Minnesota prosecutors said they are seeking a 30-year sentence for former police officer Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd in April, while his defense asked for a shorter sentence and argued for a retrial, according to court filings reviewed by the AP.
Why it matters: Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled in May that evidence supports prosecutor's argument that there were aggravating factors involved in Floyd's death, which allow Cahill to sentence Chauvin above the range recommended by state guidelines.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a disaster declaration that directs state child-care regulators to "take all necessary steps" to deny or discontinue within 90 days state licenses for any facilities that house migrant children.
Why it matters: The directive could force the relocation of 4,223 migrant children currently residing in state-licensed facilities in Texas, according to the Dallas Morning News reports.
Houston's mayor and police chief have apologized to the family of a Mexican American man who was beaten to death by officers in 1977 and whose killing sparked riots and massive reforms, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The unofficial apology nearly a half-century after the murder of Joe Campos Torres comes amid a national reckoning following the death of George Floyd — who was a small child in Houston when the Torres was killed and the city erupted in flames.
The University of Virginia announced on Wednesday that it will start offering a new course on the Mueller investigation, and students will hear from Robert Mueller himself.
Details: Starting this fall, students at the UVA School of Law will be able to take the course, titled The Mueller Report and the Role of the Special Counsel, which will offer an inside look at the almost two-year investigation into former President Trump's dealings with Russia and Russia's possible interference in the 2016 election.
Stimulus checks carved out by two major U.S. COVID relief bills — one signed by then President Trump last December and one by President Biden in March — helped many Americans avoid disaster, a new University of Michigan study analyzing census data finds.
Why it matters: More Americans were able to afford food and pay for standard household expenses after stimulus checks were distributed by the IRS in January and April, the analysis found.
Paul Hodgkins, 38, of Tampa pleaded guilty on Wednesday to obstruction of an official proceeding for participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Why it matters: Hodgkins is the second defendant to plead guilty in the Justice Department's sweeping criminal investigation of the Capitol insurrection, which has resulted in charges against more than 500 people thus far, according to Insider.
The White House on Wednesday announced a series of initiatives — with an array of partners including Black-owned barbershops, child care providers and colleges — to boost the nation's slowing COVID-19 vaccination rates.
The big picture: It's "an all-of-America sprint" to meet President Biden's goal of getting 70% of U.S. adults at least one vaccine dose, and 160 million people fully vaccinated, by the Fourth of July.
The U.S. announced it would impose new tariffs on the U.K., Spain, Turkey, Italy, India and Austria in response to their taxes on U.S. tech companies' digital services, but said it will suspend those tariffs for roughly six months to allow time for negotiations.
Why it matters, via Axios' Ashley Gold:The Biden administration is showing it will be tough on countries attempting to impose taxes on U.S. digital giants while holding out hope for a global solution, which has been a slog.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) announced Wednesday she would run for governor, in a campaign ad that highlighted fallout from the state's controversial GOP-led audit of its 2020 presidential election results.
Why it matters: Hobbs, the state's top election official, gained a national profile during the 2020 election by pushing back against unfounded claims from supporters of former President Trump that the election results were fraudulent.
Former President Trump's blog page has been shut down, aide Jason Miller confirmed Wednesday.
Why it matters: The blog page, "From the Desk of Donald J. Trump", has been where the former president has shared his statements since it was unveiled last month. It was billed as an end-around to popular social media platforms which banned him.
Texas Republicans plan to adjust a proposed restriction for early voting on Sundays following backlash that the rule would disproportionately affect Black American churchgoers, with one GOP negotiator suggesting it was a typo.
Why it matters: Voting rights advocates and Democrats said the Republican effort to limit Sunday voting to 1 p.m. through 9 p.m. would block "souls to the polls," a tradition in Black communities that encourages people to vote after church services.
Paul Whelan, the American businessman imprisoned in Russia on spying charges, called on President Biden to resolve the issue of U.S. citizens being detained for political reasons during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month.
Why it matters: Whelan's message, delivered during an interview with CNN from a Russian labor camp, comes ahead of an early test for Biden's promise to hold Moscow to account for its abuses.
With or without Donald J. Trump atop the party, the Republican strategy for the 2022 elections and beyond virtually assures race — and racism — will be central to political debate for years to come.
Why it matters: In an era when every topic seems to turn quickly to race, Republicans see this most divisive issue as either political necessity or an election-winner — including as it relates to voting laws, critical race theory, big-city crime, immigration and political correctness.
A dark-money group aligned with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer helped pay for deceptive ads aimed at depressing Republican general election turnout in 2018, newly released records show.
Why it matters: These contests were decided more than two years ago, but the details show how partisan operatives exploited gaps in campaign finance laws to attack their rivals while obscuring their true motives — tactics both sides may adopt in next year's pivotal midterms.
Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel warned the Commission on Presidential Debates Tuesday that the RNC would advise future GOP candidates against participating in CPD-hosted debates unless "significant reforms" are made.
Why it matters: McDaniel's letter to the nonpartisan forum follows up on several complaints made by former President Trump last year on perceived issues.
U.S. health officials have begun a clinical trial with adults fully vaccinated against COVID-19, administering a booster shot of a different vaccine brand to the one they've already received, the National Institutes of Health announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: The study will examine immune responses and the safety of mixing different vaccines. Scientists will also measure the shots' efficacy in staving off emerging variants, according to a statement from the NIH.
Securities regulators told Tesla Elon Musk twice violated court orders requiring company lawyers to approve his tweets before he posts, according to records obtained by The Wall Street Journal Tuesday.
Driving the news: The Securities and Exchange Commission wrote to Tesla in 2019 and 2020 saying Musk had tweeted about Tesla's solar roof production volume and its stock price without pre-approval, breaching a 2018 settlement deal, the WSJ reports.
Democrat Melanie Stansbury defeated her Republican opponent Mark Moores in the special election to represent New Mexico's 1st congressional district, a House seat vacated when Deb Haaland was confirmed as President Biden's Interior secretary, per AP.
Why it matters: Stansbury's victory Tuesday night will grow Democrats' thin majority in the House to nine seats.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) told AZCentral that she missed a procedural vote on legislation to establish a bipartisan commission to study the Jan. 6 Capitol riot because she had a "family matter."
Why it matters: Sinema was one of two Senate Democrats who skipped the 54-35 vote, which ultimately failed to gain enough support to overcome Senate Republicans' filibuster.
Amazon's worldwide consumer CEO Dave Clarkannounced in a blog post Tuesday that the company has endorsed a federal bill to legalize marijuana and will no longer screen certain workers for the drug.
Why it matters: Amazon is the second-largest private employer in the U.S. behind Walmart. Its drug policy change use may nudge other employers into adopting similar policies.
Barack Obama said in an interview with the New York Times published Tuesday that Joe Biden is "finishing the job" his administration started and Donald Trump "benefited from the economic stability we initiated."
What he's saying: The former president told NYT podcast "The Ezra Klein Show" that it's "hard to just underscore how much the bank bailouts just angered everyone, including me," following the 2008 financial crisis, which he noted stimulated a "long, slow recovery."
