Apr 28, 2017

"Massive turmoil" at Heritage Foundation

Cliff Owen / AP

Jim DeMint, the president of the Heritage Foundation and former Tea Party firebrand senator from South Carolina, is on the rocks at the Heritage Foundation, according to Politico, which reports the organization plans to force him out.

The quote: An unnamed GOP operative told Politico there is "massive turmoil over there right now..."

What it means: Heritage, via its political arm, has leaned into primary battles against moderate Republicans under DeMint's leadership. Judging by the quotes in the Politico piece, Heritage board members and advisers are ready to dial it back.

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Mike Allen

Kenan Thompson and Hasan Minhaj to headline White House Correspondents' Dinner

Kenan Thompson on "SNL" in 2018. Photo: Rosalind O'Connor/NBC via Getty Images

Kenan Thompson, the longest-tenured "Saturday Night Live" cast member, will host the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 25.

And Hasan Minhaj — host of Netflix’s "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj," and the entertainer at the 2017 dinner — will return as featured entertainer.

Go deeper37 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen

"Billions": Season 2020

Mike Bloomberg speaks at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond, Va., on Saturday. Photo: James H. Wallace/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP

Money alone can’t buy a presidential election, but it surely gets you VIP access.

Why it matters: Billionaire Michael Bloomberg is duking it out with Billionaire Donald Trump, often on Billionaire Jack Dorsey’s Twitter and in ads on Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook, all chronicled in Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post.

Go deeper41 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Jennifer A. Kingson

Biometrics invade banking and retail

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Banks have been quietly rolling out biometrics to identify customers — verifying them by their fingerprint, voice or eye scan — and retailers like Amazon are getting into the game.

Why it matters: These companies are amassing giant databases of our most personal information — including our gait, how we hold our cellphones, our typing patterns — that raise knotty questions about data security and privacy.

Go deeper1 hour ago - Economy & Business