Politics

NPR reports: Turnout was low in these caucuses compared to the record-setting 2016 turnout. Only about 110,000 Republicans caucused with 99% of results in. That represents less than 15% of the total number of registered Republicans in the state. Put another way … almost $124 million was spent on campaign ads in Iowa by the Republican candidates, more than any …

“They spent almost $50 million attacking us. The media was against us, they were writing our obituaries months ago. They even called the election before people even got a chance to vote. They were just so excited about the fact that they were predicting that we wouldn’t be able to get our ticket punched here out of Iowa, but I …

“At one point in this campaign, there were fourteen of us running. I was at 2% in the polls. But tonight Iowa did what Iowa always does so well. The pundits will analyze the results from every angle, we get that, but when you look at how we’re doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina, and beyond, I can safely …

The Washington Post reports: Maryland’s largest daily newspaper, the Baltimore Sun, has been acquired by David D. Smith, the executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, a family-controlled TV station company headquartered outside Baltimore, for an undisclosed sum. Union representatives and staff expressed surprise at the sale. Some said they learned of the deal only shortly before it was publicly announced. …

“What happened tonight is appalling– the media calling the race for Donald Trump before votes had been cast. I personally spoke in multiple precincts in front of hundreds of voters. And while I’m presenting and delivering the closing arguments around just for Ron DeSantis, and actually flipping voters, people start getting alerts on their phone saying the race is over …

Yahoo News reports: Former President Donald Trump easily won the Iowa caucuses Monday night in his first test at securing his party’s presidential nomination in 2024. Less than an hour after the caucuses began, the Associated Press called the race for Trump, who had a commanding lead in Iowa polls for months, so the result did not come as a …

NBC News reports: Iowa Republicans will hold caucuses Monday at 7 p.m. CT to select a presidential nominee. Former President Donald Trump has held a commanding lead in polls of the state since he announced his intention to run for president a third time. The real competitiveness of the race has come down to a contest for second place between …

Politico reports: In a forum with Elon Musk on Monday afternoon, Democratic presidential primary challenger Dean Phillips floated a possible Cabinet post for the billionaire and his tech allies. Phillips, who is running a longshot bid against President Joe Biden, spoke with Musk, hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman and podcast host Jason Calacanis for a wide-ranging conversation on Musk’s X …

The New York Post reports: An independent Super PAC has been launched to help Republican Mazi Pilip defeat ex-Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi in the Feb. 13 special election to fill the House seat vacated by the expulsion of lying ex-Congressman George Santos. Secure New York State PAC is running six-figure radio and digital ads slamming the Democrat as “Sanctuary Suozzi” …

Bloomberg News reports: Ron DeSantis has enough cash to sustain his 2024 US presidential bid past Monday’s Iowa Republican caucus into crucial primaries in March, one of his finance chairs said, reassuring donors concerned about his standing in polls. “If we have the success I think we can have in Iowa and exceed expectations, I think fundraising will really be …

The Messenger reports: Former Donald Trump White House official Anthony Scaramucci will be campaigning for President Joe Biden in the next presidential election if comes down to him and his old boss representing both major parties. “This really is going to be a battle for the democracy… [Trump’s] going to expand executive power. He’s going to make things rougher for …

Florida Politics reports: Florida’s Governor is shaking off the state’s senior Senator endorsing Donald Trump for President. During a CNN interview, Ron DeSantis diminished the importance of Marco Rubio’s decision. “Donald Trump is the candidate of the Washington politicians,” DeSantis told Dana Bash. The Governor touted his endorsements from “state legislators” and “state officials” in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South …

Bloomberg News reports: US lawmakers released a stopgap spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown on Jan. 20, greatly reducing the chances of a closure but risking conservative Republican ire against House Speaker Mike Johnson. The temporary spending bill would extend funds for some agencies that face a Jan. 20 deadline through March 1 and for others that face …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis has quibbled about whether the Jan. 6 2021 Capitol Riots constituted an insurrection, but he has no such qualms about making a similar declaration about Black Lives Matter protests and how he would have handled them. “You as the president, you absolutely have the right to prevent this type of rioting. You know, Bush …

“I will tell you. You know why that’s important? Y’all know these illegals coming across the border? I have been there twice. You know when they’re doing? They get a cardboard with a number. What they are doing is registering to vote. You have to win by a big enough margin that you can counteract all the illegals.” – GOP …

Reuters reports: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party is set for an electoral defeat on a par with its heavy loss to the Labour Party in 1997, according to a YouGov opinion poll published in the Telegraph newspaper. Ahead of an election expected later this year, the poll predicted Labour was on course to win 385 seats in parliament …

“So if you go to Bethlehem, I mean, it’s honestly, I was really upset. It’s a pigsty, trash everywhere. It was nasty. They have a church – I think it’s where they think Christ was born. They built this beautiful church so they have it there and everything and you go in, then you walk out and they built this …

From the editorial board of the Los Angeles Times: California voters are lucky this year. They have three strong contenders in the March primary for the U.S. Senate seat that was held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Reps. Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam B. Schiff, all Democrats, are smart, experienced, savvy members of the House who could represent …

The New York Post reports: Some Donald Trump supporters said Sunday they would support his 2024 presidential rival Vivek Ramaswamy as his veep pick, but Trump’s top adviser all but nixed the notion. Trump aide Jason Miller told The Post that voters could “probably” rule out Ramaswamy as the ex-president’s running mate, given that Trump unleashed his biggest attack on …

Axios reports: Some Iowa Democrats and independents are planning to crash the state’s Republican caucuses Monday night and become “Republicans for a day” to vote for Nikki Haley — but mostly, against former President Trump. It’s unclear how many will show up, but “crossover” voting is a low-key tradition in Iowa’s caucuses — and it’s one of the big unknowns …