memeorandum: Deputy learned of defense secretary's hospitalization 2 days after taking over his duties (NBC News)

9:10 AM ET, January 8, 2024

Top Items:

Hans Nichols / Axios:

Landrieu to join Biden's campaign as national co-chair — Mitch Landrieu, the former New Orleans mayor who has been helping President Biden implement his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, is leaving the White House to be a national co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign, Axios has learned.

Discussion: Associated Press, HotAir, The Hill, The Messenger, The White House, New Republic, PJ Media, Fox News, Washington Examiner, RedState, NBC News and The Daily Caller

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: The Hill, NBC News, USA Today, The Messenger and Politico

Mariana Labbate / The Messenger:

Trump Says He Will Attend Presidential Immunity Hearing — The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 9 — Former President Donald Trump early Monday morning announced he will atend his presidential immunity hearing in D.C. in person on Tuesday. — “Of course I was entitled …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Mediaite, Raw Story, Axios and Reuters

Alex Gangitano / The Hill:

Biden campaign raises $1M online in 24 hours after Jan. 6 speech — President Biden's reelection campaign raised more than $1 million through online fundraising alone in the 24 hours after the president's Jan. 6 anniversary speech, according to numbers exclusively provided to The Hill.

Discussion: The Messenger, Newsbusters and New York Post

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, Balloon Juice, Raw Story, The Guardian and USA Today

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

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: Punchbowl News, 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

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

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

Elizabeth Elkind / Fox News:
House, Senate release bipartisan agreement on government funding as shutdown deadlines loom

Discussion: The Hill, USA Today, New York Times, The Messenger, 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, Modern Diplomacy, Twitchy, RedState, Mother Jones, The Daily Caller and Associated Press

NBC News:

Deputy learned of defense secretary's hospitalization 2 days after taking over his duties — The Pentagon did not initially inform Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken or senior White House officials. — After being admitted to the hospital last week …

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Magazine, Power Line, Roll Call, Taipei Times, New York Times, The Post Millennial, The Guardian, Associated Press, Bloomberg and CBS News

CNN:
Deputy defense secretary was not told Austin had been hospitalized when she assumed his duties

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

Zach Montellaro / Politico:

The changing congressional map is shifting the fight for control of the House — With primaries in some states just weeks away, there are still big unresolved questions of what some districts will look like. — The partisan tilt of a handful of districts could still change dramatically …

Hans Nichols / Axios:

Scoop: Pa. Senate hopeful McCormick raised $5.4M in last quarter … - McCormick, a former CEO of the Bridgewater Associates investment firm, also contributed $1 million of his own money in the fourth quarter of 2023 to boost his bid to oust three-term incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.).

Discussion: Fox News

Nahal Toosi / Politico:

The U.S. Is Dealing With an Israeli Leader Who's Losing Control — Benjamin Netanyahu is waging a war while struggling to avoid prison, salvage his legacy and keep his political partners happy. — Benjamin Netanyahu, whom many Israelis simply call “Bibi,” is Israel's longest-serving prime minister …