European Union officials have a drafted 2 separate plans to "slap unilateral tariffs" on U.S. goods, block Chinese companies from engaging financially with Europe, and fortify European tech companies in competition with U.S. and Chinese firms, Politico reports.
Why it matters, via Axios' Sara Fischer: Europe’s aggressive regulatory policies have hindered its technology sector from being able to compete with American and Chinese companies on the world stage. With Brexit as a backdrop, European officials are under enormous pressure to resurrect the corporate sector.
DoorDash is finally beginning to roll out a new pay model for its delivery drivers that will treat customer tips as additional earnings, after announcing nearly a month ago that it will shift its policy.
Flashback: DoorDash's two-year-old pay model, a twist on the "tipped wages" model familiar to many service workers like waiters, came under fire last month. Critics said its approach was deceptive to customers.
Major telecom companies across the U.S. are partnering with attorneys general from every state to sign a pact aimed at combating the nationwide surge in robocalls, according to a press release from North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein.
Why it matters: This is the latest attempt to address robocalls plaguing the country, with companies working to prevent the calls on their networks and investigate their origins.
Patrick Byrne resigned as CEO of online retailer Overstock.com Thursday after the company publicly announced his relationship with admitted Russian agent Maria Butina, the New York Times reports.
The big picture: Writing in a letter to shareholders, Byrne said his disclosure "may affect and complicate all manner of business relationships." The relationship lasted from 2015 to 2018 and was mostly unknown until Overstock posted a news release last week. Byrne was involved in the federal inquiry into the 2016 presidential election that was handled separately from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference. He said he had helped law enforcement agents with their "Clinton Investigation" and "Russia Investigation," per NYT.
Private equity firm Apollo Global Management is trying to scoop up local TV stations, while most everyone else stays away. Dan and Axios' Sara Fischer dig into the thinking behind America's newest media mogul.
Apollo Global Management, one of the world's largest buyout firms, believes there's more than just a puff left on the local TV cigar, despite widespread conventional wisdom that the value has been snuffed out.
Why it matters: Apollo could soon become one of America's most influential news broadcasters, even though few Americans know its name.
Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will join Fox News as a contributor, making her debut on "Fox & Friends" on Sept. 6, the network announced on Thursday.
Why it matters: Sanders was one of President Trump's most loyal defenders in the administration and is likely to take on that same role at Fox News, the president's favorite cable news channel. She became notorious for her combative interactions with members of the media and, toward the end of her tenure, lack of White House press briefings. Sanders admitted to special counsel Robert Mueller that she lied to reporters about the firing of FBI director James Comey, though she characterized it as a "slip of the tongue."
The U.S. manufacturing sector contracted for the first time since 2009 in August, CNBC reports from data by IHS Markit.
Why it matters: The industry, which has flourished during the Trump administration, is not only facing ongoing concerns of a global economic slowdown, but is also staring down increased pressure from the U.S.-China trade war. The report also saw a slowdown in business growth, which IHS Markit's economics associate director told CNBC was its "most concerning aspect"
Speaking to reporters outside the White House Wednesday, President Trump looked to the sky and proclaimed "I am the chosen one" while arguing that "somebody" had to take on China over their unfair trade practices.
A new report from the Congressional Budget Office shows that the U.S. budget deficit is expected to breach $1 trillion by 2020, two years earlier than previously projected.
The big picture: The growing deficit has been driven by President Trump's tax cuts, increased government spending and rising health care costs. The shortfall is expected to be widened by the recent budget deal reached by Trump and Congress to lift spending caps by $320 billion, as well as the emergency spending package that Congress passed to help manage the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Washington Post reports.
2020 Democratic contender Sen. Kamala Harris' campaign announced Tuesday that she will take part in a Sept. 4 CNN town hall on climate change after initially declining due to a scheduling conflict.
Why it matters: She has said rather little about her climate platform compared to detailed plans from some other top-tier hopefuls.
Editor's note: Cokie Roberts died at age 75 on Sept. 17, 2019.
ABC and NPR commentator Cokie Roberts — Library of Congress "Living Legend," role model over decades on the air, and author of six bestsellers on women in America — asked Axios to share this statement with her friends and fans:
After my appearance on "This Week" last Sunday, I received many messages of concern about my health. Over the summer, I have had some health issues which required treatment that caused weight loss. I am doing fine. I very much appreciate the kind comments I have received and expect to be, as I have been, working away in the days and months to come, covering what promises to be a fascinating election. I am grateful to everyone who has been in touch and sent their well wishes. Thanks for caring.
