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TAG ‘EM AND BAG ‘EM … "Sanders Aide Fired After Free Beacon Report," by WFB Staff: The Bernie Sanders campaign has fired newly hired official Darius Khalil Gordon after the Washington Free Beacon uncovered numerous derogatory remarks he'd made toward gays, Jews, and women.
The Sanders campaign told CNN Friday afternoon that Gordon had been let go, but did not comment on his remarks … Gordon's tweets included homophobic slurs, anti-Semitic references to "Jew money," and degrading comments about women.
ARMED AND CLUELESS … "Bloomberg Fumbles Facts, Laws in Gun-Control Policy Rollout," by WFB’s Stephen Gutowski: [Michael] Bloomberg appeared to misunderstand what the FBI's firearms background check system does, seemed to make up a new "loophole" in federal gun laws, and made questionable claims about gun use among young people during a campaign speech in Aurora, Colo.
Despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars boosting the gun-control movement, Bloomberg's comments suggest he lacks a basic familiarity with the details of firearms laws, sales, and operation.
CHIEF WARREN DEMANDS GREAT SACRIFICE … "Warren to Parents: You Fix the Public Schools," by WFB’s Collin Anderson: Presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) says the burden should be on parents to fix public education, urging parents who want options beyond failing schools to pay for improvements and services themselves …
Warren has received backlash from some minority voters over her opposition to charter schools. Pro-school choice activists interrupted her recent campaign event in Atlanta, telling the Massachusetts senator, "We want the same choice for our kids that you had for your kids."
WEATHER VANE … "Biden Supported Welfare Work Requirements in 1996, Now Calls Them ‘Morally Bankrupt’," by WFB’s Charles Fain Lehman: Responding to news that an estimated 700,000 Americans could be removed from welfare rolls by a recently announced federal rule, [former vice president Joe] Biden took to Twitter to say, "This administration is morally bankrupt." …
During his time as a senator, however, Biden was a major backer of work requirements for welfare. In particular, he supported the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, the Clinton-era overhaul of the federal welfare system widely seen as ushering in "workfare" in the United States.
IN THE DARK … "Some moderate Democrats feel frustrated as party leaders start writing articles of impeachment," via CNN: One moderate Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss the caucus's thinking told CNN that the speaker's office has kept any plans on drafting the articles closely held, creating frustration and anxiety for members who will have to go home and explain impeachment in their districts.
DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HISTORY … "AOC criticized for tweet slamming Amazon’s NYC plans," via NY POST: "Won’t you look at that: Amazon is coming to NYC anyway – *without* requiring the public to finance shady deals, helipad handouts for Jeff Bezos, & corporate giveaways," Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted …
Some folks had no patience for the Queens congresswoman’s boast, noting the Internet retailer’s new office space would bring significantly fewer jobs than the headquarters Amazon had planned to build in Long Island City.
THE PEOPLE’S PARTY … "Democrats battle for Hollywood’s cash," via THE HILL: Some Democrats are also wary of the long-term impact of celebrity endorsements, pointing specifically to [President] Trump’s lack of high-profile celebrity support in 2016.
"Let's look at 2016 with Hillary Clinton," says Deshundra Jefferson, a former Democratic National Committee official. "How many endorsements would she have, versus, you know, Donald Trump? What did the polls look like? And who ultimately won the White House?"
WHITE PEOPLE PROBLEMS … "Buttigieg Struggles to Square Transparency With Nondisclosure Agreement," via NYT: Kim Miller, an [Elizabeth] Warren backer who works for the teachers union in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said Monday after a Warren event at the University of Iowa that [Pete] Buttigieg’s resume—Harvard, McKinsey, Navy veteran, small-town mayor—was not sufficient to make him the Democratic standard-bearer.
"What qualifies him to even run? It’s pretty presumptuous," Mr. Miller said. "It’s amazing that he’s taken off. Iowans are weird."
DIGGING DEEPER … "FBI is investigating the Pensacola shooting as an act of terrorism," via WASHINGTON POST: Investigators in Florida and Saudi Arabia on Sunday dug deeper into the background of a Saudi aviation student who fatally shot three people at a Pensacola naval base, as lawmakers from both parties demanded the kingdom fully cooperate in the investigation.
Officials are treating the shooting as an act of terrorism and are trying to learn whether the gunman was working as part of a larger network when he opened fire in a Naval Air Station Pensacola classroom Friday, killing three people and wounding eight.
DEFINITION OF INSANITY … "US opens first round of resurrected peace talks with Taliban," via AP: U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad on Saturday held the first official talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban since President Donald Trump declared a near-certain peace deal with the insurgents dead in September.
The talks will initially focus on getting a Taliban promise to reduce violence, with a permanent ceasefire being the eventual goal, said a U.S. statement.
WINNING … "In Prisoner Swap, Iran Frees American Held Since 2016," via NYT: Iran on Saturday freed an American graduate student who had been imprisoned in Tehran for more than three years on suspicion of being a spy, in an exchange of prisoners at a moment of high tensions with Washington …
In exchange for [Xiyue] Wang’s release, the United States freed Masoud Soleimani, an Iranian scientist who was arrested at a Chicago airport last year and was convicted on charges of violating American trade sanctions against Iran.
THAT SUPPOSED TO BE AN INSULT? … "Reporter tells Biden he sounds "like Trump" after Democrat claims media is wrong about Ocasio-Cortez," via SALON: "You guys got it all wrong about what happened," Biden told the reporter. "You all thought that what happened was the party moved extremely to the left after Hillary. AOC was the new party. She’s a bright, wonderful person. But where’s the party? Come on, man."
"You sound like Trump," Allen told Biden. "Fake news."
"Yeah, I do," Biden replied. "No, it’s not fake. It’s just bad judgment."
RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE … "CNN’s Baldwin: The Most Trusted Name in Pro-Pelosi Views," by WFB’s Andrew Kugle: [Brooke] Baldwin sought outside experts to verify Pelosi's rockstar status. She turned to Christine Pelosi, daughter of the speaker and author of the book The Nancy Pelosi Way, to talk about the Democratic leader.
"So this is a historic moment for this country, certainly for your mother. Your tweet with the hashtag ‘don't mess with mama' has been trending. You know this woman better than anyone. Is this classic Nancy Pelosi? Is this the mom you've always known?" Baldwin asked.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE … "Woman with four boyfriends falls pregnant—with all of them set to raise kid," via DAILY STAR: A polyamorous woman is pregnant with a baby by one of her four boyfriends—and wants all of them to raise the baby together.
Tory Ojeda lives with three of her partners in Jacksonville, Florida, and is the only one who has multiple lovers.
FALLING BEHIND … "American Education’s Great Stagnation," by WFB’s Charles Fain Lehman: Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), released in November, and from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), released Tuesday, indicate that American kids have seen minimal improvement in their academic abilities since the early to mid-2000s …
Over the past decade or so, NAEP scores among African-American students, particularly boys and particularly in major cities, have actually declined. That means that the much-bemoaned "achievement gap" between black and white students—which much of education policy is focused on closing—may be widening.
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW: 1,093. Come back, Joe!
"You know who really doesn’t have it? Joe Biden." —Former President Barack Obama
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