Jan 15, 2018

Dick Durbin: I "stand behind every word I said" on Trump

Khorri Atkinson

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and President Donald Trump speak during a meeting with lawmakers on immigration policy at the White House. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Amid the backlash from Trump allies over the President’s reported “shithole” countries comments at an immigration meeting, Sen. Dick Durbin told reporters today that he “know what happened" and "stand behind every word that I said.” The Illinois Democrat also said reports saying White House officials are debating internally whether the President said 'shithole' or 'shithouse’ does not change "the impact” his racially-charged rhetoric had caused.

The backdrop: Durbin was at the bipartisan immigration meeting at the Oval Office last week, when Trump reportedly called Haiti and African nations 'shithole’ countries. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has also indicated that reports of Trump's remarks are true.

Go deeper: Trump's "shithole" comments continue to rile Washington

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Jacob Knutson

Trump removes watchdog overseeing rollout of $2 trillion coronavirus bill

Glenn Fine, acting Pentagon watchdog

President Trump on Monday replaced the Pentagon's acting Inspector General Glenn Fine, who had been selected to chair the panel overseeing the rollout of the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed last month, Politico first reported.

Why it matters: A group of independent federal watchdogs selected Fine to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, but Fine's removal from his Pentagon job prevents from being able to serve in that position — since the law only allows sitting inspectors general to fill the role.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 9 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Miriam Kramer

What a post-pandemic space industry might look like

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic could spell major trouble for dozens of small companies working to break into the space industry.

The big picture: SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and other companies are well-established with strong customer bases and robust portfolios, but the prospects for the industry's growth hinge on smaller companies.

Go deeperArrow25 mins ago - Science
Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 1,365,004— Total deaths: 76,507 — Total recoveries: 292,467 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 369,069 — Total deaths: 11,018 — Total recoveries: 20,003 — Map.
  3. Trump administration latest: Peter Navarro warned White House colleagues in late January about the massive potential risks from the coronavirus.
  4. Federal government latest: The public wants the federal government, not states, in charge of coronavirus — Testing capacity is still lagging far enough behind demand.
  5. States update: New York death toll surged to its highest one-day total as state predicts a plateau in hospitalizations.
  6. 2020 update: Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks the governor's attempt to delay in-person primary voting until June.
  7. What should I do? Pets, moving and personal health. Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy