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TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Abortion rights groups have had a rough start to the week, as a federal appeals court upheld the Trump administration’s “gag order” on title x funding to clinics that refer patients to abortion services. And in the Senate, Mitch McConnell is expected to bring two controversial anti-abortion bills up for votes on Tuesday, further pushing the conservative’s repressive agenda.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus is on the verge of becoming a truly global pandemic, which is beginning to weaken the world’s financial markets. Some experts are resigned to the disease spreading widely across the globe, only comforted by its relatively low death rate.

And lastly, Michael Bloomberg vowed to “defend the banks,” in a closed-door speech to Goldman Sachs executives in 2016. His campaign says the comment was in jest, but did not deny his other quotes from that night, which included saying that Elizabeth Warren and the progressive movement were just as scary as the far right.

THESE ARE THE STORIES YOU NEED TO KNOW:

A key court decision on one of the Trump administration’s most callous policies and two new bills expected to come to a vote in the Senate today have severely endangered women’s reproductive rights in the country.

The people behind it? Mitch McConnell, Mike Pence and Donald Trump -- exactly the kind of guys you want calling the shots as to how more than half of the country treats their own bodies.

The first blow was a 7-4 decision in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in favor of the Trump Administration’s “gag order” on Title Ten federal funding. The order prevents federal funding from going to health clinics that provide referrals for abortions.

Federal funding already does not go to facilities that directly provide abortions, and activists say that the gag order will severly impact the federally subsidized clinics that often provide contraceptives, preventative care, family planning and STI testing to vulnerable and poor populations. The American Medical Association president Patrice A. Harris blased the decision, saying quote:

"It is unconscionable that the government is telling physicians that they can treat this underserved population only if they promise not to discuss or make referrals for all treatment options,” endquote.

Republicans, however, continue their culture war unabated. In the Senate, majority leader Mitch McConnell is planning to call a vote on two anti-abortion bills on Tuesday.

One bill harshly restricts late-term abortions, banning almost all cases after 20 weeks of pregnancy, despite the fact that such cases are extremely rare and often only happen due to traumatic circumstances or medical emergencies that would endanger the life of the mother.

The other goes even further in persecuting the rare practice: levying fines and penalties against doctors who fail to do everything in their power to preserve an aborted but potentially living baby’s life.

This, again, only applies in exceedingly rare cases, and doctors say it’s unnecessary as they already provide that care. The only thing it does, of course, is give the government more options to criminalize doctors trying to counsel and aid patients going through an often traumatic experience. Sounds about right for the crusty misogynists in power.

In other distressing medical news, the coronavirus is starting to look uncontainable.

Global financial markets started to feel the strain of a possible worldwide pandemic, as stocks fell for the second day in the row. In South Korea, manufacturers may be forced to shut down some factories as China did, which could have a ripple effect on many different industries that depend on Korean-made parts.

For those of us who don’t have extensive investment portfolios, of course, a global pandemic is worrying on a greater than financial level. The disease has started to spread throughout Europe, greater Asia and the Middle East.

Experts fear that in Iran, particularly, the lack of transparency on the part of the Iranian regime and large, mobile population could contribute to a region-wide quote “recipe for a massive viral outbreak.” endquote.

The Atlantic reports that the conclusions of some experts are beginning to look both grim and measured, if that’s possible. The bad news is that several expert epidemiologists now predict that as much as 70 percent of the world’s population may eventually get the virus.

But while that may sound like a cause for mass panic, those numbers don’t mean that all of those people will be deathly ill. Instead, experts think the coronavirus and related strains will become a consistent reality during cold and flu season: most people will get it occasionally, but it won’t kill all that many of them.

There are dozens of companies working on a vaccine, but it won’t be ready for an estimated 12 to 18 months if we’re being optimistic. In other words, stock up on tissues, but don’t panic just yet.

In all this chaos, there is at least one constant in the world: Michael Bloomberg getting caught saying horrible stuff on tape.

Per a new report by CNN, Bloomberg said that his presidential platform would be to “defend the banks” during a private meeting with Goldman Sachs executives in 2016.

His campaign says that line was a joke, which, sure man. The campaign did not, however, deny the other parts of Bloomberg’s speech, which CNN reports was full of billionaire-brain soundbites.

When Bloomberg was asked about the rise of the far right in Europe, which has ushered in a new slate of understated or overt fascists into political office across the continent, the candidate immediately flipped the question around, saying quote “The progressive movement is just as scary.”

He then name-dropped Elizabeth Warren, equating her to the far-right elements of the Republican party. This was all back in 2016, of course, but it’s pretty clear which side he’s more comfortable with -- he also said that his endorsement of Obama in 2012 was quote “back handed,” as he actually though Mitt Romney would do a better job of advancing his interests. All true!

Later in the speech, he referred to the Goldman Execs at the meeting in Yankee Stadium as “his peeps,” and later delivered this banger about being president, quote: "No, I mean, you think about it, you have Predators, and the Predators have missiles, and I have a list of everybody that's annoyed me or screwed me for the last 74 years, and bang-bang-bang-bang."

That’s clearly a very very bad joke. Which also describes Bloomberg’s campaign!

AND NOW FOR SOME QUICKER QUICKIES:

Donald Trump took some shots at Supreme Court Justices Sotomayor and Ginsberg in the middle of his trip to India, taking a break from his fascist field trip to demand that the two liberal judges recuse themselves from all cases that involve him. This will uh... probably not happen.

The extradition trial for Julian Assange began in London on Monday. Initial stages of it are set to last a week, with the Wikileaks publisher facing extradition back to the United States for a litany of alleged crimes related to publishing government secrets, which could have disastrous implications for press freedom worldwide.

Human rights activists are outraged after a graphic video showed Israeli forces dragging the body of a dead Palestinian man from a bulldozer. Israeli forces shot the man after suspecting him of planting a bomb, but desecrating his body seems like a clear war crime regardless of the circumstances.

Donald Trump announced that he was finalizing a 3 billion dollar arms deal with India during a trip to the country this week. India’s fascist leader Narendra Modi is currently waging a protracted campaign of persecution and violence against the country’s Muslim minority, and we’re about to sell him more guns to do it with.

That’s all for the AM Quickie today! Be sure to tune in to the full Majority Report with Sam Seder later today.

#AMQuickie: Feb 25, 2020

HOSTS - Sam Seder & Lucie Steiner

WRITER - Jack Crosbie

PRODUCER - Dorsey Shaw

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Brendan Finn