Axios

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told the House Steering and Policy Committee Tuesday night that she will announce this week whether she will appoint a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection, her chief of staff Drew Hammill tweeted.

Why it matters: The creation of such a committee means House Democrats, who currently have a majority, would be responsible for the investigation.

153 health care workers who refused to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate have resigned or been fired, the Houston Methodist Hospital confirmed Tuesday.

Why it matters: The Texas hospital was one of the first in the U.S. to announce such requirement, and it suspended 178 employees without pay for 14 days for failing to comply with the rule.

A documentary following CNN commentator Van Jones' journey to see prison reform passed under President Trump (and the backlash he faced) is set to screen at the American Film Institute Docs Film Festival.

The big picture: "The First Step" chronicles the advocacy of progressive-leaning Jones as he seeks to work with the Trump administration under intense criticism from allies.

Thousands of asylum-seekers previously forced to wait in Mexico for their court hearings due to a Trump administration policy will be able to return to the United States for another chance at asylum, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday, per an AP report.

Why it matters: The policy change is the latest effort by the Biden administration to remedy Trump-era actions deems "cruel and inhumane" that tried to discourage asylum-seekers, per AP.

Senate Republicans filibustered Democrats' signature voting rights bill on Tuesday, denying it the 60 votes needed to advance the bill and start debate.

Why it matters: It's an expected-but-significant blow to Democrats' hopes of passing a sweeping federal elections overhaul to combat a wave of new voting restrictions in Republican-led states.

President Biden pledged to increase the hourly wage for federal wildfire firefighters during a meeting Tuesday to discuss the Federal Emergency Management Agency's efforts to prepare for extreme weather events.

Why it matters: Biden's promise comes as a potentially devastating wildfire season kicks off.

About 1.2 million adults in the U.S. identify as nonbinary, according to a new study published Tuesday by the UCLA's Williams Institute, a research center focused on sexual orientation and gender identity law.

Why it matters: The U.S. census does not ask about gender identity, making this study the first broad population estimate of its kind, according to the Washington Post.

The Vatican has formally voiced its opposition to a drafted Italian law that would expand protections for LGBT people as well as women and people with disabilities, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Why it matters: The Vatican's diplomatic note to the Italian ambassador to the Holy See marks an effort to influence policymaking and could test "how forcefully the church can exercise its clout on culture war issues — not just as a religion but as a state," the Washington Post writes.

Top U.S. military officers have warned against a Senate bill aimed at sweeping changes across the military justice system, including how sexual harassment, assault and other serious crimes within the ranks are prosecuted, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Why it matters: The military chiefs claim in letters written in May to Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and released Tuesday that the proposed bill would "undermine military leadership," per WSJ.

The Department of Interior will launch an investigation into Indian boarding schools, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced on Tuesday.

Why it matters: In May, the remains of 215 Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation children were found buried at the site at a former residential school in Canada. The discovery has renewed attention on the Americas' history of genocide against Indigenous peoples.

President Biden is nominating Celeste Wallander as his assistant secretary of Defense for international security affairs, a crucial position and one of his last remaining foreign policy posts, Axios has learned.

The big picture: By tapping Wallander, president and CEO of U.S.-Russia Foundation, Biden is rounding out his Pentagon team with an academic and Russia expert respected on both sides of the aisle.

The Department of Justice announced Tuesday its plan to combat illegal gun trafficking in five U.S. cities by creating a new firearms trafficking strike force.

The big picture: The announcement comes as President Biden is expected to discuss a broader crime-fighting strategy Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The Biden administration acknowledged on Tuesday that it will likely miss its goal of vaccinating 70% of U.S. adults with at least one dose by July 4.

Why it matters: Despite falling short of the goal, the White House still believes most Americans will be safe to fully celebrate Independence Day, as COVID-19 cases and deaths remain at low levels throughout much of the country.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed a bill on Tuesday legalizing the use and sale of marijuana for adults 21 and older.

Why it matters: Connecticut is now the 19th state in the country, along with the District of Columbia, to legalize marijuana for non-medical use.

Women at the Fort Hood base in Texas face a nearly one-third higher risk of experiencing sexual assault than the average for the Army, according to a report by the federally-funded RAND Arroyo Center.

The big picture: The research found that the risk varied widely for female soldiers in particular across various bases, commands and career fields. But four bases — Fort Hood, Fort Riley, Fort Campbell and Fort Carson — accounted for about a third of active-duty Army women who were sexually assaulted in 2018.

The Biden administration endorsed a bill Tuesday that would end sentencing disparities for crack versus powder cocaine offenses.

The big picture: Supporting the legislation follows through on one of Biden's campaign promises. But it's a shift from decades ago, when Biden spearheaded efforts to pass the legislation that implemented the disparities in the first place.

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled against the NCAA on Monday, issuing another significant blow to the embattled organization.

Why it matters: The ruling in NCAA vs. Alston chips away at core aspects of amateurism and opens the door for future legal challenges that could upend the NCAA's current business model built on unpaid labor.

White House officials are heading to Capitol Hill Tuesday for a briefing on the status and details of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure proposal — another sign that President Biden is serious about finding a compromise with Republican senators.

Driving the news: Biden's core negotiating team — including Louisa Terrell, the White House’s legislative affairs director, Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president and Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council — are scheduled to meet with senators, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The Great Barrier Reef should be included in a list of World Heritage Sites that are "in danger" from climate change, a United Nations committee said in a report Tuesday.

Yes, but: Australia's government said it will "strongly oppose" the recommendation by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) defended her opposition to abolishing the 60-vote legislative filibuster in a Washington Post op-ed published Monday night, saying to do so would weaken "democracy's guardrails."

Why it matters: There have been growing calls from Democrats, particularly progressives, to overhaul the rules as the Senate prepares to vote Tuesday on a massive voting rights package. But Sinema writes in her op-ed that if this were to happen "we will lose much more than we gain."

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened late Monday to imprison anyone who refuses the COVID-19 vaccine, following reports of low turnouts at vaccination sites across the capital, Manila, per Bloomberg.

The big picture: "You choose — vaccine or I will have you jailed," Duterte said in a televised address. That's despite official health guidelines showing that getting vaccinated is voluntary in the Philippines. The country has confirmed nearly 1.4 million cases and over 23,000 deaths from the virus since the pandemic began.

A federal appeals court on Monday blocked a judge's ruling that overturned California's 30-year assault weapons ban.

Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez ruled earlier this month that the ban was unconstitutional and likened the AR-15 to a Swiss Army knife, but the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has now granted a stay, pending appeal.

The Trump Organization filed a lawsuit against New York City Monday, alleging that the termination of its Bronx golf course contract following the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot was politically motivated.

Why it matters: The estimated cost of the decision by NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio to end all contracts between the city and former President Trump's family business is $17 million a year in revenue.

Former President Obama cited Monday the U.S. Capitol insurrection as a reason for supporting a voting rights proposal by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

Why it matters: The Senate is due to vote Tuesday on the Democrats' sweeping voting rights bill, the For the People Act.

The Democrats' massive voting rights package — and in turn, the debate over eliminating the filibuster — will be brought to the forefront Tuesday through a procedural vote.

Why it matters: The vote on the For the People Act will be a key indicator of whether Democrats will move forward with their most controversial — but highest priority — legislation, or will be forced to retreat.

Senate negotiators for the bipartisan infrastructure bill are trying to create momentum for a "too-big-to-fail" package by adding an equal number of Democratic and Republican co-sponsors, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: White House officials are pleased with how the talks are proceeding and are discussing how President Biden might declare his support for the roughly $1.2 trillion package, if the remaining issues are resolved.

Senators and House members have introduced 59 bills with multiple sponsors this Congress that mention issues like ballot access, election integrity, absentee voting, voter registration, voter identification and mail-in ballots, according to data from Quorum.

Why it matters: Efforts to change voting laws and end the filibuster are coming to a head this week with an initial vote on Democrats' sweeping election legislation — the For the People Act — scheduled for Tuesday.

Former President Trump may be banned from Facebook, but his political operation continues using it to raise money, records show.

Why it matters: A new round of ads purchased by a political group associated with him shows how the former president can continue tapping the world's largest social network even as Trump himself is barred from the platform.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) on Monday defended his family's membership to a private Rhode Island beach club that was reported to have all-white members and told reporters the club is "working on improving diversity" and has members of color.

Why it matters: Whitehouse has spoken out against systemic racism following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others.