As President Donald Trump finished his State of the Union address, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped the paper it was printed on in two. Right there, on camera, behind Trump’s back. As he stepped down, she ripped it again and again. If Trump knew what was going on behind him, he didn’t react as he left.

“It was a manifesto of mistruths,” Pelosi told reporters as she left the Capitol. The ripping was not planned, according to a person close to the Democratic speaker who was unauthorized to speak publicly.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said Wednesday that Pelosi told House Democrats at a private morning meeting that the Trump “shredded the truth, and she shredded the speech because it was filled with untruths.”

Republicans dismissed her display, on the eve of Trump’s acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, as a tantrum.

The Iowa Democratic Party released partial results of its kickoff presidential caucus after a daylong delay late Tuesday showing former Midwestern mayor Pete Buttigieg with a slight lead over progressive Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the opening contest of the party’s 2020 primary season.

The results followed 24 hours of chaos as technical problems raised questions about Iowa’s traditional place atop the presidential primary calendar. It was too early to call a winner based on the initial results, but Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar were trailing in the tally of State Delegate Equivalents, according to data released for the first time by the Iowa Democratic Party nearly 24 hours after voting concluded.

The results reflected 71% of precincts in the state.

A St. Thomas team has been formed to manage the university’s response to the outbreak of the coronavirus from China, according to an email sent by the Center for Well-Being Monday.

The email said spring study abroad programs that include travel to China “have been modified and will no longer include any travel to China,” and advised the university community against personal travel to China “until the State Department travel warnings are lowered.” The university is also asking students, faculty and staff returning from mainland China to “self-monitor their symptoms for 14 days after arriving in the U.S.”

“We’re doing lots behind the scenes, as we have been since this was first identified with some increased surveillance,” Center for Well-Being director Madonna McDermott said. McDermott said the Center for Well-Being is in constant contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, Minnesota Department of Health and Ramsey County, “making sure we are really clear on directions.”

McDermott also stressed not to target students, faculty or staff that may have recently traveled to China.

Kat Barrett can be reached at barr1289@stthomas.edu.