May 17, 2017

Trump's troubles are defining his presidency

Evan Vucci / AP

"Morning" Joe Scarborough: "The arc of this narrative keeps getting worse. People on the inside say he keeps getting worse ... This is not, unfortunately, a learning curve. ... This is a man in decline."
David Ignatius column in WashPost, "Trump's presidency is beginning to unravel": "Observing this White House ... is sometimes like watching a horror movie. The 'good guys' ... keep falling through trap doors. National security adviser H.R. McMaster ... struggled ... to defend Trump's actions in disclosing terrorism information."
N.Y. Times conservative columnist Ross Douthat, "The 25th Amendment Solution to Remove Trump": "[T]he 25th Amendment to the Constitution ... allows for the removal of the president if a majority of the cabinet informs the Congress that he is 'unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office' and (should the president contest his own removal) a two-thirds vote by Congress confirms the cabinet's judgment."

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Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 6 p.m. ET: 11,921,616 — Total deaths: 546,318 — Total recoveries — 6,506,408 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 6 p.m. ET: 3,035,231 — Total deaths: 132,042 — Total recoveries: 936,476 — Total tested: 36,878,106 — Map.
Public health: Deaths are rising in hotspots — Déjà vu sets in as testing issues rise and PPE dwindles.
Travel: United warns employees it may furlough 45% of U.S. workforce — How the pandemic changed mobility habits, by state.
Education: New York City schools will not fully reopen in fall — Harvard and MIT sue Trump administration over rule barring foreign students from online classes.
🎧 Podcast: A misinformation "infodemic" is here.

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1 hour ago - Health

Fighting the coronavirus infodemic

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

An "infodemic" of misinformation and disinformation has helped cripple the response to the novel coronavirus.

Why it matters: High-powered social media accelerates the spread of lies and political polarization that motivates people to believe them. Unless the public health sphere can effectively counter misinformation, not even an effective vaccine may be enough to end the pandemic.

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2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Tulsa health official: Trump rally "likely contributed" to coronavirus spike

President Trump speaks at his campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla. on June 20, 2020. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

President Trump's campaign rally and related protests in Tulsa in late June "more than likely" contributed to the area's recent surge in confirmed coronavirus cases, Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart said Wednesday.

Why it matters: Public health officials, including Dart himself, had urged the campaign to postpone the rally, fearing that a large indoor gathering with few people wearing masks could accelerate the spread of the virus.

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