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

202 for Friday, February 21st. In today's news, Trump confidant Roger Stone is sentenced to 40 months in prison.

Americans infected with the coronavirus were flown home against the CDC's advice and the odds of a contested Democratic convention grow as

the anti-Sanders vote stays fragmented. But first the big idea.

A senior U.S. intelligence official told lawmakers last week that Russia wants to see

President Trump re-elected, viewing his administration as more favorable to the Kremlin's interests.

After learning of that analysis, which was provided to House lawmakers in a classified hearing, Trump grew angry at his acting

director of National Intelligence, Joe McGuire, during a meeting in the Oval Office.

He saw McGuire and his staff is disloyal for speaking to Congress about Russia's perceived preference

The intelligence officials analysis and Trump's furious response is what ruined McGuire's chances of becoming the permanent intelligence chief.

It's not clear what specific steps, if any, U.S. intelligence officials think Russia may have taken

to help Trump for 2020.

Trump now, though, is replacing McGuire with a vocal loyalist,

Rick Grinnell.

White House officials had said that McGuire, a career official who's respected by the Intelligence Rank and file, was considered the leading candidate to be nominated to the post. The official who gave the House briefing, Shelby Pearson, said several times that Russia has

developed a preference for Trump according to reporting from my colleagues

Ellen Nakashima, Shane Harris, Josh Dossian, Ann Gereen.

That conclusion was part of a broader discussion of election security

that also touched on when the US government should warn

Democratic candidates if they're being targeted by foreign governments.

Trump erroneously believed that Pearson had given the assessment exclusively to lead House

impeachment manager Adam Schiff, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

...