memeorandum: White House to propose keeping Ukraine aid intact in new budget, a big departure from past efforts to slash assistance (Washington Post)

4:20 PM ET, January 30, 2020

Top Items:

New witnesses unlikely, Trump impeachment trial could end quickly: GOP sources — The Senate trial could be over by the weekend if Republicans have the votes. — LIVE NOW — Senators return at 1 p.m. Thursday for a second day of questions to House managers and President Donald Trump's legal team …

Discussion: Politico, HuffPost, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, IJR, Raw Story and CNN

Wall Street Journal:

The ‘Corrupt Motives’ Doctrine — Every President equates his re-election self-interest with the public interest. It isn't grounds for impeachment. — By The Editorial Board — The questions from Senators in the impeachment trial aren't plowing much new ground, but they have been useful …

Discussion: The Dispatch

Quint Forgey / Politico:
Dershowitz attempts to clarify controversial argument about presidential powers

Discussion: Mother Jones and The Hill

MSNBC:
Dershowitz: Anything Trump did to win re-election is in the public interest

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, New Yorker and Contemptor

Politico: Republicans grow confident they can defeat witness vote and quickly end trial

Allan Smith / NBC News:
‘Nonsense...preposterous...absurd’: Critics lecture Prof. Dershowitz about trial remarks

Discussion: National Review, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story

Washington Post:

New recording shows access Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman had to Trump at Mar-a-Lago donor event — Ten days before Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman dined with President Trump at his Washington hotel, they were part of a small group of Republican Party donors who met with the president at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, a new recording shows.

Discussion: The Intercept and The Week

The Daily Beast:

New Audio Appears to Show Ex-Giuliani Pal Lev Parnas at Dinner With Trump — A second audio recording released by Lev Parnas's attorney purportedly shows the former Giuliani fixer socializing at a 2018 Republican fundraising event. — New audio obtained by The Daily Beast appears …

Discussion: Raw Story

Natasha Bertrand / Politico:

New video shows indicted Giuliani associate with RNC chief Ronna McDaniel — The recording is the second video Lev Parnas' attorney has released this month. — Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. — New video released by the attorney for Lev Parnas …

Discussion: ABC News

Washington Post:

White House to propose keeping Ukraine aid intact in new budget, a big departure from past efforts to slash assistance — Previous budgets have sought to slash State Department spending for Ukraine. — The White House will propose keeping security assistance for Ukraine at current levels …

Marshall Cohen / CNN:

In contrast with Trump legal team, Justice Department lawyer says House can impeach over defied subpoenas — Five memorable exchanges from Wednesday's trial — Washington (CNN)A Justice Department lawyer said Thursday in federal court that the House can impeach a president over ignored subpoenas …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Week and Daily Kos

Kayla Tausche / CNBC:

Trump administration has yet to reveal details of Jared Kushner's secretive 2017 meeting in China — In late 2017, CNBC filed a Freedom of Information Act request for details about Jared Kushner's secretive meeting in China during President Trump's visit to the country.

Donald J Trump / YouTube:

Stronger, Safer, More Prosperous … With President Trump in office he is improving the lives of ALL Americans. Under President Trump, the economy is booming, historic tax cuts were passed, trade deals have been rengotiated, and African-American, Asian American, and Hispanic American unemployment are all at RECORD LOWS!

Discussion: Washington Post, ABC News, CNN, The Hill and USA Today

Mike Bloomberg / YouTube:

George … Mike Bloomberg 2020's ad airing during Super Bowl LIV highlights the urgent need to prevent gun violence in America and why Mike is the candidate to get it done. — As an entrepreneur, mayor, and problem-solving philanthropist, Mike has taken on the toughest challenges and gotten big things done.

Discussion: New York Times, Politico, Bloomberg, Axios, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, LifeNews.com, ABC News, New York Post, Fox News and The Daily Caller

Politico:
POLITICO Playbook PM: Impeachment: It's all over but the shouting

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Associated Press and Breitbart

Associated Press:

AP Exclusive: Woman who says Trump raped her seeks his DNA — NEW YORK — Lawyers for a woman who accuses President Donald Trump of raping her in the 1990s are asking for a DNA sample, seeking to determine whether his genetic material is on a dress she says she wore during the encounter.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and VICE

Allan Smith / NBC News:

Coronavirus could mean more U.S. jobs. Wilbur Ross goes there. — “I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America,” Trump's commerce secretary said. — Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday that the coronavirus outbreak in China could lead businesses …

Discussion: Associated Press, Politico, ABC News, Agence France-Presse, Breitbart, One America News Network, The Hill, The Guardian and New York Post

New York Times:
Coronavirus Live Updates: W.H.O. Declares a Global Health Emergency

Discussion: Slate, The South African, Mediaite, Mother Jones, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Big Think and The Root

Rachel Siegel / Washington Post:
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says China's coronavirus ‘will help’ bring jobs back to U.S.

Discussion: The American Independent, Vox, The Week, Vanity Fair, New York Post, Common Dreams, The Daily Caller, Raw Story and Bloomberg

Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Confirms First Person-to-Person Spread of Coronavirus

Discussion: Sixth Tone, CNN, Taiwan News and Breitbart

Anthony Scaramucci / Washington Post:

Hey, John Bolton, welcome to life under the bus — Scaramucci gives Bolton advice on how to survive Trump's tweets. — President Trump's White House has launched another disinformation campaign against a former staffer. This time, John Bolton, the last national security adviser …

Discussion: ABC News, Just Security, CNN, IJR and Raw Story

Quin Hillyer / Washington Examiner:
The longer GOP blocks Bolton, the more he will hurt them

Discussion: Raw Story and Washington Post

Marisa Schultz / Fox News:
Impeachment endgame: GOP senators eye swift conclusion to trial, say 'It's time to vote'

Discussion: Politico, Arizona Republic, Sean Hannity and HuffPost

Anita Kumar / Politico:
Trump allies see witness-swap scheme as impeachment messaging coup

Discussion: Washington Post and New York Times

Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:

How Iowa Could Decide Joe Biden's Fund-Raising Future — As Mr. Biden barnstorms the state in the final days before the caucuses, he is chasing more than voters and delegates. The biggest stakes for him might just be cash. — DES MOINES — Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s campaign has quietly rolled …

NBC News:
Biden to pre-empt Trump rally with speech and ad on ‘character’

Discussion: CNN, ABC News, Associated Press, New York Times, Radio Iowa, Breitbart and The Hill

New York Times: Buttigieg Attacks Biden and Sanders by Name in Bid to Make Up Ground

Washington Post:

Document shows Bernie Sanders's team preparing dozens of potential executive orders — Rising in the polls ahead of the Iowa caucuses, the presidential candidate considers spelling out how he could go around Congress if elected president — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) …

Discussion: CNN, National Review, The Atlantic, PJ Media Home and Common Dreams

Nihar Kabinittal / Associated Press:
Postal workers union with 200,000 members endorses Sanders

Discussion: American Postal Workers Union, Axios, The Hill and Washington Post

Kylee Zempel / The Federalist:

Read The Question About Eric Ciaramella That Chief Justice John Roberts Just Refused To Read — During the Senate impeachment trial Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read a question submitted by Sen. Rand Paul which included the name of Eric Ciaramella, the man RealClear Investigations …

Discussion: Townhall, The Gateway Pundit and Instapundit

Politico:
John Roberts refuses Rand Paul's whistleblower question

Discussion: Vox, Law & Crime, Associated Press and The Hill

New York Times:

Bernie Sanders Is Still Sad About the Dodgers — And he knows how to nurse a grudge. — BURLINGTON, Iowa — The role was not an artistic stretch. — “My name is Rabbi Manny Shevitz,” Bernie Sanders began, acting in a little-seen 1999 comedy called “My X-Girlfriend's Wedding Reception.”

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

GOP senators know Trump's defense is based on lies. Here's proof. — As President Trump's trial hurtles toward a vote on new witnesses, his lawyers have based his defense in part on the notion that Trump's demand that Ukraine investigate the Bidens was legitimate.

Willy Staley / New York Times:

‘High Maintenance’ and the New TV Fantasy of New York — It was probably during the fourth episode of the second season of HBO's “High Maintenance” when I finally noticed what it was up to. The show follows a weed dealer known only as The Guy while he bikes around Brooklyn …

Politico:

How Trump's impeachment created two Democratic superstars — The House Democratic Caucus has long been dominated by a gaggle of also-rans: men and women who, while good enough for Congress, proved to be underwhelming on the larger stage of national politics. — That's changed.

Discussion: Breitbart

Lizzie Dearden / The Independent:

Katie Hopkins' Twitter account suspended — Move comes after Countdown host Rachel Riley and campaigners demand action from social network — Far-right commentator Katie Hopkins has been suspended from Twitter after calls for a “full review” by the social network.

Discussion: Axios

NBC News:

Coronavirus misinformation surges, fueled by clout chasers — Misleading, unverified and clearly false information about the coronavirus has spread across social media platforms with a mix of fearmongering and racial stereotyping. — Misleading, unverified and clearly false information …

Politico:

Burr backs Trump lawyer claim on foreign dirt — Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said on Thursday he has “no problem” with a White House lawyer's argument that American politicians can accept damaging information on their opponents from a foreign country — a proposal that shocked Democrats.

Discussion: Daily Kos

Michael Balsamo / New Haven Register:

AP Exclusive: Barr names new U.S. attorney in DC — WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr on Thursday named Timothy Shea, one of his closest advisers, to be the next top prosecutor in the nation's capital. — Shea will lead the largest United States attorney's office in the country …

David Pepper / Cincinnati.com:

Rob Portman knee-deep in Ukraine incident — FILE- In this July 20, 2017, file photo, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, heads to the chamber for a vote, on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Ohio on Tuesday, July 25, as the U.S. Senate could vote on beginning debate on a Republican health care bill.

Melanie Benson / Duke Today:

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton to Speak at Duke Feb. 17 — Tickets required for free public talk in Page Auditorium — Editor's Note: … DURHAM, N.C. — Former national security adviser John Bolton will speak at Duke University's Page Auditorium on Monday, Feb. 17.

Alexandra Petri / Washington Post:

I have just read 25 books and am here to perform your open-heart surgery — “What I would encourage people to do is try to divorce yourself from all of the history that's happened over the years and read this plan.” — “I've been getting criticized for the last couple of years by all the people …

Discussion: The Independent, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Mediaite

Fresno Bee:

Unpaid bills and legal discipline: Devin Nunes' lawyer questioned over ethics in complaints — The attorney representing Rep. Devin Nunes in five high-profile defamation lawsuits has a history of using questionable tactics in litigation, including claiming to represent people who did not know him.