Aug 3, 2017

Kelly told Sessions his job is safe

Susan Walsh / AP

A day after Gen. John Kelly was named the new chief of staff, he called Attorney General Jeff Sessions to let him know his job was safe, according to the AP. President Trump had attacked Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia probe, venting in a New York Times interview, in a press conference and on Twitter.

Kelly reportedly delivered the call on Saturday. On Monday, incoming Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that Trump has "100 percent confidence" in all of his Cabinet.

Why it matters: The call shows that Kelly is intent on getting the White House in working order by eliminating sources of controversy and internal division.

This sounds familiar: After incurring Trump's wrath, other administration figures, notably Steve Bannon, were also able to escape the president's doghouse (though it's not certain that Sessions is fully in the clear).

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Rebecca Falconer, Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Updated 30 mins ago - Science

Gulf Coast braces for Zeta after storm strengthens into hurricane

Hurricane Zeta's forecast path. Photo: National Hurricane Center

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) declared a state of emergency Monday as Zeta strengthened into a hurricane and threatened Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as it moved towards the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The state of play: Zeta was expected to make landfall on the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula Monday night, bringing with it a "dangerous storm surge" and "heavy rainfall" as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Service said.

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Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Politics: The swing states where the pandemic is raging — Pence no longer expected to attend Barrett confirmation vote after COVID exposure.
  2. Health: 13 states set single-day case records last week
  3. Business: Where stimulus is needed most.
  4. Education: The dangerous instability of school re-openings.
  5. World: Restrictions grow across Europe.
  6. Media: Fox News president and several hosts advised to quarantine.
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Stef W. Kight, Rebecca Falconer
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Supreme Court rejects request to extend Wisconsin absentee ballot deadline

Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The Supreme Court in a 5-3 decision Monday rejected an effort by Wisconsin Democrats and civil rights groups to extend the state's deadline for counting absentee ballots to six days after Election Day, as long as they were postmarked by Nov. 3.

Why it matters: All ballots must now be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day in Wisconsin, a critical swing state in the presidential election.

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