🚨 Warning Signs For Biden In New Polling
Nursing student murder sparks immigration debate; Haiti's gangs overtake country
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Good morning,
She shoots, she scores, and now Caitlin Clark has made the most points overall in NCAA (men’s and women’s) history.
Clark broke Pete Maravich's 54-year-old record of 3,667 points with a free throw to close out the second quarter in Iowa's 93-83 win over Ohio State on Sunday.
She announced last week that she will be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft, and is expected to be the #1 pick.
Clark is credited for bringing new attention to women’s basketball both at Iowa and across the country.
Have a good one!
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
🇺🇸 RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE LOOKING TOUGHER FOR BIDEN
It’s going to be a big week in presidential politics. The Super Tuesday primaries are tomorrow, and President Biden will give his final State of the Union address this Thursday night. It comes as new polling is adding to Democrats’ concerns about Biden’s chances at beating Donald Trump in the fall. (And SNL poked fun at his age this weekend.)
NEW POLLING NUMBER
According to a new poll by The New York Times and Siena College, former President Trump leads Biden by five points in a hypothetical rematch.
61% who voted for Biden in 2020 said they thought he was “just too old” to be an effective president.
Donald Trump is just 3.5 years younger— turning 78 this year—but just 15% of Trump 2020 voters feel the same way about him.
Another notable stat from the poll. Trump is winning 97 percent of those who voted for him in 2020. Almost none are switching to Biden. Meanwhile, only 83% of Biden 2020 voters say they will vote for him again, and 10% say they will now back Trump.
And then there’s a new CBS poll, which shows voters look back fondly on the economy during Trump’s presidency.
Show me the💲: 55% of voters think prices will go up under Biden while 34% think the same under Trump.
The Biden White House maintains that voters will come around, and is effectively telling Dems calling for the president to step aside to ‘get over it.’
SUPER TUESDAY PREVIEW
Tomorrow is Super Tuesday: 16 states + American Samoa will vote. It’s the largest delegate grab of any day in the primary calendar — over 70% of the delegates needed to mathematically win either party’s nomination are up for the taking. Trump and Biden are both expected to sweep on Tuesday.
Over the weekend, Trump won caucuses in Idaho, Missouri and Michigan while Haley beat Trump for the first time in Washington DC’s GOP primary. Delegate count: So far, Trump has 244 delegates compared to 43 for Nikki Haley.
As far as locking in the necessary delegates for the nomination: March 12 is the soonest Trump could get there. Biden likely gets there on March 19.
📌 NURSING STUDENT KILLED BY MIGRANT WHILE RUNNING SPARKS DEBATE & FEARS
Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University who was killed by a Venezuelan migrant, was laid to rest over the weekend. She’d been on a run on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22.
Her mother said it was a “senseless and avoidable tragedy.” Police described the murder as a "crime of opportunity."
IMMIGRATION DEBATE
Over the weekend, Jose Ibarra, suspected of killing Riley, was denied bond. He remains in jail. Ibarra is an undocumented Venezuelan migrant who was detained by US Customs and Border Protection in 2022 when he entered the country, and was given permission to stay on a temporary basis. He was arrested and released again in 2023.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that the US government was not notified about his previous arrests as “different cities have different levels of cooperation" with DHS.
GOP lawmakers and former President Trump have blamed the Biden administration for the murder. But the Democratic mayor of Athens-Clarke County, Kelly Girtz, said that people should mourn Riley and blame the perpetrator rather than all migrants.
There will be over 8 million migrants and asylum seekers (facing potential removal) living in the US by the end of September—a roughly 167% increase in five years. It is a sign of an overwhelmed and underfunded system.
WOMEN’S SAFETY WHILE RUNNING
Female runners have long voiced concerns over the threats and violence they encounter during runs, even in broad daylight. A recent global survey revealed that 92% of women worry about their safety while running. 51% of women were afraid of being physically attacked, and a third of women have experienced verbal or physical harassment on a run.
It can happen to anyone: In November, former US senator from Arizona Martha McSally detailed being assaulted while on a run in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She said, “A man came up behind me and he engulfed me in a bear hug and he molested and fondled me until I fought him off.”
🇭🇹 HAITI IN CHAOS: GANGS EMPTY COUNTRY’S BIGGEST PRISON
Haiti’s main prison is nearly empty after multiple armed gangs attacked it Saturday night and about 4,000 inmates fled. The news comes amid an escalation in violence as Prime Minister Ariel Henry is abroad seeking international force to help him stabilize the country.
Gangs are estimated to control up to 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Violence has gripped Haiti for the last few years. There are currently no elected national leaders in the country. Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in July 2021. Henry was appointed as prime minister after the assassination.
He has promised to hold elections but has repeatedly postponed them, saying the country was not safe enough. There are widespread calls for his resignation.
A COUNTRY IN CHAOS
Security analyst Romain Le Cour tells the NY Times that armed gangs have achieved a “crucial shift” in the balance of power over the last few days. Gangs have said they are seeking to overthrow the government by attacking the country’s largest airport, police stations, and prisons — resulting in the closure of schools, businesses, and government buildings.
“Half the country is eating just one meal a day. Three million children need immediate humanitarian aid,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Nearly half of the population is considered hungry and over half face starvation.
Three-quarters of Haiti’s hospitals have closed due to “the fuel crisis, insecurity and looting,” the UN says. Haitians are among the wave of asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border.
HELP ON THE WAY?
Kenya and Haiti signed a security deal on Friday to send 1,000 Kenyan police officers to help Haiti control gang violence.
The UN approved the $515-$600 million plan in October for an international force.
The international community has backed $100 million of that, and $200 million will come from the US. It’s unclear where the rest of the money will come from.
There are about 9,000 officers in Haiti’s National Police, for a country of 11 million people.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Supreme Court to release decisions Monday, with Trump Colorado ruling a strong possibility (NBC NEWS)
📌 Congressional leaders unveil bill to fund government, Johnson and Schumer both claim wins (FOX NEWS)
📌 Vice President Harris urges Hamas/Israel to accept 6 week cease-fire and Israel to allow in more aid (NY POST)
📌 Record California blizzard shuts down roads and ski resorts as heavy snow and fierce winds slam mountains (CNN)
Police investigate AI-nudes scandal at Beverly Hills middle school (NBC)
📌 University of Maryland halts all fraternity and sorority activities after hazing allegations (GUARDIAN)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 British cargo ship sunk by Houthis threatens Red Sea environment (REUTERS)
📌 US air drops aid into Gaza as humanitarian situation worsens (INSIDER)
📌 Germany investigates possible Russian eavesdropping of a military conference call (NPR)
📌 Shehbaz Sharif elected Pakistan’s prime minister for second term (NBC NEWS)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 1 in 8 people on earth is now obese-study (FOX NEWS)
📌 CDC releases new guidance ending 5-day isolation period for recovering COVID-19 patients (ABC NEWS)
📌 Malaysia set to reopen search for MH370 missing plane after 10 years (GUARDIAN)
📌 3 passengers on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 where door plug blew out sue the airline and Boeing for $1 billion (CBS NEWS)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 LeBron James becomes first player in NBA history to score 40,000 career points (CNN)
📌 Rihanna performs first full concert in years at billionaire Mukesh Ambani's party for son in India (USA TODAY)
📌 Taylor Swift reveals more details about ‘Tortured Poets Department’ album (VARIETY)
📌 Fashion icon Iris Apfel, famous for her eye-catching and irreverent style, dies at 102 (PBS)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: MARCH 4
1793-1933: Presidential inaugurations were originally held on March 4th, the day of the year on which the federal government began operations under the U.S. Constitution. Beginning in 1937, Inauguration Day moved to January 20.
🧠 Some trivia: Thomas Jefferson started a tradition to hold an actual open house at the White House on Inauguration Day, meaning anyone could go inside the White House and mingle with the president.
Things got a little rowdy at Andrew Jackson’s swearing-in ceremony (listen to the Mo News Podcast for details), and eventually Grover Cleveland ended the tradition in 1885 amid assassination attempts on presidents.
1974: The first issue of People, a weekly celebrity and pop culture magazine, featured Actress Mia Farrow on the cover.
1974: ABBA released “Waterloo,” the first single from their second album.
2005: Martha Stewart was released from a federal prison after serving five months for lying about her sale of ImClone stock in 2001.