Aug 23, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Biden "incredibly proud" of former admiral who rebuked Trump

Photo: Gabriel Aponte/Getty Images for Concordia Americas Summit

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday reached out to William McRaven — former commander of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, who oversaw the SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden — after McRaven dared President Trump to revoke his clearance, too.

The big picture: Since leaving office, the former vice president has maintained quiet contact with a range of former people he served with who have been dismayed by what they are seeing out there, according to someone close to Biden.

Biden's rough message to McRaven: "It is presumptuous of me to say, but I’m so incredibly proud of you. I saw up close your physical courage, including your incredible calm during planning for the Bin Laden raid. As RFK said: 'Moral courage is the rarer commodity than bravery in battle.'"
"I have never met anybody whose moral courage equaled their physical courage in your category. I’m proud to know you and be associated with you."

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19 mins ago - Science

3 dead and thousands evacuated as Northern California fires explode

A building at the Meadowood Napa Valley luxury resort burns after the Glass Fire moved through the area on September 28, 2020 in St. Helena, California. Photo: by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Three people have died in a wildfire in Northern California and tens of thousands were evacuated across the state, as firefighters contended with strong winds and dry conditions that saw blazes explode across the state on Monday.

Driving the news: Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini confirmed the deaths occurred as the Zogg Fire spread across 15,000 acres, forcing the evacuation of 1,200 people. More than for 5o,000 people, per AP.

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Updated 30 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 9 p.m. ET: 33,273,720 — Total deaths: 1,000,555 — Total recoveries: 23,056,480 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 9 p.m. ET: 7,147,241 — Total deaths: 205,031 — Total recoveries: 2,794,608 — Total tests: 102,342,416 — Map.
Business: Companies are still holding back earnings guidance.
Health: Trump announces plan to distribute 150 million rapid tests —The childless vaccine.
Media: Fauci: Some of what Fox News reports about COVID-19 is "outlandish"
States: Cuomo extends New York moratorium on evictions until 2021.
World: More than 1 million people have now died from coronavirus — India the second country after U.S. to hit 6 million cases.

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Dave Lawler, author of World

48 mins ago - World

Global coronavirus death toll crosses 1 million

Data: Our World in Data; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios

The global toll of confirmed deaths from COVID-19 crossed 1 million on Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins.

By the numbers: More than half of those deaths have come in four countries: the U.S. (204,762), Brazil (141,741), India (95,542) and Mexico (76,430). The true global death toll is likely far higher.