Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has...........>

US: Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has qualified for the next Democratic

primary debate taking place in Las Vegas, Nv. tomorrow (NBC/MSNBC, 2100ET,

0200GMT, 1000HKT) on the back of strong numbers in the most recent NPR poll. 

- Bloomberg needed to exceed 10% in the NPR poll to take him over the 4-poll

threshold required to get a spot on the stage. He received 19% in the NPR poll,

trailing only Bernie Sanders on 31%. Other candidates: Biden 15%, Warren 12%,

Klobuchar 9%, Buttigieg 8%.

- With his qualification, this will mark Bloomberg's first appearance on the

debate stage. This will have little impact immediately given that he is not on

the ballot in Nevada (voting 22 Feb) or South Carolina (29 Feb), instead

focusing on the Super Tuesday contests (3 Mar). 

- The vitriol in the fight to become the Democratic presidential nominee is

likely to intensify further following campaign ads from Bloomberg over the last

several days attacking Sanders' supporters on the internet as aggressive 'Bernie

Bros', while Sanders stated that multi-billionaire Bloomberg "does not have a

right to buy the presidency".