The Republican-led campaign to recall California Gov. Newsom reached the number of signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, state officials announced Monday.
Why it matters: Newsom could face a statewide vote by the end of year, which would mark the second time a sitting governor has had to face a recall election in the state's history.
West Virginia will begin offering $100 savings bonds to people aged 16 to 35 who get vaccinated, Gov. Jim Justice (R) announced on Monday.
Why it matters: The initiative is meant to incentivize people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Just last week Justice said the state had "hit a wall" with vaccinations, and was having particular difficulty convincing young people to get the shot, local news station WBOY reported.
What they're saying: Andrew Brown Jr. was backing up his vehicle and tried to drive away during the encounter with police, according to attorney Chantel Cherry-Lassiter. "He was not threatening them in any kind of fashion," she told reporters at a news conference.
The Department of Homeland Security will be conducting an internal review to assess the threat of domestic violent extremism within the department, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced Monday.
Why it matters: During the Biden administration the DHS has increased measures to combat homegrown extremism. In February DHS announced it was directing $77 million to states and localities to combat homegrown extremism, and now it will take a close look at its own ranks.
Population shifts mean five states that voted for Joe Biden will lose seats in the House when congressional districts are redrawn later this year, new Census numbers released Monday show, but will gain seats in two other states. Only twoTrump-voting states will lose a seat.
Why it matters: Apportionment and redistricting — the process of redistributing political power among and within the states— comes as Democrats hold slim majorities in both congressional chambers and Republicans have a strong grip on the process of re-drawing district lines.
The Department of Agriculture has extended a pandemic benefits program to provide meals to roughly 30 million children from low-income families over this summer, it announced in a press release Monday.
Why it matters: The extension of the benefits program is funded by the American Rescue Plan is part of a greater effort by the USDA to provide food security to low-income schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Justice Department is opening a civil investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department to determine if they have engaged in "violations of the Constitution or federal law," Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Monday.
Why it matters: Louisville became the center of national attention last year after police officers shot and killed Breonna Taylor in her home. Her death led to a wave of mass protests across the country.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the third highest-ranking House Republican, publicly broke from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Monday, telling reporters a proposed independent commission should focus solely on the deadly Capitol insurrection, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: Cheney's remarks reflect a widening gap between the two high-profile Republicans. McCarthy has said the bipartisan commission should broaden its scope to include other instances of political violence, citing Black Lives Matter and Antifa protests.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday that President Biden has no plans to cut red meat consumption as part of his efforts to combat climate change, Politico reports.
Why it matters: Conservative lawmakers and pundits had spread baseless claims that Biden's wide-ranging climate action plan includes a proposal to reduce red meat consumption by 90% and limit people to four pounds of red meat per year.
216 Simon & Schuster employees and over 3,500 outside supporters submitted a petition on Monday to senior executives asking the company to stop publishing books from figures linked to the Trump administration, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Driving the news: The petition demands the company sever ties with former Vice President Mike Pence, who signed a two-book deal ahead of a possible 2024 presidential campaign.
Former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), who served for four terms in the House before launching an unsuccessful bid for Senate last year, will not run for public office in 2022, he announced Monday.
Why it matters: Collins was one of former President Trump's fiercest defenders in Congress. There was speculation he may run for Senate in Georgia again in 2022 against Rev. Raphael Warnock, who defeated Sen. Kelly Loeffer — Collins' opponent in the GOP primary — in January's special election.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) plans to troll the Republican legislative retreat in Orlando, Florida, on Monday with a mobile billboard targeting Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
Why it matters: Democrats are going into the belly of the beast, and continuing to highlight some of the more controversial members of the Republican Party amid their quest for a boost in the 2022 midterms.
The Supreme Court will hear a major NRA-backed gun rights case on whether New Yorkers can carry concealed handguns while in public.
Why it matters: The challenge to a New York state law restricting the ability of residents to carry concealed handguns in public could result in the most consequential ruling related to the Second Amendment in over a decade. It comes at a politically fraught moment in the national debate over gun control.
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) announced Monday that he's officially running for U.S. Senate in Ohio, becoming the first Democrat to join the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman.
Why it matters: Ryan, a former 2020 presidential candidate, will bring strong name recognition and blue-collar roots to a high-profile race in Ohio, a state that has been trending Republican in recent years.
President Biden spent his first 100 days trying to engineer the end of the coronavirus and start of a job boom. The next 100 are more audacious and risky: Try to re-engineer the very fundamentals of America — inequality, voting rights and government’s role in directing economic growth.
Why it matters: Biden advisers feel they have a huge opening to raise taxes and pick winners in the energy markets, in part because Republicans and business no longer lock arms — and wallets — in opposition to the reordering of capitalism.
A slew of first-time winners made history at the 93rd Academy Awards Sunday night, bringing the Oscars' focus on diversity into clearer view this year.
Why it matters: Ever since the #OscarsSoWhite social media campaign that began in 2015, the Academy has sought to shake the show's reputation as a mostly white male-dominated event. Still, Hollywood has a long way to go in achieving diversity amongst its ranks.
The Biden administration has pledged to send vital resources and supplies to India, as the country set a new global daily COVID-19 cases record for a fifth straight day Monday.
The big picture: As hospitals continued to be overwhelmed with coronavirus patients amid a widespread oxygen shortage, India's health ministry reported 352,991 more infections, taking the total past 17 million. A record 2,812 deaths were confirmed Monday, taking the total to 195,123 since the pandemic began.
Chloé Zhao made history on Sunday when she was awarded the Best Director Oscar for "Nomadland" — making her the first female of color and first Asian woman to win the prestigious prize in the Academy Awards' 93-year history to win.
Why it matters: Zhao's victory is a win for Asian women in Hollywood, who are often overlooked for main character, producer and director roles. "Nomadland" went on to win the Best Picture Oscar.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told "60 Minutes" that prosecutors didn't charge Derek Chauvin with committing a hate crime as "we only charge those crimes that we had evidence that we could put in front of a jury to prove."
Driving the news: The former Minneapolis police officer was convicted of murder and manslaughter charges over George Floyd's last Tuesday — one of the few to even face charges of killing a Black person.
