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Updated 10 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump to speak at CPAC next week

Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Former President Trump will speak at next week's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) conference in Florida, his first public appearance since leaving office, a source with direct knowledge tells Axios.

What we're hearing: Trump plans to directly attack President Biden's new immigration plan and will talk about the future of the Republican Party, a source familiar with his speech said.

Texas officials launch inquiry into winter storm energy bills spike

A neighborhood in Waco, Texas, amid power outages over the state on Feb. 17. Photo by Matthew Busch /AFP via Getty Images

Officials in Texas announced Saturday investigations into the causes of the state's widespread power outages and an energy bills spike following the state's winter emergency.

Driving the news: Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said in a statement after holding an emergency meeting with the state's Republican and Democratic legislative members it's "unacceptable for Texans who suffered through days in the freezing cold without electricity or heat to now be hit with skyrocketing energy costs."

Listen to “Axios Re:Cap”
Eventbrite CEO Julia Hartz discusses her company's unexpected involvement in the vaccine rollout.
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Merrick Garland vows to lead Capitol riot prosecutions if confirmed AG

Merrick Garland, President Biden’s nominee for attorney general, in Wilmington, Delaware in January. Photo:y Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland will pledge to take the lead in prosecuting those charged over the U.S. Capitol siege and vow prosecutorial independence from President Biden at his confirmation hearing Monday.

Why it matters: As attorney general, Judge Garland would oversee politically sensitive cases, including investigations into the taxes of the president's son Hunter Biden and the origins of the probe into former President Trump's dealings with Russia.

Updated 9 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

  1. Health: Why we're still waiting for rapid, at-home COVID tests — Cases fall in 44 states — U.S. life expectancy falls.
  2. Vaccine: Breaking down the psychology of vaccine hesitancy — Pfizer says it's ramping up vaccine production.
  3. Politics: Cuomo under investigation over nursing home deaths.
  4. Education: Teachers back in the classroom are comfortable with it.
  5. World: U.S. commits $4 billion to COVAX vaccine initiative — Indonesia announces punishments for those who refuse COVID vaccines.
Updated 11 hours ago - Politics & Policy

U.S. deports former Nazi concentration camp guard to Germany

Friedrich Karl Berger in a photo from 1959. Photo: Department of Justice

The U.S. has deported a 95-year-old man to Germany after a federal investigation found that he worked as a guard in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, the Department of Justice announced Saturday.

Why it matters: Federal agencies said Friedrich Karl Berger, a German citizen, participated in Nazi-sponsored persecution in 1945 while serving as an guard in the Neuengamme concentration camp system in Northern Germany.

In photos: Monsoon floods hit Indonesian capital, force 1,300 to evacuate

An Indonesian man helps a woman navigate a heavy current in a flooded neighborhood of Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: Ed Wray/Getty Images

Severe monsoon flooding across several areas of Indonesia's capital forced more than 1,300 people to evacuate on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The big picture: The country's meteorology agency warned that conditions are expected to worsen as the heaviest rain of the season could fall in and around Jakarta over the next week, per Reuters.

15 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Biden's confirmation calculus

Neera Tanden greets Sen. Lindsey Graham, top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, before a hearing Feb. 10. Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP

Opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) imperils the nomination of Neera Tanden as President Biden's budget director but could help two other nominees.

The state of play: Xavier Becerra for HHS and Deb Haaland for Interior have better chances if the confirmation gods get their sacrifice elsewhere.

16 hours ago - Science

Biden declares major disaster in Texas after winter storms

Long-haul trucks waiting in traffic caused by historic cold weather in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 15. Photo: Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

President Biden declared a major disaster in Texas after severe winter storms struck the state, causing millions of residents to lose power and water.

Why it matters: The declaration clears the way for more federal funds to be spent on relief efforts across the state.

Bryan Walsh, author of Future
20 hours ago - Health

Why we're still waiting for rapid, at-home COVID tests

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Rapid at-home COVID-19 tests are fast, but the regulatory approval needed to get them in the hands of Americans has been slow to come.

Why it matters: Quick, fully at-home COVID-19 tests could make a vital contribution to stemming the pandemic — and open up a new frontier for more constant disease surveillance — but old assumptions about how diagnostics should be used are holding them back.

Scoop: Sequoia Capital says it was hacked

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Sequoia Capital told its investors on Friday that some of their personal and financial information may have been accessed by a third party, after a Sequoia employee's email was successfully phished, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Sequoia is one of the largest and most successful venture capital firms in the world, with portfolio companies like Airbnb, DoorDash, and Robinhood. It also has invested in cybersecurity firms like FireEye and Carbon Black.

Feb 20, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Austin calls video claiming military allowed perpetrator to remain in service "disturbing"

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Photo: Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday addressed a viral TikTok video of an emotional Marine saying her "perpetrator", who admitted to misconduct, had been allowed to stay in the service.

Driving the news: Austin called the video "deeply disturbing," and said he has asked his staff to get more information and provide assistance to the Marine.