Nov 1, 2017

British defense secretary resigns over harassment allegations

Michael Fallon arrives for a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in June. Photo: Frank Augstein / AP

British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon resigned today, per the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg — one day after he apologized for inappropriately touching a journalist's knee in 2002. In announcing his resignation, Fallon stated that his past behavior may have "fallen short."

But wait: The resignation of a key member of Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet might only be the start of the tumult in Westminster. There is a growing cloud of sexual assault and harassment allegations hanging over MPs in London. A spreadsheet compiling allegations against 40 Conservative MPs is currently making the rounds. And earlier today, the London Evening Standard breaking a story earlier this afternoon about a Conservative aide allegedly being drugged in the House of Commons bar.

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Scott Rosenberg

17 mins ago - Technology

Trump forces fateful choices on Twitter and Facebook

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

President Trump's war with Twitter is confronting social media platforms with a hard dilemma: whether to take fuller responsibility for what people say on their services, or to step back and assume a more quasi-governmental role.

The big picture: Facebook is trying to be more like a government — committing to impartiality and protecting free speech and building mechanisms for arbitration. Twitter, pushed by Trump's inflammatory messages, is opting to more aggressively enforce conduct rules on its private property, like a mall owner enforcing rules inside the gates.

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Axios

Updated 24 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 1 p.m. ET: 5,851,494 — Total deaths: 362,238 — Total recoveries — 2,445,181 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 1 p.m. ET: 1,729,185 — Total deaths: 101,706 — Total recoveries: 399,991 — Total tested: 15,646,041 — Map.
2020: North Carolina asks RNC if convention will honor Trump's wish for no masks or social distancing.
Public health: Hydroxychloroquine prescription fills exploded in March —How the U.S. might distribute a vaccine.
Transportation: National mobility keeps rising as more states reopen economies.
🎧 Podcast: Saying goodbye to U.S. megacities.

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Marisa Fernandez

42 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Obama on George Floyd's death: "This shouldn't be 'normal'"

Photo: Getty Images/Getty Images for EIF & XQ

Former President Obama said in a statement Friday that the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer, "shouldn't be 'normal' in 2020 America."

What he's saying: "[W]e have to remember that for millions of Americans being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly 'normal' — whether it’s while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or watching birds in a park."

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