Aug 24, 2017

Flake: Trump is "inviting" a 2020 primary challenge

Sen. Jeff Flake told Georgia Public Broadcasting on Wednesday that President Trump is "inviting" a 2020 primary challenge because of "the direction he's headed right now," per CNN.

His quote: "I think he could govern in a way that he wouldn't. But, I think that the way that — the direction he's headed right now, just kinda drilling down on the base rather than trying to expand the base — I think he's inviting one."
Why it matters: Flake is up for re-election in 2018, and has been one of Trump's most vocal critics from within the party. Trump has gone after the Arizona senator, calling him "weak" and "toxic" on Twitter, and tweeting out support for one of Flake's 2018 challengers, Kelli Ward.
One more thing: Politico reported that before Trump's Phoenix rally, he met privately with two potential Flake challengers, Arizona Treasurer Jeff DeWit and former state GOP Chairman Robert Graham.

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Dion Rabouin, author of Markets

14 mins ago - Economy & Business

Investors are betting the future is priced in euros

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

It's the euro's time now — at least that's how investors have been positioning recently.

What's happening: Speculators have raised their bets to the highest in nine years that the dollar will fall and increased bullish bets that the euro will rise to the highest level on record, Reuters reported citing data from the CFTC.

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Axios

Updated 59 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 20,317,087 — Total deaths: 742,035— Total recoveries: 12,602,544 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 5,141,879 — Total deaths: 164,545 — Total recoveries: 1,714,960 — Total tests: 63,252,257 — Map.
States: Georgia reports 137 coronavirus deaths, setting new daily record — Florida reports another daily record for deaths.
Health care: Trump administration buys 100 million doses of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine.
Business: Moderna reveals it may not hold patent rights for vaccine.
Sports: Big Ten and Pac 12 scrap fall football — MLB salaries at 37%
World: Lebanon reported record new cases as UN warned blast may drive spike — Fauci "seriously" doubts Russia's coronavirus vaccine is safe

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Mike Allen, author of AM

1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

3 keys to Joe Biden picking Kamala Harris

Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

Three quick points about Joe Biden's historic selection of Sen. Kamala (pronounced COMMA-luh) Harris of California as his running mate — and clues they give us to how Biden would govern:

She was always at the top of his list. As I look back through my text threads with top Dems over the past five months, she was always assumed to be the most likely pick.