Top Items:
Washington Post:
U.S. workers without protective gear assisted coronavirus evacuees, HHS whistleblower says — Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services sent more than a dozen workers to receive the first Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak …
RELATED:
New York Times:
U.S. Health Workers Responding to Coronavirus Lacked Training and Protective Gear, Whistle-Blower Says — Team members were not properly trained, lacked necessary gear and moved freely around and off military bases where Americans were quarantined, a complaint says.
Discussion:
UPI, The Week, POLITICUSUSA, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Mediaite and Talking Points Memo
Dan Vergano / BuzzFeed News:
New York Is Making Its Own Coronavirus Test After The CDC's Tests Have Repeatedly Failed — Washington, D.C. — Federal health officials met with state and city public health labs on Wednesday to fix a crippling lack of options to diagnose the novel coronavirus, a shortfall driven by botched CDC testing kits.
Discussion:
Chicago Boyz, Davis Enterprise, Politico and The American Conservative
New York Times:
Pence Will Control All Coronavirus Messaging From Health Officials — Government health officials and scientists will have to clear statements with the vice president's office, one of three people designated as the administration's primary coronavirus official.
Discussion:
Washington Post, MEL Magazine, The White House, Chicago Tribune, Occupy Democrats, STAT, Balloon Juice, CNN, Letters from an American, POLITICUSUSA, Vanity Fair, The National Interest, The Mahablog, Financial Times, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, Gothamist, Daily Kos, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Slate, Raw Story, Bloomberg, LiveScience and Media Matters for America, more at Mediagazer »
Washington Post:
Trump says he can bring in coronavirus experts quickly. The experts say it is not that simple. — The White House official charged with leading the U.S. response to deadly pandemics left nearly two years ago as his global health security team was disbanded.
Discussion:
ProPublica and Talking Points Memo
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
When a Pandemic Meets a Personality Cult
When a Pandemic Meets a Personality Cult
Discussion:
NewNowNext, The Intellectualist, Snopes.com and Washington Post
Catherine Rampell / Washington Post:
With coronavirus, Trump's lies and his reassurances backfire
With coronavirus, Trump's lies and his reassurances backfire
Discussion:
Reuters
Stephen Collinson / CNN:
Trump seeks a ‘miracle’ as virus fears mount
Alexander Heffner / USA Today:
Trump's terrible coronavirus response hands 2020 Democrats a chance to show they can lead
Trump's terrible coronavirus response hands 2020 Democrats a chance to show they can lead
Discussion:
Colorado Times Recorder, New Republic and Media Matters for America
Washington Post:
Pence seizes control of coronavirus response amid criticism of his qualifications
Pence seizes control of coronavirus response amid criticism of his qualifications
Discussion:
Newsweek, The Last Refuge, Associated Press, The Week, Raw Story and IJR
CNN:
Trump stumbles in first efforts to control virus response as fear spreads and markets fall
Trump stumbles in first efforts to control virus response as fear spreads and markets fall
Discussion:
POLITICUSUSA
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Silencing Fauci? — I've been watching the mix of very worrisome …
Silencing Fauci? — I've been watching the mix of very worrisome …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
Geoff Earle / Daily Mail:
White House GAGS government health experts from speaking about coronavirus saying they must …
White House GAGS government health experts from speaking about coronavirus saying they must …
Discussion:
Washington Post, POLITICUSUSA and CNN
Pat Rynard / Iowa Starting Line:
Final Iowa Caucus Results: Pete Buttigieg Wins — The final Iowa Caucus results are finally final: Pete Buttigieg has won (still). — This evening, the Iowa Democratic Party released the results of the recount requested by Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg's campaigns for 23 precincts.
Discussion:
Iowa Democrats and The Hill
RELATED:
Associated Press:
AP decides not to declare Iowa caucus winner after recount — WASHINGTON - The Iowa Democratic Party on Thursday released updated results of the Iowa caucuses after the completion of a recount requested by the campaigns of Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg.
The Daily Beast:
Trump Spends 45 Minutes With ‘Deep State’ Play Actors Amid Coronavirus Mayhem — Meanwhile, the man he tapped to run point on the virus, VP Pence, took to a conservative activists conference and had meetings with pro-Trump media luminaries. — NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — One day after briefing …
Discussion:
Progress Pond, The Intellectualist, Raw Story, Occupy Democrats and Political Flare
Anthony Brooks / WBUR:
WBUR Poll: Sanders Opens Substantial Lead In Massachusetts, Challenging Warren On Her Home Turf — With Super Tuesday just days away, a new WBUR poll finds Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders well ahead of Senator Elizabeth Warren in her home state of Massachusetts.
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Dana Blanton / Fox News:
Fox News Poll: Sanders knocks Biden out of first, majority thinks Trump wins — Bernie Sanders pushes Joe Biden out of the frontrunner spot for the Democratic nomination, capturing a record 31 percent support among primary voters in a new Fox News Poll. This is the first 2020 Fox national poll …
Discussion:
The Hill, No More Mister Nice Blog, courthousenews.com, POLITICUSUSA and Raw Story
David Lauter / Los Angeles Times:
Bernie Sanders holds 2-1 lead in California, poll shows — Sen. Bernie Sanders has taken a commanding lead in California's Democratic presidential race, ahead of his nearest rival by 2 to 1 and on track to win a majority of the huge trove of delegates at stake in the state's March 3 primary …
Politico:
Joe Biden's campaign isn't dead yet — CHARLESTON, S.C. — Just as his White House bid appeared to be sputtering to an ugly end, there are signs of life for Joe Biden still. — And perhaps more than that. — A second-place finish in Nevada, a major endorsement in South Carolina …
Discussion:
Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Polls and Breitbart
RELATED:
Scott Powers / Florida Politics:
Mike Bloomberg campaign returns fire to Joe Biden over Social Security comments
Mike Bloomberg campaign returns fire to Joe Biden over Social Security comments
Discussion:
CNN
Michael Gerson / Washington Post:
No, Bernie Sanders isn't authentic. Just like Trump.
No, Bernie Sanders isn't authentic. Just like Trump.
Discussion:
Slate, CNN and The Daily Caller
Daily Sabah:
Turkey will no longer stop Syrian migrant flow to Europe, official says — Turkey has decided to no longer stop Syrian refugees from reaching Europe by land and sea, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday, in anticipation of the imminent arrival of refugees from Syria's Idlib where nearly a million have been displaced.
Discussion:
Foreign Exchanges
RELATED:
Carlotta Gall / New York Times:
Airstrike Hits Turkish Forces in Syria, Raising Fears of Escalation — The Turkish Army suffered mass casualties in an airstrike, officials said, an attack that could set off a direct conflict between Turkey and Russia. — ISTANBUL — The Turkish Army suffered mass casualties in an airstrike …
Discussion:
Foreign Policy, Reuters, Bloomberg and BBC
Robert Reich / American Prospect:
Five Ways William Barr Is Turning America Into a Dictatorship — Trump's attorney general has corrupted the Justice Department and willfully abetted the president's lawlessness. — Attorney General William Barr, seen here earlier this month, has made only minimal gestures to push …
RELATED:
David Brooks / New York Times:
No, Not Sanders, Not Ever — He is not a liberal, he's the end of liberalism. — A few months ago, I wrote a column saying I would vote for Elizabeth Warren over Donald Trump. I may not agree with some of her policies, but culture is more important than politics. She does not spread moral rot the way Trump does.
Patrick Strudwick / BuzzFeed News:
White Gay Men Are Destroying Queer Black Lives With “Party ‘n’ Play” Sex And Meth Addiction — Two black men were found dead from meth overdoses in the LA home of Democratic donor Ed Buck. In a new, three-part series, young queer men of color tell BuzzFeed News how rich white men are weaponizing …
Steve Contorno / Tampa Bay Times:
What's on Mike Pence's schedule as coronavirus point man? A fundraiser in Florida. — The $25,000-per-plate GOP event featuring the vice president is in Longboat Key. — The country's new point man on coronavirus response, Vice President Mike Pence, is expected to travel to Florida on Friday — but not on a public health mission.
Discussion:
The Intellectualist, Washington Post, Daily Kos, The Hill, Fox News and Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Hannah Dreier / ProPublica:
When the Billionaire Family Behind the Opioid Crisis Needed PR Help, They Turned to Mike Bloomberg — Bloomberg gave media advice to the Sacklers and recommended his longtime mayoral spokesman to them. The relationship could shadow his presidential bid. — Long celebrated …
Ryan Lizza / Politico:
Coming to a podcast near you: Hillary Clinton — Hillary Clinton is starting a podcast. — The former first lady, secretary of State, and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee is planning to launch a new audio program in late spring, just in time for her to have a powerful new megaphone during the 2020 election.
Discussion:
Mediaite, HuffPost, Deadline, The Daily Caller, New York Post, CNN and The Hill, more at Mediagazer »
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Trump just pushed one of his worst conspiracy theories yet — President Trump is now fully embracing the conspiracy theory that his assorted enemies are deliberately hyping the coronavirus threat, all to damage him politically. At his Wednesday news conference, Trump agreed …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Bloomberg
Alexander Nazaryan / Yahoo News:
Elise Stefanik, newest star of Trumpworld, has turned impeachment into a fundraising boon — WASHINGTON — As she rose to stand in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 6, the eyes of the nation were upon Elise Stefanik. President Trump was celebrating his acquittal in the impeachment trial the day before with
Stephanie Murray / Politico:
Warren at risk of losing her home state — BOSTON — Bernie Sanders is outpacing Elizabeth Warren in polls across the Super Tuesday map. But one state stings more than the others: Massachusetts. — Warren is at risk of losing her home state, the latest indignity in her long slide in the polls in her own backyard.
Discussion:
CANNONFIRE and Mother Jones
Jake Thomas / The Intellectualist:
The Head Of Trump's CDC Believes AIDS Was God Judgement Against Homosexuals — Dr. Robert Redfield has held controversial opinions regarding AIDS throughout his lengthy career. — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Direct Robert Redfield has come under increased scrutiny from inside …