Updated Jun 20, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Biden snaps back at Booker over race remarks backlash

Photo: Alex Wong / Staff/Getty Images

Former Vice President Joe Biden refused to apologize for comments he made on race at a fundraiser, suggesting Democratic presidential rival Sen. Cory Booker should do so instead, video captured by CBS News shows.

Catch up quick: Booker called Biden out for citing two former Democratic colleagues — the white supremacist segregationists James Eastland and Herman Talmadge — as examples of how the Senate used to be more civil.

  • “I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland,” Biden said at a fundraiser. “He never called me ‘boy,’ he always called me ‘son.’”
  • "[H]erman Talmadge, one of the meanest guys I ever knew ... Well guess what? At least there was some civility. We got things done. We got it finished."

What he's saying: Booker later told "CNN Tonight" Biden's comments were " deeply disappointing."

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Kendall Baker
1 hour ago - Sports

Big Ten's conference-only move could spur a regionalized college sports season

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The Big Ten announced Thursday that it will move all fall sports to a conference-only schedule.

Why it matters: This will have a snowball effect on the rest of the country, and could force all Power 5 conferences to follow suit, resulting in a regionalized fall sports season.

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Dion Rabouin
2 hours ago - Economy & Business

The second jobs apocalypse

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

This week, United Airlines warned 36,000 U.S. employees their jobs were at risk, Walgreens cut more than 4,000 jobs, Wells Fargo announced it was preparing thousands of terminations this year, and Levi's axed 700 jobs due to falling sales.

Why it matters: We have entered round two of the jobs apocalypse. Those announcements followed similar ones from the Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and Choice hotels, which all have announced thousands of job cuts, and the bankruptcies of more major U.S. companies like 24 Hour Fitness, Brooks Brothers and Chuck E. Cheese in recent days.

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Margaret Harding McGill
4 hours ago - Technology

Big Tech marshals a right-leaning army of allies for antitrust fight

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

As tech's giants prepare to face off with antitrust enforcers this summer, they will draw support from an array of predominantly right-leaning defenders ranging from influential former government officials to well-connected think tanks.

The big picture: The Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the states have multiple investigations of monopolistic behavior underway targeting Facebook and Google, with other giants like Amazon and Apple also facing rising scrutiny. Many observers expect a lawsuit against Google to land this summer.

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