Axios

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was shown kneeling on George Floyd's neck last year in a video that shook the nation, was found guilty of murder and manslaughter on Tuesday.

Yes, but: Eight years after the launch of the Black Lives Matter movement, it's still rare for police officers to face legal consequences or jail time over the deaths of Black people.

The Senate voted 98-2 on Tuesday to confirm Lisa Monaco as deputy attorney general for the Justice Department, making her the agency's second highest-ranking official.

Why it matters: Monaco is expected to play a key role in Attorney General Merrick Garland's pledge to crack down on violence from domestic extremist groups, including the department's sweeping investigation of the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

President Joe Biden spoke to members of George Floyd's family in the aftermath of Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict, acknowledging that while "nothing is going to make it all better" at least some justice had been served.

The big picture: The verdict is a rare conviction of a police officer, and advocates believe it could be a turning point in the fight for racial justice.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison commended the jury's Tuesday decision to uphold "accountability" in former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial, and called for "systematic, societal change" going forward.

Why it matters: The verdict is a rare conviction of a police officer and many advocates expect it to be a crucial civil rights case in the ongoing fight for racial justice.

The Department of Agriculture on Tuesday extended school meal programs through the end of next school year, saying the program is expected to end in the summer of 2022.

Why it matters: Many public schools that closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic continued to provide lunches to low-income students who would otherwise go hungry. The move comes as part of the Biden administration's effort to reopen schools as the virus persists.

A jury on Tuesday found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in George Floyd's death.

Why it matters: This rare conviction of a police officer may come to be seen as a defining moment in America's collective reckoning with issues of race and justice.

A growing crowd outside the Hennepin County Government Center broke out into cheers, hugs and tears of relief as word of the Derek Chauvin verdict spread just after 4pm CT.

Catch up quick: Eleven months after George Floyd died under the former Minneapolis police officer's knee, a jury of 12 neighbors returned a guilty verdict on all three counts.

America is speaking out after the jury in Derek Chauvin's trial announced its guilty verdict after roughly 10 hours of deliberation.

What they're saying: Ben Crump, Floyd family lawyer, wrote, "GUILTY! Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyd’s family. ... Justice for Black America is justice for all of America!"

CNN commentator Van Jones praised the guilty verdict handed down in the Derek Chauvin trial, saying, "that is what justice looks like" while noting that more work needs to be done to advance the cause of civil rights.

Why it matters: The Chauvin murder trial verdict is a rare conviction of a police officer, and many advocates expect it to be a crucial civil rights case in the fight for racial justice in the years to come.

What he's saying: "This is the beginning of something. This is not the end of anything," Jones said, calling upon Congress to act and pointing out what needs to change moving forward.

• "Those chokeholds are still legal according to the federal government. That needs to change. There's no duty to intervene from the federal government. That needs to change. There's no registry for cops like Chauvin. That needs to change."
• "I've seen so many kids who have done so much less than him walk out of courtrooms in handcuffs."

A resolution brought Monday by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to censure Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) was blocked in a 216-210 vote on Tuesday.

Catch up quick: The measure was brought after Waters said last weekend that protesters should "get more confrontational" if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is acquitted in the killing of George Floyd.

President Joe Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on Tuesday to honor former Vice President Walter Mondale who died Monday at age 93.

What he's saying: "Today, our Nation mourns the loss of one of our Nation’s most dedicated patriots and public servants," Biden said in his proclamation.

In a call to the FedEx gunman's house last year, police reported seeing guns and a computer with searches of white supremacist websites, according to recently released information from an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) report.

Why it matters: The 19-year-old gunman killed eight people, half of whom were Sikh, at a FedEx facility last week before dying by a self-inflicted shot. Police have yet to identify a motive.

President Biden told reporters Tuesday that he's "come to know" George Floyd's family and that he's "praying the verdict is the right verdict" in Derek Chauvin's trial, as the nation awaits the jury's decision.

Why it matters: Officials fear a not-guilty decision in the high-profile case could inflame racial tensions and set off a new wave of riots. The jury was sequestered and entered deliberation after closing arguments on Monday.

The United States and Japan released a joint statement after President Biden and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met in Washington last week to announce "a new era" in U.S.-Japan relations.

Why it matters: The show of unity is a clear signal that both countries are eager to show Beijing that democracies are still setting the rules in the Indo-Pacific region.

Former President George W. Bush on Tuesday described today's Republican Party as "isolationist, protectionist, and to a certain extent, nativist," during an interview with NBC's Today Show.

Why it matters: Bush's criticism comes as a surprise as he has stayed generally quiet since leaving Washington and "has typically avoided directly criticizing the party," CNN writes.

The antitrust noose is continuing to tighten around Big Tech, with some bankers saying that the pressure is impacting deal-making.

Driving the news: Lina Khan, a law professor who famously argued for breaking up Amazon, tomorrow will get a Senate confirmation hearing to become an FTC commissioner.

Despite recommendations from career staff, a federal watchdog for the Secret Service last year declined to take up probes into the agency's handling of Black Lives Matter protests in D.C., and on the spread of COVID-19 among Secret Service members, according to the Project On Government Oversight.

Flashback: Law enforcement agencies used tear gas and physical force to remove protestors from Lafayette Square last year, allowing the Secret Service to take then-President Trump across the street to a photo-op in front of a church.

The jury is still deliberating in the trial of Derek Chauvin, but Facebook said Monday it has already designated Minneapolis as a temporary "high-risk" location and will take stronger action on inflammatory posts given the potential for real-world violence.

Why it matters: Passions are already running high as Chauvin faces murder charges for last year's death of George Floyd amid an increased law enforcement presence as well as additional incidents of police violence in Minnesota and elsewhere.

A new coalition has formed aimed at helping ensure federal efforts to expand solar power don't leave the poor and communities of color behind.

Driving the news: The dozen-plus members of the Solar Access for All Coalition include Earthjustice, Coalition for Community Solar Access, GreenLatinos, Solar United Neighbors and the NAACP.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg will testify before the House Oversight Subcommittee on the Environment on Thursday, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), chairman of the panel, announced Tuesday.

Why it matters: The Earth Day hearing — titled “The Role of Fossil Fuel Subsidies in Preventing Action on the Climate Crisis" — will coincide with the White House's climate summit, which is expected to showcase a new 2030 U.S. emissions-cutting target.

Go deeper: What to expect from this week's White House climate summit

Philonise Floyd, the brother of the late George Floyd, revealed on NBC's "Today" that President Biden called him and his family on Monday "to let us know he was praying for us and hoping everything would come out to be ok."

Driving the news: The jury in former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial is deliberating on Tuesday, after several weeks of witness presentations and arguments.

Political journalist Mark Halperin, whose career crumbled in 2017 after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment, has joined No Labels, a D.C.-based bipartisan policy group, Punchbowl News reports.

Why it matters: Halperin was once one of the most powerful figures in Washington media. His downfall became one of the prominent examples of the #MeToo movement calling out abuse in the media industry in the fight to end sexual harassment.

Jurors in the Derek Chauvin trial resume deliberations Tuesday morning as the nation waits for a verdict.

The latest: The 12 jurors met behind closed doors for about three hours Monday before breaking for the night at 8pm.

The U.S. manufacturing sector is at a crossroads: Proponents of President Biden's Build Back Better initiative argue that if focus was to be retrained on it, the sector could provide improved and sustainable economic growth after decades of shedding jobs and scale to other countries.

Why it matters: Biden's ambitious plan makes it clear that infrastructure and manufacturing investments are top priorities, but history is not on his side and Congress is already asking for plenty of compromises.

While Fox News has largely ignored the Derek Chauvin trial compared to competitors, conservative media seized on comments from Rep. Maxine Waters over the weekend, making it the single biggest trial storyline on social media since it began on March 29, according to NewsWhip data provided to Axios.

Why it matters: The data shows that for conservative America, the story in Minneapolis is being used as a way to highlight the aggression of protesters rather than the police killing of a Black man.

Most Americans support the pause in distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, and so far there's no evidence that it's leading to broader vaccine hesitancy, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Driving the news: In our weekly national survey, 91% of respondents were aware of the temporary pause recommended by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention. Of those, 88% said the pause was a responsible decision.

The House passed a resolution on Monday to condemn China's government and Hong Kong's regional legislature for "the continued violation of rights and freedoms" in a near-unanimous vote.

Driving the news: The resolution calling on the governments to free Hong Kong's pro-democracy leaders, imprisoned under China's national security law, passed 418-1. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was the only Congress member to vote against the measure.

China's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday warned against "bossing others around or meddling in others' internal affairs" and called for "more fair and equitable" global governance.

Why it matters: Xi's thinly veiled swipes at the U.S. during an online speech at an economic forum come at a time of heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington over trade, human rights and China's strategic and economic ambitions.

Former President Jimmy Carter on Monday remembered his "dear friend" Walter Mondale, as the "best vice president in our country's history."

The big picture: Carter's tribute was one of many from past presidents and lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle to Mondale, who died on Monday at the age of 93.

The State Department said Monday that the U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, will now be returning to the United States this week before returning to Moscow "in the coming weeks."

Why this matters: The statement, from a State Department spokesperson, comes just hours after Axios reported that Sullivan had indicated he intended to stand his ground and stay in Russia after the Kremlin “advised” him to return home to talk with his team.

Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) told President Biden Monday they are opposed to increasing the corporate tax rate to pay for his proposed $2.25 trillion infrastructure package, according to people familiar with the matter.

Why it matters: The opposition from Romney and Hoeven, the only two Republican senators in Monday’s bipartisan Oval Office meeting, suggests Biden is going to have a difficult time finding any Republican support to pay for his road, bridge and health care spending proposals by increasing corporate rates.

The State Department announced Monday that it will be issuing "do not travel" guidelines for roughly 80% of countries worldwide and urged Americans to "reconsider all travel abroad."

Why it matters: The announcement emphasizes the ongoing severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite a ramped up domestic vaccination campaign and many states moving to reopen. Globally, cases continue to surge.

Former Vice President Walter Mondale wrote a farewell letter to his staff, sent upon his death on Monday, thanking them for years working together.

Dear Team,

Well my time has come. I am eager to rejoin Joan and Eleanor. Before I Go I wanted to let you know how much you mean to me. Never has a public servant had a better group of people working at their side!

Together we have accomplished so much and I know you will keep up the good fight.

Joe in the White House certainly helps.

I always knew it would be okay if I arrived some place and was greeted by one of you!

My best to all of you!

Fritz

The House voted 321-101 Monday to approve a cannabis banking bill that would allow banks to "provide services to cannabis companies" in states where marijuana is legalized.

Why it matters: In the past, banks have been hesitant to do business with companies involved with cannabis for fear of violating federal laws. If passed, this bill would remove one of the barriers to developing a national cannabis industry.

Walter Mondale, who transformed the role of U.S. vice president while serving under Jimmy Carter and was the Democratic nominee for president in 1984, died Monday at 93, according to a family spokesperson.

The big picture: President Biden, who was mentored by Mondale through the years, said in 2015 that the former vice president gave him a "roadmap" to successfully take on the job.

The United States ambassador to Russia is refusing to leave the country after the Kremlin "advised" him to return home following new Biden administration sanctions, two sources briefed on the situation tell Axios.

Why it matters: John Sullivan, a respected diplomat who President Biden has, so far, retained from the Trump era, is at the center of one of the most important early tests of Biden's resolve.

The Biden administration has removed Trump-appointed atmospheric scientist Betsy Weatherhead from her role overseeing a comprehensive report on how climate change is affecting the U.S., the Washington Post first reported Monday.

Why it matters: Weatherhead has not been fired — merely reassigned to the U.S. Geological Survey — the move represents an effort by the Biden administration to remove Trump-era appointees from scientific roles, per CNN.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are anxious as the nation awaits the verdict in former police officer Derek Chauvin's trial, fearing a not-guilty decision could exacerbate racial tensions and spark a new wave of riots.

Why it matters: Leaders on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are trying to figure out how to calibrate any personal or legislative response, while also acknowledging how the final outcome in Chauvin's murder trial in the death of George Floyd could affect their district and them politically.

The Democrats’ Senate campaign arm raised nearly $9.3 million in March and will report more than $13 million in the bank when it files its monthly financial report Tuesday, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The haul for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee topped its Republican counterpart for the second straight month. But its total for the first quarter trailed slightly, and the DSCC still has a sizable chunk of debt to pay off.

The Koch Network and the George W. Bush Presidential Center are partnering on an interactive immigration exhibit aimed at countering stereotypes and promoting immigration reform.

The big picture: The partnership — to be announced Tuesday — between the right-wing network's philanthropic arm, Stand Together, and the Dallas center comes as Congress is expected to debate immigration reform proposals amid resistance from many Republicans.