Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) doubled down on her break from former President Trump in an op-ed for the Washington Post on Wednesday, warning the Republican Party must decide whether it's going to "choose truth and fidelity to the Constitution."
Why it matters: The editorial is her most extensive comment since leadership turned on her. Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican, has continued to speak out against Trump since her vote to impeach him for inciting the Capitol riots, much to the aggravation of some GOP leaders who now look to oust her.
The number of deportations under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month dropped to a record low, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: His promised 100-day moratorium on deportations was blocked by a federal judge, but the numbers from the Post show Biden's reversal of several ICE directives is having an impact.
Mass anti-government protests unfolded across Colombia on Wednesday, topping off a week of unrest that has left at least 24 people dead, reports The Guardian.
Why it matters: The demonstrations started as a strike against a proposed tax reform but developed into wider outcry "over poverty exacerbated by the pandemic, human rights abuses and the authorities’ heavy-handed response to protests," per The Guardian.
Wednesday morning, Facebook’s Oversight Board recommended the social network maintain its suspension of former President Trump’s account, which has been in place since January 6. But it also said the company must rethink the “indefinite” nature of the ban, throwing the ball back in Facebook’s court.
Axios Re:Cap digs into the board's decision and what’s ahead for Facebook with New York Times technology correspondent Mike Isaac. Plus, how the decision was received by Trump and his associates with Axios national political correspondent Jonathan Swan.
The Justice Department is appealing a federal judge's decision to vacate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's temporary federal eviction moratorium, which had been extended multiple times since being enacted by the Trump administration last fall.
Why it matters: The nationwide halt on most evictions due to the pandemic was seen as a temporary fix for millions of renters put at risk of losing their homes during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) defended Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) amid a growing effort to oust her as House Republican conference chair, emphasizing the need to "come together as a party," Politico reports.
Why it matters: Ernst is the only other woman in elected GOP leadership, serving as the vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference.
Why it matters: The board said in its decision that the city failed to "comply with several provisions" of the Atlanta City Code and that Rolfe, who had been charged with murder, "was not afforded his right to due process" during his termination.
Former President Trump and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise are openly supporting Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to replace Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as House Republican conference chair.
The latest: "Liz Cheney is a warmongering fool who has no business in Republican Party Leadership," Trump said in a statement. "Elise Stefanik is a far superior choice, and she has my COMPLETE and TOTAL Endorsement for GOP Conference Chair. Elise is a tough and smart communicator!"
Sources close to former President Trump believe he’s increasingly likely to run in 2024 — and that was even before the Facebook Oversight Board inflamed conservatives by upholding the ban on the former president.
Why it matters: Trump and his inner circle view Facebook reinstatement as crucial to his political comeback. The independent Oversight Board's decision, which gives the company six months to make a final determination, enraged Trumpworld.
Facebook's independent Oversight Board upheld the platform's suspension of former President Trump's account but told the social media giant to rethink the ban's "indefinite" nature.
Why it matters: The decision sets a global precedent for how Facebook, and potentially other social media companies, will treat political leaders around the world.
The White House has launched a new website, AI.gov, to make artificial intelligence research more accessible across the nation, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The U.S. once led significantly in the global artificial intelligence race, but now risks being overtaken by China. This is one step the White House is taking to drum up excitement for AI and broaden educational opportunities in the field.
Cinco de Mayois marketed in the U.S. as a fun holidayfor getting drunk and eating tacos. But its origins are linked to California Latinos who saw a battle in Mexico in 1862 as a victory for abolition during the Civil War.
Why it matters: Protests around the death of George Floyd, which brought Latino and Black advocates together over the past year, have prompted a re-examination of this lesser-known piece of U.S. history.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was acquitted in a Paris court Tuesday of breaking hate speech laws over her posting to Twitter images of Islamic State atrocities, per Le Parisien.
For the record: Le Pen, who looks set to face President Emmanuel Macron in next year's presidential election, was charged under the French penal code that prohibits the dissemination of violent messages that could seriously harm human dignity.
A former leader of the neo-Nazi Atomwaffen Division group was sentenced to 41 months in prison on Tuesday for his role in "swatting" attacks against "at least" 134 targets — including journalists, a historically Black church and a former Cabinet member.
Why it matters: John Cameron Denton, 27, of Montgomery, Texas, was involved in the swatting, calling emergency services to make bogus bomb reports and false reports of other acts of violence, from October 2018 to February 2019.
Federal prosecutors have asked that the materials seized from former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani's apartment be reviewed by a court-appointed outside expert, per a letter made public Tuesday.
Why it matters: The Justice Department typically balks at outside review, but prosecutors cited the "unusually sensitive privilege issues" and the "overt and public nature" of the search warrant as motives for the external review.
Stacey Abrams has won the hearts of progressives for her voting rights campaigns, and now she's set to see three of her earliest romance novels return to bookshelves.
