A looming threat bigger than Trump

And special counsel Jack Smith was targeted by an attempted swatting [VIEW IN BROWSER]( MSNBC DAILY Understand today's news [VIEW IN BROWSER]( MSNBC DAILY Understand today's news Tuesday, Jan. 09, 2024 THE LATEST [Alternate text] [The House GOP punched itself in the face to only reach the same spending deal]( By Hayes Brown Congress is finally back to work this week with [yet another funding deadline]( looming over Capitol Hill. This time around, though, the members are starting things off on a rare positive note. Congressional leaders over the weekend announced that they’ve [come to an agreement]( on the top-line spending amounts that will be divided among the federal government’s various programs and departments. This is a big deal because House Republicans have been grumbling for months about the deal between former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and President Joe Biden during [last year’s debt ceiling negotiations](. That [agreement]( — passed into law as part of [the Fiscal Responsibility Act]( — mandated that the current fiscal year would be funded with an overall spending level of $1.59 trillion. According to Sunday’s announcement, the current fiscal year will now be funded with an overall spending level of $1.59 trillion. Yes, you read that correctly. There is no substantive difference between the agreement made between Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., despite Johnson’s attempts to say otherwise. It’s the appropriations process version of Vanilla Ice insisting that the beat for “Ice Ice Baby” is [entirely different]( than the bass line to Queen and David Bowie’s hit “Under Pressure.” This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest article. [Read the full column here](.     TOP STORIES [Alternate text] [NORMAN EISEN AND JOANNA LYDGATE]( [There's a looming threat to our democracy that's bigger than Donald Trump]( Roughly a third of the current House and Senate — 171 members in all — are election deniers, according to new research from States United. [Read more.]( [JA'HAN JONES]( [Mike Pence, Bill Barr and the fence-straddling 'Never Say Never' Trumpers]( Oh, look — the 'anti-Trump' GOPers are back in his corner. [Read more.]( [STEVE BENEN]( [GOP shows new signs of unraveling in key battleground state]( Democrats in the Wolverine State have reason to be pleased. [Read more.]( [STEVE BENEN]( [The problem with Jim Jordan's 'damning evidence' against Biden]( The GOP congressman probably should've thought this through a bit more. [Read more.](     TOP VIDEOS [Alternate text] [INSIDE WITH JEN PSAKI]( ['This is the Pandora's box that Trump opened': Jack Smith targeted by attempted swatting]( [DEADLINE WHITE HOUSE]( [Trump mocks John McCain again, this time over Vietnam War injuries]( [RACHEL MADDOW]( [Maddow: U.S. GOP shows unique rejection of democracy with embrace of Trump]( THE BEAT WITH ARI [Trump's coup nightmare comes true: Jan. 6 attacker's own videos get him convicted]( MORE FROM MSNBC [Alternate text]     Tomorrow, Andrea Mitchell sits down with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv for an exclusive interview amidst Secretary Blinken's latest trip to the Middle East and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Watch Andrea Mitchell Reports, tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET on MSNBC.   Tomorrow, with the top Republican candidates taking different stages in Iowa, Rachel Maddow and team will break down the night and discuss what's at stake ahead of Monday’s caucuses. Watch "Caucus Countdown," tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET on MSNBC.       MSNBC INSIGHTS [Alternate text] Have you ever wanted to provide MSNBC with your opinion about their TV programs, documentaries, and digital products, such as MSNBC.com, newsletters, and podcasts? Now is your chance! [Join the MSNBC Insights Community.](   [Image] [Image] 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 [PRIVACY]( | [CONTACT]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE](listvar=sub_daily) [PRIVACY]( | [CONTACT]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE](listvar=sub_daily)