A federal judge on Wednesday signed off on a $626 million settlement for people who were exposed to lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan.
Driving the news: The terms will see nearly 80% of the settlement go to children who were younger than 18 when they were first exposed to the contaminated water.
Enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities is on track to drop for the second year in a row, exposing a political rift in the higher education system.
Why it matters: America's universities are still some of the best in the world, and a college degree is still the most reliable ticket to socioeconomic mobility, which underscores the importance of who goes there and what they learn.
Residents of Hamtramck, Michigan, elected a Muslim mayor and an all-Muslim city council last week, a testament to the city's changing demographics, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Why it matters: It is likely the first U.S. city to elect a Muslim mayor and an all-Muslim city council, the Council on American-Islamic Relations told Axios.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press briefing with Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba Wednesday that the U.S. is "concerned" Russia may try" to rehash" its 2014 invasion of Ukraine, noting that "any escalatory or aggressive actions would be of grave concern" to the U.S.
What he's saying: "We're concerned by reports of unusual Russian military activity near Ukraine," Blinken said. "We're monitoring the region very closely."
President Biden on Wednesday said the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill would "stabilize" the supply chain and "modernize" the country's infrastructure.
Why it matters: The president's remarks at a briefing in Baltimore come days after the House passed the long-awaited bipartisan infrastructure package and ahead of the bill's signing ceremony on Monday.
A group of Democratic U.S. senators announced Wednesday a bill that would stop the deportations of some immigrant veterans.
Why it matters: The proposal, similar to a House version, would help prevent deportations of noncitizen veterans, provide pathways to citizenship for some immigrant service members and their families and allow deported veterans to return home to the U.S.
The Justice Department said on Wednesday that it is suing Uber for allegedly charging "wait time" fees to passengers with disabilities who need more time to get into vehicles.
State of play: The department's complaint says that Uber "violates the [Americans with Disabilities Act] by failing to reasonably modify its wait time fee policy for passengers who, because of disability, need more than two minutes to get in an Uber car."
A former mixed martial arts fighter was sentenced to 41 months in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to assaulting a police officer, a felony charge stemming from his participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Why it matters: ScottFairlamb, 44, is the first Jan. 6 rioter to be ordered to serve years behind bars. The sentence could set a benchmark for other cases that prosecutors have brought against people involved in the attack.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said at an Axios event Wednesday that a disadvantage of having fewer U.S. military veterans in Congress is having less checks on the military and the Department of Defense.
Driving the news: There were 91 lawmakers who have served in the military at the start of the current session of Congress, according to Military Times — the lowest number since at least World War II.
President Biden will host Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for the North American Leaders’ Summit on Nov. 18, the White House announced Wednesday.
Why it matters via Axios' Zachary Basu: It's the first in-person meeting of the "Three Amigos" in more than five years. It comes after relations between the U.S. and its North American allies were strained during the Trump administration.
The Department of Justice asked a federal court Tuesday to sentence Jacob Chansley, known as the "QAnon Shaman," to more than four years in prison for obstruction of an official proceeding during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Details: Prosecutors also asked that Chansley, who pleaded guilty to the charge in September, should spend three years under supervised release after his prison sentence and pay $2,000 in restitution, according to a sentencing memorandum.
Former President Trump is enduring a brutal streak of new legal exposure and losses in court, as he adapts to life without the immunity of the Oval Office.
The latest ... It turns out it's not OK to use the White House as a stage for the Republican National Convention:
Fumio Kishida was re-elected as Japan's prime minister Wednesday in a parliamentary session after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a majority in the House of Representatives election, per AP.
Why it matters: The 261 seats the LDP won in the 465-member lower house at the Oct. 31 election puts Kishida in a more powerful position, as he prepares to protect Japan from a potential COVID-19 resurgence while trying to revive the world's third-largest economy and working with the U.S. and other allies to address security threats.
The U.S. government's auto safety regulator announced Tuesday it would award over $24 million to a former Hyundai employee who reported key information about safety defects.
Why it matters: Engineer Kim Gwang-ho provided evidence that Hyundai and sister company Kia were hiding a design flaw that was causing engines to seize and catch fire, according to law firm Constantine Cannon, which represents Kim.
Business groups are sharpening their attacks on President Biden's Build Back Better package, warning congressional Democrats about its overall costs, potential effects on inflation and $800 billion in corporate tax increases.
Why it matters: The White House relied on some of these same groups — like the Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable — to pass the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Listen and you'll hear moderate Democrats using a new label for their own brand of politics: "Normal."
Why it matters: It's a coded, loaded word exacerbating their divide with liberal colleagues. It's also a way, in the face of the dismal election trends, to distinguish themselves from activist colleagues they're implying are abnormal and don't speak for them.
A Montana National Guard soldier has become the first woman to graduate from the U.S. Army Sniper Course at Fort Benning, Georgia.
What they're saying: "We are extremely proud of this Soldier’s achievement and recognize that this is a milestone for not only Montana, but the entire National Guard and Army," Maj. Gen. J. Peter Hronek, the adjutant general for Montana, said in a statement.
