May 2, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Trump officials had "no way" to link separated migrant families, emails show

A fence at the southern border wall in San Ysidro, California. File photo: Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images

Trump administration officials said they didn't have enough data to reunite most migrant families separated at the border, emails the House Judiciary Committee provided to NBC News show.

Details: In the emails, a Health and Human Services official admits "we do not have any linkages from parents to [children], save for a handful [60]." The exchanges with a senior official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement are dated June 23, 2018 — the day the Trump administration said it would reunite migrant families via a central database.

We have a list of parent alien numbers but no way to link them to children."

— HHS official

Why it matters: The experience led to a months-long effort to reunite thousands of families separated under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy, per NBC News. The emailed comments fit with the findings of a September report by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General.

What they're saying: DHS told NBC the department and HHS entered data gathered on parents into spreadsheets, which was added to a SharePoint site HHS used that had existing information about unaccompanied children.

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Axios

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 19,451,097 — Total deaths: 722,835 — Total recoveries — 11,788,665 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 2. p.m. ET: 4,968,413 — Total deaths: 161,858 — Total recoveries: 1,623,870 — Total tests: 60,415,558 — Map.
Public health: Fauci says chances are "not great" that COVID-19 vaccine will be 98% effective.
Science: Indoor air is the next coronavirus frontline.
Schools: How back-to-school is playing out in the South as coronavirus rages on — Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Howard to hold fall classes online.

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Rashaan Ayesh

3 hours ago - World

What's next for Lebanon after the Beirut explosion

Photo: Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Beirut residents are still clearing rubble from streets that appear war-torn, days after a blast that shocked the country and horrified the world.

Why it matters: The explosion is likely to accelerate a painful cycle Lebanon was already living through — discontent, economic distress, and emigration.

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Mike Allen

4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Wolf Blitzer marks 15 years in "The Situation Room"

Wolf Blitzer on the White House beat in 1993, along with NBC's Brian Williams, CBS' Rita Braver and ABC's Brit Hume. Photo: Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images H

Aug. 8, 2005 — "The Situation Room's" debut on CNN wherein the host first said: "I'm Wolf Blitzer and you're in The Situation Room, where news and information from around the world arrive in one place simultaneously!"

The state of play: When the pandemic took off in the U.S. in March, Blitzer started working 7 days a week for 60+ days, until he took a Sunday off. Then he continued 7 days a week until he took a few days off.