Today’s Headlines and Commentary

President Trump tweeted last night that he plans to temporarily suspend immigration to the United States, a decision which he claimed is necessary to protect American jobs and fight COVID-19, reports the Washington Post. White House officials said an executive order is being drafted that would suspend nearly all immigration in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections in the United States by foreigners arriving from abroad.

The U.N. General Assembly yesterday approved a resolution calling for global action to ensure access to testing, medical supplies, drugs and future coronavirus vaccines for all in need, especially those in developing countries, writes the Associated Press. The resolution also reaffirms the fundamental role of the United Nations system in coordinating the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and acknowledges the “crucial leading role played by the World Health Organization.”

Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina are moving ahead with plans to relax social distancing measures intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus, according to the New York Times. In Tennessee and Ohio, businesses are expected to reopen on May 1. Restaurants and movie theaters will reopen in Georgia next Monday.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO)—Congress’ independent, in-house watchdog—is preparing a series of audits that will become the first wide-ranging oversight check on the Trump administration’s handling of the $2 trillion coronavirus relief effort, reports Politico. By the end of April, at least 30 CARES Act GAO reviews are expected to be underway, including audits of the handling of coronavirus testing and any missteps in distributing emergency cash payments.

The Army resumed sending new recruits to basic training yesterday after a two-week pause due to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the Hill. The service has adopted new protocols to prevent any recruit from bringing the virus into the military, including an initial screening in the recruit’s home state and a quarantine before training begins.

Iran’s foreign minister and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yesterday called on the U.S. to lift sanctions imposed on both countries, reports the Associated Press.

Chile became the first country in the world to plan to issue “immunity passports,”—cards that would allow people who have recovered from the novel coronavirus to return to work, writes the Washington Post. But critics have warned that there are doubts about whether infection ultimately confers long-term immunity to the virus.

Officials in South Korea have said that reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is seriously ill after heart surgery are not true, according to the BBC. Kim’s absence from the national celebration of his grandfather’s birthday on April 15 prompted speculation about the leader’s health which has been impossible to verify.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former opponent Benny Gantz agreed yesterday to establish a unity government, ending a yearlong political deadlock and avoiding a fourth election, reports the New York Times. Under the deal, Gantz will be named deputy prime minister and will get a turn as prime minister halfway through their three-year term, switching roles with Netanyahu. Netanyahu will remain in office even as he faces trial on corruption charges later this year.

The U.S. ambassador to Russia accused Russian authorities yesterday of making “a mockery of justice” after he was turned away for a second time from the closed-door trial of Paul Whelan, an ex-U.S. Marine charged with espionage, writes Reuters.

The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations is calling for stricter oversight of Chinese telecommunications companies operating in the U.S., and leveled criticism at telecom regulators for lax supervision of Chinese companies and the way the firms handle data, according to the Wall Street Journal. Senate investigators said that without proper oversight the Chinese companies “present an unacceptable amount of risk.”

Facebook is blocking anti-quarantine protestors from using the site to organize in-person gathers that violate states’ stay-at-home orders, reports Politico. Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. Josh Hawley criticized the company’s decision as an instance of suppressing conservative speech.

The House is expected to vote this week on changing its rules to allow members to vote remotely by proxy during the COVID-19 pandemic, writes the Hill. Under the proposed rule change, absent members would be permitted to authorize another member physically present in the chamber to cast a vote on his or her behalf.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Jen Patja Howell shared an episode of the Lawfare Podcast featuring an interview with former congressman Brian Baird and Daniel Schuman of Demand Progress on how Congress can continue to function remotely.

Eric Posner examined what courts should do when people challenge pandemic containment measures imposed by state governments and the federal government.

Paul Rosenzweig argued that the current state of international air travel is an indicator of what post-coronavirus economic recovery might look like.

Cort Thompson argued that Russia’s recent anti-satellite weapons testing signals a return to long-standing tensions in space.

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