Jan 2, 2018

Michele Bachmann mulls run for Al Franken's Senate seat

Khorri Atkinson

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Former Minnesota congresswoman and 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said she is considering a run for Al Franken's Senate seat.

Background: Franken is officially resigning from Congress on Tuesday following a string of sexual misconduct allegations, with Minnesota's Democratic Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to take over the seat on Wednesday. Smith plans to run for the remaining two years of Franken's term in a special election in November.

Bachmann told televangelist Jim Bakker last week that she has received calls about the race and is praying on whether to return to Washington at a time when "the swamp is so toxic."

Key quote: "There's also a price you pay and the price is bigger than ever because the swamp is so toxic ... My husband and I aren't money people. And that's the thing."

Go deeper: Every allegation against Al Franken

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Amy Harder

Coronavirus prompting historic drop in air travel and jet fuel demand

Air travel — and the jet fuel powering it — are plummeting alongside most other parts of our modern economy as vast swaths of the world shut down to fight the coronavirus.

Go deeperArrow15 mins ago - Health
Courtenay Brown

Fed temporarily lifts Wells Fargo's growth restrictions

Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday it will temporarily lift Wells Fargo’s growth restriction put in place following the bank’s customer abuse scandals.

Why it matters: One of the nation's biggest lenders said the Fed's asset cap prevented it from lending more to struggling small businesses as part of the government's aid package. Now Wells Fargo says it will reopen its application process and lend to a broader set of business owners.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 25 mins ago - Economy & Business
Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 1,464,852 — Total deaths: 85,397 — Total recoveries: 315,105 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 402,923 — Total deaths: 13,007 — Total recoveries: 22,717 — Map.
  3. State latest: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order for New Yorkers to vote by absentee ballot for June 23 primaries.
  4. Federal government latest: The U.S. has begun to see "glimmers of hope" despite its highest recorded number of deaths in 24 hours, Dr. Anthony Fauci said.
  5. Business updates: Roughly one-third of U.S. apartment renters didn't make April payments — The Fed will lift Wells Fargo's asset cap to help small business lending.
  6. 🎧 Podcast: The battle over billionaire coronavirus saviors
  7. What should I do? Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 37 mins ago - Politics & Policy