May 9, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Obama raises alarm that "rule of law is at risk" after DOJ drops prosecution of Michael Flynn

Obama speaks at an Obama Foundation event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December 2019. Photo: Zahim Mohd/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Former President Barack Obama is concerned that the "basic understanding of the rule of law is at risk" due to the Justice Department dropping charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn, he said in a private phone call with former members of his administration obtained by Yahoo News.

Driving the news: Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Friday accused Attorney General Bill Barr of doing President Trump's "political bidding" by interfering in criminal cases, including the DOJ's prosecution of Flynn.

  • House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) said he plans to schedule a hearing with Barr "as soon as possible" in response to the decision.

What he's saying: "The news over the last 24 hours I think has been somewhat downplayed — about the Justice Department dropping charges against Michael Flynn," Obama told members of the Obama Alumni Association, per an audio recording from Yahoo News.

  • “And the fact that there is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free. That’s the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic, not just institutional norms, but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk. And when you start moving in those directions, it can accelerate pretty quickly as we’ve seen in other places."
  • Obama also said he was invested in the 2020 presidential election, telling former administration members "we got to make this happen."

Our thought bubble, via Axios' Margaret Talev: This is another sign of Obama's personal engagement in the 2020 election to help former Vice President Joe Biden.

Flashback: Obama reportedly warned Trump against hiring Flynn to his national security team shortly after the 2016 election, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other outlets reported in 2017, citing former Obama administration officials.

Representatives for Obama and for the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Go deeper

Courtenay Brown
7 mins ago - Economy & Business

Unemployment rate falls to 13.3% in May

Photo: Steve Jennings/Getty Images

The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 13.3% in May, with 2.5 million jobs gained, the government said on Friday.

Why it matters: The far better-than-expected numbers show improvements in a job market devastated by the coronavirus pandemic as economies reopen, the government said.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Dion Rabouin
38 mins ago - Economy & Business

The difficulty of calculating the real unemployment rate

Data: U.S. Department of Labor; Note: Initial traditional state claims from the weeks of May 23 and 30, continuing traditional claims from May 23. Initial PUA claims from May 16, 23, and 30, continuing PUA and other programs from May 16; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

While economists predict that today's nonfarm payrolls report will show around 20 million Americans were unemployed in May, it's likely the real number is close to double that.

Why it matters: Traditional economic reports have failed to keep up with the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic and have made it nearly impossible for researchers to determine the state of the U.S. labor market or the economy.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Kendall Baker
1 hour ago - Sports

How coronavirus could reshuffle the sports calendar

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

The NBA's Board of Governors approved Thursday the league's 22-team plan to resume play at Walt Disney World — a plan that also includes tentative dates for both this season and next.

Why it matters: The league's proposed trip to Disney World not only impacts this season but could have a domino effect that impacts seasons in the future — and could permanently change what time of year the NBA plays its games.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow