Sep 9, 2018

Trump blames lower ratings for NFL opener on protests during anthem

President Trump blamed lower ratings for Thursday's NFL season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons on the continuing controversy surrounding players' protests during the national anthem.

"Wow, NFL first game ratings are way down over an already really bad last year comparison. Viewership declined 13%, the lowest in over a decade. If the players stood proudly for our Flag and Anthem, and it is all shown on broadcast, maybe ratings could come back? Otherwise worse!"

The big picture: According to Variety, the game's ratings were down 8% from last year — a continuing trend for the NFL — though the game was delayed due to weather and finished after midnight on the East Coast. Additionally, no players from the Eagles or Falcons protested during the national anthem, per Philly.com.

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Dan Primack

Congress' $250 billion PPP injection could come too late for some businesses

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Before the Paycheck Protection Program formally launched last Friday, we knew two things: The rollout would be rocky, and the initial $250 billion wouldn't be enough for America's small businesses.

The state of play: Banks and government officials have been working to smooth out the process, and on Thursday the Senate will vote to pump another $250 billion into the program.

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Rashaan Ayesh

Fauci: Social distancing could reduce coronavirus death toll to 60,000

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC's "Today" on Thursday that he's hopeful that social-distancing measures in place across the U.S. will reduce the total number of coronavirus deaths.

Why it matters: Fauci said that while early models projected between 100,000 and 200,000 U.S. deaths from the pandemic, he now believes that number could come down to 60,000 — but he emphasized the importance of keeping social distancing in place to ensure that trend holds.

Go deeper23 mins ago - Health

Ben Geman

OPEC+ and G20 energy meetings mark zero hour for oil diplomacy

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The next two days will be pivotal for determining whether large oil-producing countries can partially stabilize an industry reeling from very low prices and the historic, coronavirus-fueled collapse in demand.

Driving the news: The OPEC+ group led by Saudi Arabia and Russia begin meeting remotely later Thursday morning to discuss production cuts, to be followed by a virtual Friday meeting among G20 energy ministers that includes the U.S.

Go deeper45 mins ago - Energy & Environment