Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) on Tuesday signed a dozen bills aimed at curbing police misconduct and boosting accountability.
Why it matters: The move comes as the United States continues to grapple with police brutality and racial justice. It's "one of the nation's most ambitious packages" of its kind, AP writes.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order Tuesday prohibiting government entities in the state, including public schools, from requiring masks.
The big picture: About 30% of Texans have been fully vaccinated against COVID, but the vast majority of children are unvaccinated, the Texas Tribune reports.
The House voted364-62 on Tuesday to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and send it to President Biden's desk, who has said he will sign the measure into law.
Why it matters: Introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), the bill is Congress' first substantial effort to address the rise of anti-Asian hate this past year, which has included stabbings, sexual assault and elder abuse.
The State Department will now grant U.S. citizenship to children born abroad through in vitro fertilization, surrogacy and other assisted reproductive technologies, the agency said Tuesday.
Why it matters: The Trump administration had denied citizenship to children born abroad to same-sex parents in several cases.
The FBI is investigating what it describes as a massive scheme to illegally finance Sen. Susan Collins' 2020 re-election bid, Axios has learned.
What's happening: A recently unsealed search warrant application shows the FBI believes a Hawaii defense contractor illegally funneled $150,000 to a pro-Collins super PAC and reimbursed donations to Collins' campaign. There's no indication that Collins or her team were aware of any of it.
Images out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict depict an imbalance in military might — Israel’s Iron Dome defense system neutralizing rockets launched by Hamas, while Israel’s retaliation against Hamas has led to more than 200 Palestinain deaths, including 61 children. World leaders, such as President Biden, are calling for a ceasefire.
Axios Re:Cap producer Naomi Shavin is joined by Axios Tel Aviv author Barak Ravid to discuss the context of the current strife, the political motivations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and whether Israel’s actions this month could have long-term consequences for the political landscape there and in the U.S.
Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) sent a letter this week urging to congressional leaders to advance a bipartisan reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned discriminatory voting practices.
Why it matters: The bipartisan letter comes as Manchin faces criticism for withholding his support for the "For the People Act," a sweeping bill that would expand ballot access.
A North Carolina prosecutor said Tuesday that the death of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man fatally shot by sheriff's deputies last month, was "tragic" but "justified," due to the immediate threat officers believed Brown posed.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will oppose a bipartisan deal announced last week that would form a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, his office announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: McCarthy's opposition to the deal, which was negotiated by the top Republican and Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, underscores the internal divisions that continue to plague the GOP in the wake of Jan. 6.
Arab American activists are planning a series of protests on Tuesday during President Biden's visit to Dearborn, Michigan, which has one of the highest percentage of Arab Americans of any U.S. city, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Why it matters: Arab American activists are outraged over Biden's public support of Israel's military operation in Gaza, which has killed more than 200 Palestinians, including 61 children.
Google is among several big U.S. companies criticized in a report Monday for taking part in an April meeting of Republican state leaders that focused on efforts to pass new restrictions on voting.
Why it matters: Google has publicly said it is opposed to bills that would make voting harder, but it's also trying to engage with both Democrats and Republicans and some of that latter group are working hard to pass such bills in a number of states.
Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) plans to run for the U.S. Senate to unseat Republican Marco Rubio next year, rather than pursue a run for governor, according to an adviser and another source familiar with her plans.
Why it matters: Demings' candidacy will place a household name — and one who was on President Biden's shortlist for vice president — on the ballot for Democrats. Rubio has won two elections in the battleground state, including one that followed a failed bid for the GOP's nomination for the presidency in 2016.
Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, announced Tuesday that he is seeking the Republican nomination for governor of New York in 2022, according to NBC News.
Why it matters: Giuliani could face New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a general election. Cuomo is expected to run for reelection despite facing an impeachment investigation stemming from multiple sexual misconduct allegations, and a federal probe into his handling of the coronavirus pandemic in nursing homes.
Former House Republican conference chair Rep. Liz Cheney told Politico she wouldn’t vote for Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for speaker next year if the GOP won back the House majority.
Why it matters: Cheney has signaled she will continue to be a voice of opposition against Donald Trump and factions of her own party, including those like McCarthy who she believes have enabled the former president and his lies.
Police departments around the country have been ramping up training programs in the year since George Floyd's death — but no one should expect them to have enough impact in one year to prevent more tragic deaths of people of color, according to training experts and practitioners.
Why it matters: If the training does have a meaningful impact in steering officers away from deadly confrontations, it could take years to see results, experts say — and there's little solid evidence that it works.
Driving the news: The world has reached a situation of "vaccine apartheid", World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday, saying "the big problem is a lack of sharing."
The Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors said in a letter Monday that the Arizona state Senate's GOP-led audit of its 2020 presidential election results should be called off.
Why it matters: The letter underscores divisions in the GOP between loyalists of former President Trump and those denouncing baseless election claims, which saw Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) ousted last Wednesday as the third-highest ranking House Republican after speaking out on the matter.
The pathway for transforming global energy systems to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 is "narrow but still achievable" and demands unprecedented acceleration away from fossil fuels, an International Energy Agency report published Tuesday concludes.
Why it matters: It provides detailed analysis and estimates of what's needed for a good shot at limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels — the Paris Agreement benchmark for avoiding some of the most damaging effects of climate change.
Security forces have killed at least 802 activists in Myanmar since the military took power in a Feb. 1 coup, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPI) monitoring group announced Tuesday.
The big picture: Some 4,120 activists have now been arrested, charged or sentenced in the military's continued crackdown on protesters, the AAPI said. The army has in recent days been fighting militias in the Indian border state of Chin, where martial law was declared, Reuters reports.
A man behind a pro-Trump scam PAC has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud after being accused of bilking hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors, court filings released Monday show.
The big picture:James Kyle Bell also "admitted to deceiving the government" out of over $1 million in fake Paycheck Protection Program loans designed to assist employers and prevent staff layoffs during the pandemic, per the Daily Beast.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is heading into the belly of the beast Tuesday and asking the business community to support President Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan during a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Why it matters: By trying to persuade a skeptical and targeted audience, Yellen is signaling the president’s commitment to raising corporate taxes to pay for his plan. Republican senators, critical to a potential bipartisan deal, oppose any corporate tax increase.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's longtime support for Israel puts him on a collision course with the progressive wing of his party as the conflict between Israel and Hamas worsens.
Why it matters: This is the toughest political position the New York Democrat has been in since becoming majority leader. The fighting in the Middle East is dividing his party — and creating a clear rift among its different wings.
A little-noticed line in a recent criminal filing suggests federal prosecutors consider a popular political fundraising tactic to be legally questionable.
Why it matters: Fundraisers often boast of "5x" or other contribution matches to coax small-dollar donations. The Justice Department indicated in a court filing Monday this could amount to "material misrepresentations" if, as critics often contend, there's no evidence the match ever occurs.
The top five freshman members of Congress who've missed the most votes this year are all House Republicans, according to data collected by Quorum.
By the numbers: Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) led the pack, missing 16.2% of votes. Cawthorn ranks sixth overall among all members — both House and Senate — in terms of missed votes.
President Biden released his 2020 tax return on Monday, showing that he and first lady Jill Biden earned just over $600,000, with an effective federal income tax rate of 25.9% after 5% in charitable donations.
Why it matters: The release revives a decades-old tradition of the president releasing their tax returns after former President Trump refused to do so.
Former President Trump has received $65,600 in pension payments since leaving office in January, Business Insider reported Monday, citing a General Services Administration spokesperson.
Why it matters: As part of a campaign promise, during his presidency Trump stuck to his vow not to accept a taxpayer-funded salary while in office, instead sometimes donating it to services such as the National Park Service.
