Good morning. I'm James Holman from the Washington Post and this is the Daily

202 for Thursday, February 20th. In today's news, President Trump continues to reshuffle his national security team after impeachment.

The White House Chief of Staff admits that GOP only cares about deficits when Democrats are in charge.

And xenophobia appears to be the motive

for a massacre overnight in Germany.

But first, the big idea. Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg suffered a punishing welcome,

and Bernie Sanders was bludgeoned with criticism as an animated cast of rival candidates

scrambled in Las Vegas on Wednesday night to stake their claims against the two rising contenders in the Democratic race. The result was an urgent

two-hour free-for-all that sizzled with animosity. Candidates who have mostly avoided political

combat in the previous eight debates, including Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buda Judge, came out swinging, each of them aiming to avoid elimination from the race.

Contenders who had once respected time limits eagerly spoke

over one another, posing questions directly to each other. Joe Biden facing a

make-or-break moment was among those who repeatedly interrupted with the phrase,

Let me finish. was among those who repeatedly interrupted with the phrase,

Let me finish.

Sanders was challenged on his electability

and questioned on his health,

as well as the combativeness of his online supporters

and the viability of his policy prescriptions.

Bloomberg was hit for his political record, his alleged coarse descriptions of women,

his extraordinary wealth, and his contention that he's best positioned to defeat Trump.

Sanders accused Bloomberg of supporting what he called the outrageous policy of stop and frisk policing

...