Feb 2, 2017

Pelosi: Democrats want to return the favor for Merrick Garland

Jonathan Swan

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Axios caught up with Nancy Pelosi on Capitol Hill today. The House Minority Leader told us she wasn't worried about political backlash if Democrats obstruct Trump's Supreme Court.

In our caucus, yes, our members want to see the same standard that they applied to President Obama [with Merrick Garland] applied to the President.

Why this matters: We reported yesterday that Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, aren't afraid of the political fallout from forcing Republicans to use the so-called "nuclear option" to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch. The House members are in closer touch with the Democratic base, which is energized and calling for total opposition to Trump.

As Pelosi's message makes clear: When it comes to the Supreme Court, Democrats see political value in forcing a fight (even though they know it's one they'll ultimately lose.)

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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.

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The global scramble to contain the coronavirus

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