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Delta CEO Edward Bastian defended the company's decision to end their NRA discount in an internal memo to employees Friday, despite Georgia lawmakers killing a proposed tax break on jet fuel, that would have saved Delta millions, in retaliation to the company's decision:
Our decision was not made for economic gain and our values are not for sale.— Delta CEO Edward Bastian
Go deeper: The no-win corporate tightrope; United States of Corporate America
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The CEOs of tech's four leading giants will defend their industry's growing concentration of power from critics on both right and left who view them as monopolists when they testify, most likely virtually, before Congress on July 27.
Why it matters: The joint appearance by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's Tim Cook, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Google's Sundar Pichai will mark a historic collision between the leaders of an industry that has changed the world and political leaders who believe those changes have harmed democracy and individual rights.
The three topics generating the most intense interest online are the coronavirus, racial injustice and foreign policy, according to data from NewsWhip provided exclusively to Axios — and all are issues that are working against President Trump right now.
Why it matters: Storylines in Trump's populist sweet spot that carried the news cycle for much of his presidency — immigration, trade, a strong economy — have fallen away during the pandemic.
Coronavirus deaths are ticking up in the new hotspots of Florida, Texas and Arizona, even as they continue to trend down nationally.
Why it matters: As infections soar, deaths will inevitably follow. And infections are soaring.