Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear.

The White House says today's vote to remove Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from

the House Foreign Relations Committee was politically motivated.

NPR's Windsor Johnson reports the Republican led effort to ouster comes in the wake of

statements she made about Israel that were criticized by both parties as being any

symmetric.

White House Press Secretary Kareem Jean-Pierre defended Congresswoman Omar, calling her

a highly respected member of Congress.

The way that we see this, it's a political stunt, much like House Republicans unjust

removal of other leading Democrats from key committees, and it is a disservice to the American

people.

Omar, who was a Somali-American Muslim, has questioned the financial relationship between

APEC, a pro-Israel lobbying group, and members of Congress.

She did ultimately apologize for a series of tweets last year that were widely condemned

as anti-Semitic.

Republicans have since criticized Omar's placement on the Foreign Affairs Committee and follow

through with their threats to remove her.

Windsor Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

And a report from the Department of Education finds federal COVID-19 emergency funds help

millions of college students remain in school during the coronavirus pandemic.

NPR's Dranaki Meadow reports.

Physical classrooms might have been empty from much of the pandemic, but new data show

...