A federal judge on Monday dismissed four consolidated lawsuits brought by Black Lives Matter demonstrators against former President Trump and his top administration officials over law enforcement's clearing of protesters from Lafayette Park last year, Politico reports.
The state of play: In the aftermath of their forcible clearing from the park, the protesters sued then-President Trump and other top administration officials, including then-Attorney General Bill Barr, as well as local police forces in Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va.
A group of political moderates is buying ads in Delaware to urge President Biden to continue with bipartisan negotiations over an infrastructure deal, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Some progressives previously urged the president to bail on such talks, and ram through his plans using the partisan budget reconciliation process. The moderates cite Biden's history as a bipartisan dealmaker in their counter.
Iran this past weekend elected a new president, Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-liner whose political rivals weren’t even allowed on the ballot — and who has been sanctioned by the U.S. for human rights abuses.
Axios Re:Cap talks with Axios World editor David Lawler about what Raisi’s election means for Iran’s people, who are facing economic hardship and a raging pandemic, and what it means for the nuclear deal signed by President Obama and scrapped by President Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday encouraged families to take advantage of the new child tax credit, arguing it's key cutting childhood poverty, The Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: The expanded tax credit, which was passed as part of the American Rescue plan, has the potential to decrease the number of impoverished children by 40%, the Post notes.
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven was ousted from government on Monday after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament, CNN reports.
Why it matters: This makes Löfven the first Swedish prime minister to be removed from his position by opposition lawmakers. He now has one week to either call for snap elections or resign to allow cross-party negotiations on a new majoirty, per CNN.
The Biden administration on Monday announced a list of countries that will receive the remaining 55 million COVID-19 vaccine doses that the U.S. has pledged to allocate by the end of this month.
The state of play: The White House had previously named the recipients of the first 25 million of the 80 million doses that the U.S. has pledged to export, as it took its first step toward becoming a global vaccine supplier.
The U.S. had 10 mass shootings since Friday night, as the country continues to see a spate of mass gun violence in 2021, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Ammon Bundy announced he is running for governor of Idaho during a campaign event on Saturday.
Why it matters: Bundy led a 41-day armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon in 2016 and is currently banned from Idaho Capitol grounds after trespassing there last summer.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled against the NCAA Monday, upholding a lower-court order that will allow schools to provide unlimited academic-related benefits to their student-athletes.
Why it matters: The ruling bars the NCAA from limiting education-related benefits that colleges can provide their athletes, such as laptops, tutoring services, internships and more.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is working with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to add dental, vision and hearing health coverage to Medicare, the New York senator announced Sunday.
Why it matters: Schumer said the effort is meant to close "a gaping hole" in the health insurance program that covers millions of Americans age 65 and older.
Tucker Carlson — the top-rated host in cable news, who's rumored as a possible GOP presidential candidate in 2024 — told the "Ruthless" podcast he has no plans to run.
What they're saying: "Oh, God, come on!" Carlson told the hosts. "That seems like a fun job!" [Laughter] "No! No!"
Former President Trump has given at least 22 interviews for 17 different books since leaving office, with authors lining up at Mar-a-Lago as he labors to shape a coming tsunami of Trump tomes, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Trump advisers see the coming book glut as proof that interest in "POTUS 45," as they call him, has never been higher. These advisers know that most of the books will paint a mixed picture, at best. But Trump is working the refs with charm, spin and dish.
Hong Kong's Apple Daily will close within days because the pro-democracy newspaper's assets have been frozen under China's national security law, an adviser to the company's imprisoned founder Jimmy Lai told media Sunday night.
Why it matters: It's the latest blow to the democratic movement in the Asian financial hub, as Beijing continues to crack down on dissent under the law, which landed Lai and other pro-democracy leaders in jail and led to the arrest last week of five senior Apple Daily executives.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby tells "Axios on HBO" that America could be headed toward a pilot shortage, because "the military produces far fewer pilots today than they did ... in the Cold War era."
Why it matters: The U.S. travel industry is roaring back, with leisure air travel exceeding pre-pandemic levels, and now must protect itself from future disruptions.
Police said Sunday they believe a driver unintentionally hit spectators at a weekend Pride parade in Wilton Manors, Florida, resulting in the death of one man and leaving another person hospitalized.
The latest: Addressing speculation that the crash may have been a hate crime against the LGBTQ community, Wilton Manors police chief Gary Blocker said in a statement: "Today we know yesterday's incident was a tragic accident, and not a criminal act directed at anyone, or any group of individuals."
