Mar 31, 2020 - Health

Trump administration deems gun stores essential amid coronavirus outbreak

People wait for their appointment time to enter Martin B. Retting gun shop in Culver City, California. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

The Trump administration has now included gun stores, shooting ranges and weapons manufacturers in its guidance on the essential critical infrastructure workforce allowed to open during shutdowns over the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The big picture: Gun control advocate the Brady group criticized the move and filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Homeland Security "seeking emails and documents that explain" how it reached its decision, per AP. The NRA which is, with other pro-gun groups, suing California officials for deeming gun stores nonessential during the state's stay-at-home order, thanked President Trump for "keeping his promise to protect the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans."

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Axios
Jul 8, 2020 - Politics & Policy

The coming political brawl over reopening schools

Betsy DeVos and Mike Pence. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Trump administration is engaged in a full-court press to reopen schools this fall: The president threatened this morning to cut off federal funding if schools don't reopen, and claimed — without evidence — that Democrats want them closed through November for political reasons.

What they're saying: "Ultimately, it's not a matter of if schools should reopen — it is simply a matter of how," Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said, assailing "elite" D.C.-area schools for their "disaster" of an attempt at distance learning this spring. "They must fully open and they must be fully operational."

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Orion Rummler
Updated Jul 8, 2020 - 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.

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Axios
Updated 3 hours ago - Health

World coronavirus updates: Global cases top 18 million

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

The number of novel coronavirus cases surged past 18 million globally on Sunday night, Johns Hopkins data shows.

By the numbers: More than 688,300 people have died from COVID-19 worldwide. Over 10.6 million have recovered.

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