Apr 11, 2017

Uber's PR boss to leave

AP File

Uber's PR chief, Rachel Whetstone, is leaving the ride-hailing company, as Recode first reported and Uber confirmed to Axios. Whetstone joined Uber in 2015 as its head of communications and policy, having previously worked at Google.

Senior VP Jill Hazelbaker, Whetstone's top deputy, will take over the job of leading a 300-person team, according to memo from CEO Travis Kalanick obtained by Recode. Whetstone's last day is today.

Why it matters: Whetstone is only the latest Uber exec to leave the company in the last several weeks amid a string of controversies including an investigation into sexual harassment and sexism allegations. It's a tough time to be leading corporate PR, to be sure.

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Stef W. Kight

Federal court temporarily halts "Remain in Mexico" program

Migrant wearing a cap with U.S. flagin front of the border between Guatemala and Mexico. Photo: Jair Cabrera Torres/picture alliance via Getty Image

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's earlier injunction on Friday, temporarily stopping the Trump administration from enforcing the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) — known as the "Remain in Mexico" policy.

Why it matters: Tens of thousands of migrants seeking asylum have been forced to wait out their U.S. immigration court cases across the border in Mexico under the policy. The Trump administration has long credited this program for the decline in border crossings following record highs last summer.

Go deeperUpdated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Axios

Coronavirus updates: WHO raises global threat level to "very high"

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The World Health Organization raised its global risk assessment for the novel coronavirus to "very high" Friday, its highest risk level as countries struggle to contain it. Meanwhile, National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow this morning tried to reassure the markets, which continued to correct amid growing fears of a U.S. recession.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed more than 2,860 people and infected about 83,800 others in almost 60 countries and territories outside the epicenter in mainland China. The number of new cases reported outside China now exceed those inside the country.

Go deeperUpdated 2 hours ago - Health

Dan Primack

Bernie's plan to hike taxes on some startup employees

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Sens. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced legislation that would tax nonqualified stock options at vesting, rather than at exercise, for employees making at least $130,000 per year.

The big picture: Select employees at private companies would be taxed on monies that they hadn't yet banked.

Go deeper3 hours ago - Politics & Policy