TOP STORIES

‌

Tuesday, February 4

‌

IOWA MELTDOWN The takeaway of the Iowa caucuses was not who won the nation's first 2020 election contest. It was instead a story of confusion and chaos as the Iowa Democratic Party failed to release the results hours after the caucuses ended. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was the first candidate to come out and admit that she, too, was in the dark about what was taking so long. [HuffPost]

‌

APP-OCALYPSE: THE FIRM THAT BOTCHED THE CAUCUSES A tech company affiliated with and funded by a Democratic digital nonprofit called Acronym was responsible for building the Iowa caucus app that contributed to delays in reporting the results. [HuffPost]

‌

MOSQUES PARTICIPATE IN CAUCUSES FOR FIRST TIME For decades, Iowans have gathered in small groups to set the tone through their caucuses for the rest of the presidential election. On Monday, that included 1,678 locations ― school gyms, churches, and libraries that had been transformed into caucus locations. For the first time, it also included mosques. [HuffPost]

‌

CHINA VIRUS CASES TOP 20,000 China said the number of coronavirus infections surpassed 20,000 as medical workers and patients arrived at a new hospital and President Xi Jinping said “we have launched a people’s war of prevention of the epidemic.” Hong Kong reported its first death from the illness -- a man who had traveled from the mainland city of Wuhan. [AP]

‌

SCHIFF: OUST TRUMP OR HE'S GUARANTEED TO CHEAT AGAIN Senate Republicans must convict and remove President Donald Trump because he will continue to cheat and abuse his power to attempt to stay in office, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in his final impeachment argument. “You can’t trust this president to do the right thing,” said Schiff. [HuffPost]

‌

TRUMP SUPPORTERS UPSET HE WON'T BE ACQUITTED BEFORE STATE OF THE UNION “It’s unacceptable that they’re going to have [the Senate impeachment vote] the following day after his State of the Union. And you know what they’re going to do. ... They’re going to have a counternarrative to everything the president says,” disgraced former White House strategist Steve Bannon complained on Fox News. [HuffPost]

WHAT'S BREWING

‌

RUSH LIMBAUGH ANNOUNCES CANCER DIAGNOSIS ON-AIR Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio host and political commentator, announced on air that he’s been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. “I can’t help but feel that I’m letting everybody down with this, but the upshot is that I have been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer,” an emotional Limbaugh said. [HuffPost]

‌

THESE CAMPAIGNS RAISED THOUSANDS FROM LOBBYISTS Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg all raised thousands of dollars from registered federal lobbyists, according to new campaign finance disclosures the candidates were required to file. Donors included lobbyists who have represented the fossil fuel industry, for-profit college companies and major pharmaceutical makers. [HuffPost]

‌

CHINA'S VIRUS HOSPITAL TAKES FIRST PATIENTS The first patients arrived Monday at a 1,000-bed hospital built in 10 days as part of China’s sweeping efforts to fight the coronavirus that is causing global alarm. Huoshenshan Hospital and a second 1,500-bed facility due to open this week were built by construction crews working around the clock in Wuhan. [AP]

‌

TRUMP SLAMMED FOR DISRESPECTFUL ANTHEM ANTICS Trump was chastised Monday after video footage showed him goofing off as the national anthem played during a Super Bowl party at his West Palm Beach golf resort. As everyone else around Trump (including his wife and youngest son) stood solemnly with their hands over their hearts, Trump pointed at people and pretended to conduct the music. [HuffPost]

‌

THE EPA KEEPS APPROVING DANGEROUS CHEMICALS Most PFAS and other toxic chemicals that the industry sends to the Environmental Protection Agency for consideration are ultimately approved with few or no restrictions. The agency recently took what it characterized as “aggressive” steps in providing guidance on PFAS contamination cleanup and other measures, though it hasn’t done anything to limit the chemicals’ production. [HuffPost]

‌

BRIT REPORTERS BOYCOTT GOVERNMENT BRIEFING Political reporters who cover government news at London’s No. 10 Downing St. boycotted an official briefing after selected journalists were ordered to leave by an aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. [HuffPost]

We Belong Here: Black History Month 2020

BEFORE YOU GO