Jan 15, 2020

Michael Flynn seeks to formally withdraw his guilty plea

Michael Flynn. Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn filed court papers on Tuesday to withdraw his guilty plea related to allegedly lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S.

Why now: The move comes only one week after the Justice Department shifted its position on his punishment, recommending he serve up to six months in prison, and comes days before his Jan. 28 sentencing.

Why it matters: Flynn was the first Trump associate to face charges in the Mueller investigation, pleading guilty to the FBI in Dec. 2017.

He now says he deserved to withdraw his plea because of the government's "bad faith, vindictiveness, and breach of the plea agreement."

Read Flynn's appeal here:

Go deeper: Prosecutors recommend Michael Flynn serve up to 6 months in prison

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Orion Rummler

9 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Zuckerberg says Trump’s “shooting” tweet didn’t violate Facebook’s rules

Mark Zuckerberg at the 56th Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany on February 15. Photo: Abdulhamid Hosbas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Facebook did not remove President Trump's threat to send the National Guard to Minneapolis because the company's policy on inciting violence allows discussion on state use of force, CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained in a post on Friday.

The big picture: Zuckerberg's statement comes on the heels of leaked internal criticism from Facebook employees over how the company handled Trump's posts about the Minneapolis protests and his unsubstantiated claims on mail-in ballots — both of which Twitter has now taken action on.

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Axios

Updated 28 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7:30 p.m. ET: 5,916,464— Total deaths: 364,357 — Total recoveries — 2,468,634 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7:30 p.m. ET: 1,744,258 — Total deaths: 102,709 — Total recoveries: 406,446 — Total tested: 16,099,515 — Map.
Public health: Hydroxychloroquine prescription fills exploded in March —How the U.S. might distribute a vaccine.
2020: North Carolina asks RNC if convention will honor Trump's wish for no masks or social distancing.
Business: Fed chair Powell says coronavirus is "great increaser" of income inequality.
1 sports thing: NCAA outlines plan to get athletes back to campus.

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Orion Rummler

3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump says he spoke with George Floyd's family

President Trump in the Rose Garden on May 29. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump told reporters on Friday that he had spoken with the family of George Floyd, a black resident of Minneapolis who died after a police officer knelt on his neck on Monday.

Driving the news: Former Vice President Joe Biden said via livestream a few hours earlier that he, too, had spoken with Floyd's family. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee implored white Americans to consider systemic injustices against African Americans more broadly, Axios' Alexi McCammond reports.

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