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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …