Trump news: White House celebrates ‘big win’ in Supreme Court birth control ruling as US hits 3m coronavirus cases
Administration pushes for schools to reopen in fall despite surging infection rates
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White House officials boasted a "big win" in the US Supreme Court's birth control ruling, which stated employers were not required to provide employees with contraceptives in their health coverage if it went against their religious beliefs.
The administration – which rolled back an Affordable Care Act policy that aimed to expand women's healthcare – marks a significant blow to the landmark Obama-era legislation as Donald Trump seeks the court's ruling to overturn the entire law.
Meanwhile, the president has threatened to cut school funding for areas that refuse to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, adding he disagrees with the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “very tough” and “expensive” guidelines.
The White House coronavirus task force – without Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert – announced that the agency would release revised guidelines following the president's threats.
Total coronavirus infections in the US have surged past 3 million, with 1 million cases identified within the last month alone.
Hospitals in states like Florida and Texas are reporting limited capacity in their hospital intensive care units, and rising infection rates have signalled to health officials that the virus is spreading. In Arizona, as many as one in four tests are returning positive.
Meanwhile, key impeachment witness Alexander Vindman has announced his retirement from the army by citing “intimidation” led by Mr Trump.
”The president of the United States attempted to force Lieutenant Colonel Vindman to choose: Between adhering to the law or pleasing a president,” said Lt Col Vindman’s lawayer, accusing the president of a "campaign of bullying, intimidation and retaliation".
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Harvard and MIT sue Trump administration to block international student ban
Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have sued the Trump administration over a measure that bans foreign students from staying in the country if their classes are held exclusively online next Fall.
The federal lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in Boston, seeks to block the Department of Homeland Security from stripping international students of their student visas and making them go back to their native countries as the coronavirus pandemic forces schools to move most classes online.
Germania Rodriguez Poleo reports:
CDC director says guidance should not be used to keep schools closed
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr Robert Redfield addressed his organisations guidelines for schools when reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"The guidance that CDC continues to put out for schools K-12 and higher learning is intentional for reopening and keeping our schools open," Dr Redfield said.
New guidance by the CDC would be issued next week regarding schools reopening. This comes after Donald Trump slammed the guidance for being "very tough" and "expensive".
"I want to make it very clear that what is not the intent of CDC's guidelines is to be used as a rationale to keep schools closed," Dr Redfield added.
The CDC would be working with individual schools and districts about reopening plans depending on what the coronavirus pandemic looked like in that area.
During the press briefing, a reporter later asked Dr Redfield if his agency was then going to weaken CDC guidance regarding reopening schools after the backlash from Mr Trump. He responded: "We will continue to develop and evolve our guidance to meet the needs of schools and the states that we continue to provide that assistance to."
Press secretary calls Supreme Court ruling on birth control 'big win for religious freedom'
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany released a statement about the US Supreme Court's decision today that allowed employers to not cover birth control for employees under their health insurance plans.
"Today's Supreme Court ruling is a big win for religious freedom and freedom of conscience," she said in a statement released by the White House.
Under the Obama administration, employers were required to provide contraception coverage to employees. But the Supreme Court has since ruled the Trump administration could protect religious groups from this requirement.
"As the Supreme Court has previously stated, protecting the ability of people to worship and live according to the dictates of their conscience is part of 'the best of our traditions.' The Court's decision today carries forward that noble tradition," Ms McEnany added.
The decision today could impact about 126,000 people from accessing birth control, according to governmental data.
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The top-secret transcript that reveals why Trump really pulled out of the WHO
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Florida governor Ron DeSantis quietly signs controversial abortion bill
Governor Ron Desantis has quietly signed an abortion law that will require those under the age of 18 to get a parent's permission before having an abortion.
Governor DeSantis, who is a Republican, discreetly passed the bill last Tuesday, choosing to sign the legislation without providing a public statement on the matter.
"The governor was pleased to sign this historic legislation to support and protect Florida families," spokeswoman Meredith Beatrice said.
Louise Hall reports:
Mexican president used two issues important to Trump to warm relations: trade and a militarised border
Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador inherited a toxic relationship with Donald Trump when he took office in December 2018. Eighteen months later, he is headed to the White House for a Wednesday summit with the US president.
"Tomorrow, I'm meeting with the president of Mexico," the US president said on Tuesday in a striking change from his candidacy and the early years of his presidency. "I say that to the media because it's going to be quite a meeting. He's a good man. He's a friend of mine. And we have a great relationship with Mexico."
Mr Lopez Obrador had little interest in continuing the cross-border feud with his country's northern neighbour. Major parts of how he warmed US-Mexico relations were vintage Trump: a trade pact and tens of thousands of Mexican troops deployed to the two countries' border.
John T Bennett with his analysis:
Trump is meeting Mexican President AMLO today in Washington -- and everything could go wrong Carli Pierson with her analysis:
Mexican president visits Lincoln Memorial ahead of meeting with Trump
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador shared a picture of himself standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC on Wednesday.
The snap comes ahead of a meeting between himself and President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump later shared the picture on his own Twitter page.
Neil Young taunts Trump with song suggestion for president's next rally
Neil Young has taunted Donald Trump by making a song suggestion the president should play at his next campaign rally.
The rock icon has made it clear he does not support Trump using his songs during rallies, as he believes it "indicates that I support your agenda". But the president has refused to stop playing the music.
Our report:
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