Axios

More than 170,000 migrants were taken into custody at the U.S.-Mexico border in March, the highest monthly total since at least 2006, according to preliminary data obtained by the New York Times and Washington Post.

Why it matters: "The extraordinary increase — up from 78,442 in January — underscores the magnitude of the challenge facing the Biden administration," the Post notes.

President Biden ordered the White House flags to be flown at half-staff to honor Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans, who was killed Friday in a car-ramming attack at the U.S. Capitol.

The big picture: Evans was an 18-year veteran of the Capitol Police. Another officer was injured when a male suspect rammed them with a car at a north entrance to the U.S. Capitol. The suspect, who police said brandished a knife as he lunged at officers, was shot and has been pronounced dead.

Members of Congress said they were "horrified" by Friday's car ramming attack at the U.S. Capitol that left two people dead, including Capitol Police officer William Evans and the suspect, and one officer injured.

Why it matters: Some security fencing was removed a week ago after months of heightened security following the Jan 6. attack at the Capitol. National Guard remains at the U.S. Capitol but in smaller numbers. Members of the Guard were seen on Friday deploying toward the Capitol barrier following the incident.

The suspected gunman who killed four people — including a 9-year-old boy — at a business complex in Orange, California, on Wednesday was charged with four felony counts of murder, prosecutors announced Friday.

Driving the news: Prosecutors said the suspect, Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez, who was also wounded during the shooting, knew all of the adult victims through personal or business relationships.

Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans, who served for 18 years, is dead and another officer is injured after a male suspect rammed them with a car at a north entrance to the U.S. Capitol on Friday.

The state of play: Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said Friday that the suspect brandished a knife as he lunged at officers. The officers fired at the suspect, who has since been pronounced dead.

A male suspect rammed a vehicle into two Capitol Police officers on Friday at the North Barricade vehicle access point of the U.S. Capitol, sending Congress into a roughly two-hour lockdown.

The state of play: The attack left two dead, including the suspect and one police officer, and another injured. Congress is no longer under lockdown, and the House and Senate were out of session at the time of the attack.

Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), who defeated a Democratic incumbent in 2020 to take back the seat he previously held in Congress, is donating campaign contributions from Rep. Matt Gaetz to an organization that supports victims of domestic abuse.

Why it matters: The embattled Florida lawmaker faces escalating political struggles after the New York Times reported Gaetz is under investigation by the Department of Justice to determine whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid her to travel with him. Gaetz denies the allegations.

The number of unaccompanied minors in government custody has swelled to more than 18,000 — a challenge further complicated by COVID-related precautions requiring that shelters operate below capacity to allow for distancing.

Axios Re:Cap speaks with Janet Napolitano, DHS secretary under Obama and former Arizona governor, to discuss the Biden administration’s response.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order Friday prohibiting businesses from requiring customers to show proof they have received COVID vaccines and preventing the state government from issuing so-called "vaccine passports."

Why it matters: Immunization credentials for the coronavirus have become a controversial subject, especially with Republican governors, though proof of vaccination could speed international travel and economic reopening plans.

Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-Fla.) communications director Luke Ball resigned on Friday amid a growing scandal over alleged sexual misconduct, per two sources who spoke with Axios. The resignation was first reported by NBC News.

Why it matters: Gaetz is under a federal investigation for alleged sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl. The congressman denies the allegation and says he is a victim of political extortion.

A Minneapolis homicide lieutenant with over 40 years of experience said Friday that Derek Chauvin's use of force on George Floyd was "totally unnecessary," testifying that "if your knee is on a person's neck, that can kill him."

Why it matters: Though his role is in investigation and not on patrol — something the defense emphasized — media commentators called it the most compelling testimony yet from law enforcement who have taken the stand at former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial.

Centrist congressional Democrats who were defeated in the 2020 election have banded together to create a political action committee to defend U.S. House moderates in the 2022 midterms.

Why it matters: A first-term president’s party historically has lost seats in Congress in the midterm elections, and the GOP just needs to flip a handful of seats in 2022 to regain control. Ousted centrist Democrats believe that they were defeated in 2020 by Republican challengers who distorted their records, and the unseated lawmakers need to defend their former colleagues.

President Biden addressed Republican opposition to his $2 trillion infrastructure plan on Friday, saying in a speech from the White House: "Compromise is inevitable. Changes to my plan are certain. But inaction is not an option."

Why it matters: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has vowed to fight against Biden's American Jobs Plan "every step of the way," telling reporters this week that the bill "is not going to get support from our side."

Fully vaccinated people can travel domestically and internationally without having to show a negative COVID-19 test or quarantining, but are still recommended to wear a mask and follow public health precautions, according to updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why it matters: It's a major incentive for Americans to get vaccinated that will also provide a boost to the U.S. travel industry, which has been financially hammered by the pandemic over the past year.

Top White House climate aides have shared a little more of their thinking about its massive climate spending proposal.

Why it matters: The White House is facing intense political pushback on the plan's size, so their success or failure at justifying its costs could matter in Congress and the ballot box.

Over 100 companies including Twitter, Zillow and Uber issued a joint statement through Civic Alliance Friday, joining a slew of major corporate players who have expressed concern about Georgia's law curbing voting access.

Why it matters: States often take cues from how hard businesses push back. But many of these corporations, several of which are based in Georgia, could have spoken up earlier when the law was being considered or before the governor signed.

Former House Speaker John Boehner tore into right-wing media and what he called the GOP's "crazy caucus" in a book excerpt published by Politico Friday, targeting Sen. Ted Cruz, Fox News' Sean Hannity and the late Roger Ailes, and former Rep. Michele Bachmann.

The big picture: Boehner seeks to cast himself in his new memoir, titled “On the House: A Washington Memoir," as one of the last leaders of the GOP's sensible conservative movement, before the party was co-opted by Donald Trump and other members who dedicated themselves to "wedge issues and conspiracies and crusades."

John McCain, just before his death in 2018, did an interview for Ken Burns’ upcoming PBS film about Ernest Hemingway, in which the senator talks about "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and his hero, Robert Jordan.

The big picture: "Hemingway" — a three-part, six-hour documentary film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick — examines the visionary work and turbulent life of Ernest Hemingway, one of America's iconic writers.

President Joe Biden has a $100 billion plan to ensure all Americans have high-speed internet, but some of the key companies that provide those connections are already balking.

Why it matters: Democrats on the Hill will have to overcome industry lobbying and Republican opposition to make this part of Biden's multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure program a reality.

Republicans' criticism of President Biden's infrastructure package isn't just about its cost, but also the definition of "infrastructure."

The big picture: Top Republicans aides tell Axios they learned their lesson after failing to successfully define Biden's coronavirus relief package. This time around, they'll try to convince voters the infrastructure legislation is more of a wishlist for progressives than a "roads-and-bridges" measure.

A new analysis of U.S. voters suggests — counterintuitively — that the coronavirus pandemic may have helped drive former President Donald Trump's surprising increase in support from Latinos last November.

The big picture: By shifting Trump's rhetoric from immigration to fears around the economic impact of shutdowns, the virus gave conservative and low-information Latino voters a permission structure to back Trump even if they shunned him in 2016, according to preliminary findings by research firm Equis that were reviewed by Axios.

The Department of Interior on Thursday announced the creation of a new unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs tasked with supporting investigations into missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Why it matters: Approximately 1,500 American Indian and Alaska Native missing persons cases have been reported to the National Crime Information Center, and about 2,700 cases of murder and nonnegligent homicide offenses have been reported to the federal government, according to the Interior Department.