Martin Luther King is not your mascot
But Hajar Yazdiha, the author of a new book about the struggle over King’s memory, argues that it’s worse than that — that Dr. King’s legacy has been used quite intentionally as a “Trojan horse for anti-civil rights causes.” For instance, at a news conference in 2021, numerous Republican lawmakers invoked King’s “I Have a Dream” speech while arguing for bans on teaching Critical Race Theory in schools.
NPR
Johnson faces conservative blowback over latest spending patch
Speaker Mike Johnson’s new short-term spending plan is sparking quick pushback from his right flank, who wanted to use the funding deadlines to crackdown along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Politico
Immigration is a top-tier issue for Iowa caucus-goers
Des Moines, Iowa–Concerns about the flow of migrants over the southern border are becoming a major focal point for candidates and caucus-goers in the final days before the Iowa Caucuses.
The Hill
DHS says Texas officials barred federal Border Patrol agents from entering park area where three migrants later drowned
‘U.S. Border Patrol must have access to the border to enforce our laws,’ White House spokesman Angelo Fernández Hernández said in a Sunday statement
MarketWatch
US says Texas guard blocked bid to rescue migrants crossing river
The Biden administration on Sunday denounced what it said was “dangerous” obstruction by Texas authorities, after three migrants drowned while attempting to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico in disputed circumstances.
AFP
US Congress Unveils Temporary Spending Bill to Avert Shutdown
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.
Bloomberg
Whitmire reversing predecessor’s political logjam
Shortly after being sworn in as mayor of Houston, the fourth largest city in America, John Whitmire, started reversing the political logjam that characterized his predecessor’s administration.
The Center Square
Biden Admin Under Fire After Accusing HuffPost Journalist of Making Up Quotes
Akbar Shahid Ahmed reports U.S. diplomat Brett McGurk is pushing a “controversial” plan to rebuild Gaza after the war
The Wrap
Supreme Court set for pivotal cases that could claw back federal administrative power
The Supreme Court will hear a dispute this week that could lead to a decision dramatically clawing back the power of federal agencies, putting a number of consumer and environmental protections in jeopardy.
At issue is whether courts should defer to interpretation by federal agencies when a law could have multiple meanings, a practice known as Chevron deference.
The Hill
‘Ready to rumble’: Trump holds Iowa campaign rally more akin to victory lap
Event, briefly interrupted by young climate protesters, overshadows those of former president’s Republican rivals
The Guardian
RFK Jr. defends Kennedy administration wiretap of Martin Luther King Jr.
In an exclusive interview with POLITICO, Kennedy said that his father, Robert F. Kennedy — who authorized the wiretapping of King as attorney general — and President John F. Kennedy permitted the eavesdropping because they were “making big bets on King, particularly in organizing the March on Washington.”
Politico
‘Get the hell out’: Vivek Ramaswamy removes comedians who interrupted him and Ron DeSantis
Presidential hopefuls aren’t the only ones working hard on Iowa caucus weekend.
Political comedy group “The Good Liars” interrupted a speech by GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in Ankeny on Sunday, a day after trying to hand “a participation trophy” to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
It’s unclear what the duo, comprised of Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler, told the entrepreneur. However, video shows Stiefler saying, “I love you. I love all of you, that’s the thing about me.”
USA Today
Sanders Predicts Dems Will ‘Rally ‘Round’ Biden Because Trump Is ‘One of Most Dangerous’ Figures in Modern History
But the president needs to ‘change course’ on aid to Israel amid Gaza casualties, the senator argued
The Messenger
Supreme Court to decide on legality of homeless encampments
The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to tackle the question of whether unhoused people have a constitutional right to camp on public property when they have no alternative place to sleep.
The Real Deal
College-educated Republicans once appeared ready to move on from Trump. They’re now solidly behind his 2024 campaign.
During Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, he quickly become a favorite of the working-class voting bloc that has become an increasingly influential part of the Republican coalition.
These voters, who have been among Trump’s most stalwart backers in poll after poll assessing the 2024 GOP primaries, are set to give him a significant edge in Iowa and South Carolina, as well as upcoming primaries across the country.
But there is one GOP bloc that had seemingly wavered on Trump but is now back in the former president’s corner: college-educated voters.
Business Insider
The Republican Party’s Dangerous New Rhetoric Around Immigration
Former President Trump vows to erect giant “deportation camps” if re-elected. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott muses about ordering law enforcement to shoot migrants. The Republican Party’s rhetoric around immigration is growing increasingly vile.
The Moderate Voice
Denmark: New King Frederik X takes throne from Margarethe II
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has proclaimed Frederik X the new King of Denmark on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace on Sunday, after Queen Margrethe II gave up the throne.
Deutsche Welle
Guatemala Congress Delays President-elect Arevalo’s Inauguration
The swearing-in ceremony of Guatemala’s president-elect Bernardo Arevalo was delayed Sunday as Congress, controlled by his opponents, was locked in debate over the admission of new lawmakers.
International Business Times
North Korea says it tested solid-fuel missile with hypersonic warhead
North Korea said it has tested a new solid-fuel missile fitted with a hypersonic warhead as it continued efforts to develop more powerful, harder-to-detect weaponry.
The launch took place on Sunday afternoon and came as Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui headed to Moscow amid concerns in the United States and elsewhere that Pyongyang was selling weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine in return for Russian technological expertise.
AlJazeera
They were Israel’s eyes on the border – but their Hamas warnings went unheard
For years, units of young female conscripts had one job here. It was to sit in surveillance bases for hours, looking for signs of anything suspicious.
In the months leading up to the 7 October attacks by Hamas, they did begin to see things: practice raids, mock hostage-taking, and farmers behaving strangely on the other side of the fence.
BBC
‘Really nothing else we can do’: New volcano eruption in Iceland sends lava flowing toward homes
A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted for the second time in less than a month on Sunday, sending lava snaking toward a nearby community and setting at least one home on fire.
USA Today
Africa: Comoros goes to the polls, incumbent expected to win
The island nation of Comoros off the coast of East Africa voted Sunday for president in Africa’s first national election of 2024.
Deutsche Welle
