Jun 10, 2019

Justice Department submits official extradition request for Julian Assange

Photo: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

The Justice Department has officially filed an extradition request to the United Kingdom for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: Assange, who is currently being detained in the U.K., has been indicted by the Justice Department on 18 counts for conspiring to hack into a government computer and for violating the Espionage Act — charges that have alarmed journalists and activists who fear a crackdown on First Amendment rights.

United Nations human rights investigator Nils Melzer issued a statement last month urging against extradition, warning that Assange would face "a real risk of serious violations of his human rights, including his freedom of expression, his right to a fair trial."

What's next: It is unclear whether the U.K. will cooperate with the order, but Assange is due at a hearing on June 12.

Go deeper ... Timeline: Julian Assange's 9-year legal limbo reaches its climax

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Kia Kokalitcheva

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HBCUs are missing from the discussion on venture capital's diversity

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Venture capital is beginning a belated conversation about its dearth of black investors and support of black founders, but hasn't yet turned its attention to the trivial participation of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as limited partners in funds.

Why it matters: This increases educational and economic inequality, as the vast majority of VC profits go to limited partners.

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Courtenay Brown

1 hour ago - Economy & Business

Unemployment rate falls to 13.3% in May

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals

The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 13.3% in May, with 2.5 million jobs gained, the government said on Friday.

Why it matters: The far better-than-expected numbers show a surprising improvement in the job market, which has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Dion Rabouin

2 hours ago - Economy & Business

The difficulty of calculating the real unemployment rate

Data: U.S. Department of Labor; Note: Initial traditional state claims from the weeks of May 23 and 30, continuing traditional claims from May 23. Initial PUA claims from May 16, 23, and 30, continuing PUA and other programs from May 16; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

The shocking May jobs report — with a decline in the unemployment rate to 13.3% and more than 2 million jobs added — destroyed expectations of a much worse economic picture.

Why it matters: Traditional economic reports have failed to keep up with the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic and have made it nearly impossible for researchers to determine the state of the U.S. labor market or the economy.

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