The Biden administration is "deeply concerned" by new intelligence — detailed for Axios and other outlets — showing Russia stepping up preparations to invade Ukraine as soon as early 2022.
Why it matters: Most of this was known from public sources and satellite imagery, but the administration is sending a stronger signal by releasing specific details from the intelligence community.
The parents of a 15-year-old accused of killing four students and wounding seven other people at a Michigan high school were held Saturday on bonds of $500,000 each hours after being taken into custody.
In her first major interview since the official announcement, Stacey Abrams' campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo quashed speculation that the Georgia Democrat would interrupt a theoretical gubernatorial term to run for president in 2024.
Donald Trump's social media startup on Saturday announced that it secured $1 billion in new investment as part of its ongoing efforts to become publicly traded via a blank check company.
Between the lines: None of the investors were identified, which is highly unusual for this sort of transaction.
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Friday apologized for the state's role in forcibly removing hundreds of Native American children from their families in the 19th and mid-20th centuries, the Reno Gazette-Journal reports.
Why it matters: Nevada, like other states at the time, participated in federal efforts to assimilate Indigenous people into white society, helping set up residential schools where children from at least 200 different tribal nations were forced to reject their cultures and traditions on a daily basis. Many endured abuse and long-term trauma.
The parents of a 15-year-old accused of killing four students and wounding seven other people at a Michigan high school have been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, according to court documents.
The latest: Lawyers for James and Jennifer Crumbley told the Detroit News they are "returning to the area to be arraigned," after law enforcement officials announced a search for the Crumbleys had been initiated.
The Department of Justice on Friday announced it has opened a civil rights investigation into the Mount Vernon Police Department in Westchester County, New York, following allegations of discriminatory policing.
Why it matters: This is the Biden administration's fourth DOJ-led civil rights probe into policing practices with previous investigations launched in Minneapolis, Louisville and Phoenix.
Former President Trump's political action committee, Save America, has spent more than $1.4 million on Facebook and Google ads since March, FWIW reports.
Driving the news: While Trump was banned from posting on various social media platforms, he has managed to work around this as he prepares for the 2024 presidential elections, per the Washington Post.
A division of industrial giant Koch Industries has bought Senate hopeful Jim Lamon's company, likely providing a cash infusion for the Arizona Republican as he pours huge sums of his own money into the race.
Why it matters: Lamon is vying for the GOP nomination to take on Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in what is expected to be one of the most competitive — and expensive — races of the 2022 midterms.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday proposed reestablishing the Florida State Guard, a civilian military force initially created during World War II, that would be under his command.
What he's saying: DeSantis said this civilian force would "not be encumbered by the federal government," adding that it would allow him "the flexibility and the ability needed to respond to events in our state in the most effective way possible."
Richard Delgado, one of the founders of the critical race theory movement, tells Axios he and his wife have been receiving a steady stream of threatening messages since the coordinated, conservative campaign against critical race theory began.
Why it matters: Educators across the country — even some elementary school teachers — have faced harassment and threats over the past year over lesson plans that teach about systemic racism in the U.S.
Burnout, better opportunities and concern about being permanently branded a "Harris person" is driving some of the turnover in Vice President Kamala Harris' office, people familiar with the situation tell Axios.
Why it matters: Harris is not only a heartbeat from the presidency but, by virtue of her office, the presumed 2024 frontrunner if President Biden doesn't seek re-election. There's been an inordinate amount of disarray — and, now, turnover — throughout her tenure.
Nevada's Public Employees' Benefits Program Board voted Thursday to charge workers enrolled in public employee health insurance plans a surcharge of up to $55 a month if they're not vaccinated against COVID-19, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Why it matters: Nevada is the first state to announce such a move, per AP.
Several Republican New Jersey Assembly lawmakers on Thursday broke a new rule requiring they show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test to enter the chamber and were temporarily blocked by state troopers, per NJ.com.
Why it matters: The move is part of a wider push by Republicans in several states and nationally against vaccine mandates. The N.J. GOP has filed a lawsuit against the rule by a panel appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy's (D) administration, and was granted a short stay by a state appellate court late Thursday, AP notes.
The state of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Thursday in an attempt to block the enforcement of its vaccine mandate for federal employees.
Why it matters: The move comes one day after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin denied Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's (R) request to exempt the state's National Guard from the mandate.
The Senate voted 69-28 to pass legislation Thursday night to fund the government until February 18.
Why it matters: The move staves off a government shutdown but lawmakers still have a busy month ahead: Congress needs to work out a deal to raise the debt ceiling in a few weeks and Democrats are trying to pass their behemoth social spending bill.
Abortion rights advocates believe the Supreme Court fight over Mississippi's strict abortion bill has the potential to turn the political script: galvanize Democratic voters, instead of its historic ability to drive turnout among Republicans.
What they're saying: "The opportunity is that people are enraged," Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood, told Axios in an interview. "What we saw in Texas, and what people will walk away from [the Mississippi oral arguments with], is a level of rage that we could be living in a world six months from now — where our children have fewer rights than we have right now."
A major Democratic donor and Nord Stream 2 lobbyist has made maximum campaign contributions this year to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and vulnerable Senate Democrats, campaign finance records show.
Why it matters: If pressure from the White House to vote against reimposing sanctions on the Russia-backed natural gas pipeline weren't enough, Democrats who back such legislation also will be at loggerheads with one of their party's top fundraisers.
Mitch McConnell has told colleagues and donors Senate Republicans won't release a legislative agenda before next year's midterms, according to people who've attended private meetings with the minority leader.
Why it matters: Every midterm cycle, there are Republican donors and operatives who argue the party should release a positive, pro-active governing outline around which candidates can rally. McConnell adamantly rejects this idea, preferring to skewer Democrats for their perceived failures.
