Pope Francis forcefully condemned domestic violence during an appearance on Italian television Sunday, saying that men who commit it are engaging in something "almost satanic," Reuters reports.
Why it matters: Domestic violence levels have risen throughout the world during the pandemic, as lockdowns and strained health systems have cut many women off from vital sources of help while trapping them with their abusers, according to U.N. Women.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said Sunday that the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection is examining whether former President Donald Trump committed a crime in trying to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election results.
Why it matters: Kinzinger is one of two Republicans serving on the panel and has been a fierce and outspoken critic of Trump.
Three religious organizations on Saturday asked the Supreme Court to grant an emergency stay over the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for businesses with at least 100 workers.
Why it matters: The challenge, filed by the American Family Association, Answers in Genesis and Daystar Television Network, comes days after the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati reinstated the mandate.
Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.Va.) decision Sunday to oppose President Biden's signature climate and social policy legislation imperils the administration's climate goals.
Why it matters: The package contained more than $300 billion in tax incentives for electric vehicles, clean energy deployment and other measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation was considered integral to achieving U.S. climate targets under the Paris Agreement.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) drew the ire of Senate and House progressives on Sunday after he announced he will not support President Biden's Build Back Better legislation, essentially sinking the $1.75 trillion spending package.
Why it matters: Democrats, including those who had pre-planned appearances on the Sunday news shows, expressed frustration and feelings of betrayal.
Sen. Joe Manchin will not support the president's Build Back Better legislation, he told "Fox News Sunday," all but guaranteeing the end of the $1.75 trillion spending package that is the centerpiece of the Biden agenda.
Driving the news: A Manchin staffer reached out to the White House and leadership roughly 30 minutes before his interview, two sources familiar with the West Virginia Democrat's remarks told Axios.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) signaled Sunday that he is not in favor of reforming the filibuster to provide a clear pathway for Senate Democrats to pass voting rights and election reform legislation.
Why it matters: Manchin's remarks on "Fox News Sunday" come after several failed attempts by Democrats to pass voting bills in the gridlocked Senate.
Johnny Isakson, a former U.S. senator from Georgia and champion of bipartisanship, died Sunday morning. He was 76.
Why it matters: Isakson earned respect from Democrats and Republicans alike during his more than 40 years in elected office for his ability to hammer out bipartisan compromise.
Washinton state Sen. Doug Ericksen, a rigid conservative, died last Friday at age 52, his family confirmed in a statement Saturday.
Why it matters: The Washington Republican's death Friday came a month after he told a local radio station that he had tested positive for coronavirus while in El Salvador, per CNN. Ericksen's cause of death has not been made public.
House Republicans have begun mapping aggressive probes of the Biden administration if they win back the majority — including inquiries into the origins of COVID, a leak of IRS data about billionaires, and accusations the NSA spied on Tucker Carlson.
Why it matters: The plans, obtained exclusively by Axios, show House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy would make muscular use of majority powers for the last two years of President Biden's term if, as expected, the GOP wins the majority in next year's midterms.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration said Saturday it will wait until Jan. 10 to begin issuing citations to companies that do not comply with its coronavirus vaccine mandate.
Driving the news: OSHA also said that it would not issue citations for its COVID-19 testing requirements before Feb. 9 "so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard," the agency said.
