May 30, 2019

Roy Moore defends potential 2020 Senate run after Trump pushback

Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Roy Moore pushed back against President Trump's warning to not make another bid for the Senate next year, telling Politico Wednesday that the president "doesn't control who votes for the United States Senate in Alabama."

The backdrop: The former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice fell to Democratic Sen. Doug Jones in a 2017 special election following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. After Moore announced that he is eyeing another run, Trump, despite having previously campaigned on Moore's behalf, tweeted earlier this week that he "cannot win" and that "the consequences will be devastating."

Between the lines: GOP power players are worried about another Moore run as Jones is one of the most vulnerable incumbent senators — and they fear once again losing control of the seat for another six years in 2020.

What's next: Moore says he plans to make a decision about his run in the next few weeks.

Flashback to 2017: How the Republican Party came back to Roy Moore

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Margaret Talev, Alexi McCammond

Sign of the times: A pro-Warren super PAC

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren at a rally in Nevada. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

A group of women progressives who back Sen. Elizabeth Warren has formed Persist PAC, a super PAC airing pro-Warren ads starting Wednesday in an effort to boost her performance ahead of Saturday's crucial Nevada caucuses, a spokesman told Axios.

Why it matters: Warren has spoken adamantly against the influence of unlimited spending and dark money in politics. But these supporters have concluded that before Warren can reform the system, she must win under the rules that exist — and that whether she likes it or not, their uncoordinated help may be needed to keep her viable through this weekend's contest and into South Carolina and Super Tuesday.

Go deeperUpdated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Fadel Allassan

Pentagon policy chief resigns amid reported discord with Trump

John Rood. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

John Rood, the Pentagon's top policy official, will resign from his post on Feb. 28, CNN first reported and President Trump confirmed.

The state of play: CNN said Rood "was perceived as not embracing some of the changes in policy the White House and senior Pentagon officials wanted," such as peace talks in Afghanistan with the Taliban and a decision to cut back on military exercises with South Korea as the president courted North Korea's Kim Jong-un.

Go deeper1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Axios

Coronavirus cases rise, as warnings of global pandemic grow

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's NHC; Note: China refers to mainland China and the Diamond Princess is the cruise ship offshore Yokohama, Japan. Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios

We may be "at the brink" of a global pandemic, warns a top U.S. public health official, as cases continue to spread despite containment efforts. Meanwhile, the global economy is being affected, including the tech manufacturing industry.

The big picture: COVID-19 has now killed more than 2,000 people and infected over 75,000 others, mostly in mainland China, where the National Health Commission announced 136 new deaths since Tuesday.

Go deeperUpdated 2 hours ago - Health