Sen. Kamala Harris expressed regret that some California district attorneys “criminalized" the parents of children who had too many consecutive, unexcused school absences, under a controversial 2011 law she helped move forward as the state's top prosecutor.
"My regret is that I have now heard stories where in some jurisdictions, DAs have now criminalized the parents. And I regret that that has happened and the thought that anything that I did could have led to that because that certainly was not the intention, never was the intention."
— Harris told "Pod Save America" in an interview aired Wednesday
The U.S. Naval Academy confirmed to the Capital Gazette this week that it will prohibit transgender students from enrolling in the 2020-2021 school year and beyond, following a Trump administration policy that went into effect last week, banning transgender military personnel.
Details: The school, located in Annapolis, Maryland, currently accepts transgender students and has retained midshipmen who intended to transition over the course of their education. This has fallen under an Obama-era policy that allowed them to serve in the military openly and cover gender affirmation surgery expenses. President Trump rolled back the 2016 policy, forbidding new military recruits from transitioning and allowing the military to discharge those currently serving if they do not present as their birth gender.
The Trump administration is rolling back another Obama-era decision by restoring limits on the remittance U.S. citizens can send to family in Cuba and restricting Americans travel to the island, the Washington Post reports.
The big picture: Axios' Dave Lawlersays the move comes in the context of Washington's standoff with Nicolas Maduro's regime in Venezuela. Cuba is a close ally of Maduro's and its military intelligence operatives help him maintain his power.
White House adviser Ivanka Trump confirmed in an interview with AP on Wednesday that her father asked her if she would be interested in becoming president of the World Bank.
The big picture: President Trump told The Atlantic last week that he had "thought of Ivanka" for the role "because she's very good with numbers." When asked why he didn't nominate his daughter, the president said, "If I did, they’d say nepotism, when it would’ve had nothing to do with nepotism. But she would’ve been incredible."
April 15 at midnight was the deadline for 2020 presidential candidates to upload their fundraising disclosures for the first quarter of 2019 to the Federal Election Commission.
Data: Federal Election Commission; Chart: Harry Stevens/Axios
Suddenly the f-word is everywhere: Two presidential candidates. A Supreme Court case. Bookstore bestsellers.
Why it matters: A casual, ever-coarser culture has embraced a word that once shocked, and now bores. The ultimate epithet is now everyday conversation. And we've lost a surefire device for cutting through life's white noise.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) was spotted in his hometown of Marblehead, Massachusetts, taping a presidential announcement that's expected within a week, according to a source close to Moulton.
The big picture: Moulton's key issues will be foreign policy, national security and defense. Moulton was also spotted taping recently in Vegas, where he held three meetings with veterans.
Among the younger 2020 candidates, Ohio swing voters think Donald Trump should be most concerned if Beto O'Rourke is the Democratic nominee — but they're not sure he can beat him.
Between the lines: This was another takeaway from the Engagious/FPG focus group I watched last week. Participants were shown 2-minute video clips from O'Rourke, Julián Castro, Tulsi Gabbard, and Pete Buttigieg and asked to score them based on who Trump should be most concerned about heading into his re-election.
Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg's Tuesday night town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, was so packed, it was standing room only — despite his expectations that only 50 people would turn up, the Quad City Times reports.
Details: More than 1,600 people turned out to hear the South Bend, Indiana, mayor speak at the rally inside the gymnasium of Franklin Junior High School. It's another sign interest in him is continuing to soar, despite being relatively unknown at a national level when he entered the race in January.
The Justice Department issued an order on Tuesday that would prevent immigration judges from granting bail to thousands of migrants seeking asylum, making them wait in jail until their cases are resolved.
Why it matters: The order, issued by Attorney General William Barr, comes as detention centers are overcrowded, and aligns with President Trump's vow to end "catch and release" at the southern border. This policy is almost certain to be challenged in court. An immigration lawyer told Axios it represents an effort by the administration to get the Supreme Court to establish what rights migrants who cross the border actually have.
Pete Buttigieg has openly discussed his sexuality before and during his presidential campaign, but was confronted by a protestor for defending marriage equality at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday, per the AP.
Details: As Buttigieg talked about marriage equality, the protester stood up and shouted: “You betray your baptism!” before being removed from the town hall. Per the AP, Buttigieg — whose presidential run is historic as the first openly gay candidate in a same-sex marriage — took the interruption with a light-hearted approach, saying: “Coffee after church gets a little rowdy sometimes.”
In the first quarter of 2019, Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) received $0 in campaign contributions from individuals for his re-election, according to a filing with the Federal Elections Commission.
The backdrop: Collins was charged in 2018 with 11 counts of securities fraud, wire fraud and providing false testimony to investigators. The charges stem from insider trading involving an Australian drug company. In total, he has only been able to raise $5,000, which came from the campaign of another New York Republican who failed to secure a seat in last year's election, and 2 PACs. In the 2018 midterm election, Collins fundraised $280,000, reports The Daily Beast, despite his felony charges, and won a fourth term..
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