The House of Representatives voted 227-186 on Wednesday in favor of a resolution that would limit President Trump's ability to direct military action against Iran without authorization from Congress.
Why it matters: It's a bipartisan rebuke of the president's foreign policy toward Iran that has now been passed in both the House and Senate. The bill, which is expected to be vetoed by Trump, was first introduced in the wake of the president's decision to order a strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, bringing the U.S. to the brink of war with Iran.
President Trump announced Wednesday that he'll be giving a prime-time address around 9 pm ET on the government's response to the coronavirus.
Why it matters: New cases of the coronavirus are continuing to surge in the U.S. and across the world, causing the stock market to crater and events to be canceled on a wide scale. Trump's address comes as the administration and Congress weigh economic stimulus options, while top health officials warn that drastic changes to daily life must be made in order to stop the spread of the virus.
Editor's note: This story was updated after Trump changed the time of the address from 8 pm to 9 pm ET.
The editor-in-chief of the journal Sciencecalled out President Trump's response to the novel coronavirus in an op-ed Wednesday, saying "distortion and denial is dangerous and almost certainly contributed to the federal government’s sluggish response."
The big picture: H. Holden Thorp wrote that while Trump is banking on the quick and effective development of a vaccine for COVID-19, the president has not always embraced science. Thorp asserts, "While scientists are trying to share facts about the epidemic, the administration either blocks those facts or restates them with contradictions."
The Supreme Court gave the Trump administration another immigration win on Wednesday, blocking a federal injunction that would have halted the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) — or "Remain in Mexico" policy — in California and Arizona.
Why it matters: The Trump administration sent military troops to parts of the border ahead of the decision in order to prepare for any surges of migrants crossing the border if MPP was halted, per the New York Times.
Starting March 12, you may receive an invitation to respond online to the 2020 Census. Households in areas that are less likely to respond online will receive paper questionnaires as well. Reminders will be sent the following week.
How it works: Every household that hasn't responded by March 26 will receive reminder postcards.
Bernie Sanders said at a press conference Wednesday that he will not suspend his presidential campaign after a second consecutive week of bruising primary losses to Joe Biden, telling reporters that he looks forward to Sunday's one-on-one debate.
Why it matters: Sanders' path to the nomination narrowed significantly after Biden built up his delegate lead in most of the states that voted Tuesday — including the key prize of Michigan, where Sanders' surprise win over Hillary Clinton in 2016 gave him a needed boost of momentum.
Out of the 50 largest U.S. cities, only 15 have female mayors. That proportion stays the same when looking at the largest 100 cities: 70% of mayors are men.
The big picture: Women are running for office at every level of government. Although Elizabeth Warren's withdrawal effectively ended the chance of electing a woman to the presidency this year, there's progress elsewhere.
Officials from the White House, Congress, nonprofits and business will meet at the White House Wednesday to pursue a "1 Trillion Trees" initiative.
What's happening: The plan, launched in January in Davos, aims to "grow, restore and conserve 1 trillion trees around the world — in a bid to restore biodiversity and help fight climate change," the World Economic Forum said.
Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday.
The backdrop: Weinstein was found guilty of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act last month and acquitted of predatory sexual assault.
The last daily White House press briefing was held one year ago — on March 11, 2019, when Sarah Huckabee Sanders was still President Trump's press secretary.
Why it matters: It's a significant milestone that is emblematic of the erosion of traditional norms regarding interactions between the White House and the press corps under the Trump administration.
The White House is weighing options to provide financial assistance to U.S. oil producers getting hammered by the price collapse, but the picture is murky right now.
Why it matters: It's a sign of the rapidly worsening conditions for the sector and the Trump administration's scramble to respond to the effects of the coronavirus and falling prices.
Sen. Bernie Sanders is the projected winner of the Democratic presidential primary caucus in North Dakota, which has 14 delegates at stake, AP reports.
The state of play: Sanders is nearly 200 delegates behind former Vice President Joe Biden, who won Missouri, Michigan and Mississippi on Tuesday. Sanders previously won North Dakota in 2016.
The big question for Bernie Sanders after Tuesday night's losses: Is there a path back to the Democratic nomination, or is Joe Biden's trajectory unstoppable?
The state of play: Notably, Sanders did not comment on the results. Pressure ramped up on him to concede and Biden carefully began to turn his remarks to the general election after extending his delegate lead in "Super Tuesday 2," with wins in Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri and Idaho.
While major institutions across the U.S. are sending people home and reassessing interactions amid coronavirus fears, Democratic and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill have told lawmakers they have no immediate plans to close Congress.
Why it matters: It's a potential petri dish for the virus. Many lawmakers fit high-risk profiles because they're over 60, have underlying health conditions and are mixing in close quarters with visitors, staff and reporters.
As cases of the novel coronavirus spread, millions of workers' lack of paid sick leave is becoming a serious concern for local officials and employers — and now an increasingly urgent agenda item in Washington, too.
Why it matters: Front-line workers who serve food, drive buses, care for children or the elderly and run cash registers are much less likely to be able to take time off if they are sick, increasing the risk of infecting others.
In the span of a week, Joe Biden usurped Bernie Sanders as the 2020 Democratic frontrunner, but also as the candidate getting the most online attention, according to data from NewsWhip exclusively provided to Axios.
The big picture: The 41 million interactions (likes, comments, shares) on Biden stories on social media last week is by far the highest level of attention any one candidate has received in the primary in a week, a reflection how much the race now centers around Biden.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The Democrats Abroad primary ended early Wednesday Eastern Time following tense rounds of voting worldwide caused by closed precincts, digital ballots and the novel coronavirus.
How it works: United States citizens living abroad who register as Democrats vote via precincts around the globe. This year's voting took place from March 3-10, but organizers say results will not be announced until March 23 due to a high volume of mail-in ballots. There are 13 pledged delegates at stake.
Joe Biden is the projected winner in the Michigan, Mississippi, and Missouri presidential primaries, per AP. The news agency also projected early Wednesday that he won Idaho.
The big picture: Democratic voters in six states are choosing between Bernie Sanders' revolution or Joe Biden's so-called Return to Normal campaign, as the candidates compete for the party's presidential nomination and the chance to take on President Trump.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told supporters as former Vice President Joe Biden was projected big wins in Tuesday's primaries it had been a "tough night" for her chosen Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Why it matters: "There's no sugar-coating it. Tonight's a tough night. Tonight's a tough night electorally ... [but] never, ever, ever let your heart turn black," Ocasio-Cortez said during an Instagram live broadcast. While Sanders has yet to comment on Biden being projected to win the Michigan, Mississippi and Missouri presidential primaries, Ocasio-Cortez's comments carry significant weight as one of the Vermont senator's highest-profile supporters.
President Trump declared via Twitter Tuesday night that Tommy Tuberville, who is challenging former Attorney General Jeff Sessions for the Republican nomination for the Alabama Senate, has his "Complete and Total Endorsement."
Why it matters: Sessions touted his Trump ties as he was forced into a March 31 runoff in his bid to challenge Sen. Doug Jones (D) in the election and regain his former Senate seat. The president criticized Sessions on Twitter afterward, but he hadn't endorsed Tuberville until now.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) called for the Democratic National Committee to pave the way for Vice President Joe Biden to win the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, NPR reports.
What's happening: Biden is the projected winner of the Democratic presidential primary in Michigan, the biggest contest of the night, as well as in Mississippi and Missouri. Voters are still casting ballots in Idaho, North Dakota, and Washington.
Former tech entrepreneur and 2020 candidate Andrew Yang endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday night after Biden gained projected primary wins in Michigan, Missouri, and Mississippi.
What he's saying: "The math says 'Joe is our prohibitive nominee,' we need to bring the party together. We need to start working on defeating Donald Trump in the fall," Yang said on CNN Tuesday night.
Former Vice President Joe Bidenis the projected winner of the Democratic presidentialprimary in Michigan, the biggest contest of the night, according to multiple media outlets.
Why it matters: Bernie Sanders' loss in a state that chose him over Hillary Clinton four years ago goes beyond a symbolic blow — with the potential to hand Biden a significant delegate lead.
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders will not debate in front of a live audience in Phoenix, Arizona, this weekend, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego confirmed on Tuesday.
What's happening: There are two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Arizona, and four presumptive positive cases, per the state health department. One confirmed case is travel-related, while the other confirmed case and all presumptive cases are believed to have been transmitted person-to-person.
