President Biden is considering appointing Matthew Rojansky, head of the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute, as Russia director on the National Security Council, according to a source familiar with the situation.Why it matters: Rojansky has been praised for his scholarship on Russia and is frequently cited in U.S. media for his expert commentary. But his work has drawn criticism — including in a 2018 open letter from Ukrainian alumni of Kennan that blasted the think tank he runs as an "unwitting tool of Russia’s political interference."Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.Background: Rojansky has served as director of the Kennan Institute, widely viewed as one of the world's premier think tanks on Russia, since 2013. He was previously deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.In 2017, Rojansky decried America's "Cold War style paranoia about the Russian bogeyman," acknowledging that Putin "is a huge problem for the United States" while arguing that escalation carries "unacceptable risks." He has consistently called for managing competition with Russia in a way that protects U.S. interests and minimizes risks."Russia is not going to go away," Rojansky wrote in a National Interest op-ed last year criticizing what he characterized as the overuse of sanctions. "Peaceful coexistence remains an imperative, no matter how unsavory Putin’s regime might be."In 2018, 31 Ukrainian alumni of the Kennan Institute wrote an open letter criticizing the think tank's "growing pro-Kremlin policies, lack of democratic procedures and unprofessional communication with Kennan Institute alumni in Ukraine."The letter accused Rojansky of firing the director of the Kennan Institute's Kyiv office for political reasons and appointing a replacement "known for his biased analysis of Ukraine's post-Euromaidan developments."The alumni also condemned the Kennan Institute for hosting pro-Kremlin guests including Alfa Bank President Petr Aven, who was later named in a Treasury report on Russian oligarchs close to Putin.Rojansky also made an appearance in former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort's guilty plea for unregistered foreign lobbying on behalf of the pro-Putin former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.In an April 2013 email cited in a court filing by special counsel Robert Mueller, Manafort wrote: "This week we directed the efforts of a number of positive news articles that appeared in several prominent publications and in the digital media space."One of the articles Manafort linked to was a CNN op-ed by Rojansky, which argued that Yanukovych could win "greater credibility" for a "wide range of reforms" he had undertaken by releasing opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko from prison.Robert Litwak, senior vice president at the Wilson Center, told Axios in a statement: "The Wilson Center's Matthew Rojansky is one of the country's top experts on Russia, Ukraine and the region ... The CNN article in question, and all of the Center's work, is the product of independent research and analysis."The big picture: Rojansky's potential appointment comes at a fraught moment in U.S.-Russia relations, with tensions running high over the Kremlin's 2020 election interference, the SolarWinds hack of U.S. agencies, detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and recent military buildup along the border of eastern Ukraine.Biden has ruled out an Obama-style "reset" of relations, and triggered an early spat with Moscow by labeling Putin a "killer" in a TV interview. He sanctioned Russian officials over the attempted poisoning of Navalny and is expected to announce additional sanctions in the coming weeks over the SolarWinds hack and Russia's election meddling. The administration has drawn concerns from U.S. allies and members of Congress, however, for not moving faster and more aggressively with sanctions to stop the completion of the Russia-Germany Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would be a huge geopolitical win for Putin.Hawks are worried about what Rojansky's appointment would mean for Biden's resolve to confront Russia.Biden has stressed the importance of engaging with Russia on matters of shared interest, extending the New START nuclear treaty in his first days in office and inviting Putin to a virtual summit on climate change later this month.An NSC spokesperson declined to comment. Flashback: The NSC's Russia portfolio endured significant turmoil and staff turnover under the Trump administration, with several top officials testifying before Congress in the Trump-Ukraine scandal and another escorted off White House grounds for unspecified security reasons.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
Ghana is the world's second largest cocoa producer but sees little of the profits from chocolate - for now.
Health: Coronavirus cases hold steady at 65,000 per day — CDC declares racism "a serious public health threat" — WHO official: Brazil is dealing with "raging inferno" of a COVID outbreak.Vaccines: America may be close to hitting a vaccine wall — Pfizer asks FDA to expand COVID vaccine authorization to adolescents — CDC says Johnson & Johnson vaccine supply will drop 80% next week.Economy: Treasury says over 156 million stimulus payments sent out since March — More government spending expected as IMF projects 6% global GDP growth.Politics: Supreme Court ends California's coronavirus restrictions on home religious meetings.World: Iran tightens COVID restrictions amid fourth wave of pandemic.Variant tracker: Where different strains are spreading.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeCases: Global: Total confirmed cases as of 6:45 p.m. ET on Saturday: 135,030,071 — Total deaths: 2,920,537 — Total recoveries: 76,746,058 (no longer includes U.S. recoveries as of Dec. 15) — MapU.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 6:45 p.m. ET on Saturday: 31,145,168 — Total deaths: 561,074 — Total tests: 405,384,077 — MapWhat should I do? Axios asked the experts:When you can be around others after contracting the coronavirusTraveling, asthma, dishes, disinfectants and being contagiousMasks, lending books and self-isolatingExercise, laundry, what counts as soapPets, moving and personal healthAnswers about the virus from Axios expertsWhat to know about social distancingHow to minimize your riskOther resources: CDC on how to avoid the virusWhat to do if you get itThe right mask to wearDownload our app and follow the Coronavirus channel to get the latest news.Editor's note: Johns Hopkins University stopped reporting U.S. COVID-19 recoveries on its dashboard on Dec. 15, citing a Coronavirus Tracking Project post that explained the national data is incomplete since several states do not keep records of recovered patients. Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
Former President Donald Trump staked his claim to the Republican Party in a closed-door speech to donors Saturday night, casting his populist policies and attack-dog politics as the key to future Republican success. Trump also reinforced his commitment to the GOP in his address, according to prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press, which comes as Republican officials seek to downplay an intraparty feud over Trump's role in the party, his commitment to GOP fundraising and his plans for 2024. While Trump's advisers report he will emphasize party unity, he rarely sticks to script.
“Without modern infrastructure, the US cannot create decent jobs, social justice or climate safety.”
“The plan itself is really a big bait-and-switch...A fraction of the spending is actually devoted to traditional infrastructure projects.”
“Focusing on the size of the investment is misleading when you consider the high cost of not making it.”
“Rather than spending $2 trillion, we should privatize infrastructure where feasible and cut taxes and regulations on the rest.”
“Public investment can also be a major source of jobs and growth, helping to pull us out of the stagnation trap.”