Aug 15, 2017

Trump-backed and Trumpian candidates face off in Alabama

Erica Pandey

Olivier Matthys / AP

Alabama Republicans will cast votes for their Senate nominee today. If no candidate takes 50% of the vote, there will be a runoff election on Sept. 26 — a likely outcome. The choice is between a candidate that has the support of the president and one of two opposers who echo Trump's populist message.

  • Luther Strange, the incumbent, was appointed after Sen. Jeff Sessions became attorney general. Strange has the support of President Trump and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose allies have funneled millions of ad dollars into his campaign.
  • Roy Moore, the front-runner, is a former Alabama chief justice. His campaign strategy most closely aligns with Trump's, with ads that promise he'll "drain the swamp."
  • Rep. Mo Brooks, the anti-McConnell candidate, echoes Moore's anti-establishment message. His ad addresses Trump directly: "Mr. President, isn't it time we tell McConnell and Strange, 'You're fired?'"

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 11:30 p.m. ET: 1,347,803 — Total deaths: 74,807 — Total recoveries: 277,402 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 11:30 p.m. ET: 368,196 — Total deaths: 10,986 — Total recoveries: 19,828 — Map.
  3. Trump administration latest: President Trump's economic adviser Peter Navarro warned White House colleagues in late January the coronavirus could take over half a million American lives and cost close to $6 trillion, memos obtained by Axios show.
  4. 2020 update: Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks governor's attempt to delay in-person primary voting delayed until June.
  5. States latest: West Coast states send ventilators to New York and other states with more immediate need — Data suggest coronavirus curve may be flattening in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
  6. World update: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to intensive care as coronavirus symptoms worsen.
  7. Stocks latest: The S&P 500 closed up 7% on Monday, while the Dow rose more than 1,500 points.
  8. What should I do? Pets, moving and personal health. Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
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Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 39 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Jonathan Swan, Margaret Talev

Docs: Navarro memos warning mass death circulated West Wing in January

Image from a memo to President Trump

In late January, President Trump's economic adviser Peter Navarro warned his White House colleagues the novel coronavirus could take more than half a million American lives and cost close to $6 trillion, according to memos obtained by Axios.

  • By late February, Navarro was even more alarmed, and he warned his colleagues, in another memo, that up to two million Americans could die of the virus.

Driving the news: Navarro's grim estimates are set out in two memos — one dated Jan. 29 and addressed to the National Security Council, the other dated Feb. 23 and addressed to the president. The NSC circulated both memos around the White House and multiple agencies.

Go deeperArrow1 hour ago - Health
Axios

Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks governor from delaying state's primary

Tony Evers. Photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

Wisconsin's Supreme Court on Monday blocked an executive order by Gov. Tony Evers (D) that attempted to delay in-person voting for the state's primary election — currently scheduled for Tuesday — until June 9.

Driving the news: Judges ruled 4-2 along ideological lines that Evers does not have the power as governor to unilaterally postpone the election, despite the fact that the state has a stay-at-home order in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 1 hour ago - Health