Feb 8, 2018

Mattis: Immigrants in the military are safe from deportation

Sailors are sworn in as U.S. Citizens in September 2017. Photo: Scott Olson / Getty

Defense Secretary James Mattis said Thursday that the roughly 850 immigrants who are about to begin training in the military or are actively serving in the U.S. military are not at risk for deportation, regardless of the status of DACA, unless they have committed a serious felony or a judge gives them a special order for deportation, AP reports.

Why it matters: Until now, it was unclear whether members of the military would receive any protection from deportation since Jeff Sessions rescinded the DACA program in September and Congress hasn't agreed on a solution.

Go deeper

Courtenay Brown

21 mins 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.

Go deeper (1 min. read)

Dion Rabouin

53 mins 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.

Go deeper (2 min. read)

Kendall Baker

1 hour ago - Sports

How coronavirus could reshuffle the sports calendar

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

The NBA's Board of Governors approved Thursday the league's 22-team plan to resume play at Walt Disney World — a plan that also includes tentative dates for both this season and next.

Why it matters: The league's proposed trip to Disney World not only impacts this season but could have a domino effect that impacts seasons in the future — and could permanently change what time of year the NBA plays its games.

Go deeper (1 min. read)