Dec 4, 2017 - Politics & Policy

Trump encourages Sen. Hatch to seek reelection

President Trump stands with Sen. Orrin Hatch after arriving in Salt Lake City. Photo: Evan Vucci / AP

President Trump told reporters in Utah Monday that he is encouraging Sen. Orrin Hatch to run for reelection. His endorsement of the 83-year-old follows a Politico report that Trump is "going all out" to persuade Hatch to run in order to avoid any chance of Mitt Romney taking his place.

Why it matters: Senior administration officials told Politico that Trump values the bond he has with Hatch, who has been a loyal defender of the president. Romney sharply criticized Trump during the 2016 campaign, calling him a "phony" and "a fraud," and would likely butt heads with the president if elected to the Senate.

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Rebecca Falconer, Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Updated 35 mins ago - Science

Gulf Coast braces for Zeta after storm strengthens into hurricane

Hurricane Zeta's forecast path. Photo: National Hurricane Center

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) declared a state of emergency Monday as Zeta strengthened into a hurricane and threatened Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as it moved towards the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The state of play: Zeta was expected to make landfall on the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula Monday night, bringing with it a "dangerous storm surge" and "heavy rainfall" as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Service said.

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Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Politics: The swing states where the pandemic is raging — Pence no longer expected to attend Barrett confirmation vote after COVID exposure.
  2. Health: 13 states set single-day case records last week
  3. Business: Where stimulus is needed most.
  4. Education: The dangerous instability of school re-openings.
  5. World: Restrictions grow across Europe.
  6. Media: Fox News president and several hosts advised to quarantine.
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Stef W. Kight, Rebecca Falconer
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Supreme Court rejects request to extend Wisconsin absentee ballot deadline

Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The Supreme Court in a 5-3 decision Monday rejected an effort by Wisconsin Democrats and civil rights groups to extend the state's deadline for counting absentee ballots to six days after Election Day, as long as they were postmarked by Nov. 3.

Why it matters: All ballots must now be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day in Wisconsin, a critical swing state in the presidential election.

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