memeorandum: Dems make early ad reservations in key Senate races (Ally Mutnick/Politico)

9:55 AM ET, January 29, 2024

Top Items:

Inside Biden's Anti-Trump Battle Plan (and Where Taylor Swift Fits In) — Watching Donald Trump ascend, the newly energized Biden campaign is aiming to make the general election all about him. It's also hoping for some big endorsements. — As former President Donald J. Trump speeds toward …

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Examiner, Deadline, NBC News, The Messenger, TMZ.com and Axios

Politico:

Playbook: Can Dems flip the border script? — With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine — DRIVING THE DAY — I'VE GOT A BLANK SPACE, BABY — The NYT takes a close look this morning at President JOE BIDEN's general election battle plan, which will “couple a direct assault on …

Discussion: Punchbowl News, Axios and The Hill

Politico:
The huge wedge between McConnell and Johnson: Donald Trump

Discussion: The Bulwark

Edward-Isaac Dovere / CNN:
Joe Manchin could upend Biden's reelection campaign - and blow up No Labels along the way

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Mediaite and Fox News

Amy B Wang / Washington Post:
Lankford defends bipartisan border security bill after attacks by Trump, GOP

Discussion: HotAir, Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, Newsbusters, Axios, CBS News, Oklahoma Voice, Business Insider, The Hill, Fox News, The Daily Caller, The Messenger, New York Post, Washington Times, Wall Street Journal, Politico and Chicago Tribune

Lauren Sforza / The Hill:
Noem spars with CNN's Dana Bash over border deal

Discussion: CNN, The Messenger, Louder With Crowder, The Daily Caller, HuffPost, RedState and Mediaite

CNN:
State of the Union — DANA BASH, CNN HOST (voice-over): Gone South. — As his GOP rival gets under his skin...

Discussion: CAIR, Benzinga, NPR, The Daily Beast, NBC News, Mother Jones, Eschaton and Washington Post

Andrew Solender / Axios:

GOP hawks press Biden to target Iran directly over soldiers' deaths — President Biden is facing calls from congressional hawks to escalate attacks on Iran-linked targets, including within Iran itself, in response to the deaths of three U.S. service members in a drone attack in Jordan.

Discussion: U.S. Central Command, The Moderate Voice, IJR, Florida Politics, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, New York Post, RedState, Breitbart, Bloomberg, Fox News, The Hill, Reuters, Frontpage Mag, Committee on Foreign Affairs, TASS, Washington Free Beacon and Al Jazeera

Daniel Greenfield / Frontpage Mag:
3 U.S. Soldiers Died Because Biden Won't Stand Up to Iran

Kelly Garrity / Politico:
Republican hawks call for retaliation after 3 killed in Iranian-backed strike

Discussion: Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Beast, Atlantic Council, RedState, Bloomberg and CBS News

The White House:
Statement from President Joe Biden on Attack on U.S. Service Members in Northeastern Jordan Near the Syria Border

CNN:
Three US troops killed in drone attack in Jordan, more than 30 injured

Associated Press:
Three Americans killed, ‘many’ wounded in drone attack by Iran-backed militia in Jordan, Biden says

Lisa Needham / Public Notice:

Republican governors' dangerous border standoff with Biden — This free edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers. To become one and support our work, please click the button below to sign up. — 📚 Subscribe to Public Notice 📚 — Over the last several years …

Discussion: Sacramento Bee, One First, Default, CNN, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit and Raw Story

Judd Legum / Popular Information:

The second insurrection — “The Federal Government has broad constitutional powers in determining what aliens shall be admitted to the United States, the period they may remain, regulation of their conduct before naturalization, and the terms and conditions of their naturalization …

Discussion: HotAir

New York Times:

Israel Details Claims Against U.N. Workers It Says Aided Hamas — Israeli officials have presented evidence they say ties workers at a Palestinian aid agency in Gaza to violence during the Hamas-led attack on Israel. — One is accused of kidnapping a woman. Another is said to have handed out ammunition.

Discussion: Reuters, New York Post, Fox News, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, DailyChatter, The Indian Express, RedState, Associated Press, HotAir and The Times of Israel

Wall Street Journal:

At Least 12 U.N. Agency Employees Involved in Oct. 7 Attacks, Intelligence Reports Say — Around 10% of Palestinian aid agency's 12,000 staff in Gaza have links to militants, according to intelligence dossier — TEL AVIV—At least 12 employees of the U.N.'s Palestinian refugee agency …

Bernard Condon / Associated Press:

Trump civil fraud trial: Why the New York case stands apart — Within days, Donald Trump could potentially have his sprawling real estate business empire ordered “dissolved” for repeated misrepresentations on financial statements to lenders, adding him to a short list of scam marketers …

Discussion: New Republic, Washington Post and The Hill

Erik Larson / Bloomberg:
Trump Cash Stockpile at Risk From $450 Million Dual Verdicts

Discussion: Benzinga

David Siders / Politico:
The Trump defense industrial complex goes a bit quiet after Carroll verdict

Discussion: The Messenger, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, USA Today, Mediaite, Fox News, Mother Jones, Raw Story and The Daily Beast

Sahil Kapur / NBC News:

Democrats endorse their first slate of challengers in the fight for the House majority — First on NBC News: The DCCC is backing 17 candidates in some of the most competitive districts on the 2024 map as part of its “red to blue” program. — WASHINGTON — House Democrats are officially issuing …

Discussion: The Messenger and The Texas Tribune

Marshall Cohen / CNN:

Pro-Trump network OAN execs may have ‘engaged in criminal activities’ while promoting 2020 election lies, Smartmatic alleges — In the wake of the 2020 election, the president of the far-right network One America News sent a potentially explosive email to former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell …

Discussion: Mediaite and Raw Story

Kayla Guo / New York Times:

Pelosi Wants F.B.I. to Investigate Pro-Palestinian Protesters — The former House speaker suggested without offering evidence that some protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza had financial ties to Russia and Vladimir V. Putin. — Representative Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California …

Discussion: CNN, HuffPost, Outside the Beltway, Rolling Stone, JONATHAN TURLEY, National Review, New York Post, The Hill, The Messenger, UPI, The Forward and Washington Times

Ally Mutnick / Politico:

Dems make early ad reservations in key Senate races — Senate Majority PAC is booking early to lock in lower rates in Montana and Nevada, two states that are crucial to a brutal Senate map. — The Senate TV ad wars are beginning. — Senate Majority PAC, Democrats' largest outside group focused …

Discussion: The Messenger, The Daily Caller, American Greatness and Fox News

Kelby Vera / HuffPost:

Nikki Haley Explains Why ‘Insecure’ Trump Is His ‘Own Worst Enemy’ — “When he feels insecure, he starts to rail, he starts to rant, he starts to flail his arms and he starts to get upset,” Haley said in a recent “Meet the Press” interview. — LOADING — Nikki Haley called Donald Trump his …

Discussion: Semafor, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, MeidasTouch and NBC News

Financial Times:

Brussels threatens to hit Hungary's economy if Viktor Orbán vetoes Ukraine aid — EU strategy aims to spook investors by cutting off funding to Budapest in stand-off over €50bn package — The EU will sabotage Hungary's economy if Budapest blocks fresh aid to Ukraine at a summit this week …

Discussion: Bloomberg, GB News, The Guardian, NBC 7 San Diego and Reuters