Playbook: Iowa enters the spin zone  —  With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  HISTORY LESSON, PART 1 — “Martin Luther King Jr. Was a Radical,” by Sheryll Cashin for POLITICO Magazine: “The civil rights icon's image has been sanitized to Kumbaya, feel-good platitudes.

Swastika spray-painted near Holocaust memorial in Philadelphia, police say  —  Authorities are investigating the vandalism, which comes amid a surge in antisemitic incidents nationwide.  —  A swastika was discovered on a wall near Philadelphia's Holocaust memorial on Sunday, police said.

Why The World Is Betting Against American Democracy  —  Ambassadors to Washington warn that the GOP-Democratic divide is endangering America's national security.  —  Foreign diplomats are aghast that so many U.S. leaders let their zeal for partisan politics prevent the basic functions of government.

How the Iowa caucuses work  —  Here's how the first Republican presidential nominating contest of 2024 will work on the ground Monday night.  —  On Monday evening, Iowa Republicans will head to schools and community centers to participate in their first-in-the-nation caucuses …

Biden Money Haul: Nearly $100 Million Raised, Most Ever By a Democrat at This Point  —  The haul shows how fundraising is one of Biden's distinct competitive advantages over Republicans in 2024  —  President Joe Biden announced Monday that his campaign and the Democratic National Committee raised $97 million …

Poland presses for ambitious 2040 EU climate target, signaling U-turn  —  A senior official vowed Poland's new government would no longer block EU climate action.  —  BRUSSELS — Poland's new government will urge the European Union to “embrace” a plan to slash 90 percent …

Turkey Releases Israeli Footballer Detained Over Hamas War Message  — Sagiv Jehezkel wrote ‘100 days’ on wrist in reference to war  — Player denies charges of ‘inciting enmity and hatred’  —  An Israeli footballer who was detained in Turkey for a goal celebration referencing Hamas's Oct. 7 attack …

Texas Blasted As ‘Cruel, Inhumane’ By Homeland Security After Blocking Rescue Efforts For 3 Migrants That Drowned  —  Texas denied federal agents access to a section of the southern border where they were trying to save migrants who eventually drowned in the Rio Grande, the U.S. Homeland …

The Miseducation of Nikki Haley  —  After her failure to identify slavery as the cause of the Civil War generated a wave of criticism last month, Nikki Haley assured her potential constituents that she had Black friends, and that she understood the war's origins.

Convicted Russian Ex-Mayor Cuts Jail Time by Agreeing to Fight in Ukraine  —  A disgraced former Russian mayor convicted over bribery had his prison sentence cut short after signing a contract to fight with Russia's military in Ukraine, local media reported Sunday.

Iowa principal who risked life to protect students during a school shooting has died  —  Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger “placed himself in harm's way” Jan. 4.  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — An Iowa principal who put himself in harm's way to protect students during a school shooting earlier …