Axios

Operational and intelligence failures left the U.S. Capitol Police unable to effectively respond to the deadly Jan 6 attack on the Capitol, Inspector General Michael Bolton will say during a House hearing Thursday, according to his prepared testimony obtained by AP.

Why it matters: The subject of hearing in the House Administration Committee will be a damning, 104-page watchdog report on the department's response to the riot, which was completed in March but has not been released to the public. Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) called it "detailed and disturbing."

The Biden administration on Wednesday moved to reverse a Trump-era rule banning federally funded health care providers from referring women for abortions.

Why it matters: The rule, which took effect in 2019, prompted Planned Parenthood and other health care providers to withdraw from the federal Title X family planning program, whose grantees provide birth control and other services to mainly low-income individuals.

In a rare bipartisan vote of 92-6, the Senate advanced legislation aimed at improving anti-Asian hate crime tracking and identification.

Why it matters: The bill had looked initially unlikely to garner the 60 votes necessary to end debate and move to a final vote. But Republicans decided to not filibuster, in part because Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose wife Elaine Chao is Taiwanese American, signaled openness to working on it with Democrats prior to final passage, the Associated Press reports.

The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday advanced legislation that would make Washington, D.C. the 51st state, setting the stage for a vote by the full chamber for the second year in a row.

Why it matters: Statehood for the District is a priority for Democrats that will likely clear the House largely along party lines like it did last year, but it faces a much tougher path in the divided Senate, where it would need 60 votes.

Former President Obama said Wednesday that President Biden "has made the right decision in completing the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan," starting May 1.

Why it matters: Lawmakers, and specifically several top Republicans, on Tuesday rallied against Biden's expected plan to pull the U.S. out of the longest war in American history, saying it was too soon and could further destabilize Afghanistan.

Maryland's former chief medical examiner testified Wednesday that George Floyd died of a cardiac arrhythmia brought on by underlying heart disease and exacerbated by his previous drug use as well as possible carbon monoxide poisoning.

Why it matters: David Fowler's testimony for the defense at former officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial sought to counter the prosecution's expert witnesses who said that Floyd died due to loss or deprivation of oxygen caused by the neck restraint placed on him by the police, and not from his underlying health conditions or drug use.

President Biden said in a speech Wednesday that it's "time to end America’s longest war," as his administration outlines plans to begin a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan starting May 1, with a full exit deadline of Sept. 11.

Driving the news: "I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth," Biden said. "It is time for American troops to come home."

The Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6 as she joined a pro-Trump mob ransacking the Capitol will not face criminal charges, the Justice Department said on Wednesday.

Driving the news: In their investigation, federal prosecutors determined that there was "insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution."

Vice President Harris said Wednesday she plans to visit Mexico and Guatemala "as soon as possible" in a diplomatic effort to address surging migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border has reached crisis levels. Harris, appointed by Biden as border czar, said she would be looking at the "root causes" that drive migration.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said that federally funded paid parental leave could boost small businesses who would otherwise be unable to offer the benefit to employees, while speaking at an Axios virtual event on Wednesday.

Why it matters: Nearly a million American mothers have left the workforce during the pandemic and women's labor force participation is at a 33-year low. Some of the decline has been attributed to more women quitting their jobs, at least temporarily, to take care of their children.

The Senate voted 53-45 on Wednesday to confirm Gary Gensler as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Why it matters: Gensler, who chaired the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) under President Obama, is seen as likely to take aggressive steps to regulate financial giants.

Morries Hall, one of the passengers in George Floyd's car before his arrest, will not testify in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin after being permitted to invoke his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Why it matters: The presiding judge denied the defense's subpoena of Hall, thwarting their hopes of shedding more light on Floyd's past drug use. Chauvin's lawyers have sought to argue that Floyd's opioid use may have contributed to heart failure and ultimately his death.

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) announced Wednesday he will retire from Congress after serving out his term, the Texas Tribune reports.

The big picture: Brady's retirement "underscores a decline in clout over the years for Texas House Republicans and the inevitable rebuilding phase through which the Texas GOP delegation is undergoing," the Tribune writes.

• Brady is the second Texas Congress member to announce plans to retire. Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela said last month he will leave Congress after this term.

Career highlights: Brady was first elected in 1996 and represents a deep-red district in Texas that he won with 72% of the vote in 2020. He has served in Congress for over two decades.

• In 2008, he was one of 24 Republicans to vote yes on impeaching President Bush. Later, as chair of Ways and Means, he opposed a resolution to request tax returns from President Trump.
• He also played a key role in crafting the 2017 GOP tax cuts as the top Republican on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

What he's saying: This term, my 13th, will be my last," Brady wrote on Twitter Wednesday. "It’s a remarkable privilege to work for #TX08 in the U.S. House of Representatives. I set out to give my constituents the representation they deserve, the effectiveness they want and the economic freedom they need. I hope I delivered."

• He added: "I am optimistic about our country, because I have faith in our people. I’ve seen up close how remarkable you are, and while I am leaving Congress I am excited about our future. God Bless Texas, and God Bless the United States of America."

Hundreds of companies and executives released a letter on Wednesday condemning legislation that restricts "any eligible voter from having an equal and fair opportunity to cast a ballot," per the New York Times.

Why it matters: It's the most concerted action yet by big business in opposition to GOP-sponsored bills at the state level that limit mail-in ballots, implement new voter ID requirements and slash registration options, among other measures.

Top White House officials will meet Wednesday with a bipartisan coalition of House lawmakers as the administration tries to enlist moderates to support the president's infrastructure proposal.

Why it matters: The meeting is something of an olive branch after President Biden's team courted groups of progressives to back the $2.2 trillion package.

There are "chronic water shortages" in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as La Soufrière volcano continues to explode, government spokesperson Sehon Marshall told a local radio station Tuesday.

The big picture: Up to 20,000 people have been evacuated from the Caribbean island's northern region since the volcano began erupting there last Friday, per AP. Over 3,000 evacuees are staying in more than 80 government shelters.

A New York court on Tuesday reinstated the pension of former Buffalo police officer Cariol Horne, who was fired for intervening when a white colleague had a Black man in a chokehold during a 2006 arrest.

Driving the news: State Supreme Court Judge Dennis Ward noted in his ruling similar cases, like the death of George Floyd. Ward said the role of other officers at the scene in such instances had come under scrutiny, "particularly their complicity in failing to intervene to save the life of a person to whom such unreasonable physical force is being applied."

President Biden has accepted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's invitation to address a joint session of Congress on April 28, the White House confirmed Tuesday night

Why it matters: This will be Biden's first speech to both the House and Senate since taking office.

An Atlanta high school bearing the name of the first Ku Klux Klan grand wizard will be renamed in honor of the late baseball great Hank Aaron, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported Tuesday.

Details: The city's school board voted unanimously Monday to rename Forrest Hill Academy the Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy after the Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, who broke racial barriers and in 1974 smashed Babe Ruth's longstanding career home run record.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Tuesday he directed the state's Department of Environmental Protection to develop a plan to permanently close the wastewater reservoir at Piney Point phosphate plant that recently threatened to cause a catastrophic environmental disaster, according to AP.

Why it matters: The governor said that $15.4 million in agency funds will be used to treat the water, which contains waste from the phosphate production that can cause algae blooms and fish kills and eventually impact the food chain if introduced into the environment in large amounts.

A Texas nonprofit that recently hired a Biden transition official got a contract worth as much as $530 million to help manage the influx of migrant children at the southern border, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The contract is by far the largest ever awarded to Family Endeavors. It's potentially worth more than 12 times the group's most recently reported annual budget — a sign of the demand the new work will place on its operations.

A leading conservative group is targeting the business community with a seven-figure ad buy on CNBC and local TV defending Georgia's new voting law from its corporate critics, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: By focusing on the C-suite through a network it watches, Heritage Action for America is offering a rejoinder to some companies — even Major League Baseball — after they waded so prominently into politics.

Advocates and lawmakers favoring marijuana reform are trying to capitalize on the social justice movement and COVID-19 economic rebound to legalize and normalize the use of pot.

Why it matters: The supporters are also trying to take advantage of polls showing broad public support — and get ahead of the reality Democrats could lose their control of Congress after the midterm elections next year.

Two border-district Democrats in Congress are pressing the Biden administration to revamp the asylum process, saying the current migrant surge is highlighting significant flaws in the system.

Why it matters: These lawmakers say the administration needs to start making concrete changes by summer. "If it's this bad in 90 days, it's hard to have excuses," Rep. Vicente Gonzalez told Axios.

The NFL outlined in a memo sent to all 32 teams that support staff, including coaches and trainers, should be vaccinated against COVID-19 "unless they have a bona fide medical or religious ground for not doing so."

Why it matters: Anyone who doesn't fit this category and refuses vaccination will be ineligible for Tier 1 or 2 status and "will not be permitted access to the 'football only' restricted area and may not work directly or in close proximity with players," according to the memo, first reported by the NFL Network.