Bloomberg's billions bought silence

Trump's clemency spree deepens his assault on justice. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

By Holly Thomas TOP STORIES ‌ Wednesday, February 19 ‌ BLOOMBERG'S BILLIONS BOUGHT SILENCE The plan was shocking even in Mike Bloomberg’s New York: At the height of the Great Recession, with the number of homeless people approaching record highs, the city had quietly begun charging for from working families living in its rundown shelters. But the nonprofit world declined to take a public stand against Mayor Bloomberg, for fear of alienating their most important donor: Mayor Bloomberg. [HuffPost] ‌ TRUMP GLORIFIES FAT CAT CROOKS WITH CLEMENCY   President Donald Trump announced a wave of sentence commutations and pardons, including for disgraced financier Michael Milken, who was convicted in 1990 of securities fraud. Trump also commuted the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of federal corruption charges, including for an attempt to sell the U.S. Senate seat previously held by then-President Barack Obama. [HuffPost] ‌ CORONAVIRUS DEATH TOLL TOPS 2,000 The coronavirus has now killed more than 2,000 people, all but six of them in mainland China. It has infected more than 75,000 people, with over 1,000 cases outside mainland China. The remaining passengers aboard the Diamond Princess in Japan began disembarking after a 14-day quarantine. A total of 545 cases of the virus are linked to the stricken ship. Chinese state media is pushing the message that the worst of the crisis is over. [CNN] ‌ STEPHEN MILLER'S UNCLE DONATES TO PRO-REFUGEE GROUP AS 'WEDDING GIFT' Stephen Miller, the senior White House adviser behind some of the Trump administration’s most hard-line immigration policies, tied the knot over the weekend with another White House aide, and his uncle chose the perfect “wedding gift” to honor the newlyweds: a donation to a refugee advocacy organization. [HuffPost] ‌ LIMBAUGH: TRUMP TOLD ME NOT TO APOLOGIZE FOR BUTTIGIEG REMARKS Rush Limbaugh’s disparaging remarks about Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg kissing his husband struck many as homophobic. But Limbaugh said Trump urgently phoned later to tell him not to back down. “Rush, I just got to tell you something. Never apologize, don’t ever,” the right-wing radio personality quoted the president saying. [HuffPost] ‌ KATHY GRIFFIN TALKS LIFE SINCE THAT TRUMP PHOTO  Before the two-time Emmy winner and New York Times bestselling author Kathy Griffin dashed to her date with her dentist, she chatted with HuffPost about what life has been like since the release of that controversial photo of Donald Trump in 2017, her thoughts on comedy in the era of Me Too and “cancel culture,” and why Tina Fey did us all a big favor by impersonating Sarah Palin. [HuffPost] WHAT'S BREWING ‌ BLOOMBERG WILL SELL HIS COMPANY IF ELECTED Mike Bloomberg will sell his massive media and data company Bloomberg LP if he’s elected president. Bloomberg would reportedly offload the company that made him a multibillionaire, contrasting the plan with the actions of Trump, who broke a promise to divest from his businesses but has continued to benefit from his own swath of holdings. [HuffPost] ‌ FORMER MAYORAL CANDIDATE ACCUSED OF DRUGGING MOM TO STEAL BABY A former Colorado mayoral candidate is accused of drugging a new mom in Washington state in order to steal the woman’s newborn to raise as her own. Juliette Parker, 38, who ran for mayor of Colorado Springs last year, was arrested with her 16-year-old daughter after allegedly trying to kidnap a baby by pretending to be a photographer, authorities said. [HuffPost] ‌ TRUMP'S MINNESOTA PICK HAS HISTORY OF RACIST COMMENTS  Trump’s pick to represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate, the former GOP Rep. Jason Lewis, once used his radio show to proclaim “White Lives Matter” while pushing an argument about gun violence used by white supremacists, according to audio obtained and reviewed by HuffPost. [HuffPost] ‌ EX-JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: THE LAW IS COMING FOR THE PRESIDENT Neal Katyal, who served as acting solicitor general under President Barack Obama, said Trump seems to “get away with everything,” including the pardons and commutations he doled out Tuesday for his friends and allies. But he warned the president that his legal luck is going to run out thanks to a “robust tradition of law” in the United States. [HuffPost] ‌ SANDERS BREAKS WITH OCASIO-CORTEZ ON MEDICARE FOR ALL Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), one of Bernie Sanders’ most vocal and visible allies in his presidential campaign, said last week that Democrats may have to “compromise deeply” on the Vermont senator’s signature “Medicare for All” plan to get the legislation passed. Sanders, however, pushed back, insisting his proposal is “already a compromise.” [HuffPost] ‌ BATTLE FOR CALIFORNIA HEATS UP With 494 delegates up for grabs (more than 10% of the total) as part of the big batch of Super Tuesday nominating contests on March 3, the Golden State could shake up the race and boost one or more Democratic candidates, provided they meet the required 15% threshold of support at the congressional district or statewide level. [HuffPost] We Belong Here: Black History Month 2020 Introducing Black Hair Defined For Black History Month, we're proud to launch Black Hair Defined — a multimedia project designed to celebrate and amplify discussions about Black hair.  Read More BEFORE YOU GO Kate Middleton reveals why this photo of Princess Charlotte is so special. Rosario Dawson opens up about her sexuality and that "coming out" Instagram post.  There's a hidden cost to your big tax refund. Ruth Bader Ginsburg wows Instagram users with glittery look. Ja’net DuBois, star of "Good Times," dies at 74. Disney World's Cinderella castle is getting a magical makeover. Ben Affleck: Divorce from Jennifer Garner is the "biggest regret of my life." Sharon Osbourne looks like a different person after dramatic hair transformation. The best and worst bags and purses for your back. Billie Eilish says she "bombed" her 2020 Oscars performance: "That was trash." How to politely tell a guest they've overstayed their welcome. "Price Is Right" takes hiatus after death of Drew Carey’s ex-fiancée, Amie Harwick. How to eat like the planet is burning. Dwayne Wade: My transgender daughter knew her identity when she was 3. Michelle Obama stuns with a throwback prom pic to encourage voting. Love this newsletter? Share it with a friend! 👋 You may have noticed that our website is now www.huffpost.com. Don't worry, it'll still be the same HuffPost you know and love, just with a new URL. Make sure to update your bookmarks! 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