memeorandum: The real reason Chris Matthews had to go (Margaret Sullivan/Washington Post)

2:20 PM ET, March 3, 2020

Top Items:

Biden Reclaims National Lead With Buttigieg, Klobuchar Exits — 36% of Democratic primary voters back the former VP as Super Tuesday contests unfold — Former Vice President Joe Biden is joined on stage by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who endorsed Biden during a rally on Monday night in Dallas …

Discussion: The Hill, Townhall, NBC News, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Times, Mediaite, Washington Free Beacon, POLITICUSUSA, New York Post, National Review, Paste and Slate

Sydney Ember / New York Times:

Sanders Campaign Was Caught Off Guard by Quick Massing of Opposition — “It's becoming clear that in order for us to win this nomination, that road clearly flows through Joe Biden,” Bernie Sanders's campaign manager said. — ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Sunday night, Faiz Shakir …

Discussion: IJR and Washington Post

Ryan Lizza / Politico:
Super Tuesday heralds an epic Democratic Party clash

Discussion: Vox, FiveThirtyEight, The Smoke Eater and OpenSecrets.org, more at Mediagazer »

Reuters:
In a Texas chicken joint, Biden and onetime rival Buttigieg unite to stop Sanders

Discussion: Twitchy

Andy Kroll / Rolling Stone:
Democrats Have a Turnout Problem

Discussion: National Review and No More Mister Nice Blog

Fox News:
Warren takes aim at Biden, says ‘Washington insider will not meet this moment’

Discussion: The Hill

Tyler Olson / Fox News:
Super Tuesday miracle? Everything is suddenly going right for Biden after near-collapse of campaign

Discussion: New York Post, Breitbart and IJR

Matt Lewis / The Daily Beast:
This Virginia Conservative Republican Is Ridin' With Biden

Discussion: Raw Story

Michelle Goldberg / New York Times:
Bernie Sanders Can't Count on New Voters

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Daily Kos and Washington Post

Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:

The real reason Chris Matthews had to go — Give Chris Matthews partial credit for his apology on his way out the door Monday night. In his abrupt and unexpected farewell, the MSNBC host acknowledged his history of what he called “compliments on a woman's appearance.”

Discussion: The Verge, more at Mediagazer »

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Chris Matthews Out at MSNBC

Discussion: Mediaite, CNN, Reason, Columbia Journalism Review, Outside the Beltway, NBC News, UPI, TalkLeft, Rolling Stone, The Federalist, Althouse and Lawyers, Guns & Money

MSNBC: Steve Kornacki: Chris Matthews saw that politics could be used for something noble

Sarah Owermohle / Politico:

'You don't want to go to war with a president' — Anthony Fauci might be the one person everyone in Washington trusts right now. — But at 79, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is in the thick of one of the biggest battles of 35 years in the role …

Discussion: ABC News, Raw Story and The Hill

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Trump's baffling coronavirus vaccine event

Discussion: Press Watch, POLITICUSUSA, STAT and Associated Press

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:
Washington State senator ‘frustrated’ residents can't get tested for new coronavirus

Discussion: Associated Press, New York Times and Raw Story

NBC News:

At least 9 dead after tornado rips through Nashville and central Tennessee — Besides those confirmed to have died, a number of people are missing, officials said. At least 45 buildings collapsed in Nashville. — At least nine people were killed, others were injured and 50,000 households …

Discussion: New York Times, fox8.com, KTLA, UPI, The Tennessean, CNBC, The Week, CBS Baltimore and The Daily Caller

Adam Tamburin / The Tennessean:
Super Tuesday voting to start an hour late in Nashville and Wilson County due to tornado damage …

Discussion: National Review, KTLA, Politico, ABC News and The Hill

Washington Post:
Tornadoes kill at least 19 people, leave trail of destruction in and around Nashville

Discussion: New York Post, Politico, The Federalist and KRON4

New York Times:

Estimates Fall Short of F.D.A's Pledge for 1 Million Coronavirus Tests — Public and private labs say they're not even close to reaching the federal government's promises that thousands, if not a million, tests for the virus could be “performed” soon. — Does the United States …

Discussion: Gothamist, Fortune and Raw Story

New York Times:

As Coronavirus Numbers Rise, C.D.C. Testing Comes Under Fire — Federal health officials botched an initial diagnostic test and restricted widespread screening. Missteps may have raised the risks to Americans, critics say. — The coronavirus has found a crack in the nation's public health armor …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate, Raw Story, Marginal REVOLUTION, Daily Kos and Talking Points Memo

Emily Singer / The American Independent:

Defense secretary warns military not to challenge Trump on coronavirus — Defense Secretary Mark Esper told officers not to take efforts against coronavirus that don't fit into Trump's public relations messaging. — The secretary of defense last week warned overseas military commanders …

New York Times:

Defense Secretary Warns Commanders Not to Surprise Trump on Coronavirus — Mark T. Esper directed overseas officers not to run afoul of the White House's messaging and asked them to clear decisions on protecting their troops. — WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper …

Discussion: Common Dreams, Source Politics, Daily Kos and The Intellectualist

Carlos R. Munoz / Sarasota Herald-Tribune:

Coronavirus Florida: Mother and son at Sarasota Military Academy under quarantine — By Carlos R. Munoz By Timothy Fanning By Zac Anderson — They are not showing any symptoms of COVID-19 but came in contact with a patient who the CDC now says tested “positive,” the schools says.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Townhall, Sarasota Military Academy, Bloomberg, The Week, Daily Kos, The Independent, Florida Politics, Mediaite and Raw Story

Politico:

Trump loyalist installed in top intelligence post on National Security Council — A White House lawyer and former counsel to the House Intelligence Committee under Devin Nunes has been named senior director for intelligence on the National Security Council, the latest instance …

Discussion: CNN and Raw Story

Ellen Nakashima / Washington Post:
Lawmakers want the DNI to make public the intelligence community's assessment of who's responsible …

Discussion: Politico

Stephanie Armour / Wall Street Journal:

Trump Administration Considering Paying Hospitals for Treating Uninsured Coronavirus Patients — U.S. government may use disaster recovery reimbursement program that would pay providers 110% of Medicare for treating patients — The Trump administration is considering using a national disaster program …

Discussion: Raw Story

Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:

Donna Brazile Tells RNC Chairwoman to ‘Go to Hell’ on Fox News — Brazile was immediately indignant over McDaniel offering up her take on the Democratic race, calling on her and other Republicans to “stay the hell out of our race.” — Former interim Democratic National Committee chairwoman …

Discussion: Politico, Breitbart, The Hill, The Root, IJR and The Gateway Pundit

Jesse McKinley / New York Times:

Coronavirus in N.Y.: Cuomo Confirms Second Case in the State — The case in Westchester County indicates that community transmission is likely underway in the state. — ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Tuesday morning a second confirmed case of coronavirus in New York …

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications and Florida Politics

Judd Legum / Popular Information:

The Daily Caller uses status as Facebook fact-checker to boost Trump — In April 2019, Facebook announced it was adding The Daily Caller, the right-wing site founded by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, to its fact-checking program. The move was made in response to conservatives who complained …

Discussion: The Wrap and NB Blog

Sean McElwee / Memos:

Memo: Final Super Tuesday Polling — Authors: Sean McElwee, Executive Director of Data for Progress, Jason Ganz, CTO of Data for Progress — The three days between South Carolina and Super Tuesday have been perhaps the most eventful of the race. Billionaire Tom Steyer …

Discussion: Vox, FiveThirtyEight, Mediaite, The Hill, Daily Kos and Denver Post

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:

Coronavirus live updates: US man with no known connection to hot spots tests positive — A virus epidemic that started in China is tightening its grip around the globe. — A virus epidemic that started in China about two months ago is now tightening its grip around the globe. — Today's highlights:

CNBC:
New York City high school closes after suspected coronavirus case in its community

Discussion: New York Post

Brian Stelter / CNN:

John Bolton's book has been delayed until May due to White House review — New York (CNN Business)The publication of John Bolton's book about his time working for President Trump, “The Room Where It Happened,” has been pushed back from March until May due to the Trump White House's review of the manuscript.

Sebastian Kettley / Daily Express:

Asteroid warning: NASA tracks a 4KM killer rock on approach - Could end human civilisation — AN ASTEROID capable of ending human civilisation if it hits will approach our planet in April, NASA's asteroid trackers have confirmed. — The asteroid is being watched by NASA's automated tracking systems …

Discussion: PJ Media Home

Washington Post:

Did Mike Bloomberg waste $500 million running for president? We're about to find out. — On the craps table of this campaign, there's a $500 million chip sitting on “Super Tuesday.” The bettor's name is mike — small “m,” according to the visual design of his campaign …

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight

CBS Miami:

Coronavirus Confusion: Miami Woman Allegedly Denied Proper Testing — MIAMI (CBSMiami) - In what may be the first case of coronavirus in South Florida, a woman who recently returned home from Italy says she was told by doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital that she “likely” has COVID-19 …

Discussion: National Review and Raw Story

Joby Warrick / Washington Post:

U.N. agency sees sharp increase in Iran's uranium stockpile, potentially reducing time needed to build nuclear bomb — Iran is dramatically ramping up production of enriched uranium in the wake of the Trump administration's decision to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal, the U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed Tuesday …

Mark Niesse / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Case closed: No evidence of hacking alleged by Georgia Gov. Kemp — Georgia investigators found no evidence to support Gov. Brian Kemp's allegation just before Election Day in 2018 that the Democratic Party tried to hack election information, according to a report released Tuesday by the attorney general's office.