Jul 30, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Full D.C. appeals court to rehear Michael Flynn case

Photo: Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images

The full D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Thursday to rehear whether it should accept the Justice Department's request to dismiss the case against President Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The big picture: After oral arguments on Aug. 11, the court's 11 judges will decide the ultimate fate of Flynn's case after its initial 2-1 ruling last month ordered a district court judge to drop it. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017 about his contacts with the Russian ambassador during the Trump transition, but a DOJ review this year alleged prosecutorial misconduct by FBI agents who had interviewed him.

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Rebecca Falconer

Aug 6, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Pence calls Chief Justice John Roberts a "disappointment"

Combination images of Vice President Mike Pence and Chief Justice John Roberts. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images/I Senate Television via Getty Images

Vice President Pence told the Christian Broadcast Network in an interview to be broadcast Thursday that Chief Justice John Roberts "has been a disappointment to conservatives."

The state of play: The conservative Roberts has this year sided with the Supreme Court's more liberal justices on abortion, LGBTQ discrimination and the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

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Courtenay Brown

45 mins ago - Economy & Business

A quandary for state unemployment agencies

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

State agencies charged with paying unemployment benefits to jobless residents have their backs against the wall as they rush to parse President Trump's executive actions on coronavirus aid.

Why it matters: States are being asked to pitch in $100 per unemployed resident, but it’s a heavy lift for cash-strapped states that are still unclear about the details and may not opt-in at all. It leaves the states and jobless residents in a state of limbo.

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Rebecca Falconer

Updated 47 mins ago - Health

New Zealand reports first local coronavirus cases for 102 days

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after a press conference at Parliament on July 22 in Wellington, New Zealand. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Auckland is locking down and the rest of New Zealand faces lesser restrictions for 72 hours after a family of four tested positive for COVID-19, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Tuesday.

Why it matters: It's the first cases not in managed isolation for 102 days, Ardern said at a news briefing.