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News and updates

News and updates

What We’re Reading this Week (June 22nd-26th, 2020)

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Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

Reopening DC: Washington, DC entered phase 2 of reopening on June 22nd, allowing limited indoor retail and dining. More at NBC Washington.

Boeing 737 MAX: International Regulators, including the EU, want significant design changes in order for the 737 MAX to fly again, after two deadly crashes and drawn-out scandal over design flaws. More at Seattle Times.

Seattle Police: Mayor Jenny Durkan announced a proposed $20 million budget cut to Seattle Police, as the agency reoccupied the East Precinct on Capitol Hill, which had been taken by protesters. Full story at Seattle Times.

CHOP: Several business owners in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle will sue the City, claiming harm caused by the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP). More at King 5.

East Coast Quarantine: New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will require visitors from 8 different states to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, citing high COVID infection rates. More at CNN.

China and India Clash: Recent satellite photos indicate China has built structures in a disputed border area near the Himalayan Mountains, where Indian and Chinese troops fought earlier this month leaving at least 20 Indian soldiers dead. More at BBC.

NSF Issues Updated Guidance for Grant Recipients Impacted by COVID-19

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The National Science Foundation has issued guidance in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-20-26, “Extension of Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations”.  The guidance extends two of the short-term administrative relief related to salaries and other project activities, and single audit submissions. Recipients are reminded to maintain appropriate documentation of all charges.

The full updated guidance can be found here.

 

Presidential Proclamation on Non-Immigrant Visas

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Today, President Trump signed an executive order curtailing H-1B, H-2B, H-4, L, and certain J visas, as well as immigrant visas, through December 31, 2020: “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak”.

Limited exemptions may be provided for those working in the food supply chain, as well as limited national security exemptions as determined by the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security. Also exempted under Sec. 4(a)(i) are persons providing medical care for COVID-19 patients or conducting medical research to combat COVID-19. With regards to J visas, professors, alien physicians, and research scholars appear to be exempt.

The proclamation applies only to persons who are outside the United States and who do not hold a valid non-immigrant visa or official permission to travel as of June 24, 2020.

The full text of the proclamation is available here. Our office is actively working with our partners to better understand the scope of this proclamation, and will update this post as new information becomes available.

Dept. of Education Unveils New Foreign Gift Reporting Portal

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Today, the US Department of Education announced a new portal through which institutions must disclose foreign gifts or contracts under section 117 of the Higher Education Act. The portal will be utilized for the next reporting deadline of July 31, 2020.

In a press release, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos explained that currently, the Department is not receiving sufficient information to determine compliance with section 117. She also reiterated that transparency is necessary to ensure academic freedom and US national security.