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Trump judge pick has no trial experience

Evan Vucci / AP

A Trump nominee to be a federal judge in Alabama, Brett J. Talley, has only practiced law for 3 years, never tried a case and was rated "not qualified" by the American Bar Association, the L.A. Times reports. Talley opponents said he has some of the least experience ever seen for a nomination. Conservatives say the ABA is a biased rater of judges.

Talley is 36, has a Harvard Law degree and had clerked for 2 federal judges. In writings he denounced "Hillary Rotten Clinton" and pledged support for the NRA, the paper reported. His nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, sending him to the full Senate for consideration.

Why it matters: Appointing federal judges can be a president's most consequential act as they remain on the bench long after a presidency is over. The Alliance for Justice, a group that has opposed Trump nominees, says Trump is filling judicial jobs much faster than his predecessor.

Go deeper

Mike Allen, author of AM
42 mins ago - Economy & Business

America on borrowed time

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Economic recovery will not be linear as the world continues to grapple with the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Why it matters: Despite being propped up by an extraordinary amount of fiscal stimulus and support from central banks, the state of the global economy remains fragile.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Jonathan Swan
12 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Gina Haspel threatened to resign over plan to install Kash Patel as CIA deputy

CIA Director Gina Haspel. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

CIA Director Gina Haspel threatened to resign in early December after President Trump cooked up a hasty plan to install loyalist Kash Patel, a former aide to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), as her deputy, according to three senior administration officials with direct knowledge of the matter.

Why it matters: The revelation stunned national security officials and almost blew up the leadership of the world's most powerful spy agency. Only a series of coincidences — and last minute interventions from Vice President Mike Pence and White House counsel Pat Cipollone — stopped it.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 13 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Health: Coronavirus deaths reach 4,000 per day as hospitals remain in crisis mode — CDC warns highly transmissible coronavirus variant could become dominant in U.S. in March.
  2. Politics: Biden says, "We will manage the hell out of" vaccine distribution — Biden taps ex-FDA chief to lead Operation Warp Speed amid rollout of COVID plan — Widow of GOP congressman-elect who died of COVID-19 will run to fill his seat.
  3. Vaccine: Battling Black mistrust of the vaccines — "Pharmacy deserts" could become vaccine deserts — Instacart to give $25 to shoppers who get vaccine.
  4. Economy: Unemployment filings explode again — Fed chair: No interest rate hike coming any time soon —  Inflation rose more than expected in December.
  5. World: WHO team arrives in China to investigate pandemic origins.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow