The Trump campaign had told the press that Donald Trump would be meeting with black pastors in New York on Monday. Following the meeting, a press conference was set up where the group was expected to endorse the Trump candidacy. Following the beating of a Black Lives Matter protester at a Trump rally and the candidate’s unwillingness to condemn the attack, many religious leaders in the group retracted their anticipated support. The meeting with Trump will still happen -- whether it results in any endorsements is yet to be seen.

Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have been going back and forth escalating attacks on each other’s campaigns. Both freshmen senators are polling in the top four spots; they see the possible fall of Trump and Carson as an opportunity to pick up their supporters. Cruz says Rubio has been misleading voters and making false accusations against his campaign. The comments came following a pro-Rubio Super-PAC ad that pointed to a vote where Cruz supported a bill to stop the bulk collection of phone data. The ad seemed to suggest Cruz’s unwillingness to do his utmost to keep Americans safe.

Applecart, a New York firm hired by a pro-Kasich Super-PAC, has been examining all kinds of sources to find potential supporters for the Ohio governor. Apart from yearbooks, the firm has been looking at church lists, sports rosters and other national sources. They use this data to then pin-point people who are influential within their personal networks

Chris Christie’s campaign has been on life-support since he was relegated to the JV squad in the last Republican debate. The renewed fear of terrorism following the Paris attacks has breathed air back into his campaign. His touching and riveting accounts of his life at the time of 9/11 have caused voters to take a second look at his platform.

The gloves are off in the world of negative advertising. The Donald Trump campaign has released an ad superimposing a number of clips of Hillary Clinton laughing on other clips of Benghazi destruction and negative headlines.

GOP candidate Ted Cruz has doubled his poll numbers in Iowa in just one month. He is now in a statistical tie with Donald Trump, polling in the mid 20s. Ben Carson, on the other hand, has been steadily losing ground, about 10 points over the same period.

Donald Trump would have absolutely no problem bringing back the practice of waterboarding, an interrogation tactic the Obama administration stopped using. In a chilling admission, Trump said he would “approve more than that.” His argument is that people who say that torture doesn’t work are just plain wrong. But, he notes, if in some cases it actually doesn’t work, they deserve it anyway.

Donald Trump supporters beat a Black Lives Matter protester at a rally in Alabama on Saturday. The following day, Trump went on Fox, where he said that he was OK with the way his supporters reacted to the incident. He said: “Maybe he should have been roughed up because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing.” The campaign did, however, say it does not condone such behavior.

Focused on the threat to the United States posed by the Islamic State, Rubio’s first TV ad, running 30 seconds, is to be aired nationally starting on Tuesday. Titled “A Civilizational Struggle,” the ad closes with Rubio saying: “There can be no arrangement or negotiation. Either they win or we do.”

The head of Media Matters for America and noteworthy Clinton supporter David Brock has bought 80% of Blue Nation Review. The outlet will serve as an important source for progressive and investigative journalism and serve as an advocate for Hillary Clinton. Brock said of the purchase: “With the 2016 campaign now fully underway, the time is right for the rise of a new liberal standard-bearer, and Blue Nation Review is poised to assume that role.”