Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Monday introduced legislation that would help the IRS pursue wealthy tax cheats and close the tax gap.
Why it matters: The bill would increase the IRS's budget to $31.5 billion so the agency can bolster efforts to go after wealthy people who aren't paying the taxes they owe. The announcement follows President Biden's own proposal to strengthen tax enforcement as a way to pay for infrastructure spending.
The Texas lawmakers approved a bill Monday that would allow people 21 and older to carry handguns without a license, or the accompanying background check and training, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: Once signed, Texas will be the 19th state to allow permitless carry, per the Austin American Statesman.
Senate Democrats are settling on an endgame for their bipartisan infrastructure negotiations: let them continue through the week after their Memorial Day recess, then forge ahead on their own if there's no deal.
Why it matters: President Biden said he hoped both parties could agree on a deal for roads and bridges before the holiday, but with the talks crumbling, Democrats are now readying to revert to Plan B — budget reconciliation — to get shovels into the ground.
The European Council adopted a series of conclusions Monday that "strongly condemned" Belarus' diversion of a commercial plane and subsequent arrest of an opposition leader and outlined a series of next steps.
State of play: Among their conclusions, the Council called for the immediate release of Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega, and for an independent investigation into the episode. It also called for the submission of sanctions proposals and advised EU-based airlines not to fly over Belarus.
Anti-government activist Ammon Bundy, who is currently barred from entering Idaho Capitol grounds, has filed papers to run for Idaho governor next year, NBC reports.
Why it matters: He would attempt to unseat Gov. Brad Little as the 2022 GOP nominee. Unhappy with Little's response to the pandemic, anti-government activists have unsuccessfully targeted the governor for recall, per NBC.
America has already endured 230 mass shootings and 13 mass murders in 2021, including 12 mass shootings over the past weekend.
Driving the news: Eight different states suffered mass shootings — defined by CNN as four or more people hurt or killed by gunfire — between Friday night and Sunday.
The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Trump administration did not "consistently" give migrant parents the chance to reunite with their children before deportation, according to a report released Monday by the department's Inspector General.
Why it matters: The findings contradict previous claims by DHS and ICE that parents who left their children behind chose to do so, the report says.
Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy said Monday she is dropping her previously planned bid to unseat Republican Sen. Marco Rubio next year, Politico reports.
Driving the news: The decision comes after Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) — who was on Biden's shortlist for vice president — announced last week she plans to run for Rubio's seat, rather than pursue a run for governor.
A global human rights group has filed a petition in Scotland's highest civil court seeking a judicial review of the government's refusal to investigate former President Trump's all-cash purchases of two golf courses, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: The probe would've sought details on the source of the money used to buy the golf courses in 2006 and 2014. The Scottish Parliament is facing increasing calls to investigate Trump as the New York attorney general's office pursues a criminal investigation into the Trump Organization.
Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) said Monday he will appeal a $500 fine brought by House rules requiring all members to wear masks, despite new CDC guidance allowing fully vaccinated people to go maskless indoors.
The big picture: The fine comes after Mast joined several of his Republican colleagues in an apparent act of protest to go maskless on the House floor, after which he said it was the "best $500 I ever spent."
President Biden will meet privately with the family of George Floyd on Tuesday to mark the one-year anniversary of Floyd's murder, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday.
Why it matters: The White House meeting comes after Derek Chauvin was found guilty in Floyd's murder; a trial advocates saw as one of the most crucial civil rights cases in decades.
More than 500 former Biden campaign and Democratic Party staffers signed an open letter released Monday urging President Biden to do more to protect Palestinians and "hold Israel accountable for its actions."
Why it matters: Progressives have ramped up pressure on Biden in recent weeks to confront Israel on what they've described as human rights abuses in Gaza, where Israel's government carried out a military offensive in response to rocket attacks by Hamas.
The Biden administration plans to invest $1 billion helping states prepare for extreme weather ahead of the 2021 hurricane season, alongside an initiative to track natural disasters through a new NASA program.
Why it matters: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expects above-average storm activity during the next hurricane season, which would make this the sixth unusually active season in a row.
Over 100 Associated Press employees signed onto an open letter Monday saying they "strongly disapprove" of how the organization handled the firing of Emily Wilder, a news associate who was targeted by conservative media for pro-Palestinian activism in college.
Why it matters: Wilder claims she was fired last week with little to no explanation, beyond generally violating the company's social media policy. The incident has prompted widespread backlash.
Former U.S. Rep. and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke is considering a run for governor of Texas, although he has not formally mobilized a campaign or set a timeline, the AP reports.
Why it matters: O'Rourke would bring name recognition and the ability to quickly leverage a fundraising apparatus if he entered a race against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022. It would be his third election cycle in a row as a candidate, after challenging Ted Cruz in the Senate in 2018 and following his presidential bid in 2020.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland is suing former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the U.S. government for $1.8 million, alleging that the State Department reneged on its promise to pay the legal fees he incurred when he delivered bombshell testimony during Trump's first impeachment.
Flashback: Sondland testified in 2019that he believed the Trump administration conditioned military aid to Ukraine on whether its government would investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. Sondland claimed he worked with Rudy Giuliani "at the express direction" of President Trump on matters involving Ukraine.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East to meet with Israeli leaders this week as part of the Biden administration's attempt to solidify the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the White House confirmed Monday.
It's been five weeks since Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder, but the intersection of 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis where George Floyd was killed still has not reopened.
Flashback: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he would reopen the intersection, now known as George Floyd Square, after the verdict.
The New York Police Department's Hate Crime Task Force launched an investigation into a pair of anti-Semitic incidents in Brooklyn on Saturday night, days after the NYPD said it would increase patrols in Jewish neighborhoods amid a rise in hate crimes.
Driving the news: The NYPD says 195 hate crimes were reported in New York City between Jan 1. and May 16, an increase of 71% from the same period last year. The true total is likely higher, since many incidents go unreported.
European Union leaders were due to meet Monday to discuss possible sanctions against Belarus after a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania carrying an opposition activist was diverted to Minsk over a supposed bomb threat.
Why it matters: Raman Pratasevich, a journalist and opposition leader wanted by the Belarusian government, was detained at the Minsk airport once the plane landed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted, "Those responsible for the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned."
Members of George Floyd's family and civil rights leaders led a remembrance rally and march in his honor in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sunday — the first of three days of activities marking the first anniversary of his death.
The big picture: The George Floyd Memorial Foundation, founded by his sister Bridgett Floyd, said in a statement it's to "demonstrate our continued call for accountability and reform, because the right to equal justice should not be conditional or based upon a person's color."
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) announced his support Sunday for "changing the role" of military commanders in the prosecution of sexual assault cases, per the Washington Post.
Why it matters: Reed's announcement indicates he'll back a bipartisan plan driven by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) to appoint independent prosecutors to oversee allegations of sexual assault in the military.
