Jan 21, 2018

Pence blames Dems for shutdown in speech to troops

Axios

Pence addresses troops based in Jordan. Photo: screengrab via MSNBC

Vice President Mike Pence, currently on a Middle East tour, praised President Trump effusively in a notably partisan speech to troops in Jordan. He also issued blame over the government shutdown:

"I'm sure you're all aware of what's going on in Washington D.C. Despite bipartisan support for a budget resolution, a minority in the Senate has decided to play politics with military pay. But you deserve better.... so know this: your president, your vice president and the American people are not going to put up with it. We're going to demand that they re-open the government, in fact we're not going to re-open negotiations on illegal immigration until they re-open the government..."

Worth noting: Addresses to the troops in the Trump administration have consistently been overtly political, something that used to be unusual.

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Rebecca Falconer, Orion Rummler, Marisa Fernandez

U.S. coronavirus updates: New York reports record 630 deaths in 24 hours

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

New York reported 630 new deaths in 24 hours, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday — an "all-time increase" that beat the previous day's record of 562 deaths in 24 hours.

The big picture: As expected, COVID-19 death tolls are rising in the U.S., killing more than 7,800 people in total, and over 1,000 in 24 hours alone. The CDC is recommending Americans wear face coverings in public to help stop the spread, marking a significant change in messaging from the Trump administration.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 6 mins ago - Health
Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 1,159,515 — Total deaths: 62,376 — Total recoveries: 237,436 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 290,606 — Total deaths: 7,826 — Total recoveries: 9,853 — Map.
  3. Public health latest: CDC recommends face coverings in public. Federal government will cover costs of COVID-19 treatment for uninsured.
  4. 2020 latest: "I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting," President Trump said of the 2020 election, as more states hold primaries by mail.
  5. Business updates: America's small business bailout off to bad start. DOT urges airlines to refund passengers due to canceled or rescheduled flights.
  6. Oil latest: Pivotal Monday meeting among oil-producing countries to discuss supply curbs is reportedly being delayed amid tensions between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
  7. Education update: Many college-age students won't get coronavirus relief checks.
  8. 1 🏀 thing: The WNBA postpones start of training camps and season.
  9. What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  10. 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 21 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Orion Rummler

NYT: Nearly 40k flew to U.S. from China after Trump's coronavirus travel ban

Air China employees at LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal on Feb. 2 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: David McNew/Getty Images

Nearly 40,000 Americans and authorized travelers have come into the U.S. from China since President Trump imposed travel restrictions more than two months ago, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: Trump has suggested that his action to ban foreigners from entering the U.S. if they were in China before early February has contributed to lower COVID-19 cases and fatalities in the U.S.

Go deeperArrow32 mins ago - Health