Dec 1, 2017

Trump urged Republicans to end the Russia investigation

Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP

Over the summer, President Trump pressed Senate Republicans to end the Russia investigation, according to the New York Times.

Why it matters: While Republicans "downplayed Mr. Trump's appeals...as the actions of a political newcomer unfamiliar with what is appropriate," Trump spoke with several members of the party, including Sen. Richard Burr, the intelligence committee chairman. Part of special counsel Mueller's investigation is whether or not Trump tried to obstruct justice by firing former FBI Director James Comey.

Per the Times, Trump "voiced sharp anger that congressional Republicans were not helping lift the cloud of suspicion over Russia."
Burr said Trump "still has the mind-set of a businessman rather than a politician," stressing that he wasn't aware that the requests were inappropriate.
One Republican senator said Trump didn't request an end to the investigation, but suggested an investigation into Hillary Clinton's connection with intelligence-gathering firm Fusion GPS.

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What top CEOs fear telling America about the coronavirus shutdown

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Top CEOs, in private conversations and pleas to President Trump, are warning of economic catastrophe if America doesn't begin planning for a phased return to work as soon as May, corporate leaders tell Axios.

Why it matters: The CEOs say massive numbers of companies, big and small, could go under if business and government don't start urgent talks about ways groups of workers can return.

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Health care workers vs. the coronavirus

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Health care workers are at an especially high risk of catching the coronavirus, because of their prolonged exposure to patients who have it. Making matters worse, the U.S. doesn't have enough of the protective equipment, like masks and gloves, that keeps them safe.

And yet these workers, with loved ones of their own, keep showing up at hospitals across the country, knowing that more Americans than they can possibly care for are depending on them.

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Coronavirus crisis tests Trump’s love for cheap oil

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

President Trump is working to help an oil industry imploding as the coronavirus crisis chokes demand, but listen closely and you’ll hear his enduring love for cheap prices.

Why it matters: He’s like most Americans, who worry about energy only when it’s expensive or gone. As president, Trump has been slow and uneven in responding to the sector’s turmoil because of his inclination to cheer rock-bottom prices.

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