National

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday declined to block the state's new congressional map that's backed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

State of play: DeSantis' redistricting map is slated to stay intact ahead of the 2022 midterms. A Circuit Court previously struck down parts of it, saying "it diminishes African Americans' ability to elect the representatives of their choice," but it was reinstated by an appeals court last month.

The appellate decision didn't consider the constitutionality of the map but said the lower court had no right to block it before it was in place, and that the decision "frustrated the status quo, rather than preserved it."

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the advocacy groups Black Voters Matter, Equal Ground Education Fund, League of Women Voters of Florida, Florida Rising Together and individual voters.

Background: The map was drawn by DeSantis and adopted by Florida's legislature. 

DeSantis has called it "race-neutral," but it will make it harder for north Florida voters to elect a Black member of Congress in the 5th Congressional District, where nearly half its residents are Black.

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Florida Supreme Court won't block DeSantis redistricting map

The redistricting map is slated to stay intact ahead of the 2022 midterms.

Ron DeSantis

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday declined to block the state&#x27;s new congressional map that&#x27;s backed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.State of play: DeSantis&#x27; redistricting map is slated to stay intact ahead of the 2022 midterms. A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Circuit Court previously struck down" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/11/florida-judge-redistricting-desantis" data-vars-content-id="61150e1a-eb69-45e2-86b7-66d9ce7b80fd" data-vars-headline="Florida Supreme Court won&#x27;t block DeSantis redistricting map" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/11/florida-judge-redistricting-desantis" target="_self">Circuit Court previously struck down</a> parts of it, saying &quot;it diminishes African Americans&#x27; ability to elect the representatives of their choice,&quot; but it was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reinstated by an appeals court" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/20/florida-appeals-court-desantis-redistricting-map" data-vars-content-id="61150e1a-eb69-45e2-86b7-66d9ce7b80fd" data-vars-headline="Florida Supreme Court won&#x27;t block DeSantis redistricting map" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/20/florida-appeals-court-desantis-redistricting-map" target="_self">reinstated by an appeals court</a> last month.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Former President Trump is “politically, morally responsible” for the Jan. 6 insurrection, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Why it matters: Hutchinson, who's been among the few elected Republicans to repeatedly criticize Trump, said his party needs to do some “soul-searching” more than a year on after the deadly attack. 

The governor said he doesn't think the former president bears criminal responsibility. 

What he's saying: “Republicans need to do a lot of soul-searching as to what is the right thing here and what is the right thing for our democracy in the future and not simply adhere to the basic instincts of some of our base,” he said.

The backdrop: The Jan. 6 committee hearing, which held its first hearing during prime time last week, is seeking to prove Trump's culpability for the attack by tying it to a plan to overturn the 2020 election and prevent the transition of power to then-President-elect Biden.

Go deeper: 3 former DOJ officials to testify in the next Jan. 6 hearing

GOP governor says Trump “politically, morally responsible” for Jan. 6

“Republicans need to do a lot of soul searching as to what is the right thing here."

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Photo: Liz Sanders/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Jan. 6

Donald Trump

Former President Trump is “politically, morally responsible” for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jan. 6 insurrection" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/10/jan-6-committee-plan-trump-culpability" data-vars-content-id="76490886-8f7e-447f-8c5c-550e99fa8829" data-vars-headline="GOP governor says Trump “politically, morally responsible” for Jan. 6" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/10/jan-6-committee-plan-trump-culpability" target="_self">Jan. 6 insurrection</a>, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said on “<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Fox News Sunday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-hutchinson-trump-responsible-jan-6-criminally" data-vars-content-id="76490886-8f7e-447f-8c5c-550e99fa8829" data-vars-headline="GOP governor says Trump “politically, morally responsible” for Jan. 6" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-hutchinson-trump-responsible-jan-6-criminally" target="_blank">Fox News Sunday</a>.”Why it matters: Hutchinson, who&#x27;s been among the few elected Republicans to repeatedly criticize Trump, said his party needs to do some “soul-searching” more than a year on after the deadly attack.

March for Our Lives, the student-led gun control advocacy group, is planning nationwide protests in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, according to its website.

Driving the news: The protests will take place some four years after the shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, during which a gunman killed 17 people. That shooting led to the group's founding and preceded the organization holding one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history. 

Details: The organization is planning a march in D.C. for June 11, with other actions planned in cities around the country. 

"In 2018 you marched with us to end gun violence. 4 years later, we're marching again," the organization wrote on Twitter.

Go deeper: The deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history

March for Our Lives plans nationwide protests 4 years after Parkland shooting

The organization held one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history after the Parkland shooting in 2018.

The March for Our Lives demonstration in Washington, D.C., in March 2018. Photo: Shannon Finney/Getty Images

Gun control

March for Our Lives, the student-led gun control advocacy group, is planning nationwide protests in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="according to its website" data-vars-click-url="https://marchforourlives.com/march22/" data-vars-content-id="7e5a3c1e-6c92-4242-8ece-ba8a81f2411d" data-vars-headline="March for Our Lives plans nationwide protests 4 years after Parkland shooting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://marchforourlives.com/march22/" target="_blank">according to its website</a>.Driving the news: The protests will take place some four years after the shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, during which a gunman killed 17 people. That shooting led to the group&#x27;s founding and preceded the organization holding <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="one of the largest demonstrations" data-vars-click-url="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/26/17160646/march-for-our-lives-crowd-size-count" data-vars-content-id="7e5a3c1e-6c92-4242-8ece-ba8a81f2411d" data-vars-headline="March for Our Lives plans nationwide protests 4 years after Parkland shooting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/26/17160646/march-for-our-lives-crowd-size-count" target="_blank">one of the largest demonstrations</a> in U.S. history.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday declined to endorse President Biden if he runs for reelection in 2024, telling CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." 

The big picture: Biden has indicated he plans to run in 2024. But some Democrats have grown wary of that prospect as the president has faced low approval ratings and economic pressures, all while struggling to enact key pieces of his agenda, the New York Times reports. 

David Axelrod, who was chief strategist for former President Obama’s two winning presidential campaigns, told the Times Biden's age would be a liability if he runs.

What she's saying: "I mean first of all I'm focused on winning this majority right now and preserving a majority in 2022, so we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Ocasio-Cortez told host Dana Bash when asked if she'd endorse the president.

"But I think if the president has a vision, then that's something we're certainly willing to entertain and examine when the time comes," she said. "I think we should endorse when we get to it." 

"But I believe that the president is doing a very good job so far and should he run again I think that I — We'll take a look at it."

Go deeper: Axios midterm election issues dashboard

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez declines to endorse Biden for 2024

Biden has indicated he plans to run in 2024. But a new report indicates some Democrats have grown wary of that prospect.

Joe Biden

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on CNN's June 12, 2022 episode of 'State of the Union.'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday declined to endorse President Biden if he runs for reelection in 2024, telling CNN&#x27;s &quot;State of the Union&quot; on Sunday &quot;we&#x27;ll cross that bridge when we get to it.&quot; The big picture: Biden has indicated he <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="plans to run in 2024" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/25/biden-trump-2024-election" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/25/biden-trump-2024-election" target="_self">plans to run in 2024</a>. But some Democrats have grown wary of that prospect as the president has faced <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="low approval ratings" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/22/biden-approval-poll-pessimistic" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/22/biden-approval-poll-pessimistic" target="_self">low approval ratings</a> and economic pressures, all while struggling to enact key pieces of his agenda, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New York Times reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/11/us/politics/biden-2024-election-democrats.html" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/11/us/politics/biden-2024-election-democrats.html" target="_blank">New York Times reports</a>.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan, police officer who shot and killed Patrick Lyoya after a traffic stop in April has been fired, City Manager Mark Washington said in a statement Wednesday.

Details: The termination took place on June 10 after the former officer, Christopher Schurr, waived his right to a discharge hearing, per the statement. The incident drew national attention after videos of Lyoya's final moments were made public.  

The videos showed Schurr lying on the back of Lyoya, 26, before Schurr fatally shot him in the head. 

Driving the news: Schurr was charged with second-degree murder in Kent County last week. 

Michigan police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya is fired

The incident drew national attention after videos of Lyoya's final moments were made public.

An image of Patrick Lyoya is seen on a sweater as protesters march in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich., on April 16. Photo: Mustafa Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

Police

The Grand Rapids, Michigan, police officer who <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="shot and killed Patrick Lyoya" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/04/14/michigan-police-officer-shooting-patrick-lyoya" data-vars-content-id="dd33a576-75bc-4b0b-b801-73e94016a1c5" data-vars-headline="Michigan police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya is fired" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/04/14/michigan-police-officer-shooting-patrick-lyoya" target="_self">shot and killed Patrick Lyoya</a> after a traffic stop in April has been fired, City Manager Mark Washington <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="said in a statement Wednesday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/Our-City/News-Media/June-15-Statement-from-City-Manager-Mark-Washington" data-vars-content-id="dd33a576-75bc-4b0b-b801-73e94016a1c5" data-vars-headline="Michigan police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya is fired" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/Our-City/News-Media/June-15-Statement-from-City-Manager-Mark-Washington" target="_blank">said in a statement Wednesday</a>.Details: The termination took place on June 10 after the former officer, Christopher Schurr, waived his right to a discharge hearing, per the statement. The incident drew national attention after videos of Lyoya&#x27;s final moments were made public. <ul><li>The videos showed Schurr lying on the back of Lyoya, 26, before Schurr fatally shot him in the head. </li></ul>Driving the news: Schurr was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="charged with second-degree murder" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/09/michigan-police-charge-murder-patrick-lyoya" data-vars-content-id="dd33a576-75bc-4b0b-b801-73e94016a1c5" data-vars-headline="Michigan police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya is fired" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/09/michigan-police-charge-murder-patrick-lyoya" target="_self">charged with second-degree murder</a> in Kent County last week.

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Stories

Michigan police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya is fired

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez declines to endorse Biden for 2024

GOP governor says Trump “politically, morally responsible” for Jan. 6

Florida Supreme Court won't block DeSantis redistricting map

March for Our Lives plans nationwide protests 4 years after Parkland shooting