Jan 27, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Where Republicans stand on protecting Mueller from Trump

Photo: Drew Angerer / Getty Images

Since Thursday's New York Times report revealed President Trump had at one point thought about firing special counsel Robert Mueller, Republicans have taken varied stances on what to do if that were to happen.

Why it matters: This was a concern for Republicans for a long time, and the Times report confirmed their worries. Now Sen. Chuck Grassley says he may support legislation protecting Mueller, while Sen. Thom Tillis is backing off legislation he once supported to do just that.

In a CNN interview, Grassley said Trump should let the counsel's investigation "work its course," and that he's "surely open to considering" bills that would protect Mueller and any future special counsels from administrations.
On the other hand, the Daily Beast reports that Tillis "has largely abandoned" the bipartisan legislation he once supported that would have protected Mueller. Per the Beast, he "still supports the bill" but doesn't consider it urgent "since Trump says he doesn't plan to fire Mueller."

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Updated 4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 12,009,301 — Total deaths: 548,799 — Total recoveries — 6,561,969 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 3,053,328 — Total deaths: 132,256 — Total recoveries: 953,420 — Total tested: 37,532,612 — Map.
Public health: Houston mayor cancels Republican convention over coronavirus concerns — Deaths are rising in hotspots — Déjà vu sets in as testing issues rise and PPE dwindles.
Travel: United warns employees it may furlough 45% of U.S. workforce — How the pandemic changed mobility habits, by state.
Education: New York City schools will not fully reopen in fall — Harvard and MIT sue Trump administration over rule barring foreign students from online classes.
🎧 Podcast: A misinformation "infodemic" is here.

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7 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

Photo: Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

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9 hours ago - Health

Fighting the coronavirus infodemic

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

An "infodemic" of misinformation and disinformation has helped cripple the response to the novel coronavirus.

Why it matters: High-powered social media accelerates the spread of lies and political polarization that motivates people to believe them. Unless the public health sphere can effectively counter misinformation, not even an effective vaccine may be enough to end the pandemic.

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