Feb 21, 2019

Maduro orders border with Brazil closed as opposition prepares aid

Photo: Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the country's border with Brazil closed on Thursday in response to opposition attempts to bring in foreign humanitarian aid, adding on state television that he may also shut Venezuela's border with Columbia, the Associated Press reports.

The big picture: Juan Guaidó, the Venezuelan opposition leader and self-declared interim president, plans to force emergency medicine and food across the Colombian border into Venezuela on Saturday in defiance of Maduro. As Axios' Jonathan Swan notes, Saturday will be a flashpoint in Venezuela's crisis, with U.S. officials hoping the confrontation will loosen Maduro's grip over his military — the key to his power.

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Kia Kokalitcheva
12 mins ago - Economy & Business

Uber to buy Postmates in $2.65 billion deal

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Uber has agreed to acquire food delivery company Postmates for $2.65 million in an all-stock deal, the companies announced Monday.

Why it matters: This is the latest merger for the food delivery space as the sector undergoes an ongoing market consolidation.

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Dion Rabouin
30 mins ago - Economy & Business

Analysts expect soaring stock market despite slashed earnings forecasts

Data: FactSet; Chart: Axios Visuals

Despite cutting expectations for companies' earnings by the most in history and revenue by the most since 2009, Wall Street analysts are getting increasingly bullish on the overall direction of the U.S. stock market.

What's happening: Equity analysts are expecting earnings in the second quarter to fall by 43.8% — the most since 2008's fourth quarter 69.1% decline.

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Andrew Witherspoon, Caitlin Owens
3 hours ago - Health

Case growth outpacing testing in coronavirus hotspots

Data: The COVID Tracking Project. Note: Vermont and Hawaii were not included because they have fewer than 20 cases per day. Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

The United States' alarming rise in coronavirus cases isn't due to increased testing — particularly not where cases have grown fastest over the last month.

Why it matters: The U.S. doesn't yet know what it looks like when a pandemic rages on relatively unchecked after the health system has become overwhelmed. It may be about to find out.

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