Bloomberg drops out, endorses Biden after Super Tuesday losses

• Biden dominates: It’s now a clear two-man race between the moderate Biden and self-described Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders. Biden surged to victory last night in nine states (Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia), and he’s also the apparent winner in Maine. Sanders won three states (Colorado, Utah and Vermont), and is leading in California, the biggest prize, where the race remains too early to call because so many residents vote by mail.
• Bloomberg bows out: After spending more than $445 million on advertisements, the billionaire announced he was suspending his unorthodox campaign for president. “I've always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it,” Bloomberg said in an email to supporters. “After yesterday's vote, it is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American, Joe Biden.”
• Sanders stumbles?: Sanders came into Super Tuesday as the frontrunner, but now he trails Biden in the overall delegate count after a disappointing showing in many of last night’s contests. “I like Joe. I think he's a very decent human being,” Sanders said at a news conference today. “Joe and I have a very different voting record. Joe and I have a very different vision for the future of this country. And Joe and I are running very different campaigns.”
• Warren wipeout: Elizabeth Warren’s team is talking to her team to “assess the path forward,” after a series of third- and fourth-place finishes last night — including a tough loss in her home state of Massachusetts. “We are obviously disappointed,” campaign manager Roger Lau wrote in an email to staffers.
• Trump taunts: President Trump blasted Bloomberg after the former mayor made the decision to drop out. “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 later said Biden had a “great comeback,” while speaking to reporters at the White House.

First coronavirus death in California, officials issue stark new warning

• Rising deaths: The California patient was an elderly adult who had underlying health conditions, and had recently traveled on a Princess Cruises ship from San Francisco to Mexico, according to Placer County public health officials. It’s the first known death outside Washington state, where officials reported a tenth death today in the Seattle area. Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the Trump administration’s response, will travel to Olympia, Washington tomorrow.
• New warning: Los Angeles County has declared a state of emergency, and health officials there issued new guidance to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Use verbal greetings instead of handshakes and hugs, and try to stay at least six feet away between yourself and people who don’t know at large events, said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the director of the county Public Health department.
• New James Bond movie delayed: “No Time to Die” was originally scheduled for released on April 10, but now it won’t hit U.S. theaters until Nov. 25, more than seven months later. The studios and producers said they decided to postpone the release “after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace.”
• Family infected: New York’s confirmed cases have risen to six, after a family of four in Westchester County tested positive — a 50-year-old attorney who works in Manhattan, his wife, their 14-year-old daughter, and 20-year-old son. Their neighbor who drove the man to the hospital has also tested positive, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. The son attends Yeshiva University in Manhattan, and the daughter attends SAR Academy in the Bronx. Both schools were closed today.
• Flight disruptions: United Airlines will slash flights in the U.S. and Canada by 10 percent, and international flights by 20 percent, in April, and will likely continue through May as demand drops. Lufthansa has essentially grounded nearly a fifth of its fleet, after European airline chiefs warned on Tuesday that the worst was still to come from the growing outbreak, Reuters reported. President Trump maintained today that “it’s safe to fly,” as he and Pence met with airline CEO’s at the White House.
• Emergency funding: House and Senate leaders have reached a bipartisan deal to provide more than $8 billion in emergency funding to combat the coronavirus. A vote on the bill is expected today, according to two Democratic leadership sources.

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