Super Tuesday: Donald Trump and President Biden dominated the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries on Super Tuesday. On the Republican side, Nikki Haley did beat Trump in the Vermont primary, but that victory coupled with her win in the District of Columbia primary were not enough to derail Trump’s march to the Republican nomination. Haley announced that she is suspending her campaign for the nomination. President Biden faced no significant opposition in any of the states holding Democratic presidential primaries, but in American Samoa he was narrowly defeated by unknown Jason Palmer.
California contest: There will be a Democratic runoff in California in the contest for the U.S. Senate seat that became vacant with the death of Sen. Diane Feinstein. Former baseball star Steve Garvey and Rep. Adam Schiff will face each other in a runoff in November. Congresswomen Katie Porter and Barbara Lee were defeated in their bids to run for Feinstein’s seat. Garvey played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Schiff headed the investigation in the House of Representatives that led to the first impeachment of Donald Trump.
Trump and Musk: The New York Times reports that Donald Trump met with Elon Musk and other wealthy individuals on Sunday at Mar-a-Lago. It’s reported that Trump was looking for large donations for his campaign. Musk and Trump have had public differences in the past, both personal and over policy. Musk did not endorse Trump in his two previous runs for the presidency, but he did allow Trump to return to using what used to be Twitter and is now known as X.
Powell’s testimony: Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is in the first of two days of testimony on Capitol Hill about what he and the Federal Reserve are forecasting for the economy. Powell was expected to tell the House Committee on Financial Services that interest rate cuts are expected later this year. Tomorrow he testifies to a Senate committee. Under the Humphrey-Hawkins Act, the Federal Reserve is required to present semi-annual reports to Congress. Today and tomorrow Powell was to outline monetary policy strategy, recent economic and financial developments along with a discussion of Fed monetary policy.
Rebel attack: Houthi rebels today attacked and damaged a ship registered in Barbados that was carrying cargo through the Gulf of Aden. Yesterday, the Houthis launched an unsuccessful missile and drone attack on the U.S. Navy destroyer Carney. The U.S. responded by destroying three Houthi missiles and three boats. The Houthis, based in Yemen, have been supported by Iran.
Whale of a tale: The New England Aquarium reports that an aerial survey team has sighted a gray whale off the New England near Nantucket Island, a species that has been extinct in the Atlantic for more than 200 years. The Aquarium scientists were flying 30 miles south of Nantucket when they sighted the whale repeatedly diving and resurfacing, appearing to be feeding. Gray whales are regularly found in the North Pacific Ocean, not as far south as the U.S. The species had disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean by the 18th century. Scientists suspect the return of the gray whale is an effect of climate change.
Gray whale photo by New England Aquarium.
