Dec 9, 2017

Obama invokes Nazi Germany in warning about U.S. democracy

Former U.S. President Barack Obama address the participants at a summit on climate change. Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

Former President Barack Obama warned a crowd at the Economic Club in Chicago this week that Nazi Germany provides an example of what happens if citizens fail to “tend to this garden of democracy," per the Associated Press. “Things can fall apart fairly quickly," he said.

He also spoke on the importace of the media, saying the press often irritated him but is "vital to democracy," the AP reports. President Trump expressed starkly different views in his rally in Florida Friday night.

Go deeper

Dan Primack

8 mins ago - Economy & Business

The business of tear gas

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

U.S. forces yesterday used tear gas on peaceful protesters outside the White House gates, prior to a declared curfew, clearing a path for President Trump to visit a riot-damaged church for a photo opportunity.

The state of play: Two of the largest U.S. producers of tear gas are owned by private equity firms, but those firms have no interest in discussing their ownership.

Go deeper (1 min. read)

Dan Primack

17 mins ago - Economy & Business

Cerebus sells control of Steward Health Care back to company

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Cerberus Capital Management has agreed to sell control of community hospital group Steward Health Care back to the company, as first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by Axios.

Why it matters: This would make Steward one of the country's largest physician-owned and operated companies. It also marks the end of a 10-year ownership period for Cerberus, which was most recently marked by threats to shutter a Pennsylvania hospital in March, despite the pandemic, if the facility didn't receive state bailout funds.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)

Sara Fischer

20 mins ago - Economy & Business

Exclusive: Washington Post makes major move into local news

People entering the Washington Post building in D.C. in 2019. Photo: Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images

The Washington Post has signed all 30 of McClatchy's local news outlets to its Zeus Performance product, a software that gives sites better speed, ad view-ability and performance, executives tell Axios.

Why it matters: By adding more local news outlets, The Post can start to build a local news ecosystem within its tech stack.

Go deeper (1 min. read)