Get the latest market trends in your inbox

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with the Axios Markets newsletter. Sign up for free.

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Denver news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Des Moines news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Minneapolis-St. Paul

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Tampa-St. Petersburg news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa-St. Petersburg

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

A tale of two worlds

Evan Vucci, Carolyn Kaster / AP

Democratic members of Congress and media publishers have focused on Comey's firing, while Facebook analytics showed that news stories about the firing didn't match up to the viral levels of other Trump controversies.

Approval: 39% of Americans approved of Trump firing Comey, compared to 46% disapproval, according to the Gallup Poll. Stories were quickly published of the Comey event threatening Trump's presidency, while Gallup has watched Trump's approval rating climb from 38% at the beginning of April to 42% this week.

Congress: Democrats went wild with accusations of Trump covering up Russian collusion and comparisons to Nixon. While a few Republicans called for an independent probe into Trump-Russia collusion, most remained silent, and House and Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan defended Trump.

Social media:

Expand chart
Data: SocialFlow; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon / Axios

Headlines: The Washington Post and New York Times front pages for the past three days have been covered with stories and new revelations from the Comey firing, while conservative sites like Breitbart and National Review played up his executive orders and gave Comey stories headlines like:

  • Senate Judiciary Chairman Confirms Trump Is Not Under FBI Investigation
  • "Dershowitz: Comey Firing 'Appropriate,' No Special Prosecutor"
  • "Exclusive–James Comey 'Threw the Reputation of the FBI Under the Bus,' Says Bureau's Former Assistant Director"
  • Trump's Escape from the Comey Mess

Go deeper

Axios, Shawna Chen
13 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Biden plans to ask public to wear masks for first 100 days in office

Joe Biden. Photo: Mark Makela/Gettu Images

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris sat down with CNN on Thursday for their first joint interview since the election.

The big picture: In the hour-long segment, the twosome laid out plans for responding to the pandemic, jump-starting the economy and managing the transition of power, among other priorities.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Margaret Harding McGill
1 hour ago - Technology

The quick FCC fix that would get more students online

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

As the pandemic forces students out of school, broadband deployment programs aren't going to move fast enough to help families in immediate need of better internet access. But Democrats at the Federal Communications Commission say the incoming Biden administration could put a dent in that digital divide with one fast policy change.

State of play: An existing FCC program known as E-rate provides up to $4 billion for broadband at schools, but Republican FCC chairman Ajit Pai has resisted modifying the program during the pandemic to provide help connecting students at home.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Dion Rabouin, author of Markets
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

America's hidden depression

Biden introduces his pick for Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, on Dec. 1. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President-elect Biden faces a fragile recovery that could easily fall apart, as the economy remains in worse shape than most people think.

Why it matters: There is a recovery happening. But it's helping some people immensely and others not at all. And it's that second part that poses a massive risk to the Biden-Harris administration's chance of success.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow