⚡ Bulletin: 32 people were killed, and 190 were injured, in a stampede today at the funeral procession for Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in his hometown of Kerman, state TV reported. (AP)
⚡ Bulletin: 32 people were killed, and 190 were injured, in a stampede today at the funeral procession for Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in his hometown of Kerman, state TV reported. (AP)
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
In 2020, Boeing and SpaceX will push to launch astronauts to orbit for NASA after years of delays, in an attempt to end U.S. reliance on Russian rockets for rides to the International Space Station, Axios' Miriam Kramer writes.
Here's what else we're watching as the U.S. tries to solidify 21st century dominance in space:
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Amid a media frenzy over a letter appearing to reveal U.S. plans to withdraw from Iraq, Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters that no such decision has been made, Axios' Dave Lawler and Zach Basu report.
D'oh! ... Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters: "That letter is a draft, it was a mistake, it was unsigned, it should not have been released … poorly worded, implies withdrawal, that is not what’s happening."
💭 Our thought bubble: The fact that there was an Arabic translation on DoD letterhead (shown above) makes it clear this was no casual draft.
Andrew Kolodny of Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management, medical director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, tweeted this memorable graph about the U.S. opioid epidemic.
Ice rainbows appear through ice fog at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska.
Key Senate Republicans refused to provide clear answers on whether John Bolton, President Trump's former national security adviser, should be subpoenaed to testify at an impeachment trial, Axios' Alayna Treene reports.
A big question heading into this week is whether rebel Republican senators might join Democratic demands for witnesses.
Among the noncommittal Rs: Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Joni Ernst (Iowa).
Bonus: House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), spotted in the Senate basement yesterday afternoon, wouldn't say whether the House will subpoena Bolton, and put the onus on the Senate.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
New research confirms what economists have said for years: State and local economic incentives for megacompanies are a waste of money, Axios Markets editor Dion Rabouin reports.
The study found that a quarter of all business tax incentives go to a very small group — less than .01% of firms that opened new locations in 2014.
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Photo: ATTN:
Former First Lady Michelle Obama is partnering with the digital media company ATTN: to launch a video series on IGTV, Instagram's video platform, Axios' Sara Fischer scoops.
The new show will be produced by ATTN:, a media company that focuses on millennial video, in partnership with Reach Higher, an initiative founded by Obama during her time in the White House to inspire and support students to pursue higher education.
Between the lines: The hope for Reach Higher is that the series will inspire other freshmen.
Conservative powerhouse Leonard Leo tells Axios that he'll step aside from the daily running of the Federalist Society to focus on a new venture — inspired by Arabella Advisors on the left — that will funnel big money and expertise across the conservative movement, Jonathan Swan and Alayna Treene report.
One of the first projects will be a "minimum of $10 million issue advocacy campaign focusing on judges in the 2020 cycle," Leo told Axios.
Behind the scenes: Leo told Axios that he and his business partner, conservative communications executive Greg Mueller, studied tax filings that led them to Arabella, a little-known yet powerful consulting firm that advises liberal donors and nonprofits about where to spend money.
CRC Advisors will evolve out of Mueller’s existing conservative communications firm, CRC Strategies.
Smoke billows from wildfires burning in East Gippsland, Victoria:
This weekend's NFL wild-card playoff games were the most watched postseason opening weekend in four years, AP reports.
Seattle's 17-9 victory over Philadelphia on NBC, the weekend's final game, drew 35.8 million — TV's most-watched show since last year's Super Bowl.
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