memeorandum: 'He's a cipher': How Austin's need for privacy just backfired (Politico)

7:25 AM ET, January 8, 2024

Top Items:

Noelle Phillips / Denver Post:

Silt police investigating incident involving U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and her ex-husband — The Silt Police Department is investigating a Saturday night incident at a restaurant involving U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and her ex-husband Jayson Boebert. — Silt police Chief Mike Kite confirmed …

Discussion: Plain Dealer, CBS News, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner and Raw Story

Mariana Alfaro / Washington Post:

Boebert's ex-husband calls police after fight with congresswoman — The representative from Colorado denies allegations that she punched her former spouse — Police were called to a restaurant in Silt, Colo., on Saturday night after Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and her ex-husband Jayson …

Discussion: Bloomberg.com, The Guardian, Raw Story, Balloon Juice and USA Today

Roger Sollenberger / The Daily Beast:

Lauren Boebert's Ex Called The Cops After Physical Fight in Public on Saturday Night — Police confirmed an “active investigation” into the incident, while a Boebert aide told The Daily Beast that the congresswoman was acting in self-defense. … On Saturday night, three years …

Discussion: Raw Story, Fox 8 Cleveland WJW, The Colorado Sun, Business Insider, Politico, New York Post, TMZ.com, KTSM 9 News, UPROXX and The Messenger

Politico:

Johnson strikes his first bipartisan deal — a $1.7T funding accord — Ahead of a government shutdown cliff on Jan. 19, angst among House Republicans could still derail efforts to avert a funding lapse. — Congressional leaders have clinched a deal on overall budget totals that could pave …

Discussion: New York Daily News, Breitbart, New York Post, BizPac Review and CBS News

Jacob Bogage / Washington Post:

Congressional leaders reach deal that would avert government shutdown — The negotiated totals would preserve funding for key domestic and social safety net programs despite GOP demands for cuts — Congressional leaders reached a $1.66 trillion agreement Sunday to finance the federal government in 2024 …

Discussion: The Hill, Bloomberg, NBC News and ABC News

Associated Press:

Congressional leaders announce an agreement on spending levels, a key step to averting shutdown — WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on overall spending levels for the current fiscal year that could help avoid a partial government shutdown later this month.

Discussion: CBS News, El País, Reuters, UPI, National Review, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, NPR, Washington Examiner, KSLTV.com, Roll Call, RedState and The Messenger

Elizabeth Elkind / Fox News:

House, Senate release bipartisan agreement on government funding as shutdown deadlines loom — The deal will see a government funding topline of $1.59 trillion — House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement on a government funding topline Sunday, taking a critical step toward avoiding a shutdown later this month.

Discussion: The Hill, USA Today, The Messenger, New York Times, CBS News, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Wall Street Journal, PoliticusUSA, Washington Times, Axios, Raw Story and Twitchy

Politico:

'He's a cipher': How Austin's need for privacy just backfired — Pressure is growing on Capitol Hill and within the administration for someone to lose their job. — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is one of the most reclusive Pentagon chiefs in recent memory. That strategy may be backfiring on him.

Discussion: Althouse, The Gateway Pundit, One America News Network, Washington Examiner, Twitchy, Modern Diplomacy, RedState, Mother Jones, Associated Press, The Daily Caller and Outside the Beltway

CNN:

Deputy defense secretary was not told Austin had been hospitalized when she assumed his duties — When the deputy secretary of defense began assuming some of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's responsibilities on January 2, not even she knew that it was because Austin was hospitalized, two defense officials told CNN.

ABC News:

Special counsel probe uncovers new details about Trump's inaction on Jan. 6: Sources — Aides allegedly said Trump was “not interested” in doing more to stop the riot. — In a video message posted to Twitter on the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, President Donald Trump addresses supporters participating in the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Discussion: The Bulwark, Business Insider, New York Post, Digby's Hullabaloo, USA Today, Raw Story, The Messenger, emptywheel, Mediaite and PoliticusUSA

Chris Geidner / Law Dork:
Trump engaged in insurrection three years ago today. The Supreme Court must say so.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, CBS News, The Hill and Washington Post

Dan Pfeiffer / The Message Box:
How the GOP Became the Party of Insurrection

Discussion: Salon

Associated Press:

Biden will visit church where Black people were killed to lay out election stakes and perils of hate — WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden wants Americans to grasp the extraordinary stakes of this year's presidential election, as he sees them. As part of that effort …

Discussion: NBC News, USA Today and The Messenger

New York Times:

Trump Is Connecting With a Different Type of Evangelical Voter — They are not just the churchgoing, conservative activists who once dominated the G.O.P. — Karen Johnson went to her Lutheran church so regularly as a child that she won a perfect attendance award. As an adult, she taught Sunday school.

Discussion: Raw Story, Associated Press and New Yorker

Ben Blanchet / HuffPost:

‘Piece Of S**t’: Meghan McCain Rips Trump For Mocking Her Late Father — McCain criticized the former president for dishing out another attack at the late senator. — LOADING — Meghan McCain slammed former President Donald Trump for mocking her late father, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Messenger and Associated Press

Luther Ray Abel / National Review:

National Park Service to Remove William Penn Statue from Historic Site — The National Park Service (NPS) has announced it will be rehabilitating (via reduction) Pennsylvania founder William Penn's Welcome Park to “provide a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience.”

Discussion: Breitbart and Must Read Alaska

Fred Backus / CBS News:

Americans increasingly see border as crisis, call for tougher measures, CBS News poll finds — Americans are increasingly concerned about the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the percentage who think the Biden administration should be tougher on immigrants trying to cross it is up to the highest percentage yet.

Discussion: The Messenger, Washington Post, The Hill and Washington Times