memeorandum: NeverTrumpers Never Had a Chance, but Consultants Still Cashed In (Hunter Woodall/The Daily Beast)

9:20 PM ET, February 23, 2020

Top Items:

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Let's get to the memos. — 1. The Jessie Liu memo: Shortly before withdrawing the nomination of the former D.C. U.S. attorney for a top Treasury role, the president reviewed a memo on Liu's alleged misdeeds, according to a source with direct knowledge.

Discussion: The Hill, Occupy Democrats, Raw Story and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Anderson Cooper / CBS News:

Bernie Sanders on being the Democratic frontrunner and taking on Donald Trump — Coming off his win in the Nevada caucuses, Bernie Sanders talks about Michael Bloomberg, Donald Trump, Democratic socialism, and what he would do if elected president. — Bernie Sanders had an impressive win last night in the Nevada caucuses.

Discussion: Mediaite and Twitchy

Joe Concha / The Hill:

Chris Matthews faces calls for resignation after comparing Sanders victory to Nazi invasion — MSNBC's Chris Matthews is under fire after comparing Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) decisive win in the Nevada caucuses to the Nazi invasion of France in 1940, with some on social media calling for the “Hardball” host to resign.

Discussion: Newsweek, Breitbart, Redstate, PJ Media Home, Townhall, The Gateway Pundit, NB Blog, Mother Jones and Vanity Fair

Washington Post:
Bernie Sanders, powered by diverse liberal coalition, forces a reckoning for Democrats

Discussion: Associated Press, One America News Network and The Hill

Ross Douthat / New York Times:
Bernie Sanders Romps in Nevada. Is He Unstoppable?

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

CBS News:
Bernie Sanders says he would intervene if China took military action against Taiwan

Discussion: New York Post

Annie Grayer / CNN:
Marianne Williamson endorses Bernie Sanders for president

Discussion: The Week

New York Times:
Nevada Caucuses 2020: Live Results

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, The Daily Caller, The Intercept, New York Times, LGBTQ Nation, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, Associated Press, National Review, Breitbart, Washington Free Beacon, TheStreet and CBS News

Third Way: Stand up to Bernie or You - and We - All Lose

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

Here is Democrats' last chance to get this right — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) racked up an impressive win in the Nevada caucuses, crushing his opponents and expanding his support to older voters and Hispanics. Unless Democrats manage to alter the race swiftly and dramatically …

Discussion: The Atlantic and Politico

Jennifer De Pinto / CBS News:

CBS News poll: In South Carolina, Biden's lead narrows, with Sanders and Steyer on his heels — The contest in South Carolina looks very different heading into its final week than it did last fall. Joe Biden (28%) has only a single-digit lead with Bernie Sanders (23%) now right behind him.

Discussion: Slate, CNN, The Guardian, Washington Post, IJR, NBC News, The Week, Washington Times, Politico and Breitbart

Politico:

Clyburn poised to endorse Biden in big boost before S.C. primary — House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, who wields enormous influence in his home state of South Carolina, is planning to endorse Joe Biden on Wednesday, multiple sources with knowledge of the Democrat's plans told POLITICO.

Discussion: The Hill

Zack Budryk / The Hill:
Biden blames Steyer for drop in South Carolina African American support

Discussion: NBC News, Fox News and The Moderate Voice

Associated Press:
The Latest: Trump congratulates Sanders on Nevada caucus win

Discussion: Politico, The Gateway Pundit, Outside the Beltway, Washington Post and Althouse

Domenico Montanaro / NPR:
After The Nevada Caucuses, Bernie Sanders Is The Man To Beat

Discussion: Washington Post, The National Interest, Quartz and The Guardian

CNN:

US intelligence briefer appears to have overstated assessment of 2020 Russian interference — Washington (CNN)The US intelligence community's top election security official appears to have overstated the intelligence community's formal assessment of Russian interference in the 2020 election …

Discussion: Redstate, Fox News, Townhall, TheBlaze, The Last Refuge, The Gateway Pundit, Twitchy, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Raw Story and CBS News

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Trump makes veiled threat toward Schiff over classified briefing on Russian 2020 election interference

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Financial Times and Occupy Democrats

Julia Ioffe / GQ:
Why Exactly Does Putin Love Bernie?

Discussion: Foreign Policy Research …, The Week, Fox News, NOQ Report and Talking Points Memo

New York Times:

D.C. Prosecutors' Tensions With Justice Dept. Began Long Before Stone Sentencing — Months of strain date back to the investigation into the former F.B.I. official Andrew McCabe and growing fears of political interference. — WASHINGTON — In the days before they filed the sentencing recommendation …

Discussion: Raw Story

New York Times:

How a Neighbors' Feud in Paradise Launched an International Rape Case — The fashion executive Peter Nygard has clashed for years with his neighbor in the Bahamas, the billionaire Louis Bacon. The latest development is a lawsuit saying Mr. Nygard sexually exploited teenage girls.

Discussion: Discourse.net

Washington Post:

Coronavirus cases spike in Italy, China says most new infections limited to Hubei, South Korea declares ‘red alert’ — The latest novel coronavirus figures from China suggest that the outbreak remains worst in locked-down Hubei province, where 630 new cases and 96 more deaths were reported Saturday evening.

New York Times:
Coronavirus Live Updates: Xi Acknowledges ‘Shortcomings’ in Fight Against Outbreak

Discussion: Vox, NPR, The Straits Times and The Daily Beast

Steve Collinssun / Lewiston Sun Journal:

Susan Collins complains about misleading campaign advertising — At Republican dinner Saturday in Lewiston that barred the press, Maine's senior senator expresses hope for winning a fifth term this year. — LEWISTON — Behind closed doors at a Republican dinner Saturday …

Katelyn Polantz / CNN:

Judge Amy Berman Jackson says no to Roger Stone's attempt to remove her from his case — (CNN)Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson swiftly and scathingly told President Donald Trump's long-time friend Roger Stone there's no legal reason he should be able to remove her from his criminal case …

Washington Post:

Meet the anti-Greta: A young YouTuber campaigning against ‘climate alarmism’ — The German teen is the newest face of the Heartland Institute's effort to promote what it calls ‘global warming realism.’ — For climate skeptics, it's hard to compete with the youthful appeal of global phenomenon Greta Thunberg.

Joshua Geltzer / Politico:

The Lost 110 Words of Our Constitution — The 14th Amendment says states that infringe the vote must lose representation in Congress. It's time to make this happen. Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images … The U.S. Constitution is famously short—a mere 7,591 words, including its 27 amendments.

Discussion: Instapundit

Craig Gilbert / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Bernie Sanders opens sizable lead over Democratic field in new Wisconsin poll … (Photo: Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) — Bernie Sanders now enjoys a sizable lead in Wisconsin among likely Democratic primary voters, according to a new statewide poll.

Discussion: CNN and Redstate

Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Can we talk about the Trump-loving, QAnon-type who slaughtered 10 people in Germany? — The virus is spreading worldwide faster than our ability to contain it. — No, not that one. — I'm thinking about the tragic and shocking events that took place on Wednesday night nearly 4,000 miles away …

Megan Messerly / The Nevada Independent:

Buttigieg's campaign alleges numerous errors in caucus vote-counting — Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg's campaign, in a letter sent to the Nevada State Democratic Party just before midnight on Sunday, is alleging numerous errors in how early vote totals were folded into the Caucus Day process.