May 24, 2017

Trump retains private lawyer in Russia probe

Andrew Theodorakis, POOL via AP

President Trump has retained Marc Kasowitz, his long-time attorney, in the Russia probe, Axios has confirmed.

This comes at a pivotal moment for Trump, with special prosecutor Robert Mueller now leading the federal investigation into ties between his associates and Russia. A White House source says Trump feels comfortable with Kasowitz, who will be lead attorney, and that other names could be added to his legal team.

Key points about Kasowitz:

He has represented Trump in various instances over the past 15 years relating to everything from Trump's divorces to a threat to sue the New York Times.
The Russia connection: One of his clients is Russia's largest state-run bank, OJSC Sberbank of Russia.
The O'Reilly connection: Kasowitz was Bill O'Reilly's lead attorney during the former Fox host's sexual harassment scandal.

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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7:30 p.m. ET: 6,852,810 — Total deaths: 398,211 — Total recoveries — 3,071,142 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7:30 p.m. ET: 1,917,080 — Total deaths: 109,702 — Total recoveries: 500,849 — Total tested: 19,778,873 — Map.
Public health: Why the pandemic is hitting minorities harder — Coronavirus curve rises in Florida — How racism threatens the response to the pandemic — Some people are drinking and inhaling cleaning products in attempt to fight the virus.
Tech: The pandemic is accelerating next-generation disease diagnostics — Robotics looks to copy software-as-a-service model.
Business: Budgets busted by coronavirus make it harder for cities to address inequality — Sports, film production in California to resume June 12 after 3-month hiatus.
Education: Students and teachers flunked remote learning.

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Thousands of demonstrators are gathering in cities across the U.S. and around the world to protest the killing of George Floyd. Huge crowds have assembled in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago for full-day events.

Why it matters: Twelve days of nationwide protest in the U.S. has built pressure for states to make new changes on what kind of force law enforcement can use on civilians and prompted officials to review police conduct.

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The coronavirus’ disproportionate impact on black and Latino communities has become a defining part of the pandemic.

The big picture: That's a result of myriad longstanding inequities within the health care system and the American economy.

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