Dec 19, 2018

McConnell to introduce short-term spending bill to avoid shutdown

Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will introduce a short-term funding bill that, if passed, will keep the government running through Feb. 8.

Why it matters: It's unclear when votes will occur, but lawmakers have until Friday to reach a deal. McConnell said yesterday that he has been "in consultation" with the White House, and is confident there will not be a government shutdown despite President Trump's demands for $5 billion in funding for the border wall.

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Dave Lawler

Pro-Trump warrior takes the helm of U.S. intelligence

Richard Grenell in Berlin. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

By picking Ambassador Richard Grenell to be acting director of national intelligence, President Trump has slotted a pro-Trump warrior into the ultimate apolitical role.

What they're saying: James Clapper, the longest-serving DNI (2010-2017), tells Axios it's "very worrisome installing a partisan with no real intelligence experience in this position."

Go deeper48 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Axios

Coronavirus kills 2 Diamond Princess passengers as Israel confirms first case

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. U.S. numbers include Americans extracted from Princess Cruise ship.

Two elderly Diamond Princess passengers have been killed by the novel coronavirus — the first deaths confirmed among the more than 600 infected aboard the cruise ship — as Israel confirmed its first case among evacuees from the ship.

The big picture: COVID-19 has now killed more than 2,200 people and infected over 76,000 others, mostly in mainland China, where the National Health Commission announced 118 new deaths since Thursday.

Go deeperUpdated 48 mins ago - Health

Courtenay Brown

California's "woman quota" law seems to be working

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

When California passed its boardroom law requiring public companies based there to have at least one female director, there were concerns it would spark a gold rush for the same handful of well-known women — but that hasn’t happened.

Why it matters: Of the 138 women who joined all-male California boards last year, 62% are serving on their first company board, per a study by accounting firm KPMG. That means a majority of companies aren't contributing to so-called overboarding in corporate America.

Go deeper1 hour ago - Economy & Business