axios.com Facebook director Peter Thiel says FBI, CIA should probe Google
Peter Thiel speaking at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Peter Thiel, billionaire investor and Facebook board member, on Sunday night said that Google should be federally investigated for allegedly aiding the Chinese military.
Why it matters: Thiel is the tech industry's highest-profile Trump supporter, and one of the most powerful players in Silicon Valley.
Trump on his racist tweets: "If you’re not happy here, you can leave"
Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump dug in further Monday as he defended his tweets attacking freshman congresswomen of color, denying that they were racist.
The big picture: During his comments at the White House, Trump again said that he didn't specifically name anyone in his tweets, despite the fact that four progressive Democratic congresswomen of color — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley — have made headlines for clashing with Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
House Democrats condemn Trump's racist tweets
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Trump. Photos: Win McNamee/Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
House Democrats began drafting a resolution on Monday to condemn President Trump's racist tweets against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other congresswomen of color from over the weekend and into Monday, Politico reports.
“This weekend, the President went beyond his own low standards using disgraceful language about Members of Congress. ... This morning, the President doubled down on his attacks on our four colleagues suggesting they apologize to him. Let me be clear, our Caucus will continue to forcefully respond to these disgusting attacks.” — Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a letter to House Democrats
Go deeper: A tough time to be a Trump supporter
Trump escalates attacks on Democratic congresswomen of color
President Trump continued his Twitter attacks on "Radical Left Congresswomen" on Monday, escalating his rhetoric one day after a racist string of tweets said that legislators should "go back" and fix their own countries before shaping American government.
"When will the Radical Left Congresswomen apologize to our Country, the people of Israel and even to the Office of the President, for the foul language they have used, and the terrible things they have said. So many people are angry at them & their horrible & disgusting actions!"
The global debt binge begins anew
Reproduced from Institute of International Finance; Chart: Axios Visuals
The world's debt rose by $3 trillion in the first quarter of 2019 — an almost unprecedented borrowing binge that brought total global debt to $246.5 trillion.
Why it matters: High levels of debt put countries in a vulnerable position in the event of a downturn and could endanger the world's economic recovery, said economists from the Institute of International Finance, which released the study today.
A tough time to be a Trump supporter
Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Conservatives who reluctantly support President Trump often try to pretend the daily outrage didn't happen, but yesterday's "go back" tweets were like his "both sides" comment on Charlottesville — a transgression that won't instantly fade, and can't be laughed off.
The bottom line: Trump is all-in on us-versus-them politics and does not care if he occasionally crosses the line into racism. Trump allies expect this to get worse, not better.
Joe Biden unveils his health care plan
Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Joe Biden rolled out a health care plan Monday whose policies and political priorities are both rooted firmly in the Affordable Care Act.
Details: The cornerstone of Biden's proposal is a new public insurance option, which would compete alongside private insurance. The public plan would be available to everyone, even people who get their coverage from an employer. That's an important difference from the one that was debated in 2010.
Focus group: Trump's immigration edge
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
WARREN, Mich. — The majority of a group of 12 swing voters we spoke to here said they think President Trump is handling the immigration crisis "professionally and responsibly.”
Why it matters: By all accounts, immigration is and will be one of the most important issues of the 2020 presidential election — and it could help Trump win over even some voters who haven't always supported Republicans.
Column / Harder Line
Bill Gates faces "daunting" nuclear energy future
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The optimism usually radiating from billionaire Bill Gates when it comes to climate change is starting to fade on one of his biggest technology bets: nuclear power.
Driving the news: The Microsoft co-founder has focused much of his time lately on climate change and energy innovation. In an exclusive interview with Axios, Gates said that setbacks he is facing with TerraPower, a nuclear technology firm he co-founded in 2006, has got him questioning the future of that entire energy source.
China's economic growth slumps to 27-year low amid Trump trade war
A textile factory worker in China's central Henan province. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images
China’s economy expanded at the slowest rate in nearly 30 years in the 2nd quarter, thanks to heightened U.S.-China trade tensions and weakening trade demand from other fragile economies.
By the numbers: The figures released by the Chinese government show the GDP came in at 6.2% — a deceleration from the previous quarter’s 6.4% annualized rate and the weakest pace of growth since the government started releasing quarterly data in 1992, per Reuters.
|
