Nov 8, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to run for House Democratic Caucus chair

Photo: Bill Clark via CQ Roll Call

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced Thursday he intends to run for House Democratic Caucus chair.

Why it matters: It's one of the top leadership positions in the House, and the caucus is responsible for nominating other House Democratic leaders, including majority leader and majority whip. The current chair is Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), who was unseated by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic primary for New York's 14th district. Reps. Barbara Lee and Linda Sanchez of California are also running for the job.

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Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Politics: Senate Democrats block vote on McConnell's targeted COVID relief bill — McConnell urges White House not to strike stimulus deal before election.
  2. Economy: Why the stimulus delay isn't a crisis (yet).
  3. Health: Studies show drop in COVID death rate — The next wave is gaining steam — The overwhelming aftershocks of the pandemic.
  4. Education: Schools haven't become hotspots — San Francisco public schools likely won't reopen before the end of the year.
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Zachary Basu
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Senate Democrats block vote on McConnell's targeted COVID relief bill

Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

Senate Democrats on Wednesday blocked a vote on Republicans' $500 billion targeted COVID-19 relief bill, a far less comprehensive package than the $1.8 trillion+ deal currently being negotiated between the Trump administration and House Democrats.

Why it matters: There's little appetite in the Senate for a stimulus bill with a price tag as large as what President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have been calling for. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) "skinny" proposal was mostly seen as a political maneuver, as it had little chance of making it out of the Senate.

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Zach Dorfman of the Aspen Institute, author of Codebook
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

The hazy line between politics and influence campaigns

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The recent firestorm over the New York Post’s publication of stories relying on data from a hard drive allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden shows the increasingly hazy line between domestic political “dirty tricks” and a foreign-sponsored disinformation operation.

Why it matters: This haziness could give determined actors cover to conduct influence operations aimed at undermining U.S. democracy through channels that just look like old-fashioned hard-nosed politics.

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