Nov 20, 2018

2. Report: Trump asked whether he could prosecute Comey and Clinton

Axios

Photos: Getty Images

President Trump has privately discussed investigating and prosecuting two of his most prominent political opponents, Hillary Clinton and James Comey, the New York Times' Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman report.

Details: Trump reportedly told former White House counsel Don McGahn this spring that he wanted to order the Justice Department to prosecute the two. After being told that his request could spark backlash as risky as impeachment, Trump continued to privately discuss investigating Clinton and Comey with a second special counsel.

Go deeper

Kendall Baker

The rematch of the century

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

The weekend's biggest sporting event is Wilder-Fury II, which despite its name is not an action movie sequel starring Jean-Claude Van Damme but, rather, a boxing match starring arguably the two best heavyweights in the world.

The backdrop: In their first meeting in December 2018, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury put on a memorable show at Staples Center, with Fury surviving a brutal right hand in the 12th round to earn a split-decision draw.

Go deeperArrow3 mins ago - Sports
Dave Lawler

Pro-Trump warrior takes the helm of U.S. intelligence

Richard Grenell in Berlin. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

By picking Ambassador Richard Grenell to be acting director of national intelligence, President Trump has slotted a pro-Trump warrior into the ultimate apolitical role.

What they're saying: James Clapper, the longest-serving DNI (2010-2017), tells Axios it's "very worrisome installing a partisan with no real intelligence experience in this position."

Go deeperArrow59 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Axios

Coronavirus kills 2 Diamond Princess passengers as Israel confirms first case

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. U.S. numbers include Americans extracted from Princess Cruise ship.

Two elderly Diamond Princess passengers have been killed by the novel coronavirus — the first deaths confirmed among the more than 600 infected aboard the cruise ship — as Israel confirmed its first case among evacuees from the ship.

The big picture: COVID-19 has now killed more than 2,200 people and infected over 76,000 others, mostly in mainland China, where the National Health Commission announced 118 new deaths since Thursday.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 59 mins ago - Health