House impeachment managers on Thursday told how the Capitol siege terrorized the workers who take care of and protect members of Congress.
The state of play: That included Black police officers repeatedly being called the n-word and janitors having to clean up blood and feces left by the rioters.
The federal government purchased an additional 200 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine, President Biden announced Thursday during a tour of the National Institutes of Health.
The big picture: Biden said the U.S. is on track to have enough supply of the vaccine to inoculate 300 million Americans by the end of July. That comes out to roughly 600 million doses, boosting "supply in the United States by 50 percent," as first reported by the Washington Post.
House impeachment managers wrapped up their case against Donald Trump on Thursday by driving home the evidence they believe shows the former president committed the impeachable offense of "incitement of insurrection."
The big picture: House managers closed their final day with words and footage of the rioters at the U.S. Capitol, arguing that the siege was carried out at the direction of the former president. They warned that Trump could incite violence again if he is not barred from holding office.
Republicans in Congress are facing backlash in their home states for questioning former President Donald Trump's involvement in the Jan 6. assault on the U.S. Capitol.
The big picture: State and county Republican apparatuses throughout the country are punishing those in their own party who want to hold the former president accountable, signaling that Trump's grasp on the GOP remains unfaded.
New conspiracy charges have been filed against five people associated with the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, over their alleged involvement in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol siege, according to the Justice Department.
Why it matters: The arrests are the latest move against the Proud Boys, who have a history of violence. Authorities have focused their attention on the group as they investigate the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Trump.
Why it matters: The projection doesn't include President Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package and could reignite pushback from Republicans who'd prefer a smaller bill.
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2009, which works out to just about $15,000 per year at 40-hour weeks, without any vacation days. Congress is now debating an increase to $15 per hour as part of the next round of economic stimulus, but there is plenty of opposition.
Axios Re:Cap digs into the economics and politics of the federal minimum wage, on which it seems everyone has an opinion.
A leader of the far-right "Oath Keepers" militia who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6 "indicated that she was awaiting direction from President Trump" as Biden's inauguration approached, federal prosecutors said in a court filing on Thursday.
Why it matters: Multiple defendants have told media outlets and law enforcement that they attended Trump's Jan. 6 rally at the president's request. But theassertion made Thursday, which was first reported by CNN, is the most direct link yet that prosecutors have drawn between Trump's rhetoric and the breach at the Capitol.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Thursday she's introducing legislation that would give Capitol Police officers the Congressional Gold Medal for fighting back a violent mob of insurrectionists on Jan 6.
Why it matters: Five people, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick,died as a result of the attack on the Capitol when members of Congress were meeting to count and certify the Electoral College vote.
President Biden informed Congress on Thursday that he has terminated the national emergency over the U.S.-Mexico border that former President Trump first declared in Feb. 2019.
Why it matters: Trump used the national emergency proclamation to divert billions of dollars in Pentagon funds toward building a border wall, after it became clear that Congress was opposed to additional funding. The declaration prompted dozens of lawsuits and attempts by Congress to block Trump from fulfilling one his top 2016 campaign promises.
First lady Dr. Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff on Wednesday held a series of phone calls with nurses unions throughout the country to hear about their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Times reports.
What they're saying: Biden and Emhoff told the nurses, who the CDC says are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, that "this administration is fighting for them," according to a spokesperson. But most of their time was spent listening to the nurses' pleas for more protective gear and vaccine doses.
Can too much federal spending cause the economy to overheat? And is that a real risk of the Biden administration's $1.9 trillion economic rescue plan? The consensus answers to those questions are yes and no, respectively.
Why it matters: Fear of inflation has emerged as the single biggest reason for Democrats and Republicans to oppose the latest round of stimulus. For the time being, however, most economists expect that inflation will remain subdued, even if the full package is enacted.
Some swing voters have deep reservations about raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, worried thatthe impacts on employers or inflation may outweigh benefits to individual workers.
Why it matters: President Biden and most congressional Democrats support the increase and favor its inclusionin the next coronavirus stimulus. But Biden said last week it may face too much resistance to make it into this round. These voters who switched from Donald Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020 help explain why.
President Biden is considering nominating Lisa Cook, an economist at Michigan State University, to fill an open seat on the Federal Reserve Board, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: The appointment would be historic, since Cook would be the first Black woman to join the Fed. It also would reveal the new president's preferences for monetary policy and how he may reconstitute the Fed, including the chairmanship.
From Donald Trump to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, tweeting has become a big part of being an elected official.
Why it matters: Numerous representatives and senators have followed suit, and these are the ones who tweeted the most during the recently completed 116th Congress, according to data pulled by Quorum.
House impeachment managers Wednesday used previously unseen security video, unheard police radio calls and undisclosed facts to try to shock Senate jurors into a conviction in Donald Trump's second impeachment trial.
Why it matters: We were on the ground with senators throughout the Jan. 6 insurrection. Everyone was isolated from the activity on that day. On Wednesday, the senators sat in their own chamber, audio booming like a movie theater, seeing the danger that nearly engulfed them. A nation of constituents watched along at home.
Members of Congress from both parties are using Donald Trump's second impeachment trial to solicit donations to their reelection committees.
Why it matters: Trump was a singular force in small-dollar fundraising throughout his four years in office, for both his supporters and critics. His impeachment trial may be lawmakers' last chance to use him as a grassroots money machine, and some in the House and Senate are taking full advantage.
House impeachment managers began presenting their prosecution of former President Trump on Wednesday, laying out their evidence — including previously unseen Capitol security footage from the Jan. 6 insurrection — before a divided Senate.
The big picture: One by one, managers detailed how Trump laid the groundwork for his supporters to believe "the big lie" — that the election would be stolen — for months leading up to the attack. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) called Trump's false claims "the drumbeat being used to inspire, instigate, and ignite them," stressing that the incitement didn't just begin with the president's speech on Jan. 6.
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