Nov 1, 2019

Trump's personal pastor will act as liaison with president’s base from White House

Trump talks to Paula White in the Rose Garden on May 2. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Televangelist Paula White, President Trump's personal pastor, will join the White House as a member of the Office of Public Liaison, a White House official told the New York Times.

The big picture: In 2020, Trump needs to secure the white evangelical voters that boosted his 2016 campaign. That demographic remains the only faith-based group with a majority that favors Trump, although evangelical leaders recently broke with the president over his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from northern Syria.

White's position will include advising the administration’s Faith and Opportunity Initiative, which Trump established last year to give religious groups more of say in federal programs on issues such as religious liberty and poverty.

Go deeper: Evangelical leaders break with Trump over Turkey's Syria assault

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10:30 p.m. ET: 5,494,287 — Total deaths: 346,229 — Total recoveries — 2,31,722 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10:30 p.m. ET: 1,662,302 — Total deaths: 98,218 — Total recoveries: 379,157 — Total tested: 14,604,942 — Map.
  3. World: Italy reports lowest number of new cases since February — Ireland reports no new coronavirus deaths on Monday for the first time since March 21 — WHO suspends trial of hydroxychloroquine over safety concerns.
  4. 2020: Trump threatens to move Republican convention from North Carolina — Joe Biden makes first public appearance in two months.
  5. Public health: Officials are urging Americans to wear masks over Memorial Day.
  6. Economy: New York stock exchange to reopen its floor on Tuesday — White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett says it's possible the unemployment rate could still be in double digits by November's election — Charities refocus their efforts to fill gaps left by government.
  7. What should I do? Hydroxychloroquine questions answered — Traveling, asthma, dishes, disinfectants and being contagious — Masks, lending books and self-isolating — Exercise, laundry, what counts as soap — Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — How to minimize your risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it, the right mask to wear.

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Updated 13 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Pro-Hong Kong resolution at British university fails after Chinese student opposition

A protester waves the Hong Kong colonial flag during a July 2019 demonstration against the extradition law to China. Photo: Ivan Abreu/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

A student resolution expressing support for the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement was voted down at the University of Warwick in England, after opposition from mainland Chinese students.

Why it matters: The charged politics of China's actions in Hong Kong are spilling over to university campuses thousands of miles away, raising questions for students and university administrators about how to protect democratic values.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow23 mins ago - World

U.S. coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios. This graphic includes "probable deaths" that New York City began reporting on April 14.

California announced Monday that places of worship and retailers can reopen statewide if they maintain strict measures and meet certain other conditions.

Zoom in: The state health department said in new guidance attendance for churches and other places of worship must have approval from county health officials to reopen and cap attendance at 25% of the building's capacity or no more than 100 people. In-store retail can resume statewide.

Go deeper (2 min. read)ArrowUpdated 1 hour ago - Health