Congress handed President Trump a rare blow on Friday when the Senate joined the House in voting to override his veto of the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Why it matters: The bipartisan New Year's Day legislative rebuke is the first veto override of Trump's presidency. It comes less than three weeks before Trump leaves office and underscores the popularity of the military legislation, passed each Congress since 1967, that includes increased pay for troops.
The United Kingdom's abolishment of a tax on menstrual products goes in effect today, according to a release from the government.
Why it matters: The repeal is among the first acts the U.K. is taking as part of its formal separation from the European Union because EU law prevents member nations from reducing the value-added tax on menstrual products below 5% because they are considered "luxury items."
It took four years and an election defeat. But someone with real power inside the Republican Party is standing up to — and swatting back — President Trump: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Why it matters: This is a preview of the power struggle that will define the Republican Party in 2021.
A new phase in the battle against the coronavirus and the beginning of Joe Biden's presidency will dominate the news this year, but there will be plenty of other changes ahead that will shape our lives, too.
Here’s what Axios’ newsletter authors and expert reporters will be watching — from the future of the economy and Big Tech's antitrust fights to the next stages in developing artificial intelligence and biotechnology. (Sign up for their newsletters here.)
President Trump on Thursday extended pandemic-era bans on certain immigrant and work visas until March 31.
Why it matters: The bans — issued in April and June and set to expire on Thursday — go against the recommendations of business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and tech companies who have argued that they will encourage investment abroad, inhibit economic growth and reduce job creation.
In an extraordinary conference call this morning with fellow Senate Republicans, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said his Jan. 6 vote certifying Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election will be "the most consequential I have ever cast," according to a source on a call and two other sources briefed on the private remarks.
The big picture: The conference call came in the wake of Sen. Josh Hawley defying McConnell's wishes and publicly declaring that he'll object to certifying the electoral votes in Pennsylvania and perhaps in other states as well.
President-elect Joe Biden's transition team said at a press briefing on Wednesday that the Office of Management and Budget has been limiting support to the incoming administration, accusing the agency of "intentionally generated opacity."
Why it matters: Yohannes Abraham, executive director of the Biden Transition, told reporters "there’s no question" that a lack of analytical support to the transition team will delay Biden's budget planning, and that it has "real-world implications" for national security.
Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) tweeted on Thursday that he will quarantine after coming in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
Why it matters: Perdue, who says he tested negative for the coronavirus on Thursday, faces a runoff election next week against Democrat Jon Ossoff. Perdue did not specify how long he will stay in quarantine.
The gap in trust between Democrats and Republicans in mass media reached an all-time high during the Trump administration, according to an annual Gallup poll.
Why it matters: The divide represents one of the most profound elements of President Trump's legacy.
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said he "will not be participating" in an effort in Congress to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory on Jan. 6, writing on Facebook that he has been urging "colleagues also to reject this dangerous ploy."
Driving the news: Sasse's post comes a day after Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) became the first senator to say he will object to the Electoral College certification, joining a group of House Republicans.
To set the tonefor his inauguration the next day, President-elect Biden will lead a memorial to remember and honor lives lost to COVID-19, with church-bell ringings and light shows across the country on Tue., Jan. 19, at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Driving the news: The Presidential Inauguration Committee is announcing Thursday morning that a D.C. ceremony, led by Biden, will feature lights around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — the first time lighting around the Reflecting Pool has memorialized American lives lost.
More than six out of 10 Americans are hopeful about what 2021 has in store for the world, according to a new Axios/SurveyMonkey poll.
The big picture: After a year dominated by the pandemic and a seemingly endless presidential election, Americans are overwhelmingly hopeful that things will get better with the pandemic — and more narrowly hopeful about Joe Biden's presidency.
The Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank that's been a center for political dialogue and forums for both Democrats and Republicans during the Trump era, has tapped its longtime COO John Walters as its new leader, Axios has learned.
The big picture: Whileleft and center-left think tanks empty to help stock the incoming Biden administration, conservative groups are shuffling their leadership and welcoming back scholars and analysts who worked for President Trump.
The Census Bureau has confirmed it will miss Thursday's deadline to produce the first set of 2020 census results for its count used to determine representation in Congress.
Why it matters: It's the first time the bureau has missed the end-of-year deadline since Congress set the Dec. 31 date 44 years ago.
