Jul 18, 2017

Robby Mook, Matt Rhoades work to protect voting from cyberattack

AP

Robby Mook, Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign manager, and Matt Rhoades, Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign manager, are working together on a bipartisan Defending Digital Democracy (DDD) project, aimed at protecting voting from cyberattack.

The project, launched Tuesday by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, will include experts from the national security and technology communities, including Facebook and Google.

The mission: "identify and recommend strategies, tools, and technology to protect democratic processes and systems from cyber and information attacks ... concrete solutions to an urgent problem."

  • Running the project: Eric Rosenbach, co-director of the Belfer Center — a former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security, and then chief of staff to former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.
  • A quote from Mook: "Over the last two years, nearly every election on both sides of the Atlantic has been affected by foreign cyber attacks."
  • A quote from Rhoades: "Cyber attacks on campaigns and elections are a threat to our democracy and affect people of all political stripes."
  • One plan: "Providing election administrators, election infrastructure providers, and campaign organizations with practical 'playbooks' to improve their cybersecurity."
  • Two more big names: Marc Elias, a Democrat of Perkins Cole, and Ben Ginsberg, a Republican of Jones Day, two of the top election lawyers in the country, will advise the project.

Go deeper

Minneapolis unrest as hundreds protest death of George Floyd

Tear gas is fired as police clash with protesters demonstrating against the death of George Floyd outside the 3rd Precinct Police Precinct in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Tuesday. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Minneapolis police used tear gas during clashes with protesters demanding justice Tuesday night for George Floyd, an African American who died in police custody, according to multiple news reports.

Driving the news: The FBI is investigating Floyd's death after video emerged of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on his neck for several minutes, ignoring protests that he couldn't breathe. Hundreds of protesters attended the demonstration at the intersection where Floyd died, per the Guardian.

Go deeper (1 min. read)ArrowUpdated 34 mins ago - Politics & Policy

U.S. coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios. This graphic includes "probable deaths" that New York City began reporting on April 14.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced plans Tuesday to make wearing face coverings mandatory statewide for most people over the age of 10 when inside public places like retailers, on public transportation and government buildings. He announced the measure, effective Friday, as coronavirus case numbers increased to 39,342.

By the numbers: More than 98,900 people have died from COVID-19 and over 1.6 million have tested positive in the U.S. Over 384,900 Americans have recovered and more than 14.9 million tests have been conducted.

Go deeper (2 min. read)ArrowUpdated 46 mins ago - Health

World coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

Japan is preparing a second coronavirus stimulus package worth $1.1 trillion, or about 40% of the country's gross domestic product, Reuters first reported Tuesday night.

Zoom in: The new measure will be funded by government bonds and will include "a raft of loan guarantees and private sector contributions," per Bloomberg.

Go deeper (2 min. read)ArrowUpdated 1 hour ago - Health