Your Wednesday Evening Briefing

February 26, 2020

Your Wednesday Evening Briefing

By remy tumin and marcus payadue

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

Gabriella Demczuk for The New York Times

1. President Trump appointed Vice President Mike Pence to oversee efforts to prevent a widespread outbreak across the U.S.

“The number one priority from our standpoint is the health and safety of the American people,” Mr. Trump said. “Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low.”

Mr. Trump’s statement was provided at a wide-ranging White House news conference, and came after two days of contradictory messages from government officials about the dangers posed to Americans by the virus. At least 60 Americans are confirmed to have tested positive for the virus.

And the number of new infections outside China outpaced those inside the country for the first time, with the virus now in Latin America, Germany and Pakistan. Here are the latest updates.

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Andrea Mantovani for The New York Times

2. A new phase of the coronavirus is coming, and teams across the Times newsroom have tips on how you can prepare for it.

Get a flu vaccine, have a plan to care for older relatives and bookmark the website of your local health department. Here are other expert tips, like using hand sanitizer, seen above in Milan.
Yes, the stock market is fluctuating. Before you freak out, take a deep breath and read this.
Should you cancel your family vacation? Our Parenting site spoke with experts about how the virus might affect your travel plans this spring.
We’re starting a newsletter that will feature the latest developments about the coronavirus, as well as expert advice about prevention and treatment. Sign up here.

Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

3. After last night’s fiery debate in South Carolina, the candidates returned to the campaign trail to make their case ahead of the state’s primary on Saturday.

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Joe Biden picked up a key endorsement from Representative Jim Clyburn, seen above to Mr. Biden’s right, the highest-ranking African-American in Congress and a powerhouse in the state. But our look inside Mr. Biden’s campaign suggests that even if he succeeds in South Carolina, his campaign is on precarious footing because of limited organization, money and early-voting outreach.

Next Tuesday’s primaries in 14 states will dole out a third of the total delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination. The states include Massachusetts, where Elizabeth Warren just picked up an endorsement from her hometown paper, The Boston Globe.

Khalil Ashawi/Reuters

4. The Syrian government’s assault on a rebel-held province has driven nearly a million people from their homes, and has created one of the worst humanitarian emergencies of a brutal nine-year war.

The fleeing Syrians are trapped between a closed Turkish border to the north, and bombs and shells coming from the south and east. Many are living in tents or sleeping out in the open in the freezing cold. Nine children have died of exposure in recent weeks.

And no one is offering a lifeline; the refugees are cut off from countries that had once sent military aid to the rebels. “We are alone, for sure,” a relief worker said. “This is the end.”

Morry Gash/Associated Press

5. We’re following reports out of Milwaukee where multiple people were killed, including a gunman, after a shooting at a Molson Coors brewery complex, city officials said. Stay here for updates.

According to local reports citing two law enforcement sources, the gunman was an employee at the complex, which was known as MillerCoors until recently.

The police said on Twitter that they were responding to a “critical incident” near the complex, and local TV stations showed heavily-armed law enforcement officers descending on the area.

Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times

6. Construction of a section of the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border is endangering sacred indigenous sites, and sparking an outcry from tribal citizens and their leaders.

Work crews in Arizona have been destroying dozens of protected cactuses, which can live up to 200 years, and have drained an aquifer that has supported humans for the past 16,000 years. One leader of the Tohono O’odham tribal nation described the situation as “crimes against humanity.”

Separately, the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. reached its lowest level in more than 15 years, a decline propelled primarily by the number of Mexicans who are voluntarily returning to their country of origin.

Glenn Harvey

6. Thinking of getting dinner delivered tonight? You may want to think again.

When you order through a delivery app, extra fees can creep into your bill. Between paying the driver, the app and the restaurant, your tab could be more than 90 percent higher than if you had ordered the same meal while dining at the restaurant. (New York City is considering legislation that would regulate this.)

Our tech columnist tested the four most popular delivery apps in the country to break down the true cost of convenience — and the results weren’t pretty.

Elsewhere, grocery stores are the latest front of automation, as retailers like Walmart introduce friendly-looking robots that are quickly upending human work.

Mary Ann Hardiman/The New York Times

8. While we’re on the topic of cold weather: Are snow days more common now?

It may seem like yet another iteration of “kids these days” generational griping, but, at least in some cities, the standard for closing school does seem to have lowered over the years — this year’s unusually mild winter notwithstanding. Above, blizzardly conditions whipped through Manhattan in 1978.

Here’s a look at snow days across the country (including some favorite memories from Times journalists), and a beautiful photo essay that will make you pray for a snowy day off, just so you can take out a sled.

Johnathon Kelso for The New York Times

9. Two new musicians to keep an eye on.

Lil Baby might be rap’s most reluctant star, but he’s an inescapable radio presence with even more street-level hits. The Atlanta artist, whose new album “My Turn” is out Friday, spoke with The Times about how he has managed to remain low-key while also racking up more than 11 billion streams worldwide.

And in Israel, a Muslim-born pop star, who has converted to Judaism and can sing in Arabic and Hebrew, has captured the country’s heart. Nasin Kadry’s improbable rise, our Opinion contributor writes, is representative of the hybrid culture emerging there.

Maria Magdalena Arrellaga for The New York Times

10. And finally, turbocharged creativity and passion.

Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival has always had streaks of irreverence and political satire, but under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, many revelers have come to see the celebration as an act of resistance. Mr. Bolsonaro, a far-right leader, has done little to hide his contempt for the rambunctious festivity, which has only added fuel to its fire.

We were in the city this month as Brazilians poured into the streets for parties and performances known as blocos. In the words of one dancer: “The street is ours, so why not use it to do what we do best?”

Have a boisterous night.

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