Oct 7, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Trump tags FDA chief in "political hit job" complaint over vaccine rule

President Trump and Stephen Hahn. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Trump on Tuesday tagged the FDA commissioner he appointed, Stephen Hahn, in a Twitter post complaining of "another political hit job" because of the agency's plans to raise the standards for a coronavirus vaccine emergency authorization.

Why it matters: Trump has faced allegations of politicizing his administration's coronavirus response, amid increasing public skepticism about an eventual vaccine.

  • Barely two in 10 Americans say they would take a first-generation coronavirus vaccine if Trump told them it was safe, an Axios-Ipsos poll out late September.

What he's saying: "New FDA Rules make it more difficult for them to speed up vaccines for approval before Election Day. Just another political hit job! @SteveFDA"

Flashback: President Trump and his trade adviser, Peter Navarro, have previously accused the FDA of being part of "the deep state" and delaying coronavirus treatments and vaccines for political reasons.

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Kyle Daly, Ina Fried
Oct 23, 2020 - Technology

Tech is learning that everything is politics

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

It's one political minefield after another for tech companies this year as the industry faces a rash of concerns including antitrust pressure, rampant misinformation and a pre-election tightening of screws from the Trump administration.

Why it matters: For much of Silicon Valley, politics has, over the past decade, gone from a non-consideration to a nagging occasional distraction to an all-consuming force that threatens some companies' very existence. New products and features, meanwhile, have gone from being all the buzz to largely an afterthought.

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Dave Lawler, author of World
10 mins ago - World

U.S.-brokered ceasefire collapses in Nagorno-Karabakh

Volunteer fighters in Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh. Photo: Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh crumbled within hours on Monday, leaving the month-old war rumbling on.

Why it matters: Nearly 5,000 people have been killed, according to Vladimir Putin’s rough estimate, including more than 100 civilians. Between 70,000 and 100,000 more are believed to have fled the fighting.

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Axios
Updated 59 mins 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 — U.S. reports over 80,000 new cases for second consecutive day.
  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.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow