Jan 22, 2018

The FBI lost texts from agent removed from Mueller's team

Shane Savitsky

Robert Mueller in 2010. Photo: Alex Wong / Getty Images

The Justice Department admitted that it had lost more than five months of text messages between an FBI counterintelligence agent dismissed from Robert Mueller’s team for his anti-Trump stance in prior messages and an FBI colleague, per the AP. That news came as DOJ turned over another batch of messages between the agent, Peter Strzok, and Lisa Page — who departed Mueller’s team before the messages came to light — to a Senate committee.

Why it matters: Many GOP lawmakers have used the conversations between Strzok and Page to claim that Mueller’s investigation is inherently biased against President Trump. According to the FBI, the missing messages, which run from December 2016 through May 2017, came about as the result of a technical glitch.

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Courtenay Brown

Fed temporarily lifts Wells Fargo's growth restrictions

Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday it will temporarily lift Wells Fargo’s growth restrictions, which were put in place following the bank’s customer abuse scandals.

Why it matters: The Fed’s only reason for lifting the cap is so Wells Fargo can dole out more loans to struggling small businesses as part of the government’s coronavirus aid package. Earlier this week, the bank said it could only lend a total of $10 billion, thanks to Fed restrictions that it can’t grow its assets beyond $1.95 trillion.

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Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 1,450,343 — Total deaths: 83,568 — Total recoveries: 308,617 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 399,979 — Total deaths: 12,912 — Total recoveries: 22,539 — Map.
  3. Business updates: Roughly one-third of U.S. apartment renters didn't make April payments.
  4. Federal government latest: The U.S. has begun to see "glimmers of hope" despite its highest recorded number of deaths in 24 hours, Anthony Fauci said.
  5. Public health latest: Surgeon General Jerome Adams highlighted the disproportionate impact the illness is having on African-American communities.
  6. World latest: Indians look to Taiwan amid China's coronavirus missteps
  7. 🚌 Public transit: Systems across the country are experiencing ridership collapse, squeezed funding streams and slow recovery from the pandemic.
  8. 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.
  9. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 24 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Axios

Bernie Sanders suspends presidential campaign

Photo: ANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Wednesday that he is suspending his presidential campaign.

The big picture: It's an end to the campaign of the leading progressive in the race — and the candidate who seemed to be the clear front-runner for the Democratic nomination just a few months ago. It also makes Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee four months before the party's convention in Milwaukee.

Go deeperArrow1 hour ago - Politics & Policy