Joe Biden wins South Carolina primary: ‘This campaign is taking off’ – live

  • Former vice-president scores much-needed primary victory
  • Biden tells cheering supporters: ‘We just won and we won big’
  • Follow the latest results in our live South Carolina tracker

4.02am GMT

That’s it from me in Columbia, South Carolina. Here’s how tonight’s primary shook out:

3.52am GMT

There will be considerable debate over the next few days about what Joe Bi...

Millions of uninsured Americans like me are a coronavirus timebomb | Carl Gibson

I haven’t gone to the doctor since 2013. When you multiply my situation by 27.5 million, that’s a scary prospect

Like 27.5 million other Americans, I don’t have health insurance. It’s not for a lack of trying – I make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to buy a private health insurance plan on the Affordable Care Act exchanges. Since I can’t afford to see a doctor, my healthcare strategy as a 32-year-old uninsured American has been simply to sleep eight hours, eat veget...

Bernie Sanders comes under attack as latest Democratic debate kicks off – live

Asked about his declining support among African American voters, Joe Biden expressed confidence he would win Saturday’s South Carolina primary.

Biden noted polls indicate he still leads the Democratic field with black voters. “I’ve worked like the devil to earn the vote of the African American community,” Biden said.

Elizabeth Warren has taken aim at Bernie Sanders tonight. It’s not the first time she’s tried to contrast herself with him, but it’s definitely her sharpest rebuke of the senator yet. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed:

That’s the most direct criticism @ewarren has ever laid at @BernieSanders: “I dug in, did the work, and Bernies team trashed me for it.”

Warren has had to figure out how to deal with Sanders for the entire length of the campaign — contrast without alienating mutual supporters. This answer tonight is the first true, direct attempt at that. This was a huge moment, no question. #DemDebate

Wow. Big moment.

Elizabeth Warren has seemed to drop her truce with Bernie Sanders. She just said she did the work to fight banks and figure out how to pay for Medicare for all and Bernie’s supporters “trashed me for it.”

“I would be a better president than Bernie,” she said.

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Bernie Sanders’ plans may be expensive but inaction would cost much more | Robert Reich

Facing existential challenges, we must spend heavily on a Green New Deal, Medicare for All and similar plans

In Wednesday night’s Democratic debate, the former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg charged that the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders’ policy proposals would cost $50tn. Holy Indiana.

Larry Summers, formerly chief White House economic adviser for Barack Obama, puts the price tag at $60tn. “We are in a kind of new era of radical proposal,” he told CNN.

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Nevada caucuses: crucial ‘first in the west’ Democratic contest kicks off – live

Saturday’s vote could be a make-or-break moment for candidates in the first state with a diverse electorate

At Sparks high school outside Reno, a group of Sanders supporters were the first to arrive hours before the caucus, encouraging voters to back the Vermont senator as they lined up.

Essie Richard, 73, one of the first voters to arrive. Supporting @JoeBiden. “I’m Biden all the way. He was Vice President for eight years. He has the experience.” Protecting social security and Medicare are most important to her: “I’m barely surviving.” pic.twitter.com/Ibb8YF6fVb

Naomi Zamarripa, 18, high schooler voting for first time: “I love his commitment. He’s been around for so long, he keeps fighting + stays true to his beliefs.” @BernieSanders will win, she said: “Nevada is the first state that has a diverse makeup, he appeals to a lot of groups” pic.twitter.com/btVEPFiCV6

As the caucuses get underway, social media streams are starting to fill with “first alignment” results from individual caucus sites. But what about the actual, official results?

Tom Perez, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, told reporters today that results will be released as soon as possible, but that the priority is, “first and foremost, to get it right,” according to the AP.

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Trump and Bloomberg trade insults ahead of Democratic debate – live

  • President had accused candidate violating campaign finance laws
  • ‘Gloves will be off’: Nevada debate could be pivotal for Democrats
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5.32pm GMT

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo condemned China for expelling three Wall Street Journal reporters over a critical op-ed published by the newspaper.

The United St...

Controversy rages over Trump interference in Roger Stone case – live updates

  • Attorney general to testify before congress
  • Chuck Schumer warns of ‘crisis in the rule of law in America’
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This morning, Trump had some insults to throw at Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, who is using his vast personal fortune to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on campaign ads.

Mini Mike Bloomberg is a LOSER who has money but can’t debate and has zero presence, you will see. He reminds me of a tiny version of Jeb “Low Energy” Bush, but Jeb has more political skill and has treated the Black community much better than Mini! https://t.co/qIef5VhjDr

.@realDonaldTrump - we know many of the same people in NY. Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown. They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence.

I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will. https://t.co/fO4azmZaUg

The Democratic establishment is worried about Bernie Sanders becoming the party’s nominee, as the New York Times, the Hill, Politico and others report today.

We are spending twice as much per capita on healthcare as do the people of any other country. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the healthcare industry last year made $100 billion in profit. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we are wasting $500 billion a year trying to administer thousands and thousands of different plans. What Medicare for All will do is save the average American substantial sums of money.

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Democrats go on the offensive ahead of New Hampshire primary – live

  • Sanders campaign to ask for ‘partial recanvass’ of Iowa results
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12.05pm GMT

President Donald Trump is due to present his $4.8 trillion budget proposal for the fiscal year 2021 later today which includes plans to slash spending on foreign aid, social safety net programs like Medicaid, housing assistance and disability insurance and provide billions of ...

Iowa caucus: Democratic race in shambles as results are delayed – live coverage

  • Full story: Democratic race off to disastrous start
  • Iowa caucuses results – live updates
  • What is the smartphone app at centre of Iowa debacle?
  • Analysis: Trump campaign jubilant as Dems’ big night implodes
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11.57am GMT

Donald Trump has given his verdict on the Iowa controversy, which he calls an “unmitigated disaster”.

Trump announces new visa restrictions and plan to extend travel ban

The president also showed a willingness to make cuts to social security and Medicare and will attend an anti-abortion event

As the impeachment trial gets into stride in Washington against Donald Trump, the president on Wednesday announced a plethora of new plans, policies and programs as he prepared to make his way back to the US from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

Speaking with reporters in Davos, Trump announced that he intends to expand his controversial travel ban...