Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Feb 1, 2021 - Economy & Business

Fortune's most underrated CEOs

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

For FORTUNE, Korn Ferry polled 5,250 executives, directors and analysts on which CEOs deserve more attention:

Microsoft's Satya Nadella, for "his ability to steer the company through a major reinvention while generating shockingly little drama. Tech analysts believe (though Microsoft won’t confirm) that the Azure cloud business Nadella has championed now accounts for as much revenue as ... Windows."
GM's Mary Barra: "Last spring, GM was making PPE for health care workers; by fall, it was posting healthy profits."
Apple's Tim Cook: "The pandemic barely slowed Apple’s rollout of new phones, watches, and services."
Walmart's Doug McMillon: "Walmart has been a bulwark against COVID, keeping stores open and hiring widely."

Go deeper: See the full list

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Dion Rabouin, author of Markets

38 mins ago - Economy & Business

The Fed could be firing up economic stimulus in disguise

Federal Reserve governor Lael Brainard at a "Fed Listens" event. Photo: Eric Baradat / AFP via Getty Images.

Even as global growth expectations increase and governments pile on fiscal spending measures central bankers are quietly restarting recession-era bond-buying programs.

Driving the news: Comments Tuesday from Fed governor Lael Brainard suggest the Fed may be jumping onboard the global monetary policy rethink and restarting a program used following the 2008 global financial crisis.

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Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen

59 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Democrats' hypocrisy moment

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images

Gov. Andrew Cuomo should be facing explicit calls to resign from President Biden on down, if you apply the standard that Democrats set for similar allegations against Republicans. And it's not a close call.

Why it matters: The #MeToo moment saw men in power run out of town for exploiting young women. Democrats led the charge. So the silence of so many of them seems more strange — and unacceptable by their own standards — by the hour.

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Russell Contreras

3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Police officers' immunity from lawsuits is getting a fresh look

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Nearly a year after the death of George Floyd, advocates of changes in police practices are launching new moves to limit or eliminate legal liability protections for officers accused of excessive force.

Why it matters: Revising or eliminating qualified immunity — the shield police officers have now — could force officers accused of excessive force to personally face civil penalties in addition to their departments. But such a change could intensify a nationwide police officer shortage, critics say.

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