memeorandum: Hoo boy: There's no such thing as a “minor incursion,” tweets Ukrainian president (Allahpundit/HotAir)

4:20 PM ET, January 20, 2022

Top Items:

Tamar Hallerman / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

BREAKING: Fulton DA requests special grand jury for Trump probe — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is requesting a special grand jury to aid in her investigation of former President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results.

Discussion: ABC News, Insider, Washington Post, UPI, Forbes, Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo, TheGrio, Mock Paper Scissors and Raw Story

New York Times:
Atlanta D.A. Requests Special Grand Jury in Trump Election Inquiry

Discussion: Insider, Associated Press and WINK NEWS

Ruy Teixeira / The Liberal Patriot:

How Not to Build a Coalition — The Left's Theory of the Case Falls Apart — It's fair to say that the left of the Democratic party has been in ascendance for some time. You could see it in how candidates positioned themselves during the Democratic primaries.

Discussion: Fox News, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Washington Post

Noah Bierman / Los Angeles Times:

News Analysis: Biden is stuck with a divided party — Among President Biden's most valuable political skills has been a knack for planting himself firmly at the ideological center of the Democratic Party, a trait that helped him win elections amid shifting winds over five decades in public life.

Discussion: Salon, Politico, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, POLITICUSUSA, Jezebel, Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Punchbowl News, New York Post, American Prospect and The Guardian

Politico:
McCarthy open to Electoral Count Act reform

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Political Wire

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
The Filibuster Is Living on Borrowed Time

Discussion: 6abc

Ari Berman / Mother Jones:
GOP States Are Shredding Voting Rights and Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema Are Now Complicit

Discussion: The American Independent, New Republic, The Bulwark, Newsweek, The Guardian, The Hill, The Message Box, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, CBS News, The Daily Wire and Election Law Blog

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:
Why Democrats spent a year on a failed voting rights push

Discussion: RedState, UPI, National Review, The New Neo and Alternet.org

Washington Post:
House GOP plots policy agenda for 2022 midterm elections — with help from architect of 1994 plan

Discussion: Bloomberg, Fox News, Politico, New York Times, The Hill, The Civilized Savage, The National Interest, The Hustings, Mock Paper Scissors, Supercreator and FiveThirtyEight

David Rutz / Fox News:
Ex-Labor Secretary Reich says Democrats should assault Sinema over filibuster stance in deleted tweet

Discussion: RedState, Twitchy, Ace of Spades HQ, Breitbart, The Atlantic, The Daily Wire, Instapundit and The Floridian

Ben Jacobs / New York Magazine:
Kyrsten Sinema's Moment of Infamy

Discussion: Axios, HotAir, National Review, VTDigger, TheGrio, NewsOne, The Guardian, BizPac Review, Lawyers, Guns & Money, WTOP News, IJR and Insider

U.S. Department of the Treasury:

Treasury Sanctions Russian-Backed Actors Responsible for Destabilization Activities in Ukraine — WASHINGTON - Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four individuals engaged in Russian government-directed influence activities to destabilize Ukraine.

Discussion: CNBC, Washington Examiner, Associated Press, Insider, ZDNet, United States Department …, UPI, Foreign Policy, The Daily Caller, The Guardian, CNN, Bloomberg, Politico, Talking Points Memo and The White House

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Biden's marathon Q&A forces White House to play cleanup — twice

Discussion: USA Today, Fox News, The Daily Caller, Washington Times, Forbes, Breitbart and Townhall

Allahpundit / HotAir:
Hoo boy: There's no such thing as a “minor incursion,” tweets Ukrainian president

Discussion: ABC News, New York Times, Fox News, Bloomberg, Washington Post, spectatorworld.com, National Review, New York Post, Kevin Drum, Washington Times, IJR and TASS

Washington Post:
Russia's military is again on the move, adding pressure on Ukraine as invasion fears grow

Discussion: CNBC, Insider, Al Jazeera, Defense One, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Foreign Policy, WTOP News and TASS

Vivian Salama / Wall Street Journal:
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Says Biden's ‘Minor Incursion’ Comment Underestimates Russia's Intention

Tristan Justice / The Federalist:

Only 10 Percent Of J6 Committee Subpoenas Relate To The Capitol Riot — The House Select Committee established to probe the Capitol riot is not interested in probing the Capitol riot. — The House Select Committee established to probe the Capitol riot is not interested in probing the Capitol riot.

Discussion: Select Committee …, Mediaite and Insider

Luke Broadwater / New York Times:
Jan. 6 Panel Seeks Testimony From Ivanka Trump

Discussion: Washington Examiner, CNN, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, Roll Call, ABC News, Washington Times, Raw Story, Mercury News, New York Post, Mother Jones and Human Events

Select Committee to Investigate …:
Select Committee Seeks Information from Ivanka Trump

Discussion: USA Today, Townhall, HillReporter.com, POLITICUSUSA, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story and Rolling Stone

Politico:
Jan. 6 panel will target Ivanka Trump for questioning

Discussion: The Daily Beast, NPR, Washington Post, Insider, UPI, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth and Forbes

Washington Post:
Jan. 6 committee seeks testimony from Ivanka Trump to discuss her father's attempt to overturn the election results

Discussion: CBS News, Associated Press and The Hill

Washington Post:

As Giuliani coordinated plan for Trump electoral votes in states Biden won, some electors balked — On Dec. 14, 2020, the day of the electoral college vote, Republican electors convened in the capitals of five states that Joe Biden had won. They declared themselves “duly elected and qualified” …

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Fox News, National Review and Morning Shots

Amanda Carpenter / The Bulwark:

The Six Main Strands of the Trump Coup Attempt — Donald Trump's actions to overturn the 2020 election were dedicated, intentional, and sustained over time. The insistent notion that Trump and his allies are “too stupid to coup” should not be reassuring. Like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park …

Discussion: Politico, Raw Story, Alternet.org, Just Security, Insider and Talking Points Memo

Hugo Lowell / The Guardian:

Trump held secret meetings in days before Capitol attack, ex-press secretary tells panel — Stephanie Grisham gave more significant details than expected about what Trump was doing before 6 January, sources say — The former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, HillReporter.com, Talking Points Memo, Insider, Raw Story and Alternet.org

Associated Press:

Biden approval hits new low at one-year mark: AP-NORC poll — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden ends his first year in the White House with a clear majority of Americans for the first time disapproving of his handling of the presidency in the face of an unrelenting pandemic and roaring inflation …

Discussion: HotAir, The Hill, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, Bangor Daily News, Mediaite, Human Events, Breitbart, IJR, Political Wire and National Review

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Mitch McConnell's plan is working — At the one-year mark in President Biden's first term, there's no sugarcoating it: A barrage of new polls are absolutely brutal for him. Surveys from NBC News and the Associated Press both put Biden's approval at 43 percent, and CBS News puts it at 44 percent, in large drops since last summer.

Discussion: National Review, NBC News and Townhall

The White House:
Remarks by President Biden in Press Conference

John Yoon / New York Times:

An American Airlines flight turns back over the Atlantic because of a passenger mask dispute. — An American Airlines flight to London from Miami turned around about an hour into its journey on Wednesday night because of a passenger who refused to follow coronavirus masking rules, the airline said.

Discussion: CBS Miami, The Daily Caller and abc7NY

NBC News:

CIA says ‘Havana Syndrome’ not result of sustained campaign by hostile power — In a new intelligence assessment, the CIA has ruled out that the mysterious symptoms known as Havana Syndrome are the result of a sustained global campaign by a hostile power aimed at hundreds of U.S. diplomats and spies …

Discussion: HotAir, Wall Street Journal, Gawker, Fox News, Politico, NBC Bay Area, Bulletin, Rolling Stone and NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, more at Mediagazer »

Julian E. Barnes / New York Times:
Most ‘Havana Syndrome’ Cases Unlikely Caused by Foreign Power, C.I.A. Says

Discussion: New York Magazine, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, New York Post, CNN, NBC News, CBS News, CBS Miami, NPR, The Daily Wire, UPI, Al Jazeera and Raw Story

Mike Fleming Jr / Deadline:

Hot Package: Billy Ray, Adam McKay Team For ‘J6,’ Film About January 6 Assault On Capitol — EXCLUSIVE: The January 6 assault on the US Capitol, considered the worst attack on democracy since the Civil War, will be the subject of a feature film scripted and to be directed by Billy Ray …

Tyler Whetstone / Knoxville News-Sentinel:

Tennessee-based adoption agency refuses to help couple because they're Jewish — A Knoxville couple is suing the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, saying a state-sponsored Christian-based adoption agency refused to help them because they are Jewish.

Discussion: Alternet.org, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Hill and littlegreenfootballs.com

C. Ryan Barber / Insider:

Time is running out for Biden's Justice Department to prosecute Trump for 10 possible crimes detailed in the Mueller report — The five-year deadline is closing in to charge Donald Trump with crimes detailed by Robert Mueller. — Trump benefited in office from a DOJ policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

Frank Gluck / News Press:

DeSantis administration puts Florida health director on leave for encouraging vaccinations for his staff — Starting January 19, Americans will be able to have at-home COVID-19 tests shipped to their homes, for free. — STAFF VIDEO, USA TODAY — Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration …

Patricia Mazzei / New York Times:
A Florida public health official is put on leave after emailing his staff to urge vaccination.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Associated Press, CBS Miami, Balloon Juice, The Guardian, New York Post and Washington Examiner

New York Times:

‘The Lowest Point in My Lifetime’: How 14 Independent Voters Feel About America — How do independent voters feel about President Biden and America after his first year in office? Let's put it this way: His weak approval ratings might go up if he pulled a Trump and just declared that America …

Discussion: HotAir, Fox News, Breitbart and National Review

Edward Luce / Financial Times:

America is overdosing on the apocalypse — There are grounds to worry about the quality of US democracy but fanatics are a minority — At what point do prophecies become self-fulfilling? Under America's despairing skies the hope has to be never. If you believe the left …

Discussion: Vox

Mike Allen / Axios:

First look: Biden inaugural to blanket airwaves today — President Biden's Presidential Inaugural Committee will mark his first anniversary in office by blanketing today's airwaves — from breakfast to evening news to prime time — with a video promoting a recovering, resilient America.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Louder With Crowder, The Daily Wire and Twitchy