2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on Thursday unveiled 27 new policy proposals grouped under 3 categories: "Freedom," "Security" and "Democracy."
Why it matters: Buttigieg's rapid ascent in the Democratic primary field has attracted significant media attention, with his popularity largely buoyed by his unique backstory as a gay, veteran millennial. However, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend has also garnered criticism for lacking specific policy stances — especially in comparison to candidates like Sen. Elizabeth Warren who many view as leading the policy debate.
Ukraine's prosecutor general told Bloomberg Thursday that he has no evidence of wrongdoing by former Vice President Joe Biden or his son Hunter Biden, following allegations by President Trump's lawyer of conflicts of interest related to Hunter's work with a Ukrainian energy company.
The backdrop: Giuliani and and other allies have been championing a narrative that Biden improperly tried to influence foreign politics by threatening to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees from Ukraine if the government didn't oust former prosecutor general Viktor Shokin — who was allegedly investigating a company with ties to his son. After boasting to the New York Times that he would travel to Ukraine to ask officials to investigate Biden, ethical blowback forced Giuliani to cancel his trip
President Trump reported making at least $434 million in gross income from his properties and business in the second full year of his presidency, according to his 2018 financial disclosure form released by the Office of Government Ethics.
Quick take: Gross income at Trump's D.C. golf club was up $500,000 to about $13.3 million, while his D.C. hotel made about $40.8 million. Trump National Doral Miami resort, the flagship property and biggest moneymaker for the Trump Organization, made $75 million — down from almost $116 million in 2016. Mar-a-lago brought in $22 million, down from $37 million two years ago. Trump also took out a loan from Professional Bank of between $5 million and $25 million to finance a mansion property next door to Mar-a-lago, which was reportedly purchased by his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr.
Dan and Axios' Sara Fischer dig into why the White House didn't join global call to curb terrorist and other extremist online content, instead launching a solo effort focused on political bias.
President Trump attacked fellow New Yorker Bill de Blasio in a Thursday tweet shortly after the New York City mayor announced his 2020 presidential campaign.
"The Dems are getting another beauty to join their group. Bill de Blasio of NYC, considered the worst mayor in the U.S., will supposedly be making an announcement for president today. He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, he’s your man. NYC HATES HIM!"
The big picture: As the 24th person to join the crowded Democratic field, de Blasio made his experience taking on Trump over the years a centerpiece of his campaign launch video.
Bill de Blasio kicked off of his 2020 presidential campaign on Thursday, making the New York City mayor the 24th person to join the crowded Democratic field.
Why it matters: Pennsylvania, one of the nation's hottest battlegrounds, is key to Biden's plans to beat President Trump in 2020. Born in Scranton — 120 miles north — he's likely to highlight his personal connection to the state. The former vice president will hold his official campaign kickoff rally in Philadelphia this weekend, weeks after he took part in a big-money fundraiser there on the day his campaign launched.
While world leaders joined with tech companies to sign a pact to combat terrorists and extremists online, the Trump White House broke from the agreement and offered its own tool Wednesday for countering what it sees as censorship by tech platforms.
Why it matters: The move is a signal that the White House is looking to step up its fight against Silicon Valley companies over accusations of bias rather than work with them and its allies to reduce online threats.
Joe Biden is trying to snuff out his Democratic competitors before the race really gets going.
Why it matters: By all accounts, Biden's strategy is working — even though his campaign isn't even a month old. And others are noticing and feeling threatened.
Across all congressional races in the 2018 midterms, health care was overwhelmingly the top issue that Democrats referenced in their digital and TV advertising, according to data from Advertising Analytics, a firm that specializes in media ad spending and real time political ad detection.
Reproduced from Advertising Analytics; Chart: Axios Visuals
Why it matters: In addition to knocking off an incumbent in the White House, Democrats are facing an uphill battle to win the Senate and a very real possibility of losing their House majority. While several themes are emerging for what could be key themes of the party's 2020 platform, candidates have yet to rally around a single down-ballot issue that could turn voters out in droves like health care did in 2020.
Democratic 2020 hopeful Andrew Yang pitched himself as the top presidential pick for the crypto community at the Consensus conference in New York Wednesday.
What he's saying: "[B]lockchain needs to be a big part of our future," Yang said during a keynote address, according to Fortune. "If I'm in the White House, oh boy are we going to have some fun in terms of the crypto currency community."
During a presidential campaign stop, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said she disagrees with former Vice President Joe Biden that the 1994 crime bill didn't contribute to mass incarceration, reports Reuters.
“That 1994 crime bill, it did contribute to mass incarceration in our country. It encouraged and was the first time that we had a federal three strikes law. It funded the building of more prisons in the states. And so I disagree, sadly."
President Trump issued pardons for ex-media mogul Conrad Black and former California politician Patrick Nolan on Wednesday evening.
Catch up quick: Black, a Canadian-born publisher was found guilty of 4 counts of fraud in 2007 for plotting to steal millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers owned by Hollinger Inc., where he was CEO and chairman. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison, and served more than 3, later deported from the U.S. His media empire once included the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Jerusalem Post and other papers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Last year, Black published a book titled "Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other."
The Trump administration is sending hundreds of Transportation Security Administration employees to the U.S.-Mexico border to help with the flow of migrants who are crossing, reports AP.
Why it matters: Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan told a group of border personnel over the weekend: “We’re going to put all DHS hands on deck ... You’re going to see more HSI, you’re going to see more TSA, you’re going to see Coast Guard team of secret service. We’re going to send all available professionals down here to help manage this problem,” Axios' Stef Kight reports.
Political and national leaders quickly criticized Alabama's newly passed abortion ban after it passed on Wednesday, including 2020 presidential candidates and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who said the legislation is "so extreme" that she can't foresee the courts upholding it.
What's new: RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said she "personally opposes" the new law on Friday, Politico reports. She emphasized that she would preserve exemptions to allow abortion in cases of incest and rape, which the new law does not.
