Aug 29, 2017

United Technologies closing in on deal for Rockwell Collins

Shane Savitsky

Ryan J. Foley / AP

United Technologies is getting close to a deal to purchase Rockwell Collins, a corporate acquisition that looks set to combine two of the world's largest manufacturers of airplane equipment, per the WSJ.

By the numbers: United Technologies — worth about $92 billion — looks set to purchase Rockwell for about $140 per-share, which would make the deal worth more than $20 billion.

Why it matters: It'd be the biggest aerospace/defense acquisition deal in history, according to a Reuters analysis. It shouldn't spark any antitrust concerns — United Technologies makes jets, wheels, and landing gear while Rockwell focuses on displays and communications tech — but it might spook Boeing and Airbus somewhat to see their suppliers merging, especially as they both plan to expand further into the aftermarket space for parts.

Go deeper

Rashaan Ayesh

America's rundown roads add to farmers' struggles

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

American farmers are struggling to safely use the roads that cut through their fields; decades of neglect and lack of funding have made the routes dangerous.

The big picture: President Trump has long promised to invest billions in rural infrastructure, and his latest proposal would allocate $1 trillion for such projects. Rural America, where many of Trump's supporters live, would see a large chunk of that money.

Go deeperArrow5 hours ago - Economy & Business
Axios

South Korea and Italy see spikes in coronavirus cases

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 novel coronavirus continues to spread to more nations, and the U.S. reports a doubling of its confirmed cases to 34 — while noting those are mostly due to repatriated citizens, emphasizing there's no "community spread" yet in the U.S. South Korea's confirmed cases jumped from 204 on Friday to 433 on Saturday, while Italy's case count rose from 3 to 62 as of Saturday.

The big picture: COVID-19 has now killed at least 2,362 people and infected more than 77,000 others, mostly in mainland China. New countries to announce infections recently include Israel, Lebanon and Iran.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 5 hours ago - Health
Orion Rummler

Centrist Democrats beseech 2020 candidates: "Stand up to Bernie" or Trump wins

Bernie Sanders rallies in Las Vegas, Nevada on Feb. 21. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Center-left think tank Third Way urgently called on the Democratic front-runners of the 2020 presidential election to challenge Sen. Bernie Sanders on the South Carolina debate stage on Feb. 25, in a memo provided to Axios' Mike Allen on Saturday.

What they're saying: "At the Las Vegas debate ... you declined to really challenge Senator Sanders. If you repeat this strategy at the South Carolina debate this week, you could hand the nomination to Sanders, likely dooming the Democratic Party — and the nation — to Trump and sweeping down-ballot Republican victories in November."

Go deeperArrow8 hours ago - Politics & Policy