Jan 31, 2019 - Economy & Business

Midterm losers and retired politicians sign on as political pundits

Former politicians John Kasich, Trey Gowdy, Andrew Gillum and Claire McCaskill. Photos: Getty Images

Fox News announced Wednesday it signed former Republican congressman Trey Gowdy of South Carolina as a contributor, adding to the slew of recently retired politicians making their TV debut in 2019.

Why it matters: TV news is giving its viewers some fresh faces ahead of 2020, and as Axios' Mike Allen noted Tuesday, some of the loudest political voices are becoming those who lost in the 2018 midterms.

The lineup:
  • Recently-departed Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Jeff Flake were snagged by CNN and CBS News, respectively. Both are Republican and unabashed critics of the Trump administration.
  • Former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) recently joined NBC News and MSNBC as political contributors. Both McCaskill and Curbelo were beat in close elections.
  • CNN also announced Tuesday the network is adding former Democrat Andrew Gillum, who lost to Ron DeSantis in a highly-contested Florida gubernatorial race.
  • Earlier this month, former Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) and retired Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.) were also added onto CNN. Love lost to Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams by less than 1,000 votes.

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Axios
Updated 5 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 3:30 a.m. ET: 18,814,178 — Total deaths: 707,754— Total recoveries — 11,361,953 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 3:30 a.m. ET: 4,823,891 — Total deaths: 158,256 — Total recoveries: 1,577,851 — Total tests: 58,920,975 — Map.
  3. Public health: Florida surpasses 500,000 confirmed cases — Fauci calls U.S. coronavirus testing delays "totally unacceptable."
  4. Business: America's next housing crisis.
  5. States: Virginia launches contact tracing app using specs from Apple and Google.
  6. Cities: L.A. mayor authorizes utilities shut-off at homes hosting large gatherings
  7. Politics: White House, Democrats remain "trillions of dollars apart" on stimulus talks.
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Rebecca Falconer
15 mins ago - World

Hiroshima mayor warns of rise of nationalism on 75th anniversary

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) at the Memorial Cenotaph in the Peace Memorial Park during the 75th anniversary service for atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima, Japan, on Thursday. Photo: Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images

Hiroshima's Mayor Kazumi Matsui on Thursday urged the international community to work together to defeat the coronavirus pandemic and warned against an increase in "self-centered nationalism," per the Washington Post.

Why it matters: He said at a remembrance service on the atomic bombing of the Japanese city that the 1918 flu pandemic killed millions as countries fighting in World War I were unable to overcome the threat together, per DPR. "A subsequent upsurge in nationalism led to World War II," he added. The U.S. bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945 and Nagasaki three days later contributed to the end of World War II, but tens of thousands of people died. At the service, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lamented nuclear weapons' "inhumanity," but he didn't mention Japan's wartime past, WashPost noted.

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Rebecca Falconer
50 mins ago - Sports

LeBron James on Trump NBA protest remarks: "We could care less"

The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James kneels during the national anthem before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Wednesday. Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

LeBron James responded on Wednesday night to President Trump's comments calling NBA players "disgraceful" for kneeling during the national anthem to protest racism and that he won't watch games because of the action.

The big picture: Trump has repeatedly criticized sports players for taking the knee since 2016. But James said during a news conference, "I really don’t think the basketball community are sad about losing his viewership, him viewing the game." November's elections marked "a big moment for us as Americans," he said. "If we continue to talk about, 'We want better, we want change,' we have an opportunity to do that," he added. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said the league will "respect peaceful protest."

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