Apr 9, 2019

Administration awards almost $1 billion in contracts for border wall

Construction worker build a secondary border wall in February in Otay Mesa, California. Photo: Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

The Defense Department said Tuesday it has awarded $976 million in contracts to two companies for construction related to President Trump's long-sought border wall along the southern border with a completion date expected for October 2020.

Details: The agency said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a $789 million contract was given to SLSCO Ltd., a company based in Galveston, Texas, for "border replacement wall construction" in Santa Teresa, New Mexico located in the El Paso sector of the border. Montana-based Barnard Construction Co. Inc. was awarded a $187 million contract for the "design-bid-build construction project for primary pedestrian wall replacement" in Yuma, Arizona. CNN reported that funds for the contracts are from the $1 billion the Pentagon recently said it has shifted from other military construction projects to build part of the barrier.

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Jacob Knutson
10 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Trump says he intends to give RNC speech on White House lawn

President Trump speaking to reporters on South Lawn in July. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

President Trump told the New York Post on Thursday that he plans to deliver his Republican National Convention speech from the White House lawn, despite bipartisan criticism of the optics and legality of the location.

Why it matters: Previous presidents avoided blurring staged campaign-style events — like party conventions — with official business of governing on the White House premises, per Politico.

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Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 20,739,537 — Total deaths: 751,910— Total recoveries: 12,895,242 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 5,242,184 — Total deaths: 166,971 — Total recoveries: 1,755,225 — Total tests: 64,612,034 — Map.
  3. Politics: House Democrats to investigate scientist leading "Operation Warp Speed" vaccine project — McConnell announces Senate will not hold votes until Sept. 8 unless stimulus deal is reached.
  4. 2020: Biden calls for 3-month national mask mandate — Biden and Harris to receive coronavirus briefings 4 times a week.
  5. States: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to drop lawsuit over Atlanta's mask mandate.
  6. Business: Why the CARES Act makes 2020 the best year for companies to lose money.
  7. Public health: Fauci's guidance on pre-vaccine coronavirus treatments — Cases are falling, but don't get too comfortable.
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Eileen Drage O'Reilly
3 hours ago - Health

Fauci's guidance on pre-vaccine coronavirus treatments

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Antibody drugs and various medicine cocktails against the coronavirus are progressing and may provide some relief before vaccines.

The big picture: Everyone wants to know how and when they can return to "normal" life, as vaccines are not expected to be ready for most Americans for at least a year. Two therapies are known to be helpful, and more could be announced by late September, NIAID Director Anthony Fauci tells Axios.

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