Sep 24, 2017

Trump says his criticism of anthem protests "nothing to do with race"

Dave Lawler, author of World

Baltimore Ravens players kneel in protest. Photo: AP / Matt Dunham

At a brief impromptu press conference from Bedminister, N.J., President Trump said his demand that NFL players who kneel during the national anthem has "nothing to do with race," per Abby Phillip of the Washington Post. The quotes:

  • "This has nothing to do with race. I've never said anything about race."
  • "I think the owners should do something about it. it's very disrespectful to our flag and our country."

The backstory: Colin Kaepernick, the ex-49ers QB who started the protest, said it was about the treatment of minorities as second class citizens in the U.S., and nearly all of those who have elected to kneel are black.

Go deeper

Fadel Allassan
20 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Senate advances Amy Coney Barrett nomination, setting up final confirmation vote

Photo: Xinhua/Ting Shen via Getty Images

The Senate voted 51-48 on Sunday to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, setting up a final confirmation vote for Monday.

Why it matters: It's now virtually inevitable that the Senate will vote to confirm President Trump's third Supreme Court nominee before the election, which is just nine days away.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Felix Salmon, author of Capital
2 hours ago - Economy & Business

Wall Street is living up to its bad reputation

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Recent headlines will have you convinced that Wall Street is hell-bent on living up to all of its stereotypes.

Driving the news: Goldman Sachs is the biggest and the boldest, paying more than $5 billion in fines in the wake of the 1MDB scandal, in which billions were stolen from the people of Malaysia.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
2 hours ago - Health

Ex-FDA chief: Pence campaigning after COVID exposure puts others at risk

Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said "the short answer is yes" when asked whether Vice President Mike Pence is putting others at risk by continuing to campaign after several aides tested positive for COVID-19, stressing that the White House needs to be "very explicit about the risks that they're taking."

Why it matters: The New York Times reports that at least five members of Pence's inner circle, including his chief of staff Marc Short and outside adviser Marty Obst, have tested positive for the virus. Pence tested negative on Sunday morning, according to the VP's office, and he'll continue to travel for the final stretch of the 2020 campaign.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow