Jun 13, 2017 - Politics & Policy

Trump's personal lawyer reportedly urged him to fire Bharara

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP; Andrew Harnik / AP

Marc Kasowitz, President Trump's personal lawyer, told associates that he had a hand in Trump's decision to fire Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, earlier this year, per ProPublica.

The key quote: Kasowitz reportedly told Trump that Bharara was "going to get" him, according to ProPublica's sources.

Why this matters: While the president has the power to hire and fire U.S. attorneys, it's just another potential entanglement of Trump's personal relationships and his duty to govern — especially after Trump asked Bharara to stay in his job last November before eventually firing him in March.

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Mike Allen, author of AM
25 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Mike Bloomberg's anti-chaos theory

CNN's Anderson Cooper questions Joe Biden last night at a drive-in town hall in Moosic, Pa., outside Scranton. Photo: CNN

Mike Bloomberg's $100 million Florida blitz begins today and will continue "wall to wall" in all 10 TV markets through Election Day, advisers tell me.

Why it matters: Bloomberg thinks that Joe Biden putting away Florida is the most feasible way to head off the national chaos we could have if the outcome of Trump v. Biden remained uncertain long after Election Day.

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Hans Nichols
53 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Biden's hardline Russia reset

Photo Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Getty Images photos: Mark Reinstein

When he talks about Russia, Joe Biden has sounded like Ronald Reagan all summer, setting up a potential Day 1 confrontation with Russian President Vladimir Putin if Biden were to win.

Why it matters: Biden has promised a forceful response against Russia for both election interference and alleged bounty payments to target American troops in Afghanistan. But being tougher than President Trump could be the easy part. The risk is overdoing it and making diplomacy impossible.

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Axios
Updated 8 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 30,065,728 — Total deaths: 944,604— Total recoveries: 20,423,802 — Map
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 6,674,070 — Total deaths: 197,615 — Total recoveries: 2,540,334 — Total tests: 90,710,730 — Map
  3. Politics: Former Pence aide says she plans to vote for Joe Biden, accusing Trump of costing lives in his coronavirus response.
  4. Health: Pew: 49% of Americans would not get COVID-19 vaccine if available today — Pandemic may cause cancer uptick — The risks of moving too fast on a vaccine — COVID-19 racial disparities extend to health coverage losses.
  5. Business: Retail sales return to pre-coronavirus trend.
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