House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nader (D-N.Y.) announced in a statement on Friday that the committee will consider two bills next week that would curtail presidential pardon and commutation powers.
Why it matters: The bills come just one week after President Trump commuted the sentence of his longtime associate Roger Stone, who faced 40 months in prison for crimes including obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements to Congress.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will require his GOP colleagues to wear face masks for a conference next Tuesday to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in Congress, Bloomberg first reported and McCarthy's team confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: McCarthy upped his past recommendation that lawmakers wear masks to a requirement this week. Democrats previously complained that some Republicans were appearing on the House floor and in committees without face coverings, threatening not to recognize members who refused to mask up in session.
Breonna Taylor was alive for at least 20 minutes after police officers entered her home as part of a drug investigation and shot her on March 13, the Louisville Courier Journal reported Friday.
Why it matters: Taylor did not receive medical attention after the shooting even though she showed signs of life, including coughing and labored breathing, according to her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, and police dispatch logs.
House Education and Labor Committee Chair Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said in a statement Friday that the White House is preventing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from testifying on how to safely reopen schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Public health officials almost all agree that wearing face masks in public could help flatten the coronavirus curve, but not all elected officials are willing to require mask use.
Axios Re:Cap digs in with Savannah Mayor Van Johnson after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp moved to overrule his city's emergency mask mandate.
A federal judge ruled on Friday that the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) be restored to its full status, following the Supreme Court's decision that the Trump administration violated federal law when it ended the program.
Why it matters: Friday's decision would force the Trump administration to accept new DACA applications. However, the administration still has legal authority to try to end the program again.
Joe Biden on Friday called on President Trump and Congress to pass a $30 billion emergency package to give public schools the resources they need to safely adapt in order to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: The move, part of a broader five-point plan for reopening schools, is another contrast Biden is trying to draw between himself and Trump, who he says has made schools' situation "much worse" by failing to act.
Children's advocate Jonah Edelman is offering three recommendations for schools to keep students from falling through the cracks during remote learning.
What he's saying: The co-founder and CEO of Stand for Children favors every middle and high school student having an adviser, teachers or advisers holding virtual home visits at the start of the semester, and removing "zeroes" from grading systems. He made his comments during an Axios virtual event on Friday.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced Friday that she is in the midst of treating a recurrence of liver cancer, but said she remains "fully able" to fulfill her duties on the court.
The big picture: The 87-year-old has survived multiple bouts of cancer, amid a slew of health complications in recent years. Earlier this week, she was hospitalized due to an infection but was subsequently released.
The Pentagon effectively banned the display of the Confederate flag on military installations, per a memo signed Thursday by Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
Why it matters: The move was done in a way meant to largely avoid President Trump's ire by not explicitly banning it. The memo instead listed flags that are allowed to be displayed on military property, leaving out the Confederate flag.
Progressive challenger Jamaal Bowman has defeated House Foreign Affairs Chair Eliot Engel in New York's 16th congressional district's Democratic primary, which took place on June 23, according to an AP call of the race on Friday.
Why it matters: It's the biggest upset of the 2020 House primary cycle thus far.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, during an hourlong online conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday, criticized the Trump administration's coronavirus response and called for "a reset."
What he's saying: "[I]t's really disappointing that we still don't have adequate testing, that the credibility of our top scientists like yourself and the CDC are being undermined — and that until recently, that parts of the administration were calling into question whether people should even follow basic best practices like wearing masks."
As Joe Biden rolls out new policy details and speeches around his major campaign platforms, the hand of one primary-rival-turned-VP-contender is increasingly visible: Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Why it matters: If Biden wins in November, it's clear that Warren will significantly shape his approach — on domestic policy in particular — whether or not her name's on the ticket.
Michigan Rep. Justin Amash (L) is no longer campaigning for public office, including his House seat, an aide told the Detroit News.
Why it matters: Amash is the first member of the Libertarian Party to serve in Congress. He left the Republican Party in 2019, and has served in Congress since 2011. He has also been a vocal critic of President Trump and partisanship in Washington, D.C.
