May 8, 2019

Intra-government cyber commission launches

Joe Uchill

The Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a working group intended to provide guidance on cyber issues composed of lawmakers, agency heads and former Feds, officially launched Wednesday.

Driving the news: The Solarium Commission, first proposed by commission member Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), was approved in last year's Defense Authorization bill.

Details: Other participants include Reps. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) and Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.); Sen. Angus King (I-Maine); the heads or deputy heads of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and FBI; and the CEO of Southern Company, among others.

  • King and Gallagher will oversee the program.
  • "Taking a page from President Eisenhower [and the original Solarium Commission, which sought out strategic solutions to the USSR problem] the commission’s goal is to bring together the country’s best and brightest to develop a comprehensive, strategic approach to counter these growing threats," said Gallagher.

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Rebecca Falconer, Orion Rummler, Marisa Fernandez

U.S. coronavirus updates: Chicago jail is largest-known source of coronavirus

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Chicago's Cook County jail is the largest-known source of coronavirus infections in the U.S., the New York Times reports. The White House has identified Chicago's metro area as a risk for exponential growth of the virus.

Why it matters: Public health officials have warned this would be a particularly deadly week for America, even as New York began to see declining trends of hospitalizations and ICU admissions.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 16 mins ago - Health
Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 1,504,971 — Total deaths: 87,984 — Total recoveries: 318,068 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 424,945 — Total deaths: 14,529 — Total recoveries: 23,292 — Map.
  3. Federal government latest: Top Trump administration officials had been developing a plan to give cloth masks to huge numbers of Americans, but the idea lost traction amid heavy internal skepticism.
  4. States latest: Chicago's Cook County jail is largest-known source of coronavirus in U.S.
  5. Business update: One-third of U.S. jobs are at risk of disappearing, mostly affecting low-income workers.
  6. World update: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to put politics aside "if you don’t want to have many more body bags.”
  7. Environment update: COVID-19 is underscoring the connection between air pollution and dire outcomes from respiratory diseases.
  8. What should I do? Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  9. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy
Bryan Walsh

The pandemic and pollution

New York City's skyline on a smoggy day in May 2019. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

COVID-19 is underscoring the connection between air pollution and dire outcomes from respiratory diseases.

Why it matters: Old-fashioned air pollution is almost certainly the single biggest environmental health threat, contributing to the deaths of some 7 million people a year according to the WHO, making it comparable to deaths from smoking.

Go deeperArrow2 hours ago - Health