memeorandum: Jared Kushner Divests From Startup Cadre Over Future Conflict Concerns (Bloomberg)

4:35 PM ET, February 28, 2020

Top Items:

Media Covering Coronavirus to ‘Bring Down the President,’ Mulvaney Claims — The acting White House chief of staff plays down the risks of the virus and criticizes the media for not covering Mr. Trump's son Barron, something Melania Trump has asked it not to do.

Discussion: Rolling Stone, Iowa Starting Line, Occupy Democrats, IJR, The Wrap, Political Flare and JustOneMinute

Bloomberg:
Coronavirus Could Disrupt U.S. Schools and Transportation, Mulvaney Says

Discussion: The White House, Vanity Fair and Daily Kos

Catherine Rampell / Washington Post:
With coronavirus, Trump's lies and his reassurances backfire

Discussion: Reuters and Daily Kos

Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:
Media's coronavirus stories trying to hurt Trump, Mick Mulvaney says as he urges public to turn off TV

Discussion: Politico and POLITICUSUSA

Brian Faler / Politico:
Trump wants to cut corporate rate again, Mulvaney says

Discussion: National Review

Washington Post:

Trump officials discuss tax cuts, other emergency measures in hopes of tackling coronavirus fallout — The proposals would do little to stop the virus's spread, but would aim to arrest economic fears — Trump administration officials are holding preliminary conversations about economic responses …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA

Christina Maxouris / CNN:

California patient with unknown origin of coronavirus is in serious condition, official says — (CNN)The California patient who tested positive for the coronavirus days after being hospitalized is in serious condition and intubated, California Rep. John Garamendi told CNN's Erin Burnett.

Discussion: Rolling Stone, The Week and New York Post

ABC News:
Coronavirus live updates: WHO raises global risk from ‘high’ to ‘very high’

Discussion: Breitbart

ProPublica:
Key Missteps at the CDC Have Set Back Its Ability to Detect the Potential Spread of Coronavirus

Discussion: Washington Post and Letters from an American

Maria Sacchetti / Washington Post:

President Trump's ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy blocked in federal court — A federal appeals court in California halted the Trump administration's “Remain in Mexico” immigration policy on Friday, a blow to the president's restrictive immigration agenda that cripples one of the government's approaches …

Discussion: New York Times, Reuters, UPI, The Week, Daily Kos and Raw Story

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Appeals court rejects unfair competition suit against Trump's D.C. hotel

Discussion: Associated Press, National Review, NBC News and The Hill

Patrick Marley / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin appeals court rules voters targeted for purge will remain on the rolls

Anthony Brooks / WBUR:

WBUR Poll: Sanders Opens Substantial Lead In Mass., Challenging Warren On Her Home Turf — With Super Tuesday just days away, a new WBUR poll finds Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders well ahead of Sen. Elizabeth Warren in her home state of Massachusetts. — The poll shows Sanders is the choice …

Discussion: Associated Press, Vox, Redstate, Fox News, New York Times, Reason, Washington Post, Politico, Vanity Fair, CANNONFIRE, Political Flare, National Review, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Times, The Hill, Raw Story and courthousenews.com

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:

US to sign historic deal with Taliban, Trump announces, beginning end of US war in Afghanistan and withdrawal of American troops — The deal is also supposed to lead to Afghan negotiations with the Taliban. — After a week-long deal to reduce violence across Afghanistan …

Discussion: Associated Press

The White House:

Statement from the President — Nearly 19 years ago, American service members went to Afghanistan to root out the terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attacks. In that time, we have made great progress in Afghanistan, but at great cost to our brave service members, to the American taxpayers, and to the people of Afghanistan.

Laura Bassett / GQ:

Like Warren, I Had My Own Sexist Run-In with Chris Matthews — The Hardball anchor frequently demeans women guests, with objectifying and belittling comments, both on and off air. — MSNBC host Chris Matthews, whose long history of sexist comments and behavior have somehow not yet gotten him fired …

Discussion: Variety, GEN — and Mediaite

Sporting News:

People mad online at Garth Brooks because they don't know Barry Sanders from Bernie Sanders — Barry Sanders — the Detroit Lions Hall of Fame running back — and Bernie Sanders — the U.S. senator from Vermont and Democratic Party candidate for president — are different people.

Discussion: Chicago Sun-Times, Breitbart, The Root, Paste, The Wrap, The Week and The Hill

Travis Gettys / Raw Story:
Stephen Miller's new wife is in charge of approving all coronavirus communications

Discussion: KCRG-TV

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.

Discussion: Vox, National Review, Power Line, Progress Pond, Mediaite, Washington Post, No More Mister Nice Blog and Outside the Beltway

Ben Jacobs / GEN:

Michael Bloomberg's North Carolina Game Is Seriously Unlike Anything Else — The Super Tuesday state is the former New York mayor's best shot at primary delegates — and he knows it — eeing the Bloomberg presidential campaign up close, there is no easy way to describe it.

Discussion: NBC News, Fox News and NewNowNext

CNN:

CNN polls: Bernie Sanders holds big leads in California and Texas ahead of critical Super Tuesday vote — (CNN)Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders holds substantial leads in the two largest states to vote in next week's Super Tuesday lineup of primaries, according to new CNN polls conducted by SSRS in California and Texas.

David Lauter / Los Angeles Times:
Bernie Sanders holds 2-1 lead in California, poll shows

Discussion: Breitbart and The Hill

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

For the first time, there are fewer registered Republicans than independents — For the first time in history, there are more registered independents in the United States than there are registered Republicans. — It may not be for the reason you think, though.

Discussion: Breitbart

Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Jerk, liars and the inexperienced: How voters describe the 2020 candidates

Discussion: Mother Jones, The Week and The Daily Beast

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

When a Pandemic Meets a Personality Cult — The Trump team confirms all of our worst fears. — So, here's the response of the Trump team and its allies to the coronavirus, at least so far: It's actually good for America. Also, it's a hoax perpetrated by the news media and the Democrats.

Discussion: NPR, Raw Story, The Intellectualist, NewNowNext, The National Interest and Snopes.com

Alexander Heffner / USA Today:
Trump's terrible coronavirus response hands 2020 Democrats a chance to show they can lead

Discussion: Colorado Times Recorder and Media Matters for America

Politico:

Republicans storm out of coronavirus briefing after Democrat rips Trump's response — Several House Republicans walked out of a closed-door coronavirus briefing Friday with Trump health officials in protest after a senior Democrat blasted the Trump administration's handling of the response effort.

Discussion: TheBlaze and The CT Mirror

Civitas Institute:

Biden takes the lead in latest Civitas Poll — SANDERS AND BLOOMBERG FALL BACK; CUNNINGHAM STILL LEADS SENATE PRIMARY — RALEIGH - The second Civitas Poll tracking the North Carolina Democratic presidential primary shows former vice president Joe Biden has taken the lead outside of the margin …

Washington Post:
Terry McAuliffe considers endorsing Joe Biden on Sunday

Discussion: Associated Press, Politico and The National Interest

ProPublica:

The RNC Stopped Paying a Data Firm After A Serious Breach. Then It Paid A Mysterious LLC With the Same Address. — Three years after the Republican National Committee publicly sidelined the sullied firm, it paid an LLC with the same address $900,000 for “data services.”

Astead W. Herndon / New York Times:

Elizabeth Warren Has Won Black Activists. She's Losing the Black Vote. — She earned coveted endorsements and released racial justice plans that scholars agree could make a real difference. That hasn't meant much on the ground. — CHARLESTON, S.C. — The crowd at a music venue here was energized …

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: Al Jazeera, Commentary, Foreign Exchanges and BBC

Carlotta Gall / New York Times:
Airstrike Hits Turkish Forces in Syria, Raising Fears of Escalation

Discussion: Associated Press, NBC News, Foreign Policy, The Drive, Slate, National Review, Reuters, Outside the Beltway, UPI, Informed Comment, Washington Post, Al Jazeera and TheBlaze

Miriam Elder / BuzzFeed News:

“Good” Jews, “Bad” Jews, And Bernie Sanders — For the first time, two Jewish politicians are serious contenders for the presidency. There's deep anxiety among American Jews over what that will mean. — Talk to people who have been in politics for a while, and they will say the fact …

Discussion: The Forward, Jewish Electorate Institute and The Federalist

Jewish Electorate Institute:
National Survey of Likely Jewish Voters in 2020

Discussion: Jewish Insider

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Nadler seeks interviews with prosecutors who quit Roger Stone case — House Democrats are seeking interviews with the four career prosecutors who quit the case of Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of President Donald Trump, after Trump and Justice Department leaders intervened to demand a lighter jail sentence.

Discussion: The American Independent and Daily Kos

Jamie Ross / The Daily Beast:
Judiciary Committee Demands Testimony From Prosecutors Who Quit Stone Case

Discussion: Washington Post, The Hill and Raw Story

Associated Press:

Sanders-linked group entered into racial discrimination NDA — WASHINGTON (AP) — A political advocacy group founded by Bernie Sanders entered into a nondisclosure agreement with an African American political consultant that bars her from discussing a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination …

Discussion: Twitchy

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 …

Discussion: National Review, more at Mediagazer »

Harry Cheadle In Money / VICE:

Here's the File Clearview AI Has Been Keeping on Me, and Probably on You Too — After a recent, extensive, and rather withering bout of bad press, the facial recognition company Clearview AI has changed its homepage, which now touts all the things it says its technology can do, and a few things it can't.

Discussion: BuzzFeed News and The Verge, more at Techmeme »

Michael Harriot / The Root:

Every Democratic Candidates' ‘Black Agenda,’ Ranked — On Saturday, voters in South Carolina will sound the starting gun for the race to the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. After giving white America a head start on selecting the party's nominee, the Democratic Party now turns to South Carolina.

Discussion: American Prospect

The Guardian:

Naomi Seibt: ‘anti-Greta’ activist called white nationalist an inspiration — German teenager spoke at an event at US rightwing conference CPAC — A young campaigner who has been hailed by climate sceptics as the right's answer to Greta Thunberg has previously described a white nationalist …

Discussion: Byline Times and American Thinker