Democratic debate in South Carolina

Asked if he thought New York City's implementation of "stop and frisk" under former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg was racist, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg responded, "Yes, in effect, it was."

He added: "Because it was about profiling people based on their race."

Buttigieg went on to point out that he's "conscious of the fact that there are seven white people on this stage talking about racial justice."

Pete Buttigieg used an exchange with Bernie Sanders over the number of billionaires who have donated to his campaign to hit back at the Vermont senator — and then raise some money.

Sanders, hitting back at a number of attacks he was facing on Tuesday, said, “Americans don't want candidates to be running to billionaires for huge amounts of funding.” He specifically called out Buttigieg.

The former mayor said it was “untrue” and noted that his campaign has donations from more than 2,000 people “in Charleston alone.”

Sanders was seen laughing at the pitch.

Joe Biden criticized Bernie Sanders for his votes against the Brady Bill in 1993 and reports that the Vermont senator considered a primary campaign against then-President Barack Obama in 2012 — which Sanders denies. 

Biden said he’d sought a longer waiting period before handgun purchases in the Brady Bill than what Sanders had supported. He noted that the debate was taking place within walking distance of the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, the site of a 2015 massacre at which a white supremacist gunman left nine dead.

He also pointed to reports about Sanders having considered a primary challenge against Obama — a potentially significant negative for Sanders in South Carolina, a state where more than half the Democratic primary electorate is African American. 

“Let’s talk about progressive: Progressive is getting things done, and that’s what we got done — we got a lot done,” Biden said. 

Bernie Sanders said the economy is “doing really great” for billionaires like Michael Bloomberg, and said his own campaign is about creating an “economy for all.”

CBS’s Norah O’Donnell said, “We haven't had a national unemployment rate this low for this long in 50 years. Here in South Carolina, the unemployment rate is even lower. How will you convince voters that a Democratic Socialist can do better than President Trump with with the economy? 

He said billionaires have seen an increase in wealth in the last several years, while many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. 

“For for the ordinary American, things are not so good,” Sanders said. 

“That is not an economy that's working for the American people," he said. "That's an economy working for the 1%. We're going to create an economy for all, not just wealthy campaign contributors."

In an early tense exchange, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg attacked front runner Bernie Sanders directly claiming "Russia is helping you get elected."

Sanders snapped back, "Oh, Mr. Bloomberg."

Sanders continued: "Hey, Mr. Putin, if I'm President of the United States, trust me, you're not going to interfere in any more American elections." 

Elizabeth Warren has been quietly chipping away at her progressive pal Bernie Sanders for weeks.

On Tuesday night, she upped the ante during her opening comments. Warren said she was on Sanders' side on a number of issues, but then attacked the front-runner over his approach to health care.

"Bernie and I both want to see universal health care, but Bernie’s plan doesn’t explain how to get there. Doesn’t show how we’re going to get enough allies into it and doesn’t show enough about how we’re gonna pay for it," Warren said.

And then, the dagger:

Warren was subject to some progressive criticism after she released her Medicare for All financing and transition plans. Sanders and his campaign offered some mild criticism. His supporters, though, were more aggressive, questioning Warren's commitment to the legislation.

Bernie Sanders is standing in center stage solo — for the first time.

Why this matters: It reflects his clear front-runner status.

Also new onstage tonight is the podium order.

Pete Buttigieg standing between Michael Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren. CBS said the podium order was determined using a combination of polling averages and the current delegate count.

The candidates are now taking the stage at the 10th Democratic debate in South Carolina.

This is the final time that the primary field will appear together onstage before Saturday's South Carolina primary and "Super Tuesday" on March 3.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is prepared to respond to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s demand that he issue a blanket release on all nondisclosure agreements, including those pertaining to his company, his aide said.

On Friday, Bloomberg said that women covered by three nondisclosure agreements who had made complaints against him can be released from those pacts if they contact his company.

What's this about: During the last presidential debate in Nevada, Warren eviscerated Bloomberg for his alleged comments about women and reports that dozens of women who left his company had signed nondisclosure agreements, barring them from publicly discussing their experiences.

Bonnie P. Josephs, the former attorney for one of the women Bloomberg released last week, Sekiko Sakai Garrison, told CNN, “Bloomberg should have released all the NDAs without demanding an application for release, and he should have stated that he would not sue anyone who revealed the truth."