memeorandum: Jeff Bezos throws lavish party at his new $23million, 11-bedroom Washington DC mansion attended … (Marlene Lenthang/Daily Mail)

2:30 PM ET, January 26, 2020

Top Items:

CBS News Battleground Tracker: In Iowa, it's Sanders, Biden and a wild finish ahead — It's a tight and fluid race heading into the final week in Iowa for a lot of reasons. Bernie Sanders is attracting 26% support, with Joe Biden at 25%, as the top preferences of likely caucus goers.

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill and Political Wire

Des Moines Register:

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.

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: Common Dreams, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill and Washington Times

Geoffrey Skelley / FiveThirtyEight:

How Much Will The Des Moines Register's Endorsement Help Warren In Iowa? — On Saturday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren picked up her second newspaper endorsement of the week: The Des Moines Register announced it's endorsing Warren in the Iowa caucuses. Sen. Amy Klobuchar also picked …

Discussion: Des Moines Register, NBC News, Axios and 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: NPR, Axios, The Hill and The Week, more at Mediagazer »

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: Des Moines Register, Axios and New York Times

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

Discussion: The Hill

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

Discussion: Politico

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:
Biden holds steady, Warren slips in national poll as Iowa caucuses approach

Discussion: NBC News

Michael Gors / Sioux City Journal:
OUR OPINION: Biden represents best choice in Iowa caucuses

Discussion: Fox News, New York Times and The Hill

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: Politico, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post and New York Times

Washington Post:

Schiff ‘has not paid the price’ for impeachment, Trump says in what appears to be veiled threat — President Trump escalated his attacks on Rep. Adam B. Schiff on Sunday, issuing what appears to be a veiled threat against the California Democrat one day before Trump's team is expected …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, NBC News, Little Green Footballs and The Hill

Allan Smith / NBC News:

GOP senator: Impeachment should encourage Trump to be more ‘careful’ next time — “I think he'll put two and two together,” Braun told NBC's “Meet the Press.” “In this case, he was taken to the carpet.” — Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., said Sunday that he hopes President Donald Trump's impeachment …

Discussion: Politico, Breitbart, The Hill and The Daily Caller

Connor O'Brien / Politico:
‘We did’ give in to Trump stonewalling, House impeachment manager says

Discussion: Axios

Mark Penn / Fox News: Trump impeachment is an unproductive exercise in political rage - It's time to end trial

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

Dana Blanton / Fox News:

Fox News Poll: Record economy ratings, as half say Senate should remove Trump — Voters give the economy its best ratings in nearly two decades in the latest Fox News Poll — and credit President Trump. — And yet as his impeachment trial begins, Trump's job approval holds steady …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA and Raw Story

Justin Wise / The Hill: Fox News poll: Half of Americans say Trump should be convicted and removed

Joe DePaolo / Mediaite: Fox & Friends Covers Fox News Poll, Completely Ignores Part Showing Trump Down Big to 2020 Rivals

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

Discussion: New York Times

Edward Wong / New York Times:

Pompeo Denounces News Media, Undermining U.S. Message on Press Freedom — In an extraordinary statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized a veteran NPR reporter, Mary Louise Kelly, and said the news media was “unhinged.” — WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo escalated …

Discussion: Mother Jones, The Week, The Wrap, NPR, The Daily Caller, FOX 61, The Independent, CNN, Slate and No More Mister Nice Blog, more at Mediagazer »

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Mike Pompeo Dares Veteran Foreign Correspondent to Find Ukraine on Map (She Does)

Discussion: NPR, Common Dreams and Raw Story

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 …

Discussion: Task & Purpose

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 and Breitbart

Daniel Arkin / NBC News:
Obama called Trump a ‘fascist’ during phone call, Sen. Kaine says in new Clinton film

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

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

Discussion: Fox News, Breitbart, The Daily Caller and Tennessee Star

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 and PJ Media Home

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:
‘This Week’ Transcript 1-26-20: Rep. Val Demings, Sen. James Lankford, Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Discussion: Axios

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

Discussion: Breitbart

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

Trump lawyers' weak start opens the door to devastating questions — President Trump's lawyers' repeated assertions Saturday that they would not take much time on their case confirmed that they know the result is in the bag and that they have embarrassingly little to say in Trump's defense.

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

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

Alicia Victoria Lozano / NBC News:

‘Nothing to catch us:’ How California's homelessness crisis surged — “This is decades and decades of failures,” experts say of the persistent homelessness crisis that continues to plague California. — LOS ANGELES — The only thing that kept LaRae Cantley going was her three children.

CNN:

Bernie Sanders said country needed more jails and ‘tougher’ penalties in certain cases in 1994 remarks backing crime bill — (CNN)Bernie Sanders said in 1994 that he agreed the country needed “some more jails” and that it must be “tougher in certain instances” on crime.