After a disappointing 4th-place finish in the South Carolina primaries, former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg officially ended his presidential campaign yesterday. In a speech to supporters in his home state of Indiana, Buttigieg stressed the need to “recognize that at this point in the race, the best way to keep faith with [our] goals and ideals is to step aside and help bring our party and country together.”
The 38-year-old Rhodes Scholar rose from relative obscurity to become a serious contender for the presidency, beating out his more experienced rivals to win the Iowa caucus and come in a close second to Bernie Sanders in the New Hampshire primaries. Buttigieg’s lackluster performance over the weekend, however, renewed calls for him to join other moderates in backing Joe Biden as a counterweight to Bernie Sanders and the more progressive wing of the Democratic party.
Given that both Steyer and Buttigieg are now out of the picture, all bets are off on who will emerge as the frontrunner after tomorrow’s “Super Tuesday” primaries in which roughly 40% of the US population across 14 states will have a chance to cast their ballots.
Source: AP, ballotpedia
Special session on coronavirus today
The Polish parliament (Sejm), is set to hold a special session today focusing on the international coronavirus outbreak.
In remarks last Thursday, Health Minister Łukasz Szumowski emphasized that there are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Poland, but added that it was a matter of time before the illness appears here. He went on to warn against „stirring up panic” and appealed to politicians not to use fears over the coronavirus for political ends.
According to Ministry of Health (Ministerstwo Zdrowia) figures published last Friday, 47 people in Poland suspected of being infected with coronavirus are currently hospitalized and under observation, 55 people are quarantined at home, and roughly 1,500 are being monitored by the country’s medical services.
Source: Radio Poland
Polish Composers Featured in Paris
Parisians were treated to a uniquely Polish repertoire during a concert at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées yesterday celebrating the 210th anniversary of the birth of Chopin.
Sunday’s program featured the famous Polish composer’s “Piano Concerto in E minor,” with the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra accompanying world-famous Polish pianist Rafał Blechacz. The 34-year-old piano prodigy kickstarted his professional career with a live concert on Radio Gdańsk 16 years ago.
The concert program in Paris also included work by lesser-known Polish composers, including “Wedding Dances” from the ballet Pieśń o ziemi (The Song of the Earth) by Roman Palester (1907-1989) and “Symphony No. 3 for Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano and Orchestra” by Aleksander Tansman (1897-1986).
Despite growing up in Poland, both Palester and Tansman spent the better part of their lives in France and are buried there.
Mixed Feelings for Football Fans
Football fans in Trójmiasto were either disappointed or delighted after two matches yesterday in Gdynia and Kielce. At home in Gdynia, fans of Arka were shocked after a promising 1:0 lead disappeared after ŁKS Łódź scored a goal in extra time, leaving the match to finish in a 1:1 draw.
Lechia Gdańsk, however, managed to triumph over Korona Kielce 2:1 thanks to the efforts of Portuguese team captain Flavio Paixao and Polish midfielder Maciej Gajos, who snuck in a goal just at the 90-minute mark. The match also marked the debut of Israeli-American midfielder Kenny Saief of Florida, who is on loan from Anderlecht (RSCA) to Lechia until the end of the 2019/2020 season.
Lechia fans have an additional chance to see their team in action when the White and Green face off against the top-ranked Legia Warszawa Wednesday night at 20:30 in Gdańsk.
Fans are also reminded that tickets for the upcoming Europa League Final set to be held in Gdańsk on May 27 are currently available for purchase from now until March 12.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, PAP
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy with a light breeze from the southeast and a chance for some rain in the afternoon. Temperatures will peak around a high of 8°C, or 47°F with temps dropping overnight to 3°C or 37°F. Rain is increasingly likely beginning tomorrow, with skies clearing somewhat as the week progresses.
RGEN/EP
