May 9, 2019

Kamala Harris demands AG Bill Barr clarify testimony

Sen. Kamala Harris. Photo: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has sent a letter to Attorney General Bill Barr demanding that he clarify whether President Trump has ever asked or suggested that the Justice Department should open an investigation into an individual.

Why it matters: Harris notes that Barr failed to give a direct answer during his testimony, first saying that he was "trying to grapple with the word 'suggest'" and then — when pressed — responding that he did not know. On Thursday, Trump said at a press conference that former Secretary of State John Kerry should be prosecuted for allegedly violating the Logan Act by reaching out to Iranian officials about the 2015 nuclear deal.

In light of the comments, Harris requested that Barr answer questions about what Trump has said about investigating or prosecuting Kerry or other individuals by May 23.

The exchange:

Go deeper

Updated 6 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 12,009,301 — Total deaths: 548,799 — Total recoveries — 6,561,969 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 3,053,328 — Total deaths: 132,256 — Total recoveries: 953,420 — Total tested: 37,532,612 — Map.
Public health: Houston mayor cancels Republican convention over coronavirus concerns — Deaths are rising in hotspots — Déjà vu sets in as testing issues rise and PPE dwindles.
Travel: United warns employees it may furlough 45% of U.S. workforce — How the pandemic changed mobility habits, by state.
Education: New York City schools will not fully reopen in fall — Harvard and MIT sue Trump administration over rule barring foreign students from online classes.
🎧 Podcast: A misinformation "infodemic" is here.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)

9 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

Photo: Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

Go deeper (1 min. read)

11 hours ago - Health

Fighting the coronavirus infodemic

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

An "infodemic" of misinformation and disinformation has helped cripple the response to the novel coronavirus.

Why it matters: High-powered social media accelerates the spread of lies and political polarization that motivates people to believe them. Unless the public health sphere can effectively counter misinformation, not even an effective vaccine may be enough to end the pandemic.

Go deeper (3 min. read)