memeorandum: Biden easily wins first official Democratic primary in South Carolina (Alex Gangitano/The Hill)

8:30 PM ET, February 3, 2024

Top Items:

The Polling ‘Disaster’ That's Starting To Terrify Team Trump — Polls show a criminal conviction could torpedo Donald Trump's chances in 2024 — and some of his close advisers are telling him to take it seriously — IN THE MIDDLE of last year, several of Donald Trump's closest advisers …

Discussion: Digby's Hullabaloo, Raw Story, Forbes and Washington Post

Filip Timotija / The Hill:

Biden hits Trump during campaign HQ speech: He's ‘not for anything’ and ‘against everything’ — President Biden hit former President Trump Saturday, claiming the GOP front-runner doesn't “stand for anything,” during a stop at his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del., near his family home.

Discussion: MeidasTouch, Benzinga, Washington Examiner, The Guardian, Mediaite, Los Angeles Times, Politico and Wall Street Journal

Mark Sherman / Associated Press:

Can Trump be on the ballot? It's the Supreme Court's biggest election test since Bush v. Gore — The Supreme Court will decide if Donald Trump can be kept off 2024 presidential ballots — A case with the potential to disrupt Donald Trump's drive to return to the White House is putting …

Discussion: DNyuz, Daily Montanan and nationalinterest.org

New York Times:

After Speedy Start, Appeals Court Slows Down on Trump Immunity Decision — The implications have started coming into focus with the scrapping of March 4 as the start date for the former president's federal trial on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election.

Discussion: Vanity Fair, New York Post, Politico, National Review, DNyuz, New Republic, The Daily Beast, CNBC, Deadline, HuffPost, CBS News, Fox News, Bloomberg, Washington Post, Deseret News, Benzinga, Fox 8 Cleveland WJW and NBC News

Tristan Snell / The Daily Beast:
I Prosecuted Donald Trump and Won. Here's How It's Done.

Discussion: Raw Story and DNyuz

The Daily Beast:
E. Jean Carroll's Lawyer: Trump Told Me ‘See You Next Tuesday’

Discussion: Business Insider, PinkNews, HuffPost, NBC News, The Hill, MeidasTouch, Jezebel and CNN

Lawrence Hurley / NBC News:
Supreme Court may look to the Civil War to resolve whether Trump can be on the ballot

Discussion: Twitchy and Reason

Politico:
Special counsel mounts forceful — and unusual — defense of Trump classified documents case

Discussion: The Hill, DNyuz, Benzinga, PoliticusUSA, Associated Press, Raw Story, NBC News, Law & Crime, Daily Kos, The Guardian, Washington Post, Plain Dealer and Political Wire

Lauren Irwin / The Hill:
Trump markets himself as an outsider in new campaign ad: ‘Embrace the label’

Discussion: Raw Story, Althouse, Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Crooks and Liars

Associated Press:

US, Britain strike Yemen's Houthis in a new wave, retaliating for attacks by Iran-backed militants — US hits hard at militias in Iraq and Syria, retaliating for fatal drone attack - AP Explains — What is the Islamic Resistance in Iraq who have been attacking US troops? — Photos

New York Times:

Mideast Crisis : U.S. and U.K. Launch Heavy Strikes on Houthi Sites in Yemen — U.S. and U.K. Launch Heavy Strikes on Houthi Sites in Yemen … The U.S. and Britain carry out strikes on 13 Houthi sites in Yemen. — The United States and Britain carried out large-scale military strikes …

Discussion: Reuters, CBS News, RedState, Mother Jones, PBS NewsHour, Washington Examiner, TASS and DNyuz

Lara Seligman / Politico:
US and UK launch new attacks on Houthis in Yemen

Discussion: DNyuz, Bloomberg, PBS NewsHour and Al-Monitor

Alex Gangitano / The Hill:

Biden easily wins first official Democratic primary in South Carolina — President Biden was projected to handily win the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday after betting big on the state, according to Decision Desk HQ. — His win comes after Biden backed the unprecedented move …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Politico, SC Daily Gazette, The Guardian, REALITYCHEX.COM, Associated Press, WLTX-TV, ABC News, New York Times and FITSNews

Eric Bradner / CNN:

Biden will win South Carolina Democratic primary, earning his first delegates of 2024, CNN projects — South Carolina, the state that launched Joe Biden to the Democratic nomination four years ago, will deliver the president his first official primary victory of the 2024 campaign on Saturday, CNN projects.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Forbes, The Guardian, UPI, Breitbart, Politico and WLTX-TV

New York Times:
Kamala Harris Bolsters Biden for 2024 and Lays Groundwork for 2028

Discussion: Business Insider, Politico, nationalinterest.org, CBS News, Shore News Network, Washington Examiner, DNyuz, ABC News and Ned Hamson's Second Line View …

Andrew Solender / Axios:

House GOP plans new Israel package in blow to Senate talks — The House will vote next week on a new $17.6 billion Israel aid package that excludes the IRS cuts in their original bill, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Saturday. … - The new House bill, which includes $3.3 billion …

Discussion: Politico, RedState, The Daily Beast, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Caller, KRDO, Heartland Daily News and Euractiv

Sahil Kapur / NBC News:

House will vote next week on standalone Israel aid bill, Johnson tells colleagues — The unexpected move indicates that Johnson is digging his heels in against an immigration package and Ukraine funding, instead seeking to pressure Democrats on Israel aid. — WASHINGTON — Speaker Mike Johnson …

Discussion: Fox News, USA Today, CBS News, Washington Post, Axios, New York Post, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, The Guardian, Washington Times, DNyuz, Roll Call and KRDO

CNN:

Moms for Liberty faces new challenges and growing pushback over its conservative education agenda — In Florida, where the right-wing Moms for Liberty group was born in response to Covid-19 school closures and mask mandates, the first Brevard County School Board meeting of the new year considered whether …

Discussion: Raw Story, Lucian Truscott Newsletter and Florida Phoenix

Oriana Pawlyk / Politico:

Ted Cruz wants lawmakers to get security escorts through America's airports — Cruz told POLITICO that his amendment is about ensuring that political VIPs aren't endangered as they pass through public spaces in airports. — Viral photos of politicians jetting off to a tropical hideaway during …

Discussion: View from the Wing and Washington Examiner

Drew Harwell / Washington Post:

The wild probe into investors of DWAC, Trump Media's proposed merger ally — Sales of Digital World Acquisition stock triggered a widespread federal probe that involved a confidential informant, a secret airport phone scan and an elite anti-money-laundering squad. Three people were indicted, but the investigation continues.

Discussion: Digby's Hullabaloo and Raw Story

Brian Steinberg / Variety:

President Biden Declines Super Bowl Interview for Second Consecutive Year (EXCLUSIVE) — An interview with the U.S. President in the hours before the Super Bowl has become a tradition in recent decades. Now that custom seems to be in danger of dying out. — President Joe Biden …