Feb 19, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Buttigieg invokes Stormy Daniels in swipe at Limbaugh and Trump

Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during a town hall event in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg addressed during a CNN town hall Tuesday conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh's claim that President Trump told him to "never apologize" for saying Americans wouldn't elect "a gay guy who kisses his husband on stage."

Details: Buttigieg, the first openly gay candidate to launch a major presidential campaign, defended himself following Limbaugh's remarks on his Monday show by reviving on stage in Las Vegas allegations by Trump's now-imprisoned former personal attorney Michael Cohen that the president directed him to pay hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump denies the claim.

What they're saying: Axios has contacted Limbaugh for comment. Per a recording of Limbaugh's show posted by the progressive research center Media Matters, he claimed that Trump called him about his comments and said: "Rush, I just got to tell you something. Never apologize, don't ever."

  • The White House declined to comment regarding whether or not Trump called Limbaugh.

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Axios
Updated 28 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 21,020,216 — Total deaths: 761,393— Total recoveries: 13,048,303 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 5,289,323 — Total deaths: 167,948 — Total recoveries: 1,774,648 — Total tests: 64,831,306 — Map.
  3. Health: CDC: Survivors of COVID-19 have up to three months of immunity —Fauci believes normalcy will return by "the end of 2021" with vaccine — The pandemic's toll on mental health.
  4. Business: How small businesses got stiffed — Unemployment starts moving in the right direction.
  5. Cities: Coronavirus pandemic dims NYC's annual 9/11 Tribute in Light.
  6. Politics: Biden signals fall strategy with new ads.
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Alexi McCammond
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Harris: "Women are going to be a priority" in Biden administration

Sen. Kamala Harris at an event in Wilmington, Del. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In her first sit-down interview since being named Joe Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris talked about what she'll do to fight for women if elected VP, and how the Democrats are thinking about voter turnout strategies ahead of November.

What they're saying: "In a Biden-Harris administration women are going to be a priority, understanding that women have many priorities and all of them must be acknowledged," Harris told The 19th*'s Errin Haines-Whack.

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Sara Fischer
2 hours ago - Technology

Facebook goes after Apple

Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios

Facebook is seeking to force a face-off with Apple over its 30% in-app purchase commission fee, which Facebook suggests hurts small businesses struggling to get by during the pandemic.

The big picture: Facebook has never publicly gone after Apple, a key strategic partner, this aggressively. Both companies face antitrust scrutiny, which in Apple's case has centered on the very fee structure Facebook is now attacking.

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