memeorandum: American intel officials warn of risk of Hezbollah attacking U.S. (Politico)

11:35 AM ET, January 11, 2024

Top Items:

Latest GOP split: Senate leaders hold out as House brass goes all-in for Trump — The former president's allies warn it's a risky move, depending on “how much Donald Trump wants to keep a grudge.” — Most Senate GOP leaders are confronting a dilemma they hoped to avoid …

Discussion: Business Insider, The Daily Caller, U-S-NEWS.COM, Daily Kos, ABC News, Breitbart, The Messenger and Raw Story

Charlie Mahtesian / Politico:

Don't Be So Certain Trump Has the Nomination Locked Up — Here's the path for a Nikki Haley upset. — Contrary to conventional wisdom, Nikki Haley doesn't have to win New Hampshire, or even South Carolina — she just has to keep it close enough to keep donors and voters convinced there might …

Discussion: New York Times, The Atlantic, No More Mister Nice Blog, NewsNation, New Jersey Monitor, Washington Times, New York Magazine, Business Insider, Washington Examiner and El País

New York Times:

Will You Vote for Trump Again? — It's the question weighing on Republicans across the country. But Iowans get to decide first. We listened as they grappled with their choices. — By Jennifer MedinaPhotographs by Jordan Gale — There is no way around it: The Iowa caucuses on Monday …

Discussion: Raw Story and CBS News

Ron Dicker / HuffPost:

Trump Reacts To Woman Telling Him He ‘Personally Demeaned’ So Many Ex-Associates — The former president was confronted by a DeSantis supporter at the Fox News town hall and tried to spin his way out of it. — LOADING — Donald Trump on Wednesday wriggled out of a town hall question …

Discussion: Mediaite, The Messenger, Wall Street Journal and Axios

Washington Post:
Chris Christie caught on hot mic, says Nikki Haley will ‘get smoked’

Camille Mumford / Emerson Polling:
New Hampshire 2024 Poll: Haley Gains, Trump Loses Support but Maintains Lead

Discussion: Florida Politics, ABC News and Political Wire

NBC News:
'I know who it's going to be': Trump hints he's made up his mind about his VP pick

CNN:
Chris Christie ends 2024 presidential campaign

Bloomberg:
Chris Christie to Exit 2024 Race Days Before Iowa Republican Caucus

NBC News:
‘A spiritual battle’: Pastors embrace Trump's grievances in prayers at his rallies

Discussion: The Hill, The Messenger and Raw Story

ABC News:
Chris Christie expected to end his 2024 presidential campaign: Sources

Discussion: CNN, The European Conservative, The American Conservative, Washington Examiner, Blaze Media, The Post Millennial, Vanity Fair and Political Wire

Jose Pagliery / The Daily Beast:

Bomb Threat Made at Home of Judge in Trump's Bank Fraud Trial — A bomb squad rushed to Justice Arthur F. Engoron's house on Long Island, a source told The Daily Beast. — The danger surrounding Donald Trump's bank fraud trial in New York escalated just hours before its final hearing on Thursday …

Discussion: USA Today, CNBC, Breitbart, New York Daily News, The Messenger, Rolling Stone, Raw Story and NBC 7 San Diego

NBC News:

Judge in Trump's civil fraud trial faces bomb threat ahead of closing arguments — The bomb squad was called to Engoron's home and was investigating Thursday morning. It is unclear whether Engoron was home at the time. — Nassau County police on Thursday have responded to a bomb threat …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Axios, Business Insider, New York Times, Mediaite, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Semafor, Law & Crime, New York Post and Raw Story

CNN:
Trump can't speak during closing arguments in NY civil fraud trial, judge says

Judd Legum / Popular Information:

Musk uses megaphone to promote misleading claims about voting, push for severe restrictions — This week, Elon Musk has repeatedly promoted false and misleading claims about voting to his 168 million followers on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter.

Discussion: NBC News, Breitbart and HotAir

Politico:

Jan. 6 committee helped guide early days of Georgia Trump probe — In the spring of 2022, the committee staff helped Fulton County prosecutors prepare for interviews with key witnesses. — Georgia prosecutors probing Donald Trump's effort to subvert the 2020 election got an early boost in the spring of 2022.

Discussion: The Messenger, The Daily Caller, American Greatness, The Post Millennial, Breitbart, New York Post and BizPac Review

Chris Queen / PJ Media:
The Plot Thickens in the Fani Willis Corruption Allegations

Discussion: The Western Journal, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Twitchy, RedState, HotAir, The Guardian, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit and Erick Erickson's Show Notes

Katherine Doyle / NBC News:
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene files complaint about Georgia prosecutor who charged Trump

Discussion: The Messenger, Rolling Stone, Blaze Media, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit and The Daily Caller

Mike Spies / ProPublica:

Secret Recording Shows NRA Treasurer Plotting to Conceal Extravagant Expenses Involving Wayne LaPierre — Audio obtained by The Trace and ProPublica reveals, in real time, the gun lobbying group enacting a plan that would conceal payments for fancy hotels, limousines and other luxury expenses connected to its longtime CEO for a decade.

Discussion: Political Wire

Beth Mole / Ars Technica:

US verges on vaccination tipping point, faces thousands of needless deaths: FDA — Top regulatory officials call for clinicians to speak up and drown out misinformation. — The US may be heading to a “dangerous vaccination tipping point,” with immunization rates falling so low …

Discussion: MIT Technology Review

Politico:

American intel officials warn of risk of Hezbollah attacking U.S. — Hezbollah has more capability to strike inside the U.S. than other terrorist groups like ISIS, officials say. — U.S. officials assess that there's a rising risk Lebanese Hezbollah militants will strike Americans in the Middle East …

Discussion: New York Post, Axios, Fox News, American Greatness and Washington Post

Ian Haworth / Washington Examiner:

Donald Trump must share in Anthony Fauci's ignominy — This week, former decadeslong director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and professional human manifestation of “the science,” Anthony Fauci, was grilled on COVID-19. — A Republican-led House select subcommittee hearing …

Discussion: The Messenger

Josh Christenson / New York Post:
COVID ‘6-feet’ social distancing ‘sort of just appeared,’ likely lacked scientific basis, Fauci admits

Discussion: Twitchy, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, RedState, The Gateway Pundit, Wall Street Journal, The Post Millennial, Breitbart, The Messenger, National Review, Reason, One America News Network and Washington Examiner

New York Times:

Kim Reynolds Has Another Account, @Kimberl26890376, and Opinions About Donald Trump — In recent months, the Republican governor of Iowa has used a secondary account on X to share her unfiltered feelings on the Republican presidential primary race. — Not long after the calendar turned to 2024 …

Discussion: Bloomberg

Dan Merica / The Messenger:

Biden Grows Battleground State Operation As Campaign Continues to Ramp Up — The hires reflect how the Biden campaign's focus is squarely on the general election, and how he is pulling from past Democratic campaigns, not only his 2020 bid — Joe Biden's presidential campaign …

Discussion: USA Today

Sophie Peel / Willamette Week:

Staffers Allege Jamie McLeod-Skinner's Driver Feared Physical Violence From Her — The new allegations, however, mark the first public claim that the congressional candidate laid a hand on an employee. — Expand — Three former campaign workers for U.S. congressional candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner …

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Duane Patterson / HotAir:

John Fetterman Tells South Africa to Sit This One Out Regarding ICJ Suit Against Israel — The day will come when Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman returns to the form we feared in 2022. Thankfully, today is not that day. — Our friend Salena Zito interviewed the junior senator …

Discussion: RedState, The Times of Israel and Louder With Crowder

Dan Ladden-Hall / The Daily Beast:

Two Dead in Overturned Vessel Off Alaskan Island Where Netflix Show ‘Outlast’ Filmed — Three others were rescued, the Coast Guard said. — Two people died and three others were rescued Tuesday evening when a vessel overturned in frigid waters near an island in Alaska where Netflix's survivalist reality show Outlast was filmed.

Discussion: United States Coast Guard News, The Messenger and New York Post

Sam Brodey / The Daily Beast:

North Carolina Guv Frontrunner Had Secret Meeting With Ginni Thomas After Jan. 6 — The leading GOP candidate for governor of North Carolina is very public on his thinking about overturning the 2020 election. But his private meetings are telling, too.

Discussion: Raw Story

Daniel Estrin / NPR:

Israelis are increasingly questioning what war in Gaza can achieve — TEL AVIV, Israel — What will it take for Israel to declare mission accomplished in Gaza and end the war? — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised Israeli citizens that the military offensive in Gaza will press …

Discussion: The Messenger, The Daily Beast, Associated Press and NBC News