By Bill Barrow
There is no 12th Democratic presidential debate on the horizon now that the nominating process is in a holding pattern due to the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the Democratic National Committee's lead debate organizers, Xochitl Hinojosa, said the party has not set a date or secured a television broadcasting partner for what would be the final encounter of the dozen that DNC Chairman Tom Perez promised at the campaign's outset.
There's no evidence that either Joe Biden, the prospective nominee, or Bernie Sanders, Biden's last remaining rival, is clamoring for a debate, and there's doubt among the candidates' advisers that one will occur.
“We are taking things day by day,” Hinojosa said.
The uncertainty reflects both the political realities of Biden's lead and the public health realities of the virus, which could make another debate logistically difficult because of the social distancing orders from public officials.
The first 10 Democratic debates were held in public venues before audiences of party officials and candidates' supporters. CNN and the DNC moved the March 15 debate, the first after U.S. officials publicly urged a massive coronavirus response, from Phoenix to the network's Washington studios. There was no live audience, and the candidates stood 6 feet (1.83 meters) apart, recognizing the public health recommendations.
Since then, Mayor Muriel Bowser of the District of Columbia has issued a stay-at-home order urging only nonessential workers to move about the nation's capital. New York, where national television networks are based, now has among the most serious coronavirus outbreaks of any U.S. city.
The next debate was expected to be in an East Coast location before the April 28 primary anchored by New York. That primary remains scheduled for now, but several states, including Maryland, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, have pushed back to join New Jersey on June 2.
The 11th debate, the relocated one, was the first between just Biden and Sanders and came after the rest of the field had either dropped out or failed to meet debate qualifications. Biden had established a clear delegate lead over Super Tuesday and March 10 primaries. Sanders' aides said at the time that the Vermont senator wanted to use the forum to trumpet his progressive agenda as a democratic socialist against the former vice president's more establishment approach.
Sanders' team is making no such noise now. “If there is a debate in April, he plans to be there,” Sanders spokesman Mike Casca said. It was a notably muted tone for a campaign and candidate often critical of the DNC and the “establishment media" for alleged unfair treatment.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
Associated Press writer Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin started their heavily scrutinized one-on-one meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on Monday. "[Putin] has been in power for a very long time, almost 20 years now, he is a former KGB officer, and he's not interested in playing nice," says Natalia Antonova, former editor of The Moscow News. The meeting comes just days after the U.S. Justice Department indicted 12 Russian military officers for trying to influence the 2016 presidential election. Before the meeting, Trump described the federal investigation as a "Rigged Witch Hunt!"
While the Trump baby blimp flew over London, tempers flared on the streets. Many of the same passions that help fuel Donald Trump's popularity in the U.S. are very much alive and well in the UK.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's move Friday was the first time the probe has targeted the Russian government. The Russian-orchestrated conspiracy didn't, however, influence vote counts, says Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
The president denied that he criticized British Prime Minister Theresa May's handling of Brexit in an interview with The Sun newspaper, calling it "fake news." His comments come just a day after The Sun posted its recorded interview online. Trump and May held a joint press conference on Friday where they both confirmed that the UK and the U.S. would strike up a special trade deal after Brexit.
These are the headlines you Need2Know:
*President Trump is in England preparing for a joint news conference with Theresa May. While the duo dined last night, The Sun newspaper published a sit-down interview with the president where he criticized May’s handling of Brexit. Trump warned trade deals with England could be nixed if Brexit isn’t handled properly.
*FBI agent Peter Strzok was removed from working on the Hillary Clinton email probe and the Trump-Russia investigation after text messages were discovered in which he criticized the president.
*Stormy Daniels made an encore appearance at the same strip club she was arrested at the night prior.
*A Kansas City water park will not reopen after a 10-year-old boy died on a water slide.
*Serena Williams beat Julia Görges of Germany yesterday to reach her 10th Wimbledon final.
Cheddar Big News's Jill Wagner gives us the details.
President Trump, on his last day at the NATO summit in Brussels, declared that other members of the alliance had agreed to increase defense spending. Minutes later, however, French president Emmanuel Macron disputed those claims, saying that all members had committed to the previous spending target. Trump is now in London for his first visit to the British capital since winning the White House.
These are the headlines you Need2Know:
* Confusion at the NATO summit after President Trump said allies will add billions of dollars to defense spending. But French president Emmanuel Macron rebuffed those claims.
* Stormy Daniels was arrested after an alleged misdemeanor at a Columbus, Ohio, strip club. Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, has also been working to reunite families at the southern border.
* The U.S. Senate voted yesterday on a non-binding resolution giving it a say on what tariffs are levied and against whom.
* New evidence prompted the Department of Justice reopened the case of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy who was killed in 1955 in Money, Miss.
* John Schnatter, founder and former CEO of Papa John’s, has resigned his chairman role after a racially-charged comment on a conference call.
* Americans made it to both the men’s and women’s Wimbledon semifinals, the first time since 2009.
Cheddar Big News' Jill Wagner tells us the latest.
President Donald Trump's aggressive stance at the two-day NATO summit in Brussels, on top of his antagonizing trade policies, have "brought the transatlantic alliance to the lowest point,” says Joshua Meltzer, senior fellow of global economy and development at the Brookings Institute.
Stocks dipped today after the White House threatened to impose a new set of tariffs on China on $200 billion worth of goods. However, Kate Warne, investment strategist at Edward Jones, says this could be an opportunity for investors. "Put money to work today."
These are the headlines you Need2Know:
The NATO Summit got off to a heated start as President Trump already criticized member countries for not paying their fair share of defense spending.
The Trump administration also missed its promised deadline to reunite dozens of migrant families.
A natural gas leak in Sun Prairie, Wisc., turned deadly when an explosion erupted for several hours.
Brett Kavanaugh, the president's pick for the open Supreme Court seat, met on Capitol Hill with the vice president and senators yesterday.
The NFL Players Association is challenging the anti-kneeling policy, which requires players to remain in the locker room if they choose to protest the national anthem.
Hurricane Chris makes its way up the East Coast, but shouldn't make a major impact on land.
Cheddar Big News' Jill Wagner gives us the details.
