Top story: Former VP surges back into Democratic contention
Hello, Warren Murray with you on the Wednesday morning after Super Tuesday.
Feverish reporting continues of the results from 14 US states that are voting for their choice of Democratic candidate to face Donald Trump in the presidential election. Where does one start? At our live blog of course. While it’s Biden who has clinched the most Super Tuesday delegates at time of writing, Bernie Sanders remains in overall contention for the nomination. Our Super Tuesday vote tracker shows the state of play. Among key results, Sanders clinched California while Biden staged a big upset in Massachusetts as well as sweeping southern states. The latter did have a wobbly moment on stage when he mixed up his wife and his sister.
Senator Elizabeth Warren won nothing but appears determined to fight on for the moment at least. Michael Bloomberg was a big spender but non-contender, winning only in American Samoa, a US territory worth a handful of delegates. Richard Wolffe’s assessment is that the race is now Biden’s to lose.
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‘Rusty six-inch nail’ – Ex-NHS doctors and nurses have told the Guardian they are none too keen on joining a mooted call-up of “leavers and retirees” to help tackle coronavirus. “I would rather shove a rusty six-inch nail up my backside,” said a 67-year-old former staff nurse from Manchester. A retired nurse, 67, from Stockton-on-Tees said: “Surely asking older and more susceptible ex-professionals to assist is counterintuitive.” The advertising regulator has banned a series of “alarmist” and “scaremongering” ads for face masks that make wildly exaggerated claims. Thousands of intensive care patients are to be routinely tested for Covid-19 if they show breathing problems. Stay up to speed all day on the situation at our coronavirus live blog.
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Midweek catch-up
> Priti Patel, the home secretary, has been accused of bullying a third senior civil servant when she held the international development portfolio. It will increase pressure on the PM to have her step aside while the Cabinet Office investigates.
> Two married lesbian priests are to lead an LGBT+ church service in Canterbury on the eve of the Lambeth conference, a once-a-decade global assembly of Anglican bishops where conflicts over sexuality and marriage are expected to dominate.
> Crown prosecutors are to review the pursuit of assault charges against Caroline Flack when the alleged victim, her boyfriend, wanted the matter dropped.
> Rebecca Long-Bailey supporter and Corbyn ally Jon Trickett has challenged Keir Starmer to release details of all donations to his Labour leadership campaign, including those not yet officially accepted. Both Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy have published what they say are full lists of donations.
> More than 31,000 people joined the ranks of the “ultra-wealthy” in 2019 amid rising stock markets and property prices. The fastest-growing areas were Asia and Africa. Property consultants Knight Frank, who compiled the report, found this “exciting”.
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Budget should reflect climate – Lord Stern, the author of a groundbreaking report on the economic impact of climate change, has called on Rishi Sunak to spend more than £8bn in the chancellor’s first budget next week for a “massive and long-term” boost to zero-carbon infrastructure, skills and innovation. Stern told Sunak to focus his efforts on sectors that are difficult to decarbonise such as transport, property and industry. Our series This is Europe today reveals how fossil fuel lobbyists are hard at work in Brussels. Case in point, the industry bankrolled a dinner billed as “Oil and Gas and the Green Deal” for the kind of key EU officials who have become the focus of lobbyists’ relentless attention. George Monbiot writes today that he is helping take the UK government to court over its energy policy, arguing that inclusion of fossil-fuel projects breaches climate commitments – the same grounds on which the Heathrow expansion was successfully challenged.
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Payday at last – Today is the first day of the year that the average woman effectively begins to get paid because of the gender pay gap, the Trades Union Congress says. “Our economy is stacked against working women. At this rate, it will take another 50 years to close the gender pay gap,” said the TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady. “No more excuses: the government must get on and sort the gender pay gap now.” Companies with more than 250 employees are required to publish their gender pay gap but the TUC wants audits and fines for those that do not take action. Dubious consolation, but women do live longer than men on average and now scientists think they know why: having two copies of the X chromosome appears to be better for your health.
Today in Focus podcast: Covid-19 – are we ready?
As Britain faces the spread of coronavirus, the prime minister has laid out his government’s “battle plan”. Also today: Sarah Todd on learning to read as an adult.
Lunchtime read: Take a bough
We stand under them, propose next to them … or simply gaze in awe at their grandeur. When we asked readers to tell us about their favourite trees they responded in droves.
Sport
Jürgen Klopp lamented the defensive lapses he felt condemned Liverpool to a 2-0 FA Cup exit at Chelsea but he maintained his team could regain their momentum as they look ahead to next Wednesday’s Champions League showdown against Atlético Madrid. Billy Sharp’s headed goal in extra time was enough for Sheffield United to squeeze through to the FA Cup quarter-finals 2-1 after a close-fought battle with Reading at the Madejski Stadium. The International Olympic Committee has sought to play down fears of Tokyo 2020 being delayed because of the coronavirus outbreak by insisting the Games will go ahead as scheduled. But the concerns over increasing spread of the virus have prompted England to withdraw Mako Vunipola from their squad for Saturday’s Six Nations fixture against Wales, who expect Dan Biggar to be fit for the match at Twickenham.
The England striker Ellen White is still haunted by the VAR decision which ruled out her equaliser, with her toe adjudged to have been in an offside position in their World Cup semi-final defeat against USA last summer. Chris Froome has led the tributes to Nicolas Portal after the sporting director at Team Ineos died aged just 40. Gareth Southgate is optimistic about the possibility of Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford being fit for Euro 2020 and has left the door open for Phil Foden. And Spike Lee, the director and New York Knicks fan, has said he would not be attending another home game this season after a disagreement with Madison Square Garden officials.
Business
High street banks will issue emergency loans to businesses badly affected by the disruption to the world economy due to the coronavirus outbreak. Barclays, Santander and RBS have begun contacting at-risk customers whose companies might be suffering due to loss of demand and the disruption in supply chains in the wake of China’s economic shutdown. The FTSE 100 is expected to open flat at the opening bell while the pound is buying £1.287 and €1.148.
The papers
The Guardian leads today with a crime and policing angle on Covid-19: “Murder inquiries to be axed if virus hits police numbers”. There’s a pointer to our This Is Europe piece on how “baby bonus” schemes can be an anti-migrant tool for far-right parties.
The Mirror says “Caroline assault charge to be probed”, as outlined here. The FT has “Mounting coronavirus worries push Fed into emergency action”, namely that half-percent cut to US interest rates.
Many front pages feature the scene of the Queen making investitures while wearing gauntlet-length gloves (no sign of any surgical latex peeking from the upper end). Some headlines go the direct route – “Crownavirus” says the Metro, “Keep Ma’am and carry on” says the Sun (Metro 1-0 Sun if you ask me). Others show more style, twinning the picture with various coronavirus angles. “Life on hold for three months” is how the Mail sums up the possible emergency scenario. “Patients face video check as NHS plans virus wards” says the Times, as medicos are told to limit face-to-face contact. The Telegraph says employers should “Expect 20pc of workers to be off sick”. The Express lauds what it has badged the “Boris battle plan” with “Britain ready for the worst”. The i has “UK reveals plan for worst-case scenario”.
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