Dec 28, 2017

Roy Moore files complaint alleging electoral fraud in Senate race

Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images

Roy Moore officially filed a complaint yesterday alleging voter fraud in this month's Alabama special Senate election, per CNN. Moore also asked that a certification of the election results — confirming Democratic candidate Doug Jones as the winner — be delayed. Moore also claimed to have taken a polygraph test to confirm that he "did not know, nor had any sexual contact" with the multiple women who alleged that Moore pursued them as teenagers.

Why it matters: Moore's allegations, which claim that out-of-state voters had voted in the election and cites an election expert known for posting Seth Rich conspiracy theories, are quite similar in tone to President Trump's still-unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the 2016 presidential election.

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 58 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 1:30 p.m. ET: 20,412,501 — Total deaths: 744,649— Total recoveries: 12,629,465 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 1:30 p.m. ET: 5,163,509 — Total deaths: 164,994 — Total recoveries: 1,714,960 — Total tests: 63,252,257 — Map.
  3. Politics: Pelosi on state of coronavirus stimulus talks: "It's a chasm"
  4. Business: U.S. already feeling effects of ending unemployment benefits.
  5. Public health: America is flying blind on its coronavirus response.
  6. Education: Gallup: America's confidence in public school system jumps to highest level since 2004.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Orion Rummler
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Pelosi on state of coronavirus stimulus talks: "It's a chasm"

Democrats and the Trump administration remain "miles apart" on negotiations over a coronavirus stimulus deal, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Wednesday.

Driving the news, via Axios' Dion Rabouin: Congress' failure to renew enhanced unemployment measures for millions of Americans at the end of July is already affecting consumer spending patterns, holding down retail purchases and foot traffic, economists at Deutsche Bank say.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Barak Ravid
3 hours ago - World

U.S. threatens to veto UN peacekeeping in Lebanon over Hezbollah concerns

Peacekeepers with Lebanese troops in southern Lebanon. Photo: Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty

The Trump administration is threatening to veto a resolution to extend the UN's long-standing peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon if its mandate isn't changed, Israeli and U.S. officials tell me.

Why it matters: The U.S. is the main funder of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has an annual budget of $250 million. The veto threat is a tactical move, and part of a broader effort to put pressure on Iran and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow