—— valentine's day. a new study has found diners were more satisfied with their meal, lingered over it longer, and ate more when nice linen was used on a dining table. who knew? with me is independent researcher and broadcaster stephanie hare. is going on with this first story, the new york times, the lead score two story in other american press overnight. the new hampshire primaries, the polls have closed and bernie sanders leads, what you make that? is not entirely unexpected. he was expected to do quite well coming from neighbouring vermont but the same could be said of elizabeth warren who is from massachusetts who is coming for. as a very early primary, we had iowa and new hampshire now. a very small, the big will be looking forward to is super tuesday on much bird, that is when 15 different states and democrats abroad, i think that makes it the 15th will have their pole and will get a really good feel for how people

are starting to suss out the candidates in this beauty pageant. there isn't a clear winner at the moment is that? no, andi winner at the moment is that? no, and i think at this stage of the game, it is so early. america tortures the entire citizenry for an entire year with these primary east. we'll get a much better sense, probably in the spring but super tuesday is going to be the big ones and that is only inafew the big ones and that is only in a few weeks and i'm looking forward to that. what do you make ofjoe biden, certainly following by the wayside in this, is his campaign and now really just a limp this, is his campaign and now reallyjust a limp kind of... you know, that is going to kind of carry on until the bitter end? it is difficult to say. he didn't actually do very well in the back when he was running the back when he was running the first time. when he was running with obama, finally enough. it is not always the best indicator necessarily. that said, this is a very different race and it is going to bea different race and it is going to be a very different presidential race as well in november when you're going up against mrtrump. again, november when you're going up against mr trump. again, we don't want to write anyone on

yet but it is just not auguring well for him at the moment. what about senator amy klobuchar who is conferred. not a name many would be familiar with. who is she? she says she can win this and critics are saying that a woman cannot be donald trump. i mean... not something you can agree with. america is the country of the possible so anyone can be donald trump but only going to runa donald trump but only going to run a good enough campaign, and even of war chest, either using analytics that is also illegal and ethical and effective. mr trump isa and ethical and effective. mr trump is a very formidable campaigner, has a very strong base. so, you know, the democrats need to get their act together. but we will see. democrats need to get their act together. but we will seelj don't together. but we will see.|j don't know who you, which side you are on and here but if you are to vote democrat, who would you vote for? i would like to say at this early stage. i'm going to keep my cards close to my chest is what we been hearing from them for months, it is not that early. it is early in terms of seeing how the american people respond to

the american people respond to the messages. i think the lesson of 2016, at least for me in terms of political risk, has been careful not to take your guidance from things like twitter and finding out what the american people are actually thinking and what they say they're thinking this is what they actually vote for who they select. it can be very different to what they admit to. and that is what hasjust transpired in the last election wasn't it? let's have a look at vox, the headline is persecutors resigned from waterstone because ‘s case after the department ofjustice interferes. i was about waterstone and the background of this. is a really long running story and it is fairly shocking in terms of what it is saying aboutjudicial independence of the united states. roger stone, has been sent or has been found guilty of all sorts of illegal things. he is an advisor to president trump. i'm trying to beat a justice of my words here because it is obviously still a life story. he, along with... he was charged with making false statements, obstruction

and witness tampering. he was convicted of all seven councils and has been convicted of this about sentencing. this is about about sentencing. this is about a sentencing. this is about the sentencing. it is pretty interesting to see this prosecutors or resigning en masse. you can't really get a stronger statement from them about how they feel political interference is coming from the white house and from the attorney general mr barr. donald trump which tweeted about acidity? yes, yes and you would expect to see a separation. this is the kind of behaviour that you would x backed to see from a autocratic regime whether grand leader would be interfering the judicial process. other really seeing with these resignations is the lawyers involved don't wa nt to is the lawyers involved don't want to be associated with him which is a unified statement as well. it is not the first example of a curious change in sentencing recommendations about donald trump is that? sentencing recommendations about donald trump is that7m is not what we would want to be seeing a healthy functioning democracy. the guardian, which, the story here about hs2,

leading a lot of the papers. the pm mistake his reputation on hs2. people are divided over whether this is an albatross on a central part of the uk transport system going forward. what do you think? i think what is really interesting is why this is such an issue here in the united kingdom when we are just across the channel from france, for instance, which builds its wonderful high—speed railways. other countries seem to be able to build infrastructure in a way that isn't such a political hot potato and the fact is that transport is really unbalanced here in the united kingdom. if you live in the south—east, living a good life in terms of transport, but that is not ok. we have to have equitable investment across the rest of the country and everybody acknowledges that. but the critics of this, get the question is, if not this, then what. whether or not as well it is going to deliver on what it says. the critical saying that spending all this money on cutting travel time from 20 minutes, half—an—hour, to a ridge that already exists but

is actually about the north. this ability better connectivity between the north and within an office, notjust between the north and south. yes, i agree. and also questions about costs, of tickets, whether it's going to be absorbed because of the huge amount of money that is going to be invested in this. the rail fares to be invested in this. the railfares are also to be invested in this. the rail fares are also so expensive and keeping up with wages so expensive and keeping up with wages so this actually going to make people's lives better.|j also wonder how much, that has been albatross, it is going to been albatross, it is going to be something that haunts boris johnson and his prime ministership? is interesting because he kept saying, let's just get it done. he showing a really interesting personal strategy of doubling down. that is his mantra, get it done. that's hs2 done! but is not going to be, what, 20 years before it is even done. quite a while. the financial times, this story about the us anti—trust tech presses. as i happen historic case looking backwards at what the big tech

companies dead. tell us about this. this is a more where the companies are required to notify the ftc whether they going to be doing mergers or acquisitions over a certain amountand acquisitions over a certain amount and the amount at the moment, just doubling checking at the moment. it is $91; million. it is a way of getting around that scrutiny and having to report to the lack of weight may be able to acquire companies for deals when you're under that threshold. that is what the ftc is looking out. they're doing a full review of the past ten years to find out if the big five have been buying up and acquiring a lot of little start—ups and have actually started to amass something that would be seen as anti— repetitive and aggregate. is possible knock—on for consumers and all of this? hard to tell the moment. really weird is weird is there is an unspoken reality in the united states that we have a cartel situation in big tech. that will be the responsibility of government to investigate and potentially break them up. i

guess what i'll be looking for here is a better understanding of what other potential outcomes of this? they do the investigation, if they find stuff, then what? that is where you will see effects for customers. you could see effects for investors. has a been a reaction from the big five? no, they're all being very discreet and not returning requests for comment. one wonders how long this is going to say, these investigations are never quick are they? and you say, whether there will be any outcome? is going to shift landscape or not? what we're seeing, is technology because of buying united states or diverse and robust? do you use a tablecloth when you have people or entertain anybody? of course, of course. do you? i try to be quite civilised of my meals. this is about a report that found how having a ta blecloth that found how having a tablecloth in your, for your meal, actually impacts people's enjoyment of it. tell us about

this. i learn something from this. i learn something from this article. it is a field called gastro physics, which is about altering your environment and your perception based on things like lighting, mood music, are you getting out the china and the crystal and the silverware and of course, the linen tablecloth. of course, anyone who is into food and has wooed people through food won't find a surprising but for people who are perhaps hesitant to invest in that tablecloth. your return on investment is right there. i think is brilliant, people who have had just tomato soup, use as an example, the taste and experience change significantly if you're heading up a tablecloth. when i do have gas, ido tablecloth. when i do have gas, i do actually use a tablecloth but never any other time. maybe my kids would be better. thank you very much stephanie for taking us through the news briefing today. will come around to your house next time. they were with us on bbc news, much more to come.

hello there. there really is an awful lot of weather getting thrown our way over the next few days. eventually we'll get into something milder and wetter from the atlantic. right now it's cold air and a cold wind driving across the uk and that's pushing in all these shower clouds answer more to come, mainly for the northern half of the uk where, earlier on, of course, it was particularly treacherous across parts of southern scotland. now the winds are easing down a little bit, allowing temperatures to fall away close to if not below freezing. ice more likely across scotland, northern ireland, and north—west england. this is where we are seeing showers continuing overnight and into the morning. and again, some snow, even to low levels for a while. gradually through the day we will see the winds easing down a bit. we will also see the showers become fewer, more places turning dry, particularly northern ireland and much of england and wales during the afternoon. some sunshine around here. temperatures similar to what we had on tuesday, but because it won't be as windy it probably won't feel quite as cold. now towards the south—west we will see some changes later on in the day as the cloud thickens and we start to see some showers coming in here. that's ahead of this main

rainband that sweeps its way eastwards, heading northwards it then meets the cold air and slows down. so we will find a mixture of rain and some snow, even to lower levels for a while overnight before lifting onto the hills as that wetter weather slowly peters out. to the south will have some showers, gales running through the english channel, temperatures may make double figures across the southernmost parts of england. but if you are stuck under that cold, wet weather in the north—east of england then temperatures only four degrees at best. it should be drying off overnight and by the time we get to early friday may well be some ice, some frost, and a few pockets of mist and fog, too. it won't be as cold though for northern ireland, because here winds will be picking up by the morning and we will have some rain, too. the stronger winds will push the rain eastward, snow more likely over the mountains of scotland this time. the rain turning lighter as it runs across england and wales. but because it's a southerly wind those temperatures will be higher.

it will be turning milder everywhere. probably not much rain for eastern england until the evening as that weak weather front move through. and then we look out into the atlantic, deepening area of low pressure heading towards iceland. this is storm dennis. probably not quite as severe as storm ciara was last weekend, but this weekend we are expecting some widespread gales, the winds could be still gusting, 60—70 mph, probably the biggest impact is likely to be across england and wales from the strength of the wind and some more rain, which will be heavy at times, and that will lead to some more flooding.

good morning. welcome to breakfast with dan walker and louise minchin. our headlines today: a healthcare worker at a hospital in west sussex is one of the eight confirmed cases of coronavirus in the uk. injapan, the number of people infected with the virus on the the diamond princess cruise ship rises to 174 — making it the biggest outbreak outside china. we talk to three sporting heroes about the fight of their lives. in a breakfast exclusive, doddie weir, stephen darby, and rob burrow talk about life with motor neurone disease and their determination to keep on fighting.

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