This is "In The Loop." I'm Christian Bryant. Tonight, we'll look at how a new rule from the Trump administration could turn life upside down for international students in the U.S. And we'll jump into the race for president, taking a look at whether Joe Biden can hold his current lead.
But first, we're starting off with some news you might not wanna hear but you can't really get away from it. Thirty-one states are seeing a rise in new coronavirus cases. But if you thought that meant we're entering a second wave, Dr. Fauci wants to set the record straight:
"We are still knee-deep in the first wave of this. We went up, never came down to baseline, and now we're surging back up. So it's a serious situation that we have to address immediately."
Across many states, reopening is no longer the priority. In California, the governor ordered a second round of shutdowns Monday. It’s a similar scene in parts of Florida as Miami-Dade county, the state's second-largest county, prepares to shut down restaurants, gyms and Airbnb rentals — again.
"We need to curtail the social activities of young people because that's where our problems started. My concern is that we're going to reach the capacity."
It’s a social media app that’s gained even more popularity during the pandemic, but now Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the U.S. is seriously considering banning Tik Tok and other Chinese social media apps.
"With the respect of Chinese apps on people’s cell phones, I can assure you that the United States. will get this one right too, I don’t want to get out in front of the president but t’s something we are looking at."
The app known for addictive looped videos seems harmless enough, but the U.S. government's concern is what's being done with the information collected on TikTok's users. Although it's a Chinese company, TikTok has said data from U.S. users is stored in the U.S., with a backup in Singapore.
We’re getting a glimpse at how the upcoming school year might look. And it really depends on where you live. Despite Florida becoming a new hotspot for COVID-19 cases, the state will require all schools to open next month. The emergency order asks all districts to submit a reopening plan to the state.
Meanwhile for many college students across the country, the fall semester will look a lot different but the price likely won't. This week, Harvard announced it will welcome back no more than 40 percent of its undergrad classes and conduct all classes online — with no discount on tuition. Many schools both public and private are following that same model, though some are providing small discounts to online-only students.
That push to limit the number of students on-campus might be the safest option as this pandemic carries on. But with a new rule announced by U.S. immigration officials, it could also turn life upside down for international students here. Ben Schamisso has more.
Thousands of students across the U.S. are facing an uncertain future after ICE announced international students must leave the country if their universities move entirely online in the fall.
"It's such a hard process to get a visa. It's just a long plan and so much money involved and so bureaucratic. And then you get here and they they're like, 'Oh, we're going to kick you out.'"
"I would be leaving a girl that I'm currently seeing, which sounds trivial, but it comes to your brain. And again, friends and just a social circle and a life that I've cultivated here."
Under the new rule, foreign students will have to depart the U.S. unless part of their course load is taken in person.
If that's not possible, ICE says they can try to transfer to other colleges. For now, international students are scrambling to figure out what to do next.
"I don't know what the situation is like in Malaysia. I don't know if I'll be able to study from home because of time zones."
"It's kind of scary, too, because. I mean, of course, Brazil is my home. But at the same time you know things are not doing good there."
Universities have until August 1st to notify the government if they'll restart some or all classes in person.
"I'm just waiting for some sort of announcement, some sort of reassurance that, 'hey, you guys are OK. You guys, we got you guys.'"
"I have a little hope they're going to try to do something about it, even if you know, they create some [in-person] classes for us.
"The new guideline comes amid a debate among colleges about how to safely reopen in the fall now that the coronavirus is gaining steam among young adults in the U.S. The American Council on Education, which represents university presidents, says the new rule is "horrifying" and "provides confusion and complexity rather than certainty and clarity."
"This regulation is going to prevent many students from coming to the United States and getting to experience education in the United States and contribute to this country. But it's also going to pressure a lot of colleges and universities to open up to in-person classes far sooner than might be wise for public health concerns."
Last year, colleges in the U.S. attracted 1.1 million international students. Losing some of those students could be financially disastrous for universities. Many depend on the tuition revenue of foreign students, who typically pay higher rates than American students.
"It's not cheap, especially if you come from a country that has a softer currency."
"If I'm paying that much and I cannot be here. So what do I gain from that? And what do they gain from that? You know, everybody's losing."
Before the pandemic, international students had to take most of their course load in-person. But ICE created an exemption in the spring after the virus forced campuses to close. On Monday, ICE decided it was time to mostly get rid of that exemption and resume "carefully balanced protections" against visa fraud. The agency has notified schools and says it will soon publish a formal rule. Ben Schamisso, Newsy, Chicago.
I gotta water a few of my colleagues' plants — and throw out the dead ones… with dignity. Brb.
