Mar 1, 2018

Federal judge strikes down Mike Pence's Syrian refugee ban in Indiana

Mike Pence, U.S. vice president and former Indiana governor. Photo: Drew Angerer / Getty Images

A federal judge has permanently blocked a policy former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence enacted, which prohibited Syrian refugees from resettling in the state.

The details: U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruled Tuesday that the state cannot withhold funds from Indianapolis-based Exodus Refugee Immigration, a group that resettles Syrian refugees in the state. In the wake of the 2015 Paris terror attacks, Pence said he won't accept Syrian refugees after reports suggested one the bombers may have posed as a refugee.

  • The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents Exodus Refugee Immigration, argued that Pence’s order illegally targeted Syrians and violates federal law. Judge Pratt had temporarily blocked the order in 2016 and a federal appeals court later affirmed it.

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Fadel Allassan
27 seconds ago - Politics & Policy

Senate advances Amy Coney Barrett nomination, setting up final confirmation vote

Photo: Xinhua/Ting Shen via Getty Images

The Senate voted 51-48 on Sunday to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, setting up a final confirmation vote for Monday.

Why it matters: It's now virtually inevitable that the Senate will vote to confirm President Trump's third Supreme Court nominee before the election, which is just nine days away.

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Felix Salmon, author of Capital
2 hours ago - Economy & Business

Wall Street is living up to its bad reputation

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Recent headlines will have you convinced that Wall Street is hell-bent on living up to all of its stereotypes.

Driving the news: Goldman Sachs is the biggest and the boldest, paying more than $5 billion in fines in the wake of the 1MDB scandal, in which billions were stolen from the people of Malaysia.

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Axios
2 hours ago - Health

Ex-FDA chief: Pence campaigning after COVID exposure puts others at risk

Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said "the short answer is yes" when asked whether Vice President Mike Pence is putting others at risk by continuing to campaign after several aides tested positive for COVID-19, stressing that the White House needs to be "very explicit about the risks that they're taking."

Why it matters: The New York Times reports that at least five members of Pence's inner circle, including his chief of staff Marc Short and outside adviser Marty Obst, have tested positive for the virus. Pence tested negative on Sunday morning, according to the VP's office, and he'll continue to travel for the final stretch of the 2020 campaign.

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