Bloomberg Prepares to Activate Extensive Network for Support As He Considers 2020 Bid (Politico)
From shuttering coal-fired power plants to fighting the gun lobby, obesity and Big Tobacco, Michael Bloomberg’s philanthropy has given away $6.4 billion and earned the love and respect of progressive-minded activists across the country.

The network of Bloomberg Philanthropies recipients is vast, and it includes mayors throughout the country as well as grassroots climate-change, gun-control and education advocates and others who could form a ready-made army of campaign supporters, volunteers and paid staffers.

“If you’re passionate about climate change, gun control or education or public health or the arts, he’s leading the charge. He’s the guy out there,” said Rocco Landesman, former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts and a Broadway producer best known for “The Producers,” said. “How would that not translate into political support?”

Michael Nutter, who served as Philadelphia’s mayor when Bloomberg was New York City mayor, said Bloomberg is a master of “G.S.D. In private, that means getting sh*t done. In public, that means getting stuff done.” Nutter, who endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, said he’s enthusiastically behind Bloomberg for president, whom he calls “mayor of the world.”

Countdown: 38 Days Until Brexit:
-Theresa May Tries to Rescue Deal – Negotiators Work on New Text (Bloomberg)
-Honda to Shut U.K. Factory in Latest Blow as Brexit Looms (Bloomberg)

Hot on the Bloomberg:
HSBC Says Global Tensions Mean Uncertainty After Profit Miss (Bloomberg)

Today in Trade:
-EU Vows to Retaliate on U.S. Auto Tariffs (Bloomberg)
-Trade War Pain Spreads to Hong Kong and Singapore Ports – Two of the Busiest Ports in the World (Bloomberg)

California Leads 16 States Suing to Block Trump Border Plan (Bloomberg)

The GOP Grabs Socialism as 2020 Lifeline (Axios)

North Carolina Election Fraud Update: Investigators Find Illegal Ballot ‘Scheme’ Supporting Republican in House Race (New York Times)

HQ2 Opinion: Amazon Pullout from New York Will Be Bad For The Very Workers That Opponents Of The Deal Claim To Care About (New York Daily News oped – Hector Figueroa)

Best of late night.

“Happy Presidents Day. Yeah, I’ll be honest, this is another American holiday I don’t quite understand. Yeah, you pull a president out of the ground and then if it sees its shadow, there’s six more weeks of democracy? Do I have it right?”
— Trevor Noah

“A woman gave birth aboard a JetBlue flight to Florida this weekend. Said the man next to her: ‘Fine! Take the armrest!’”
— Seth Meyers

For more best of late night from the New York Times, click here.