The United States topped 250,000 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday as infections soar in nearly every pocket of every state in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Why it matters: The sharp rise in the number of cases and fatalities has accelerated calls for government action. Wednesday's news exceeded infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci's March prediction in which he said "we should be prepared" that COVID-19 could kill 240,000 Americans.
The decision by many U.S. states and cities to keep kids out of school because of COVID-19 will have crippling economic and health effects that could last for decades.
Why it matters: Evidence shows that children, especially younger kids, present a low risk for COVID-19 transmission and that remote education is no replacement for in-person schooling. By keeping schools closed — even as more risky activities are allowed to continue — the U.S. is kneecapping the next generation.
Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) and Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) have tested positive for COVID-19, increasing the tally of lawmakers across the U.S. who have contracted the virus.
President-elect Biden this week endorsed a proposal to immediately forgive up to $10,000 in student debt, with some experts arguing he could do so via executive action.
Axios Re:Cap speaks with Mike Pierce, policy director for the Student Borrower Protection Center, about Biden's plan, why it matters and what comes next.
As the virus surges and mass public gatherings become more perilous, our cars have become the new vehicles of political expression.
Driving the news: Automobiles plastered with images of and makeshift memorials to COVID-19 victims who died in poverty will caravan through at least 22 state capitals next week — the latest example of Americans trading in their walking shoes for a pandemic-friendly way to make their voices heard.
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ordered the Trump administration on Wednesday to stop the expulsion of migrant children who cross the border alone — a policy enabled by a March emergency order by the Centers for Disease Control because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: As of September, nearly 9,000 unaccompanied migrant children had been expelled because of the CDC order.
President Trump, in announcing the latest in a line of post-election firings, embraced unsubstantiated claims of election hacking over one of his own top cybersecurity officials.
Why it matters: This is only the latest example of an ongoing attempt to purge officials deemed insufficiently loyal to the president. But the potential decapitation of cyber leadership at the Department of Homeland Security could also create expertise gaps during the presidential transition period, making the country less secure.
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is quietly purchasing access to vast troves of real-time location and user data from commercial apps that focus on everything from dating services for Muslims to weather reports, according to a new Vice investigation.
Why it matters: Though legal, the purchase of these data tracking services by the U.S. military raises serious civil liberties and privacy questions — as well as questions about just how the military is employing this data.
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was re-elected Wednesday to serve as House Democrats' leader, preserving her role as the key Democratic player in Congress and solidifying her power alongside a future Biden administration.
Why it matters: Pelosi's re-election, which took place remotely via voice vote, sets her up to be re-elected as speaker in January and follows a disappointing election for House Democrats, who lost several seats, undercutting the party's major gains from the 2018 midterms.
The Trump campaign said on Wednesday that it plans to file for recounts in two Wisconsin counties — a state Joe Biden won by more than 20,600 votes, per AP.
The state of play: According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Trump paid the $3 million needed for a recount in Milwaukee and Dane counties — two of the most liberal counties in the state. The recount must start no later than Saturday and finish by Dec. 1.
"U.S. environmental activists are heaping pressure on Democratic president-elect Joe Biden to avoid Cabinet appointees with fossil fuel ties," Reuters points out.
Why it matters: The incoming Biden administration is starting to announce important personnel picks, with Cabinet choices looming, and activists are keen to see advocates of aggressive climate policies.
Why it matters: Krebs, who was fired by tweet, is the latest in a series of post-election ousters from the outgoing Trump administration. Krebs had drawn Trump's ire for publicly affirming that the 2020 election was fair and free from fraud and foreign interference.
The cash value of President-elect Biden's normality will be tested next year with a bookstore battle among Washington journalists who are competing to capture 46's backstory, inside skinny and cast of characters.
What's new: Axios has learned that Ben Schreckinger, a long-form writer who works the "Biden Inc." beat at Politico, has signed a deal with prestige publisher Twelve to write a Biden family book aimed for the second half of 2021.
Americans‘ trust in Joe Biden to provide accurate information about the coronavirus has grown across the board since his election win, according to the latest installment of the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
Between the lines: It's the first time Biden won the trust of more than 50% of Americans since the poll started asking the question in August. But with the exception of Democrats, who are with him already, he still has room to grow.
President Trump announced on Twitter Tuesday night that Christopher Krebs, the head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, had been fired effective immediately.
Why it matters: Krebs, who is responsible for securing voting technology, has drawn bipartisan praise for his handling of the election and debunking of misinformation. Reuters recently reported he expected to be fired after he pushed back against false claims that Democrats "rigged" the election, a claim that Trump has heavily promoted.
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers struck a last-minute compromise on Tuesday night to certify local election results, backpedaling on a tactic that could have delayed official approval statewide.
Why it matters: The board's Republican members voted earlier Tuesday to block certification, in a move that President Trump celebrated on Twitter. The reversal is a blow to Trump and his GOP allies who have sought to delay or block President-elect Joe Biden's victories in a number of jurisdictions, mostly through failed legal action.
Philadelphia did not violate the law by restricting poll observers' proximity to ballots, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in a blow to the Trump campaign Tuesday.
Why it matters: This development comes after President Trump's defeat in a string of court battles, which his campaign wielded in several states in attempts to discredit President-elect Biden's election victory.
