Trump’s national security adviser has coronavirus
President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien has tested positive for the coronavirus, making him the highest-ranking official to test positive so far.
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SCOTUS denies Nevada church’s appeal of COVID-19 restrictions
A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court denied a rural Nevada church’s request late Friday to strike down as unconstitutional a 50-person cap on worship services as part of the state’s ongoing response to the coronavirus.
Holcomb drops mask violator penalty after criticism
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb dropped a planned criminal penalty from the statewide face mask mandate that he signed Friday after objections from some law enforcement officials and conservative legislators.
Weinzapfel calls out Rokita for ‘purposely muddled’ response to mask mandate
Controversy over Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s statewide mask mandate has spilled over into the race for attorney general, with Democratic candidate Jonathan Weinzapfel accusing Republican candidateTodd Rokita of purposefully declining to stand with the governor.
Holcomb officially orders wearing of masks effective Monday
Gov. Eric Holcomb on Friday issued an executive order requiring the wearing of face coverings in public as Indiana coronavirus cases continue at near-record levels. The order does not include potential criminal penalties, which Attorney General Curtis Hill had said Holcomb lacked the authority to enforce.
Holcomb says he remains confident he can impose mask mandate, despite AG’s opinion otherwise
Gov. Eric Holcomb said Thursday he is confident he has the legal authority to impose a statewide mask mandate, telling reporters after an event in Lafayette that “we do our research before we speak.” His comments came after fellow Republican Attorney General Curtis Hill issued an opinion saying Holcomb lacked the authority to enforce a mask order.
Marion County to enact new restrictions after surge in COVID-19 cases
Due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, Marion County will implement new pandemic-related restrictions on Friday, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Thursday. Included in the restrictions is the closure of bars and nightclubs for the next several weeks.
Two senators who asked for AG opinion say they won’t sue to stop Holcomb’s mask mandate
Two of the state senators who asked the attorney general for a legal opinion about whether Gov. Eric Holcomb has the authority to enforce a statewide mask mandate say they do not plan to file a lawsuit to challenge the measure.
State reports all-time daily high in new COVID-19 cases
The Indiana State Department of Health on Thursday reported 954 new COVID-19 cases, an all-time daily high for positive cases.
Trump administration $21M gamble on Pepcid as a COVID remedy fizzles
As the coronavirus began its deadly march through the world, two well-respected American doctors identified a possible but seemingly unlikely remedy: Pepcid, the heartburn medication found on drugstore shelves everywhere. There were no published data or studies to suggest its effectiveness against the novel coronavirus. But that didn’t stop the Trump administration from granting a $21 million emergency contract that is now the subject of whistleblower complaints.
Poll: 3 in 4 Americans back requiring wearing masks
Three out of four Americans, including a majority of Republicans, favor requiring people to wear face coverings while outside their homes, a new poll finds, reflecting fresh alarm over spiking coronavirus cases and a growing embrace of government advice intended to safeguard public health.
AG Hill: Holcomb has no authority to enforce statewide mask mandate
Gov. Eric Holcomb lacks the authority to enforce the statewide mask mandate he announced on Wednesday and should call a special session if he wants to implement the requirement, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill said late Wednesday.
Holcomb to mandate mask use statewide
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Wednesday said he would pass a statewide mask mandate because of a recent rise in the COVID-19 positivity rate.
Democratic governor candidate wants masks in Indiana schools
The Democratic nominee for Indiana governor called Tuesday for more widespread mask use in schools and for school leaders to turn more toward online coursework rather than having students return to classrooms in the coming weeks.
Indiana’s second-largest county latest to adopt mask mandate
Officials in Indiana’s second-largest county and one of the largest Indianapolis suburbs have adopted face mask mandates for residents and businesses in an attempt to slow the coronavirus spread.
Bucking the trend: Indiana law firms merging practices to meet client needs
Although the pandemic has thrown ice water on the red-hot law firm merger market, combinations are still happening and Indiana, a state often absent from the list of merger activity, recorded two separate combinations just as the COVID-19 crisis was taking hold.
Making the best: Adoptive families find new ways to celebrate as in-court ceremonies are called off
With in-person proceedings largely called off, adoptive families have had to adjust their plans. But as long as a case is uncontested, lawyers say judges have been willing to hold final hearings via Zoom or other platforms to give these families a sense of finality. And in some cases, adoptions in the age of COVID-19 have become a cause for community celebration.
Courts, attorneys fear wave of COVID evictions
A moratorium on evictions of families in federally subsidized housing is set to end July 25, and Indiana’s moratorium prohibiting evictions is set to end July 31. Advocates warn a wave of evictions is coming that could leave many Hoosiers without a place to live, but because of how these cases are tracked, they lack data to how big that wave will be and when it will arrive.
‘As good as, but different’: Law schools prepare to welcome students
After the COVID-19 outbreak upended the spring semester and forced everyone to shift to online learning, Indiana’s law schools are preparing to welcome students and faculty back into their buildings for a fall semester that will be unlike any other.
Scams and schemes rising with spread of coronavirus
Schemes to con people out of their stimulus checks, to get money for face masks that are never delivered and to get payments for bogus COVID-19 treatments or cures have surged. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission has a special coronavirus page on its website devoted to advising consumers on how to identify real contact tracers and to ignore offers for home test kits.