Jan 11, 2018 - Economy & Business

Five women accuse James Franco of sexual misconduct

Actor James Franco speaks onstage during the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for National Board of Review

Five women have accused actor James Franco of behavior they found "inappropriate or sexually exploitative," reports the Los Angeles Times. The allegations largely stem from interactions at two acting schools, environments in which the women felt Franco could directly help their careers through casting in his own projects.

Why it matters: Franco, who won Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy at Sunday's Golden Globes, came under fire for expressing support for the Time's Up movement amid rumors of his own misconduct.

The response: In lieu of a comment, Franco's lawyer disputed the allegations and pointed to the actor's appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Tuesday, where he addressed the rumors. "Look, in my life I pride myself on taking responsibility for things that I have done. ... If I have done something wrong, I will fix it — I have to," Franco said.

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Updated 6 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. EST: 32,135,220 — Total deaths: 981,660 — Total recoveries: 22,149,441 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m EST: 6,975,980 — Total deaths: 202,738 — Total recoveries: 2,710,183 — Total tests: 98,481,026 — Map.
Politics: House Democrats prepare new $2.4 trillion coronavirus relief package.
Health: Cases are surging again in 22 states — New York will conduct its own review of coronavirus vaccine.
Business: America is closing out its strongest quarter of economic growth.
Technology: 2020 tech solutions may be sapping our resolve to beat the pandemic.
Sports: Pac-12 will play this fall despite ongoing pandemic — Here's what college basketball will look like this season.
Science: Global coronavirus vaccine initiative launches without U.S. or China — During COVID-19 shutdown, a common sparrow changed its song.

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9 hours ago - Sports

Pac-12 will play football this fall, reversing course

A view of Levi's Stadium during the 2019 Pac-12 Championship football game. Photo: Alika Jenner/Getty Images

The Pac-12, which includes universities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington state, will play football starting Nov. 6, reversing its earlier decision to postpone the season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: The conference's about-face follows a similar move by the Big Ten last week and comes as President Trump has publicly pressured sports to resume despite the ongoing pandemic. The Pac-12 will play a seven-game conference football season, according to ESPN.

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Dave Lawler, author of World

10 hours ago - World

Global coronavirus vaccine initiative launches without U.S. or China

Data: Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance; Map: Naema Ahmed/Axios

A global initiative to ensure equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines now includes most of the world — but not the U.S., China or Russia.

Why it matters: Assuming one or more vaccines ultimately gain approval, there will be a period of months or even years in which supply lags far behind global demand. The COVAX initiative is an attempt to ensure doses go where they're most needed, rather than simply to countries that can produce or buy them at scale.

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