Jul 13, 2017

Hensarling: "I still remain optimistic" about tax reform

Chuck Kennedy

House Financial Services Chair Jeb Hensarling joined this morning's Axios roundtable event on the economy with Chuck Todd and NBC News. He weighed in on how Republicans can move forward with tax reform and health care under President Trump:

The schedule: "I think health care needed to be the lead, and I think it's critical to getting tax reform done."
What tax reform will look like: "I still remain optimistic…I'm absolutely convinced that we'll see tax reform. Whether it's good, better, or best, I don't know yet."
His economic fears: "I'm very concerned about the long term trends. Bailouts beget bailouts... I fear that we may be repeating the same mistakes."
His thoughts on Trump: "Am I proud of President Trump? The short answer is 'yes' because I think he's going to make my constituents' lives freer and more prosperous…Personally, any doubts I ever had were erased when he chose Mike Pence."

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

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U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 6:30 p.m. ET: 4,758,028 — Total deaths: 156,426 — Total recoveries: 1,513,446 — Total tests: 57,543,852 — Map.
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Updated 1 hour ago - World

At least 50 killed, 3,000 injured after massive explosion rocks Beirut

Photo: Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images

A major explosion has slammed central Beirut, Lebanon, damaging buildings as far as several miles away and injuring scores of people.

Driving the news: Lebanon's health minister said in televised remarks that more than 50 people have been killed and over 3,000 injured. Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the explosions occurred at a warehouse that had been storing 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate for the past six years, per NBC.

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1 hour ago - Economy & Business

"Mulan" will head to Disney+, home to more than 60 million subscribers

An outdoor ad for Disney's "Mulan" in Hollywood, California. Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images

Disney announced Tuesday that its most highly-anticipated blockbuster of the year, the live-action remake of "Mulan," is heading to Disney+ on Sept. 4 for consumers to purchase for a premium access fee of $29.99. The movie's theatrical debut had previously been delayed four times.

Why it matters: It's a huge blow to movie exhibitors across the country that were relying on the Disney hit to come exclusively to theaters for at least a few months before being made available to consumers at home via streaming.

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