Mar 3, 2017

Trump spent the day trolling Democrats on Twitter

Evan Vucci / AP

The Jeff Sessions saga and subsequent reports of Trump ties to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak brought an upswell of pressure for an investigation.

So Trump let off some steam Friday:

Chuck Schumer responded that he is happy to talk about this contact with Putin. They met publicly in 2003, and Schumer didn't say otherwise while under oath.

Three hours, and three attempts at spelling "hereby" later, Trump sent another shot:

Is he really calling for an investigation?

The case against: Trump was being ironic. He was painting the talk about his ties with Russia as hyperventilation and used the opportunity to rib the Democrats.

The case for: Trump is the president of the United States. His words carry meaning, and the public must be able to assume that the words he uses represent what he means.

Why it matters: Trump is the first president to use Twitter as the primary means of delivering statements. His words move markets and affect policy decisions worldwide. The public has to know what Trump means when he speaks, and misunderstood messages could do damage.

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Rebecca Falconer

Deadly clashes erupt in Delhi ahead of Trump's visit

Rival protesters over the Citizenship Amendment Act in Delhi, India, on Monday. Photo: Yawar Nazir/ Getty Images

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called for calm Tuesday as deadly clashes erupted in the city's northeast between supporters and opponents of India's controversial new citizenship law.

Why it matters: Per the BBC, a police officer and six civilians "died in the capital's deadliest day" since last year's passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act — which allows religious minorities but excludes Muslims from nearby countries to become citizens if they can show they were persecuted for their religion — hours before President Trump and members of the U.S. first family were due to visit the city as part of their visit to India.

Go deeper: India's citizenship bill continues Modi's Hindu nationalist offensive

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Rebecca Falconer

South Carolina paper The State backs Buttigieg for Democratic primary

Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend Pete Buttigieg speaks at an event in Charleston, South Carolina on Monday. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

South Carolina newspaper The State endorsed former Southbend Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Monday night for the state's Democratic primary.

Why it matters: It's a welcome boost for Buttigieg ahead of Tuesday's Democratic debate in South Carolina and the state's primary on Saturday.

Go deeper2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Axios

White House requests $2.5 billion to fight coronavirus as U.S. cases rise

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 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, as the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose to 53.

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 2,699 people and infected more than 80,000 others, with all but 27 deaths occurring in mainland China.

Go deeperUpdated 2 hours ago - Health