Nov 7, 2018

Trump boasts about having "retired" Jeff Flake

Michael Sykes

President Trump; Jeff Flake. Photo: Mark Wilson, Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Trump boasted today about driving Sen. Jeff Flake into retirement, saying that he did the country a "great service" by doing so. "I'm very proud of it."

Why it matters: Flake, a longtime Trump critic, announced his retirement in an emotional speech last year during which he targeted Trump as being responsible for the "flagrant disregard of truth and decency" in modern politics. Trump has also repeatedly attacked Flake as being "weak" and "toxic." Earlier today, Flake outlined his disappointment with Trump in a Washington Post op-ed where he urged the Republican Party to move beyond "the current cult of the president's personality."

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Bob Herman

Hospitals are starting to get their coronavirus cash infusion

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios

The federal government is sending $64 billion to hospitals, post-acute facilities and other medical providers to help cope with the coronavirus fallout.

Yes, but: Even though more funding is coming, safety net and rural hospitals fear they are getting a raw deal from the way some of the money is being distributed.

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Alexi McCammond, Margaret Talev

Biden, Sanders work toward truce on big issues

Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Joe Biden isn’t about to become Bernie Sanders, but he’s signaling that there’s potential for more common ground on issues such as health care, student debt, climate change and more in the weeks ahead.

What to watch: As Biden courts Sanders' endorsement, their teams will hold policy discussions in the next few weeks with the expectation that Biden will incorporate some elements of Sanders' agenda, a person familiar with those plans tells Axios.

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Jonathan Swan

Some Trump aides eye May 1 start to coronavirus reopening

President Trump was flanked at yesterday's briefing by HHS Secretary Alex Azar (far left), Vice President Pence and Dr. Deborah Birx. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump's aides, encouraged by virus data showing fewer deaths than once projected, are working behind the scenes to deliver on his vow to reopen America "sooner rather than later."

What to watch for: A senior White House official said there’s a lot of internal energy pushing for May 1, because that's the end of the White House's "30 Days to Slow the Spread."

Go deeperArrow2 hours ago - Politics & Policy