Apr 19, 2018 - Politics & Policy

First Democrat backs Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State

CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Senator Heidi Heitkamp has just become the first Democrat to get behind President Trump’s nomination of CIA Director Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State, her office announced in a statement Thursday.

Why it matters: This just about guarantees that the Senate will confirm Pompeo to the role. Some Republicans were worried that, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voting no and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) absent for health reasons, his confirmation could be rejected. But Heitkamp’s flip now brings the yes-votes to a 50 — as long as all other senators vote along party lines.

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11 mins ago - Economy & Business

Jerome Powell, Trump's re-election MVP

Photo illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios. Getty Images photos: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP and Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket

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Why it matters: If Trump wins re-election, it will largely be because Americans see him as the force rallying a still-strong U.S. economy, a narrative girded by skyrocketing stock prices and consistently climbing U.S. home values — but the man behind booming U.S. asset prices is really Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell.

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Margaret Talev
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Axios-Ipsos poll: Americans won't take Trump's word on vaccine

Data: Axios/Ipsos survey; Note: Margin of error for the total sample is ±3.2%; Chart: Axios Visuals

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40 mins ago - Economy & Business

Brookings fellow predicts reparations could happen in next 10 years

Thanks to growing momentum and changing attitudes among Americans, Brookings Institution fellow Andre Perry predicts that within 10 years the U.S. will provide some form of reparations to Black people.

What we're hearing: "What's happening in the streets today is indicative of the attitude change that is occurring in America," Perry, a scholar-in-residence at American University and author, said during our interview for "Axios on HBO."

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