Apr 23, 2019

FBI says militia leader claimed his group was training to kill Obama

United Constitutional Patriots leader Larry Mitchell Hopkins. Photo: Paul Ratje/AFP/Getty Images

The leader of a militia group in New Mexico that's been stopping migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border claimed his group was "training to assassinate George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama," an FBI affidavit alleges.

Details: United Constitutional Patriots leader Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 69, of Flora Vista, New Mexico, appeared in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Monday after being arrested Saturday for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The FBI affidavit forms part of the complaint against him.

The other side: Defense attorney Kelly O’Connell said Hopkins would plead not guilty to the firearms charge, per Reuters. Kelly told The New York Times the assassination claims were not true.

What's next? Hopkins, who also goes by the aliases Johnny Horton Jr. and "Striker," remains in custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing, scheduled for next Monday.

Go deeper

Axios
8 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Jeff Sessions loses Alabama Senate primary runoff

Jeff Sessions. Photo: Michael DeMocker/Getty Images

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions has lost the Republican nomination for Senate to Tommy Tuberville in Alabama in Tuesday night’s primary runoff, AP reports.

Why it matters: Sessions had been the underdog in the race against former Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville, who had the backing of President Trump. Tuberville will now face off against Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) in November, who is considered to have one of the most vulnerable Democratic Senate seats in the country.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 8 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 9 p.m. ET: 13,273,537 — Total deaths: 577,006 — Total recoveries — 7,367,106 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 9 p.m. ET: 3,424,304 — Total deaths: 136,432 — Total recoveries: 1,049,098 — Total tested: 41,764,557 — Map.
  3. Politics: Biden welcomes Trump wearing mask in public but warns "it’s not enough"
  4. Public health: Four former CDC heads say Trump's undermining of agency puts lives at risk — CDC director: U.S. could get coronavirus "under control" in 4–8 weeks if all wear masks.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Courtenay Brown
11 hours ago - Economy & Business

Bank CEOs brace for worsening economic scenario

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon. Photo: J. Lawler Duggan/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Wells Fargo swung to its first loss since the financial crisis — while JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup reported significantly lower profits from a year earlier — as the banks set aside billions of dollars more in the second quarter for loans that may go bad.

Why it matters: The cumulative $28 billion in loan loss provisions that banks have so far announced they’re reserving serves as a signal they’re preparing for a colossal wave of loan defaults as the economy slogs through a coronavirus-driven downturn.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow