Axios

The State Department is offering up to $10 million for information regarding the identification or location of senior members of DarkSide, a global cybercrime organization.

Why it matters: DarkSide is responsible for a ransomware attack that shut down the Colonial Pipeline in May and led to fuel shortages in multiple states.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Texas on Thursday over restrictive voting laws that impact people with disabilities and communities of color.

Why it matters: Led by state Republicans, Texas signed into law some of the nation's most restrictive voting measures in September. The state has already faced a flurry of lawsuits from civil rights groups.

Two days after the Nov. 3 election, Kasim Reed ended his comeback campaign to become Atlanta’s next mayor.

Driving the news: The former mayor congratulated City Council President Felicia Moore and Councilman Andre Dickens, who both received enough votes to advance to the Nov. 30 runoff.

The White House clarified Thursday that negotiations are ongoing for payments to families who were separated at the border under the Trump administration.

The latest: The Wall Street Journal first reported that the Justice Department was in talks to pay $450,000 per person to settle lawsuits filed on behalf of the families affected. When asked about the payments this week, President Biden had said, "That's not going to happen." Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday his response was to the $450,000 figure and not the payments themselves.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert Santos as director for the U.S. Census Bureau, the final step to him becoming the first Latino, and first person of color, to lead the bureau on a permanent basis.

Why it matters: Santos will be responsible for the agency that produces the U.S.' most specific public data on race, ethnicity, gender, age and other demographic categories. The census is used to determine the number of seats in each state's delegation to congress.

A real estate agent from Frisco, Texas, who participated in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — and later said on social media that she would not be arrested because she is white, has blond hair and a good job — was sentenced Thursday to two months in prison, AP reports.

Driving the news: Prosecutors alleged that Jennifer Leigh Ryan demonstrated a lack of candor and remorse for her participation in the insurrection and did not understand the seriousness of her crime, per AP.

The select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has interviewed more than 150 people since its creation, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) told Politico Thursday.

Why it matters: Cheney's comments indicate the Jan. 6 select committee's actions throughout its extensive probe have largely taken place outside public view, Politico notes. The comments may also ease concerns about the pace of the investigation.

Residents of Allentown, Pennsylvania, voted 2 to 1 this week to keep English as the official language of the largely Latino city.

Why it matters: About 43% of Allentown residents speak a language other than English at home, with most speaking Spanish. Latinos make up about 54% of Allentown's residents, most are Puerto Rican.

Igor Danchenko, an analyst hired to compile key parts of the infamous Steele dossier of alleged ties between Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, was charged with five counts of lying to the FBI on Thursday, according to an unsealed indictment.

Why it matters: It's the third indictment in special counsel John Durham's investigation into the origins of the Russia probe and possible misconduct by U.S. law enforcement.

A global effort to halt and reverse deforestation. A 100+ country voluntary pact to slash methane emissions. And a commitment from India to reduce its emissions to net zero by 2070. The COP26 pledges, both public and private, have started to roll in as world leaders, diplomats and others meet in Glasgow, Scotland, to address climate change.

Why it matters: The UN summit is seen as crucial — "the last, best hope for securing the global commitments needed to get countries on track to avoid potentially catastrophic levels of climate change during the next several decades," reports Axios' Andrew Freedman.

After President Biden signed onto a global pledge to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), number two in House leadership, unveiled legislation that would authorize funding to go toward that goal.

Why it matters: The legislation, known as AMAZON21, would authorize the creation of a $9 billion State Department trust fund and would create a technical assistance program under USAID.

President Biden will announce Thursday that certain employers must ensure their workers are fully vaccinated or tested weekly by Jan. 4, 2022, or face federal fines starting at nearly $14,000 per violation, according to senior administration officials.

The big picture: The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will enforce the COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard, which affects about two-thirds of all U.S. workers.

Lost in the public obsession with former President Trump’s loss, grievances and threats to run again: Non-Trump Republicans have had a strong, yearlong run nationally beneath and around him.

Why it matters: Democrats control Washington and hold sway in most colleges and corporate suites, plus much of the mainstream media. But Republicans are thriving despite Trump's tactics and antics.

Cities and states are unlikely to see many new "defund the police" proposals after Minneapolis voters on Tuesday rejected a ballot measure to overhaul the city's police department, one of the nation's largest police unions tells Axios.

What they're saying: "I believe, by and large, that ship has sailed," said Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, a national police organization that represents 356,000 officers.

A new PAC focused on electing conservative candidates to public school boards — by raising fears about how racism is taught — won three-fourths of its 58 races across seven states on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Those wins for the 1776 Project PAC, and Glenn Youngkin's gubernatorial victory in Virginia, underscore the political potency of culture wars and COVID-related issues in schools this year — and how GOP candidates are seeking to ride the trend to new majorities.

U.S. special envoy Jeffrey Feltman headed to Ethiopia as yearlong fighting between government forces and opposition fighters intensified Thursday, per AP.

Details: The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia said Wednesday it has "authorized the voluntary departure" of non-emergency government employees and family members due to the conflict. Rebels from the northern region of Tigray were making advances toward the capital Addis Ababa on Thursday, Reuters reports.

Smartmatic filed separate defamation lawsuits against Newsmax and One America News Network Wednesday, accusing the conservative networks of knowingly peddling disinformation about its voting technology during the 2020 presidential election.

Why it matters: The voting company is already suing Fox News and Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. The latest suit makes similar allegations to the ones filed earlier this year — that the networks embarked on a "disinformation campaign" that harmed Smartmatic's business.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced plans Wednesday to form a statewide law enforcement agency to investigate election crimes as part of a raft of measures on voting laws to be considered at next year's legislative session.

Why it matters: DeSantis used his news conference on Wednesday to echo the kinds of baseless claims former President Trump has made on voter fraud, without citing evidence and despite the fact that such instances are rare in the U.S.

The International Criminal Court is investigating whether crimes against humanity were committed by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's security forces during a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2017.

Driving the news: Maduro signed a memorandum with ICC prosecutor Karim Khan on Wednesday, but said he disagrees with the decision to open a formal probe. The Venezuelan leader said the memo will guarantee "cooperation, positive complementarity, mutual support, constructive dialogue to seek truth and justice between the Venezuelan government and the ICC."

President Biden's hitting the gas — not pumping the brakes — to pass his two massive spending bills ASAP, and doesn’t read his party’s poor electoral showing in Virginia as a rebuke of the massive costs, lawmakers and White House advisers tell Axios.

Why it matters: What Biden’s critics see as a stubborn streak his allies call resolve. The president's confidants love to point out that during the 2020 primaries, the press corps doubted his strategy and ability to capture the Democratic nomination.

Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin outperformed Donald Trump in every single Virginia county as of Wednesday evening — and won 12 counties that had voted for President Biden just a year ago.

Why it matters: Tuesday was a slam dunk for the former college basketball player and his party. Republicans also are projected to win the lieutenant governorship and are leading the balloting for attorney general and control of the House of Delegates.

An odd group of congressional bedfellows will introduce a bill Thursday to fully standardize and digitize the process of registering foreign agents — making it far easier for the public to search and enforce the federal database.

Why it matters: The Foreign Agents Registration Modernization (FARM) Act would add significant transparency and scrutiny to foreign lobbying and propaganda, just as authorities are stepping up civil and, in some cases, criminal enforcement of foreign influence laws.

Republicans are relishing the prospect of regaining their congressional majorities next November after Tuesday's election results.

Why it matters: While Democrats haggle over whether to recalibrate their midterm strategy following a loss in Virginia and close call in New Jersey, Republicans see the outcome as validation of their approach the past year. They have no plans to change course.

A deal with New York City's largest taxi loan holder will rescue thousands of cab drivers facing financial ruin after being forced to take on crushing debt due to exploitative practices.

Why it matters: New York officials reached the agreement after a two-week hunger strike by members of the city's largest taxi drivers union, who called on the city to expand a debt relief program for drivers.