Tomorrow May 6th, Dr. Hilary Godwin will testify before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Dr. Godwin is Dean of the School of Public Health. The hearing is titled The State of the Aviation Industry: Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is scheduled for 2:30 ET/11:30 PT and can be watched live here.
News and updates
Senate Back in Town
US Senators returned to Washington, DC for votes. Practicing social distancing, Senators will conduct a mix of pandemic-related and routine business. Hearings for this week include examining nominees for Director of National Intelligence, a Federal Judge, and Secretary of the Navy. Some hearings are also scheduled related to COVID-19, however no appropriations hearings will take place.
A weekly schedule is available here.
What We’re Reading this Week (April 27th-May 1st)
Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.
COVID-19: States begin reopening, Remdesivir shows some promise, and a vaccine could be ready by autumn. Live updates here.
White House: Kayleigh McEnany gave her first press briefing on Friday as White House Press Secretary. Watch here.
Canada Weapons Ban: Canada has banned over 1,500 types of assault style weapons following the deadliest mass shooting in the nation’s history. More at Wall Street Journal.
Jeff Bezos: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has been called to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Seven bipartisan members on the Committee sent a letter explaining some of Amazon’s statements may have been “possibly criminally false or perjurious”. Full story at CNBC.
USA Gymnastics: Maggie Haney, a top US gymnastics coach, has been suspended by USA Gymnastics for 8 years over abuse accusations. More at the New York Times.
UFOs: The US Navy has released declassified footage showing “unexplained aerial phenomena”. Many believe the footage shows UFOs. More at ABC.
Democratic Primaries: Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden have come to an agreement which will allow Sanders to retain many of his delegates at the Democratic Party Convention despite not being an active candidate. Sanders believes this will allow him to more effectively advocate for his platform. Meanwhile, Biden is strongly denying accusations of sexual misconduct. More at CNN.
House Will Not Be Coming Back Next Week
What We’re Reading this Week (April 20th-24th, 2020)
Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.
COVID-19: US deaths pass 50 thousand victims, some states begin reopening, more work being done to expand testing, and Illinois experienced its highest 24 hour increase in cases. Live updates at CNN.
Nova Scotia: A gunman killed 22 people across a 12 hour period in Nova Scotia, Canada. Victims included a teacher, a nurse, and a Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable. Full story at BBC.
Postal Service: The President has stated that the US Postal Service will not receive a $10 billion federal loan unless package delivery prices are increased significantly. More at Washington Post.
Kim Jong Un: Rumors circulated that North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un is very ill. US officials acknowledged they are monitoring the situation, but military assessments do not indicate he is incapacitated. More at CNN.
Derby Police Bust Party: A tweet by Derby Police in the UK went viral after they broke up a party of 25 adults and children violating social distancing guidelines. Full story at BBC.
German Soccer: The German Soccer League “Bundesliga” is preparing to resume playing on May 9th, making them one of the first professional soccer leagues to restart matches. More at Washington Post.