A letter obtained by the Washington Post outlines new allegations that Southern Baptist Convention leaders mishandled sexual abuse claims.
The state of play: The letter, written by Russell Moore, former head of the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, claims that institutional leaders bullied a sexual abuse victim.
More than 100 progressive groups called on Senate Democrats this week to abolish the filibuster after Senate Republicans used the legislative tactic to block the creation of an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Why it matters: The blockage, which the was the first legislative filibuster of the Biden presidency, did not change certain Senate Democrats' stances toward the procedural hurdle, namely moderates Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).
Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Karen Gibson told CNN she fears a cyber attack against Congress more than violence at the Capitol similar to the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Why it matters: Gibson said Friday that hackers attempt intrusions into Congress' computer networks "every single day" and that a state-backed cyber unit could cripple the government's ability to function by compromising communications networks.
Former President Obama accused Republicans of "rigging the game" by passing laws that restrict voting in response to baseless claims of widespread election fraud fueled by former President Trump.
Why it matters: Obama said during a virtual Economic Club of Chicago event on Friday that businesses have "a big responsibility" to speak out against the Republican-sponsored bills.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci called criticism against him "completely inappropriate, distorted, misleading, and misrepresented attacks."
Details: MSNBC's Rachel Maddow asked Biden's chief medical adviser if he worried about being the subject of personal attacks as the public face of the federal government's coronavirus response, but Fauci said he was more concerned about the "attack on science."
The Justice Department will no longer secretly seize reporters' records in leak investigations, following revelations that the Trump administration obtained phone records of New York Times, Washington Post and CNN reporters.
The state of play: "Absolutely, positively it's wrong. It's simply, simply wrong. ... I will not let that happen," President Biden told CNN in May of the practice.
Vice President Harris will travel on Sunday to Guatemala and Mexico as part of the administration's efforts to shore up diplomatic ties with Latin America and continue to address the surge of migration into the U.S. from the Southern border.
Why it matters: Harris will arrive in Guatemala on Sunday and in Mexico on Monday, making this her first time traveling abroad as vice president.
A federal judge on Friday overturned California's more than 30-year-old ban on assault weapons, ruling it unconstitutional.
The state of play: U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez said that AR-15 rifles are like Swiss Army knives, calling them a "perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment." California's definition of illegal, military-style firearms unlawfully robs law-abiding residents of weapons widely available in most other states and by the U.S. Supreme Court, the judge wrote.
A nonprofit affiliated with the late former President George H.W. Bush agreed to accept $5 million from a policy group at the center of China's U.S. influence efforts, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: As tensions escalate between the U.S. and China, leaders with the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations have sounded off for closer ties — and while criticizing Beijing in some cases, have toed China's line on some major geopolitical issues.
Facebook's decision to ban former President Trump for another two years is drawing ire from both sides of the aisle, showing that the tech giant can't please anyone until the former president is either permanently banned or allowed back on the platform.
Why it matters: These decisions will only become more polarizing as platforms reckon with free speech issues from world leaders around the world.
The National Rifle Association said Friday it will defend itself against New York Attorney General Letitia James' attempt to dissolve the organization and dropped its countersuit in federal court.
Why it matters: The move comes after a federal judge in Texas tossed out the gun rights group's bankruptcy case in January, calling it an effort to avoid litigation by James' office, according to CNN.
