Perdue: 'Significant irregularities' may have affected Georgia runoff

Former GOP senator joins 'The Story' to discuss state elections bill that would limit absentee and early voting

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  • Top lobbying shop during Trump presidency winds down

    A lobbying firm that landed big business from its founders' work electing Donald Trump to the White House is winding down operations now that he's left office.Why it matters: Avenue Strategies was one of the first firms to build a practice off of Trump's unexpected win. It marketed an understanding of the former president's governing style rare in D.C. when the firm was founded in early 2017.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.What's new: Avenue informed the Justice Department on Monday it was ceasing all foreign lobbying activity.It disclosed ending a brief lobbying agreement with a Turkish lawmaker, and told DOJ, "This is the Final Statement of the registrant." That filing came after Avenue parted with the last of its domestic lobbying clients late last year.What they're saying: Avenue co-founder Barry Bennett, who advised Trump's 2016 campaign, attributed the firm's demise to apolitical circumstances, echoing the explanation he gave to CNBC last month."COVID and the craziness around our old (downtown D.C.) office made it unsustainable," he told Axios via email.Asked whether Trump's departure from office damaged Avenue's business prospects, Bennett said, "We never really got a chance to find out."The backstory: Avenue was founded by Bennett and fellow Trump campaign alums Corey Lewandowski and Ed Brookover. Their ties to the president immediately landed them work."You know, in our first week in business, we probably had 50 people who were trying to hire us," Bennett told The Daily Beast in 2019. "(T)hey didn't know who else to go to" after Trump was elected.The firm brought on big-name clients including the Qatari embassy and Citgo, the U.S. subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company.Avenue also represented Big Cat Rescue, the Florida wildlife sanctuary run by Carole Baskin of "Tiger King" fame.What's next: In late December, Bennett founded a new firm, Bennett Strategies, based in Alexandria, Va.He said it will engage in government relations consulting "and politics domestically and internationally.""I have plenty of Democrat friends that I worked with the last four years and I am already working with them with the new administration," Bennett told Axios. "I have never considered myself an access lobbyist. I’ve been here since Reagan and my value-add is strategy."More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

  • Prosecutors seek validation of South Carolina abortion ban

    Two of the prosecutors named as defendants in a federal lawsuit challenging South Carolina’s new law banning most abortions have argued that a temporary restraining order halting the law from being enacted should be dissolved because the law itself “is consistent with Supreme Court precedent" on abortion issues. In the Gonzales v. Carhart decision from 2007, Wilson and Wilkins wrote that U.S. Supreme Court justices rejected the notion that Congress intended for the partial-birth ban to “place a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion” overall.

  • Biden to be briefed on need for 20,000 beds to cope with child migrant surge

    A briefing scheduled for President Biden this afternoon outlines the need for 20,000 beds to shelter an expected crush of child migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, Axios has learned.Why it matters: The rapid influx of unaccompanied children is becoming the administration's first new crisis. A presentation created by the Domestic Policy Council spells out the dimensions with nearly 40 slides full of charts and details.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeDriving the news: On Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said from the White House podium that the current situation is not a crisis. Today, the president will be told the number of migrant kids is on pace to exceed the all-time record by 45% — and the administration doesn't have enough beds.Facing the growing numbers, the Department of Health and Human Services — which oversees the network of child migrant shelters — is planning to change its coronavirus protocols to make room for an additional 2,000 kids and teens, according to a source with direct knowledge of the presentation and a second congressional source.Even with new shelters and loosened COVID-19 restrictions, the administration projects it will fall short of its needs by a couple thousand.A DHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. An HHS spokesperson referred the request to the White House, which declined comment.Between the lines: DHS currently projects there will be 117,000 unaccompanied child migrants crossing the border this year, according to information on the slides.A large number of them are teenagers. Just last month, some 6,000 migrants aged 16 and 17 were caught, according to the slides.HHS is expected to reach its shelter capacity later this month, according to the two sources.What to watch: The administration is looking at ways to reduce the shelter populations by accelerating the release of children to sponsors already in the U.S., the sources said.They plan to end a Trump-era agreement between DHS and HHS that included strict sponsor vetting requirements — a practice some advocates say had a chilling effect on sponsors' willingness to offer their homes.HHS has already said it would pay for transportation for children when sponsors cannot, and it has proposed removing a request for Social Security numbers from the form filled out by the potential caretakers for unaccompanied minors, as Reuters reported.Flashback: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who represents a border district, has warned about the unintended consequences of such actions.Editor's note: This story has been updated with the HHS response to a request for comment.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • Government offers plan to release more endangered red wolves

    Government wildlife officials released two more critically endangered red wolves into the wild in North Carolina and could place several more captive-bred wolves into the habitat this year, according to a new plan submitted to a federal judge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in the filing Monday that it brought two male wolves from a Florida wildlife refuge, paired them with wild female wolves from North Carolina and let them loose in February. The service said it also plans to release another captive-bred pair into the wild this summer and will aim to introduce captive-bred pups into any wild litters born in the breeding season that runs through May. Releases of captive-bred wolves had largely been halted by the government in recent years.

  • Lower courts take notice: The Supreme Court is rethinking qualified immunity

    At a time when Americans seek greater government accountability, the Supreme Court is stepping up to deliver by reintroducing some common sense.

  • Scoop: Ex-Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale launches super PAC ahead of 2022 midterms

    Former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale has founded a new super PAC and sister advocacy group, public records show.Why it matters: The groups will allow Parscale himself to back candidates aligned with Donald Trump ahead of the 2022 midterms. They could also be used to deploy his new political data firm and harvest vital voter information for other clients.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.Parscale's formations of American Greatness PAC and the nonprofit American Greatness Fund coincide with his return to Trump's inner circle as the former president plots his future political strategy.What's new: Parscale incorporated the American Greatness Fund in Delaware on Feb. 24, according to documents filed with the state.American Greatness PAC had filed a statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission about two weeks earlier.Neither appears to be active yet. Parscale previewed the PAC last month, tweeting a video with pro-Trump messaging that ended with the committee's logo.Between the lines: It's not clear how involved Trump or his political team is with the new entities.A Trump spokesperson referred questions about American Greatness to Parscale, who did not respond to multiple inquiries.When the American Greatness Fund's website went live early last month, the image file bearing the group's logo was titled "Office of 45 Logo Image."The file name was changed after Axios began inquiring about the group.The big picture: Parscale's new groups were formed as Trump games out his political plans.His inner circle huddled at Mar-a-Lago last week, Politico reported.Another former Trump campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, has been tapped to lead a new super PAC aligned with the former president's political priorities.Parscale, whose relationship with Trump has improved since he publicly criticized the former president in December, also attended the meeting. It's not clear whether his American Greatness groups are components of any future Trump efforts.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

  • Tennessee Senate passes bill banning transgender high school athletes from playing sports

    Tennessee is the latest state to pass a bill banning transgender athletes from participating in middle or high school sports that matches their gender identity.

  • 2nd Democrat calls for investigation of DeSantis's vaccine distribution

    Democrats call for a new investigation of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

  • Belarus jails journalist for revealing 'medical secrets' in protester's death

    A Belarusian court sentenced a journalist to six months in prison on Tuesday for divulging medical secrets, after she had contradicted official statements about the death of a protester who the authorities suggested was drunk at the time. Katerina Borisevich from the local news outlet TUT.BY had reported that there was no alcohol in the bloodstream of protester Roman Bondarenko when he died. Artyom Sorokin, the doctor who had shared Bondarenko's medical report with Borisevich, was given a suspended sentence.

  • Shalanda Young shines as Tanden's nomination languishes

    During Young’s first confirmation hearing Tuesday to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, GOP lawmakers boosted her as an alternative to Tanden.

  • House Republicans jostle over proxy voting after Florida trip

    During a GOP meeting, Texas Rep. Chip Roy called out fellow Republicans who voted “by proxy” against the Democrats’ Covid relief bill last week.

  • Civil rights leader Vernon Jordan dies at 85

    Vernon Jordan, the civil rights leader who served as an adviser to former President Bill Clinton, has died at 85. Jordan died on Monday night "surrounded by loved ones" with "his wife and daughter by his side," his daughter confirmed in a statement on Tuesday. Information about his cause of death wasn't disclosed. Jordan worked as a field director for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, as well as Southern Regional Council Voter Education Project director, United Negro College Fund executive director, and National Urban League president. CNN notes that he worked with presidents including Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama, but his "closest political friendship" was with the Clintons, acting as an adviser to the 42nd president. NAACP President Derrick Johnson honored Jordan as an "influential figure in the fight for civil rights" on Tuesday. "An icon to the world and a lifelong friend to the NAACP, his contribution to moving our society toward justice is unparalleled," Johnson said. "In 2001, Jordan received the NAACP's Spingarn Medal for a lifetime of social justice activism. His exemplary life will shine as a guiding light for all that seek truth and justice for all people." Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams was among those who also honored Jordan on Tuesday, writing, "He battled the demons of voter suppression and racial degradation, winning more than he lost. He brought others w/him. And left a map so more could find their way." Rev. Al Sharpton also remembered Jordan as a "true civil rights giant," while Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said, "From civil rights to business, Mr. Jordan demonstrated the highest quality of leadership and created a path forward for African-Americans where there were none. He will be missed." More stories from theweek.comWill COVID-19 wind up saving lives?The Trump administration reportedly quietly funded Operation Warp Speed with money set aside for hospitalsJohn Boehner rips Ted Cruz as a 'reckless a--hole' on book's back cover

  • Khashoggi's fiancee demands 'punishment' for Saudi Crown Prince MBS over dissident's murder

    Pressure is growing on Joe Biden to take action against Saudi’s Crown Prince, as the fiancee of murdered dissident Jamal Khashoggi said it would be a “stain on humanity” if Mohammed bin Salman was not punished. Hatice Cengiz welcomed the release by the Biden administration last week of a US intelligence report that concluded Prince Mohammed had approved the killing of the Washington Post columnist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, but warned it was “not enough”. An Office for the Director of National Intelligence found the prince, known as MBS, had ordered the hit, and Washington imposed sanctions on some of those involved - but not the prince himself. Asked about criticism of Washington for not sanctioning Prince Mohammed directly, President Joe Biden said an declaration on this would be made on Monday. The State Department only said, however, that it was "considering taking additional steps to promote accountability," but did not announce any new measures against Riyadh. “Global diplomacy requires holding countries accountable when needed but also acting in the national interest of the United States,” Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, told journalists on Monday, defending the administration’s decision.

  • Veteran prosecutor Phillips to return as acting U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C

    The U.S. Justice Department will name veteran prosecutor Channing Phillips as acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a role he also played in the Obama administration, according to one current and one former department official. Phillips will take over the helm of the U.S. Attorney's Office at a time when prosecutors there are consumed with a sprawling probe into the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol by former Republican President Donald Trump's supporters. The case is considered unprecedented in its size and scope, also making it difficult for the U.S. District Court to handle the workload as it continues conducting hearings virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Democratic senators propose clean energy tax credits

    Two U.S. senators from states with declining manufacturing sectors are pushing to invest $8 billion through tax credits to create clean energy jobs. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan unveiled legislation Monday that aims to help rural communities that have lost jobs in the coal and and fossil fuel industries. The proposal is meant to incentivize companies producing batteries, electric and fuel cell vehicles, semiconductor chips and other renewable energy technologies.

  • Media watchdog seeks German investigation of Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi death

    Global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has accused Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and several top officials of committing crimes against humanity in a criminal complaint filed in Germany. The 500-page complaint, filed on Monday with the German Public Prosecutor General in the Karlsruhe federal court, includes allegations of arbitrary detention of more than 30 journalists and the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Prince Mohammed has denied any involvement in Khashoggi's killing.

  • Nod or blunder? No CPAC 2021 apology for a stage shaped like a white supremacist symbol

    The odal rune was meant to make white supremacy more mainstream. Since Trump stood on one at CPAC to start his political comeback, I guess it worked.

  • With poll support dropping, Erdogan's party looks to change Turkish relection law: officials

    With its support in polls dropping, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party is considering changes to electoral laws which could rescue its prospects in elections due to be held by 2023, three AK Party officials say. Polls show combined support for the AK Party and its MHP ally has fallen to just 45%. For the first time, pollsters say, disenchanted supporters who drifted away from the AK Party appear unlikely to be won back.

  • Arkansas Teen in Serious Condition After Being Shot at School in 'Targeted Incident'

    The 15-year-old was reported to be in "very serious condition" following the shooting, which local authorities have said was a "targeted incident."

  • Atlanta DA asks court who should prosecute police officers

    After Georgia's attorney general refused to reassign two high-profile cases involving allegations of excessive force against Atlanta police officers, including the killing of Rayshard Brooks, the district attorney is asking the court to decide who should handle the prosecutions. Newly elected Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis sent a letter to Attorney General Chris Carr in January asking him to reassign the cases, raising concerns that actions by her predecessor, Paul Howard, made it inappropriate for her office continuing to handle the cases.