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TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Democratic Party officials keep sending mixed messages about the Iowa caucus results. Can we please speak to the manager

Meanwhile, the FBI promises to crack down on white supremacist terrorism. It’s probably better if nobody tells the president.

And lastly, Donald Trump wants to kick three million Americans off of food stamps. Charities say they won’t have enough food for the hungry.

THESE ARE THE STORIES YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Many news organizations rely on the Associated Press to make the call on elections. So, many were flustered when the AP finally declared that the winner of Monday’s Iowa Caucuses will forever be a matter of opinion. The AP said it was QUOTE unable to declare a winner ENDQUOTE. Not unwilling -- un-able.

After that announcement yesterday, the Iowa Democratic Party delivered yet another set of final results – these showing Pete Buttigieg with a narrow lead over Bernie Sanders. Thursday morning, Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez declared that he wanted to see a re-canvass in Iowa. Not everyone was sure what that meant. Iowa Democrats complained Perez failed to give them a heads-up. It’s unclear who is calling the shots.

The campaign manager for Bernie Sanders said a re-canvass was not necessary – especially since the initial tallies had not yet been fullly completed. Pete Buttigieg, who was quick to claim victory this week, was also proclaimed the winner last night by CNN during a town hall interview with the candidate.

Although the outcome in Iowa was muddled by some measure of shenanigans, corruption and incompetence, the consequences came quickly. The Andrew Yang campaign laid off dozens of staffers. Amy Klobuchar claimed to have come in second place though no figures backed her up. The Intercept caught Mike Bloomberg his policy proposals. Politico reported that several women of color resigned from Elizabeth Warren's Nevada campaign after feeling tokenized. The Washington Post proclaimed Joe Biden himself to be the problem with his

campaign, as Senate Republicans moved forward with an investigation into the finances of Biden's son Hunter.

So, a less than stellar week for democracy. A worse week for Bidens.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it is finally getting serious about violent racist gangs – serious, that is, about stopping them. In the Trump era the country has suffered waves of mass shootings fueled by hate -- and even targeted killings by neo-Nazi groups.

Yesterday FBI director Christopher Wray told Congressional leaders that racially motivated domestic terrorists are a QUOTE national threat priority ENDQUOTE. This designation, Wray said, puts far-right violent extremists on par with Islamic terrorist groups like ISIS, when it comes the bureau’s priorities.

Wray announced the policy shift in response to questions from the House Judiciary Committee. As of November the FBI said it made one hundred and seven domestic terrorism arrests last year – and several big busts have happened since then, as well.

Hate group experts attributed the bureau’s sudden interest in far-right white supremacist groups in to the discovery that some of those groups in the United States had foreign support -- for instance, from fascists in Russia and Ukraine. Some experts cautiously embraced the FBI’s stronger stance, but caution about the agency’s specific plans and warned of mission creep. After all, the feds still report to Donald Trump.

Three million people, including children, could risk hunger and malnourishment in the United States if the Trump administration gets its way with food stamps. That was the message to Congress yesterday in hearings over proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

Trump's rule change would push people off of SNAP benefits by demanding that states include assets like a car or a house in determining eligibility. Struggling families could be forced to choose between food and shelter.

Another seven hundred thousand people are expected to lose benefits in April when another Trump rule change takes effect. But Congress has some say.

The chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy spoke out against the cuts. That’s Raja Krishnamoorthi (RA-JAW KRISH-NA-MOOR-TEE), a Democrat from Illinois. The issue is personal for Krishnamoorthi. He was born in New Delhi and came to America as an infant. His family struggled at first, but thrived thanks to government assistance.

Hunger relief groups say that Trump's SNAP cuts would require private food banks around the country to serve an additional one billion meals per year. As NBC News reports, the food banks expect this would be impossible.

Consider this Trump's gift to America upon his impeachment victory.

AND NOW FOR SOME QUICKER QUICKIES:

Two men were shot by ICE agents in New York yesterday morning. Both victimes were unarmed, and one man was hit in the face. The immigration agents were trying to arrest one man when his brother tried to intervene. Some of the incident was captured on video. The Daily News news says agents first used their Tasers and then fired their guns.

Immigrants rights activists surrounded a hospital where the men were being treated as ICE agents lurked outside. The activists said they feared the agency would try to deport witnesses to the shooting.

Iraq announced it would be strengthening military ties with Russia. The news comes after the Iraqi government asked the US military to pack up and leave after seventeen years of war and occupation. Recent Iranian strikes in Iraq no doubt sped up this decision – and Iraqi leaders made clear that they blamed Donald Trump’s aggression for those Iranian attacks on US positions in their country.

A key Iraqi general praised Russia’s help in fighting ISIS and said Iraq intends to not only procure more weapons from Russia, but coordinate more closely on operational matters. If not the end of the Iraq war, it is certainly marks the total failure of US foreign policy.

With several cities already under total curfew, the Chinese government is setting up QUOTE quarantine camps ENDQUOTE to deal with Wuhan coronavirus.

World health officials have praised China’s swift and drastic public health measures, at least up to this point. But many American and European officials called China’s response authoritarian.

Either way, the news has enflamed anti-Asian racism around the country.

In San Francisco, merchants report a fifty percent drop in foot traffic since local news started covering the virus. News reports blame false rumors spread online and through messaging apps. I blame Mark Zuckerberg.

#AMQuickie: February 7th, 2020

HOSTS - Sam Seder & Lucie Steiner

WRITER - Corey Pein

PRODUCER - Dorsey Shaw

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Brendan Finn