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North Carolina court grants voting rights to felons on probation or parole
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54 mins ago - TechnologyProud Boys leader gets more than 5 months in jail for burning BLM flag
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4 hours ago - Politics & PolicyInternal investigation clears Capitol Police officer who killed Ashli Babbitt
4 hours ago - Politics & PolicyN.Y. Gov. Cuomo condemns harassment probe in defiant farewell address
4 hours ago - Politics & PolicyTreasury sanctions Eritrean official for abuses in Ethiopia's Tigray region
5 hours ago - Politics & PolicyFDA grants full approval to Pfizer's COVID vaccine
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The fight over mask mandates in schools turns violent
Some 30 protesters rallied outside of Hewes Middle School in Tustin, CA on Friday, Aug. 13. Photo: MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images
As children head back to the classroom, a "vocal minority" in the U.S. have resorted to violence or disruptive measures to protest against mask mandates in schools.
Driving the news: While the majority of Americans support the mandates, per a recent Axios/Ipsos poll, back-to-school confrontations across the U.S. have gotten so hot that teachers and other officials have been punched, hit and screamed at.
Israeli PM will press Biden to prioritize Iran in White House visit
Naftali Bennett Photo: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will introduce a new Iran policy when he meets with President Biden on Thursday.
Why it matters: With nuclear talks stalled and the White House consumed by the crisis in Afghanistan, Israeli officials worry that Iran will continue to develop its nuclear program without any pressure from the U.S. or its European allies.
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Biden calls on public, private sectors to "step up" vaccine requirements
Photo: Drew Angerer via Getty Images
President Biden on Monday called on public and private entities to "step up" coronavirus vaccine mandates hours after the Food and Drugs Administration granted full approval to the Pfizer vaccine.
Why it matters: The U.S. has seen a recent boost in vaccinations, reaching six million shots in the last seven days, according to Biden. "This is critical progress, but we need to move faster," he said in a brief address.
Internal investigation clears Capitol Police officer who killed Ashli Babbitt
A door window smashed by demonstrators in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. Photo: Erin Scott/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Capitol Police officer who killed Ashli Babbitt during the Capitol insurrection has been cleared of any wrongdoing, the department announced Monday.
Why it matters: Babbitt, an Air Force veteran from California, was among a mob of rioters who used a flagpole against the barricaded doors. The officer shot Babbitt as she attempted to force her way through a broken window into the Speaker's Lobby just off the House chamber floor.
New York City mandates COVID vaccinations for public school staff
A classroom in New York City in July. Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
All New York City Department of Education employees, including teachers and school staff, must receive at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 27, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.
Why it matters: The mandate affects about 148,000 people — including teachers, custodians and office staff — working in the largest U.S. school district. School is set to start Sept. 13.
Valuations for venture-backed companies at record highs
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Valuations for U.S. venture-backed companies are at record highs, per data released this morning by PitchBook.
Between the lines: It's the new normal, in which nontraditional investors are traditional, unicorns are pigeons and startups are in the driver's seat.
YouTube says content policing is good for business
Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch, Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
While critics allege YouTube puts profits over public safety, product head Neal Mohan insists that the Google-owned video site is working to be a better content moderator, in part because it is good for business.
Why it matters: Users spend billions of hours watching videos on YouTube, and the site's content recommendations shape how that time is spent. Facebook and Twitter tend to get more attention on content moderation, but YouTube remains an equally important information battleground.
FDA grants full approval to Pfizer's COVID vaccine
Photo: Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for those aged 16 and older.
Why it matters: It's the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full authorization from the federal government. Experts hope the approval will encourage more unvaccinated people in the U.S. to get the shot, especially as the country experiences a surge in COVID cases largely driven by the Delta variant.
Storm Henri expected to bring more heavy rain to parts of Northeast
An aerial view of flooded streets are seen in Helmetta, New Jersey. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Storm Henri dumped heavy rain across the Northeastern U.S. on Sunday, causing considerable flash, urban and other minor flooding over the Tri-State Area and New England.
The latest: The storm is expected to continue to drench the region through Monday night. More than 60,000 customers throughout the Northeast were without power as of Monday morning, according to Poweroutage.us.
What to make of trader sentiment
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Traders have their eyes on COVID-19 and inflation.
Why it matters: Sentiment can drive the direction of markets in the short term as traders react to daily news headlines.
The EV revolution will hit speed bumps
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Nobody said the transition to electric vehicles would be seamless, and the General Motors recall of every Chevy Bolt is the latest example of why it won't be.
Driving the news: GM's expanding Bolt recall over battery fire risks to include 2020-2022 models, and 2019 models that weren't covered by previous rounds.
Taliban says there will be "consequences" if U.S. extends troop withdrawal
U.S. soldiers standing guard at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 20. Photo: Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images
A spokesperson for the Taliban told Sky News Monday there would be "consequences" if the U.S. extended its troop withdrawal beyond Aug. 31 to complete the evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies from the country.
Why it matters: The U.S. and its allies are quickly approaching the full withdrawal date with thousands left to still evacuate. President Biden has said troops will remain in Afghanistan until every American is evacuated, and in remarks Sunday, he did not rule out the prospect of staying past the deadline.
Biden's political calculations
President Biden in the Situation Room Sunday. Photo: The White House
President Biden aimed three numbered messages at three specific audiences during Sunday afternoon remarks on Afghanistan.
To Fox News viewers: "One, planes taking off from Kabul are not flying directly to the United States. They're landing at U.S. military bases and transit centers around the world."
College students on high COVID alert ahead of return to campus
Illustration: Rae Cook/Axios
With the Delta variant surging, college students are not ready to resume campus life as normal, according to a new Generation Lab/Axios poll.
Why it matters: For four-year students who enrolled in 2019-20, there is just one year remaining to enjoy something resembling a regular college experience.
German military: Firefight involving U.S. forces at Kabul airport
British and Canadian soldiers stand guard near a canal as Afghans wait outside the foreign military-controlled part of Kabul's airport late Sunday. Photo: Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images
An Afghan guard was killed and three others wounded in a "firefight" with "unknown attackers" at Kabul's airport — which also involved German and U.S. security forces, Germany's military said Monday.
The latest: Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said later Monday that the U.S. could not yet determine which group was responsible for the attack.
Jesse and Jacqueline Jackson "responding positively" to COVID treatment
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jacqueline Jackson at a 2018 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation event in Washington, D.C. Photo: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and his wife, Jacqueline Jackson, were "responding positively" to treatment Sunday — one day after being hospitalized with COVID-19, their son said.
Details: Physicians at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago were "carefully monitoring" the 79-year-old civil rights leader and Jacqueline Jackson "especially because of their ages," said Jonathan Jackson in a statement Sunday.
Biden says Afghan evacuation efforts could extend beyond Aug. 31
President Biden at the White House on Sunday. Photo: Ken Cedeno/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Biden said on Sunday that U.S. evacuation efforts from Afghanistan could be extended beyond Aug. 31.
Why it matters: Biden sought to address criticisms of much of the White House response to the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, outlining why the administration was using commercial airlines to help relocate evacuees and the protocols in place to ensure that Afghans arriving to the U.S. have been thoroughly vetted.