Axios

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) threatened legal action on Friday against the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe if their coronavirus checkpoints are not removed within 48 hours.

The big picture: Native Americans and other people of color are more likely to become seriously ill from the coronavirus due to chronic health conditions and the effects of economic inequality, several studies have found.

To honor the birthday of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man fatally shot by a white father and son, "people around the country are dedicating their daily jog or walk to him and posting about it on social media with the hashtags #RunWithMaud and #IRunWithMaud," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The big picture: The Feb. 23 shooting in coastal Georgia is drawing comparisons to a history in the U.S. of extrajudicial killings of black people by white male vigilantes, including the 1955 murder of Emmett Till.

Coronavirus pandemic-forced school closures — from kindergarten to college — will transform how teachers teach and students learn.

The big picture: Our long-held views of schools and the roles of teachers, students and parents will never be the same. That could be a good thing if we seize this opportunity to make changes that actually result in better outcomes for students and better resources for teachers.

President Trump said Friday while talking to House Republicans that he's "in no rush" to negotiate a deal for another stimulus package, just as the U.S. reported its worst unemployment rates since the Great Depression.

The state of play: White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters Friday, "We've kind of paused as far as formal negotiations go ... Let's have a look at what the latest round [of funding] produces, give it a month or so to evaluate that," per AP.

Former President Barack Obama is concerned that the "basic understanding of the rule of law is at risk" due to the Justice Department dropping charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn, he said in a private phone call with former members of his administration obtained by Yahoo News.

Driving the news: Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Friday accused Attorney General Bill Barr of doing President Trump's "political bidding" by interfering in criminal cases, including the DOJ's prosecution of Flynn.

A federal court ruled Friday that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear cannot temporarily ban mass gatherings at religious services, giving churches and other religious institutions a pathway to hold services, AP reports.

The big picture: Churches in some states have been challenging governors' short-term bans on mass gatherings, saying stay-at-home orders infringe on Americans' right to religious assembly. However, state and local officials are trying to balance that freedom while slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

President Trump’s lawyers are asking the Supreme Court to adopt a sweeping view of presidential immunity that would make it much harder to investigate any future president.

Why it matters: Trump’s steadfast refusal to release his tax returns — a fight that will culminate in Supreme Court arguments on Tuesday — has mushroomed into a showdown with implications well beyond his administration.

Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer who has accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993, claimed Friday in an interview with Megyn Kelly that she brought her allegation to the 2020 presidential campaigns of Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.

Why it matters: This is new information from Reade, who has done multiple interviews to discuss her allegation against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. But a senior advisor to Harris told Axios they have no record of contact from her.

The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on a report detailing guidelines for the nation's reopening — despite White House officials' insistence it was not cleared — according to emails obtained by the AP.

Why it matters: The mixed messaging is more evidence of the struggle between the CDC, which typically handles public health crises, and the White House coronavirus task force, which the president has made clear will shift its focus to reopening the country.

A six-page document obtained by Axios details the State Department's plans for returning to pre-coronavirus levels of international engagement, with sections on "Where Are We Today?" and "Where Are We Heading?"

Driving the news: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel next week to Israel, as Axios' Barak Ravid scooped earlier this week. As the Washington Post notes, the State Department more broadly has been developing a plan to return thousands of employees to work.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Friday accused Attorney General Bill Barr of doing President Trump's "political bidding" by interfering in ongoing criminal cases, and called on the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate.

Driving the news: The DOJ moved Thursday to drop its prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty in the Mueller investigation in 2017 to lying to FBI agents about his conversations with the former Russian ambassador.

Louisiana's presidential primary was again delayed until July 11 — the second time the state rescheduled the contest. Voters in the state can request an absentee ballot if they're at a higher risk for COVID-19, have tested positive or been advised by a doctor to self-quarantine.

The big picture: Since Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out of the 2020 race, former Vice President Joe Biden has been established as the presumptive Democratic nominee, and President Trump has already gathered enough delegates to clinch the Republican nomination. Most of the remaining 18 presidential primaries have been postponed from their original dates and more than 20 states have stay-at-home orders in place.

Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller has tested positive for the coronavirus, President Trump said Friday. The news comes a day after Trump's valet did the same.

Why it matters: This shows that, despite regular testing and measures to protect Trump and Pence, White House officials can still be — and are being — exposed to the virus.

DES MOINES — A second member of Vice President Pence’s staff tested positive for the coronavirus Friday, a day after a valet to President Trump did the same.

Why it matters: At a time when Trump is encouraging a brisk approach to reopening the economy, the results are a reminder that the virus remains widespread.  

Between a new postmaster general and a corporate ad blitz aimed at rebutting President Trump’s comments that U.S. Postal Service should raise prices, USPS couldn’t stay out of the news this week. Dan digs in with The Washington Post's Lisa Rein.

Go deeper: Trump squeezes the U.S. Postal Service

Video apparently showing Vice President Pence delivering empty boxes of personal protective equipment to a Virginia nursing home on Thursday that later went viral was edited by "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to remove important context.

The state of play: The video from Kimmel's monologue on Thursday night was tweeted by Democratic pollster Matt McDermott, but it does not show the full context of Pence's appearance. Kimmel later apologized on Twitter.

President Trump called a cellphone video that appears to show the Feb. 23 shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia "very disturbing" during a Friday phone-in to "Fox & Friends."

Catch up quick: A white father and son were arrested Thursday on charges of murder and aggravated assault for the killing after the video sparked national outrage. Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, was shot while out for his daily jog, according to his mother. The alleged suspects pursued Arbery, telling police they suspected he had committed a burglary.

The Treasury Department is signaling that it plans to offer more time for renewable power developers to qualify for tax credits as projects are disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: The industry is facing supply chain problems and other woes, leading to concern that a suite of projects will miss looming deadlines for incentives that are important for project finance.

The oil industry's painful retrenchment amid the collapse in demand and prices is bleeding into Beltway political battles over pandemic response — and probably into the 2020 election.

Driving the news: Sen. Elizabeth Warren is bashing the brewing Trump administration plan to help distressed U.S. producers, warning against financial aid she says would sap resources better spent elsewhere.

President Trump told "Fox & Friends" during a Friday phone-in that "the jury's still out" on FBI Director Chris Wray and the bureau's handling of its investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

What he's saying: "Look the jury's still out with regard to that, but it would have been a lot easier if he came out rather than skirting and going through, you know, 19 different ways except through the FBI, so let's see."

Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) will propose a bill Friday that would give most Americans a monthly $2,000 payment until the coronavirus pandemic ends, Politico reports.

Why it matters: The proposal — coming from some of the biggest Democratic names in the Senate — is one of the most expensive put forward so far in Congress, which is taking its time before moving forward with its next stimulus package.

A complete breakdown in communication and coordination within the Trump administration has undermined the distribution of a promising treatment, according to senior officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.

Why it matters: The drug, remdesivir, hasn't made it to some of the high-priority hospitals where it's most needed, and administration officials have responded by shifting blame and avoiding responsibility, sources said.

Early numbers show how significantly the coronavirus is devastating states' revenue streams — and could force choices between raising taxes or gutting services and laying off public employees.

Why it matters: Even as some states move toward reopening, the economic ramifications of having shut down will haunt them far into the future.

Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested on charges of murder and aggravated assault on Thursday for the February 23 death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, which was captured on an alleged cellphone video.

Why it matters: The release of video that appeared to show Arbery's death sparked a national outcry.