Searching for smart, safe news you can TRUST?

Support safe, smart, REAL journalism. Sign up for our Axios AM & PM newsletters and get smarter, faster.

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Denver news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Des Moines news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Tampa Bay news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Charlotte news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

The takeaways from Spicer's first post-Flynn briefing

Carolyn Kaster / AP

The big message from Sean Spicer today: Flynn's departure was "not a legal issue, but a trust issue." Spicer said that Trump asked for Flynn's resignation last night, which is in conflict with reporting that said Flynn himself decided to resign. The highlights from today's Flynn-themed briefing...

  • The first day that Trump knew about Flynn: January 26th — after a briefing from the Department of Justice.
  • The reason for letting Flynn go: "The level of trust between the President and Gen. Flynn had eroded to the point where he had to make a change."
  • Flynn's chat was fine: Spicer said that Trump "absolutely" didn't direct Flynn to discuss sanctions with the Russian ambassador but at the same time "the president had no problem that he acted in accord with his job.
  • Just Russia?: Spicer refused to say if Trump's "eroding trust" in Flynn extended to other issues beyond Russia; he simply said that Trump gets briefed by a full team.
  • Mar-a-Lago dinner: Spicer confirmed there's a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) at Mar-a-Lago and said that the photos of Trump discussing North Korea at dinner were actually of him discussing press logistics.

Go deeper

Axios
4 mins ago - Politics & Policy

NRA files for bankruptcy, says it will reincorporate in Texas

Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association (NRA) speaks during CPAC in 2016. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The National Rifle Association said Friday it has filed for voluntary bankruptcy as part of a restructuring plan.

Driving the news: The gun rights group said it would reincorporate in Texas, calling New York, where it is currently registered, a "toxic political environment." Last year, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit to dissolve the NRA, alleging the group committed fraud by diverting roughly $64 million in charitable donations over three years to support reckless spending by its executives.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Hans Nichols, author of Sneak Peek
27 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Biden: "We will manage the hell out of" vaccine distribution

Joe Biden. Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

President-elect Joe Biden promised to invoke the Defense Production Act to increase vaccine manufacturing, as he outlined a five-point plan to administer 100 million COVID-19 vaccinations in the first months of his presidency.

Why it matters: With the Center for Disease Control and Prevention warning of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus, Biden is trying to establish how he’ll approach the pandemic differently than President Trump.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Ursula Perano
57 mins ago - Politics & Policy

A new Washington

Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Getty Image

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday that the city should expect a "new normal" for security — even after President-elect Biden's inauguration.

The state of play: Inaugurations are usually a point of celebration in D.C., but over 20,000 troops are now patrolling Washington streets in an unprecedented preparation for Biden's swearing-in on Jan. 20.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow