May 22, 2018

Prison reform bill passes the House

Stef W. Kight

Photo: Sara D. Davis/Getty Images

The House passed a prison reform bill Tuesday evening 360-59, with broad bipartisan support. The bill would send 4,000 prisoners home, provide sanitary products to incarcerated women, outlaw shackling during childbirth and make it easier for inmates to earn time in home arrest or half-way houses.

Big picture: The debate will only heat up in the Senate, where Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley along with Sens. Dick Durbin, Corey Booker and Kamala Harris are demanding that sentencing reform be included in any criminal justice reform effort.

  • Yes, but: Adding changes to federal sentencing guidelines to the bill would risk losing the support of some hardline Republicans — and possibly the President.

This is a win for Jared Kushner, who has been working behind the scenes for months on criminal justice reform, and President Trump who publicly endorsed the bill just last Friday.

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Coronavirus dashboard

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  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 a.m. ET: 1,139,207 — Total deaths: 60,874 — Total recoveries: 233,807 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 a.m. ET: 278,537 — Total deaths: 7,163 — Total recoveries: 9,920 — Map.
  3. Public health latest: The CDC is recommending Americans wear face coverings in public to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The federal government will cover the costs of COVID-19 treatment for the uninsured, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said.
  4. 2020 latest: "I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting," President Trump said of the 2020 election, as more states hold primaries by mail. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said Friday that every county in the state has opted to expand mail-in voting for the state's June 2 primary.
  5. Business updates: America's small business bailout is off to a bad start. The DOT is urging airlines to refund passengers due to canceled or rescheduled flights, but won't take action against airlines that provide vouchers or credits.
  6. Oil latest: A pivotal Monday meeting among oil-producing countries to discuss supply curbs is reportedly being delayed amid tensions between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
  7. Military updates: Senators call for independent investigation into the firing of Navy captain of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt. The U.S. military is struggling to find new recruits as enlistment stations are shut down.
  8. What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  9. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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