It's gonna be yuge, and not just for Donald Trump. In today's News + Politics email, we're digging into how India rolling out the red carpet for the U.S. president is a sign of a major diplomatic shift for Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pictured). Elsewhere, we break down how another billionaire New Yorker (Michael Bloomberg) took a Democratic debate beating, and the upside of China's strict handling of the coronavirus.
| For decades, India has studiously made sure it can't be accused of picking sides in foreign elections. Not anymore. The western Indian city of Ahmedabad is getting dressed up for a party unlike any it has seen. Roads near the new Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium in the suburb of Motera are being laid afresh. Costing $100 million, it will be the world’s largest cricket arena. Sidewalks have shiny new blocks. And the city civic authority is building a brick barrier to cordon off a slum from visibility for its latest guest, who is known for his love of walls: U.S. President Donald Trump. On Monday, Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an estimated 125,000 people at the Motera stadium. The event, called “Namaste Trump,” is a thinly veiled attempt to woo the 4.5-million-strong and wealthy Indian American community — a third of them of Gujarati origin — to the president’s cause in November. It’s the latest evidence of a dramatic break from traditional diplomacy for India, which in the past has made sure it can’t be accused of picking favorites in foreign elections, or of influencing voters there. | READ NOW |
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| | We finally got to see the billionaire former mayor of New York take heat from his rivals in real-time. It didn't go well. Michael Bloomberg is a data guy. He built one of the world’s greatest fortunes by becoming the chief data source for the financial industry. As mayor of New York City, he made his decisions on numbers and deliverables. And as he wakes up Thursday morning, after fight night in Las Vegas, the figures he’ll be most worried about are the ratings. He better hope that the voters who matter to this presidential race were tuning in to Criminal Minds, a college basketball game, maybe Netflix — anything but the Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday night. | READ NOW |
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| | Xi Jinping faces criticism domestically for his handling of the public health crisis. Globally though, he deserves credit. |
| | Cultural expectations can weigh extra heavily on African Americans. |
| | The fallout from the Houston Astros' sign-stealing is spreading. |
| | The former NYC mayor is watching the other billionaire in Nevada to see if his campaign will soar on Super Tuesday. |
| | The South American nation is bucking the global trend. |
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