Jan 21, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Lawmakers stretch impeachment trial rules by wearing Apple Watches

Photo: Qi Heng/Visual China Group via Getty Images

Both parties were caught stretching the Senate impeachment trial rules on Tuesday, keeping Apple Watches strapped to their wrists and ignoring a ban on electronic devices in the chamber, CQ Roll Call reports.

Why it matters: The no-phones rule in the decorum guidelines is meant to cut off access to the outside world. The latest versions of Apple Watches have cellular capabilities, meaning lawmakers and their staffers can text, call and surf the web even if their other devices are left outside the room.

The U.S. Supreme Court, for example, does not allow Apple Watches in its courtroom.

What we know: Per Roll Call, lawmakers seen in the Senate chamber with watches on their wrists were

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.)
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)

Go deeper: Live updates: Senators debate rules of Trump impeachment trial

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Dan Primack

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Treasury blames lenders for PPP disclosure debacle

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The U.S. Treasury Department is pointing the finger at lenders for errors discovered in Monday's PPP data disclosure.

What they're saying: "Companies listed had their PPP applications entered into SBA’s Electronic Transmission (ETran) system by an approved PPP lender. If a lender did not cancel the loan in the ETran system, the loan is listed," a senior administration official said.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10:30 a.m. ET: 11,863,477 — Total deaths: 544,949 — Total recoveries — 6,483,402 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10:30 a.m. ET: 2,996,679 — Total deaths: 131,486 — Total recoveries: 936,476 — Total tested: 36,878,106 — Map.
Public health: Deaths are rising in hotspots — Déjà vu sets in as testing issues rise and PPE dwindles.
Travel: How the pandemic changed mobility habits, by state.
Education: Harvard and MIT sue Trump administration over rule barring foreign students from online classes.
🎧 Podcast: A misinformation "infodemic" is here.

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Updated 39 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Harvard and MIT sue Trump administration over rule barring foreign students from online classes

A Harvard Law School graduate on campus before attending an online graduation ceremony on May 28. Photo: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Harvard and MIT on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to block federal guidance that would largely bar foreign college students from taking classes if their universities move classes entirely online in the fall.

The big picture: Colleges, which often rely heavily on tuition from international students, face a unique challenge to safely get students back to class during the coronavirus pandemic. Some elite institutions, like Harvard, have already made the decision to go virtual.