Jul 3, 2017

U.S. ready to let Russia decide Syria

Axios

Jacquelyn Martin / AP

The fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rests with Russia, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres last week, Foreign Policy reports, citing three unidentified diplomatic sources. Tillerson also said that U.S. military strikes in Syria are focused only on preventing chemical weapons attacks and protecting forces fighting ISIS.

Why it matters: Tillerson's comments signal, per Foreign Policy, "the Trump administration's increasing willingness to let Russia take the driver's seat in Syria" as the U.S. focuses on fighting ISIS. Tillerson had previously said Assad must leave office because of his use of chemical weapons.

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Fadel Allassan

Mark Cuban criticizes "arrogant" 3M on respirator production

Photo: Axios Events

Businessman and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said during an Axios virtual event Friday that 3M is "arrogant" for not speaking up about respirator production in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

What he said: Cuban criticized the company for "making more globally than domestically," echoing a similar line from President Trump now that the U.S. is the epicenter of the pandemic. "You can't ghost the American people," he told Axios CEO Jim VandeHei from Dallas.

Go deeperArrow7 mins ago - Economy & Business
Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12:30 p.m. ET: 1,056,777 — Total deaths: 55,781 — Total recoveries: 221,262 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12:30 p.m. ET: 257,773 — Total deaths: 6,069 — Total recoveries: 9,311 — Map.
  3. Politics latest: Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are worried about the difficulties of delivering the $2.2 trillion in stimulus aid.
  4. Jobs update: The U.S. lost 701,000 jobs in March, but the new report doesn't reflect the height of the virus' impact on the economy.
  5. World update: About half of the deaths worldwide are in Italy and Spain, with fatalities exponentially increasing across Europe.
  6. Social media: Bored athletes take to Instagram to connect with fans during coronavirus shutdown.
  7. What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 53 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Joann Muller

Coronavirus puts ambitious plans for self-driving cars on the shelf

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

In two weeks, the coronavirus has brought the entire U.S. auto industry to a screeching halt. When it finally sputters back to life, many companies may be forced to change, defer — or even abandon — their ambitious plans for self-driving vehicles.

The big picture: Auto factories are shut down across North America to prevent the spread of the virus among workers, while stay-at-home orders have kept car shoppers away from showrooms. The resulting financial shock means carmakers have shifted their focus to survival, not investing in expensive technologies with no clear payoff.

Go deeperArrow54 mins ago - Economy & Business