Feb 7, 2017

How Spicer cleaned up Trump's Obamacare comment

Carolyn Kaster/AP

White House press secretary Sean Spicer didn't waste any time walking back President Trump's comments from this weekend about Obamacare repeal possibly lasting into next year. Here's what Spicer said at today's briefing:

I think we can have this done legislatively sooner rather than later, but the implementation might take a little bit longer.

What he was cleaning up: In a pre-Super Bowl interview Sunday, Trump told Bill O'Reilly that Obamacare repeal might take a while: "Maybe it'll take until sometime in next year." That set off a new round of stories about how badly the repeal effort was going.

Yes, but: For the legislation to pass "sooner rather than later," Republicans are going to have to release a bill and start working on it, and there's no sign that it will happen anytime soon.

Go deeper

Fadel Allassan

Updated 30 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Biden: George Floyd's last words are "a wake-up call for our nation"

Former Vice President Joe Biden meets with clergy members and community activists during a visit to Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Del. on June 1, 2020. Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

Vice President Joe Biden is calling George Floyd’s dying words “a wake-up call for our nation,” and criticized President Trump’s decision to unleash tear gas on peaceful protesters outside the White House, in a civil rights speech from Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Biden in the address drew a sharp contrast between himself and Trump, whose first remarks addressing nationwide unrest Monday highlighted law and order, extreme demonstrations of militarized “strength” and other blustery threats.

Go deeper (2 min. read)

Axios

Updated 37 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 11 a.m. ET: 6,302,318 — Total deaths: 376,322 — Total recoveries — 2,716,924 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 11 a.m. ET: 1,812,125 — Total deaths: 105,192 — Total recoveries: 458,231 — Total tested: 17,340,682 — Map.
Public health: Protests against police brutality threaten coronavirus response.
Business: Coronavirus could lower GDP by $15.7 trillion — More than 1 in 6 black workers lost jobs between February and April.
Climate: The alarm over climate financial risk gets louder because of coronavirus.
Media: Interest in the George Floyd protests has soared past the coronavirus.

Other resources (<1 min. read)

Dan Primack

1 hour ago - Economy & Business

The business of tear gas

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

U.S. forces yesterday used tear gas on peaceful protesters outside the White House gates, prior to a declared curfew, clearing a path for President Trump to visit a riot-damaged church for a photo opportunity.

The state of play: Two of the largest U.S. producers of tear gas are owned by private equity firms, but those firms have no interest in discussing their ownership.

Go deeper (1 min. read)