memeorandum: 10 Senate Republicans propose compromise on COVID relief package (Fadel Allassan/Axios)

12:20 PM ET, January 31, 2021

Top Items:

John Harwood / CNN:

Why Biden has a rare opportunity for early success — This Biden clip is being used against him. Here are the facts — (CNN)Over five decades in Washington, President Joe Biden has watched seven newly-elected presidents get started. Improbably, he has the chance for a stronger opening act than any of them.

Discussion: Project Syndicate, New York Magazine, The Guardian, Crooks and Liars and Bloomberg

Burgess Everett / Politico:

10 Senate Republicans seek meeting with Biden on Covid relief — Republicans who want a bipartisan deal on coronavirus relief are making a last-ditch effort to turn President Joe Biden away from a party-line approach that would avoid the Senate's supermajority requirement.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, USA Today, NPR, Breitbart, New York Times and Political Wire

Rachael Bade / Politico:

POLITICO Playbook: The OTHER Joe with veto power — DRIVING THE DAY — QUICK, someone tell us: What on earth was KAMALA HARRIS thinking? — The vice president's move to troll Sen. JOE MANCHIN in his own state last week is backfiring — at a critical moment for President JOE BIDEN'S agenda.

Discussion: Associated Press, Simple Justice, RedState, HotAir and Fox News

Erica Werner / Washington Post:

Ten Senate Republicans propose compromise covid relief package, request meeting with Biden — Move by GOP senators led by Susan Collins comes as Democrats prepare to move forward quickly with Biden package without GOP support — Ten Republican senators announced plans Sunday to release …

Discussion: The Hill, Business Insider, Townhall and The Week

Senator Susan Collins:
Group of 10 Republican Senators Outline Covid-19 Relief Compromise, Request Meeting with President Biden

Discussion: CBS News and New York Post

Fadel Allassan / Axios:
10 Senate Republicans propose compromise on COVID relief package

Discussion: Associated Press, CNBC, Fox News and Washington Times

Josh Kraushaar / National Journal:
Biden isn't living up to his bipartisan promises

Discussion: Axios, Politico and New York Magazine

New York Times:

21 Men Accuse Lincoln Project Co-Founder of Online Harassment — John Weaver, a longtime G.O.P. operative who advised John McCain and John Kasich, made sexual overtures to young men, sometimes offering to help them get work in politics. — John Weaver, a longtime Republican strategist …

Zachary Petrizzo / Mediaite:

Lincoln Project Sends Scorching Letter Demanding Giuliani Retract His ‘Fantastical’ Claim They Planned Capitol Riot: ‘Refuse At Your Peril’ — The Lincoln Project's legal counsel sent a scorching letter to Rudy Giuliani after he falsely accused the group of helping plan the January 6th Capitol riot …

Discussion: Business Insider, Florida Politics, Conservative News Today and HuffPost

CNN:

First on CNN: Trump's impeachment defense team leaves less than two weeks before trial — (CNN)Former President Donald Trump's five impeachment defense attorneys have left a little more than a week before his trial is set to begin, according to people familiar with the case, amid a disagreement over his legal strategy.

Associated Press: Trump loses lead impeachment lawyers a week before trial

Monica Alba / NBC News: Trump appears to be without a legal team as impeachment trial nears

Washington Post:

GOP Rep. Kinzinger to start new PAC to challenge party's embrace of Trump — Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach Donald Trump earlier this month, has launched a new leadership political action committee that is designed to become a financial engine to challenge …

Discussion: Forbes, Crooks and Liars, RedState, HotAir, Chicago Sun-Times and Washington Examiner

Anthony L. Fisher / Business Insider:

GOP House member who voted to impeach Trump says his family sent around a signed petition disowning him for crossing the former president … - Rep. Adam Kinzinger is a rare Republican who voted to impeach Trump. — It hasn't been a popular move within his party or among his constituents.

Ben Jacobs / New York Magazine:
Marjorie Taylor Greene Is ‘the Worst Enemy for Most Causes That She Supposedly Supports’

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Beast, NBC News and Raw Story

Los Angeles Times:

Dodger Stadium's COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shut down after protesters gather at entrance — Dodger Stadium's mass COVID-19 vaccination site was temporarily shut down Saturday afternoon when about 50 protesters gathered at the entrance, frustrating hundreds of motorists who had been waiting in line for hours.

Discussion: Slate, Washington Post, NBC News, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, TheBlaze, Daily News, Balloon Juice, Bloomberg, Mediaite, The Hill, NBC Bay Area, The Daily Beast, HotAir and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Associated Press:

Russia arrests 3,300 during wide protests backing Navalny — MOSCOW (AP) — Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, tens of thousands took to the streets Sunday across Russia's vast expanse to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin.

Discussion: The Guardian, Axios, BBC, Associated Press, Politico, UPI, Reuters, New York Post, IJR and Jacobin

New York Times:
Navalny Protests Live Updates: Russians Defy Kremlin in Nationwide Demonstrations

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Politico, CNN, NPR, USA Today, The Daily Beast, Radio Free Europe/Radio … and Associated Press

Nicholas Florko / STAT:

Trump officials actively lobbied to deny states money for vaccine rollout last fall — WASHINGTON — Top Trump officials actively lobbied Congress to deny state governments any extra funding for the Covid-19 vaccine rollout last fall — despite frantic warnings from state officials …

Discussion: Political Wire

Michael Wines / New York Times:

After Record Turnout, Republicans Are Trying to Make It Harder to Vote — The presidential election results are settled. But the battle over new voting rules, especially for mail-in ballots, has just begun. — WASHINGTON — In Georgia, Arizona and other states won by President Biden …

Discussion: Associated Press, The Guardian, POLITICUSUSA, National Memo and Raw Story

E.J. Dionne / Washington Post:
Democrats are faced with a choice. Protect the filibuster or protect democracy.

Discussion: New York Magazine, The Mahablog and The Guardian

Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:

So you're being held accountable? That's not ‘cancel culture’ — According to the Washington Examiner's Eddie Scarry, nothing less than a “social justice mob” descended on Politico after it gave a guest-editing slot to right-wing flamethrower Ben Shapiro.

Juliet Chung / Wall Street Journal:

Melvin Capital Lost 53% in January, Hurt by GameStop and Other Bets — Citadel, its partners and Point72 took losses from their investment in the hedge fund — Melvin Capital Management, the hedge fund that has borne the brunt of losses from the soaring stock prices of heavily shorted stocks recently …

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Politico:

Why you haven't seen a sit-down Biden interview yet — Joe Biden waited nearly four decades to become the most powerful man in the free world. Now that he is, he's making himself scarce. — Biden is leaning on doctors and health experts to publicly detail his Covid policy.

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Secretive Ethics panel will judge Hawley and Cruz — Former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial will be conducted on the Senate floor, live on TV. The Senate investigation into Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley will take place behind closed doors by one of the most secretive committees in Congress.

Discussion: Mock Paper Scissors and Raw Story

Jason Campbell / Media Matters for America:

After Joe Biden's inauguration, Newsmax personalities are distraught and enraged — Newsmax host Greg Kelly: “It's actually OK to say you don't want to see Joe Biden succeed” — On January 20, Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States.

Discussion: NBC News, New York Magazine, Defense One, The Guardian and The American Spectator

New York Times:

Trump Raised $255.4 Million in 8 Weeks as He Sought to Overturn Election Result — The former president's fund-raising slowed significantly after the Electoral College delivered its votes to make Joseph R. Biden Jr. the 46th president. — President Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party …