The Department of Justice filed complaints on Monday against 11 members of the "caravan" from Central America, charging them with illegally entering the U.S., CNN first reported and Axios confirmed with a federal law enforcement official.
Why it matters: This is the first major action on Attorney General Jeff Sessions' "zero tolerance" policy he announced last month. "Illegally entering this country will not be rewarded, but will instead be met with the full prosecutorial powers of the Department of Justice," Sessions said in a statement at the time.
The Trump administration is debating whether to cut off abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood from Title X family-planning funding, a move that would potentially force the organization to choose between losing the funding or ending abortion referrals.
What's new: Two sources have told us that Kellyanne Conway went to see President Trump on Friday to try to ensure he follows through on his campaign promises to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood — with the money redirected to Women's Qualified Health Centers — so long as the organization continues performing abortions.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Thomas Homan is retiring, despite being nominated to lead ICE permanently, the Wall Street Journal's Laura Meckler and Alicia Caldwell first reported.
Why it matters: Under Homan's leadership, ICE arrests rose and changed Obama-era policies that prioritized undocumented immigrants with criminal records for arrest. But one person familiar with Homan’s reasoning told the WSJ that "the prospect of a tough, partisan confirmation process persuaded him to leave the agency now."
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari met with President Trump on Monday to discuss the U.S.' economic, strategic and diplomatic partnership with Nigeria.
Why it matters: Trump's relationship with African countries has been mired in public and diplomatic scandal, and his meeting with the president of Africa's most populous country presents an opportunity to make amends.
Richard Painter, longtime Republican and former ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, announced on Twitter Monday that he's running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat in Minnesota.
Driving his decision: President Trump. Painter, a frequent critic of Trump on cable news and social media, said on Twitter that his decision to not only run for office but to run as a Democrat is attributable to Trump and "the broken system that got us where we are today." "Americans are fed up!" he added.
Adult film actress Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford) has filed suit against President Trump for "irresponsible and defamatory statements,” her attorney Michael Avenatti said Monday.
The details: The complaint alleges that Trump's tweets, that showed a sketch of a man she claimed had threatened her to keep quiet about her alleged affair with the president, mocked Daniels. She's seeking damages in excess of $75,000. The document claims the president knew his tweets would cause Daniels to be "subjected to threats of violence, economic harm, and reputational damage."
President Trump said Monday that pulling the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal would send North Korea the "right message" ahead of planned talks with Kim Jong-un. He added that what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today, in regard to Iran's nuclear ambitions, has proven that he's been 100% right.
Yes, but: Despite Trump slamming the nuclear deal as unacceptable, he said his administration will make a decision on whether to pull out on or before May 12, noting that they're still open to negotiating a new agreement.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, asked about his chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize after his summit with Kim Jong-un, told reporters, "President Trump can take the Nobel prize, all we need to take is peace," reports AFP.
Yes, but: Throughout this process, the South Koreans have been highly complimentary of Trump, intent on keeping him onside as talks progress. As optimism grows in South Korea, Moon's approval ratings have spiked to 70%.
Big picture: Trump has always been quick to turn to Twitter to weigh in on the news of the day. One of the ways he likes to taunt media is to declare the news or a chosen media outlet "dead" or "dying."
The Clinton family has made sporadic and often subdued appearances in the 18 months (538 days) since Hillary Clinton lost her presidential election. But we're about to see a lot more of them this spring.
Why it matters: This family has been on the national stage for 26 years — all or most of the lifetime of anyone under 50. Chelsea Clinton, now 38, was 11 when her father, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, announced his entry into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in October 1991. He was 45 then; is 71 now.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) gave Axios the details behind its $60.2 million buy on initial ad reservations in 13 key cities ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
Why it matters: This is a massive ad spend for an outside group this early on in the election cycle, and comes right on the heels of the Congressional Leadership Fund's $48 million announcement earlier this month — signaling just how competitive these conservative groups anticipate this election cycle to be. The 13 target cities reveal which House Republican seats conservatives are most concerned about.
Some Republicans, antsy about the energy on the left heading into midterms, say Congress needs to pass more conservative legislation this year to bolster the case for why voters should keep the GOP in office.
The catch: They can't agree what it should be. Maybe conservative priorities like regulatory reform or spending cuts, maybe something pragmatic like infrastructure reform. If they can't figure it out, conservative voters could get disenchanted and stay home in November — costing Republicans the House and maybe even the Senate.
