Democratic and Republican 2020 campaigns are using apps like Team to identify potential voters from their supporters' phone contacts, the Financial Times reports.
Why it matters: As Twitter refines its ban on political ads and Google restricts audience targeting for verified political advertisers, relational organizing apps can offer campaigns a work-around to access supporters' social networks.
Sen. Kamala Harris' 2020 campaign is in the midst of freefall as the campaign deals with disorganization at the highest levels and a dire financial situation, The New York Times reports, citing interviews with "more than 50 current and former campaign staff members and allies."
The big picture: At the start of the campaign, Harris shot to the top of the polls, especially after she confronted former Vice President Joe Biden over his desegregation and busing policy. Flash forward to today, Harris is at the bottom of the polls in early states and is struggling to make a lasting impression on voters, the Times notes.
Baby Yoda, the juggernaut character from Disney+'s Star Wars series "The Mandalorian," is driving almost twice as many average social media interactions on news stories about it as any 2020 Democrat, according to data from NewsWhip exclusively provided to Axios.
Why it matters: The internet's most memeable 50-year-old broke through the online conversation in a huge way since the show's Nov. 12 premiere — and its viral success should worry the 2020 race's late Democratic entrants, Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick.
President Trump says he has relaunched peace negotiations with the Taliban.
What he's saying: Trump said in a meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Thursday that he believes the Taliban wants a ceasefire, per pool reports, and he wants to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan from 12-13,000 to 8,600.
President Trumpthrilled China hardliners in the U.S. yesterday by signing two bills backing human rights in Hong Kong, provoking a threat of "firm counter measures" from Beijing.
Why it matters: Trump signed the bills knowing they would complicate trade negotiations. That suggests that he thinks he has a winning hand, based partly on weak economic data from China and stronger signs in the U.S.
President Trump keeps losing in court, but his legal strategy is winning as he plays for time, The New York Times reports.
Why it matters: Even as the Democrats take Trump to court over ignored subpoenas, he benefits by letting it all bleed out slowly. Voters won't be learning new damaging facts about him before they hit the polls in 2020.
Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Ryaboshapka says Attorney General Bill Barr has not formally requested an investigation regarding the Bidens and Ukrainian gas company Burisma at the heart of the impeachment inquiry, the Financial Times reports.
Why it matters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reassured President Trump during their July phone call that the next person to be appointed as the general prosecutor will "100%" be Zelensky's person, per the Financial Times. Ryaboshapka was appointed weeks later, and insists he is his own person.
