May 22, 2019

Democrat cancels fundraiser over incumbent's anti-abortion stance

Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) is the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Photo: By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

A senior Democratic official pulled out of a fundraiser for Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) on Wednesday following uproar over his anti-abortion rights stance as Lipinski gears up to face a progressive primary challenger who supports abortion rights, reports the New York Times.

Why it matters: Rep. Cheri Bustos' (D-Ill.) decision to withdraw from the Lipinski fundraiser highlights how crucial Democratic support for abortion rights has become in the wake of national abortion restrictions.

What she's saying: While Bustos never directly stated that she was backing out of Lipinski's fundraiser because of his abortion rights stance, she did highlight her own pro-abortion rights voting record in a statement to the Times. However, Bustos added that any dollar donated to try to defeat a Democratic incumbent is a dollar that could've been used against a Republican.

Go deeper:

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer

Trump administration asks Congress for $2.5 billion to fight coronavirus

President Trump with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar at the White House in September. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Trump administration sent a letter to Congress Monday requesting a funding commitment of at least $2.5 billion to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Details: The request for a lump sum account for the Department of Health and Human Services includes $1.25 billion in new funds to fight COVID-19 and $535 would come from untouched funds for the Ebola virus.

Go deeper1 hour ago - Health

Axios

WHO won't call coronavirus a pandemic as cases spread

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The World Health Organization will not yet call the coronavirus a pandemic, claiming that needs across affected countries are too varied and the classification would increase fear, per a briefing Monday.

The big picture: As South Korea and Italy stepped up emergency measures in efforts to thwart the spread of the virus, WHO expressed concern about infections with no clear link to China. COVID-19 has killed at least 2,620 people and infected almost 80,000 others, with all but 27 deaths occurring in mainland China.

Go deeperUpdated 4 hours ago - Health

Dave Lawler

The global scramble to contain the coronavirus

Taking precaution, in the Philippines. Photo: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

The coronavirus is spreading quickly in cities nowhere near Wuhan, China, and the window to prevent a global pandemic is narrowing.

Zoom in: Here's a look at what comes with a coronavirus outbreak in communities outside China that have been hardest hit so far.

Go deeper4 hours ago - World