Good morning! Here is your news for Monday January 6, 2020

THE DAILY SIGNAL

Jan 06, 2020 Good morning from Washington, which still appears stunned by the president’s order for the military to take out the most-feared Iranian terrorist in Iraq. Heritage Foundation expert James Phillips writes about what it means, and our foreign correspondent, Nolan Peterson, talks to elements of the Iranian opposition in Iraq. The nation’s top advocate for military veterans joins the podcast. Plus: a look at witnesses in impeachment tirals, sexual identity in the 2010s, and the harm done at transgender clnics. And 101 years ago today, Theodore Roosevelt, the nation’s 26th president, dies at age 60 at his estate overlooking Long Island Sound.    COMMENTARY Transgender Clinics Are Ruining Young LivesBy Walt Heyer Abel began his journey from male to female with cross-sex hormones at age 19. He changed his legal identity six months later, and then had breast augmentation, aka “top surgery.” Now 22, he has regrets.More COMMENTARY How US Strike Against Iranian General Changes Rules of Game in Iraq, RegionBy James Phillips The successful strike against Qassim Suleimani is a powerful message to Iranian leaders that their old tactics of “fighting to the last Iraqi” in a shadow war against the U.S. now entail many more risks and costs.More ANALYSIS Trump’s VA Chief Confronts Challenges Facing America’s VeteransBy Rob Bluey Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie speaks exclusively to The Daily Signal about leading a government agency responsible for providing care for approximately 9.5 million of America’s veterans.More NEWS What History Says About Witnesses at Senate Impeachment TrialsBy Fred Lucas In the Senate trial of President Clinton, prosecutors deposed, on camera, Monica Lewinsky, the White House intern with whom Clinton had an affair; influential Clinton adviser Vernon Jordan, who would help Lewinsky get a job; and Clinton senior adviser Sidney Blumenthal.MoreCOMMENTARYThe 2010s: A Decade of Marital and Sexual ErosionBy Ryan T. Anderson Implicit in the push for same-sex marriage was body-self dualism—the idea that we’re actually nonphysical entities inhabiting physical bodies, or ghosts in machines. That’s why the “plumbing” in sexual acts seemed not to matter.More NEWS Kurdish Opposition Prepares for War After Iran’s Top General Dies in US Drone StrikeBy Nolan Peterson “This is in general good news for people in the Middle East, in Iran, and not least for Kurds,” says Kako Alyar, 35, leader of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, an opposition group based near the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah.More COMMENTARY We Hear You: In Defense of Charter Schools and Parents’ RightsBy Ken McIntyre “Parents in Arizona are not happy with … What their kids are learning, like ‘America was never as great as it claims to have been’ and ditto its Founding Fathers,” writes Peggy Williams.More   The Daily Signal is brought to you by more than half a million members of The Heritage Foundation. Donate to The Daily Signal Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter How are we doing? We welcome your comments, suggestions, and story tips. Please reply to this email or send us a note at comments@dailysignal.com.The Daily Signal 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (800) 546-2843   Add morningbell@heritage.org to your address book to ensure that you receive emails from us.You are subscribed to this newsletter as rickbulow74@live.com. If you want to receive other Heritage Foundation newsletters, or opt out of this newsletter, please click here to update your subscription.

DAYBREAK

Your First Look at Today’s Top Stories – Daybreak InsiderHaving trouble viewing this email? View the web version.SPONSORED BYDaybreakInsider.com  @DaybreakInsiderMONDAY, JANUARY 6, 20201.Trump Threatens Iran Should they have any thoughts of retaliation (Fox News).  At the same time, Pelosi wants to tie Trump’s hands (CNN).  And Nike’s Colin Kaepernick tweeted “There is nothing new about American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism” (Fox News).  2.Lieberman: Democrats are Wrong on Soleimani From former Senator Joe Lieberman: President Trump’s order to take out Qasem Soleimani was morally, constitutionally and strategically correct. It deserves more bipartisan support than the begrudging or negative reactions it has received thus far from my fellow Democrats (WSJ).  From John Podhoretz:  Iran’s retaliation may be awful. But without question, if Soleimani had been left unmolested, his and Iran’s actions would have been awful as well — perhaps far more awful than we can ever know (NY Post). From David French:  …there was ample military cause for striking Soleimani. There was also sufficient legal justification. It is a basic aspect of the law of armed conflict that opposing commanders are a legitimate target. Soleimani had entered a theater of armed conflict not as a diplomatic guest of the Iraqi government, but rather as a co-belligerent with Shiite militias — the very militias that had attacked an American base and killed an American contractor and had days before attacked and burned part of the American embassy (Time).  Meanwhile, David Harsanyi says Mike Pence had plenty of justification to tie Soleimani to 9/11 (National Review).  Advertisement3.Comedian Ricky Gervais Blisters Hollywood While Hosting Golden Globes He went after their sex scandals, their hypocrisy, their self-righteousness (Fox News).  The entire brutal monologue, which includes Gervais calling the Hollywood celebs “perverts” who fear Ronan Farrow (Twitter).  The New York Times took a look at a number of his jabs (NY Times). Erielle Davidson notes “this @nytimes review edits out the funniest part of Gervais’ joke — the Greta Thunberg bit. But clearly our elites are not happy. Good” (Twitter).  4.Democrats Question Trump’s Timing on Attack From Elizabeth Warren: “The question we have to focus on is why now, why not a month ago, why not a month from now. The answer from the administration seems to be they can’t keep their stories straight” (NY Post).  It would be helpful for Democrats to read this look at Soleimani’s work to kill Americans (Reuters).  5.Cities Seek to Eliminate Dollar Stores Because They Cause Poor to Eat Bad Food So they want to force poor people to spend more on healthy foods. City-Journal Advertisement6.New York Times Examines PragerU From how they got started to those who hate them. NY Times 7.60 Minutes Looks at Death of Jeffery Epstein From Dr. Michael Baden: “There were fractures of the left, the right thyroid cartilage and the left hyoid bone. I have never seen three fractures like this in a suicidal hanging. Going over a thousand jail hangings, suicides in the New York City state prisons over the past 40-50 years, no one had three fractures.” CBS News 8.Story: Celebrities Give Little to Pet Causes Tom Brady and Martin Scorsese among those analyzed. NY Post AdvertisementCopyright © 2020 DaybreakInsider.comSUBSCRIPTION INFO This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It is only sent to people who signed up from one of the Salem Media Group network of websites OR a friend might have forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy. Unsubscribe from The Daybreak Insider OR Send postal mail to: The Daybreak Insider Unsubscribe 6400 N. Belt Line Rd., Suite 200, Irving, TX 75063 Were you forwarded this edition of The Daybreak Insider? Get your own free subscription Copyright © 2020 Salem Media Group and its Content Providers. All rights reserved.

THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON

Warren Refuses to Condemn Terror Master SoleimaniBy Washington Free Beacon Staff Trump Vows to Hit 52 Iranian Targets if Iran Retaliates After Drone Strike By ReutersHomeland Security Issues Terrorism Alert After Soleimani StrikeBy Adam Kredo Visit the All-New Free Beacon Online Store Colin Kaepernick Decries ‘American Terrorist Attacks’ in Wake of Soleimani’s DeathBy Cameron Cawthorne Asked Why She Doesn’t Talk About Massachusetts, Warren Talks About OklahomaBy Andrew Kugle SIGN UP FOR THE BEACON EXTRA HERE You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website. Copyright © 2020 Free Beacon, LLC, All rights reserved.  To reject freedom, click here. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

THE FLIP SIDE

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View this email in your browser Monday, January 6, 2020Editor’s Note: Happy new year! We were hoping for a lighter topic for our first 2020 issue, but alas…  If you’re a new subscriber, welcome! The Flip Side is a ragtag team of liberals, conservatives, moderates, and libertarians on a mission to bridge the partisan divide. (The irony of our use of “left” and “right” categories is not lost on us, we promise.) It’s hard to convince liberals to watch Fox or conservatives to watch MSNBC. But if everyone takes 5 minutes a day to read The Flip Side, we’ll have a starting point when talking to our friends and neighbors. If you’ve been with us for a while, welcome back! Please do forward us to friends and family who’ve resolved to be better news consumers in 2020. (Obviously the first item on everyone’s list of new year’s resolutions… ) We’re thrilled to have earned your trust and, as always, welcome your feedback anytime. Without further ado, let’s get to it.Soleimani Killed“The United States killed Iran’s top general and the architect of Tehran’s proxy wars in the Middle East in an airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport early on Friday… The Defense Department said it killed Soleimani because he ‘was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.’ It also accused Soleimani of approving the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad earlier [last] week.” AP News President Trump tweeted on Saturday evening, “Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD.” Twitter “Iran announced on Sunday it would abandon limitations on enriching uranium, taking a further step back from commitments to a 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers, but it would continue to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.” Reuters Also on Sunday, Iraq’s Parliament “approved a resolution asking the Iraqi government to end the agreement under which Washington sent troops more than four years ago to help fight ISIS. The bill is nonbinding and subject to approval by the Iraqi government but has the backing of the outgoing prime minister.” AP NewsFrom the LeftThe left criticizes the strike, arguing that it will result in retaliation and risks escalating into war.“Let’s remember how we got here. The United States and Iran have been at odds for decades. America’s disastrous invasion of Iraq set off a new, deadly round of tensions when Iran organized attacks on American troops in Iraq, attacks often coordinated by Suleimani. But in 2015, the United States and Iran signed an agreement that successfully stopped Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons. Despite the threatening activity of Iranian proxies in places such as Yemen and Lebanon, the US and Iran both fought against the Islamic State…  “Then Trump took office, ramped up the pressure, and, in 2018, withdrew from the nuclear deal. Since then, tensions between the two countries have increased and multiple moments in 2019 alone brought the two countries to the brink of conflict. The Trump administration has brought us to the precipice we are at today, and that is why this assassination was so dangerous.” Michael H Fuchs, The Guardian Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice writes, “Mr. Trump’s ‘maximum pressure campaign’ to impose ever more debilitating economic sanctions did not force Iran to capitulate; instead, predictably, it induced Tehran to lash out with a series of increasingly bold military provocations against Sunni Arab and Western targets while restarting important aspects of its nuclear program. Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region, notably in Syria, Yemen and Lebanon, have only intensified. At the same time, it has conducted a brutal crackdown on its civilian population…  “To assess the fallout of killing General Suleimani, we must understand that the Iranian regime cannot survive internal dissent or sustain its powerful position in the region if it backs down from this provocation. For Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a strong response is essential. For the United States, the question is: What form will it take and how quickly will it come?” Susan E. Rice, New York Times “Soleimani’s death has been compared to that of terrorist leaders such as Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Soleimani was as evil as those men — he has the blood of hundreds of Americans and thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of Arabs on his hands — but the comparison is misleading. Soleimani was not the leader of a stateless terrorist organization. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Iranian government. His death makes him the highest-ranking foreign military commander assassinated by the United States since the shoot-down in 1943 of an airplane carrying Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack. This is a major, unexpected development whose full import no one can predict.” Max Boot, Washington Post “The main question about the strike isn’t moral or even legal—it’s strategic. Soleimani was a supremely powerful leader of a state apparatus, with his own cult of personality, but he was not a terror kingpin. His death doesn’t decapitate anything. He had the blood of tens of thousands of people—overwhelmingly fellow Muslims—on his hands, but he was only the agent of a government policy that preceded him and will continue without him… “The only reason to kill Soleimani is to enter a new war that the United States can win… [Yet] No one seems to have thought past the action itself… What would [a] war [with Iran] look like? How will Iran fight it? How will the U.S. respond? What credible allies will we have, after Trump’s trashing of the nuclear deal thoroughly alienated Europe? Who will believe any intelligence about Iran’s actions and intentions from an administration that can’t function without telling lies?… “What is our war aim, and how can it be aligned with Trump’s obvious desire to be rid of any entanglement in the region? What will happen if Jerusalem becomes a target and Israel enters the conflict? What will the American people accept by way of sacrifice, when nothing has prepared them for this? There’s no sign that anyone in power, least of all the president, has even asked these questions, let alone knows how to answer them.” George Packer, The Atlantic “By declaring that the United States will respond with airstrikes to any attacks on American targets or assets, Mr. Trump is drawing a bright red line that Iran cannot cross. And yet, Iran relies on a network of proxy actors from Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Must they all respect Mr. Trump’s red line? There are plenty of hotheads in those proxy forces that will be incensed by the assassination, the same way young men with weapons and minimal discipline often are… Mr. Trump can’t keep an entire region from crossing his red line, making violent conflict all the more likely if the president holds to it… “It is crucial that influential Republican senators like Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio and Mitch McConnell remind Mr. Trump of his promise to keep America out of foreign quagmires and keep Mr. Trump from stumbling further into war with Iran.” Editorial Board, New York Times “Destroying cultural heritage sites is a war crime… [but] Trump’s threatened actions would be morally reprehensible even outside the law, because they would destroy centuries-old places of profound importance not just to Iranians, but to all of human civilization… A nation that willfully destroys another country’s heritage would be no better than the criminals who have destroyed irreplaceable sites in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in recent years… If [Trump] follows through on his threat, he will violate international law and the United States will risk further damage to its increasingly fragile global reputation.” Sarah Bronin, Los Angeles TimesFrom the RightThe right supports the strike, arguing that it was necessary to push back against Iranian aggression.“One of the world’s top terror masterminds is dead, and that’s an unalloyed good — no ifs, ands or buts about it… Soleimani’s forces killed at least 608 US troops in Iraq from 2003 to 2011, the Pentagon reported last year — and that doesn’t include those killed then and since by the many proxies under his control. He had nearly that many Iraqis killed in the final months of 2019, ordering a brutal crackdown on protests against a corrupt, Tehran-dominated government. He helped kill far more at home, with over 1,000 peaceful protesters slaughtered in what Iranians call Bloody November… “Yes, Iran’s rulers may sponsor some atrocity in the name of revenge for Soleimani — but only by using terror networks he was crucial to building, networks it has always intended to use at a time of its choosing. And that’s the only ‘but’ that matters here.” Editorial Board, New York Post “Mr. Trump’s critics immediately accused him of needlessly provoking Iran, arguing that Mr. Suleimani’s assassination could lead to war. This is an analysis that ignores the fact that Mr. Suleimani has been waging war on America and its allies for years and was directly engaged in the planning of attacks…  “The decision to kill Mr. Suleimani represents the final demise of Mr. Obama’s Middle East strategy, which sought to realign American interests with those of Iran. Mr. Obama’s search for a modus vivendi with Tehran never comported with the reality of the Islamic Republic’s fundamental character and regional ambitions. President Trump, by contrast, realized that Tehran’s goal was to replace America as the key player in the Middle East. The United States has no choice, if it seeks to stay in the Middle East, but to check Iran’s military power on the ground.” Michael Doran, New York Times “There are obviously numerous ways Iran could retaliate against American forces and assets in the Middle East. But the very reason Iran has the capability to inflict such damage is precisely because of the policies of appeasement America has undertaken for decades. In other words, just as there are potentially major costs to action, there have too been major costs to inaction… President Trump has demonstrated not an interest in war, but in ensuring peace through strength… “Not just Iran but every adversary that threatens American servicemen or civilians will have to think more than twice after a player as crucial as Soleimani was taken off the board. The message the United States sent is unequivocal: If threatened, we can and will take out anyone who poses a threat to our national interest at a time, place, and in a manner of our choosing. You can bet Kim Jong-Un has taken notice. You can also bet that he and other anti-American leaders are now internalizing that the Trump administration does not have infinite patience or tolerance for provocations.” Ben Weingarten, The Federalist Former Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) writes, “Economic power is clearly Donald Trump’s preferred tool of national influence, and his administration is good at using it… The [Iranian] regime tried to get the Europeans to break American sanctions, but that largely failed… Then Tehran began shifting the conflict into the kinetic sphere… The regime threatened to close the Persian Gulf; in response, the United States stepped up its regional presence. The regime used proxies and other assets to attack oil tankers and a Saudi oil installation. That failed as well; the effect on the world market was negligible, and the administration responded by ratcheting up sanctions even more…  “[Then] Iranian proxies launched at least ten rocket attacks on American-Iraqi bases, killing an American contractor and wounding four American service personnel. The United States retaliated by striking through the air against a pro-Iran militia, killing at least 25 militia personnel… [Soleimani’s response] was to direct his militia proxies to attack the American embassy in Baghdad. It was the last outrage for which he will ever be responsible… “The Iranians are no doubt considering whether and how to inflict additional costs on the United States, though henceforth they will have to make their plans without the aid of Qasem Soleimani. But they were in the process of escalating anyway. This is a case where not responding would have been riskier, and more likely to lead to additional and more serious attacks over time.” Jim Talent, National Review “Mr. Trump is accused of violating the executive order against assassinations. But that long-time ban has never applied to terrorists, which Soleimani clearly was. He ran Iran’s Quds Force, which the Bush Administration designated as a terror group in 2007. He was also a general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Mr. Trump designated as a terror group last year. If Mr. Trump’s drone strike was illegal, then so were Barack Obama’s raid on Osama bin Laden and his hundreds of drone strikes over eight years as President.” Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal “For all the focus on the threat of blowback toward the U.S., it’s important to recognize that Iran has a lot more to risk from a major escalation. Sanctions have squeezed Iran’s economy and the regime is encountering regular street protests. Whatever the costs of escalation may be for the U.S., for Iran, all-out conflict would pose an existential threat to the regime. Leaders will want to take vengeance, but Trump just showed that the U.S. has the intelligence assets, military capability, and will to neutralize one of the most important figures in Iran. How far are they willing to go to test Trump?” Philip Klein, Washington ExaminerA libertarian’s take  “While it is tempting to view the domestic political reactions to Suleimani’s assassination as a typical partisan game, something more important is also happening here. The executive branch has had free reign—under presidents from both major parties—to engage in a destructive, ill-concieved ‘War on Terror’ that has destabilized the Middle East and caused massive human suffering. Since 9/11, more than 500,000 people have been killed in conflicts across the Middle East and Central Asia… we may see yet more erosion of Congress’ ability to control when the country goes to war. Any politician using Thursday’s attack merely to score political points should not be taken seriously.” Eric Boehm, ReasonOn the bright side… This dad took his son to Mongolia just to get him off his phone. BBCThe Flip Side team spends hours each night scanning the news, fact-checking, and debating one another, so your 5 minutes each morning can be well spent. If you’ve found value in our work, we welcome you to help sustain our efforts and expand our reach. Any support you can provide is greatly appreciated!Were you forwarded this from a friend? Sign up hereOur ArchivesShareTweetForwardCopyright © 2020 The Flip Side, All rights reserved. You can unsubscribe from this list here.

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

MORNING EDITION

Monday, January 6, 2020

‘Major retaliation’: U.S. vows to target Iran’s top leaders if Tehran retaliatesThe Trump administration escalated its threats Sunday to hit Iran’s top leaders with military strikes if Tehran or its proxies … more

Top News  Read More >

Nancy Pelosi: House to trigger War Powers Resolution to limit Trump’s retaliation against Iran    ‘Duty as a citizen’: Bruce Ohr concealed efforts to spread Steele dossier    Bernie Sanders banks on Trump’s Iran airstrike as vehicle to attack Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren    10 toss-up House races to keep your eye on in the 2020 election    ‘Diminished’ NRA at crossroads ahead of 2020 election    Russia’s hypersonic hype may not match reality

Opinion  Read More >

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Politics  Read More >

Chuck Schumer ‘prays’ four Republican senators will join Dems in demanding key witnesses for trial    Trump critics fixate on ‘World War III’    Adam Schiff: Unclear if Soleimani strike disrupted plotting against the U.S.

Special Reports for Times Readers Special Report – Infrastructure 2019Special Report – Energy 2019Special Report – Free Iran Rally 2019

Security  Read More >

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THE DISPATCH

Annual memberships to The Dispatch are now available for $100. If you haven’t yet joined and would like to support our early efforts, you can do so here. The Morning Dispatch: Iran Responds Plus, a note from the boss about the year ahead for The Dispatch.Steve Hayes Jan 6 Happy Monday! Last week, we could tell ourselves the holidays were still with us. Now that they’re firmly in the rear view mirror, however, we’re turning to what 2020 has in store. Below, you can read a note from our CEO Steve Hayes about our upcoming full launch and what you can expect from us over the weeks ahead. Quick Hits: What You Need to Know Iran, furious as expected over the Thursday killing of Qassem Suleimani, announced Sunday it would no longer abide by the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, including the limitations on uranium enrichment. While the Trump administration pulled out of the deal in 2018, Iran had remained in it alongside the other major signatories to the deal, including China, Russia, and the EU.The Iraqi parliament on Sunday passed a non-binding resolution calling on the prime minister to expel the U.S. forces that still remain there.President Trump spent the weekend rattling his own saber at Tehran, warning that any Iranian assault on U.S. assets would be met with a devastating counterattack, potentially including important cultural sites. Bellicosity with Iran has created a new major issue for Democratic presidential candidates to navigate: Bernie Sanders reminded voters of his unrivaled anti-war credentials, while Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg focused on the question of Trump’s ability to manage a possible war with Iran. Elizabeth Warren, meanwhile, drew the ire of some leftists by trying to split the difference, calling Suleimani a murderer but insisting the U.S. must “avoid another costly war.” Accused serial rapist Harvey Weinstein’s trial begins Monday in New York. The former movie mogul, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women, faces charges for an alleged rape in 2013 and another alleged forcible sex act in 2006, and he faces up to life in prison. Note From Steve Hayes We’re officially launching The Dispatch tomorrow, and we wanted you—our members and regular readers—to be among the first to know.Wait, you ask, if you haven’t launched yet how am I reading this?We decided long ago that if this crazy idea of ours became a reality, we’d build it slowly and deliberately. We kept Jonah’s G-File newsletter and Remnant podcast going throughout the summer. We “soft launched” in early October, publishing The Morning Dispatch three days a week and offering an explanation of what we we’re doing—and why.We continued to build throughout the fall, adding several new members to the staff and introducing David French’s newsletter, The French Press, along with The Dispatch Fact Check. Our second podcast, Advisory Opinions, debuted in December. We’re building the airplane as we speed down the runway.Tomorrow, if all goes according to plan, that airplane lifts off.This week, we’ll be rolling out a newsletter focusing on national security and foreign policy from one of the smartest analysts in the country, Tom Joscelyn of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. We’ll be kicking off our flagship podcast, released weekly and hosted by Sarah Isgur. And we’ll be launching our full website, which will feature thoughtful, fact-based reporting and analysis on politics, policy, and culture from some of the country’s top writers and thinkers.The website won’t have auto-play ads, pop-ups, pop-unders, or fake news clickbait boxes. It will be simple and spare—two or three pieces each day, published in the morning. It’ll feature easy-to-find links to our newsletters and podcasts, too.We aim to be timely and topical, but we’re not going to chase the news cycle. We might have a context-heavy story on the coming Afghanistan peace deal, an explainer on the implications of Medicare for All, and a look at Pete Buttigieg’s claim that the Founders didn’t know slavery was bad. Or we’ll have David French on the latest free speech debates, Jonah Goldberg on the historical case for free trade (with a Simpsons reference), and Sarah Isgur on presidential campaign strategy.If you want a quick hit summarizing random Twitter reactions to the latest outrage, or if you’re dying to know what Matt Gaetz said on Fox & Friends about President Trump’s tweet attacking AOC, you’re better off going elsewhere.This won’t be a party-hats-and-noisemakers launch; things will be pretty low key. And we’re not going to stop building. We have new podcasts and newsletters planned for the coming weeks. We’re hard at work, with our partners at Substack, on a first-class discussion community for those of you who become members—an alternative to the often-frustrating shout fests on social media. And we’re developing better ways to deliver the editorial content you want, in just the ways you want to receive it.We’ll have more details tomorrow. For now, thanks for reading and listening. If you haven’t become a member yet, please consider doing so here. If you want to keep sampling, that’s okay, too. Our entire editorial offering will remain free for several weeks. Tensions With Iran Ratchet Up There was no question that the killing of Iranian general and terror leader Qassem Suleimani would have significant consequences. And just three days later, we’re beginning to see indications of just how momentous an event it was.The U.S.-led coalition suspended operations against ISIS. The regime in Iran announced that it was officially abandoning the limits on uranium enrichment agreed to in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The Iraqi parliament passed a non-binding resolution calling for the expulsion of U.S. troops—a vote the Trump administration tried to block, according to Jonathan Swan of Axios.In response, President Donald Trump, who has spoken of ending U.S. involvement in “endless wars” in the Middle East, threatened to charge Iraq for the use of U.S. airbases or impose harsh sanctions. “We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that’s there,” Mr. Trump said of Iraq. “It cost billions of dollars to build. Long before my time. We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it.” He added: “If they do ask us to leave, if we don’t do it in a very friendly basis, we will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame.”Trump responded to a steady stream of threats from Iranian officials with Trumpian excess, suggesting that the U.S. would target Iranian cultural landmarks. After Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sought to tamp down concern about Trump’s threat by offering assurances that the U.S. would act in accordance with international law, Trump reiterated the warning. “If Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets …. we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!”Imminent … or Not?In the immediate aftermath of the U.S. strikes on Suleimani’s convoy, top U.S.. officials pointed to intelligence reporting about “imminent” attacks planned by Suleimani. Trump himself claimed Suleimani was “planning a very major attack” when he was killed. A report from Reuters Saturday, notably sourced both to Iraqis sympathetic to the Iranians and those opposed to them, seemed to back up the administration’s claims. Suleimani “instructed his top ally in Iraq, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and other powerful militia leaders to step up attacks on U.S. targets in the country using sophisticated new weapons provided by Iran, two militia commanders and two security sources briefed on the gathering told Reuters.”But reporting from the New York Times’ Rukmini Callimachi, one of the most reliable reporters covering jihadism and the Middle East, found claims of an “imminent” attack lacking evidence. Rukmini Callimachi@rcallimachi1. I’ve had a chance to check in with sources, including two US officials who had intelligence briefings after the strike on Suleimani. Here is what I’ve learned. According to them, the evidence suggesting there was to be an imminent attack on American targets is “razor thin”.January 4th 202044,705 Retweets89,895 Likes Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper, Pompeo dismissed the debate over imminence. Tapper: “When you say the attacks were imminent, how imminent were they? We talking about days? We talking about weeks?” Pompeo: “If you’re an American in the region, days and weeks, this is not something that’s relevant. We have to prepare. We have to be ready. And we took a bad guy off the battlefield. We made the right decision. There is less risk today to American forces in the region as a result of that attack.” Slouching Toward the Impeachment Trial As President Trump and his allies gird themselves for his impeachment trial before the Senate, their defense of his conduct regarding Ukraine remains simple. Trump, they maintain, asked the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden and the DNC, not because they were his political rivals, but because the president desired to stamp out corruption abroad. Yes, he briefly withheld congressionally appropriated military aid—but that wasn’t extortion, because the Ukrainians didn’t know about it. And anyway, the aid was eventually released, so what’s the fuss?Those first two points—that Trump’s interest was altruistic and that the Ukrainians didn’t know about the aid holdup—were already on extremely shaky footing by the time the House punched Trump’s ticket for impeachment and took off for Christmas. Then, last week, a massive scoop from national security blog Just Security took a sledgehammer to the third point: that no harm was done due to the delayed aid.In December, a court ordered the Trump administration under the Freedom of Information Act to release hundreds of pages of emails between the Defense Department and the White House related to the hold on Ukraine aid. They released the emails, but with heavy redactions. Last week, Just Security obtained and published the unredacted emails. What they show is remarkable. As summer passed into fall and the hold stretched on, an increasingly agitated Defense Department pestered the White House for weeks on end about what had happened with the aid, warning that the longer it was withheld, the less likely it was that they’d actually be able to send it in time. (In accordance with federal law, any aid money not spent by September 30 would be automatically returned to the U.S. Treasury.)A few weeks after the first July 25 hold, DoD officials were already saying it would make the aid difficult to allocate in time: “As of 12 AUG I don’t think we can agree that the pause ‘will not preclude timely execution,’” Elaine McCusker, acting Pentagon comptroller, wrote in an August 9 email to top OMB officials. She would repeat the warning and pester the White House for clarity on how long the hold would last multiple times over the following weeks.In return, the Office of Management and Budget—the White House arm that supervises executive agency actions—stonewalled and ignored these requests and warnings.When the story about the delay broke in Politico in late August and immediately became a scandal, the White House, rushing to do damage control, pushed talking points insisting that “no action has been taken… that would preclude the obligation of these funds before the end of the fiscal year”—never mind that the Pentagon had for weeks been insisting exactly the opposite.  “OMB lawyers continue to consistently mischaracterize the process and the information we have provided,” McCusker complained in an email the day before the story broke. “They keep repeating that this pause will not impact DOD’s ability to execute on time.”A few days later, as the controversy continued to grow, OMB official Michael Duffey emailed McCusker and informed her it was due to the Pentagon’s own negligence if they could not fill their aid obligations in time—as, it turned out, they could not.“You can’t be serious,” she responded. “I am speechless.” Does It Make A Difference? In a vacuum, this report would seem like very bad news for the president’s impeachment prospects. For months, we’ve seen Trump and friends insisting he didn’t do a thing wrong with regard to Ukraine—but if the situation was already perfect, why tell so many lies to make things look better than they are? When a court orders you to release your internal communications, why make so many redactions that serve no national security purpose, but instead only serve to cover up the fact that those lies were lies? There’s a term for this: “Acting guilty.”Then again, these revelations don’t do much to change the underlying political pressures that still seem likely to govern the Senate trial. Trump retains the loyalty of a vast majority of Republican voters, and the vast majority of Republican senators know it. Trump stands ready to rain down political fire on any member of his caucus who even thinks of crossing him at trial.Don’t be surprised, then, if despite the growing pile of evidence the GOP line remains the same: This is a partisan attempt to overturn an election, and President Trump did nothing wrong. Worth Your TimeSunday’s edition of The Browser—a great “Best of the Internet” newsletter we highly recommend—pointed us to this piece from Jeffrey Tucker of the American Institute for Economic Research, in which Tucker complains about the fact that a series of busybody environmental regulations have reduced the once-proud U.S. dishwasher to a machine that merely pushes food around on your utensils and smudges up your dishes. It’s a good read, but you might be better off reading this 2011 Weekly Standard piece on the same subject by Jonathan Last, who presents the story of how local political grift got us all into this mess in the first place with all the manic fury of a dishwashing hobbyist scorned. Is it just us, or are more and more people fabricating stories of politically tinged outrages happening to them in a misguided effort to get instafamous? Over at NRO, Kevin Williamson’s got a jeremiad up about the whole wretched phenomenon. Look, we’ll level with you: We at The Dispatch may be trying to transcend all the petty mean-spirited partisanship that makes so much of what passes for news these days such a drag, but that doesn’t mean we’re above a little schadenfreude now and then. If you, like us, are punch-drunk happy over the New England Patriots getting set down by the Tennessee Titans—the Tennessee Titans!—on Wild Card Saturday, then this postmortem from Danny Heifetz at The Ringer should make your spirit sing.  Presented Without Comment porochista khakpour@PKhakpourI don’t know whether to laugh or cry January 5th 2020187 Retweets1,237 Likes Toeing the Company Line In the Friday G-File, Jonah talked through the Suleimani killing and some related thoughts about the difference between moral and legal justice, the difference between the state and the government, and the distance between Seb Gorka and Michael Moore. In the latest episode of Advisory Opinions, Sarah and David discuss the constitutional questions surrounding the Suleimani’s killing, take a look at the latest Democratic primary fundraising numbers, and Sarah’s eagle expertise. Give it a listen here, and be sure to subscribe!David’s Sunday French Press goes deep on the split in the United Methodist Church—why it happened and what it means—before providing another look at the masculinity crisis and the importance of mentorship.Last week, a maliciously edited clip of Joe Biden rocketed around the internet, falsely purporting to show the 2020 Democrat firing off quotes about how American culture “is not imported from some African nation or some Asian nation” but rather is “our English, jurisprudential culture, our European culture.” Worry not, dear reader: as our latest Dispatch Fact Check demonstrates, Biden was not saying European culture was good, he was saying it was bad.  Let Us Know Joe Biden told a New Hampshire audience earlier this week that he’d consider naming a Republican as his vice president, but that he “can’t think of one right now.”There’s a snowball’s chance in hell of this happening, but in our hyper-partisan era even the semblance of an olive branch can prove refreshing.Help us, dear readers, think of the best possible Republican for the job.Mike Pence. Four! More! Years! (of No. 2!)Jeff Flake. Repeat after me: Country Over Party. Eric Trump. Joe’s kid Hunter has caused all sorts of problems for Donald, so it’s only fair that one of 45’s should get to return the favor.Chris Christie. Corruption scandals involving bridges and beaches torpedoed Christie’s once-promising national outlook, so maybe it’s time he leaned into it and reinvented himself as a union Democrat! Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Andrew Egger (@EggerDC), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes). Photograph of portraits of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) and the former Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran by John Moore/Getty Images. You’re on the free list for The Dispatch. For the full experience, become a paying subscriber. Subscriben © 2020 The Dispatch Unsubscribe 1 Thomas Circle, Suite 950, Washington, D.C., 20005

THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES

Sign up for this newsletterRead onlineThe morning’s most important stories, curated by Post editors.   (AP)Trump threatens to strike Iranian cultural sites, impose ‘very big’ sanctions on IraqPresident Trump vowed that if Iran took military action against the United States, he may order attacks on the sites, which could constitute a war crime under international law. The president responded to a move by Iraq’s parliament to try to expel foreign troops by threatening to impose the sanctions and demanding that Iraq reimburse the United States for the billions of dollars it had invested in a major air base there.By Seung Min Kim and Philip Rucker  ●  Read more » Killing of Soleimani follows long push from Pompeo for action against IranThe secretary of state began conversations with President Trump months ago about killing Iran’s top commander, but Trump at the time would not countenance such an operation, officials said.By John Hudson, Josh Dawsey, Shane Harris and Dan Lamothe  ●  Read more »  Ricky Gervais’s sharpest barb poked Hollywood’s piety. Nobody cared.The show’s big film awards went to “1917” and “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” while the top TV prizes were awarded to HBO’s “Succession,” “Chernobyl” and Amazon’s “Fleabag.”TV Review  ●  By Hank Stuever  ●  Read more »  Outfits showed it’s okay to delight in fashion rather than just tolerating itBilly Porter again dominated the red carpet, but he shared the spotlight with veterans Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lopez and Kerry Washington.Perspective  ●  By Robin Givhan  ●  Read more » Graham suggests changing Senate rules to begin Trump impeachment trial within daysSenate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey O. Graham’s bid, while unlikely, highlights the pressure Trump allies feel to begin the trial as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to withhold the charges against the president.Impeachment  ●  By Rachael Bade  ●  Read more »   Prospect of gun control in Virginia draws threats, promise of armed protestFar-right websites and commenters are declaring that Virginia is the place to take a stand against what they see as a national trend of weakening gun rights.By Gregory S. Schneider and Laura Vozzella  ●  Read more »   OpinionsThe Soleimani killing could draw the U.S. deeper into the Mideast. But it doesn’t have to.By Stephen Hadley  ●  Read more » The surprising news in Ukraine: Zelensky is succeeding despite Trump’s abuseBy Jackson Diehl  ●  Read more » In fire-ravaged Australia, climate denial goes up in smokeBy Jennifer Mills  ●  Read more »  Will we be enemies — or fellow citizens?By E.J. Dionne  ●  Read more » The business cycle ain’t dead yetBy Robert Samuelson  ●  Read more » Senate Republicans close their eyes to presidential abuseBy Editorial Board  ●  Read more »  More News Al-Shabab attacks airstrip in Kenya, killing three AmericansOne service member and two contractors died in the violence.By Max Bearak  ●  Read more »  Cory Booker probably won’t make the next debate. His Iowa supporters say it doesn’t matter.The senator from New Jersey is still drawing crowds and interest among the unusually large pool of undecided Democratic voters.Campaign 2020  ●  By Holly Bailey  ●  Read more » Masked assailants attack students at prestigious university in New DelhiThe violence was not directly connected to India’s contentious citizenship law. It was rooted in a separate dispute roiling the campus over fees that pitted student supporters of the government against its opponents.By Joanna Slater and Niha Masih  ●  Read more » Seahawks hold on to beat Eagles after Carson Wentz exits with head injuryWentz’s playoff debut was cut short after he suffered a first-quarter head injury, paving the way for Seattle to advance to take on Green Bay next weekend.NFL Playoffs  ●  By Mark Maske  ●  Read more » A genderless prophet drew hundreds of followers long before the age of nonbinary pronounsTwo hundred years ago, a woman named Jemima Wilkinson claimed to be reincarnated as a gender-less prophet named the “Public Universal Friend.”Retropolis | The Past, Rediscovered  ●  By Samantha Schmidt  ●  Read more » How one medical checkup can snowball into a ‘cascade’ of tests, causing more harm than goodFor patients and doctors, the costs, time, stress, unnecessary biopsies and overdiagnosis can outweigh any benefits achieved from them.By Ishani Ganguli  ●  Read more »   We think you’ll like this newsletterCheck out Carolyn Hax for Post columnist Carolyn Hax’s latest advice column every day. Sign up »

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POLITICO PLAYBOOK

Washington returns to a world in crisis

By ANNA PALMER and JAKE SHERMAN 

01/06/2020 06:05 AM EST

Presented by

DRIVING THE DAY

AFTER A SOMNAMBULANT FEW WEEKS, WASHINGTON is snapping back into action, kicking off what could be the most volatile slice of time in the most volatile period in memory.

THE UNITED STATES faces international and domestic turmoil. Thousands of soldiers are beginning 2020 by boarding planes to take them to the battlefields of the early 2000s. And the political climate is as charged as at any point in our lifetimes, with the Senate set to decide on the impeachment of a president for the second time in roughly two decades.

CONGRESS WILL BEGIN THIS DECADE attempting to reassert itself as a player in American foreign policy. President DONALD TRUMP’S Defense secretary, MARK ESPER, is expected on Capitol Hill to brief a legislature split on the wisdom of killing Qassem Soleimani on Iraqi soil. The TRUMP TEAM will be under intense questioning about whether it is prepared for a conflict with Iran, what its strategy is and, predictably, why it left Congress in the lurch. This will come days after Secretary of State MIKE POMPEO said there might be some “noise” from Iran, when asked if Tehran would attack U.S. assets.

DESPITE TRUMP’S SUPPOSED DISDAIN for GEORGE W. BUSH’S foreign policy, he’ll face many of the same questions his predecessor did about the wisdom of engagement in the Middle East.

THE PRESSURE ON TRUMP FROM THE HILL is undeniable.Senate Minority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER and Sen. BOB MENENDEZ (D-N.J.) have sent a letter to TRUMP asking him to declassify the War Powers notification he sent to Congress. The letter…And in the House, Speaker NANCY PELOSI released a “Dear Colleague” letter Sunday night announcing that the House will introduce a War Powers Resolution to limit the president’s ability to take military action in Iran. The letter

DOMESTICALLY, Washington will be consumed with impeachment, which appears to be heading toward completion in the Senate. At the moment, all available evidence indicates that the president will be acquitted, and the process will be over sometime in the next month.

BUT EACH OF THE CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS has their own matrix of considerations as the year kicks off:

— For the immediate future, PELOSI will be the most closely watched of the four. Even though she’s widely expected to send the impeachment articles to the Senate this week — thereby starting the trial — no one has any idea what she’s going to do because she has not made her intentions clear. The speaker’s office said no decision has been made on when she will send the articles. One thing that is clear is that she doesn’t have a ton of leverage, because Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL doesn’t tend to give into pressure almost ever. So, how she gets out of this situation will be interesting to see.

STILL, DEMOCRATS close to Pelosi believe the “delay” has been successful. They point to TRUMP’S erratic behavior on Twitter and the daylight between some of the president’s allies and MCCONNELL over the push to change Senate rules to begin the trial without the House’s articles. These Democrats also say they believe they’ve gotten traction spotlighting the issue of fairness in the trial, something Rep. ADAM SCHIFF (D-Calif.) pushed over the weekend and that Democrats will continue talking about this week.

— MCCONNELL has said it’s time the Senate begins its impeachment role, and has pointed out, again and again, that it is a political process, not a legal one — thereby setting the stage for a set of decisions the chamber is about to make. His next task is to try to strike a deal on the rules with SCHUMER — which seems somewhat unlikely, in our view — but if he doesn’t, he’ll push through, acquit TRUMP and move onto USMCA and confirming more judges.

— SCHUMER has spent much of the last few days decrying the coming impeachment process, and has perhaps the easiest decision matrix in front of him. Democrats are out of power, so he’ll have to oppose anything that doesn’t allow witnesses, and he can’t be seen as putting his imprimatur on a MCCONNELL-run process. Look forSenate Democrats to pressure MCCONNELL by trying to pick up four other Republicans who could help their cause.

BUT THINK ABOUT IT: When have four Republicans successfully bucked McConnell on something so high-profile?

— HOUSE MINORITY LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY has truly nothing to do at the moment. The impeachment process is out of his hands. He has political issues to worry about, as more than two dozen House Republicans have decided to retire.

BUT MCCARTHY — and House Republicans broadly speaking — see some political upside right now. The GOP’s AMERICAN ACTION NETWORK polled Dec. 18 and 19 in New York Rep. Anthony Brindisi’s, South Carolina Rep. Joe Cunningham’s and New Mexico Rep. Xochitl Torres Small’s districts. Nearly 100% of those polled in these three TRUMP districts have heard about impeachment, and more than 56% in each district oppose it. In these three districts, the “yes” votes for impeachment have made Cunningham, Torres Small and Brindisi less popular. The poll memo

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LAST NIGHT … TRUMP on striking Iranian cultural sites: “They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn’t work that way.”

… TRUMP also said this on Iraq asking the U.S. to leave the country: “If they do ask us to leave, if we don’t do it in a very friendly basis, we will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame.” (via pooler, NYT’s Maggie Haberman, from the cabin of AF1)

MEANWHILE, IN TEHRAN … “Weeping, Iran supreme leader prays over general slain by U.S.,” by AP’s Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell: “Weeping amid wails from a crowd of hundreds of thousands of mourners, Iran’s supreme leader on Monday prayed over the remains of a top Iranian general killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad, an attack that’s drastically raised tensions between Tehran and Washington.

“The targeted killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani already has seen his replacement vow to take revenge. Additionally, Tehran has abandoned the remaining limits of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in response to the slaying while in Iraq, the parliament has called for the expulsion of all American troops from Iraqi soil.

“The developments could bring Iran closer to building an atomic bomb, set off a proxy or military attack launched by Tehran against America and enable the Islamic State group to stage a comeback in Iraq, making the Middle East a far more dangerous and unstable place.” AP

— ON THE HOMEFRONT: “Border stops for people of Iranian descent spark outrage,” by Lauren Gardner, Daniel Lippman and Andy Blatchford

JOE BIDEN in Iowa, via the Des Moines Register’s Tyler Jett in Grinnell: “Former Vice President Joe Biden said Iran is now ‘in the driver’s seat’ in the Middle East, pointing to an Iraqi Parliament vote to remove U.S. forces from the country.

“In his sharpest rebuke yet of Thursday’s killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Biden said Sunday during a campaign stop in Grinnell that U.S. military leaders will lose sway in the region and Iran will speed up its efforts to build a nuclear weapon. He added that Iranian leaders will become more popular in their own country as its citizens rally behind them following the attack. ‘This is a crisis totally of Donald Trump’s making,’ Biden said.

“‘Iran now is going to be the person occupying and influencing Iraq, which is clearly not very much in our interest,’ Biden said Sunday. He added: ‘We have to face this alone, without our allies. The (Trump) administration didn’t consult or warn them, even though their interests are at stake, too — even though NATO countries have forces in the region as well. NATO countries now are telling both — our allies, NATO — are telling both the United States and Iran, treating us both as part of the problem. Not Iran. Not us. Both of us.’” DMR

FROM 30,000 FEET — NYT’S PETER BAKER: “For Trump, the Burden May Be Proving This Is Not the Moment His Critics Predicted”

JUICY … MAGGIE in Palm Beach with a MAR-A-LAGO MEMO on A13: “A Typical Trump Vacation, With a Momentous Result”: “The days were generally marked by casual-wear trips to his nearby golf club, where he would talk with members and meet with White House advisers. The evenings were marked by elaborate dinners at Mar-a-Lago that included his family members, his campaign advisers and his national security aides.

“But Mr. Trump’s vacation was more than the usual refuge from negative news coverage and official Washington. He was agitated by uncertainty about what comes next in the impeachment process, and expressed gnawing concerns about how much the billionaire Michael R. Bloomberg is spending on his campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination in the election that Mr. Trump hopes to win.

“Throughout Christmas week, the president watched the news coverage on impeachment and tweeted his frustrations with Speaker Nancy Pelosi for slowing down the process by refusing to send to the Senate the articles charging him with high crimes and misdemeanors. He spoke with advisers about what the Senate trial might look like.

“And there were other grievances, as well. On Sunday, Dec. 29, hours after a stabbing at the home of a rabbi in Monsey, N.Y., Mr. Trump, from his golf club in West Palm Beach, called one of his oldest acquaintances and major Jewish supporters, the cosmetics billionaire Ronald S. Lauder, to yell that Mr. Lauder should be doing more to ‘support’ him, according to three people briefed on the call.” NYT

Good Monday morning. WE’RE BACK! The Audio Briefing and Playbook PM are returning this week after a bit of a holiday break.

POMPEO, BEHIND THE SCENES … WAPO: “Killing of Soleimani follows long push from Pompeo for aggressive action against Iran, but airstrike brings serious risks,” by John Hudson, Josh Dawsey, Shane Harris and Dan Lamothe: “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo woke on Tuesday to a 4 a.m. call alerting him to a large protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

“As demonstrators began hurling molotov cocktails at the heavily fortified compound, Pompeo grappled with the new security threat to his diplomats in phone calls starting at 4:30 a.m. with Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Matthew Tueller, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, according to U.S. officials.

“The secretary also spoke to President Trump multiple times every day last week, culminating in Trump’s decision to approve the killing of Iran’s top military commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, at the urging of Pompeo and Vice President Pence, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

“Pompeo had lost a similar high-stakes deliberation last summer when Trump declined to retaliate militarily against Iran after it downed a U.S. surveillance drone, an outcome that left Pompeo ‘morose,’ according to one U.S. official. But recent changes to Trump’s national security team and the whims of a president anxious about being viewed as hesitant in the face of Iranian aggression created an opening for Pompeo to press for the kind of action he had been advocating. …

“Pompeo first spoke with Trump about killing Soleimani months ago, said a senior U.S. official, but neither the president nor Pentagon officials were willing to countenance such an operation.”

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK … AMY KENNEDY is running for the Democratic nomination in Rep. JEFF VAN DREW’S southern New Jersey seat. Kennedy is the wife of Patrick Kennedy, who represented Rhode Island in the House for 16 years and retired in 2011. In her announcement video, she says “too many of our leaders have lost their moral compass. Trump and Van Drew are symptoms of a bigger sickness infecting our country and our politics.” Her logo has a compass between Amy and Kennedy. The minute-long video

— SLOTKIN POSTS BIG 4Q $$ … Michigan Democratic Rep. ELISSA SLOTKIN’S campaign is expected to announce it raised more than $1.27 million in the fourth quarter. She has raised more than $3.3 million and has more than $2.8 million on hand. (h/t Zach Montellaro)

2020 WATCH …

— GABBY ORR in Frankenmuth, Mich.: “Pence hits the campaign trail for Trump — and himself”

— “‘We’re in bizarro world’: Dems confront a primary with no end in sight,” by David Siders: “Democrats are now beginning to confront a very real scenario where the nomination — and the winnowing — will not be decided in states where campaigns have been plowing ground for more than a year, but in places and calendar dates so deep into primary season that until recently they’ve received almost no attention at all.

“The Iowa field is bunched together with little daylight between a handful of well-funded candidates. Each of the four early voting states continues to present the prospect of a different winner. And, at the end of that gauntlet on Super Tuesday, a free-spending billionaire — Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor — is waiting to challenge whichever candidate or candidates emerge.

“It’s a unique set of circumstances that has the campaigns — and party officials — scrambling to make sense of the reconfigured landscape. Looking at the possibility of a still-contested nomination even after Super Tuesday’s massive delegate allocation on March 3, Washington state Democratic Party chair Tina Podlodowski said mid-March will ‘probably matter more than ever before.’” POLITICO

— CASE IN POINT: “Crowded Democratic presidential field sprints toward ‘jump ball’ in crucial Iowa caucuses,” by WaPo’s Michael Scherer: “After a year of campaigning, and with less than a month to go before the first and therefore most important single contest in the Democratic nomination fight, few if any are confident of the outcome. At least four candidates are seen as having a shot to win Iowa, or, alternatively, to suffer a crippling result that could hobble their campaigns going forward, especially if there is a late surge by a lower-tier contender.

“The result, according to interviews with top campaign strategists and local Democratic officials, is a hotly contested sprint to the Feb. 3 caucuses — a struggle that could either propel a clear winner into the next-voting states with momentum or open a months-long fight for the delegates needed to secure the party’s presidential nomination. Unlike past primaries, several of the top candidates are expected to have the financial resources and dedicated fan base to wage long campaigns even if they finish in the middle of the pack in Iowa.” WaPo

— “Biden secures backing from several swing-state Democrats,” by Sarah Ferris: “Joe Biden has landed endorsements from several House Democrats representing some of the toughest battleground districts in the country as he works to prove his electability in swing states.

“Biden’s presidential campaign announced on Sunday that it had won the backing from Reps. Conor Lamb and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Elaine Luria of Virginia — three battleground centrists with military backgrounds — as he seeks a breakout moment in the purple state of Iowa next month.” POLITICO

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TRUMP’S MONDAY — The president will participate in a closed-press credentialing ceremony for newly appointed ambassadors to Washington in the Oval Office at 11:45 a.m. He will have lunch with VP Mike Pence at 1 p.m. in the private dining room.

PLAYBOOK READS

HEADS UP … ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: “Vice President Pence will swear Kelly Loeffler into the Senate on Monday,” by Tia Mitchell: “Loeffler is replacing U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, whose last day was Dec. 31. Loeffler will serve in the Senate through the end of the year, at least. She is expected to run in a November special election to fulfill the remainder of Isakson’s term, which expires in 2022.”

HAPPENING TODAY … “Weinstein Heads to Trial 2 Years After Claims Against Him Fueled #MeToo,” by NYT’s Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor and Jan Ransom: “While prosecutors intend to call several female witnesses to show a pattern of misconduct, the charges rest largely on two women. Mr. Weinstein is accused of forcing oral sex on a film production assistant and raping another woman, who is still anonymous, her story not publicly known. Most of the other allegations against Mr. Weinstein dated too far back to be prosecuted, fell outside New York’s jurisdiction or involved abusive behavior that was not criminal. Other accusers were unwilling to participate, convinced the personal toll would be too great.

“The prosecutors’ path to the courthouse has been difficult. They were forced to drop one accuser who had been central to the case. The lead detective was ousted over allegations of police misconduct. And Mr. Weinstein, who claims his sexual encounters were consensual, produced emails that he says show a long, intimate relationship that continued after the alleged rape.

“The defense team has its own tale of troubles. Mr. Weinstein, who could face life in prison if convicted on the most serious charge, has hired, alienated and discarded a series of high-powered lawyers. He has been accused of tampering with his electronic ankle bracelet, and tested the patience of the clearly annoyed judge who will preside over the proceedings. Just weeks ago, Mr. Weinstein deviated from his lawyers’ script with a tabloid interview in which he boasted of being a pioneering advocate for women in film and complained that his work had been forgotten.”

OIL WATCH … FT: “Oil tops $70 a barrel as Middle East tensions rattle markets,” by David Sheppard and Myles McCormick in London and Daniel Shane in Hong Kong: “Oil prices surpassed $70 a barrel on Monday for the first time in more than three months as the US warned of increased threats to energy facilities in the Middle East, after the assassination of an Iranian general last week.

“Brent crude, the international benchmark, was up 2.1 per cent at $70.07 in early European trading, having risen as high as $70.74 in Asian trade. Brent has climbed more than 5 percent since US air strikes killed Qassem Soleimani in Iraq on Friday.” FT

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WSJ: “U.S. Regulators Mull Ordering Extra Simulator Training for Boeing 737 MAX Pilots,” by Andy Pasztor and Andrew Tangel

FUN READ — “The Iowa Town Where Marianne Williamson Is Already President,” by Adam Wren in Fairfield: “Inside the Raj, an idyllic French country-style spa and resort nestled among cornfields in southeastern Iowa, I asked for the gemstone light therapy, which promised to deluge me with inner peace, expand my consciousness and increase my energy.

“But they told me I wasn’t ready. So I had to settle for the tongue reading and pulse assessment. Several minutes into having a bald and shoeless Australian stranger peering at my papillae, I wondered what I had gotten myself into.” POLITICO Magazine

HOT ON THE RIGHT — “Golden Globe Awards host Ricky Gervais tears into Hollywood elite, Disney, Amazon, Apple,” by Fox News’ Tyler McCarthy

MEDIAWATCH — U.S. news organizations are scrambling to send correspondents to Tehran, per CNN’s Brian Stelter, who notes that so far CNN has Frederik Pleitgen, NBC sent Ali Arouzi, and ABC dispatched Martha Raddatz. That’s awfully quick visa approval for Iran.

— “Right-Wing Views for Generation Z, Five Minutes at a Time,” by NYT’s Nellie Bowles: “Last year PragerU videos racked up more than one billion views, the company said. The Prager empire now has a fleet of 6,500 high school and college student promoters, known as the PragerForce, who host on-campus meetings and gather at least once a year for conventions. And this year, the company is expanding its scope. PragerU executives are signing stars of the young new right to host made-for-the-internet shows to fuel 2020 content, including a book club and a show geared to Hispanics called Americanos.

“The goal of the people behind all of this — Dennis Prager, the conservative talk show host and impresario of this digital empire, and the venture’s billionaire funders — seems simple … More pride in American history (and less panic over racism), more religion (specifically in the ‘Judeo-Christian’ tradition), less illegal immigration, more young people laughing at people on the left rather than joining them.” NYT

PLAYBOOKERS

Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.

SPOTTED: Bret Baier in first class on the American Airlines shuttle from DCA to LaGuardia on Sunday night.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — FOGGY BOTTOM ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Robert Zarate is now a member of the office of policy planning at the State Department. He most recently was senior foreign policy adviser for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

TRANSITIONS — Kate Glantz is now senior director of economic opportunity and empowerment at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Corporate Citizenship Center. She previously headed regional social impact efforts at Lyft. … Jenn Fogel-Bublick will be deputy executive director at the Democratic Attorneys General Association. She previously was a partner at Capitol Counsel.

… Kaylin Minton is now director of government and media affairs for A Starting Point, a new civic engagement platform that actor Chris Evans is launching. She previously was comms director for the House Foreign Affairs GOP. … Courtney Temple is now a public policy manager at Facebook. She previously was legislative director for Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). …

… The Democratic National Convention has hired Ofirah Yheskel as director of media relations, Kelli Farr as director of communications and surrogate operations and Cate Hurley as communications assistant. Yheskel previously was deputy communications director for Beto O’Rourke’s campaign, Farr previously produced the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, and Hurley previously worked in Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — John Santucci, a senior editorial producer at ABC, and Maria Santucci, director of strategic communications at U.S. News & World Report, welcomed Thomas Dean Santucci on Saturday.

— Paul Pimentel, director of corporate initiatives at Fannie Mae, and Emily Crane Pimentel, head of strategic communications at KPMG, recently welcomed Margaret Angela Pimentel. Pic… Another pic

BIRTHWEEK (was Sunday): Caroline Anderegg, comms director for the Hudson Institute (h/t Ninio Fetalvo)

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Shaquille Brewster, NBC News political reporter. A trend he thinks deserves more attention: “The spread of misinformation, and the acceptance of it. We know there are malicious actors that use social media to quickly and widely spread verifiably incorrect information, but part of their success is based on an unwillingness by too many of us to take the step of even doing a quick search before resharing.” Playbook Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: Eric Trump is 36 … Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) is 6-0 … Olivia Nuzzi, Washington correspondent at New York magazine, is 27 … Joe Hagin (h/t Tom Hoare) … Kimball Stroud … Kate McKinnon is 36 … Tricia Russell … former FBI Director Louis Freeh is 7-0 … Hamilton Place Strategies partner Stuart Siciliano is 35 … Michael Corn, senior E.P. of “Good Morning America” … David Polyansky, president of Clout Public Affairs of Axiom Strategies (h/t Samantha Dravis) … Natalie Boyse, advance officer in the immediate office of the Defense secretary … WSJ’s Kate O’Keeffe and James Taranto … Âri de Fauconberg … Spencer Price … Oregon A.G. Ellen Rosenblum … George H. Ross …

… Julie Chen is 5-0 … Nancy Baker … Terri Fariello, SVP of government affairs and public policy for United Airlines (h/t Walt Cronkite) … Olivia Martinez, communications manager at the National Network of Abortion Funds … Kelsey Hayes … Chris Gordon is 25 … Michael O’Neil … Ashley Bittner … Tom Lloyd … Henry R. Kravis is 76 … Laura Belleville (h/t Jon Haber) … Alexandra Dakich … Jennifer Donelan … Kiel Brunner … Julia Blakeley … Jodi Jacobson … Mark Hyman is 62 … Scott Neumyer is 4-0 … Daniel Francis … Lola Elfman … Matt Ford … Dalit Toledano … Norman Prusslin … Ashley Baker Hayes … Kathleen Gayle … Abby Gunderson-Schwarz … Kate Randle … Mandy Bowers … Alex Berenson

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The Resurgent’s Morning Briefing for January 6,2020View this email in your browserShareTweetForwardMedia More Interested in Using Iran Situation to Hurt Trump Than to Accurately Report NewsWhile the news media continues to lecture Americans that truth matters, there are apples that are not bananas, and Trump voters like to be lied to, the media is continuing its relentless campaign to turn the Iran situation into a smear campaign against the Trump Administration.It started with the press, including the New York Times, LA Times, and various TV outlets, lying about Vice President Pence. The Vice President accurately noted that General Qassem Suleimani orchestrated the travel of ten of the 9/11 hijackers through Iran to Afghanistan to help them keep a low profile. The 9/11 Commission report actually states that Iran did this, though it did not name Qassem Suleimani directly. There is no dispute that Suleimani had to be the one authorizing it.The media took the 9/11 Commission report’s failure to name Suleimani directly as a chance to say the Vice President was lying. He was not. He got it right. The media got it wrong — badly wrong. Pages 240 and 241 of the 9/11 Commission report describe how the hijackers went back and forth through Iran and did not have to get their passports stamped to avoid detection.CNN then invented a dire warning to scare Americans that the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress that Americans should prepare for an imminent attack from Iran. That was not true, and CNN had to selectively quote the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to make it so.CNN also, having bashed the President for years for not believing the intelligence community, decided it could not believe the intelligence community and would need to see the classified information itself before believing the administration.If that wasn’t enough, CNN helpfully scared the mess out of any American listening by letting on an “analyst” who claimed all Americans are now targets of Iran.You will recall that one of the justifications for killing Suleimani is that he was orchestrating an imminent attack on the United States in some way. The attack planning was so significant that he was going to have to get the Ayatollah’s direct permission. The New York Times reported that and, through its sourcing, has probably put human intelligence at risk.  Keep reading…Democrats and Radical Islamists Start False Rumor Trump Is Detaining Iranian-AmericansCAIR, the Islamic good with dubious ties to bad people, started a rumor in Washington, DC that Customs and Border Patrol agents were detaining Iranian-Americans at the border.Democrat Rep. Barbara Lee then tweeted out “People of Iranian descent — including American citizens & green card holders — are reportedly being detained by CPB officials. We can’t let this stand.”  Read more…  Fallout From Soleimani Killing BeginsDiplomatic fallout from the targeted killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last Friday began in earnest today as both Iran and Iraq took steps to retaliate against the United States. This morning, the Iraqi parliament voted to ask the Iraqi government to remove foreign troops from the country and cancel its request for international assistance against ISIS. The resolution was backed by Iraq’s prime minister, Abdul Mahdi.  Read more… Media Falsely Claims Vice President Pence is Wrong About Suleimani and 9/11 AttackersThe New York Times and Los Angeles Times and others claim the 9/11 Commission report never mention Suleimani. That is true. But that is irrelevant. There is no question that Suleimani would have been the one to give the orders. That was his position. It is what he does. It is wrong or flat out lying to pretend otherwise.The media is so desperate to call BS on the Trump Administration that they are willing to lie to their readers in a game of gotcha.  Read more…  When You Read About the Transgender Nonsense, Please Remember ThisThe Twitter jokes were a foregone conclusion. The collective cultural eyeroll from the remaining rational was bound to happen. The dejected facepalming from the morally grounded was a metaphysical certitude. You can’t write a headline like the Daily Mirror put together and not expect all of those things…Read more…Remember, as always, to go check out The Resurgent and be sure to like us on Facebook. Thanks for reading and tuning in. Erick EricksonTHE RESURGENTFacebookTwitterInstagramCopyright © 2020 The Resurgent Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

AMERICAN MINUTE

View as Webpage ‌  ‌  ‌American Minute with Bill Federer“On the 12th Day of Christmas …” – History of the Holiday & the CalendarWestern Europe celebrated the birth of Christ on Christmas Day, December 25, as the holiest day of the season.Eastern Europe celebrated January 6, Epiphany, as the holiest day. “Epiphany” is a Greek word meaning “appearance” or “manifestation.” January 6 is also called Three Kings Day, recalling the visit of the Wise Men to Jesus in the manger — his “manifestation” to the Gentiles, as foretold in Isaiah 49:6: “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”In addition, Epiphany commemorates Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, as recorded in John 1:29-34: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world … that he should be made manifest to Israel … And John bare record, saying … He that sent me … said … Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.”The Eastern and Western Christian Roman Empire could not agree on which day was holier, so at the Council of Tours in 567 AD, it was decided to make all 12 days from DECEMBER 25 to JANUARY 6 “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”They were called “holy days,” which came to be pronounced “holidays.” The Council of Tours also returned the beginning of the year back to the ancient date of March 1st.January 1st was thought to be a pagan date since it originated with Roman Emperor Julius Caesar’s solar-based “Julian Calendar.”Remnants of March being the first month of the year can be seen in the old Roman Latin names of months: September, October, November, and December. “Sept” is Latin for seven;“Oct” is Latin for eight (ie. octogon=eight sided);“Nov” is Latin for nine; and“Dec” is Latin for ten (ie. decimal=divisible by ten).In 45 BC, Julius Caesar was, in a sense, the first globalist. He wanted a unified calendar for the entire Roman Empire. His successor, Augustus Caesar, had his version of NSA tracking, conducting an empire-wide census to track everyone under his control.Ancient peoples, for millennia, had used calendars based on the moon, whose lunar cycles, incrementally shifting through the seasons, served as an enormous generational clock. As the Roman Empire expanded and conquered nations, these lunar calendars were difficult to reconcile with each other.Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar, with 365 days, and an extra “leap day” at the end of February every 4th year. Rome’s old fifth month, Quintilis, was renamed after Julius Caesar, being called “July.” As it only had 30 days, Julius Caesar took a day from the old end of the year, February, and added it to July, giving the month 31 days.The next emperor, Augustus Caesar, renamed the old sixth month, Sextilis, after himself, calling it “August.” He also took a day from the old end of the year, February, was added to August, giving that month 31 days, and leaving February with only 28 days.The most important event in the Christian calendar was Christ’s crucifixion as the Passover Lamb on the Jewish Feast of Passover, His being in the grave on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and his Resurrection of the Feast of First Fruits, or as it was later called, Easter.The Apostle Paul wrote in First Corinthians 5:7-8 “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” First Corinthians 15:20 “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”When Constantine became Roman Emperor, he stopped the persecution of Christians, and, at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, he decided to set a common date to celebrate Easter – Christ’s Resurrection, to help unify the “Christian” Roman Empire. Constantine’s insistence that the date of Easter be on a Sunday in the Roman solar calendar, resulted in abandoning the original Jewish method of determining the date of the Passover Feast, based on the lunar calendar – traditionally beginning the evening of 14th day of Nissan.Constantine’s act was a defining moment in the split between what had been a predominately Jewish Christian Church — as Jesus and all his disciples were Jewish — and the emerging Gentile Christian Church. The new method of determining the date of Easter was the first Sunday after the first paschal full moon falling on or after the Spring Equinox. Tables were compiled with the future dates of Easter, but over time a slight discrepancy became evident. “Equinox” is a solar calendar term: “equi” = “equal” and “nox” = “night.” Thus “equinox” is when the daytime and nighttime are of equal duration. It occurs once in the Spring around March 20 and once in the Autumn around September 22. In the year 325 AD, Easter was on March 21. During the Middle Ages, France celebrated its New Year Day on Easter. Other countries began their New Year on Christmas, December 25, and still others on Annunciation Day, March 25.How the Birth of Jesus affected the Calendar (DVD)By 1582, it became clear that the Julian Calendar was slightly inaccurate, by about 11 minutes per year, resulting in the compiled tables having the date of Easter ten days ahead of the Spring Equinox, and even further from its origins in the Jewish Passover.In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII decided to revise the calendar by eliminating ten days. He set a leap year every 4th year with a minor adjustment. There is NO leap year in years divisible by 100, but not by 400. Thus, there is NO leap day in 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100; but 1600, 2000, 2400 have leap days. It sounds complicated, but it is so accurate that the Gregorian Calendar is the most internationally used calendar today.Pope Gregory’s “Gregorian Calendar” also returned the beginning of the new year BACK to Julius Caesar’s January 1st date. As England was an Anglican Protestant country, it reluctantly postponed adopting the more accurate Catholic Gregorian Calendar.Most of Protestant Europe did not adopt the Gregorian Calendar for nearly two centuries. This gave rise to some interesting record keeping. For example: ships would leave Protestant England on one date according to the Julian Calendar, called “Old Style” and arrive in Catholic Europe at an earlier date, as much of Europe was using the Gregorian Calendar, called “New Style.”Another example is that England’s William Shakespeare and Spain’s Miguel de Cervantes, author of Man of La Mancha. They died on the same date, April 23, 1616, but when the differences between England’s Julian Calendar and Spain’s Gregorian Calendar are removed, Cervantes actually died ten days before Shakespeare.In 1752, England and its colonies finally adopted the Gregorian Calendar, but by that time there was an 11 day discrepancy between the “Old Style” (OS) and the “New Style” (NS). When America finally adjusted its calendar, the day after September 2, 1752 (Old Style), became September 14, 1752 (New Style). There were reportedly accounts of confusion and rioting.As countries of Western Europe, particularly Portuguese, Spanish, French, Dutch and English, began to trade and establish colonies around the world, the Gregorian Calendar came into international use.How the Birth of Jesus affected the Calendar (DVD)All dates in the world are either BC “Before Christ” or AD “Anno Domini” — meaning in the Year of the Lord’s Reign. In the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, secularists in academia popularized the use of BCE – “Before Common Era” and CE “Common Era.” The futile nature of their effort is displayed with the question: When did the recording of time change from Before Common Era to Common Era? The answer is, the birth of Christ. In their attempt to ignore Christ they are, nonetheless, forced to acknowledge Him.England’s Henry VIII made the Anglican Church the country’s established denomination in 1534. As in other nations, the government proceeded to impose state-approved beliefs , demanding uniformity of doctrine and services, thus restricting the freedoms of conscience, speech, and expression.During this time, Christian dissenters, nonconformists, separatists, such as Puritans, Presbyterians, Quakers, Anabaptists, and Catholics, fled from England to other European countries, or to the colonies in America. Jews were expelled from England in 1290 by Edward I and not allowed back in till Oliver Cromwell in 1657.Dissenters who remained in England practiced their faith in secret , sometimes suffering the intolerance judges in court, open government persecution, and even martyrdom.In 1625, a type of Sunday school catechism song came into use to teach children Christian doctrine, titled “In Those Twelve Days,” where a spiritual meaning was assigned to each day.IN THOSE TWELVE DAYS (1625)Chorus:In those twelve days, andin those twelve days,let us be glad,For God of his power hath all things made. 1. What is that which is but one?What is that which is but one?We have but one God aloneIn Heaven above sits on his throne. Chorus 2. What are they which are but two?What are they which are but two?Two Testaments, as we are told,The one is New and the other Old. Chorus 3. What are they that are but three?What are they that are but three?Three persons in the Trinity,The Father, Son, and Ghost Holy. Chorus 4. What are they that are but four?What are they that are but four?Four Gospels written true,John, Luke, Mark, and Matthew. Chorus 5. What are they that are but five?What are they that are but five?Five senses we have to tell,God grant us grace to use them well. Chorus 6. What are they that are but six?What are they that are but six?Six ages this world shall last,Five of them are gone and past. Chorus 7. What are they that are but seven?What are they that are but seven?Seven days in the week have we,Six to work and the seventh holy. Chorus 8. What are they that are but eight?What are they that are but eight?Eight beatitudes are given,Use them well and go to Heaven. Chorus 9. What are they that are but nine?What are they that are but nine?Nine degrees of Angels highWhich praise God continually. Chorus 10. What are they that are but ten?What are they that are but ten?Ten Commandments God hath given,Keep them right and go to Heaven. Chorus 11. What are they that are but eleven?What are they that are but eleven?Eleven thousand virgins did partakeAnd suffered death for Jesus’ sake. Chorus 12. What are they that are but twelve?What are they that are but twelve?Twelve Apostles Christ did chuseTo preach the Gospel to the Jews. ChorusThough it cannot be proven, the song, “In Those Twelve Days,” may have been a precursor to the English folk song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” first printed in London in 1780, in the children’s book, Mirth without Mischief. An explanation of the song’s possible meanings are: My True Love = God Himself1. Partridge = Jesus Christ (A partridge will feign injury to decoy predators from helpless nestlings – “He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities.” Isaiah 53:5)Pear Tree = Cross2. Turtle Doves = Old & New Testaments3. French Hens = Faith, Hope & Love4. Calling Birds = Four Gospels5. Golden Rings = Pentateuch-First 5 Books of Bible6. Geese A-Laying = Six Days of Creation7. Swans a-Swimming = Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit8, Maids A-Milking = Eight Beatitudes9. Ladies Dancing = Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit10. Lords A-Leaping = Ten Commandments11. Pipers Piping = Eleven Faithful Apostles12. Drummers = Twelve Points in Apostles CreedThere Really is a Santa Claus -History of Saint Nicholas & Christmas Holiday TraditionsSchedule Bill Federer for informative interviews & captivating PowerPoint presentations: 314-502-8924 wjfederer@gmail.comAmerican Minute is a registered trademark of William J. Federer. Permission is granted to forward, reprint, or duplicate, with acknowledgment.www.AmericanMinute.comhttps://www.themaven.net/americanminute/Click to shop AMERICAN MINUTE store  Donate to American Priorities. Thank you  Faith in History TCTArchivesMiracles in American History CTVN    CBN “Liberty” Special   Today’s Bible reading  View as Webpage ‌  ‌  ‌

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Trump Just Warned Americans of a Crash in 2020 (If This Happens) If this single event occurs, Trump fears that the economy could “crash like 1929”, and decimate the savings of millions of unsuspecting Americans.==> Here’s How You Can Prepare for This Event

ColumnistsThe Trump Doctrine Humiliates Both Foreign Enemies and Domestic Liberals Kurt SchlichterHere Are The Republican Governors Who Betrayed Trump, And Their Constituents, By Asking For Refugee Resettlement In Their States Scott Morefield‘In The Arena’: Theodore Roosevelt’s Americanism and Grit a Century Later Erich ReimerWhat Is the Status of the Smithsonian and How Can It Protect Free Speech Rights? Julian RavenLooking at Obama’s Failures Differently Joel GoodmanMove Over, Communist Manifesto, The Capitalist Manifesto is Here Rachel AlexanderADVERTISEMENT China Just Launched this Attack on the USD Alan Greenspan Warns of this U.S. Scheme to Confiscate Your Savings The Little-Known (But Legal) IRS Tax Law to Move Your IRA or 401(k) to GoldVideoGov. Evers: Saying Abortionists ‘Execute Babies’ Is ‘Blasphemy’Trump blasts Schiff as ‘political hack’Pelosi’s condescension offers some laughsPelosi open to border infrastructureINVESTINGYour Paycheck In 2020Has Trump’s Protectionism Backfired On America’s Workers?HEALTHGary’s Fatty Liver ProblemClean Up Hidden Toxins in Your HomeThyroid Symptoms: What are Hypothyroidism & Hyperthyroidism

TipsheetCAIR Freaks Out Over One Iranian Person Being Interrogated at the Border Beth BaumannWATCH: Warren Seems to Think Trump Killed Soleimani to Distract People From Impeachment Beth BaumannTrump Threatens Iraq With Sanctions After Parliament Votes to Expel Foreign Troops Bronson StockingCreepy Uncle Joe Breaks Promise To Stop Being Creepy  Bronson StockingAOC Laments Being In Same Political Party As Joe Biden Bronson StockingButtigieg Believes Trump Made the Right Decision to Kill Soleimani But He Won’t Give Credit… Yet Beth BaumannCruz Has a Plan to Get Dems on Record About Soleimani’s Killing  Beth BaumannNYT Editor Scolds National Media For Ignoring Rise of Anti-Semitism Bronson StockingSchumer Says Four Senate Republicans Needed for ‘Fair Impeachment Trial’ Bronson StockingWATCH: Obama’s DHS Secretary Obliterates Dems’ Talking Points Over Soleimani’s Death Beth BaumannADVERTISEMENT China Just Launched this Attack on the USD Alan Greenspan Warns of this U.S. Scheme to Confiscate Your Savings The Little-Known (But Legal) IRS Tax Law to Move Your IRA or 401(k) to GoldPolitical CartoonsBearing ArmsVA County Addresses Its 2A Ordinance “Ordering” The Militia | Cam Edwards“We Will Not Comply”: FL GOP Liberty Caucus Vows To Resist Gun Ban | Cam EdwardsWhy Gun Thefts From Cars Aren’t Just On Gun Owners | Tom KnightonNo, Reduced Training Requirements Won’t Make Tennessee Unsafe | Tom KnightonGOP, 2A Groups Reject Virginia “Red Flag” Proposal | Cam Edwards

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Monday, January 6, 2020 Iraq Parliament Votes to Expel U.S. Troops It’s been a few days since President Trump ordered the airstrike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. If you’ve followed the media or Twitter celebrities who are aghast at this action, consider this fact reported by The Daily Wire, “the U.S. State Department says [Soleimani] is ultimately responsible for operations leading to 17 precent of all deaths of U.S. personnel during the Iraq War.” On Sunday, Iraq’s Parliament voted to expel U.S. troops from Iraq. Given that over the weekend, missiles hit a base housing U.S. troops and it is the 14th time U.S. installations have been hit in Iraq, this isn’t much of a punishment. From Fox News:  “Iraqi lawmakers approved a resolution Sunday calling to expel U.S. troops from the country, following an American drone attack that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.The resolution asks the Iraqi government to end the agreement under which Washington sent forces to Iraq more than four years ago to help in the fight against the Islamic State terror group.‘The Iraqi government has an obligation to end the presence of all foreign forces on Iraqi soil and prevent it from using Iraqi lands, waters, and airspace or any other reason,’ Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halboosi said in an address to lawmakers before the vote.” The announcement came a day after this excellent piece, Killing Soleimani Was The Right Move, And Shows Precisely Why It’s Time To Leave Iraq, from Christopher Bedford at The Federalist. From the article: “Regardless of whether a war kicks off over Thursday’s strike, regardless of which strongman is in charge in which region, and regardless of whose saber rattles next week, the situation has not and will not dramatically improve in this undesirable, less-and-less strategic region of the world.Since his inauguration, President Trump has killed the leader of ISIS, and now the Iranian general responsible for hundreds of American dead. He’s done a great deal to clean up the mess his predecessors left him in Iraq and Syria. Now it is time to disengage.A new war in the Middle East won’t make us safer. Long term, it won’t change a thing in the region. Just one more president’s time in office spent sending America’s sons and daughters to war in the wastelands. Cable stations will air every pop and explosion they can get their hands on. Ratings will soar. A president’s realignment will be derailed. The Washington foreign policy blob will cheer.” Three Americans Killed at Military Base in Kenya An al-Qaeda-linked militant group in Kenya killed one U.S. service member and two U.S. contractors. Additionally, two Department of Defense contractors were wounded. From Fox News: “Five militants from the terror roup, which is linked to Al Qaeda, were killed in the attack, according to Kenyan military officials.U.S. Africa Command said the attack on the Manda Bay compound, which U.S. forces have used to train African servicemembers and protect U.S. interests in the area, involved “indirect and small arms fire.” … The attack did not appear to be in response to growing tensions in the Middle East following the U.S.-led airstrike at Baghdad International Airport that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) elite Quds Force, early Friday.” Golden Globes Wrap-Up And now for something completely different…  An epic opening from Ricky Gervais (Mediaite) The Fashion (E Online and Tom and Lorenzo Twitter feed for sassy commentary) The Winners (GoldenGlobes.com) The Swag Bag, which seems a little low-key this year — pop sockets and lipsticks? Meh. (InStyle) What I’m Reading This Week The beginning of a new year always brings hopes for grand plans and goals (a good thing!) but do we have Bob’s tenacity? This week I’m reading Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff. From the description: “As a college student he spent 16 days in the Pacific Ocean with five guys and a crate of canned meat. As a father he took his kids on a world tour to eat ice cream with heads of state. He made friends in Uganda, and they liked him so much he became the Ugandan consul. He pursued his wife for three years before she agreed to date him. His grades weren’t good enough to get into law school, so he sat on a bench outside the Dean’s office for seven days until they finally let him enroll. Bob Goff has become something of a legend, and his friends consider him the world’s best-kept secret. Those same friends have long insisted he write a book. What follows are paradigm shifts, musings, and stories from one of the world’s most delightfully engaging and winsome people. What fuels his impact? Love. But it’s not the kind of love that stops at thoughts and feelings. Bob’s love takes action. Bob believes Love Does.” A Case of the Mondays America’s Top Dog premieres this week (NY Post)Is he seeing anyone? Hero who saved nine koalas from bushfires on daring mission into bushfire zone shares moving photo of him holding one of the marsupials wrapped in a blanket (The Daily Mail)The First Lady ringed in the New Year in Palm Beach, looking stunning as usual. John Binder has the details in his Fashion Notes: “Melania Trump strutted into the New Year, alongside President Trump, in a sequins embroidered evening gown by Givenchy that resembled the sparks of fireworks in the sky. The gown is cut from black silk georgette, features a round neckline, and gradient-like gold sequin embroidery that trickles down from top to bottom. Currently, the Givenchy frock retails for about $4,740. Mrs. Trump chose a pair of black satin pointed stilettos by Manolo Blahnik and her signature smoldering smokey eye makeup for the night of celebration.”  The First Lady also posted this video as a retrospective of the work she did in 2019 for her Be Best campaign. The First Family came back from Florida to DC last night and the First Lady didn’t disappoint, wearing one of my favorite winter combos — white and tan. I LOVE the chevron duster and the white boots!  Mondays with Melania is a weekly feature that highlights what the First Lady is doing and wearing.    BRIGHT is brought to you by The Federalist.

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IJR

Kaepernick Draws Heat After Tweeting About ‘American Terrorist Attacks Against Black and Brown People’By Bradley Cortright, Sunday, January 5, 2020 1:54 PM“There is nothing new about American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people.” More Comments »You Might Like     HELP CENTER•SUPPORT 24/7•ACCOUNT Copyright © 2019 IJR. All Rights Reserved. 108 S Washington St  Alexandria VA 22314  contact@ijr.com   |   571-295-6957   |   Unsubscribe

THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Washington Examiner’s Examiner Today NewsletterView this as website ADVERTISEMENT HIGHLIGHTS‘If ISIS started a stream service, you would call your agent’: Ricky Gervais roasts Golden Globe actors‘You know nothing about the real world’: Ricky Gervais tells Golden Globe winners not to make political speeches‘Murder and strangulation’: Forensic pathologist claims Epstein autopsy photos show foul play Bernie Sanders and other senior citizen 2020 candidates provide few details in health letters Democratic septuagenarian White House candidates and President Trump provided skimpy details in recent months about their health, renewing questions about how much voters should know about politicians’ medical histories.  Trump warns Iran of ‘massive retaliation’ if it responds to Soleimani killing President Trump Sunday warned Iran that the United States would conduct a “major retaliation” if Iranian leaders respond to the killing of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was struck by a drone last week.  ‘ANOTHER dead terrorist’: Trump campaign exults in killing of ‘monster’ Qassem SoleimaniPresident Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, in an email to supporters, reveled in the administration’s airstrike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.  ‘Pay us back’: Trump says troops will not leave airbase unless Iraq compensates US President Trump Sunday said the United States would not abandon its airbase in Iraq unless the country paid billions for the cost of building it. ADVERTISEMENT  Trump officials unsuccessfully attempted to kill Iraqi parliament vote on expelling US troops President Trump’s administration reportedly tried and failed to stop a vote in the Iraqi parliament on expelling American troops from the country.  ‘Take matters in our own hands’: Graham mulls rule change to start impeachment trial without articles from Pelosi Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested changing the rules for impeachment if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to withhold the articles from the Senate.  House impeachers can hide their articles, but they can’t run from a Senate trial House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is upset. She let her caucus impeach President Trump on dubious charges with a narrow partisan majority and without taking the time to gather evidence that she now believes must be heard in a Senate trial as it might convince a skeptical public. And now, huge surprise, the Republican Senate appears poised to send the resulting impeachment articles straight to the circular file.  Rush Limbaugh signs ‘long-term agreement’ to renew radio showRush Limbaugh has renewed his radio contract and intends to continue hosting “The Rush Limbaugh Show” well into the 2020s.  ‘We stand up for our neighbors’: Thousands march against anti-Semitism in New York City Thousands gathered in New York City to protest the rise in anti-Semitism the region has seen over the past several months.  Trump notifies Congress that US may respond in ‘disproportionate manner’ if Iran hits American targetsPresident Trump notified Congress that the United States would retaliate “perhaps in a disproportionate manner” should Iran hit an American target. THE ROUNDUPBoeing finds new potential risks on 737 MaxProspect of gun control in Virginia draws threats, promise of armed protestBorder stops for people of Iranian descent spark outrageADVERTISEMENT

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THE FEDERALIST

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Your daily update of new content from The Federalist Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray January 6, 2020 Inspector General Report Shows Special Counsel Replicated FBI AbusesBy Margot Cleveland The report established that the special counsel’s office was complicit in the FISA abuse, the probe was a witch hunt, and its report was a cover-up for systematic government malfeasance. Full articleContrary To Iran Deal Talking Points, There’s Something Between Appeasement and WarBy Erielle Davidson Just as we have other options aside from war, it’s worth considering how limited Iran’s appetite for war with the United States actually is. Full articleDemocrats Seek To Fulfill Promise Of Until-Birth Abortion In VirginiaBy Ashley Bateman As the next General Assembly is set to open January 8, pro-abortion leaders in the Senate and House are making good on their promise to push a radical agenda in the legislature. Full articleRicky Gervais Made A Very Clever Golden Globes ManueverBy Emily Jashinsky At Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony, Ricky Gervais was clever enough to finally give all the Hollywood blather its proper framing. Full articleThe Fundamental Question Is: Why Is America Still In The Middle East?By Willis L. Krumholz D.C.’s hysteria is dangerous. The strike wasn’t necessarily wrong, but the president must tread carefully. Too much of D.C. wants him not to. Full articleDoctors And Judges Shouldn’t Have More Authority Over Tinslee Lewis’ Life Than Her Mother DoesBy Libby Emmons Why, now that doctors can do so much with advancements in modern medicine, are they turning their backs on the patients who need them most, and saying it’s for their own good? Full articleIs It Baby Boomers’ Fault Millennials Are Leaving Religion And Less Likely To Go Back?By Joy Pullmann While conventional wisdom says young Americans will come back to church when they marry and have kids, it’s likely many millennials will remain secular instead, suggests a recent study. Full articleNew Netflix Miniseries Is More Mess Than MessianicBy Josh Shepherd The mysteries of ‘Messiah’ remain unsolved after completing season one, although discerning viewers will soon find this story has just about nothing to do with the Bible. Full articleNo, Alexander Hamilton Wouldn’t Have Supported Trump’s ImpeachmentBy Joseph B. Sweeney A recent Washington Post essay declares Alexander Hamilton would support Donald Trump’s impeachment, but it wildly misunderstands — and misrepresents — Hamilton’s writings. Full articleWhy Greta Thunberg Should Be The Next Disney PrincessBy Libby Emmons Disney and Hulu should go beyond a mere documentary, and launch Greta as a full-blown princess, in keeping with the 21st-century princess story revamp. Full articleVirginia Democrats Are Attacking Robert E. Lee Statue To Whitewash Their Own RacismBy Omari Faulkner Virginia Democrats want to exploit African American voters with indignation over statues to distract from their hypocritical offenses and to avoid talking about the issues that matter to Virginia families today. Full articleThe Worst Looks Of The 2020 Golden GlobesBy Libby Emmons On Sunday, for the first time ever, I watched the Golden Globes. I learned that it’s all about the outfits. Especially the really bad ones. Full articleBrad Pitt Would Have Shared The RaftBy Emily Jashinsky Turning his attention to costar Leo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt went all the way back to the frigid waters of the Atlantic to take a good-natured jab at his friend. Full articleLeaving No Stone Unturned, Golden Globes Host Ricky Gervais Confronts Hollywood For Complicity In Harvey Weinstein ScandalBy Emily Jashinsky After delivering a scorching opening monologue at the Golden Globes on Sunday, Ricky Gervais rounded out the ceremony by laying into the room of Hollywood insiders for their complicity in the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Full articleFrom Epstein To Amazon, Ricky Gervais Torches Hollywood At Golden GlobesBy Emily Jashinsky From Ricky Gervais, the Golden Globes monologue was exactly what we’ve come to expect. But this year, felt somehow more cathartic, more necessary, and more daring. Full articleI Survived 12 Hours In Twitter Prison For Daring Iran To Attack AmericaBy David Marcus I did my time, and lessons were learned. Full articleAs VP, Joe Biden Assisted Terrorist Soleimani, Warned Against Killing Bin LadenBy Chrissy Clark As vice president, Joe Biden made foreign political decisions that helped terrorist leader Quasem Soleimani form an Iranian-friendly government in Iraq. Full articleOne Month Before Iowa Caucus, State University Bans Students From Emailing About PoliticsBy Chrissy Clark With just one month left before the Iowa Caucus, Iowa State University is stifling students’ First Amendment rights in regards to the 2020 campaign. Full article MERRY CHRISTMAS! On Christmas Eve 1941, in Washington on a diplomatic mission to organize the support of Britain’s American allies in the efforts to stop the Nazi menace, Winston Churchill was offered the opportunity to address the American people from The White House. America as a nation had been attacked like never before just weeks earlier, and the horrors of Pearl Harbor were on the minds of every patriot. Read more of The Transom by signing up for a free trial today.  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2020 The Federalist, All rights reserved.  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS

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Connect: Facebook Twitter YouTubeView this email in your browser“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬).In 2020, Hold Tightly To The Great American IdeaBy Kelvey Vander Hart on Jan 06, 2020 12:25 am Kelvey Vander Hart: In 2020, let’s let the beauty of the American experiment fuel us to do the hard work of keeping it alive. Read in browser »   Recent Articles: Trump Made the Right Call Targeting Soleimani Eddie Mauro Says Joni Ernst Will Never Put ‘Women’s Rights’ First Julián Castro Drops Out of Race Abby Finkenauer Endorses Joe Biden Christians and Self DefenseLaunched in 2006,  Caffeinated Thoughts reports news and shares commentary about culture, current events, faith and state and national politics from a Christian and conservative point of view. Caffeinated Thoughts P.O. Box 57184 Des Moines, IA 50317 (515) 321-5077 Editor, Shane Vander Hart Connect: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.ShareTweetShareForwardCopyright © 2020 Caffeinated Thoughts, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS

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CDN’s Daily News Blast delivers the day’s news first!View this email in your browserCDN Daily News Blast01/06/2020Excerpts:Republican AGs Say Bloomberg Is Secretly Embedding An Army Of Anti-Trump Attorneys Inside State OfficesBy Chris White -Republican attorneys general say billionaire Michael Bloomberg is engaging in a politically partisan ploy to use Democratic AGs to go after energy companies.  Bloomberg Philanthropies plowed millions of dollars into a nonprofit group that has embedded 18 attorneys into 11 Democratic AG offices, some of whom have gone on to …Republican AGs Say Bloomberg Is Secretly Embedding An Army Of Anti-Trump Attorneys Inside State Offices is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Fact Check: Customs And Border Protection Has Not Been Ordered To Detain IraniansBy Jason Hopkins -Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is denying that it has been ordered to detain and deny entry to Iranian-Americans, refuting claims that have been promulgated by Democratic lawmakers and others on social media. CBP, the agency within the Department of Homeland Security tasked with managing immigration into the U.S., released …Fact Check: Customs And Border Protection Has Not Been Ordered To Detain Iranians is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Democrat Hate For Trump Overrides Their Concerns For AmericaBy Dave King -Please note that the heading for this piece is not about Democrat love for America, because they have been exhibiting only dislike for America these last three years and are trying to change America to its core. But since they have to live in America, one should be able to …Democrat Hate For Trump Overrides Their Concerns For America is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Virginia Amendment Would Allow Inmates To Vote, Potentially Flooding Rural Areas With Democrat VotersBy Luke Rosiak -Virginia Democrats Mamie E. Locke and Kaye Kory will introduce a measure Jan. 8 that would allow prisoners to vote from jail in the state. The bill appears to allow prisoners to vote in the jurisdiction of the jail, potentially making inmates a powerful voting bloc in sparsely populated communities. …Virginia Amendment Would Allow Inmates To Vote, Potentially Flooding Rural Areas With Democrat Voters is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Monday, January 6, 2020By R. Mitchell -President Donald Trump will participate in a credentialing ceremony, receive his daily briefing and have lunch with Vice President Mike Pence. Keep up with Trump on Our President’s Schedule Page. President Trump’s Itinerary for 1/6/20 – note: this  page will be updated during the day if events warrant All Times …President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Monday, January 6, 2020 is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on »    See all breaking news, conservative commentary, political cartoons and more posted to CDN at our Home Page.    Follow on TwitterFriend on FacebookAdd on Google PlusCopyright © 2020 Conservative Daily News, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING MIX

Sign up for this newsletterRead onlineStories from all over.   This combination photo of undated file photos released by National Center for Missing & Exploited Children show missing children, Joshua Vallow, left, and Tylee Ryan. (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children via AP)Two kids are missing. Now police are looking at a string of family deaths and allegations of a doomsday ‘cult.’“Every time you peel a layer off the onion it makes you scratch your head,” Tammy Daybell’s father told a local news station.By Antonia Farzan  ●  Read more »  An art professor allegedly went to a colleague’s home to admit her feelings. She ended up attacking her with a fire poker, police say.Rie Hachiyanagi showed up unannounced on her colleague’s doorstep, saying she “really missed her and wanted to talk about her feelings,” according to a police report.By Meagan Flynn  ●  Read more »    A government website was ‘defaced’ with pro-Iran messaging and an image of a bloodied Trump. Hackers claimed responsibility.The Federal Depository Library Program’s page was taken offline late Saturday and remained inaccessible for hours after it was reportedly hacked by a group claiming allegiance to Iran.By Allyson Chiu  ●  Read more »    A woman stole an exchange student’s hijab and tried to choke her with it, prosecutors sayThe frightening encounter ended in an arrest after witnesses called the police, but left a Portland State University exchange student afraid to wear her religious garb in public.By Katie Shepherd  ●  Read more »    We think you’ll like this newsletterCheck out The Trailer for news and insight on political campaigns around the country, from David Weigel. 435 districts. 50 states. Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. Sign up »

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AMERICAN THINKER

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View this email in your browserRecent ArticlesHey, AT&T, Flagrant Racism and Sexism Are ‘Not OK’Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am A new look for Stepin Fetchit. Read More… Thanks to Trump, the Forty-Year Appeasement of Iran Is OverJan 06, 2020 01:00 am The assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani is an unusual, possibly aberrant, event. Foreign policy changes may swiftly follow. Read More… Svengali Trump Hypnotizing Democrats and the MediaJan 06, 2020 01:00 am If Democrats want to continue to defend Iran, have at it. The campaign commercials are writing themselves. Isn’t mind control grand? Read More… Guess Who Runs the Rudest Cities in AmericaJan 06, 2020 01:00 am Looking at the data, it just jumps out at you. Read More… The Abortion Fight Will Heat Up in 2020Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am The Supreme Court and the upcoming presidential election will thrust abortion to center stage. Read More… Reduced Tensions with China Unlikely in New YearJan 06, 2020 01:00 am Clinging to the delusional wishful thinking that empowered Beijing and created today’s dangerous world will not suffice going forward. Read More…  Recent Blog Posts A little schadenfreude to start your week Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am Best of all, it’s about Hillary and Chelsea….  Read more… Michael Bloomberg, deep state privateer Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am He’s seeding state attorneys general offices with paid-for operatives to use state offices to sue President Trump. Mercenaries, anyone?  Read more… Voting integrity group finds millions of inactive registrations Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am Inactive registrations are clogging up voter roles across America, creating the risk of voter fraud affecting elections.  Read more… Festering Trump hatred leads one comedian to cross the line Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am Showing again that Hollywood has lost all sense of normative behavior, George Lopez offers to act on one Iranian’s threat to President Trump  Read more… Trump gives Iran and Congress a warning about America’s future plans Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am In his inimitable Trumpian style, through a series of tweets Trump both warns Iran and schools Democrats in Congress.  Read more… Is Ricky Gervais powerful enough to change Hollywood’s hectoring culture? Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am Showing rare courage, Golden Globes’ host Ricky Gervais ignored political correctness and gleefully attack Hollywood’s sacred cows.  Read more… Eastwood’s Jewel Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am 25 years in the making, Richard Jewell, in 2020, is a pitch perfect and timely film treatment of dirty cops and fake news in America.  Read more… Iran: ‘Death to America!’ MSM, Democrats and Hollywood: ‘How can we help?’ Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am How long before we see Kaepernick peddling Soleimani Nike sneakers?  Read more… With rising anti-Semitism, New Yorkers rally to hate Trump while hating “hate” Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am Thousands of people, mostly Progressives, rallied in New York to fight a generic “hate” that seemingly coincidentally targets only Jews.  Read more… Iran announces its withdrawal from Obama’s Iran deal Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am Iran predictably used Soleimani’s death to withdraw from the Iran Deal and Iraq made a meaningless gesture to kick Americans out.  Read more… What it takes be a global moral leader Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am The United States, Israel, the Sunni Arab nations, and the free Western world should sleep a little easier, knowing that one of the world’s most notorious terrorists, Qassam Solomeini, has been eliminated.  Read more… Are the Democrats afraid of presenting the articles of impeachment? Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am The Democrats understand that their case is rather weak.  Read more… The Love Song of T.S. Eliot Jan 06, 2020 01:00 am The letters of T.S. Eliot to his muse are about the become publicly available, and we may learn more about the troubling anti-Semitic poet’s thinking and motivations.  Read more… Photos: Top 10 atrocities from the now-vaunted Soleimani Jan 05, 2020 01:00 am Hollywood leftists are sending their condolences. But what this beast has done would make anyone else’s hair stand on end.  Read more… Democrats try to whitewash the risk Soleimani presented Jan 05, 2020 01:00 am Despite Democrat efforts, the facts put the lie to their claim that Soleimani was a spent force who didn’t deserve to die.  Read more… View this email in your browserAmerican Thinker is a daily internet publication devoted to the thoughtful exploration of issues of importance to Americans.

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CHICAGO TRIBUNE

VIEW IN BROWSERJANUARY 6, 2020CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COMDAYWATCH1The final curtain has fallen on Chicago’s ‘Hamilton’ — and its star is now the next Broadway leadMONDAY, JAN 6On an emotional afternoon, capped by an on-stage tribute from “Hamilton” superfan Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the most successful Broadway musical in Chicago history said goodbye Sunday to the city as well as to a cast that has performed the show at the CIBC Theatre for 171 weeks.Speaking for the cast, lead actor Miguel Cervantes said the performers were “eternally grateful to the city of Chicago.” Cervantes’ star is set to rise further. He will soon take over the role of Alexander Hamilton in the Broadway production, beginning in about two months. He likely will be in that marquee role for at least a year, if not more. “It has been pretty extraordinary,” said the show’s creator and author Lin-Manuel Miranda. “And it has been my entry point for falling in love with Chicago.”2Residency fraud complaints are down in CPS, but complaints about workers’ criminal backgrounds are up, the district’s inspector general saysMONDAY, JAN 6The inspector general’s office for Chicago Public Schools took in 140 complaints alleging residency fraud during the year ending July 1, trailing only complaints of sexual misconduct and mismanagement, according to a new report. But that number is down from 2018, when the office reported 180 residency complaints. While those cases are down, complaints of criminal backgrounds are significantly up. During fiscal year 19, the inspector general received 41 complaints about school employees’ criminal history, compared to 11 in 2018 and seven in 2017.  3Bears guard Kyle Long announced his retirement and said goodbye to ChicagoMONDAY, JAN 6More than two months after placing Kyle Long on injured reserve, Bears general manager Ryan Pace said the team would have to mull a decision on the 2020 option in Long’s contract. The Bears won’t have to consider that after all as Long, 31, announced Sunday on Twitter that he has retired.4Outgoing Illinois Senate President John Cullerton talks about Blagojevich, bipartisanship and social mediaMONDAY, JAN 6In more than four decades in the Illinois legislature — the last 10 as Senate president — John Cullerton saw an era of bipartisanship give way to sharply polarized politics and watched as one governor was impeached, two were sent to prison and a third pushed the state into a historic budget impasse.But ask the veteran Northwest Side lawmaker what he sees as the biggest change, and he replies: the digitalization of democracy.  5The ‘kiss and ride’ lot is back at Midway airportMONDAY, JAN 6Chicago’s aviation department rebuilt the “kiss and ride” lot next to the “L” station at Midway International Airport about 18 months after it was demolished to make room for a garage expansion that never happened. The expansion of the terminal garage was part of the Midway Modernization Program, but it was shelved in favor of just making improvements to the garage.The “kiss and ride” area next to the Orange Line station reopens on Monday.6Marquee Sports Network still doesn’t have a deal with Comcast to carry Cubs games. Here’s a worst-case scenario for fans.MONDAY, JAN 6The Cubs’ new Marquee Sports Network is still negotiating with many cable carriers, including Comcast’s Xfinity, the Chicago-area’s largest carrier with an estimated 1.5 million households. So what happens if the network drops the ball? Here’s a history lesson for Cubs fans, who may be left without any games on TV for part of the season.  7Marijuana companies are looking to open new Chicago dispensaries on Randolph Street, near White Sox ballpark and, yes, even on Weed StreetMONDAY, JAN 6Now that legal weed sales are underway in Chicago, the jockeying for the best retail spots for dispensaries is in full swing. Locations of interest include buildings near well-known restaurants, retail flagship stores and other attractions, including the White Sox’s ballpark on the South Side. Another potential location, fittingly, is on Weed Street near Clybourn Avenue shops.Throwing a marijuana dinner party? Here are some tips on dosing, ambiance and avoiding a buzz kill.8Gen Z travelers take a different approach to vacationing. Here’s how airlines are trying to win them over.MONDAY, JAN 6Airlines and other companies in the travel industry are eager to lure members of Generation Z by paying attention to ways their approach to travel differs from their parents and offering new tools to plan trips or discounts based on age.In addition to budget-friendly fares, young adults tend to value experiences when they travel, and are more likely to be driven by a desire to explore an interest than a locale.advertisement   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY   |   TERMS OF SERVICECopyright © 2020 | Chicago Tribune | 160 N. Stetson Ave., Third Floor, Chicago, IL 60601ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this email because you are following the Daywatch newsletter.

THE HILL

© Getty Images  Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. Happy Monday! Our newsletter gets you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the daily co-creators, so find us @asimendinger and @alweaver22 on Twitter and recommend the Morning Report to your friends. CLICK HERE to subscribe! President Trump returned to Washington on Sunday to face a cascading crisis in Iran and Iraq prompted by the U.S. drone killing of a top Iranian general — a strike Trump said he ordered last week to prevent a war, not start one. Escalating tensions in the Middle East prompted the scheduling of an emergency NATO meeting today in Brussels as the global debate about potential repercussions and questions about the U.S. strategy with Iran became more urgent with each breaking news alert over the weekend.  On Sunday, Iran officially voided its commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal, which was officially condemned by Trump during his 2018 reversal of U.S. policy negotiated under former President Obama. Iraq’s parliament, agitated about the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport along with six others, voted on Sunday to oust U.S. and foreign troops, a decision Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would not heed. Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, said Iran will suffer consequences if the government retaliates against the United States. “If it happens it happens. If they do anything there will be major retaliation,” he vowed. The president threatened Iraq with U.S. economic sanctions if the government tries to expel U.S. forces. “We will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before, ever” the president said. “It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame” (Reuters). Meanwhile in Iraq, rockets struck inside the international zone in Baghdad close to the U.S. Embassy. Six people were injured. Also on Sunday, the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS shifted its attention to prepare for the new threats emerging in the Middle East.  Before ending his vacation in Florida, Trump warned Tehran on Twitter not to retaliate for Soleimani’s killing, pointing to “52” potential targets inside Iran, including culturally important locations, that he said are in the Pentagon’s sights. Trump challenged assertions that military destruction of cultural heritage sites is a violation of international law and a potential war crime. “They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn’t work that way,” he said (The Associated Press). Trump also leaned on social media with what he asserted was an official notification to lawmakers as commander in chief, advising Congress in a tweet that the U.S. will attack Iran if Tehran harms Americans or U.S. security. The administration and some GOP lawmakers believe Trump is not required to seek congressional approval for military action if he responds to threats of terrorism or defends vital U.S. national interests. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced in a statement late Sunday that the House will vote this week on a resolution that could limit Trump’s war powers against Iran. The resolution “reasserts Congress’s long-established oversight responsibilities by mandating that if no further congressional action is taken, the administration’s military hostilities with regard to Iran cease within 30 days,” Pelosi advised colleagues. A similar resolution has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). The Hill: Congress to clash over Trump’s war powers. The New York Times: Killing of Iranian general upends Mideast. Amid the swirl of Sunday’s events, the State Department championed a Pompeo sound bite that administration critics challenged soon after the secretary spoke to five television networks. “It’s very clear the world’s a safer place,” the secretary said Sunday. “Qassem Soleimani no longer walks the planet. President Trump made the right decision to stop Soleimani from the terror campaign that he’d been engaged in against America and prevent the future plans that he had.” The Hill: The administration’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran is “absolutely” effective, Pompeo said. “The strategy is working, we’re going to stay the course, and we will protect and defend the American people at every step.” The only evident consensus heard among lawmakers poised to return to Washington this week — and faced with a looming Senate trial to determine if Trump will be removed from office — was that Soleimani was indeed a dangerous enemy of the United States. Democratic lawmakers who complained Congress was not consulted before the deadly drone attack continue to ask the administration to explain intelligence that Soleimani posed an imminent threat on Thursday. Some Democrats said the Iranian general, mourned by thousands of Iranians who marched for his funeral, managed to stir in death what he sought in life: renewed calls in the Middle East to force the United States out of Iraq. Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) challenged the president’s detractors on Sunday, arguing that Trump showed “tremendous restraint” in ordering the air attacks that killed Soleimani. With the Iran situation taking center stage alongside the impending impeachment trial in the Senate and against the backdrop of a presidential race, 2020 already is making history.  Perspectives & Analysis:Ryan C. Crocker: The long battle with Iran.Oona A. Hathaway: The Soleimani strike defied the U.S. Constitution.Tom Rogan: With a small step and a big one, Iran just escalated against America.Joe Lieberman: The Democrats and Iran. © Twitter  LEADING THE DAYIMPEACHMENT WATCH: Congress is facing a pivotal week on the impeachment front as lawmakers continue to hunker down along partisan lines and wait for the House to send the pair of articles to the Senate. The Senate and House will return to Washington today and tomorrow, respectively, with impeachment atop the agenda for the upper chamber despite few signs that a breakthrough between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) will be reached.  As Jordain Carney writes in her preview of the coming week, the Senate leaders continued their back-and-forth on the Senate floor on Friday, but conversations between the two have not retreated behind closed doors, as they have not met since before the Christmas break. Schumer kept up his requests over the weekend to have four key Trump administration figures testify at the Senate trial, imploring four Senate Republicans to break ranks and back the call, but McConnell remains unbowed by the pressure.  “What I have consistently said is very simple: The structure for this impeachment trial should track with the structure of the Clinton trial,” the GOP leader said, outlining what has been his position, despite pressure tactics by Democrats, for weeks. Schumer accused McConnell of “finger pointing” and “name calling.”   At the center of the fight is process, as Democrats are pushing for one resolution from the start of the trial outlining rules and a deal to call witnesses. McConnell, however, wants two: one at the start on the rules and a second, after opening arguments and questions from senators, that would determine which, if any, witnesses would be called.   The fight has been brewing since Pelosi declined to immediately transfer the articles to the Senate, saying she wants more details on what a trial would look like in the Senate before deciding on impeachment managers. The transfer is expected to take place this week, according to some House and Senate Democrats.  © Getty Images  Some lawmakers are getting antsy for the trial to kick off. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Fox News on Sunday that he wants the Senate to change the rules to start the trial if Pelosi does not transfer the pair of articles. “My goal is to start this trial in the next coming days. If we don’t get the articles this week, then we need to take matters in our own hands and change the rules,” Graham said. “This thing needs to be over with in January” (Reuters). Paul Kane: Least deliberative Senate faces weighty task of holding Trump’s impeachment trial. The New York Times: Iran uncertainty grips Congress as impeachment looms. Meanwhile, the situation in Iran has reared its head into the impeachment saga. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told CNN’s “State of the Union” that it’s “reasonable to ask” about the timing of the Trump administration’s operation targeting Soleimani. “The question we have to focus on is why now, why not a month ago, why not a month from now. The answer from the administration seems to be they can’t keep their stories straight,” Warren said.  “I think people are reasonably asking about his timing and why the administration seems to keep having all different answers,” she said later in the interview. “I think it is a reasonable question to ask” (The Hill). IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKESPOLITICS & CAMPAIGNS: Bedlam has broken out in Iowa as little continues to separate the top tier of Democratic candidates less than a month out from the first-in-the-nation caucus and the chance to draw first blood in the battle for the party’s nomination.  According to a new CBS News poll released Sunday morning, three Democrats — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg — are tied for the top spot in the state with 23 percent, a precursor to what will be a frantic final push to take home the Hawkeye State (The Hill).  As Jonathan Easley writes in his preview of coming attractions, it’s anybody’s ballgame in Iowa, as half a dozen candidates have reason to believe that the state will set them on the path to the nomination. Political operatives on the ground are buzzing about Sanders’s ascendant campaign on the heels of his shock-and-awe fourth quarter fundraising, although Buttigieg is matching the Vermont Independent in terms of crowds and on-the-ground enthusiasm. As for Biden, he continues to be the national front-runner, and, unlike Buttigieg, an Iowa victory for him is not considered an absolutely necessity en route to winning the party’s nomination. The former vice president’s top argument to voters is still that he is the person in the Democratic field to take on Trump, and the polls show it.    Sitting just behind the trio is Warren, who is trying to find the spark that put her campaign in the top tier through October before she lost altitude in recent months. She is banking on her staff and infrastructure in the state to make it happen. Iowa Democrats say there is no true favorite and that unless someone unexpectedly breaks out in the final stretch run, they’re bracing for a candidate pile up near the top, with no one receiving a clear plurality of the vote. “You could see the field being split so many ways and the contest getting pushed out to New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and Super Tuesday,” said Peter Leo, a Warren supporter and the chairman of the Carroll County Democrats in Western Iowa. “It’s hard to see someone pulling away and getting 30 or 40 percent and emerging as the clear front-runner out of Iowa. It’s really wild.” The Washington Post: Crowded Democratic presidential field sprints toward ‘jump ball’ in crucial Iowa caucuses. Dan Balz: Two endorsements highlight the quandary for Democrats as they look for a nominee. The Hill: Biden receives endorsements from three swing-district Democrats. The Washington Post: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) probably won’t make the next debate. His Iowa supporters say it doesn’t matter. © Getty Images  > Biden’s bid: While Iowa and the early states are fresh in view for Biden, he is doing something unlike others in the primary race: running a general election campaign during the Democratic primary.  As Amie Parnes writes, although most of the others in the field are pitching themselves squarely to the base, Biden’s message, for the most part, is targeting centrists and independents, a move typically reserved for the general election. “Biden’s strength has always been to fuse pragmatism and progressivism,” said former Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), former chairman of the House Democratic campaign arm, who believes Biden has the best chance of beating the president. “And the polling is pretty consistent that most Democrats want a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump and reflect their core values at the same time. Biden is trying to dominate that lane.”  Though the strategy can be risky for primary candidates, Democrats say the strategy works well for Biden. They argue that the former vice president can hang in the 2020 primary race and not bleed supporters given his position as the preeminent moderate in the field.  NBC News: The unsinkable Joe Biden? Many months and many gaffes later, he’s is still ahead. The New York Times: Missing from Democratic 2020 ad wars: Attacks on rivals. Ross Douthat: Bernie Sanders, socialism’s Reagan? Politico: Vice President Pence hits the campaign trail for Trump — and himself. OPINIONIn fire-ravaged Australia, climate denial goes up in smoke, by Jennifer Mills, a volunteer firefighter in Australia and opinion contributor, The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/2QJiG7C From Obamacare in the 2010s to what in the 2020s? by Max Nisen, opinion contributor, Bloomberg Opinion. https://bloom.bg/35saxtF WHERE AND WHEN📺 Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features Eric Byler, filmmaker and freelance journalist based in Australia, who describes the impact of months of brush fires there; Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, discusses the U.S. situation with Iran and Iraq; Ryan Grim, D.C. bureau chief for The Intercept, talks about the 2020 presidential campaign landscape, as does freelance journalist Zaid Jilani. Coverage starts at 9 a.m. ET at http://thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10 a.m. at Rising on YouTube. The House will return at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The Senate reconvenes today at 3 p.m. and will resume consideration of the nomination of Jovita Carranza to become administrator of the Small Business Administration. Votes will resume in the chamber at 5:30 p.m.  The president participates in a credentialing ceremony for newly appointed ambassadors to Washington, D.C., in the Oval Office at 11:45 a.m. Trump receives his intelligence briefing at 12:15 p.m. in the Oval Office. He will have lunch with Pence in the White House private dining room at 1 p.m. Pence will also participate in a ceremonial swearing-in at 2:30 p.m. of Aurelia Skipwith, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. At 5 p.m., the vice president will participate in the swearing-in of Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.). Pompeo meets with Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense Khalid bin Salman Al Saud at the State Department at 11 a.m. ELSEWHERE➔ Defense Department personnel killed by al Qaeda-linked group in Kenya: Al-Shaabab extremists overran a key military base used by U.S. counterterror forces in Kenya before dawn on Sunday, killing three U.S. Department of Defense personnel and destroying several U.S. aircraft and vehicles before they were repelled, U.S. and Kenyan authorities said. The strike at the Manda Bay Airfield was the terror group’s first attack against U.S. forces in the East African country. The military called the security situation “fluid” after an assault in which five attackers were killed (The Associated Press). One U.S. military service member and two U.S. defense contractors were the casualties and other Americans were wounded (Reuters). ➔ Protecting whales from outer space: The New England Aquarium of Boston and the Draper Laboratory in Cambridge are partnering to better protect whales by monitoring them from space. The two organizations believe high-tech solutions are needed to conserve the whale population and are working to use data gathered from satellites, sonar and radar to monitor them moving forward. The project is called “Counting Whales From Space” (The Associated Press). © Getty Images  THE CLOSERAnd finally …  Sunday night’s Golden Globes awards show on NBC turned out to be a decidedly political affair with earnest celebrity warnings about war (and Trump), shout-outs to Obama and references to climate change. That was after host Ricky Gervais admonished the night’s assemblage of entertainers not to deliver political speeches.   Winners of the golden statuettes included Sam Mendes (Best Director and Best Picture/Drama) for his World War I epic “1917,” which opened in theaters on Friday, and Quentin Tarantino’s 1960s fantasia “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” which won Best Picture in the comedy/musical category (Los Angeles Times). The Associated Press reports other winners HERE and Variety has the complete list. Two of the industry’s beloved figures, Tom Hanks and Ellen DeGeneres, received lifetime achievement awards, earning standing ovations. The Hill: Patricia Arquette: United States “on the brink of war.” The Hill: Jennifer Aniston shares a call for action with Russell Crowe amid Australian wildfires. Crowe, who was unable to be there in person, won for his starring role in Showtime’s “The Loudest Voice.” The Hill: Joaquin Phoenix calls on celebrities to make sacrifices. The Hill: Michelle Williams touts abortion rights. The actress was honored at the Golden Globes for her role in FX’s “Fosse/Verdon.” © Getty Images  The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@thehill.com and aweaver@thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE! TO VIEW PAST EDITIONS OF THE HILL’S MORNING REPORT CLICK HERETO RECEIVE THE HILL’S MORNING REPORT IN YOUR INBOX SIGN UP HEREMORNING REPORT SIGN UPFORWARD MORNING REPORTPrivacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  UnsubscribeEmail to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other NewslettersThe Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006©2020 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

THE BLAZE

View this email in your browser January 6, 2020Trending now  Iranian lawmaker suggests attacking White House, $80 million bounty placed on President Trump’s head  Liberal law school professor: Democrats’ impeachment case is ‘a historic failure’ that is collapsingMore from TheBlaze  Lindsey Graham has ultimatum for Nancy Pelosi, promises to ‘take matters in our own hands’  Terrible news for Democrats in 2020: Census projections showing Electoral College gains for GOP  AOC isn’t happy about sharing a political party with Joe Biden  Iraqi parliament votes to take action against US for airstrike that killed SoleimaniListen live to Blaze RadioTune in to the next generation of talk radio, featuring original content from hosts like Glenn Beck, Pat Gray, Stu Burguiere, Steve Deace and more!Start listeningOne last thing …Ricky Gervais destroys Hollywood liberals: ‘You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything’British comedian Ricky Gervais tore into Hollywood on Sunday night as the host of the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards. Gervais told millions of viewers watching around the world that the room filled with A-list actors and corporate moguls, such as Tom Hanks, Al Pacino, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Apple CEO Tim Cook, were in no position to … Read moreYou might like …Got friends?FORWARD THIS EMAIL  © 2020 Blaze Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive emails from Blaze Media.Privacy Policy | Manage your preferences | Unsubscribe8275 S. Eastern Ave, Ste 200-245Las Vegas, Nevada, 89123, USA

NBC

From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann. FIRST READ: Iran pushes impeachment and the 2020 race off center stage – for nowUkraine and the impeachment of President Trump have dominated American politics over the last three and a half months. Until now.Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump’s ordered strike on Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani has put impeachment on the backburner, and it’s almost removed the 2020 presidential race from the stovetop altogether – with the Iowa caucuses 28 days away (!!!). On “Meet the Press” yesterday, Elizabeth Warren suggested that the timing of the strike against Iran wasn’t a coincidence. “I think the question people reasonably ask is, ‘Next week Donald Trump faces the start potentially of an impeachment trial. And why now?’ I think people are starting to ask, ‘Why now did he do this? Why not delay?’ And why this one is so dangerous is that he is truly taking us right to the edge of war. And that is something that puts us at risk. It puts the Middle East at risk. It puts the entire world at risk.” Whatever the reason – to deter an imminent threat as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, or to retaliate against the Iranian-backed attacks on the U.S. embassy in Iraq, or to simply wag the dog as Trump tweeted about back in 2012 – the president’s Iran move has knocked impeachment off the front pages. And it puts pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats to send those articles of impeachment to the Senate, which they haven’t done as Congress returns from its holiday break. Indeed, Pelosi said that the House this week will introduce and vote on a war-powers resolution to limit the president’s military actions against Iran, per NBC’s Alex Moe – but nothing yet on those articles of impeachment. Other 2020 questions we have as it relates to the hostilities with Iran: In the Democratic race, does Joe Biden’s foreign policy experience become more of an asset? Or does Bernie Sanders and his anti-war message benefit? For Trump, does the “little noise” that Pompeo said might happen from Iran’s ultimate response turn into a deafening problem for the president in a re-election year – both abroad and at home? And does Trump siding with his neocons on Iran eliminate, once and for all, one of his most potent 2016 messages – no more Middle East wars and focus instead on rebuilding the United States? The latest news regarding IranHundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran on Monday for the funeral of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed in a U.S. air strike last week, while his daughter said his death would bring a ‘dark day’ for the United States,” Reuters reports. “Meanwhile, in Baghdad the Iraqi parliament voted to ask its government to end the U.S. military presence in the country, and Iraq’s prime minister has scheduled a meeting with the U.S. ambassador for Monday to discuss the U.S. role in Iraq, according to two officials familiar with the planning,” per NBC News. And Iran said Sunday “that it was ending its commitment to limit enrichment of uranium as part of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, more fallout from the U.S. strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani,” according to NBC and the Associated Press.2020 VISION: In Iowa, it’s 15 percent or bustHere’s the most important number to consider when thinking about the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses: 15 percent. That’s the minimum support a candidate must get at an individual caucus site to achieve viability in order to earn delegates. If a candidate doesn’t meet that 15 percent threshold, his or her supporters must realign with a different candidate who has achieved viability – or go to the “uncommitted” part of the room. So for the candidates who are touting rising poll numbers or buzz in the Hawkeye State, if you’re not within striking distance of 15 percent, you’re simply not a player.On the campaign trail today: Joe Biden and Andrew Yang stump in Iowa… So does John Delaney… Tulsi Gabbard holds a town hall in New Hampshire… Michael Bennet also is in the Granite State… Cory Booker holds a town hall in New York City… And Michael Bloomberg is in Los Angeles. Dispatches from NBC’s campaign embeds: After a town hall in Iowa, Elizabeth Warren leaned into questioning the timing of President Trump’s decision to strike and kill Iranian official Qassem Soleimani – repeating a similar claim she made earlier in the day on Meet the Press that it may have to do with the president’s political calculations, NBC’s Deepa Shivaram reports Warren’s remarks: “Why didn’t this happen a month ago? Why didn’t it happen a month from now? Why right now as Donald Trump faces a potential impeachment trial in the United States Senate next week? This administration just keeps telling a lot of different stories just like they did on Ukraine. As soon as people started asking questions about Ukraine and the phone call between the President of Ukraine and Donald Trump, stories all changed and it turned out what was Donald Trump doing? He was doing Donald Trump’s own political business.” NBC’s Ben Pu reports on a somewhat awkward moment yesterday, when Andrew Yang brought up 2016 controversies between Bernie Sanders and the DNC: “At one point during his stump speech, Yang engaged in his standard practice of soliciting answers from the audience for a point he was making about Trump winning in 2016. ‘If you turned on cable news, why would you think that Trump won in 2016?’ People normally shout out answers like ‘Russia’ and ‘emails’, etc. But today some people shouted out ‘Bernie’ and ‘DNC’ to which Yang replied, ‘I mean the DNC was trying to help Hillary, so I don’t know if that — I — [laughs].’ It was a bit of an odd moment from Yang who normally sticks to his stump speech pretty closely. Yang has repeatedly brought up his support of Sanders on the trail and how much Yang admires Sanders.”DATA DOWNLOAD: And the number of the day is… $143.8 million.That’s the amount of money President Trump’s campaign raised (total receipts, so including transfers) in 2019 – from the first three quarters it filed with Federal Election Commission, plus its released total for the fourth quarter. TRUMP: = Q1-3 $97.8m + estimated Q4 $46m = $143.8m (at least $66.3m in transfers) BIDEN: Q1-3 $37.8m + estimated Q4 $22.7m = $60.5m SANDERS: Q1-3 $74.4m + estimated Q4 $34.5m = $108.9m (at least $12.7 million in transfers) WARREN: Q1-3 $60.3m + estimated Q4 $21.2m = $81.5m (at least $10.4 million in transfers) BUTTIGIEG: Q1-3 $51.5m + estimated Q4 $24.7m = $76.2m KLOBUCHAR: Q1-3 $17.5m + estimated Q4 $11.4m = $28.9m (at least $3.6m in transfers) YANG: Q1-3 $14.5m + estimated Q4 16.5m = $31m BOOKER: Q1-3 $18.5m + estimated Q4 $6.6m = $25.1m (at least $2.8m in transfers)TWEET OF THE DAY: Money might not buy you happiness – but it can buy a lot of campaign staffTHE LID: The magic number in IowaDon’t miss the pod from Friday, when we looked at that 15 percent threshold for the Iowa caucuses.ICYMI: News clips you shouldn’t miss The president is doubling down on his threat to Iranian cultural sites, even after his Secretary of State said the U.S. will not violate international law with any strikes. Democrats want more answers on the decision to target Soleimani, and Nancy Pelosi says the House will vote this week on a war powers resolution to limit Trump’s actions on Iran. Don’t miss Alex Seitz-Wald’s look at whether Joe Biden is really unsinkable. Speaking of Biden… he got the backing of three key swing-district Democrats over the weekend. He’s back… Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee is running for president again, this time as a Libertarian. Harvey Weinstein’s trial is beginning in New York. And an online CBS/YouGov poll found Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden all tied in Iowa – with Elizabeth Warren in fourth place.Thanks for reading. If you’re a fan, please forward this to a friend. They can sign up here. We love hearing from our readers, so shoot us a line here with your comments and suggestions. Thanks, Chuck, Mark and Carrie.