FILE -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton looks at a phone message with Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Philip Gordon as they wait in a conference room for a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President during the 48th Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof hotel in Munich, southern Germany, on Feb. 4, 2012. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)
Just over a week and a half until the first in the nation votes for the 2016 race.
Lots of campaign events we’re monitoring today.
1005EST -- Fmr FL Gov Jeb Bush tours Sturm, Ruger & Co and holds a town hall meeting. Newport, NH. BABY POOL COVER
1100EST -- NJ Gov Christie holds an employee town hall meeting & tours Globe Manufacturing. Pittsfield, NH. LIVE via LiveU
1130EST -- Sen Rubio tours Decco Inc. and holds an employee town hall meeting. Brookline, NH. LIVE via LiveU
1300EST -- Sen Cruz speaks at the NH Institute of Politics. St. Anselm College, Manchester, NH. LIVE via LiveU
1200EST -- Sen Sanders meets with Seniors at Peterborough Community Center Gymnasium in Petersborough, NH. LIVE via LIVEU
1230EST -- Hillary Clinton holds an organizing event. Simpson College, Indianola, IA. LIVE via LiveU
On the GOP side, there’s several pieces out today on some in the GOP reluctantly accepting the possibility Donald Trump could be the nominee.
Bob Dole, in an interview Wednesday said if Ted Cruz got the nomination the GOP would suffer “cataclysmic” and “wholesale losses.” He said Trump would fare better.
Bill Clinton hit the campaign trail yesterday, and praised his wife as a “change maker.” Clinton contrasting Hillary and Bernie Sanders as the race tightens. A big fight broke out between the Clinton and Sanders camps when Bernie Sanders seemed to suggest that Planned Parenthood and the Human Rights Campaign (a gay rights group) were part of the “establishment” after they endorsed Clinton. She said, ““If it were part of the establishment, that would be time for all of us to stop having to work so hard and defend it and fight for it.. That’s just not the case.”
The Wall Street Journal has a piece about the Clinton campaign’s troubles called “Hillary’s Stumbling Cakewalk.”
Vladimir Putin probably approved the murder by poisoning of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko in England in 2006. That according to a UK judge hearing a case about the murder.
The Dow closed down yesterday 249 points.. after at one point falling more than 500 points. Oil prices are down dramatically to levels not seen since 2003. Asian markets plunged even further overnight. Barclay’s bank announced its laying off 1000 including many in the U.S. China’s central bank is pumping billions into the country’s financial system trying to keep cash flowing there.
We get weekly jobless numbers today.
Belgium has arrested two more suspected of involvement in the Paris terror attacks back in November that left 130 dead. One of the men is Belgian, and the other is from Morocco. They were arrested during a raid on a neighborhood known as a hotbed of radical Islam.
New rules could come today from the U.S. with tougher restrictions on European travelers who have dual citizenship in or have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria. It’s an effort to prevent terrorists from being able to enter the U.S.
A major blizzard set to hit the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast bringing as much as two feet of snow to parts of KY, WV, VA, PA and MD.. including Baltimore and Washington. It appears New York and New England will avoid the worst of it getting 5-8 inches of snow.
There is a 1pm briefing we’ll dip into and monitor. 1300EST -- NWS Dir Louis Uccellini hosts a news conference to announce the latest winter storm forecast and preparations taking place for the impending winter storm for the Eastern US. He also will discuss the state of forecasting and weather modeling, followed by a Q&A session. NOAA HQ. LIVE via LiveU
We’re also monitoring a couple of other live events:
1130EST -- As part of the Joining Forces initiative, FLOTUS deliver remarks about the Obama Admin's efforts to end veteran homelessness and the importance of mayoral leadership in the process at the 84th Winter Meeting of the US Conference of Mayors. Capital Hilton. LIVE WEBCAST
1130EST -- Sens Ayotte, McCain, Graham, Risch, and Sullivan hold a press conference to discuss recent developments regarding Iran, including its continued support for terrorism and ongoing development of its ballistic missile program, shortcomings of the Iran nuclear deal, and concerns regarding the Obama Admin's policy toward Iran, including its failure to deliver a swift and strong response to Iran's ballistic missile test violations." LIVE
1000EST -- Senate Veterans Affairs Cmte holds hearing on "VA's Transformation Strategy: Examining the Plan to Modernize VA." VA Secy McDonald, VA Undersecy for Health Dr. David Shulkin, and VA Interim Undersecy for Benefits Danny Pummill testify. LIVE
1130EST -- On-The-Record-Roundtable with traveling press and economic reporters at the Derby Hotel.
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