Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios
Walgreens Boots shares were briefly halted on Tuesday afternoon, following a Reuters tweet suggesting the pharmacy giant is in talks to be acquired by private equity firms.
Background: The company is no stranger to private equity. KKR bought Alliance Boots in 2007 in what was, at the time, the largest-ever European buyout, and years later it sold it to Walgreens.
President Trump on Friday refused to answer a direct question on whether or not he supports the QAnon conspiracy theory during a press briefing.
Why it matters: Trump congratulated Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who vocally supports the conspiracy theory, on her victory in a House primary runoff earlier this week — illustrating how the once-fringe conspiracy theory has gained ground within his party.
Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
The National Association of Letter Carriers, the union representing roughly 300,000 current and former postal workers, on Friday endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, calling him "a fierce ally and defender of the U.S. Postal Service," reports NBC News.
Why it matters: The endorsement comes as President Trump has vowed to block additional funding for the USPS in the next coronavirus stimulus package, linking it to his continued baseless claims that increased mail-in voting will lead to widespread voter fraud.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
U.S. lawmakers are demanding answers from the World Bank about its continued operation of a $50 million loan program in Xinjiang, following Axios reporting on the loans.
Why it matters: The Chinese government is currently waging a campaign of cultural and demographic genocide against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, in northwest China. The lawmakers contend that the recipients of the loans may be complicit in that repression.