10 things you need to know today: February 27, 2020

1. Trump puts Pence in charge of coronavirus response

President Trump on Wednesday appointed Vice President Mike Pence to lead the White House response to the coronavirus outbreak. In a news conference with officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Trump said the "risk remains really low" and "we're very, very ready for this." There are 81,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus worldwide, with nearly 3,000 deaths. There have been 15 confirmed infections in the United States. "We have quarantined those infected and those at risk," Trump said, adding that he would let Congress decide how much emergency funding to spend on minimizing the spread of the flu-like virus in the U.S. Trump's briefing came after he faced criticism from Democrats and some Republicans who said he was downplaying the coronavirus threat and not doing enough to protect Americans.

The Washington Post USA Today

2. Jim Clyburn gives Joe Biden key South Carolina endorsement

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the highest ranking black member of Congress, endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday ahead the party's Saturday primary. Clyburn, the House majority whip and a prominent voice in the state's politics, is a key backer in a state Biden is banking on to help him gain momentum after frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) surged to a lead in the first three nominating contests. "I can think of no one better suited, better prepared, I can think of no one with more integrity, no one more committed to the fundamental principles that make this country what it is than my good friend," said Clyburn, appearing alongside Biden at a South Carolina event.

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The Associated Press

3. CDC: California coronavirus case may be 1st with no ties outside U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday that a person in California has tested positive for coronavirus, or COVID-19, without traveling to a place with an outbreak or having contact with someone infected. "It's possible this could be an instance of community spread of COVID-19, which would be the first time this has happened in the United States," the CDC said in a statement. The case was "detected through the U.S. public health system," the CDC said, and "picked up by astute clinicians." If community spread of the virus is confirmed, it would mark a significant escalation of the threat in the U.S., which currently has 60 known infections. Forty-two of the U.S. patients were infected on a quarantined cruise ship in Japan.

The Washington Post

4. Germany warns it will face coronavirus epidemic

Germany said on Wednesday that it was facing a looming coronavirus epidemic. Germany only has about 20 confirmed cases, but the government said it was already impossible for public health officials to trace the chains of infection of all of the patients. Health Minister Jens Spahn told regional authorities, hospitals, and companies to prepare for a possible pandemic. The alarm came as the number of new cases within China, where the COVID-19 outbreak began, fell below the total reported in other countries for the first time. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged diplomats in Geneva to avoid "using the word pandemic," because doing so can stoke exaggerated fear. "It may also signal that we can no longer contain the virus, which is not true," he said.

Reuters

5. House passes bill to make lynching a federal hate crime

The House on Wednesday passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, a bill making lynching a federal hate crime. The legislation passed by a 410-4 vote. The Senate passed a similar bill last February. That bill, backed by Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.), also had bipartisan support. The Senate now must vote on the House bill to send it to President Trump for his signature. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), who introduced the legislation, said he was "so delighted that finally after over 200 tries in Congress" dating back more than a century, the antilynching bill passed. House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said it was appropriate that the bill honored Till, a 15-year-old teen from Chicago who was lynched in 1955 while visiting family in Mississippi. "It is never too late to do the right thing," he said.

Politico

6. Appeals court says Trump can freeze funding to sanctuary jurisdictions

The Trump administration can withhold federal funding from so-called sanctuary cities and states that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled on Wednesday. The unanimous decision, which set up a possible appeal to the Supreme Court, reversed a lower court ruling ordering the administration to release the money to New York City and the states of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington. The city and state governments sued to challenge the 2017 policy, which links the funding to providing immigration officials access to their jails and notification when undocumented immigrants are being released. Three appeals courts have upheld injunctions blocking enforcement of parts of the policy.

Reuters

7. Milwaukee brewery employee fatally shoots 5

An employee shot and killed five people Wednesday in Milwaukee at the Moors Coors complex, one of the nation's largest breweries. "There were five individuals who went to work today, just like everybody goes to work, and they thought they were going to go to work, finish their day, and return to their families. They didn't — and tragically they never will," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. Police said the suspected gunman, identified as a 51-year-old Milwaukee man, fatally shot himself after the attack. Investigators did not immediately say whether they had a theory about killer's motive. President Trump expressed condolences. "Our hearts break for them and their loved ones," he said, adding, "it's a terrible thing."

The Associated Press

8. GOP Rep. Ralph Abraham says he won't seek re-election

Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.) announced Wednesday that he would not run for re-election this fall in what is considered a safe district for the GOP. Abraham, who ran unsuccessfully for governor just months ago, said he decided six years ago that he would only serve three two-year terms in Congress. "As I traveled on Air Force One to the National Championship game with President Trump, I was humbled when he asked that I consider staying in Congress for another term," Abraham said in a statement, referring to a trip last month to watch Louisiana State win the college football championship. Abraham said he thanked Trump "for his leadership and encouragement," but stuck to his plan not to run. Abraham said he ran hoping to address a "weakened" and struggling economy, and took credit for helping "turn-the-ship-around."

Politico

9. Trump campaign announces libel suit against Times over opinion piece

President Trump's re-election campaign announced Wednesday that it was filing a libel suit against The New York Times for publishing an opinion article saying Trump's 2016 campaign had an "overarching deal" with Russia trading "help in the campaign against Hillary Clinton for the quo of a new pro-Russian foreign policy." The suit, according to a draft released by the campaign, accused the Times of publishing the opinion piece by former executive editor Max Frankel with a "malicious motive" and "reckless disregard for the truth." A Times spokesperson said in a statement that the campaign was trying to "punish an opinion writer for having an opinion they find unacceptable." Legal experts said courts would likely reject the lawsuit on First Amendment grounds.

Reuters

10. Sharapova retires from tennis

Tennis star Maria Sharapova announced Wednesday that she was retiring from the sport. Sharapova, 32, won five Grand Slam singles titles, including a win over then top-ranked Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2004 when Sharapova was just 17. In an essay published in Vanity Fair, Sharapova said she realized the injuries that plagued her career were preventing her from competing at the highest level, and her "body had become a distraction." She was also a highly visible figure off the court. Her endorsements with prominent companies like Nike helped her become one of the highest-earning women's athletes in the world.

Vanity Fair The New York Times