May 10, 2017

James Comey invited to testify before Senate

Axios

Susan Walsh / AP

Former FBI Director James Comey has been invited to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, per a committee aide.

Why it matters: The Senate Intelligence Committee has been leading the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Comey was helping with that before he was abruptly fired, so his testimony during a close-door hearing could shed light on some of the information he potentially gathered.

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Stef W. Kight

Trump gets "woke" in 15-city campaign to court black voters

The Trump campaign is leaning into its effort to woo African-American voters, opening "Black Voices for Trump" offices across six swing states, the campaign says.

Why it matters: "Woke" stickers, "Black Voices for Trump" T-shirts and other branded swag is part of this storefront approach as the campaign ramps up its efforts to erode Democrats' lock on this key demographic.

Go deeperArrow4 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Orion Rummler

House passes bill to make lynching a federal hate crime

Photo: Aaron P. Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty Images

The House voted 410-4 on Wednesday to pass legislation to designate lynching as a federal hate crime.

Why it matters: Congress has tried and failed for over 100 years to pass measures to make lynching a federal crime.

Go deeperArrow51 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Kim Hart

This year's census may be the toughest count yet

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Community leaders are concerned that historically hard-to-count residents will be even harder to count in this year's census, thanks to technological hurdles and increased distrust in government.

Why it matters: The census — which will count more than 330 million people this year — determines how $1.5 trillion in federal funding gets allocated across state and local governments. Inaccurate counts mean that communities don't get their fair share of those dollars.

Go deeperArrow3 hours ago - Politics & Policy