Feb 6, 2017

Trump fan Peter Thiel isn't running for governor, spokesman says

David McCabe

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

"Peter is not running for governor." — Peter Thiel's spokesman, Jeremiah Hall

Backgrounder: Politico reported last month that tech investor and Donald Trump supporter Thiel was weighing a run for governor of California in 2018. Then, on Monday, a federal filing surfaced for a political action committee called "Draft Peter Thiel for Governor." For now, though, the going response to this sort of chatter is that he isn't pursuing a bid. The denial was first issued to Forbes.

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  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 1,579,690 — Total deaths: 94,567 — Total recoveries: 346,780 — Map.
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  3. Public health latest: U.S. has expelled thousands of migrants under coronavirus public health order — Dr. Anthony Fauci said social distancing could reduce the U.S. death toll to 60,000.
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Biden rolls out new policies in effort to court Sanders supporters

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The Biden campaign announced two new policies on Thursday on health care and student debt that are squarely aimed at appealing to supporters of Bernie Sanders, who ended his campaign for the Democratic nomination on Wednesday.

Why it matters: The policies don't go as far as Sanders' platform, but they signal that Biden is serious about incorporating elements of his former rival's agenda in an effort to help unify the Democratic Party and defeat President Trump in the general election.

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Reports: Saudi Arabia and Russia reach major deal to cut oil production

Photo: Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images

OPEC+, led by mega-producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, reached a tentative agreement Thursday to impose large cuts in oil production as the coronavirus pandemic fuels an unprecedented collapse in demand, per Bloomberg and Reuters.

Why it matters: The revival of the OPEC+ collaboration patches up the early March rupture between the countries, which had pushed already depressed prices down much further by threatening to unleash even more new supplies into the saturated market.

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