Apr 27, 2017

British Columbia asks Trudeau to ban U.S. coal

Philippe Huguen / Pool Photo via AP

Cloud Peak Energy CEO Colin Marshall urged investors Thursday on an earnings call not to get ahead of themselves in worrying about whether coal exports to Canada would be banned. This comes after Premier Christy Clark of British Columbia penned a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday asking him to ban coal shipments from the U.S., sending shares from the coal giant tumbling.

Retaliation against Trump: Trump's new tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber sparked the response from Clark. Trudeau's spokesman said he would consider the request "carefully and seriously," per Bloomberg.

Why it matters: This ban would hit Trump where it would hurt — his campaign promise to bring back coal — since about 6.2 million metric tons of U.S. thermal coal were shipped through Vancouver's sea port in 2016.

Calming the coal fright: Marshall said all planned exports would still be shipped out.

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9 mins ago - World

The eye of the COVID-19 storm shifts to Latin America

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios

The epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic has moved from China to Europe to the United States and now to Latin America.

Why it matters: Up until now, the pandemic has struck hardest in relatively affluent countries. But it's now spreading fastest in countries where it will be even harder to track, treat and contain.

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Updated 38 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 5,768,908 — Total deaths: 358,490 — Total recoveries — 2,399, 247 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 1,717,756 — Total deaths: 101,562 — Total recoveries: 399,991 — Total tested: 15,646,041 — Map.
Public health: The mystery of coronavirus superspreaders.
Congress: Pelosi slams McConnell on stimulus delay — Sen. Tim Kaine and wife test positive for coronavirus antibodies.
World: Twitter slapped a fact-check label on a pair of months-old tweets from a Chinese government spokesperson that falsely suggested that the coronavirus originated in the U.S.
Education: Science fairs are going virtual, and some online elements may become permanent.
Axios on HBO: Science fiction writers tell us how they see the coronavirus pandemic.
🏃‍♀️Sports: Boston Marathon canceled after initial postponement, asks runners to go virtual.
What should I do? When you can be around others after contracting the coronavirus — Traveling, asthma, dishes, disinfectants and being contagious — Masks, lending books and self-isolating — Exercise, laundry, what counts as soap — Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — How to minimize your risk.
Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it, the right mask to wear.

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

2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Minnesota activates National Guard amid fallout from George Floyd death

A portrait of George Floyd hangs on a street light pole in Minneapolis. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

George Floyd, 46, moved to Minnesota to improve his life and become his "best self," but instead, he is dead because of Minneapolis police.

The latest: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared a state of emergency and activated the state's National Guard in response to violent clashes over the past two days between police and protesters in the Twin Cities.

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