This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
US Drops Plan to Strip International Students of Visas ¶
On Tuesday, the Trump administration dropped a plan that would have stripped international college students of their visas if their courses were entirely online. The new regulation had prompted an immediate lawsuit from Harvard University and M.I.T.
As part of a settlement, the government and the universities reached an agreement that reinstates a policy giving students the flexibility to take all their classes online and remain legally in the country with student visas.
According to the judge overseeing the case, the agreement was reached on Tuesday.
China-US Tensions Rise ¶
The relationship between the US and China is increasingly imbued with deep distrust and animosity. The disagreements span cyberspace and outer space, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, and even the Persian Gulf.
On Tuesday, Britain said it would ban the Chinese telecom giant Huawei from its 5G network.
The coronavirus pandemic has turned existing fissures into chasms that could be difficult to overcome, no matter the outcome of this year's presidential election.
Other News ¶
The Department of Health and Human Services has ordered hospitals to bypass the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and send key virus information to a Washington database.
White House officials have denied trying to undermine Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert at the C.D.C.
Corporate America is revealing how the pandemic has hit its bottom line, with sales at Delta Air Lines plunging 88% and Wells Fargo losing $2.4 billion.
Joe Biden announced an ambitious $2 trillion climate plan that links clean energy with economic recovery from the pandemic and addressing racism.
A judge upended Harvey Weinstein's $25 million civil settlement with dozens of women who had accused him of sexual misconduct.
Ghislaine Maxwell was denied bail by a judge who called her a flight risk.
Global methane emissions reached a record high in 2017, the most recent year for which worldwide data is available.
