Oct 19, 2018

Houston Chronicle endorses O'Rourke over Cruz

Beto O'Rourke. Photo: Tom Reel-Pool/Getty Images

The Houston Chronicle is endorsing Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate over incumbent Republican Senator Ted Cruz, the paper's editorial board announced Friday.

Why it matters: Newspaper endorsements aren't necessarily symbolic of what is to come on election day, but the Chronicle endorsing O'Rourke is a sharp turn away from the paper traditionally endorsing Republican candidates. It endorsed Mitt Romney over Barack Obama in 2012 and both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush during their presidential campaigns.

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Miriam Kramer

What a post-pandemic space industry might look like

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic could spell major trouble for dozens of small companies working to break into the space industry.

The big picture: SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and other companies are well-established with strong customer bases and robust portfolios, but the prospects for the industry's growth hinge on smaller companies.

Go deeper1 min ago - Science

Jacob Knutson

Trump removes watchdog overseeing rollout of $2 trillion coronavirus bill

Glenn Fine, acting Pentagon watchdog

President Trump on Monday replaced the Pentagon's acting Inspector General Glenn Fine, who had been selected to chair the panel overseeing the rollout of the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed last month, Politico first reported.

Why it matters: A group of independent federal watchdogs selected Fine to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, but Fine's removal from his Pentagon job prevents from being able to serve in that position — since the law only allows sitting inspectors general to fill the role.

Go deeper18 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 1,365,004— Total deaths: 76,507 — Total recoveries: 292,467 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 369,069 — Total deaths: 11,018 — Total recoveries: 20,003 — Map.
Trump administration latest: Peter Navarro warned White House colleagues in late January about the massive potential risks from the coronavirus.
Federal government latest: The public wants the federal government, not states, in charge of coronavirus — Testing capacity is still lagging far enough behind demand.
States update: New York death toll surged to its highest one-day total as state predicts a plateau in hospitalizations.
2020 update: Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks the governor's attempt to delay in-person primary voting until June.
What should I do? Pets, moving and personal health. Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Keep ReadingUpdated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy