Jan 4, 2017

Mnuchin confirmation could draw in Sen. Harris

Steve Mnunchin ran OneWest Bank from 2009 through 2015 and presided over tens of thousands of foreclosures in California. According to documents uncovered by David Dayne at the Intercept, California's then-Attorney General, and now U.S. Senator, Kamala Harris, didn't bring civil action against the bank despite evidence of misconduct found by her deputies.

The Intercept doesn't say why Harris didn't bring a case against the bank; maybe she thought it would be too hard, or it wasn't a priority. "Or maybe it was something else."

This "something else" is what the Intercept is really getting at. It insinuates that Harris and her deputies were swayed by powerful interests. It points out that Supervising Deputy Attorney General Benjamin Diehl left Harris' office in November 2013 "to join Stroock Stroock & Lavan, a corporate law firm that represents Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup in cases against consumers, regulatory agencies and state attorneys general."

What it means: The Intercept—which is a platform for far-left critics of the Democratic Party—continues to suggest that top Dems are corrupt puppets of moneyed interests. About Harris, it mentions she was a "prodigious" fundraiser who took money from George Soros (who invested in OneWest Bank). Democrats should not assume the election of Donald Trump will cause these kinds of pressures to ease.

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Orion Rummler

Debate night: Candidates' last face-off before Super Tuesday

Sanders, Biden, Klobuchar and Steyer in South Carolina on Feb. 25. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Sen. Bernie Sanders wanted to keep his momentum after winning contests in New Hampshire and Nevada, while former Vice President Joe Biden hoped to keep his own campaign alive. The other five candidates were just trying to hang on.

What's happening: Seven contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination were in Charleston, South Carolina, for the tenth debate, just days before the South Carolina primary and a week before Super Tuesday. They spoke, sometimes over each other, about health care, Russian interference in the election, foreign policy the economy, gun control, marijuana, education, and race.

Go deeperUpdated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Zachary Basu

4 takeaways from the South Carolina debate

Former Vice President Joe Biden, right, makes a point during Tuesday's Democratic presidential debate, while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders listens. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

The 10th Democratic debate was billed as the most consequential of the primary thus far, but Tuesday night's high-stakes affair was at times awkward and unfocused as moderators struggled to rein in candidates desperate to make one last splash before Saturday's primary in South Carolina and Super Tuesday.

The big picture: After cementing himself as the Democratic favorite with a sweeping win in Nevada, Sen. Bernie Sanders came under fire as the front-runner for the first time on the debate stage. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who will be on the ballot for the first time next Tuesday, was a progressive foil once again, but he appeared more prepared after taking a drubbing at the Nevada debate.

Go deeper1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Axios

Coronavirus spreads to Africa as U.S. soldier in South Korea tests positive

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.

A 23-year-old American soldier stationed at Camp Carroll in South Korea has tested positive to the novel coronavirus, as the outbreak spreads to more countries.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed more than 2,700 people and infected over 80,000 others, mostly in mainland China. Public health officials confirmed Tuesday the U.S. has 57 people with the novel coronavirus, mostly those repatriated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Go deeperUpdated 3 hours ago - Health