox News Poll: Sanders gains among Democrats, Biden still best against Trump

Mark Murray / NBC News: Poll: Sanders, Buttigieg top Democratic field in New Hampshire

Associated Press:

In recording Trump asks how long Ukraine can resist Russians — This undated image released by the House Judiciary Committee from documents provided by Lev Parnas to the committee in the impeachment probe against President Donald Trump, shows a photo of Lev Parnas with Rudy Giuliani.

Discussion: Breitbart, NBC News, Politico and New York Times

Rachel Maddow / MSNBC: Full audio: Lev Parnas audio of alleged 2018 Trump conversation

New York Times:
Tape Made Public of Trump Discussing Ukraine With Donors

Discussion: ABC News, Agence France-Presse, Fox News and The Gateway Pundit

Erica Orden / CNN:
Parnas recording shows Trump talking with indicted businessmen the President has said he doesn't know

Discussion: Slate, Common Dreams, VICE and BuzzFeed News

Washington Post: Listen: Trump tells associates to ‘get rid of’ U.S. ambassador to Ukraine

PBS NewsHour:
WATCH: Full video of Trump appearing to say Ukraine ambassador should be removed

Discussion: HuffPost, Balloon Juice, Mother Jones, UPI and Daily Kos

Betsy Swan / The Daily Beast:
Rudy Pal Lev Parnas Releases Audio of Trump Calling for Ukraine Ambassador's Firing

Discussion: Mediaite

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Sen. Hawley readies subpoena votes for Bidens, Schiff — If the Senate decides to consider new impeachment trial witnesses and documents next week, Sen. Josh Hawley plans to try and force votes on everyone from Adam Schiff to Joe Biden. — The Missouri Republican is preparing …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, Twitchy and NBC News

Allan Smith / NBC News:

Trump suggests Schiff will pay a ‘price’ for pushing impeachment — Trump also called impeachment “a massive election interference the likes of which has never been seen before.” — President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif. …

Discussion: Bloomberg and Mediaite

Ian Schwartz / RealClearPolitics:
Philbin to Schiff: What Changed That We Don't Need To Hear From The Whistleblower?

Discussion: Power Line, Washington Post and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

David Welna / NPR:

After Contentious Interview, Pompeo Publicly Accuses NPR Journalist Of Lying To Him — One day after a contentious interview followed by an expletive-filled verbal lashing of NPR host Mary Louise Kelly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is publicly accusing her of lying to him — “twice.”

Discussion: HuffPost, CNN, Washington Post, Daily Kos, New York Post, Breitbart, Common Dreams, The Independent, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Mike Pompeo Dares Veteran Foreign Correspondent to Find Ukraine on Map (She Does) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has managed to stand out among President Trump's national-security advisers for his overt sycophancy. ("He's like a heat-seeking missile for Trump's ass," a former ambassador told journalist Susan Glasser.)

Discussion: NPR

NPR: NPR CEO Defends Journalist After Pompeo Lashes Out Over Ukraine Interview

Farnaz Fassihi / New York Times:

Anatomy of a Lie: How Iran Covered Up the Downing of an Airliner — For three days, Iranian military officials knew they had shot down a Ukrainian jetliner while the government issued false statements, denying any responsibility. — When the Revolutionary Guards officer spotted what he thought …

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:

The facts in the impeachment trial are clear: Rep. Val Demings — The president's legal team began its arguments Saturday. — House impeachment manager Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., said the president's lawyers can “distort and try to deflect,” but that the facts in the impeachment trial are clear.

Discussion: The Hill, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and PJ Media Home

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News: Sen. Amy Klobuchar details how she plans to outperform polls in early states

Daniel Arkin / NBC News:

Obama called Trump a ‘fascist’ during phone call, Sen. Kaine says in new Clinton film — The Va. lawmaker is heard discussing the conversation in 2016 in “Hillary,” an upcoming documentary. — President Barack Obama called Donald Trump a “fascist” in a phone conversation with Sen. Tim Kaine during …

Discussion: PJ Media Home, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit and New York Post

Adrienne LaFrance / The Atlantic: Hillary Clinton: Mark Zuckerberg Has ‘Authoritarian’ Views on Misinformation

Edward-Isaac Dovere / The Atlantic: Obama's 2016 Warning: Trump Is a ‘Fascist’

Michael Gors / Sioux City Journal:

OUR OPINION: Biden represents best choice in Iowa caucuses — In choosing a nominee for president this year, Democrats should pick the individual they believe stands the best chance of producing the support - not only within their party, but among independents and disgruntled Republicans …

Discussion: The Hill and New York Times

Wall Street Journal:

State Attorneys General to Meet With Justice Officials to Coordinate on Google Probe — Investigations center on Google's dominance in advertising, online search — WASHINGTON—State attorneys general will meet with U.S. Justice Department attorneys next week to share information …

Heidi Przybyla / NBC News:

Alan Dershowitz labeled Trump ‘destabilizing and unpredictable’ in 2016 book — The high-profile member of Trump's impeachment defense team says he would “not repeat that characterization today.” — WASHINGTON — As part of President Donald Trump's impeachment defense team …

Discussion: Politico

Marlene Lenthang / Daily Mail:

Jeff Bezos throws lavish party at his new $23million, 11-bedroom Washington DC mansion attended by Ivanka Trump, Bill Gates and Ben Stiller — Jeff Bezos threw a lavish party at his finally finished Washington DC mansion attended by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and actor Ben Stiller on Saturday night

Washington Post:

If you think the U.S. is having a constitutional crisis, you should see what is happening in Poland — Poland's government and Supreme Court are engaged in an epic battle. — Poland's ruling party, PiS, is racing to eliminate judicial independence and establish tight control of the country's judges.

Discussion: Politico

Marina Pitofsky / The Hill:

Romney: 'It's very likely I'll be in favor of witnesses' in Trump impeachment trial — Utah Sen. Mitt Romney (R) said Saturday that it is “very likely” he will be in favor of calling witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial against President Trump. — However, the GOP lawmaker …