The House voted 415-14 on Wednesday to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
The big picture: All those voting against the measure were Republicans. The vote comes one day after the Senate unanimously approved the bill and three days before the holiday.
The collapse of an overpass in Mexico City's metro system in May was caused by "structural faults" in its construction, according to the preliminary results of an independent investigation released Wednesday, reports the the New York Times.
The state of play: The overpass' collapse partially derailed a metro train, killing 26 people and injuring dozens more.
A group of 10 Democratic and 10 Republican senators (the "G20") tasked with negotiating an infrastructure deal with the White House has released a statement in support of a $1.2 trillion framework.
Why it matters: Details regarding the plan have not yet been released, but getting 10 Republicans on board means the bill could get the necessary 60 votes to pass.
The Justice Department on Wednesday threw out a Trump-era ruling that essentially blocked access to asylum for immigrants fleeing domestic violence in their home countries.
The Justice Department has closed its criminal investigation into whether President Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton disclosed classified information with his tell-all memoir, “The Room Where it Happened," according to a source with direct knowledge.
Why it matters: The move comes a year after the Trump administration tried to silence Bolton by suing himin federal court, claiming he breached his contract by failing to complete a pre-publication review for classified information. Prosecutors indicated they had reached a settlement with Bolton to drop the lawsuit in a filing on Wednesday.
A three-judge panel for the Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 Tuesday that the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause does not apply to the U.S. territory of American Samoa, reversing a lower-court ruling.
Why it matters: American Samoa, which was annexed by the U.S. in the early 1900s and is home to more than 50,000 people, is one of the only places in the country where birthright citizenship does not apply. Many people in the territory hope it remains that way, while others desire automatic citizenship.
A federal appeals court on Wednesday affirmed that North Carolina's ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy is unconstitutional and poses threat of prosecution to abortion providers.
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) have "inadequate" resources to keep federal judges and other protected persons safe, according to a new report from the Justice Department’s Inspector General released on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The findings underscore the vulnerability of people protected by the Marshals Service at a time when threats are on the rise.
America didn't have enough affordable housing before the pandemic, and the problem has only gotten worse due to a frenzied housing market and a looming end to foreclosure and eviction moratoriums.
Axios Re:Cap digs into what can be done to increase the country's affordable housing stock, both on a policy level and in the private sector. Our guest is Colleen Briggs of J.P. Morgan Chase, which this morning issued a set of policy recommendations to bolster affordable home buying and renting.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) outlined a list of policy demands on election legislation Wednesday, Politico reports, opening the door for potential compromise with his Democratic colleagues on their expansive election and anti-corruption bill.
Why it matters: Manchin is the only Democratic senator who has not signed on to the voting rights bill, which he has said is too partisan.
EU member states agreed to add the U.S. to its safe travel list during a meeting Wednesday in Brussels, allowing Americans to travel to the bloc for nonessential reasons, reports Reuters.
Why it matters: The EU banned nonessential travel from the U.S. last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as American vaccinations increase, the EU is easing up, per CNBC.
The Department of Education on Wednesday announced that protections outlined under Title IX extend to gay and transgender students, a departure from the Trump administration's interpretation of the federal civil rights law.
Why it matters: The decision comes in light of the Supreme Court's ruling last year affirming that gay and transgender people are protected under the Civil Rights Act. It comes during a Biden administration review of Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at schools that receive federal funding.
President Biden said he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin during Wednesday's summit that if jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison, the consequences "would be devastating for Russia."
Why it matters: Although the White House had previously warned the Russian government over Navalny's imprisonment, Biden personally delivered the message to Putin on Wednesday.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy will support a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday when it comes to the floor later Wednesday, his office tells Axios.
Why it matters: The House is slated to pass a bill making June 19 — Juneteenth — a federal holiday that memorializes when the last enslaved people in Texas learned about their freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation.
It will then go to President Biden for his signature just days before the occasion and one day after the Senate passed the bill unanimously.
President Biden said he warned Vladimir Putin in their meeting in Geneva on Wednesday that Russia will face stiff consequences if it conducts cyberattacks on critical U.S. infrastructure or allows opposition leader Alexei Navalny to die.
What he's saying: "Where we have differences, I want President Putin to understand why I say what I say, and why I do what I do. And how we will respond to different actions that harm America's interests," Biden said at a press conference following the summit, which was shorter than expected.
At their summit in Geneva on Wednesday, President Biden gifted Russian Vladimir Putin a crystal sculpture of an American bison — the national mammal of the U.S. — and a pair of custom Aviator sunglasses, according to a White House official.
The big picture: The summit came at a low point in U.S.-Russia relations, as acknowledged by both sides. Biden has said he is not seeking a "reset" in relations, but a more "stable" and "predictable" dynamic between the U.S. and Russia.
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) hopes that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) sees the "opportunity" to build a more "prosperous West Virginia" by supporting an infrastructure bill that would only require 51 votes for passage, Heinrich told Axios at a virtual event on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Manchin, a moderate, is opposed to passing an infrastructure bill through the budget reconciliation process and wants a package negotiated that can earn the support of 10 Republicans.
President Biden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva for less than four hours of talks on Wednesday, a highly anticipated summit that comes as both sides say U.S.-Russia relations have sunk to a new post-Cold War low.
The latest: At a press conference following the conclusion of the summit, Putin called the talks "very constructive' and announced that the U.S. and Russia's respective ambassadors would return to their posts. Biden called the talks "positive" and stressed in his press conference that his agenda is "for America," not "against Russia."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed into law on Monday a bill that restricts how teachers can discuss racism in both current events and throughout U.S. history, the Texas Tribune reports.
The big picture: Florida, Tennessee and Republicans in several other states have moved to ban "critical race theory," the belief that systemic racism has been baked into legal and other U.S. institutions to conserve white supremacy.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) accused Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) Tuesday of lying about the Capitol Police officers who helped defend the building from pro-Trump rioters on Jan. 6, following Gosar's comment on the officer who fatally shot rioter Ashli Babbitt that day.
Why it matters: Cheney accused Gosar, who has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the insurrection, of repeating "disgusting and despicable" lies about what happened.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Wednesday he supports repealing the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iraq.
Why it matters: Schumer's announcement marks the first time he has expressed support for repealing the 2002 authorization, which former President Trump partially cited as authority for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani last year. Schumer said he would commit to bringing the bill to the Senate floor this year.
House Democrats said Wednesday they're no longer pursuing records of former President Donald Trump's private meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ABC News reports.
Why it matters: The announcement comes hours ahead of President Biden's meeting with his Russian counterpart. Democrats had previously suggested that Trump tried to conceal details about his conversation with Putin.
It's the end of the beginning for Democrats' bid to steer climate legislation through the Senate with the narrowest possible majority.
Catch up fast: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday will trigger the next "reconciliation" process — that is, crafting spending and revenue measures immune from Senate filibuster.
The opening moments of President Biden's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin devolved into chaos on Wednesday, as shoving and yelling broke out among journalists and security officials jostling inside the room where the two leaders were sitting.
Driving the news: Politico's Anita Kumar, who is the White House pool reporter for the summit in Geneva, described the scene as the "most chaotic" media scuffle she has seen at a presidential event in nine years.
After a bitter blast from Russia's Vladimir Putin and tough talk from President Biden, both sides agree: Don't count on much from Wednesday's summit.
What they're saying: "We’re not expecting a big set of deliverables out of this meeting," a senior Biden administration official told reporters on Air Force One from Brussels to Geneva. "No breaking of bread."
By naming tech critic Lina Khan to chair the Federal Trade Commission Tuesday, the White House made clear it is dead serious about antitrust enforcement and other measures to rein in Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon.
The intrigue: By naming Khan FTC chair just hours after the Senate confirmed her appointment as one of five commissioners at the agency, the White House took both the industry and many D.C. insiders by surprise.
The big picture: The pandemic has now claimed over 600,000 lives in the U.S., but vaccines have helped drive down the seven-day average to roughly 14,000 new cases and fewer than 400 deaths per day, helping most states to ease restrictions.
China's government issued a warning to "foreign forces" after Taiwan reported a record 28 Chinese military planes flew over the self-governed island's airspace Tuesday, per Reuters.
Why it matters: The warning and deployment of aircraft including fighter jets and bombers comes after G7 leaders issued a statement Sunday urging the Chinese government to respect human rights and calling on peace and "stability across the Taiwan Strait."
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) rejected a push from the right in a divisive vote on Tuesday, electing a president who has prioritized racial reconciliation and approving a measure that rejects any view of racism as "anything other than sin," AP reports.
Why it matters: Ed Litton, as the new SBC president, will have the power to determine committee appointments, which can set the tone for the country's largest Protestant denomination. The SBC is comprised of 14 million members.
A second former student was convicted Tuesday over the 2019 mass shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch, including for the murder of a teenager who tried to stop the attack.
Details: Devon Erickson, 20, was convicted in Douglas County of more than 40 charges after a jury deliberated for 4.5 hours following a three-week trial, per the Denver Post.
Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's nomination to be a U.S. ambassador completes his metamorphosis from national icon to political figure.
Why it matters: After saving all 155 passengers and crew in the 2009 "Miracle on the Hudson" plane crash, Sullenberger became a sort of Anthony Fauci of aviation: a trusted public figure with international name recognition.
House progressives have a message for President Biden ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin: talking is good.
Driving the news: Fifteen members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are writing to Biden on Wednesday to encourage him to work with Putin on a range of issues, from arms control to climate change, Axios has learned.
I had the rare opportunity to watch Vladimir Putin in action during my four-year stint serving as a senior communications aide to former Secretary of State John Kerry.
Why it matters: From his timing to his baiting techniques and his postgame spin, Russia's president commands an array of tactics aimed at putting U.S. leaders on the defensive and in response mode — and has decades of experience fine-tuning them.
The number of meetings between U.S. and Russian presidents has dwindled in recent years, according to State Department data.
Why it matters: Any get-together is momentous if only for the participants. U.S. presidents have met with Russian dictators during World War II. The nations' leaders have signed arms deals, discussed Ukraine and reports of election interference by Russia in U.S. elections.
Nestled in a recent press release from the Treasury Department announcing new staff appointments was a familiar name within the White House, the son of President Biden's counselor and longtime aide, Steve Ricchetti.
Why it matters: J.J. Ricchetti will serve as a special assistant in Treasury's Office of Legislative Affairs. He's now the fourth immediate family member working in the Biden administration.
