Apr 19, 2017

Trump and The Patriots — they have history

Gregory Payan/Evan Agostini/Invision/Winslow Townson/AP

The New England Patriots' trip to the White House today is far from the beginning of the relationship between the Super Bowl champs and Donald Trump.

Coach Bill Belichick wrote a letter to then candidate Trump congratulating him on his campaign, which Trump later read out loud at a rally in New Hampshire. Belichick said he wrote the letter based on a longtime friendship, not politics.

QB Tom Brady was questioned in 2016 when a Make America Great hat was found in his locker, and Trump later credited Brady's support for his Massachusetts primary win. Brady, who never formally endorsed Trump, said they'd been friends since 2002 when he judged a Miss USA pageant.

Owner Robert Kraft contributed $1 million to Trump's inauguration this year. The two became friends when Trump invited Kraft to play golf 20 years ago. Kraft says his loyalty dates back to 2011 when his wife died. Trump attended her funeral and called Kraft once a week for the next year.

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Axios

Updated 29 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 10,920,457 — Total deaths: 522,385 — Total recoveries — 5,789,032 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 2,753,754 — Total deaths: 128,871 — Total recoveries: 781,970 — Total tested: 33,462,181 — Map.
Public health: The states where face coverings are mandatory — Fauci says it has been a "very disturbing week" for the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S.
Business: Top business leaders urge the White House to develop mandatory mask guidelines.
Economy: The economy may recover just quickly enough to kill political interest in more stimulus.
States: Florida reports more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases, and its most-infected county issues curfew.

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Rashaan Ayesh

1 hour ago - Sports

Washington Redskins to review team name amid public pressure

Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The Washington Redskins have announced they will be conducting a review of the team's name after mounting pressure from the public and corporate sponsors.

Why it matters: This review is the first formal step the Redskins are taking since the debate surrounding the name first began. It comes after weeks of discussions between the team and the NFL, the team said.

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Dan Primack

2 hours ago - Economy & Business

Scoop: Instacart raises another $100 million

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Visuals

Grocery delivery company Instacart has raised $100 million in new funding, on top of the $225 million it announced last month, the company tells Axios. This brings its valuation to $13.8 billion.

Why it matters: This funding comes at what could be an inflection point for Instacart, as customers it acquired during coronavirus lockdowns decide whether they want to continue with the service or resume in-person grocery shopping.