Former 2020 candidate Andrew Yang has filed a lawsuit against the New York State Board of Elections in federal court for effectively canceling the state's presidential primary in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: New York is the first state to take such action after its Democratic election commissioners voted Monday to remove from the ballot presidential candidates who have suspended their campaigns, leaving only former Vice President Joe Biden.
Dozens of the 110 service members who were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following Iran’s Jan. 8 ballistic missile attack on an Iraqi base are expected to receive Purple Hearts, CNN reports.
Why it matters: The attacks were in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani in January. At the time, President Trump dismissed the injuries as "headaches" and "not very serious," prompting backlash from some veterans groups. It's not yet clear how many service members will receive the honor.
Axios, which qualified for a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan to avoid layoffs, will return the money, after nearing a deal for an alternative source of capital.
Why it matters: In the four weeks since Axios applied for the loan, based on big coronavirus business losses, there has been a public backlash against a variety of companies for taking the PPP, including us.
Some critics say media companies like ours should not qualify, period. Others argue that venture-backed start-ups should seek capital elsewhere, even if it hurts the business.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell panned the idea of using a coronavirus stimulus bill to fund major infrastructure investment in a conference call today with Republican senators.
Why it matters: President Trump has been floating the idea — and McConnell is moving early to crush it and more generally, encouraging Republican senators to buck the president's freewheeling spending ideas.
Hillary Clinton endorsed Joe Biden for president at the former vice president's virtual women’s town hall on Tuesday.
Why it matters: It's another major establishment name endorsing Biden as the Democratic Party coalesces around its presumptive nominee ahead of November's general election.
School closures as a result of the coronavirus crisis are creating a "disruption in continuity of learning," as high school seniors and current college students become turned off by the prospect of online learning, Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda told Axios during a virtual event on Tuesday.
Why it matters: 1.6 billion students have had their schools closed around the world, according to UNESCO. Maggioncalda said there's "growing concern" that students won't return to college until there's a "new kind of normal," but that he hopes online courses will allow students to continue learning for free or at low cost.
States are facing their worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) recently suggested that he favors states declaring bankruptcy over additional federal aid. Dan is joined by The Atlantic’s David Frum to discuss why state bankruptcy appeals to the Republicans.
The House will not return from recess on May 4 as previously planned, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Tuesday.
Why it matters: The decision, which Hoyer said Democratic leaders made after consulting with the House physician, follows outcry from some members who had safety concerns. The Senate still plans to come back on May 4.
In an interview for "Axios on HBO," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told me he wishes he had sounded the alarm sooner about the coronavirus.
Why it matters: The coronavirus has now killed more than 22,000 New Yorkers, giving Cuomo's state the worst death toll in the world — vastly worse than other dense global cities like Tokyo and Seoul.
States are facing their biggest fiscal crisis since the Great Depression, with revenues plunging as obligations soar. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested that state bankruptcy filings should be considered as an alternative to further federal bailouts.
Reality check: States cannot currently file for bankruptcy, unlike cities and towns.
Nearly nine in 10 Americans now worry about the U.S. economy collapsing, a view that transcends party lines, according to the latest installment of the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
While three-fourths also fear their communities reopening too soon, there's a massive gulf between how Democrats and Republicans view the threat.
More Americans have chosen to save their CARES Act direct payment checks than spend them, even to catch up on bills or purchase household needs, the latest results of the Axios/Ipsos poll show.
What's happening: Despite nearly 20% saying they had been furloughed, laid off or otherwise separated from their job, the most popular answer among survey respondents was to sock their money away, with 38% saying they put it into savings.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) "took a step beyond what is allowed" when he issued coronavirus restrictions in March including the closure of nonessential businesses that extended to a local gun range, a circuit judge ruled Monday.
Why it matters: Gun rights groups said in their lawsuit the action violated the Second Amendment. University of Virginia law professor Richard Schragger noted to the Washington Post that if the state Supreme Court upholds the ruling enabling the shooting range to remain open, it may "lead to challenges in other states, though it is important to note that Virginia’s emergency powers statute includes fairly broad language protecting gun possession, use, and carrying."
The Internal Revenue Service called roughly 10,000 employees back to work this week, but it is requiring that they provide their own facial masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus pandemic.
The state of play: Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee have blasted the plan, issuing a statement saying it's "completely irresponsible and unethical for the IRS to demand those workers obtain their own protective equipment."
Attorney General Bill Barr issued a memo Monday directing Department of Justice prosecutors to act against state or local authorities imposing lockdown measures that "could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens."
What they're saying: "If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID-19 into an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections, the Department of Justice may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court," the memo states.
