May 7, 2018

Trump tweets legal threat to Mueller team

Axios

President Trump issued a legal threat to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigative team in a Monday tweet, telling the "13 Angry Democrats" on the team to "just wait ‘till the Courts get to see your unrevealed Conflicts of Interest!"

Reality check: While 13 members of Mueller's team have previously registered as Democrats, Mueller himself is a registered Republican. The other four investigators in the probe have no affiliation, per the Washington Post.

And earlier this morning, Trump again addressed the possibility that he obstructed justice, saying "There is no O, it's called Fighting Back."

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Axios

Stephanie Grisham out as White House press secretary

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham is departing her post to return to the East Wing as First Lady Melania Trump's chief of staff, the White House announced Tuesday. The news was first reported by CNN.

Why it matters: Grisham will leave after nine months without ever having held a formal press briefing. Her departure follows the arrival of new White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who has a chance to overhaul a communications shop that's kept a low profile since President Trump ended the tradition of daily press secretary briefings.

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Dan Primack

WeWork board sues SoftBank

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

SoftBank was sued Tuesday morning by a special committee of WeWork's board of directors for alleged breaches of contract and fiduciary duty related to SoftBank's decision to cancel a $3 billion tender offer for WeWork shares.

Why it matters: SoftBank is viewed by many in the private markets as an unfaithful partner. If this reaches trial, that reputation could either become widely cemented or reversed.

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Ben Geman

IEA boss won't let Big Oil off the hook

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Freya Ingrid Morales/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol has a tough job these days — responding to an unprecedented crisis now without losing sight of an existential one that must be tackled over decades.

Driving the news: He spoke to Axios yesterday about his work to help stabilize oil markets and ensure coronavirus doesn't sap governments' and companies' work on global warming.

Go deeperArrow45 mins ago - Energy & Environment