Jul 31, 2017

Charter says no to Sprint, but it's not over yet

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

Charter Communications said on Sunday night that it is not interested in acquiring Sprint Corp., despite interest in such a transaction by Sprint majority owner SoftBank Group.

Coming attractions: Charter's rejection is not necessarily the end of this mega M&A story. There are various reports that SoftBank is now prepping a straight takeover offer for Charter, which has a current market cap north of $100 billion. And, were that to fail, SoftBank always could take another stab at merging Sprint with rival carrier T-Mobile (which was blocked by Obama's FCC, but may get a more positive reception this time around).

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World coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

Countries where novel coronavirus cases are falling may be hit with a "second peak" if they relax restrictions too soon, World Health Organization emergencies chief Mike Ryan warned during a briefing Monday. "We're still very much in a phase where the disease is actually on the way up," he added.

By the numbers: Brazil on Monday recorded for the first time more deaths from the novel coronavirus in a single day than the United States, Reuters notes. Brazil reported 807 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, compared to 620 in the U.S. for the same period.

Go deeper (2 min. read)ArrowUpdated 31 mins ago - Health

Palantir CEO reflects on work with ICE

Palantir CEO Alex Karp told "Axios on HBO" that there have "absolutely" been moments he wished the company hadn't taken a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

  • "Did I suffer? ... I've had some of my favorite employees leave," Karp told "Axios on HBO."
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow47 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Michigan governor won't apologize for coronavirus lockdown

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defended the strictness of her state's coronavirus lockdown in an interview with "Axios on HBO," saying it was necessary — despite the protests that have drawn national attention — because of how quickly the state's cases were rising.

The big picture: Whitmer, who has been a frequent target of President Trump, insisted that she had to act in the face of a lack of federal leadership — and that thousands more people in her state would have died without the lockdown.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow47 mins ago - Politics & Policy