Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Saturday a document full of incendiary nativist rhetoric meant to promote a potential America First Caucus was a "draft proposal from an outside group that I hadn’t read."
Why it matters: The document linked to the caucus promises to "follow in President Trump’s footsteps" and outlines a policy platform to push "uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions" drew condemnation from a number of prominent Republicans.
Former President Trump said President Biden's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan is "a wonderful and positive thing to do," but criticized the timeline and said the U.S. "should get out earlier."
Why it matters: The statement puts Trump once again at odds with top Republicans who have widely condemned the move, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) calling it a "grave mistake" and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) saying the withdrawal is a "disaster in the making."
The White House is launching a targeted media blitz Monday to promote President Biden’s new deadline for states to make all U.S. residents 16 and older eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, an administration official tells Axios.
Why it matters: Half of American adults have received their first vaccine dose, but vaccine hesitancy among the remaining population risks the country achieving herd immunity.
The universe of Democratic senators concerned about raising the corporate tax rate to 28% is broader than Sen. Joe Manchin, and the rate will likely land at 25%, parties close to the discussion tell Axios.
Why it matters: While increasing the rate from 21% to 25% would raise about $600 billion over 15 years, it would leave President Biden well short of paying for his proposed $2.25 trillion, eight-year infrastructure package.
Republican leaders turned to grassroots supporters and raked in sizable donations after corporations cut them off post-Jan. 6.
Why it matters: If those companies hoped to push the GOP toward the center, they may have done just the opposite by turning Republican lawmakers toward their most committed — and ideologically driven — supporters.
Half of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and about a third are fully vaccinated, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why it matters: COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are still on the rise, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said during Friday's White House COVID-19 briefing. With cases in many states being driven by variants, public health officials have emphasized the need to ramp up vaccinations.
Residents of Little Village, a well-known and predominantly Latino neighborhood in Chicago, are grieving the death of Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Mexican American boy from the neighborhood who was shot and killed by a police officer on March 29, NBC News reports.
Why it matters: Adam Toledo's killing shines a spotlight on police shootings of Latinos, who are killed by law enforcement at the second-highest rate after Black Americans, according to data from the Washington Post.
Former President George W. Bush (R) told "CBS Sunday Morning" that he wants the nation's immigration debate to be "more respectful about the immigrant."
Why it matters: The Republican party has veered sharply to the right on the issue of immigration. Former President Trump built his campaign on the promise of building a new U.S.-Mexico border wall and issued strict policies for returning families and unaccompanied children.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) told "Meet the Press" that she isn't instituting a new lockdown due to a combination of factors, including the state's strong mitigation measures and pushback from Republicans.
Why it matters: Michigan is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by a variant of the virus first discovered in the U.K. Michigan has the second-most number of cases of that variant in the nation, per the Detroit Free Press.
The Biden administration warned the Russian government "that there will be consequences" if jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN on Sunday.
The big picture: Sullivan also defended President Biden for not mentioning Navalny in a Thursday speech about Russia or in a Tuesday call with Russian President Vladimir Putin,saying the White House aims to deal with the issue "privately and through diplomatic channels."
Cook County prosecutor James Murphy was placed on administrative leave Friday after he implied in court that 13-year-old Adam Toledo, who was shot and killed by a police officer in March, was armed when he was shot, the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times report.
Why it matters: Videos of the shooting show that Toledo, who was Latino, dropped what appears to be a weapon and put his hands in the air a moment before before he was fatally shot. A lawyer for the Toledo family said Thursday that if the teen "had a gun, he tossed it."
The suspected gunman in this week's mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis legally purchased two "assault rifles" believed to have been used in the attack, police said late Saturday.
Ontario officials reversed new pandemic restrictions Saturday that bolstered police powers to enforce a stay-at-home order and banned playgrounds in Canada's most populous province, one day after Premier Doug Ford announced them to curb surging COVID-19 cases.
Why it matters: There was widespread criticism of the ban and a measure authorizing officers from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to require anyone not at home to provide them with "their home address and purpose for not being at their residence." Several police forces pushed back on the direction.
President Biden on Saturday sought to explain why he didn't immediately lift the Trump administration's historically low refugee cap.
Driving the news: Several Democrats accused Biden Friday of not fulfilling his pledge to raise the limit after it was announced he'd keep the cap. The White House said later it would be raised by May 15. Biden told reporters Saturday, "We're going to increase the number."
