Trump news: White House rescinds policy banning international students from online courses amid mounting criticism and lawsuits
President delivers campaign-style remarks at White House attacking Democratic rival
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After cancelling a campaign rally that was scheduled for New Hampshire on 11 July, Donald Trump made up for lost time by launching a nearly one-hour attack against Joe Biden from the White House Rose Garden as the president went down a literal list of grievances and the Democratic presidential candidate's platform pitches, which the president had grossly mischaracterised.
Moments earlier, the administration rescinded controversial new measures that would have effectively banned any international students from living in the United States during the fall months amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the news being announced after a court hearing that lasted just minutes.
A federal judge announced that the administration had reached a settlement with universities who had sued over the measures.
Mr Trump has continued to insist US schools must reopen this autumn despite the raging coronavirus, declaring at the White House on Monday that “schools should be opened. Kids want to go to schools. You’re losing a lot of lives by keeping things closed.”
Asked by CBS News on Tuesday what he would tell parents and teachers worried about sending their children to school, he said: "I would tell parents and teachers that you should find yourself a new person whoever is in charge of that decision, because it's a terrible decision."
Hillary Clinton has meanwhile warned Americans must “be ready” for Trump not to “go quietly” if he loses his re-election bid.
The former vice president recently unveiled a sweeping $2tn environmental plan on Tuesday seeking to achieve carbon-free power by 2035.
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Joe Biden signals possible support for ending filibuster that could completely change how US laws are made
Griffin Connolly writes: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has signalled he is open to the Senate eliminating the filibuster, making it possible for the majority party in that chamber to pass legislation without any bipartisan support.
Such a rule change in the Senate — which touts itself as the "world's greatest deliberative body" for its methodical approach to legislating and its rejection of simple majority rule — would revolutionise how laws are made in the US.
“It’s going to depend on how obstreperous [Senate Republicans] become” if he is president and they are in the minority, Mr Biden said, the New York Times reported.
Mr Biden, who spent 35 years in the Senate representing Delaware before becoming vice president in 2009, has historically supported the filibuster as a way to gather bipartisan consensus on legislation and force cooperation between the two parties. He expressed optimism that he and Senate Republicans could still negotiate legislation in good faith without doing away with the filibuster.
“But I think you’re going to just have to take a look at it,” he said.
Trump's disapproval rating appears to set new record
An interesting point from the Washington Post's Glenn Kessler:
ICYMI: White House denies Trump undermining Dr Fauci despite sending 'opposition research' to reporters
John Bennett writes: The White House on Monday denied sending campaign-style opposition research to reporters to discredit Anthony Fauci, the federal government's top infectious disease expert who has at times contradicted Donald Trump on coronavirus.
There is no opposition research being dumped to reporters," press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters.
She contended that emails were sent from White House press aides to The Washington Post in response to a "straightforward question."
Mr Trump's aides "provided straightforward information" in response pointing out when Dr Fauci has been incorrect about the coronavirus.
What's more, the president's top spokeswoman contended Mr Trump and the infectious disease experts get along swimmingly.
Trump to hold press conference in White House Rose Garden
The event will take place in roughly 30 minutes, according to officials, though these pressers have been known to start late and last long (depending on the president's comments). It was not immediately clear what would be discussed at today's conference.
Trump administration rescinds international student policy
Donald Trump's administration has abandoned its plan to rescind certain visas for foreign college students whose universities would be moving to online-only courses.
Several universities and attorneys general in 18 states as well as Washington DC had sued the administration over the policy, announced earlier this month.
Under the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) guidelines, which have been scrapped, for now, foreign students whose courses were moved online amid the coronavirus pandemic would have to leave the country. It instructed students on F-1 and M-1 visas to "depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status."
The administration reached a settlement on Tuesday, a week after the guidance was issued, that reinstates an earlier policy allowing foreign students to legally remain in the country while their universities make course adjustments.
Trump says keeping schools closed amid pandemic is 'terrible decision'
In an interview with CBS News, Donald Trump – when asked what he would say to teachers and parents who feel unsafe about rushing to reopen schools while coronavirus infections continue to surge – said that it's a "terrible decision" to keep them closed.
"I would tell parents and teachers that you should find yourself a new person whoever is in charge of that decision, because it's a terrible decision," he said in a segment to air on Tuesday.
He claimed that "children and parents are dying from that trauma, too."
"They're dying because they can't do what they're doing," he said. "Mothers can't go to work because all of a sudden they have to stay home and watch their child, and fathers."
While there's no clear evidence that parents and children are dying from the trauma of the pandemic and its lingering psychological toll, millions of people have lost their jobs and are facing eviction and are suffering severe economic stress. Nearly 140,000 people have died from Covid-19-related illness.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalised
US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is "resting comfortably" in a hospital after an endoscopic procedure to treat a possible infection, according to a statement.
She was admitted on Tuesday morning and is expected to remain there for a few days.
The liberal justice underwent cancer treatment in 1999 and again in 2009 and 2018. She reported she was cancer-free earlier this year, though she was admitted to a hospital for a gallstone issue in May.
Trump launches into anti-Joe Biden campaign speech at White House
In a free-wheeling, off-script speech from the Rose Garden, Donald Trump announced an executive order endingHong Kong's favoured trading status after a new Chinese law his administration says vastly erodes Hong Kong's autonomy.
But he has spent most of his time at the podium attacking his Democratic rival Joe Biden.
Donald Trump launches into anti-Joe Biden campaign speech at White House
After canceling a campaign rally over the weekend and likely for the near future amid tanking poll numbers and a raging pandemic, Donald Trump is using the White House to launch attacks against Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democrats, amounting to a taxpayer-funded rally in the Rose Garden.
Most news networks have cut away from the press conference.
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