Mar 13, 2019

Michael Cohen's lawyer clarifies presidential pardon testimony

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Michael Cohen's attorney wrote to the House Oversight Committee chairman Tuesday to clarify that President Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer didn't ask him for a presidential pardon, the Associated Press reports.

Why it matters: Cohen testified before the committee that he had "never asked for, nor would I accept, a pardon" from the president. Trump said Friday Cohen had directly asked him for a pardon. The letter to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) clarifies that Cohen had asked a lawyer to explore the option before he decided to turn against Trump in June. Cohen's lawyer Michael Monico said hist testimony “could have been clearer and more complete,” according to the AP.

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Axios

West Virginia is latest state to delay primary due to coronavirus

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West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice rescheduled the state's May 12 primary election to June 9 on Wednesday, citing fears surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, AP reports.

Why it matters: 23 other states and the District of Columbia haven't held primaries yet. The White House is recommending, for now, that Americans practice social distancing and gather in groups of no more than 10 people — while many states have issued stay-at-home orders.

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Rashaan Ayesh

Florida governor issues stay-at-home order

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered a statewide stay-at-home order on Wednesday after the number of coronavirus cases in the state rose to nearly 7,000.

Why it matters: DeSantis has been criticized for declining to order any statewide mandates to curb the spread of coronavirus as Florida — home to a significant elderly population — has increasingly become a hotspot. The governor said at a press conference Tuesday that he was "in contact" with the White House coronavirus task force and that he would wait for their recommendation.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12:30 p.m. ET: 885,687 — Total deaths: 44,216 — Total recoveries: 185,447 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12:30 p.m. ET: 190,089 — Total deaths: 4,127 — Total recoveries: 7,141 — Map.
Federal government latest: Vice President Mike Pence said that White House modeling suggests "Italy may be the most comparable area to the United States" in terms of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
State updates: Washington and California appear to have slowed their surges of new cases — Florida cases have been doubling the past four days, approaching 7,000.
China: The coronavirus could threaten D.C.'s bipartisan China consensus.
2020 update: Bernie Sanders urges Wisconsin to delay April 7 primary.
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What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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Keep ReadingUpdated 50 mins ago - Politics & Policy