Dec 5, 2018

Republican wins runoff to become Georgia's secretary of state

Photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

Republican Brad Raffensperger defeated former Democratic Rep. John Barrow in Tuesday night's runoff to become Georgia secretary of state, the AP reports, marking the end of a contentious midterm cycle marred by concerns of voter suppression.

The big picture: The win is a blow for Democrats who had hoped to add Georgia to a string of secretary of state election victories they secured last month in Arizona, Colorado and Michigan. Raffensperger pledged to prioritize election fraud and continue the strict enforcement of voter ID laws and purges of voter rolls carried out by his predecessor, Republican Gov.-elect Brian Kemp.

Go deeper: Georgia's voter purging problem

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Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian
1 hour ago - World

Lawmakers demand answers from World Bank on Xinjiang loan

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

U.S. lawmakers are demanding answers from the World Bank about its continued operation of a $50 million loan program in Xinjiang, following Axios reporting on the loans.

Why it matters: The Chinese government is currently waging a campaign of cultural and demographic genocide against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, in northwest China. The lawmakers contend that the recipients of the loans may be complicit in that repression.

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Hans Nichols
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Obama: Americans could be "collateral damage" in Trump's war on mail-in voting

Photo: Zahim Mohd/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Former President Barack Obama tweeted Friday that everyday Americans could become "collateral damage" if President Trump continues to attempt to slash funding for the U.S. Postal Service as part of his campaign against mail-in voting.

Why it matters: Trump linked his baseless claims that increased mail-in voting will lead to widespread voter fraud on Thursday to the current impasse in coronavirus stimulus negotiations.

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Joann Muller
2 hours ago - Economy & Business

Elon Musk is channeling Henry Ford in auto manufacturing

Photo illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios. Photo: Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has spent more than a decade trying to disrupt the traditional auto industry, is sounding more and more like the man most closely associated with it: Henry Ford.

Why it matters: In his quest to build affordable electric cars for the masses, Musk is starting to embrace many of the ideas pioneered by Ford's founder — things like vertical supply chains and an obsession with manufacturing efficiency. A century ago that approach helped to popularize the American automobile by lowering the cost of the Model T.

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