A Virus on the Economy

Published: Feb. 27, 2020, 5 p.m.

The President yesterday appointed Vice President Pence to oversee efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus. Democrats on the Hill bemoaned the selection of Pence, who as governor failed to bring an Indiana HIV outbreak under control, rather than a qualified public health expert. Ahead of Saturday's primary contest in South Carolina, a local South Carolina newspaper reports that various Republican groups are organizing themselves under what they're calling, "Operation Chaos" to take advantage of the state's open primary and support Sanders, against whom they believe President Trump has a better chance of winning. In the polls, Joe Biden's lead appears to be growing. That's following an endorsement by Rep. Jim Clyburn, a misleading attack ad from a Trump Super PAC using President Obama's voice to insinuate that his former Vice President will sell out Black voters, and a Tuesday debate from which Biden emerged unscathed as frontrunner Sanders took most of the heat. 

On Today's Show:
Jeanne Whalen, global business reporter for The Washington Post, talks about how the coronavirus panic has affected business and global trade, including how U.S. companies are still waiting for a dizzying array of products from stalled Chinese factories.