Monday Sunrise Briefing: Momentum builds for Bernie Sanders
With Sen. Bernie Sanders鈥� decisive win Saturday in Nevada, attention now shifts to the primary in South Carolina - and Super Tuesday. The question of electability looms ever larger for Democrats: Can a self-declared democratic socialist beat President Trump in November? Senator聽Sanders is 鈥渢oo progressive鈥� for most Americans, say competitors. 鈥淚 ain鈥檛 a socialist. I鈥檓 not a plutocrat. I鈥檓 a Democrat," former Vice President Joe Biden told supporters Saturday.听
But some analysts see parallels between the Sanders campaign and the Trump 2016 campaign. You'll recall a host of moderate GOP rivals tried to block Trump鈥檚 rise, but were too splintered to be effective. The real-estate mogul has a core of ardent supporters, they argued, but he could never appeal to a broad enough swath of American voters to win.听
Campaigning in delegate-rich Texas this weekend, Mr. Sanders said he has "brought together a multigenerational, multiracial coalition鈥� that鈥檚 鈥済oing to sweep this country." By some calculations, the race for the Democratic nomination could be all-but over on Super Tuesday if Mr. Sanders has a strong showing in the 14 states (including Texas) that vote on March 3.
Why We Wrote This
Good morning! Welcome to your Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, sunrise briefing.
Here are two news events from this past weekend (while you may have been , snowshoeing, and enjoying an offline life). Also, what to look for in the news this week.
2.听South Korean churches emerged as聽a focal point of coronavirus concern this weekend. All 1,100 branches of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus,聽seen as a messianic cult by mainstream 海角大神 groups, were temporarily closed by the South Korean government. One branch of the Shincheonji church, in the city of Daegu, has emerged as the the biggest cluster of COVID-19 infections in the country. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the decision was 鈥渁 fair and inevitable step鈥� to protect the nation, adding there was 鈥渘o intention to limit religious freedom.鈥澛� Also, 41 Roman Catholic churches suspended masses in South Korea after some members were diagnosed with the virus after a group of Catholics returned from a Holy Land trip to Israel.
In Europe, Italy closed off a dozen towns,聽cancelled soccer matches and closed schools, theater performances and Venice鈥檚 famed Carnival.
Look Ahead
Monday, Feb. 24
Namaste Trump: Amid trade tensions, President Donald Trump arrived in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi鈥檚 home state of Gujarat. The two-day visit began with聽an event titled 鈥淣amaste Trump,鈥� which loosely translates to 鈥淕reetings, Trump,鈥� held at the world's largest cricket stadium. It mirrors a similar event in Houston, Texas, last September called "Hello Modi."
Justice revisited: The U.S. Supreme court hears , including disputes over a pipeline near the Appalachian Trail, illegal immigration, and who pays for acts of foreign terrorism.
Tuesday, Feb. 25
Qualified to lead? Eight Democratic candidates debate again on Tuesday in South Carolina, before a primary vote Saturday. CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute are hosting the 8 p.m. E.T. event.
Friday, Feb. 28
Let's skip the primary: The Republican Party canceled the 2020 presidential primary vote, but President Trump holds a campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina.听 In 2016, Trump got聽54.9% of the South Carolina vote. Hillary Clinton received 40.7%.
Saturday, Feb. 29
Palmetto State primary: South Carolina voters make their selection for 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. This was supposed to be former Vice President Joe Biden鈥檚 political firewall, but the latest polls show Sen. Bernie Sanders closing fast.听
US-Taliban peace deal: If the one-week 鈥渞eduction in violence鈥� accord is fulfilled, Washington expects to sign a peace deal with the Taliban Saturday that allows US troops to leave Afghanistan. The official end to America's longest war would also start intra-Afghan negotiations between the country's various political factions.听
Up for a Leap Day?聽To keep the solar year and the Gregorian calendar in sync, we add one day every four years. What will you do with your Feb. 29 鈥渂onus鈥� day?
Integrity Watch
As a cab driver, Rajbir Singh knows what it means to go the extra mile. Two weeks ago, a 92-year-old woman wanted a ride to her bank. She had to withdraw $25,000 to pay off an IRS debt. Mr. Singh smelled something fishy. She agreed to give him the phone number of the 鈥淚RS agent鈥� but the 鈥渁gent鈥� wouldn鈥檛 answer questions and hung up. Mr. Singh's passenger still wanted to pay her IRS debt. That鈥檚 when " so they agreed to stop by the Roseville Police Station to ask an officer," according to a Facebook post by Roseville police. A cop confirmed the scam. In fact, it鈥檚 so common that the IRS has a web page on .听
Kudos to Mr. Singh鈥檚 for taking the time to look out for his 鈥渘eighbor.鈥� , and these are old people. They need help," Mr. Singh, the owner of Roseville Cab, told CNN "It just made sense."
Hidden gem
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers:
Forget the roses. Say 鈥業 love you鈥� with a book of love poems.
Sneak preview
In tonight鈥檚 Daily Edition, watch for our story about lifting the ban on landmines: Can tech make these weapons safe for civilians?聽
Finally, check out the Monitor鈥檚 selected stories from Friday's subscription-only Daily Edition:
- From vision to spectacle 鈥� the optics of Trump鈥檚 trip to India
- Gay rights, religious freedom, and the battle over adoption
- Coronavirus and China鈥檚 global image
- How coal mine waste could help build your next phone
- For these homebound seniors, poems offer food for the soul
This is a beta test - an experiment with an early Monday morning news update. Please give us your feedback via the link below and let us know what you think. Thank you!
