Courting the Kook Vote in Iowa, Vivek Draws the Ire of Trump  —  Ramaswamy is fourth in the polls, but top-of-mind for the former president.  —  ANKENY, Iowa—Vivek Ramaswamy was just going through his implausible plan for firing 75 percent of the federal workforce—"the first four agencies we're …

Key Trump Lawyer Withdraws as Manhattan Criminal Trial Nears  —  Joseph Tacopina brought extensive experience with high-profile cases to former president Donald J. Trump's legal team.  —  Joseph Tacopina, the trial lawyer on Donald J. Trump's legal team with the most successes defending high-profile clients …

Former Trump Aide Scaramucci Says He Will Campaign for Biden Against Trump in 2024  —  ‘This really is going to be a battle for the democracy,’ the ex-Trump official told CNN ahead of the Iowa caucus  —  Former Donald Trump White House official Anthony Scaramucci will be campaigning …

A person called 911 falsely reporting a fire at the White House in apparent ‘swatting’ event  —  President Joe Biden was at Camp David when the call to 911 was made early Monday morning.  —  WASHINGTON — A person called 911 Monday morning falsely claiming that there was a fire at the White House and that someone was trapped inside.

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.

Nikki Haley Refuses to Say a Man Cannot Become a Woman During Campaign Event  —  The Iowa Caucus is just hours away and social issues seem to be top of mind for at least some voters in the Hawkeye State.  —  Extreme weather conditions in Iowa limited the 2024 GOP hopefuls to mostly virtual events …

Fani Willis Is in Full Panic Mode  —  As RedState reported, Fani Willis finally responded to the allegations that she hired the man she was having an affair with to be a special counsel in her office.  For some reason, she decided to give her remarks in front of a black church congregation.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Released From Hospital  —  Following consultation with medical staff, Secretary Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center today.  —  The Secretary continues to recover well and, on the advice of doctors …

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 …

Nota Bene  —  Keep an eye on how the national press covers this.  The White House, as you know, has been under immense pressure to offer concessions to address the continuing large number of migrants coming to the US-Mexico border.  Now there's a bipartisan compromise bill in the Senate.