Newsletter: Trump Says “It Was All Bulls***”

Trump
President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, in Washington. Evan Vucci / AP Photo
Trump
President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, in Washington. Evan Vucci / AP Photo

Newsletter: Trump Says “It Was All Bulls***”

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Hey, it’s Thursday! And I’m supposed to update my staff bio since I look nothing like this anymore. (Touches computer monitor and whispers, “Where did my youth go?”) Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Trump: “It was all bulls***”

President Donald Trump took a victory lap today after the Senate acquitted him of two articles of impeachment. Speaking at a ceremony at the White House, Trump lashed out at Democrats, calling them “evil” and “corrupt.”

“It was all bulls***,” Trump said in a rare use of public profanity from a president. [NPR]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said earlier today there were no immediate plans to subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton, whose forthcoming book says Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine in order to force the country to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. [Politico]

Meanwhile, some Democrats appear torn between whether to continue investigating Trump’s dealings with Ukraine or focus on issues that resonate with voters, such as health care. [Washington Post]

2. Who won the Iowa caucuses? Day 4

An investigation released today by The New York Times found many inconsistencies and errors with caucus results released yesterday by the Iowa Democratic Party, raising questions over whether the public will ever have an accurate account of what happened in the Hawkeye State.

Here’s just one example of what the Times found: “On Wednesday afternoon, the Iowa Democratic Party released a wave of results showing Deval Patrick sweeping central Des Moines. That was incorrect. Mr. Sanders’s votes had been reported as being for Mr. Patrick, while Elizabeth Warren’s tallies went to Tom Steyer.” [New York Times]

Meanwhile, the head of the Democratic National Committee today called for a recanvass in Iowa that is different from a full recount. [Washington Post]

With the results of the Iowa caucuses in limbo, the field of Democratic candidates are preparing for tomorrow’s debate in New Hampshire. The New England state holds its primary on Tuesday.

3. Key evidence was ignored in the disciplinary case of a police sergeant who shot an autistic teen

The Chicago Police Board did not review key pieces of evidence, like a surveillance video of the shooting, when it decided to keep the police sergeant, Khalil Muhammad, on the force, according to a WBEZ investigation.

City investigators had gathered evidence that raised significant questions about Muhammad’s reasons for chasing down the teenager and shooting him. But the head of the Police Board said the nine-member panel was “required to base its decision only on the record of proceedings.”

That record excluded much of the evidence gathered. [WBEZ]

4. Coronavirus may return every winter

Some researchers believe that the deadly new strain of coronavirus might be a regular winter illness because it’s very hard to contain respiratory viruses.

Meanwhile, health experts believe the total number of infections is much larger than the 28,000 confirmed cases. Researchers in Hong Kong estimate 75,815 people have been infected in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak. All but two of the nearly 600 deaths have been reported in China. [USA Today]

5. Uproar at Lincoln Park H.S. intensifies

Students at Lincoln Park High School held protests today after a video emerged of an interim administrator allegedly grabbing a student’s face earlier this week.

The administrator, Judith Gibbs, has stepped down after she determined “she was not a good fit” for the school, according to a letter sent to parents from Chicago Public Schools.

The shocking incident prompted CPS to launch yet another probe at the high school. District officials earlier this week said they are looking into separate allegations of sexual misconduct and other wrongdoing.

Those claims led CPS to suspend the boy’s basketball season at Lincoln Park High School, remove two school officials and bring in Gibbs as an interim administrator. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

  • China will reduce tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. products. [NPR]

  • Here’s a recap of the biggest moments so far in the trial of Harvey Weinstein. [NPR]

  • Should Chicago have safe sites for people to use drugs? Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and some community groups think so. [Chicago Tribune]

  • NASA astronaut Christina Koch completed a record 11-month spaceflight, the longest for a woman. [AP]

Oh, and one more thing …

Illinois officials announced this week that dispensaries sold nearly $40 million worth of recreational marijuana last month, when pot became legal in the Land of Lincoln. But how does “Baby Mary Jane” go from a tiny plant in the ground to bongs that look like SpongeBob SquarePants? (Hint: Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.)

WBEZ’s Manuel Martinez visited southwest suburban Elwood, where workers at Cresco Labs grow different strains of pot inside a 43,000-square-foot facility. Check out this photo essay to see how pot is grown at the weed farm. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What’s your favorite thing to do when you have a day off of work?

Dianne writes:

“Work on a crossword puzzle and go for a walk with friends.”

And Sarah L. writes:

“My favorite thing to do when I have an unexpected day off from work? Feel anxious that I’m not making the most out of my unexpected day off from work.”

What’s your favorite thing to do when you have an expected or unexpected day off from work? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

Have a nice night! If you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.