Siloed … and McAuliffe leads in new poll

From NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Ben Kamisar  FIRST READ: Poll shows wide differences in opinion by news consumption Our latest NBC News poll continues to show an enormous divide in opinion by how Americans get their news – either conservative media, liberal media, social media and those who still get their news from broadcast TV and newspapers.   Check out these numbers:   Biden job approval All adults: 49% Among those who get their news from conservative media: 24% Among those who get news from liberal media: 69% Among those who get news from newspapers/broadcast TV (not cable or social media): 60% Among those who get news from social media: 47%   Approval of Biden's Covid handling: All: 53% Conservative media: 30% Liberal media: 73% Newspapers/broadcast: 63% Social media: 50%   Approval of Biden's economic handling All: 47% Conservative media: 24% Liberal media: 65% Newspapers/broadcast: 52% Social media: 46%   Approval of Biden's Afghanistan handling All: 25% Conservative media: 12% Liberal media: 37% Newspapers/broadcast: 29% Social media: 20%   Fauci favorable rating All: 40% Conservative media: 17% Liberal media: 57% Newspapers/broadcast: 56% Social media: 33%   Congressional preference All: D+1 Conservative media: R+56 Liberal media: D+45 Newspapers/broadcast: D+19 Social media: D+2   Already received Covid vaccine All: 69% Conservative media: 60% Liberal media: 79% Newspapers/broadcast: 78% Social media: 65%   Worst still to come with Covid All: 42% Conservative media: 34% Liberal media: 56% Newspapers/broadcast: 44% Social media: 41%   Jan 6 was act of terrorism All: 52% Conservative media: 29% Liberal media: 69% Newspapers/broadcast: 58% Social media: 52% Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images It's a chicken-or-egg question: What came first – the media Americans are getting that are informing their views?   Or did they already have these views first – and they decided to get their news from them as a result?   Or it is a combination of the two? Profound – and fatal – consequences Regardless of what came first, this news silo-ing also has profound – even fatal – consequences during a pandemic.   Look at these additional numbers, per the MTP Daily team. (Note: the Covid numbers come from the NYT county data, as of Wednesday night.)   HIGHEST INFECTION RATES County         Cases Per 100k      2020 margin Cook, GA             303                         Trump +40 Pierce, GA          238                          Trump +75 Crockett, TN      233                         Trump +54 Wayne, MS        225                         Trump +27 Hancock, MS     220                        Trump +56 Clarke, MS          218                        Trump +30 Dimmit, TX         217                        Biden +24 Berrien, GA        211                         Trump +67 Tift, GA                210                        Trump +34 Brantley, GA      209                        Trump +81 Emanuel, GA     202                        Trump +39 Clay, KY             202                        Trump +77 Prentiss, MS     200                        Trump +58 George, MS        193                        Trump +77 Magoffin, KY     191                         Trump +54 McIntosh, GA    190                        Trump +21 Lanier, GA          189                        Trump +42 Jones, MS           188                        Trump +42 Columbia, FL     187                         Trump +45 Glynn, GA           186                         Trump + 23 Dodge, GA            186                        Trump +46 Pearl River, MS   185                        Trump +64 Perry, MS             185                         Trump +53 Del Norte, CA       185                        Trump +16 Marion, TN           185                         Trump +51 Lauderdale, TN    182                        Trump +28 Ben Hill, GA         175                         Trump +26 Hardee, FL           172                       Trump +45 Jackson, KY          171                         Trump +79 Knox, IN                171                         Trump +47   FASTEST GROWING INFECTION RATES County                 14-Day Increase        2020 Margin Mackinac, MI              +2,643%.                     Trump +24 Meade, SD                    +1,540%.                     Trump +48 Lawrence, SD              +1,520%.                      Trump +31 Butte, SD                     +1,050%                       Trump +58 Mineral, WV               +718%                           Trump +57 Emery, UT                  +717%                            Trump +74 Washington, ID         +700%                          Trump +58 Poweshiek ,IA            +700%                          Trump +13 Taylor, WI                  +650%                          Trump +47 Page, IA                      +571%                           Trump +43   When you put together these two different sets of numbers – the political differences by media, the Covid infection rates – it tells quite the story. Data Download: The numbers you need to know today 26,203: The number of new coronavirus cases Florida reported Wednesday, yet again breaking its single-day case record (which was most recently set on Aug. 12).   38,393,932: The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, per the most recent data from NBC News and health officials. (That's 167,681 since yesterday morning.)   636,221: The number of deaths in the United States from the virus so far, per the most recent data from NBC News. (That's 1,524 since yesterday morning).   364,842,701: The number of vaccine doses administered in the U.S., per the CDC. (That's 926,909 since yesterday morning.)   51.7 percent: The share of all Americans who are fully vaccinated, per the CDC.   62.7 percent: The share of all American adults at least 18 years of age who are fully vaccinated, per CDC.   13,400: The approximate number of people evacuated from Afghanistan on Wednesday, per the Biden administration.    12,000: The number of additional Covid deaths under the Cuomo administration that new Gov. Kathy Hochul acknowledged yesterday.   6: The number of years in prison a man involved in the kidnapping plot against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was sentenced to on Wednesday. TWEET OF THE DAY: Lester's exclusive interview McAuliffe leads in new poll A new Wason Center poll shows Democrat Terry McAuliffe leading Republican Glenn Youngkin by 9 points among likely voters in Virginia's upcoming gubernatorial contest, 50 percent to 41 percent.   That margin is higher than other polls of this race have found, which typically have had McAuliffe ahead by 2-4 points.   The Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general are leading their GOP opponents by, respectively, 10 and 12 points. ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world? The United States and its allies warned people to avoid travelling to Kabul airport on Thursday as fears of a potential terror attack threatened evacuation efforts.   Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is defending the $3.5 trillion reconciliation plan, telling Politico that top line is already the product of a negotiation and "the truth is we need more."     Covid-related hospitalizations eclipsed 100,000, a mark that hasn't been surpassed since vaccines became widely available.     The Jan. 6 committee in the House issued broad records requests for communications between the Trump White House and federal agencies ahead of the attack on the Capitol.     The man convicted in the assassination of Robert Kennedy Jr. is seeking parole, and the Washington Post reports prosecutors won't challenge him. Thanks for reading. If you're a fan, please forward this to a friend. They can sign up here.   We love hearing from our readers, so shoot us a line here with your comments and suggestions.   Thanks,  Chuck, Mark and Ben Follow Meet The Press Download the NBC News Mobile App Privacy Contact Unsubscribe