cnbc--2020-03-04--Trump campaign sues Washington Post for defamation, week after similar legal action against New York

Trump campaign sues Washington Post for defamation, week after similar legal action against New York Times

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a copy of The Washington Post as he speaks in the East Room of the White House one day after the U.S. Senate acquitted on two articles of impeachment , ion February 6 , 2020 in Washington , DC .
President Donald Trump 's campaign on Tuesday sued the The Washington Post for defamation , citing two opinion articles published last June about the campaign allegedly benefiting from Russian assistance .
The lawsuit came a week after the campaign sued The New York Times for defamation in connection with an op-ed entited `` The Real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal actions claim damages `` in the millions of dollars . ''
The suit against the Post was filed in federal court in Washington , D.C .
It identified two articles that allegedly contained false claims .
The first article , published June 13 , was written by Greg Sargent and was headlined , `` Trump just invited another Russian attack .
Mitch McConnell is making one more likely . ''
The second article , published a week later and written by Paul Waldman , was entitled , `` Trump : I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The suit says that the question posed in Waldman 's article , that is , `` who knows what sort of aid Russia and North Korea will give to the Trump campaign , now that he has invited them to offer their assistance , '' was defamatory .
Jenna Ellis , senior legal advisor to Trump 's campaign , said that the statements published by the Post `` were and are 100 percent false and defamatory . ''
`` The complaint alleges The Post was aware of the falsity at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the intentional purpose of hurting the campaign , while misleading its own readers in the process , '' Ellis said in a statement .
`` The campaign files suit to publicly establish the truth and seek appropriate legal remedies for the harm caused by false reporting . ''
The Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The newspaper is owned by multibillionaire Jeff Bezos , CEO of online retailer Amazon .

President Donald Trump holds a copy of The Washington Post as he speaks in the East Room of the White House one day after the Senate acquitted him of two articles of impeachment, February 6, 2020 in Washington, DC.
President Donald Trump's campaign on Tuesday sued the The Washington Post for defamation, citing two opinion articles published last June about the campaign allegedly benefiting from Russian assistance.
The lawsuit came a week after the campaign sued The New York Times for defamation in connection with an op-ed entited "The Real Trump-Russia Quid Pro Quo."
Both legal actions claim damages "in the millions of dollars."
The suit against the Post was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. It identified two articles that allegedly contained false claims.
The first article, published June 13, was written by Greg Sargent and was headlined, "Trump just invited another Russian attack. Mitch McConnell is making one more likely."
The second article, published a week later and written by Paul Waldman, was entitled, "Trump: I can win reelection with just my base."
The suit says that the question posed in Waldman's article, that is, "who knows what sort of aid Russia and North Korea will give to the Trump campaign, now that he has invited them to offer their assistance," was defamatory.
Jenna Ellis, senior legal advisor to Trump's campaign, said that the statements published by the Post "were and are 100 percent false and defamatory."
"The complaint alleges The Post was aware of the falsity at the time it published them, but did so for the intentional purpose of hurting the campaign, while misleading its own readers in the process," Ellis said in a statement. "The campaign files suit to publicly establish the truth and seek appropriate legal remedies for the harm caused by false reporting."
The Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The newspaper is owned by multibillionaire Jeff Bezos, CEO of online retailer Amazon .


cnbc--2020-03-04--Megadonor Marc Lasry: 'Next couple days' crucial to Joe Biden's fundraising

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to supporters at a campaign event on March 2 , 2020 in Houston , Texas .
Candidates are campaigning the day before Super Tuesday , when 1,357 Democratic delegates in 14 states across the country will be up for grabs .
Democratic megadonor Marc Lasry downplayed concerns about Joe Biden 's fundraising abilities on Tuesday , arguing this week was critical to the former vice president 's ability to stay in the primary .
`` I think he 's got enough money .
A lot of it will depend over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investor said on CNBC 's `` Fast Money Halftime Report . ''
`` If he does well in a number of these states he 'll get more money . ''
Lasry 's comments come on Super Tuesday , when primaries will be held across 14 states , including delegate-rich places such as California and Texas .
Biden 's campaign is coming off a significant victory in the South Carolina primary , which helped narrow the Democratic field and gave the 77-year-old Biden renewed momentum as he seeks to close the gap with front-runner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsements Monday from three former rivals , including Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. , and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas also threw his support behind Biden , who is seeking to consolidate the support of moderate voters .
Biden 's campaign had been struggling , posting disappointing showings in the first two nominating contests and losing support from key fundraisers .
But the state of the race shifted after South Carolina .
Biden has seen a surge of new support from big-money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised $ 5 million online within 24 hours of the South Carolina victory .

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to supporters at a campaign event on March 2, 2020 in Houston, Texas. Candidates are campaigning the day before Super Tuesday, when 1,357 Democratic delegates in 14 states across the country will be up for grabs.
Democratic megadonor Marc Lasry downplayed concerns about Joe Biden's fundraising abilities on Tuesday, arguing this week was critical to the former vice president's ability to stay in the primary.
"I think he's got enough money. A lot of it will depend over the next couple days," the billionaire investor said on CNBC's "Fast Money Halftime Report." "If he does well in a number of these states he'll get more money."
Lasry's comments come on Super Tuesday, when primaries will be held across 14 states, including delegate-rich places such as California and Texas.
Read more: CNBC live blogs Super Tuesday results and updates
Biden's campaign is coming off a significant victory in the South Carolina primary, which helped narrow the Democratic field and gave the 77-year-old Biden renewed momentum as he seeks to close the gap with front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Biden received endorsements Monday from three former rivals, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas also threw his support behind Biden, who is seeking to consolidate the support of moderate voters.
Biden's campaign had been struggling, posting disappointing showings in the first two nominating contests and losing support from key fundraisers.
But the state of the race shifted after South Carolina. Biden has seen a surge of new support from big-money donors. The campaign also said it raised $5 million online within 24 hours of the South Carolina victory.


cnbc--2020-03-04--Joe Biden has racked up some big endorsements since he dominated in South Carolina

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden is joined on stage by Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) during a campaign event on March 2 , 2020 in Dallas , Texas .
On the eve of Super Tuesday , former Vice President Joe Biden 's presidential campaign is rolling out a lengthy — and growing — list of new Democratic endorsements .
More than a dozen politicians and other public figures have endorsed Biden , 77 , in the days leading up to the 14-state primary election extravaganza , where more than 1,300 delegates are at stake .
Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday , a spokesman confirmed to CNBC , just hours after she dropped out of the 2020 race .
Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg , who ended his campaign a day earlier , was also reportedly preparing to endorse Biden before Super Tuesday .
Klobuchar and Buttigieg had been expected to join Biden at a rally in Dallas on Monday night .
However , a Buttigieg campaign spokeswoman said he would not attend the rally , although the Democratic rising star did appear with Biden at another event .
Texas is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here are several of the big endorsements Biden locked up : The sudden swell of support from the Democratic establishment comes on the heels of Biden 's blowout victory in South Carolina , which looks to have delivered the shot in the arm his campaign needed to remain competitive against current front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders , a self-described democratic socialist .
`` I think there 's some momentum here , '' Biden told NBC News on Monday .
`` I think what people were waiting to see is , 'Well , Joe did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ primary elections ] , I wonder whether the second two he could do well and what 's going to happen now . '
'' `` I think that the win in South Carolina was consequential , '' Biden said .
The former vice president and senator finished fourth in Iowa , fifth in New Hampshire and second in Nevada .
Biden , who has been a prime target of President Donald Trump 's ire throughout the primary campaign , is expected to gain more endorsements before polling centers open Tuesday .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 's once-steady lead deflating as rapidly as Sanders ' popularity was rising .
Biden 's at-times fumbling debate performances , and his poor showings in the first two elections in Iowa and New Hampshire , contrasted with Sanders ' wins in New Hampshire and Nevada .
Many Democratic strategists are quick to call Sanders a risky pick to become the Democratic nominee .
His narrow base of support , they argue , may not extend to more moderate or conservative voters , and his candidacy could harm other Democrats down the ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aim at the so-called Democratic establishment — a sure sign to his critics that he has less interest in coalition-building than in maintaining an ideologically pure political movement .
Biden 's decades of Washington experience , including at the White House under President Barack Obama , and strong support with African American voters make him — on paper — a candidate with broader appeal .
But Biden carries risks , too .
His opponents are quick to highlight his gaffes on the campaign trail , and he and his son have a central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate that is sure to be weaponized in a general election .
Rep. James Clyburn 's endorsement last week was widely seen as a difference-making pickup for Biden , giving him an added boost among the high proportion of black voters in South Carolina .
`` I know Joe .
We know Joe .
But most importantly , Joe knows us , '' said Clyburn , the House majority whip and top-ranking African American in that chamber .
By the time nearly 100 % of results were in , Biden had clinched about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina .

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden is joined on stage by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) during a campaign event on March 2, 2020 in Dallas, Texas.
How's this for Joe-mentum?
On the eve of Super Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential campaign is rolling out a lengthy — and growing — list of new Democratic endorsements.
More than a dozen politicians and other public figures have endorsed Biden, 77, in the days leading up to the 14-state primary election extravaganza, where more than 1,300 delegates are at stake.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota will endorse Biden on Monday, a spokesman confirmed to CNBC, just hours after she dropped out of the 2020 race. Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who ended his campaign a day earlier, was also reportedly preparing to endorse Biden before Super Tuesday.
Klobuchar and Buttigieg had been expected to join Biden at a rally in Dallas on Monday night. However, a Buttigieg campaign spokeswoman said he would not attend the rally, although the Democratic rising star did appear with Biden at another event. Texas is among the states holding primaries Tuesday.
Here are several of the big endorsements Biden locked up:
Harry Reid, former Nevada senator
Darrio Melton, mayor of Selma, Alabama
Bobby Scott, Virginia representative
Jennifer Wexton, Virginia representative
Don Beyer, Virginia representative
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida representative and former DNC chair
Greg Stanton, Arizona representative
Terry McAuliffe, former Virginia governor
Barbara Boxer, former California senator
Blanche Lincoln, former Arkansas senator
Jesse White, Illinois secretary of state
Betty Yee, California state controller
Walter Burnett, Chicago alderman
Carol Alvarado, Texas state senator
Billy Richardson, North Carolina state representative
Fred Guttenberg, Florida gun safety activist
The sudden swell of support from the Democratic establishment comes on the heels of Biden's blowout victory in South Carolina, which looks to have delivered the shot in the arm his campaign needed to remain competitive against current front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist.
"I think there's some momentum here," Biden told NBC News on Monday. "I think what people were waiting to see is, 'Well, Joe didn't do well in the first two [primary elections], I wonder whether the second two he could do well and what's going to happen now.'"
"I think that the win in South Carolina was consequential," Biden said. The former vice president and senator finished fourth in Iowa, fifth in New Hampshire and second in Nevada.
Biden, who has been a prime target of President Donald Trump's ire throughout the primary campaign, is expected to gain more endorsements before polling centers open Tuesday.
Earlier this month, national polling aggregates showed Biden's once-steady lead deflating as rapidly as Sanders' popularity was rising. Biden's at-times fumbling debate performances, and his poor showings in the first two elections in Iowa and New Hampshire, contrasted with Sanders' wins in New Hampshire and Nevada.
Many Democratic strategists are quick to call Sanders a risky pick to become the Democratic nominee. His narrow base of support, they argue, may not extend to more moderate or conservative voters, and his candidacy could harm other Democrats down the ballot in November.
Sanders has even taken aim at the so-called Democratic establishment — a sure sign to his critics that he has less interest in coalition-building than in maintaining an ideologically pure political movement.
SANDERS TWEET I've got news for the Republican establishment. I've got news for the Democratic establishment. They can't stop us.
Biden's decades of Washington experience, including at the White House under President Barack Obama, and strong support with African American voters make him — on paper — a candidate with broader appeal.
But Biden carries risks, too. His opponents are quick to highlight his gaffes on the campaign trail, and he and his son have a central connection to Trump's impeachment in the Senate that is sure to be weaponized in a general election.
Rep. James Clyburn's endorsement last week was widely seen as a difference-making pickup for Biden, giving him an added boost among the high proportion of black voters in South Carolina.
"I know Joe. We know Joe. But most importantly, Joe knows us," said Clyburn, the House majority whip and top-ranking African American in that chamber.
By the time nearly 100% of results were in, Biden had clinched about 48% of the vote in South Carolina.


cnbc--2020-03-04--How Mike Bloomberg's very expensive presidential run turned into an epic failure

He broke the bank , but he could n't bring home the bacon .
After dumping more than $ 500 million of his own fortune into the 2020 election , Mike Bloomberg , who 's worth around $ 60 billion , failed to make a dent on Super Tuesday , the first time he appeared on any ballot in the 2020 Democratic primary race .
He managed to clinch a victory only in the tiny U.S. territory of American Samoa , receiving at least four delegates there , according to an NBC News projection .
Following the embarrassing Super Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden .
`` Three months ago , I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump .
Today , I am leaving the race for the same reason : to defeat Donald Trump — because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult , '' the former New York mayor said in a statement .
`` I 've always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that candidate is my friend and a great American , Joe Biden , '' Bloomberg said .
Democratic strategist Brad Bannon of polling and consulting firm Bannon Communications Research said Biden will certainly benefit from the campaign withdrawal of Bloomberg as well as that of former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. `` With Bloomberg , Mayor Pete and Amy Klobuchar out of the race , it clears the path for Joe Biden to capture all of the moderate conservative votes , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic primary , '' Bannon said .
Bloomberg was a late entrant in the race , announcing his campaign in November , which forced him to skip the first four nominating contests and instead appeal to voters in the 14 states and the territory of American Samoa up for grabs in the Super Tuesday primaries .
The billionaire businessman spent liberally in hopes of catching up with front-runners Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , who had already had months to build out their campaigns ahead of Bloomberg 's entry .
Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Super Tuesday , coupling his hefty ad spend with a huge staff , hiring 500 staffers in more than 30 states in January ahead of the nominating contests .
The efforts seemed to pay off in national polls , where he secured a third-place spot in recent weeks , behind only Biden and Sanders , according to a Real Clear Politics national polling average .
He even started gaining traction in states including Florida and Texas , where he led Biden in some polls .
His big spending strategy , which deployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of states , seemed to be hitting the mark .
After months of campaigning in swing states such as Florida , Bloomberg managed to make the debate stage in February for the first time after the Democratic National Convention changed its qualification standards .
It was a pivotal moment for him , but he could not capitalize on it .
His performance was disastrous in his first showing .
He was unable to respond to attacks by other Democrats on stage .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass.
, who criticized him for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him of trying to buy the election , dealt some of the harshest blows .
She called Bloomberg a `` billionaire who calls women 'fat broads ' and 'horse-faced lesbians ' '' while accusing him of inappropriate behavior toward women employees and of using nondisclosure agreements to prevent them from coming forward publicly .
At the same time , his campaign was plagued by past remarks he made in public or private that fell out of step with the values he preached on the trail .
Several videos surfaced of Bloomberg casting aspersions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fun at a family struck by tragedy and deriding transgender people .
His mayoral `` stop and frisk '' policing policy that targeted people of color received renewed scrutiny .
Bloomberg apologized early in his campaign for leaning too heavily on that policy , which a federal judge ruled was applied in an unconstitutional manner by New York police .
But critics used it as a rallying cry after the videos were circulated on Twitter .
Perhaps his biggest tormentor was the rival Bloomberg was most eager to defeat : Trump himself .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's 2020 bid , dubbing him `` Mini Mike , '' a moniker that he used to taunt the former New York mayor about his height .
Bloomberg is about 5 feet 8 inches tall .
Trump is 6 feet 3 inches tall .
`` The biggest loser tonight , by far , is Mini Mike Bloomberg , '' Trump tweeted during the rollout of Super Tuesday results .
`` His 'political ' consultants took him for a ride .
$ 700 million washed down the drain , and he got nothing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the complete destruction of his reputation .
Way to go Mike ! ''
Super Tuesday results were a devastating blow to Bloomberg 's campaign , pushing him to withdraw from the race , even after he pledged numerous times to carry on until November .
Though results are still coming in , Bloomberg has so far earned just 24 delegates on Super Tuesday , compared with Biden 's 460 and Sanders ' 401 .
Bloomberg will likely miss the delegate threshold by a hair in delegate-rich states California and Texas , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has the largest number of delegates at stake with 415 , and Texas , which has 228 delegates at stake , provided an opportunity for candidates to win big .
Observers noted that if Bloomberg continued in the race , he would only play the spoiler .
Biden , who currently leads the delegate count , `` would have won even more delegates than he did if Bloomberg had n't been in the race , '' Bannon said .
Bloomberg 's Super Tuesday results can only be described as an epic failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in ads in those states .
In those 14 states alone , he spent about $ 215 million of his own money , 12 times what Sanders spent there and more than 100 times what Biden spent , according to The Wall Street Journal .
Trump continued to delight in Bloomberg 's poor performance on Wednesday , slamming the billionaire in multiple tweets following the announcement of his departure .
`` Mini Mike Bloomberg will now FIRE Tim O'Brien , and all of the fools and truly dumb people who got him into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` This has been the worst , and most embarrassing , experience of his life ... and now on to Sleepy Joe ! ''
Though Bloomberg has dropped his candidacy , he 's hardly leaving the race .
He is expected to use his financial resources and campaign staff to help Biden win the election against Trump .
Bannon predicts that a Biden administration might ultimately find a spot for Bloomberg .
`` Bloomberg would get strong consideration for a high post in the Biden administration , maybe secretary of treasury , '' @ @ @

Democratic presidential candidate, former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg makes a stop at one of his campaign offices in the Little Havana neighborhood on March 3, 2020 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty images
He broke the bank, but he couldn't bring home the bacon. After dumping more than $500 million of his own fortune into the 2020 election, Mike Bloomberg, who's worth around $60 billion, failed to make a dent on Super Tuesday, the first time he appeared on any ballot in the 2020 Democratic primary race. He managed to clinch a victory only in the tiny U.S. territory of American Samoa, receiving at least four delegates there, according to an NBC News projection. Following the embarrassing Super Tuesday results, Bloomberg dropped out of the race and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden.
watch now
"Three months ago, I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump. Today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump — because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult," the former New York mayor said in a statement. "I've always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. After yesterday's vote, it is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American, Joe Biden," Bloomberg said. Democratic strategist Brad Bannon of polling and consulting firm Bannon Communications Research said Biden will certainly benefit from the campaign withdrawal of Bloomberg as well as that of former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. "With Bloomberg, Mayor Pete and Amy Klobuchar out of the race, it clears the path for Joe Biden to capture all of the moderate conservative votes, as well as all the black votes in the Democratic primary," Bannon said. Bloomberg was a late entrant in the race, announcing his campaign in November, which forced him to skip the first four nominating contests and instead appeal to voters in the 14 states and the territory of American Samoa up for grabs in the Super Tuesday primaries. The billionaire businessman spent liberally in hopes of catching up with front-runners Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who had already had months to build out their campaigns ahead of Bloomberg's entry. Bloomberg put most of his energy into preparing for Super Tuesday, coupling his hefty ad spend with a huge staff, hiring 500 staffers in more than 30 states in January ahead of the nominating contests. The efforts seemed to pay off in national polls, where he secured a third-place spot in recent weeks, behind only Biden and Sanders, according to a Real Clear Politics national polling average. He even started gaining traction in states including Florida and Texas, where he led Biden in some polls.
watch now


cnbc--2020-03-04--'Which side are you on?' Bernie Sanders frames 2020 primary race with Joe Biden as fight against cor

'Which side are you on?' Bernie Sanders frames 2020 primary race with Joe Biden as fight against corporate, political elite

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) is joined by his family on stage during a rally with at the Champlain Valley Expo March 03 , 2020 in Essex Junction , Vermont .
Bernie Sanders thinks Joe Biden is a `` decent guy . ''
He just believes the only person now capable of denying him the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination is wrong about , well , a lot of things .
After the Super Tuesday primary results set the Vermont senator and former vice president on a collision course in the race to take on President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had much to `` explain '' to American voters .
From trade deals to the Iraq War , the health-care system and the social safety net , Sanders aimed to draw distinctions between his record and Biden 's .
He framed the next phase of the Democratic primary as a fundamental question of , `` which side are you on ? ''
He cast Biden as beholden to billionaire donors , questioning whether a candidate backed by the `` corporate world '' would bring about changes working families `` desperately need . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand that this is a conflict about ideas , about a record , about a vision for where we go forward , '' he told reporters at his Vermont campaign headquarters .
He insisted he does not want the campaign to `` denigrate into a Trump-type effort '' riddled with `` personal attacks . ''
Welcome to the new Democratic primary , the result of a whirlwind few days where Biden swiftly stacked up support as centrist alternatives to him fell to the wayside .
As a two-person race develops , Biden has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of a risk for a party that has one chance to deny Trump a second term in the White House .
Biden leapfrogged Sanders for the pledged delegate lead on Tuesday as he dominated in the South and won key states such as Texas , Massachusetts and Minnesota , according to NBC projections .
Sanders kept pace by racking up an early delegate lead in California , though the most populous U.S. state 's primary was still too early to call Wednesday afternoon .
Biden held an overall 513 to 461 pledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , according to NBC News .

Bernie Sanders thinks Joe Biden is a "decent guy." He just believes the only person now capable of denying him the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination is wrong about, well, a lot of things.
After the Super Tuesday primary results set the Vermont senator and former vice president on a collision course in the race to take on President Donald Trump, Sanders contended Wednesday that Biden had much to "explain" to American voters. From trade deals to the Iraq War, the health-care system and the social safety net, Sanders aimed to draw distinctions between his record and Biden's.
He framed the next phase of the Democratic primary as a fundamental question of, "which side are you on?" He cast Biden as beholden to billionaire donors, questioning whether a candidate backed by the "corporate world" would bring about changes working families "desperately need."
"The American people have got to understand that this is a conflict about ideas, about a record, about a vision for where we go forward," he told reporters at his Vermont campaign headquarters. He insisted he does not want the campaign to "denigrate into a Trump-type effort" riddled with "personal attacks."
Welcome to the new Democratic primary, the result of a whirlwind few days where Biden swiftly stacked up support as centrist alternatives to him fell to the wayside. As a two-person race develops, Biden has cast Sanders' sweeping proposals as too much of a risk for a party that has one chance to deny Trump a second term in the White House.
Biden leapfrogged Sanders for the pledged delegate lead on Tuesday as he dominated in the South and won key states such as Texas, Massachusetts and Minnesota, according to NBC projections. Sanders kept pace by racking up an early delegate lead in California, though the most populous U.S. state's primary was still too early to call Wednesday afternoon.
Biden held an overall 513 to 461 pledged delegate lead as remaining results trickled in Wednesday, according to NBC News.


cnbc--2020-03-04--With Mike Bloomberg out of presidential race, Bloomberg journalists resume normal political coverage

With Mike Bloomberg out of the presidential race , Bloomberg LP reporters are free to investigate the Democrats still vying for the spot , Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait told employees in an email Wednesday afternoon .
`` Now that Mike has said he is leaving the race for President , we will return to our normal coverage of the election ; we will follow exactly the same coverage rules for the Democratic presidential candidates and President Donald Trump , '' Micklethwait wrote to Bloomberg 's editorial and research staff in a memo that was obtained by CNBC .
Mike Bloomberg is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg LP , a financial software company that owns Bloomberg News .
When Bloomberg announced he was joining the race in November , Micklethwait said the company would continue its `` tradition of not investigating Mike ( and his family and foundation ) '' and would `` extend the same policy to his rivals in the Democratic primaries . ''
The decision was criticized by some , including President Donald Trump .
The former New York mayor earlier Wednesday dropped out of the presidential race after a poor performance in the Super Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden 's candidacy .
Micklethwait said in the memo the company will `` disclose Mike 's financial support for other Democrats — just as we have always done where his financial support for political causes is relevant to our reporting . ''
He also highlighted the reporting the company 's journalists have done since Bloomberg 's decision to join the race .
`` As I pointed out back on November 24th , we found ourselves in an unprecedented situation : no other newsroom of our size has had to deal with anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written around 1,100 articles on the contest — and that does not include all the broadcast pieces and interviews , nor all the third party articles we have made available to our terminal customers . ''
Now that Mike has said he is leaving the race for President , we will return to our normal coverage of the election ; we will follow exactly the same coverage rules for the Democratic presidential candidates and President Donald Trump .
We will disclose Mike 's financial support for other Democrats — just as we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political causes is relevant to our reporting .
I would like to pay tribute to everybody who has covered the campaigns — and the independent way that we have reported the race .
As I pointed out back on November 24th , we found ourselves in an unprecedented situation : no other newsroom of our size has had to deal with anything similar .
Since then , we have written around 1,100 articles on the contest — and that does not include all the broadcast pieces and interviews , nor all the third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our terminal customers .
You can see an audit of our coverage up to March 2 on our website and the terminal , which we will continue to update .
But I would like to thank everybody for all the hard work that this has involved — and look forward to what lies ahead .

With Mike Bloomberg out of the presidential race, Bloomberg LP reporters are free to investigate the Democrats still vying for the spot, Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait told employees in an email Wednesday afternoon.
"Now that Mike has said he is leaving the race for President, we will return to our normal coverage of the election; we will follow exactly the same coverage rules for the Democratic presidential candidates and President Donald Trump," Micklethwait wrote to Bloomberg's editorial and research staff in a memo that was obtained by CNBC.
Mike Bloomberg is the founder and 89% shareholder in Bloomberg LP, a financial software company that owns Bloomberg News. When Bloomberg announced he was joining the race in November, Micklethwait said the company would continue its "tradition of not investigating Mike (and his family and foundation )" and would "extend the same policy to his rivals in the Democratic primaries."
The decision was criticized by some, including President Donald Trump.
Tweet
The former New York mayor earlier Wednesday dropped out of the presidential race after a poor performance in the Super Tuesday contests and immediately endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden's candidacy.
Micklethwait said in the memo the company will "disclose Mike's financial support for other Democrats — just as we have always done where his financial support for political causes is relevant to our reporting."
He also highlighted the reporting the company's journalists have done since Bloomberg's decision to join the race.
"As I pointed out back on November 24th, we found ourselves in an unprecedented situation: no other newsroom of our size has had to deal with anything similar. Since then, we have written around 1,100 articles on the contest — and that does not include all the broadcast pieces and interviews, nor all the third party articles we have made available to our terminal customers."
Read the full memo:
Now that Mike has said he is leaving the race for President, we will return to our normal coverage of the election; we will follow exactly the same coverage rules for the Democratic presidential candidates and President Donald Trump. We will disclose Mike's financial support for other Democrats — just as we have always done where his financial support for political causes is relevant to our reporting.
I would like to pay tribute to everybody who has covered the campaigns — and the independent way that we have reported the race. As I pointed out back on November 24th, we found ourselves in an unprecedented situation: no other newsroom of our size has had to deal with anything similar. Since then, we have written around 1,100 articles on the contest — and that does not include all the broadcast pieces and interviews, nor all the third party articles we have made available to our terminal customers. You can see an audit of our coverage up to March 2 on our website and the terminal, which we will continue to update. But I would like to thank everybody for all the hard work that this has involved — and look forward to what lies ahead.
John


cnbc--2020-03-04--Lawmakers strike deal on more than $8 billion in emergency coronavirus funding

Medics transport a man on a stretcher into an ambulance at the Life Care Center of Kirkland , a long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases , in Kirkland , Washington , U.S. March 3 , 2020 .
Lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled more than $ 8 billion in emergency funding to address the spread of the deadly coronavirus , as the death toll from the outbreak in the United States from the outbreak rose to 11 people .
The House was expected to take up the supplemental spending proposal for a vote later in the day .
Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon afterward .
`` Our goal would be to do it this week if we get cooperation , '' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , told reporters .
The $ 8.3 billion plan for the emergency was revealed as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 129 cases of coronavirus had been identified in the U.S. California on Wednesday reported the first death in that state from the virus .
The other 10 deaths occurred in Washington state .
The congressional spending proposal is more than three times the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week devoting to the coronavirus effort .
`` This should not be about politics ; this is about doing our job to protect the American people from a potential pandemic , '' said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby , R-Ala. , as he announced the deal in a press release after days of negotiations on Capitol Hill .
`` We worked together to craft an aggressive and comprehensive response that provides the resources the experts say they need to combat this crisis , '' Shelby said .
`` I thank my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Donald ] Trump 's eagerness to sign this legislation and get the funding out the door without delay . ''
• More than $ 3 billion dedicated to the research and development of vaccines , as well as therapeutics and diagnostics ; • $ 2.2 billion in public health funding to aid in prevention , preparedness and response efforts — including $ 950 million to support state and local agencies ; • Nearly $ 1 billion to go toward medical supplies , health-care preparedness , Community Health Centers and medical surge capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimated $ 7 billion in low-interest Small Business Administration loans to affected small businesses , the aide told CNBC .
The House aide added that the emergency bill provides more than $ 300 million to `` help ensure that , when a vaccine is developed , Americans can receive it regardless of their ability to pay . ''
The question of affordability has reportedly been a sticking point in negotiations .
And Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar came under fire last week after declining to guarantee to lawmakers that a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @

Medics transport a man on a stretcher into an ambulance at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, a long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases, in Kirkland, Washington, U.S. March 3, 2020.
Lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled more than $8 billion in emergency funding to address the spread of the deadly coronavirus, as the death toll from the outbreak in the United States from the outbreak rose to 11 people.
The House was expected to take up the supplemental spending proposal for a vote later in the day. Senate leaders hope to vote on the plan soon afterward.
"Our goal would be to do it this week if we get cooperation," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters.
The $8.3 billion plan for the emergency was revealed as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 129 cases of coronavirus had been identified in the U.S. California on Wednesday reported the first death in that state from the virus. The other 10 deaths occurred in Washington state.
The congressional spending proposal is more than three times the $2.5 billion the White House proposed last week devoting to the coronavirus effort.
"This should not be about politics; this is about doing our job to protect the American people from a potential pandemic," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., as he announced the deal in a press release after days of negotiations on Capitol Hill.
"We worked together to craft an aggressive and comprehensive response that provides the resources the experts say they need to combat this crisis," Shelby said.
"I thank my colleagues for their cooperation and appreciate President [Donald] Trump's eagerness to sign this legislation and get the funding out the door without delay."
A House Democratic aide told CNBC that the proposal includes:
More than $3 billion dedicated to the research and development of vaccines, as well as therapeutics and diagnostics;
$2.2 billion in public health funding to aid in prevention, preparedness and response efforts — including $950 million to support state and local agencies;
Nearly $1 billion to go toward medical supplies, health-care preparedness, Community Health Centers and medical surge capacity, and
$1.25 billion to address the coronavirus overseas.
The plan also allows an estimated $7 billion in low-interest Small Business Administration loans to affected small businesses, the aide told CNBC.
The House aide added that the emergency bill provides more than $300 million to "help ensure that, when a vaccine is developed, Americans can receive it regardless of their ability to pay."
The question of affordability has reportedly been a sticking point in negotiations.
And Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar came under fire last week after declining to guarantee to lawmakers that a vaccine would be affordable for all.


cnbc--2020-03-04--Fauci says it's still too early to determine U.S. death rates from coronavirus outbreak

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told the House Appropriations subcommittee in Congress on Wednesday that it remains difficult to determine accurate mortality rates of the new coronavirus outbreak , given that we simply do not know yet how many have been infected with the disease .
Fauci and other representatives from the National Institutes of Health were scheduled to sit before Congress to discuss its budget requests for 2021 .
But amid the coronavirus outbreak , many representatives took the opportunity to grill Fauci on the latest developments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denominator , '' Rep. Andy Harris , R-Md.
, noted to Fauci when asking whether mortality rates are reliable .
`` You said it , sir , '' Fauci responded , before further explaining .
`` If you look at the cases that have come to the attention of the medical authorities , in China , and you just do the math — the math is about 2 % .
If you look at certain age groups , certain risk groups , the fatality is much higher . ''
The Life Care Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility in Washington state , has become the center of a potential outbreak .
At least five deaths in the U.S. have been traced back to Life Care , according to state and local health officials .
Amid continuing questions around the numbers , Harris asked Fauci about the accuracy numbers published by the World Health Organization on Tuesday stating the death rate is 3.4 % globally .
Fauci said the administration was told on a recent call with WHO that it had elevated the mortality rate because there were n't as many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What we 're hearing right now on a recent call from the WHO , this morning , is that there are n't as many asymptomatic cases as we think — which made them elevate , I think , what their mortality is , '' Fauci said .
In the U.S. , the administration is still working to ascertain the full number of Americans infected by the disease .
The administration has been hamstrung by a slow rollout of testing , making it difficult to track .
`` I 'm torn , '' Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data to have a big [ numerator ] it 's gon na be bad news for us . ''
`` You know as well as anybody that the mortality for seasonal flu is .1 % , '' he added .
`` So even if it goes down to 1 % , it 's still 10 times more fatal . ''

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the House Appropriations subcommittee in Congress on Wednesday that it remains difficult to determine accurate mortality rates of the new coronavirus outbreak, given that we simply do not know yet how many have been infected with the disease.
Fauci and other representatives from the National Institutes of Health were scheduled to sit before Congress to discuss its budget requests for 2021. But amid the coronavirus outbreak, many representatives took the opportunity to grill Fauci on the latest developments.
"We don't know the denominator," Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., noted to Fauci when asking whether mortality rates are reliable.
"You said it, sir," Fauci responded, before further explaining.
"If you look at the cases that have come to the attention of the medical authorities, in China, and you just do the math — the math is about 2%. If you look at certain age groups, certain risk groups, the fatality is much higher."
The Life Care Center of Kirkland, a skilled nursing care facility in Washington state, has become the center of a potential outbreak. At least five deaths in the U.S. have been traced back to Life Care, according to state and local health officials.
Amid continuing questions around the numbers, Harris asked Fauci about the accuracy numbers published by the World Health Organization on Tuesday stating the death rate is 3.4% globally.
Fauci said the administration was told on a recent call with WHO that it had elevated the mortality rate because there weren't as many asymptomatic cases as it thought.
"What we're hearing right now on a recent call from the WHO, this morning, is that there aren't as many asymptomatic cases as we think — which made them elevate, I think, what their mortality is," Fauci said.
In the U.S., the administration is still working to ascertain the full number of Americans infected by the disease. The administration has been hamstrung by a slow rollout of testing, making it difficult to track.
"I'm torn," Fauci said. "If we get enough data to have a big [numerator] it's gonna be bad news for us."
"You know as well as anybody that the mortality for seasonal flu is .1%," he added. "So even if it goes down to 1%, it's still 10 times more fatal."
— CNBC's Divya Verma contributed to this report.


cnbc--2020-03-04--Trump mocks Bloomberg after exit from the 2020 presidential race: 'He didn't have what it takes'

WASHINGTON — They were the tweets Washington had been waiting for after Mike Bloomberg announced Wednesday he 's suspending his presidential campaign .
`` He did n't have what it takes , '' President Donald Trump tweeted after his archrival 's exit from the race .
Trump claimed he had seen the folly in Bloomberg 's effort from the start and warned that any effort by Bloomberg to salvage his reputation was futile .
Bloomberg responded to the tweet with a clip from `` Star Wars '' that suggests he plans to continue working , and spending part of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beat Trump in November .
A few minutes later , Trump tweeted again , this time singling out Bloomberg 's campaign adviser Tim O'Brien , who previously worked for Bloomberg 's company before he joined the campaign .
For long-time Trump watchers , the president 's focus on O'Brien comes as no surprise .
In 2005 , O'Brien published TrumpNation , an investigative biography of Trump .
In it , he wrote that Trump `` was not remotely close to being a billionaire , '' and that Trump 's net worth was closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 250 million .
Trump sued O'Brien , claiming the journalist had intentionally set out to damage Trump 's reputation by printing false information about Trump 's net worth in order to sell more books .
A judge rejected Trump 's libel suit in 2009 .
A few minutes after the tweet about O'Brien , Trump again went after Bloomberg , this time mocking him using a line from Bloomberg 's announcement that he was dropping out of the race .
But if Trump is defeated this fall , his loss could be partly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money on the 2020 presidential contest The media mogul and former New York mayor has pledged to spend as much as $ 1 billion to defeat Trump , even if he is not the eventual Democratic nominee .
Prior to dropping out , Bloomberg spent more than $ 500 million mounting an unconventional campaign that relied entirely on making a strong showing on Super Tuesday .
When Bloomberg won only the U.S. territory of American Samoa and failed in the 14 state races , it became apparent that his strategy of skipping the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Super Tuesday had flopped .
Bloomberg endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday , pledging that he would `` work to make him the next President of the United States . ''

WASHINGTON — They were the tweets Washington had been waiting for after Mike Bloomberg announced Wednesday he's suspending his presidential campaign.
"He didn't have what it takes," President Donald Trump tweeted after his archrival's exit from the race. Trump claimed he had seen the folly in Bloomberg's effort from the start and warned that any effort by Bloomberg to salvage his reputation was futile.
TRUMP TWEET
Bloomberg responded to the tweet with a clip from "Star Wars" that suggests he plans to continue working, and spending part of his $61 billion fortune, to help beat Trump in November.
BLOOMBERG RESPONSE
A few minutes later, Trump tweeted again, this time singling out Bloomberg's campaign adviser Tim O'Brien, who previously worked for Bloomberg's company before he joined the campaign.
TRUMP OBRIEN TWEET
For long-time Trump watchers, the president's focus on O'Brien comes as no surprise. In 2005, O'Brien published TrumpNation, an investigative biography of Trump. In it, he wrote that Trump "was not remotely close to being a billionaire," and that Trump's net worth was closer to between $150 million and $250 million.
Trump sued O'Brien, claiming the journalist had intentionally set out to damage Trump's reputation by printing false information about Trump's net worth in order to sell more books. A judge rejected Trump's libel suit in 2009.
A few minutes after the tweet about O'Brien, Trump again went after Bloomberg, this time mocking him using a line from Bloomberg's announcement that he was dropping out of the race.
TRUMP TWEET3
But if Trump is defeated this fall, his loss could be partly due to the impact of Bloomberg's money on the 2020 presidential contest
The media mogul and former New York mayor has pledged to spend as much as $1 billion to defeat Trump, even if he is not the eventual Democratic nominee.
Prior to dropping out, Bloomberg spent more than $500 million mounting an unconventional campaign that relied entirely on making a strong showing on Super Tuesday.
When Bloomberg won only the U.S. territory of American Samoa and failed in the 14 state races, it became apparent that his strategy of skipping the first four nominating contests in favor of Super Tuesday had flopped.
Bloomberg endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday, pledging that he would "work to make him the next President of the United States."


cnbc--2020-03-04--Roberts signals he could side with liberals in Supreme Court abortion arguments

File photo : U.S. Supreme Court Police guard the building during a protest against anti-abortion legislation at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington , U.S. , May 21 , 2019 .
WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts left open the possibility that he could side with the Supreme Court 's liberal wing during intensive , fact-based arguments on Wednesday in a high-profile abortion case .
A vote with the court 's four liberal justices to strike down a Louisiana law regulating abortion providers would be a dramatic turnaround for the chief justice , who joined a dissenting opinion from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law in Texas just four years ago .
Read more : Supreme Court abortion case tests Trump 's campaign promise to overturn Roe v. Wade But on Wednesday , Roberts suggested he saw that decision as binding .
That ruling found that the Texas law had no medical benefits and placed an unconstitutional burden on women seeking abortion .
Roberts twice said the medical benefits for the Louisiana law would likely be the same .
`` I understand the idea that the impact might be different in different places , but as far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's going to be the same in each state , is n't it ? ''
Roberts asked of Louisiana Solicitor General Elizabeth Murrill at one point .
Wednesday 's case was the first substantial abortion dispute to come before the top court since the confirmation of President Donald Trump 's two appointees , Justice Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh .
It marks a significant test of how the court 's new conservative majority will treat laws concerning abortion .
How the court ultimately comes down could have an impact on the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Trump has boasted of his impact on the federal judiciary and sought to develop conservative credentials on abortion .
The dispute concerned a Louisiana law that requires doctors who provide abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic , a requirement that could limit the state to just one provider .
The court struck down the Texas law by a 5-3 vote in the 2016 case Whole Woman 's Health v. Hellerstedt .
Roberts was in the dissent in the Whole Woman 's Health case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by siding with the court 's liberal members — Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Stephen Breyer , Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor — to halt the Louisiana law from going into effect while its challengers pursued their appeal .
There were not many clues presented during Wednesday 's arguments as to how Trump 's appointees will vote .
Gorsuch , who was largely expected to uphold the Louisiana law going into arguments , was unusually silent , asking no questions .
Kavanaugh , somewhat more of a mystery , quizzed Center for Reproductive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed that admitting privileges laws would be unconstitutional in every state , not just Louisiana and Texas .
She said she believed they would be .
Justice Samuel Alito was the court 's most talkative conservative on Wednesday , pushing Rikelman on whether her clients , an abortion clinic and several abortion doctors , should be allowed to bring the case in the first place .
Murrill and Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Wall , both in court defending the Louisiana law , argued that the clinic and doctors had a conflict of interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was not clear whether the other conservative justices would sign onto Alito 's point , but Breyer and some of the other liberals pushed back strongly .
Breyer , citing past abortion cases that had relied on so-called third-party standing , or the right of clinics to sue on behalf of their patients , said doing away with it would require overturning at least eight past Supreme Court rulings .
Breyer told Wall that if the court was going to reexamine third-party standing , `` let 's go back and reexamine Marbury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruling .
Sotomayor took issue with the idea that there were diverging interests between women seeking abortions and the clinics providing them .
`` What sane woman who 's a plaintiff is going to have a conflict with a doctor who wants to protect her rights by doing what they can to comply with the law ? ''
she asked .
An overriding question during arguments — not least because it seemed to be on the mind of Roberts , the likely swing vote — was about the medical benefits that come from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitting privileges within 30 miles of their clinic .
Read more : The battle over abortion rights : Here 's what 's at stake in 2020 Kagan said the clinic , known as Hope Medical Group , had performed about 70,000 procedures over 23 years and had only four hospital transfers .
`` I do n't know of a medical procedure where it 's lower than that of any kind , '' she said .
Ginsburg pressed each of the attorneys specifically on the 30-mile limit included in the law , telling Murrill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to where the women receiving the procedure actually live .
On the other hand , Murrill and Wall focused on the claimed burdens that the law would impose .
They argued that in Louisiana , those burdens on abortion providers would be far more limited than in Texas .
A federal district court found that the burdens imposed by the law were unconstitutionally high , but that decision was reversed by the 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in 2018 , which found that abortion doctors did not try hard enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the 5th Circuit opinion , claiming that it presented evidence that virtually all of the abortion providers `` sabotaged their own applications . ''
The case is June Medical Services v. Russo , No .
18-1323 .

File photo: U.S. Supreme Court Police guard the building during a protest against anti-abortion legislation at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., May 21, 2019.
WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts left open the possibility that he could side with the Supreme Court's liberal wing during intensive, fact-based arguments on Wednesday in a high-profile abortion case.
A vote with the court's four liberal justices to strike down a Louisiana law regulating abortion providers would be a dramatic turnaround for the chief justice, who joined a dissenting opinion from the court's decision striking down a similar law in Texas just four years ago.
Read more: Supreme Court abortion case tests Trump's campaign promise to overturn Roe v. Wade
But on Wednesday, Roberts suggested he saw that decision as binding. That ruling found that the Texas law had no medical benefits and placed an unconstitutional burden on women seeking abortion. Roberts twice said the medical benefits for the Louisiana law would likely be the same.
"I understand the idea that the impact might be different in different places, but as far as the benefits of the law, that's going to be the same in each state, isn't it?" Roberts asked of Louisiana Solicitor General Elizabeth Murrill at one point.
Wednesday's case was the first substantial abortion dispute to come before the top court since the confirmation of President Donald Trump's two appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
It marks a significant test of how the court's new conservative majority will treat laws concerning abortion. How the court ultimately comes down could have an impact on the next presidential election, in a race in which Trump has boasted of his impact on the federal judiciary and sought to develop conservative credentials on abortion.
The dispute concerned a Louisiana law that requires doctors who provide abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic, a requirement that could limit the state to just one provider. The court struck down the Texas law by a 5-3 vote in the 2016 case Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt.
Roberts was in the dissent in the Whole Woman's Health case. But he raised questions a year ago by siding with the court's liberal members — Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor — to halt the Louisiana law from going into effect while its challengers pursued their appeal.
There were not many clues presented during Wednesday's arguments as to how Trump's appointees will vote.
Gorsuch, who was largely expected to uphold the Louisiana law going into arguments, was unusually silent, asking no questions.
Kavanaugh, somewhat more of a mystery, quizzed Center for Reproductive Rights attorney Julie Rikelman about whether she believed that admitting privileges laws would be unconstitutional in every state, not just Louisiana and Texas. She said she believed they would be.
Justice Samuel Alito was the court's most talkative conservative on Wednesday, pushing Rikelman on whether her clients, an abortion clinic and several abortion doctors, should be allowed to bring the case in the first place.
Murrill and Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Wall, both in court defending the Louisiana law, argued that the clinic and doctors had a conflict of interest with the women whom they serve.
It was not clear whether the other conservative justices would sign onto Alito's point, but Breyer and some of the other liberals pushed back strongly.
Breyer, citing past abortion cases that had relied on so-called third-party standing, or the right of clinics to sue on behalf of their patients, said doing away with it would require overturning at least eight past Supreme Court rulings.
Breyer told Wall that if the court was going to reexamine third-party standing, "let's go back and reexamine Marbury v. Madison," the landmark 1803 ruling.
Sotomayor took issue with the idea that there were diverging interests between women seeking abortions and the clinics providing them.
"What sane woman who's a plaintiff is going to have a conflict with a doctor who wants to protect her rights by doing what they can to comply with the law?" she asked.
An overriding question during arguments — not least because it seemed to be on the mind of Roberts, the likely swing vote — was about the medical benefits that come from requiring abortion doctors in Louisiana to have admitting privileges within 30 miles of their clinic.
Read more: The battle over abortion rights: Here's what's at stake in 2020
Kagan said the clinic, known as Hope Medical Group, had performed about 70,000 procedures over 23 years and had only four hospital transfers.
"I don't know of a medical procedure where it's lower than that of any kind," she said.
Ginsburg pressed each of the attorneys specifically on the 30-mile limit included in the law, telling Murrill that it had "no necessary relationship" to where the women receiving the procedure actually live.
On the other hand, Murrill and Wall focused on the claimed burdens that the law would impose. They argued that in Louisiana, those burdens on abortion providers would be far more limited than in Texas.
A federal district court found that the burdens imposed by the law were unconstitutionally high, but that decision was reversed by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2018, which found that abortion doctors did not try hard enough to obtain admitting privileges.
Murrill leaned into the 5th Circuit opinion, claiming that it presented evidence that virtually all of the abortion providers "sabotaged their own applications."
The case is June Medical Services v. Russo, No. 18-1323.


cnbc--2020-03-04--Mike Bloomberg drops out of 2020 presidential race, endorses Joe Biden

Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the presidential race Wednesday after a poor performance in the Super Tuesday contests , and immediately endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden 's candidacy .
`` Three months ago , I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump , '' Bloomberg said in a statement .
`` Today , I am leaving the race for the same reason : to defeat Donald Trump – because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult , '' said the former New York mayor and billionaire , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his candidacy .
`` I 've always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it .
After yesterday 's vote , it is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American , Joe Biden , '' Bloomberg said in the statement .
`` I 've known Joe for a very long time .
I know his decency , his honesty , and his commitment to the issues that are so important to our country – including gun safety , health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
A campaign aide said the two candidates talked Wednesday morning , before the announcement of Bloomberg dropping out , according to NBC News .
Biden accepted Bloomberg 's endorsement , saying in a tweet that the focus is on `` defeating Donald Trump , and with your help , we 're gon na do it . ''
Bloomberg 's endorsement of Biden is a major boost for the former vice president 's campaign .
Biden 's efforts will get a lift from Bloomberg 's extensive field staff and advertisements that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden will see an assist from Bloomberg 's own technology company , Hawkfish .
The campaign previously told NBC News that it will keep its operation going , even if Bloomberg was forced to drop out of the race .
Trump gloated about Bloomberg 's departure from the contest .
`` Mini Mike Bloomberg just 'quit ' the race for President , '' Trump tweeted .
`` I could have told him long ago that he did n't have what it takes , and he would have saved himself a billion dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will pour money into Sleepy Joe 's campaign , hoping to save face .
It wo n't work ! ''
Bloomberg 's embarrassing finish Tuesday night marked the first time he was on the ballot .
Had he continued in the race , his candidacy might have taken away votes from Biden , a fellow moderate who 's competing for the nomination with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont .
With his departure , there are now only four candidates in the race : Biden , Sanders , Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his massive , unprecedented spending , Bloomberg managed to win only American Samoa on Tuesday night when that territory and 14 states were up for grabs .
Warren 's own poor performance Tuesday increased speculation that she will be the next big name to drop out of the race .
Warren 's campaign manager Roger Lau said Wednesday that the campaign had fallen `` well short of our viability goals and projections '' on Super Tuesday , and `` we are disappointed in the resullts . ''
`` Elizabeth is talking with our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Lau wrote in a message to campaign supporters , which was published on Medium.com .
`` She 's going to take time right now to think through the right way to continue this fight .
There 's a lot at stake for this country and the millions of people who are falling further and further behind , '' Lau wrote .
`` This decision is in her hands , and it 's important that she has the time and space to consider what comes next . ''

Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the presidential race Wednesday after a poor performance in the Super Tuesday contests, and immediately endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden's candidacy.
"Three months ago, I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump," Bloomberg said in a statement.
"Today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump – because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult," said the former New York mayor and billionaire, who had spent more than $500 million on his candidacy.
"I've always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. After yesterday's vote, it is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American, Joe Biden," Bloomberg said in the statement.
Bloomberg tweet
"I've known Joe for a very long time. I know his decency, his honesty, and his commitment to the issues that are so important to our country – including gun safety, health care, climate change, and good jobs."
A campaign aide said the two candidates talked Wednesday morning, before the announcement of Bloomberg dropping out, according to NBC News.
Biden accepted Bloomberg's endorsement, saying in a tweet that the focus is on "defeating Donald Trump, and with your help, we're gonna do it."
Biden tweet
Bloomberg's endorsement of Biden is a major boost for the former vice president's campaign.
Biden's efforts will get a lift from Bloomberg's extensive field staff and advertisements that have already been booked in future primary states. Biden will see an assist from Bloomberg's own technology company, Hawkfish. The campaign previously told NBC News that it will keep its operation going, even if Bloomberg was forced to drop out of the race.
Trump gloated about Bloomberg's departure from the contest.
"Mini Mike Bloomberg just 'quit' the race for President," Trump tweeted. "I could have told him long ago that he didn't have what it takes, and he would have saved himself a billion dollars, the real cost. Now he will pour money into Sleepy Joe's campaign, hoping to save face. It won't work!"
Trump tweet
Bloomberg's embarrassing finish Tuesday night marked the first time he was on the ballot. Had he continued in the race, his candidacy might have taken away votes from Biden, a fellow moderate who's competing for the nomination with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. With his departure, there are now only four candidates in the race: Biden, Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.
Despite his massive, unprecedented spending, Bloomberg managed to win only American Samoa on Tuesday night when that territory and 14 states were up for grabs.
Warren's own poor performance Tuesday increased speculation that she will be the next big name to drop out of the race.
Warren's campaign manager Roger Lau said Wednesday that the campaign had fallen "well short of our viability goals and projections" on Super Tuesday, and "we are disappointed in the resullts."
"Elizabeth is talking with our team to assess the path forward," Lau wrote in a message to campaign supporters, which was published on Medium.com.
"She's going to take time right now to think through the right way to continue this fight. There's a lot at stake for this country and the millions of people who are falling further and further behind," Lau wrote. "This decision is in her hands, and it's important that she has the time and space to consider what comes next."


cnbc--2020-03-04--Bernie Sanders rolls out ads after Super Tuesday results hitting Biden over Social Security, highlig

Bernie Sanders rolls out ads after Super Tuesday results hitting Biden over Social Security, highlighting Obama's praise

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders is accompanied by his relatives , including his wife Jane , as he addresses supporters at his Super Tuesday night rally in Essex Junction , Vermont , U.S. , March 3 , 2020 Bernie Sanders ' campaign will ratchet up its criticism of Joe Biden and highlight the senator 's record in three new TV ads rolled out Wednesday and set to run in upcoming primary states .
It unveiled the ads a day after Super Tuesday , when the former vice president notched a few surprising presidential primary wins on his way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders , according to NBC News .
The fourteen states that voted Tuesday will allocate more than a third of all pledged delegates .
With the ads , Sanders looks to gain traction over the candidate who has emerged as his chief rival in the 2020 Democratic primary as the party coalesces around Biden .
New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts both performed poorly Tuesday .
By Wednesday morning , Bloomberg dropped out and endorsed the former vice president .
The new ads will run in nine states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contests on March 10 and March 17 : Arizona , Florida , Idaho , Illinois , Michigan , Mississippi , Missouri , Ohio , and Washington .
The campaign did not say how much it would spend on the buy .
One of the messages whacks Biden over Social Security .
Sanders has drilled into him on the issue in a possible attempt to blunt Biden 's strength among older voters .
It features audio the Sanders campaign highlighted earlier this year .
In the 1995 comments , Biden suggests the U.S. should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social Security , Medicare Medicaid and veterans ' benefits .
He continues : `` And I not only tried it once .
I tried it twice .
I tried it a third time .
And I tried it a fourth time . ''
Biden has argued the Sanders campaign took his comments out of context .
Earlier this year , he told MSNBC he would not cut Social Security benefits if he wins the White House , adding , `` we were n't talking about cutting them either then . ''
Another new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and President Barack Obama laughing together as they walk into the White House .
It plays audio of Obama 's 2016 comments saying Sanders has `` great authenticity '' and passion and `` got bills done '' on the Senate Veterans ' Affairs Committee .
Biden , who served eight years under the former president , has tied himself closely to Obama and repeatedly touted the achievements of the `` Obama-Biden administration '' during the primary .
A third Sanders TV ad set to run in the states voting later this month features @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to free trade deals .
The senator argues agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and Trans-Pacific Partnership have clobbered American workers by pushing companies to move jobs overseas .
The ad points to Biden 's support for NAFTA as a senator — a vote Sanders has repeatedly criticized during the primary .
The message could help Sanders in manufacturing states such as Michigan and Ohio .
He surprisingly triumphed over Hillary Clinton in Michigan during the 2016 Democratic primary .
When the Sanders campaign announced a mammoth $ 46.5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it said it planned to run TV ads in the nine states .
Biden , at a cash disadvantage against Sanders for the primary so far , has started to see more donor interest after his Super Tuesday success .

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders is accompanied by his relatives, including his wife Jane, as he addresses supporters at his Super Tuesday night rally in Essex Junction, Vermont, U.S., March 3, 2020
Bernie Sanders' campaign will ratchet up its criticism of Joe Biden and highlight the senator's record in three new TV ads rolled out Wednesday and set to run in upcoming primary states.
It unveiled the ads a day after Super Tuesday, when the former vice president notched a few surprising presidential primary wins on his way to an overall pledged delegate lead over Sanders, according to NBC News. The fourteen states that voted Tuesday will allocate more than a third of all pledged delegates.
With the ads, Sanders looks to gain traction over the candidate who has emerged as his chief rival in the 2020 Democratic primary as the party coalesces around Biden. New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts both performed poorly Tuesday. By Wednesday morning, Bloomberg dropped out and endorsed the former vice president.
The new ads will run in nine states that hold a pivotal slate of nominating contests on March 10 and March 17: Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Washington. The campaign did not say how much it would spend on the buy.
One of the messages whacks Biden over Social Security. Sanders has drilled into him on the issue in a possible attempt to blunt Biden's strength among older voters. It features audio the Sanders campaign highlighted earlier this year.
In the 1995 comments, Biden suggests the U.S. should "freeze" federal spending, including Social Security, Medicare Medicaid and veterans' benefits. He continues: "And I not only tried it once. I tried it twice. I tried it a third time. And I tried it a fourth time."
Biden has argued the Sanders campaign took his comments out of context. Earlier this year, he told MSNBC he would not cut Social Security benefits if he wins the White House, adding, "we weren't talking about cutting them either then."
Another new ad unveiled Wednesday features video of Sanders and President Barack Obama laughing together as they walk into the White House. It plays audio of Obama's 2016 comments saying Sanders has "great authenticity" and passion and "got bills done" on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Biden, who served eight years under the former president, has tied himself closely to Obama and repeatedly touted the achievements of the "Obama-Biden administration" during the primary.
A third Sanders TV ad set to run in the states voting later this month features a union autoworker highlighting Sanders' opposition to free trade deals. The senator argues agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and Trans-Pacific Partnership have clobbered American workers by pushing companies to move jobs overseas.
The ad points to Biden's support for NAFTA as a senator — a vote Sanders has repeatedly criticized during the primary. The message could help Sanders in manufacturing states such as Michigan and Ohio. He surprisingly triumphed over Hillary Clinton in Michigan during the 2016 Democratic primary.
When the Sanders campaign announced a mammoth $46.5 million haul for the month of February alone, it said it planned to run TV ads in the nine states. Biden, at a cash disadvantage against Sanders for the primary so far, has started to see more donor interest after his Super Tuesday success.
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cnbc--2020-03-04--Op-Ed: Biden has one thing to thank for his resurgence: Fear

But after two poor debate showings , and a Super Tuesday rout , Bloomberg dropped out of the race Wednesday .
That and the recent withdrawals from the race for Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. , have made Biden the only real anti-Bernie choice .
Another reason for Biden 's resurgence was former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg 's campaign .
Bloomberg 's entrance into the race produced the unintended consequence of splitting the moderate vote and thus boosting the odds for more extreme Sanders .
Bloomberg also seemed to be the living embodiment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about billionaires having too much influence in U.S. politics .
So far , the last-minute endorsements and pressure on rival candidates to withdraw from the race have worked like a charm .
Biden now has the lead in the Democratic delegate count , and he 's once again the front-runner for the party 's presidential nomination .
After Biden 's disappointing showings in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary , a clearly rattled Democratic Party establishment hit the panic button and decided to coalesce around the man they saw as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fear of Sen. Bernie Sanders , the Vermont independent , winning the Democratic presidential nomination , knocking establishment Democrats out of power , presenting a socialist message to the voters , and handing President Donald Trump a decisive general election victory .
There 's one word to explain former Vice President Joe Biden 's big turnaround from what looked like a dead-in-the-water presidential campaign just a week ago .
Meanwhile , Sanders has been hit by weak turnout among the younger voters who are the life 's blood of his campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you do n't show up to the playing field .
But here 's the big question : Will that be enough for Biden to win the nomination and the general election ?
It sure seems like the answer to the first part of that question is `` yes . ''
Biden has clinched priceless momentum in the Democratic race and he may even pull off the huge surprise of winning enough delegates to avoid the `` brokered convention '' so many experts have been predicting for weeks .
Meanwhile , Sanders has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters who are the life 's blood of his campaign .
You ca n't beat the establishment if you do n't show up to the playing field .
Fear accounts for another specific reason for Biden 's comeback , and that is the coronavirus issue .
Exit polls showed that Democrat Super Tuesday voters who rated the coronavirus as an important factor in their voting choice overwhelmingly voted for Biden .
If the virus continues to spread and wreak havoc with the economy , there 's no doubt Trump will continue to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will still have to project an image of a leader who is capable of tackling the problem head-on .
If all he does is bash Trump over his handling of the coronavirus impact , he could fall flat on his face when he 's asked what he would do differently .
Those who think the coronavirus effect is only a wild card or threat to Trump are mistaken .
That 's just one way the general election contest against Trump is an entirely different matter .
At some point , Biden will need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a candidate for president .
Focusing on the fact that he 's not the other candidate many voters dislike or fear more wo n't be enough .
With more of a spotlight on him than ever , Biden will have to overcome his long history of losing his luster once voters get a better look at him .
In the past , Biden has n't been able to get enough Democratic primary voters in any state to support him .
It 's truly a big deal that Biden has finally cleared that hurdle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , he needs to prove he can do that with the general public .
Whether he can requires asking whether Biden has really changed anything about himself or his campaign .
His debate performances have been less than scintillating and he continues to make gaffes that instantly go viral on social media .
Then there 's that issue of weak turnout among younger voters .
That weak turnout helped Biden vanquish Sanders in many states Tuesday , but if the trend keeps up through November it will likely be a boon for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the big danger for any establishment Democrat defeating Sanders is that Bernie 's younger supporters wo n't transfer their enthusiasm to an establishment nominee .
But the dangers are even greater for Democrats if younger voters continue to show little enthusiasm for any candidate .
Fear can take you a long way in American politics .
But Joe Biden will need to get more voters to actually believe in him if he wants to become president .
Jake Novak is a political and economic analyst at Jake Novak News and former CNBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter @ jakejakeny .

But after two poor debate showings, and a Super Tuesday rout, Bloomberg dropped out of the race Wednesday . That and the recent withdrawals from the race for Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., have made Biden the only real anti-Bernie choice.
Another reason for Biden's resurgence was former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg's campaign. Bloomberg's entrance into the race produced the unintended consequence of splitting the moderate vote and thus boosting the odds for more extreme Sanders . Bloomberg also seemed to be the living embodiment of everything Sanders has been saying for years about billionaires having too much influence in U.S. politics.
So far, the last-minute endorsements and pressure on rival candidates to withdraw from the race have worked like a charm. Biden now has the lead in the Democratic delegate count , and he's once again the front-runner for the party's presidential nomination.
After Biden's disappointing showings in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, a clearly rattled Democratic Party establishment hit the panic button and decided to coalesce around the man they saw as the most viable alternative to Sanders.
Specifically, fear of Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, winning the Democratic presidential nomination, knocking establishment Democrats out of power, presenting a socialist message to the voters, and handing President Donald Trump a decisive general election victory.
There's one word to explain former Vice President Joe Biden's big turnaround from what looked like a dead-in-the-water presidential campaign just a week ago.
Meanwhile, Sanders has been hit by weak turnout among the younger voters who are the life's blood of his campaign. You can't beat the establishment if you don't show up to the playing field.
But here's the big question: Will that be enough for Biden to win the nomination and the general election?
It sure seems like the answer to the first part of that question is "yes." Biden has clinched priceless momentum in the Democratic race and he may even pull off the huge surprise of winning enough delegates to avoid the "brokered convention" so many experts have been predicting for weeks.
Meanwhile, Sanders has been hit by weak turnout among the younger voters who are the life's blood of his campaign. You can't beat the establishment if you don't show up to the playing field.
Fear accounts for another specific reason for Biden's comeback, and that is the coronavirus issue. Exit polls showed that Democrat Super Tuesday voters who rated the coronavirus as an important factor in their voting choice overwhelmingly voted for Biden.
If the virus continues to spread and wreak havoc with the economy, there's no doubt Trump will continue to see his poll numbers suffer. But Biden will still have to project an image of a leader who is capable of tackling the problem head-on. If all he does is bash Trump over his handling of the coronavirus impact, he could fall flat on his face when he's asked what he would do differently. Those who think the coronavirus effect is only a wild card or threat to Trump are mistaken.
That's just one way the general election contest against Trump is an entirely different matter.
At some point, Biden will need to make the case for himself as a candidate for president. Focusing on the fact that he's not the other candidate many voters dislike or fear more won't be enough.
With more of a spotlight on him than ever, Biden will have to overcome his long history of losing his luster once voters get a better look at him. In the past, Biden hasn't been able to get enough Democratic primary voters in any state to support him. It's truly a big deal that Biden has finally cleared that hurdle with his own party's voters. Now, he needs to prove he can do that with the general public.
Whether he can requires asking whether Biden has really changed anything about himself or his campaign. His debate performances have been less than scintillating and he continues to make gaffes that instantly go viral on social media.
Then there's that issue of weak turnout among younger voters. That weak turnout helped Biden vanquish Sanders in many states Tuesday, but if the trend keeps up through November it will likely be a boon for Trump.
The conventional wisdom has been that the big danger for any establishment Democrat defeating Sanders is that Bernie's younger supporters won't transfer their enthusiasm to an establishment nominee. But the dangers are even greater for Democrats if younger voters continue to show little enthusiasm for any candidate.
Fear can take you a long way in American politics. But Joe Biden will need to get more voters to actually believe in him if he wants to become president.
Jake Novak is a political and economic analyst at Jake Novak News and former CNBC TV producer. You can follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.


cnbc--2020-03-05--Senate passes $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus package, sending bill to Trump's desk

`` If they want to give us more money , that 's okay ; we 'll take more money , '' Trump said during a press briefing last week .
But Trump said he was not opposed to spending more to fight the virus , which has killed at least 11 people in the U.S. so far .
The bill , which includes more than $ 3 billion in vaccine research and $ 2.2 billion in prevention and preparedness efforts , far exceeds the $ 2.5 billion proposal that the White House put forward last week .
Only one senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted against the supplemental aid bill .
The Senate on Thursday passed a multibillion-dollar spending package to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus .
The bill will now head to the White House , where President Donald Trump is expected to sign it .
• More than $ 3 billion dedicated to the research and development of vaccines , as well as therapeutics and diagnostics ; • $ 2.2 billion in public health funding to aid in prevention , preparedness and response efforts — including $ 950 million to support state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion to go toward medical supplies , health-care preparedness , Community Health Centers and medical surge capacity , and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , and other lawmakers hope to push the legislation through to Trump before the week 's end , stressing the urgency of securing funds to fight the virus .
Health officials have warned that the coronavirus is on the verge of becoming a pandemic , and a slew of new cases have been confirmed in the U.S. in recent days .
The disease , which is believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Hubei province , has killed more than 3,200 people around the world and infected tens of thousands more , prompting wild market fluctuations and drastic government actions .
Senate Majority Whip John Thune , R-S.D.
, had suggested that the Senate might opt to pass the bill by unanimous consent in order to speed up the process .
But McConnell 's office confirmed to CNBC on Thursday morning that the Senate would hold a roll-call vote , requiring a 60-vote threshold for passage .
Paul , the only senator to vote against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only amendment to the legislation .
Paul 's amendment sought to offset the costs of the coronavirus spending by cutting funding for certain international programs .
`` I support our government 's efforts to fight the coronavirus , '' Paul said in a statement earlier Thursday .
`` We also owe it to the American people to do it in a way that avoids piling billions more in debt on their backs . ''
The Senate voted 80-16 to table — essentially , to kill — Paul 's amendment prior to voting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office did not immediately respond to CNBC 's request for comment on the senator 's decision to vote against the emergency coronavirus funds .
The spending plan also allows an estimated $ 7 billion in low-interest Small Business Administration loans to affected small businesses , the aide told CNBC .
The House aide added that the emergency bill provides more than $ 300 million to `` help ensure that , when a vaccine is developed , Americans can receive it regardless of their ability to pay . ''
The question of affordability has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar came under fire last week after declining to guarantee to lawmakers that a vaccine would be affordable for all .

"If they want to give us more money, that's okay; we'll take more money," Trump said during a press briefing last week .
But Trump said he was not opposed to spending more to fight the virus, which has killed at least 11 people in the U.S. so far .
The bill, which includes more than $3 billion in vaccine research and $2.2 billion in prevention and preparedness efforts, far exceeds the $2.5 billion proposal that the White House put forward last week.
Only one senator, Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky, voted against the supplemental aid bill.
The Senate on Thursday passed a multibillion-dollar spending package to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus. The bill will now head to the White House, where President Donald Trump is expected to sign it.
A House Democratic aide told CNBC that the supplemental funding bill includes:
More than $3 billion dedicated to the research and development of vaccines, as well as therapeutics and diagnostics;
$2.2 billion in public health funding to aid in prevention, preparedness and response efforts — including $950 million to support state and local agencies;
Nearly $1 billion to go toward medical supplies, health-care preparedness, Community Health Centers and medical surge capacity, and
$1.25 billion to address the coronavirus overseas.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other lawmakers hope to push the legislation through to Trump before the week's end, stressing the urgency of securing funds to fight the virus.
Health officials have warned that the coronavirus is on the verge of becoming a pandemic, and a slew of new cases have been confirmed in the U.S. in recent days.
The disease, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan in China's Hubei province, has killed more than 3,200 people around the world and infected tens of thousands more, prompting wild market fluctuations and drastic government actions.
Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., had suggested that the Senate might opt to pass the bill by unanimous consent in order to speed up the process. But McConnell's office confirmed to CNBC on Thursday morning that the Senate would hold a roll-call vote, requiring a 60-vote threshold for passage.
Paul, the only senator to vote against the bill, had put forward the only amendment to the legislation. Paul's amendment sought to offset the costs of the coronavirus spending by cutting funding for certain international programs.
"I support our government's efforts to fight the coronavirus," Paul said in a statement earlier Thursday. "We also owe it to the American people to do it in a way that avoids piling billions more in debt on their backs."
The Senate voted 80-16 to table — essentially, to kill — Paul's amendment prior to voting on the spending bill itself.
Paul's office did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the senator's decision to vote against the emergency coronavirus funds.
The spending plan also allows an estimated $7 billion in low-interest Small Business Administration loans to affected small businesses, the aide told CNBC.
The House aide added that the emergency bill provides more than $300 million to "help ensure that, when a vaccine is developed, Americans can receive it regardless of their ability to pay."
The question of affordability has reportedly been a sticking point in negotiations. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar came under fire last week after declining to guarantee to lawmakers that a vaccine would be affordable for all.


cnbc--2020-03-05--Even moderate Joe Biden would significantly increase taxes on the wealthy if elected

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden answers a question from a reporter at a campaign event at the W Los Angeles hotel on March 4 , 2020 in Los Angeles , California .
But while Wall Street may view Biden as more moderate than self-declared democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders , investors would still face dramatic tax increases under his proposals , including higher rates on both ordinary income and capital gains .
Corporations would also be subject to a significant rise in taxes at home and overseas .
Biden has surged to front-runner status in the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states on Super Tuesday and racking up endorsements from key rivals .
Investors cheered his success on Wednesday , sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average up by 4.5 % , or 1,173 points -- the second-largest point gain on record .
Former Vice President Joe Biden 's plan to raise taxes on corporations and wealthy households would increase federal revenue by $ 4 trillion over the next decade , according to a new analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center .
`` The proposal is very progressive , '' said Gordon Mermin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The $ 4 trillion in new revenue is roughly evenly split between increases in individual and business taxes .
For households , restoring a top tax rate of 39.6 % , up from 37 % now , would generate about $ 143 billion over a decade , according to TPC .
Capital gains would be taxed at the same rate as ordinary income for those earning more than $ 1 million , adding another $ 448 billion in federal revenue .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be the application of the payroll tax to income over $ 400,000 .
That provision alone would raise $ 962 billion over a decade , TPC found .
Those measures mean the wealthiest households would experience the biggest hit under Biden 's proposal .
Overall , TPC calculated that almost 93 % of the tax increases would be borne by the top 20 % of households .
The top 1 % — those who make more than $ 837,000 — would see their tax burden jump by nearly $ 300,000 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , all households would see at least a small tax hike in the first year of Biden 's plan .
Those with the lowest incomes would see an average increase of $ 30 , or about 0.2 % of their after-tax earnings .
However , TPC found that the increase is an indirect result of raising taxes on corporations , rather than direct changes to rates or benefits for individuals .
On the business side , Biden has pledged to raise the corporate rate from 21 % to 28 % — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whopping $ 1.3 trillion .
Doubling the rate on certain types of foreign income would bring in another $ 309 billion .

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden answers a question from a reporter at a campaign event at the W Los Angeles hotel on March 4, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images
Former Vice President Joe Biden's plan to raise taxes on corporations and wealthy households would increase federal revenue by $4 trillion over the next decade, according to a new analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. Biden has surged to front-runner status in the Democratic presidential primary after winning at least 10 states on Super Tuesday and racking up endorsements from key rivals. Investors cheered his success on Wednesday, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average up by 4.5%, or 1,173 points -- the second-largest point gain on record. But while Wall Street may view Biden as more moderate than self-declared democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, investors would still face dramatic tax increases under his proposals, including higher rates on both ordinary income and capital gains. Corporations would also be subject to a significant rise in taxes at home and overseas.
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"The proposal is very progressive," said Gordon Mermin, senior research associate at TPC. The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The $4 trillion in new revenue is roughly evenly split between increases in individual and business taxes. For households, restoring a top tax rate of 39.6%, up from 37% now, would generate about $143 billion over a decade, according to TPC. Capital gains would be taxed at the same rate as ordinary income for those earning more than $1 million, adding another $448 billion in federal revenue. But the biggest tax increase on households would be the application of the payroll tax to income over $400,000. That provision alone would raise $962 billion over a decade, TPC found. Those measures mean the wealthiest households would experience the biggest hit under Biden's proposal. Overall, TPC calculated that almost 93% of the tax increases would be borne by the top 20% of households. The top 1% — those who make more than $837,000 — would see their tax burden jump by nearly $300,000, a roughly 17% reduction in after-tax income. Still, all households would see at least a small tax hike in the first year of Biden's plan. Those with the lowest incomes would see an average increase of $30, or about 0.2% of their after-tax earnings. However, TPC found that the increase is an indirect result of raising taxes on corporations, rather than direct changes to rates or benefits for individuals. On the business side, Biden has pledged to raise the corporate rate from 21% to 28% — a measure TPC estimates would raise a whopping $1.3 trillion. Doubling the rate on certain types of foreign income would bring in another $309 billion.
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