THE SHOW NOTES: The Democrats Latest Conspiracy Theory

Welcome! Over 30 tornadoes hit the southeast yesterday.

HEADLINE: Home prices to tumble over 25% from peak levels in ‘overheated’ markets, says Goldman - Marketwatch

STAT: Social security will be insolvent by 2035?

$$$: A bird disease has caused tens of millions of chickens to die and pushed up egg prices. - WSJ (paywall)

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Clip of the day:

CSPAN @cspan

.@SpeakerMcCarthy on Rep. Eric Swalwell: "If you got the briefing that I got from the FBI, you wouldn't have Swalwell on any committee."

The Infamous Garage

Democrats are beginning to admit what I said yesterday on radio: the discovery of two batches of classified documents at Biden’s office and residence completely takes the Trump document scandal off the table. One Democrat went so far as to tell Politico the situation gives “president’s critics a chance to denounce him as negligent, hypocritical or careless right at a time when things were moving Biden’s way.”

Special counsel: Merrick Garland appointed Robert Hur to investigate Biden’s handling of the classified documents. Hur was a Trump-appointed former US attorney in Maryland with an impressive resume. A special counsel is by definition, largely independent of the day-to-day oversite of the Justice Department.

It gets better: Hunter Biden - who is currently under criminal investigation - had access to Joe Biden’s garage containing classified documents pertaining to Iran and Ukraine.

The timing couldn’t be worse: President Biden’s approval rating hit 44.1%, a high not seen since October of 2021 which will likely drop after the news. Additionally, the document leak gives a unifying enemy to a Republican House majority coming off of a contentious speaker fight.

OUCH: Karine Jean-Pierre failed to reassure anyone of the Biden administration’s handling of the situation.

Greg Price @greg_price11

Jean-Pierre: "We did this by the book." Reporter: "How can you say this was transparent when you sat on this information for more than two months?" *Jean-Pierre moves to the next person*

Is Hank Johnson ok?

Hank Johnson and the ladies at The View suggested Republicans planted the classified documents.

Ryan Saavedra @RealSaavedra

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) says he is "suspicious" of the classified docs that were found at Biden's home and office He suggests they might have been "planted" there to take Biden down This is the same guy who said Guam might tip over and capsize in the ocean from overpopulation

Nicholas Fondacaro @NickFondacaro

"Just as we're this close to getting [Trump], somehow these documents appear." - Joy Behar The View suggests Republicans PLANTED the confidential documents in Biden's garage and think tank! "Does it feel like the Republicans are behind it?" - Sunny Hostin

Americans For Prosperity

My friends at Americans for Prosperity hate dysfunctional government almost as much as I do. Unlike think tanks that produce esoteric term papers, Americans for Prosperity is focused on policy solutions that will directly improve people’s lives. They have the largest network of community activists in the country and need your help. Learn more at AmericansForProsperity.org/Erick

The rest of the news:

• US cancer death rate drops by 30% since 1991 - BBC

• Barry Diller Explores Sale of The Daily Beast - DNYUZ

• Lisa Marie Presley dead at 54 - CNN

• Bank of America expects ‘mild recession’ and is preparing for worse - CNBC

• Brian Kemp and the Electric Car: A Love Story - Politico

• Democrats’ Dark-Money Devotion - RCP

• Internet's short video creativity crisis - Axios

• Trump Organization sentenced to pay $1.6M for felony convictions - Fox

• Is the Deep State Coming After Joe Biden? - RCP

• Wells Fargo Cancels Prominent Florida Gun Dealer’s Accounts, Implies it Won’t Work With Gun Companies - The Reload

• Georgia’s Anti-Elitist Governor Brian Kemp Will Speak at Davos - Bloomberg (paywall)

• Tesla Cuts Prices Across Models Sold in U.S. - WSJ (paywall)

Tweets that caught my eye:

James Rosen @JamesRosenTV

The presidency of @POTUS ⁦@JoeBiden⁩ will never be the same. The appointment of a #specialcounsel always shifts the field of play a few degrees — or more. Remember the Lewinsky scandal was uncovered by a special prosecutor appointed to investigate…something else entirely.

Olivia Beavers @Olivia_Beavers

Paul Ryan tells CNN re. McCarthy Rules battles with the 20: “Let me say this, I think I had too much power as speaker.”   “I really do…Look, the thing that bothered me the most were these omnibuses…a bill that thick, that four people ultimately decide on.”

unusual_whales @unusual_whales

Apple, $AAPL, CEO, Tim Cook, to see pay reduced by over 40% in 2023 to $49 million from $84 million in 2022.

Market snapshot: