Dec 13, 2017 - Politics & Policy

Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks diagnosed with prostate cancer

Mo Brooks in Alabama. Photo: Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) announced on the House floor Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Brooks said he will get surgery on Friday and plans to recover over the holidays.

Earlier this year, Brooks lost the GOP Senate primary in Alabama, coming in third after Luther Strange and Roy Moore. Brooks said that loss may have saved his life. "Had I won... I would not have had a prostate biopsy. I would not now know about my 'high risk' prostate cancer that requires immediate surgery."

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Axios

Updated 44 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 8 p.m. ET: 19,497,292 — Total deaths: 723,854 — Total recoveries — 11,823,105 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 8 p.m. ET: 4,994,276 — Total deaths: 162,381 — Total recoveries: 1,643,118 — Total tests: 61,080,587 — Map.
Politics: Trump signs 4 executive actions on coronavirus aid.
Public health: Fauci says chances are "not great" that COVID-19 vaccine will be 98% effective — 1 in 3 Americans would decline COVID-19 vaccine.
Science: Indoor air is the next coronavirus frontline.
Schools: How back-to-school is playing out in the South as coronavirus rages on — Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Howard to hold fall classes online.

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Jacob Knutson

4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump signs 4 executive actions on coronavirus aid

President Trump speaking during a press conference on Aug. 8. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump on Saturday signed four executive actions to provide relief from economic damage sustained during the coronavirus pandemic after talks between the White House and Democratic leadership collapsed Friday afternoon.

Why it matters: Because the Constitution gives Congress the power to appropriate federal spending, Trump has limited authority to act unilaterally — and risks a legal challenge if congressional Democrats believe he has overstepped.

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Rashaan Ayesh

8 hours ago - World

What's next for Lebanon after the Beirut explosion

Photo: Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Beirut residents are still clearing rubble from streets that appear war-torn, days after a blast that shocked the country and horrified the world.

Why it matters: The explosion is likely to accelerate a painful cycle Lebanon was already living through — discontent, economic distress, and emigration.