Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In a new national Quinnipiac poll, Donald Trump continues to dominate the Republican field with 28% support, followed by Ben Carson's 12%. Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio are tied for third with 7% each, followed by Scott Walker is sixth place with 6%. The news is especially poor for Rand Paul, who's in 11th place in the poll with a woeful 2%.
* The same poll found Hillary Clinton leading Bernie Sanders in the race for the Democratic nomination, 45% to 22%, followed by Vice President Biden with 18%.
* Quinnipiac also found Clinton with modest leads over the top GOP candidates in hypothetical general-election match-ups. Biden enjoyed similar advantages over Republicans.
* Jeb Bush said of Donald Trump yesterday, "This guy is now the front-runner." I don't remember Bush saying this before.
* The Huffington Post reports that Trump has reportedly told "several top Republicans that he will swear off the possibility of an independent bid and commit to running his presidential campaign under the party's banner." It's a story worth keeping a close eye on.
* As Rachel noted on the show last night, Trump is extraordinarily unpopular with Latino voters, and his impersonation of Japanese negotiators will likely help alienate yet another minority group.
* Priorities USA, a Clinton-aligned super PAC, has a tough new ad out this morning on Republican presidential candidates and their anti-immigrant rhetoric. The 30-second spot is reportedly set to air in Colorado, Florida, and Nevada.
* VP Biden reportedly told Democratic officials yesterday that he's assessing whether he has the "emotional fuel" to run for president.
* And Rand Paul, who has made minority outreach a priority, argued yesterday that the Black Lives Matter movement should change its name. The Kentucky senator prefers "All Lives Matter" or "Innocent Lives Matter."