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Jan. 25, 2021 01:31AM EST
Sarah Huckabee Sanders to run for governor of Arkansas
Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will announce Monday that she's running for governor of Arkansas.
The big picture: Sanders was touted as a contender after it was announced she was leaving the Trump administration in June 2019. Then-President Trump tweeted he hoped she would run for governor, adding "she would be fantastic." Sanders is "seen as leader in the polls" in the Republican state, notes the Washington Post's Josh Dawsey, who first reported the news.
Jan. 25, 2021 01:13AM EST
Mexican President López Obrador tests positive for coronavirus
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced Sunday evening that he's tested positive for COVID-19.
Driving the news: López Obrador tweeted that he has mild symptoms and is receiving medical treatment. "As always, I am optimistic," he added. "We will all move forward."
<p><strong>For the record: </strong>The president has been criticized for his <a href="https://www.axios.com/mexico-coronavirus-response-amlo-lopez-obrador-d257b21a-fa29-4227-9f74-c476c8409ad0.html" target="_blank">handling of the pandemic</a>, which has claimed the lives of nearly 150,000 people and infected over 1.7 million in Mexico, <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">per Johns Hopkins</a>.</p><p><div style="font-size:13px">
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</div></p><p><strong>Worth noting: </strong>López Obrador has downplayed wearing masks, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/31/mexico-president-amlo-mask-coronavirus-corruption" target="_blank">telling reporters </a>last July: "You know when I'm going to put on a mask? When there is no corruption. Then I'll put on a mask and I’ll stop talking."</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>He has also labeled lockdowns and face-mask mandates <a href="https://www.axios.com/mexico-city-bans-nonessential-covid-hospitals-f96d413f-53ce-42a4-ae94-52b2da35d282.html" target="_blank">tactics of "dictatorship."</a></li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.</em></p></div>
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Jan. 25, 2021 12:01AM EST
The coronavirus is worsening economic inequality around the world
History will likely remember the pandemic as the "first time since records began that inequality rose in virtually every country on earth at the same time." That's the verdict from Oxfam's inequality report covering the year 2020 — a terrible year that hit the poorest, hardest across the planet.
Why it matters: The world's poorest were already in a race against time, facing down an existential risk in the form of global climate change. The coronavirus pandemic could set global poverty reduction back as much as a full decade, according to the World Bank.
<ul class="ee-ul"><li>The virus has exposed how work, health and education systems create additional disadvantages for low-income families and minorities, while allowing the most wealthy to recover quickly.</li><li>A majority of nearly 300 economists from around the world surveyed by Oxfam said they expect the virus to exacerbate gender (56% ), racial ( 66%), wealth (78%) and income (87%) inequalities in their countries.</li></ul><p><strong>By the numbers:</strong> The number of people living on less than $1.90 per day might have increased by more than <a href="https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/Publications/Working-paper/PDF/wp2020-77.pdf" target="_blank">400 million</a> last year. That's a larger number of people than the population of the United States. </p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>More than 3 billion people</strong> had no access to <a href="https://www.who.int/healthinfo/universal_health_coverage/report/2017/en/" target="_blank">healthcare</a>, and three quarters of workers had no access to <a href="https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_604882/lang--en/index.htm" target="_blank">sick pay</a>. Meanwhile, the wealth of the top 1% continued to rise.</li></ul><p><strong>How it works:</strong> In the United States, 22,000 Black and Latino Americans would still be alive today if their coronavirus mortality rates were the same as white people — a result of unequal access to health care, disproportionate rates of preexisting conditions and other compounding disadvantages in communities of color, <a href="https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-cases-deaths-race-income-disparities-unequal-f6fb6977-56a1-4be9-8fdd-844604c677ec.html" target="_blank">as Axios has reported. </a></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>The biggest banks</strong> on Wall Street are reporting <a href="https://www.axios.com/banks-wall-street-boom-f67df3ea-1380-4e5f-b8da-1efd6e6ebb9d.html" target="_blank">record earnings</a>, while more than four in five <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201008005232/en/Small-Businesses-Feel-Biggest-Impact-of-Coronavirus-Pandemic" target="_blank">small businesses</a> have been hit hard by the pandemic. </li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>While inequality <em>within</em> countries got a lot worse in 2020, the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-01-22/the-world-has-become-a-more-equal-place-during-covid" target="_blank">world overall </a>might have become less unequal. That's because rich countries, in general, were harder hit by the coronavirus than the poorest countries, which tend to have much younger populations. </p><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>School closings affected some <a href="https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse" target="_blank">1.7 billion</a> children globally. But children in rich countries could continue their education online, and were shut out of school for much less time — about six weeks, on average, compared to <a href="https://data.unicef.org/resources/national-education-responses-to-covid19/" target="_blank">four months</a> for children in the poorest countries. Millions of girls pulled out of school in 2020 and will <a href="https://en.unesco.org/news/covid-19-school-closures-around-world-will-hit-girls-hardest" target="_blank">never return</a>.</p><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>As UN Secretary GeneralAntonio Guterres has <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2020-07-18/secretary-generals-nelson-mandela-lecture-%E2%80%9Ctackling-the-inequality-pandemic-new-social-contract-for-new-era%E2%80%9D-delivered" target="_blank">said</a>: "While we are all floating on the same sea, it’s clear that some are in superyachts, while others are clinging to the drifting debris."</p></div>
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Jan. 24, 2021 11:06PM EST
McCarthy takes heat from every direction as House Republicans feud following the Capitol siege
Kevin McCarthy is learning you can get torched when you try to make everyone happy, especially after an insurrection.
Why it matters: The House Republican leader had been hoping to use this year to build toward taking the majority in 2022, but his efforts to bridge intra-party divisiveness over the Capitol siege have him taking heat from every direction, eroding his stature both with the public and within his party.
<p><strong>The latest proof:</strong> McCarthy's digital director, Caleb Smith, sent a blast email to a group of GOP communications staff Saturday afternoon asking them to show their support for his boss.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>The subject line read: "{GOP-New-Media} Retweet Request," according to a copy of the email obtained by Axios.</li><li>Smith wrote: "HuffPost and the Blue Checks have been out in full force today trying to distort Leader McCarthy's words in an effort to divide America even further. They deserve to be called out. Would greatly appreciate your help in pushing back by retweeting this: <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1353057765015449610" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1353057765015449610</a>."</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"We're eating sh*t for breakfast, lunch and dinner right now," a McCarthy aide told Axios. The aide requested anonymity to speak frankly about his boss's situation.</p><p><strong>Pressure is mounting on McCarthy</strong> financially, politically and publicly.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Corporate donors are freezing him out for challenging the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6. </li><li>The media <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-01-22/kevin-mccarthy-trump-riot-capitol" target="_blank">is lampooning him</a> for initially saying "the president bears responsibility" for the Capitol attack but amending that last week to say, “I don’t believe he provoked it, if you listen to what he said at the rally."</li><li>McCarthy also got hit for saying during an interview this weekend that "everyone" bears responsibility for the political temperature in the country.</li><li>Meanwhile, the pro-Trump wing of his conference is angry with him for not condemning Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) more forcefully after she voted to impeach Trump.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>McCarthy explained his comments on Thursday <a href="https://www.fullcourtgreta.com/2021/01/24/full-episode-house-minority-leader-kevin-mccarthy-sen-mark-warner-talk-pres-biden-trump-impeachment/" target="_blank">during an interview this weekend</a> with van Susteren. He also signaled limits to his support for Cheney, the conference chair and No. 3 House Republican.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>"Look, I support her, but I also have concerns," he said, adding there are “a lot of questions” she needs to address during a conference meeting later this week. </li></ul></div>
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Jan. 24, 2021 11:05PM EST
The next big political war: redistricting
Democrats are preparing a mix of tech and legal strategies to combat expected gerrymandering by Republicans, who are planning to go on legal offense themselves.
Why it matters: Democrats failed to regain a single state legislature on Election Day, while Republicans upped their control to 30 states' Houses and Senates. In the majority of states, legislatures draw new congressional district lines, which can boost a party's candidates for the next decade.
<ul class="ee-ul"><li>Redistricting experts and advocates are especially concerned about political gerrymandering this year, given a 2019<a href="https://www.axios.com/supreme-court-ruling-gerrymandering-ab8cd138-6527-47b5-9681-d3e32a025df9.html" target="_blank">Supreme Court</a> ruling that blocks politics-based gerrymandering lawsuits from federal courts.</li><li>"I think this is going to be one of the biggest, if not <em>the</em> biggest, fight of next cycle," Kelly Ward Burton, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, told Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch:</strong> The expected flashpoints are the battleground states of Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia — where Democrats failed to gain any control over redistricting.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Adding to the party's concern is that, because of another federal court ruling, Republicans won't have to gain pre-clearance for their plans under the Voting Rights Act.</li><li>For their part, Republicans will be ready to sue Democrats in states where they control redistricting, particularly Oregon, Nevada and New Mexico, Adam Kincaid, executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, told Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>The backstory:</strong> Republicans gained sweeping control of the redistricting process in 2011. Over the past decade, Democrats have fought in court against some of their subsequent congressional maps with a few notable wins, such as in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/02/19/pennsylvania-supreme-court-draws-a-much-more-competitive-district-map-to-overturn-republican-gerrymander/" target="_blank">Pennsylvania</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/03/north-carolinas-new-congressional-map-shifts-two-seats-toward-democrats/?arc404=true" target="_blank">North Carolina.</a></p><p>Democrats have built new, sophisticated mapping technologies, and Republicans have been working on a 50-state redistricting database to help them identify their best tactics.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Both sides are educating legislators and the public about redistricting rules.</li><li>Democrats have had people on the ground in nine states for over a year, training state legislators and building out grassroots campaigns, Burton said.</li></ul><p><strong>Democrats already have a large network of attorneys </strong>and organizationson their side, many of whom were involved in the surge of election lawsuits last year and the last round of gerrymandering litigation.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>"There was criticism — fair or not — that following 2010, Republicans were more prepared than the Democrats," said Marc Elias, a top Democratic attorney and NDRC general counsel. "I can assure you that will not be true in 2021." </li><li>Kincaid, the Republican redistricting executive, said Democrats "had a chance to win at the ballot box, and they failed. ... Republicans draw maps that favor Republicans, and Democrats draw maps to favor Democrats."</li></ul></div>
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Jan. 24, 2021 10:35PM EST
Vaccinations, relief timing dominate call among bipartisan group of 16 senators
Vaccine distribution, pandemic data and a cross-party comity dominated today's virtual meeting between White House officials and a bipartisan group of 16 senators, Senator Angus King told Axios.
Why it matters: Given Democrats' razor-thin majority in both chambers of Congress, President Biden will have to rely heavily on this group of centrist lawmakers — dubbed the "Sweet 16" — to pass any substantial legislation.
<ul class="ee-ul"><li>"If you were just listening on the call, I don't think you would have been able to tell who were the Republicans and who were Democrats and who were independents," said King (I-Maine).</li></ul><p><strong>Details: </strong>National Economic Council Director Brian Deese led the Sunday afternoon meeting, and several other top White House officials also joined the video call. </p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>It was the largest meeting between the Biden administration and senators since Wednesday's inauguration.</li></ul><p><strong>What he's saying: </strong>There's absolute consensus" that the administration and Congress' main priority needs to be speeding up the rate of vaccination, King said.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>The group plans to work closely with the White House to gather data about where the "bottlenecks" are in the current distribution system. </li><li>King added that the senators asked for data to back up the administration's pandemic proposal. "You know, how did they arrive at the numbers that they have?"</li></ul><p><strong>One big question</strong> they need to solve, King said, is how much unspent money from the previous coronavirus packages can be reallocated to the Biden package.</p><p><strong>Timing:</strong> King said that while the administration did not lay out a specific timeframe, there was general consensus that this next stimulus bill should be done sooner rather than later.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>However, looming in the background is the impeachment trial for former President Trump, which is roughly two weeks away. </li><li>King said "it would be desirable" to start moving on the next relief package before then, but "whether that's going to be possible I just don't know."</li></ul></div>
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Jan. 24, 2021 10:11PM EST
Progressives use billboard to pressure Chuck Schumer to end Senate filibuster
A progressive coalition is pressuring Chuck Schumer on his home turf by running a digital billboard in Times Square urging the new majority leader to end the Senate filibuster.
Why it matters: Schumer is up for re-election in 2o22 and could face a challenger, and he's also spearheading his party's broader effort to hold onto its narrow congressional majorities.
<p><strong>The backdrop:</strong> Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are currently negotiating a power-sharing agreement to operate the new 50-50 Senate. Whether the 60-vote filibuster rule will endure <a href="https://www.axios.com/schumer-mcconnell-stalemate-filibuster-caaeac37-5468-4c81-886e-e62ff3cb006c.html" target="_blank">is at the center</a> of their stalemate.</p><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> Just Democracy, a coalition of more than 40 progressive groups led by Black and brown organizers seeking to reform government, created and paid for a week-long billboard in the heart of Schumer's district starting Monday.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>The ad boasts quotes from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former President Obama and ex-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, all condemning the filibuster. None of them is working in conjunction with the organizers on the billboard.</li><li>Of note: Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive beacon, won't quell speculation she's considering challenging Schumer for his seat.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> “Democrats gained control of the Senate because of Black and Brown organizers and voters," Stasha Rhodes, campaign director for 51 for 51 and a member of the Just Democracy coalition, said in a statement to Axios. "Now they have a chance to remove the biggest impediment to the legislation those voters care about most — voting rights, healthcare, a serious COVID rescue package and more."</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Another group, Fix Our Senate, was running a full-page ad in Sunday's New York Times that also pushed Schumer to end the filibuster.</li></ul></div>
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Jan. 24, 2021 06:22PM EST
U.S. surpasses 25 million COVID cases
The U.S has confirmed more than 25 million coronavirus cases, per Johns Hopkins data updated on Sunday.
The big picture: President Biden has said he expects the country's death toll to exceed 500,000 people by next month, as the rate of deaths due to the virus continues to escalate.
<ul class="ee-ul"><li>The White House last week unveiled a <a href="https://www.axios.com/biden-coronavirus-pandemic-wartime-325544a3-d8b0-416d-b67c-cd1099d3a813.html" target="_blank">barrage of executive orders</a> aimed at increasing supplies and data related to the pandemic, while mandating masks in federal buildings. </li></ul><p><strong>Where it stands: </strong>Part of Biden's "wartime" strategy against the pandemic is a campaign to administer 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in 100 days. But even that effort would not dramatically increase the pace of vaccinations, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/01/23/international-comparison-biden-coronavirus-vaccine-plan/" target="_blank">Washington Post</a> and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/where-our-current-covid-19-vaccination-rate-will-take-us-11611324000" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a> report.</p><p><div style="font-size:13px">
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</div></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Just over 3 million Americans have received both doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines as of Saturday, per <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank">CDC data</a>. </li><li>More than 40% of people in the U.S. currently live in areas that only have 15% of ICU beds available, per an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-coronavirus-pandemic-faf144ff9442077a9f2bb292614e1342?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP&utm_campaign=SocialFlow" target="_blank">AP analysis</a>. </li><li>1 in 13 Californians have tested positive for the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, per the COVID Tracking Project (CTP). The state surpassed 3 million cases on Wednesday.</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>In the CTP's <a href="https://covidtracking.com/analysis-updates/encouraging-indicators-are-everywhere-but-deaths-remain-high-this-week-in-covid-19-data-jan-21" target="_blank">latest weekly roundup</a>, hospitalizations "are declining or flat in every state but New York" in data seen from Jan. 13 to Jan. 20. </p></div>
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