Axios

America's leaders are rethinking how they view Independence Day, as the country reckons with the historic, unequal treatment of people of color during a pandemic which has disproportionately affected nonwhite Americans.

Why it matters: The country’s legacy of racism has come into sharp focus in the weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. From Confederate statues to Mount Rushmore, Americans are reexamining the symbols and traditions they elevate and the history behind them.

About 13,400 employees from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will be furloughed by August due to a decline in revenue from immigration and visa application fees that help fund the agency, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: President Trump's administration has implemented many immigration policies that blocked non-Americans from entering the country's borders, separated families and delayed visas, drying up the agency's revenue.

A Joe Biden ad debuting over this holiday weekend, "Taught Me," says his parents taught him "that success means looking at your child, and realizing they turned out better than you."

Why it matters: The ad is part of Biden's effort to leverage his experience as what the campaign calls "a core strength," at a time President Trump is arguing, as he put in Tulsa, that Biden's record "can be summed up as four decades of betrayal, calamity, and failure. He never did anything."

Joe Biden's campaign is unveiling a "Climate Engagement Advisory Council" this morning aimed at "mobilizing" voters who prioritize climate change and environmental justice.

Why it matters: November's election is a stark contrast between Biden, whose platform goes much further than Obama-era policies, and President Trump, who largely dismisses the problem and is rolling back his predecessor's initiatives.

The Supreme Court voted 5-4 on Thursday to block a trial judge's order that would have eased the use of absentee ballots for three Alabama counties, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: The decision temporarily allows election officials in Lee, Jefferson and Mobile counties to enforce an ID requirement for disabled voters and those 65 or older in an upcoming primary runoff election, the Times reports.

Geoffrey Berman, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, is scheduled to testify to the House Judiciary Committee next week on the circumstances of his forced resignation, Politico reports, citing a congressional aide.

Why it matters: As the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, Berman oversaw high-profile cases that worried and angered President Trump and his inner circle, including an investigation into his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. His removal has added to allegations by Democrats that Attorney General Bill Barr has politicized the Justice Department under President Trump.

The pandemic is getting worse, and the question is whether the economic recovery will go with it.

Why it matters: America adding 7.5 million jobs over the last two months pales in comparison to 20+ million lost over the two months prior.

America added 4.8 million jobs in June, easily exceeding economist expectations, while the unemployment rate fell from 13.3% to 11.1%. But the jobs picture remains very murky, particularly as some states pause or roll back economy reopenings.

Axios Re:Cap digs into the jobs picture right now and where it's headed, with The Washington Post's Catherine Rampell.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss urged a judge in a detention memo Thursday to deny bail to Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, calling her an "extreme flight risk" who has no reason not to attempt to flee the country.

The big picture: Maxwell was arrested and indicted on six counts Thursday for allegedly conspiring with Epstein, who died in an apparent suicide in prison last year, to traffic and sexually abuse minors.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said Thursday that she plans to block the promotion of 1,123 senior military officers through the Senate until Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirms that he will not block the promotion of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman.

Why it matters: Some lawmakers and military officials are concerned that Vindman's promotion could be sunk by White House retaliation over his testimony in President Trump's impeachment inquiry, the New York Times and Washington Post report.

Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, 74, has been hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus less than two weeks after attending President Trump's rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Why it matters: Public health officials warned Trump that hosting a large-scale rally last month could bolster the spread of the coronavirus. The campaign did require temperature checks upon entry but did not require attendees to wear face masks. A tweet from Cain, who is the co-chairman of Black Voices for Trump, shows him not wearing a mask during the event.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) released a statement criticizing President Trump after the pair took part in a classified briefing on reports of Russian bounties paid on U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan.

What they're saying: "Our Armed Forces would be better served if President Trump spent more time reading his daily briefing and less time planning military parades and defending relics of the Confederacy," the pair wrote.

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday called June’s jobs report “positive news,” but warned that the worst is yet to come and accused President Trump of "giving up" on addressing the root public health causes of the coronavirus.

Driving the news: The Labor Department reported Thursday morning that the economy added 4.8 million jobs last month and that the unemployment rate dropped to 11.1% — down from 13.3%.

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) on Thursday called for the White House to dissolve its coronavirus task force so that health officials like Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx are prevented from contradicting many of President Trump’s "stated goals and actions" when it comes to the economy.

Why it matters: Maricopa County, part of which Biggs represents, has seen record-breaking spikes in coronavirus cases recently, with more than 52,000 total cases and 817 deaths — the highest in the state.

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed it will hear a Trump administration appeal to shield secret Mueller investigation grand jury materials from the Democratic-controlled House.

Why it matters: The move will likely extend the legal battle over the documents into next year, essentially guaranteeing that they won't be released before November's election. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee sought to obtain the records as part of their impeachment inquiry last year.

State and local government jobs are being gutted, even as the labor market shows signs of a slight recovery.

Why it matters: The coronavirus pandemic blew a hole in state and local government budgets. A slew of states cut spending and jobs — with more planned layoffs announced this week as states try to balance budgets.

The national dialogue about racism has renewed calls for the Washington Redskins to change their name — and now protesters are targeting their sponsors, something a former high-ranking team official called "different."

Driving the news: Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo each received letters signed by 87 investors and shareholders worth a combined $620 billion asking the brands to cut ties with the Redskins unless they change their name, AdWeek reports.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) is lining up back-to-back blockbuster hearings right before the August exodus.

The state of play: The CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google will testify as part of the committee's antitrust investigation, N.Y. Times columnist Kara Swisher first reported. Axios is told that, with negotiations continuing over document production, the date being discussed is July 27 with the CEOs expected to appear remotely. The next day, July 28, Attorney General Bill Barr will appear for an oversight hearing that will include grilling on Lafayette Park, Mueller and more.

Nursing homes have been the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, prompting more urgent discussions about alternative housing situations for elderly Americans.

Why it matters: Deaths in nursing homes and residential care facilities account for 45% of COVID-19 related deaths, per the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity — but there are few other viable housing options for seniors.

If Joe Biden wins in November, his coronavirus response would feature a no-expenses-spared federal approach to mitigating the virus and a beefed-up safety net for those suffering its economic consequences.

Why it matters: It’s nearly inevitable that the U.S. will still be dealing with the pandemic come January 2021, meaning voters in America will choose between two very different options for dealing with it.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party raised $141 million in June, his campaign announced on Wednesday night.

Why it matters: It's the most the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has raised in a month. It's also more than the record $131 million President Trump's re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee raised last month.

Tomorrow's high-profile hearing in the Foreign Affairs Committee's investigation into the firing of State Department inspector general Steve Linick was postponed late on Wednesday by Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.).

Why it matters: Brian Bulatao, a top State Department official and close confidante of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's, has emerged as a central figure in Linick's removal. The agency watchdog was removed at Pompeo's request.

The injunction on a memoir about President Trump written by his niece was lifted on Wednesday by a judge in New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division, Second Department.

Driving the news: The judge ruled that publisher Simon & Schuster did not seem to be bound by the confidentiality agreement signed by Mary Trump, author, of the book "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man," which was due for release on July 28. However, Justice Alan Scheinkman upheld the restraining order against the president's niece.

Twitter has removed a picture from a tweet by President Trump on Tuesday after it received a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaint from the New York Times, which owns the rights to the photo.

Why it matters: This is the second time in two weeks that Twitter has had to take down content from Trump's account due to a copyright violation.