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Read: George Zimmerman sues Trayvon Martin's family for $100M

George Zimmerman in 2013 in Sanford, Florida. Photo by Joe Burbank-Pool/Getty Images

George Zimmerman filed a $100 million lawsuit Wednesday against the family of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black 17-year-old he fatally shot in 2012 in Miami Gardens, Florida, the Miami Herald first reported.

Why it matters: The neighborhood watch volunteer was acquitted of homicide charges in the high-profile criminal case, which inspired the Black Lives Matter movement in which Martin's parents have been leading voices. Now, Zimmerman is suing them, a law enforcement agency and a publishing firm for malicious prosecution and defamation.

Read the lawsuit:

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Editor's note: This article has been updated to include the lawsuit.

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Hans Nichols, Kadia Goba
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Dems race to address, preempt stimulus fraud claims

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Biden officials are working to root out the systematic fraud in unemployment and Paycheck Protection Program claims that plagued the Trump administration’s efforts to boost the economy with coronavirus relief money, Gene Sperling told House committee chairmen privately this week.

Why it matters: President Biden just signed another $1.9 trillion of aid into law, with Sperling tapped to oversee its implementation. And the administration is asking Congress to approve another $2.2 trillion for the first phase of an infrastructure package.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Hans Nichols, author of Sneak Peek
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Biden close to picking Nick Burns as China ambassador

Nicholas Burns. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Nicholas Burns, a career diplomat, is in the final stages of vetting to serve as President Biden’s ambassador to China, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: Across the administration, there's a consensus the U.S. relationship with China will be the most critical — and consequential — of Biden's presidency. From trade to Taiwan, the stakes are high. Burns could be among the first batch of diplomatic nominees announced in the coming weeks.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Zachary Basu, Jonathan Swan
1 hour ago - World

Biden's Russian sanctions likely to achieve little

President Biden announces new sanctions against Russia. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Despite bold talk from top administration officials, there's little reason to think the Russia sanctions package President Biden announced Thursday will do anything to alter Russian President Vladimir Putin's behavior or calculus.

Why it matters: While it's true some elements of the package — namely, the targeting of Russia's sovereign debt — represent significant punitive measures against Moscow, it leaves plenty of wiggle room for the Russian president.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow