Axios

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was “as if somebody in the White House dropped a bomb” on Congress, according to excerpts of an NBC interview that will air later Thursday.

Why it matters: Pelosi has been unsparing in her criticism of former President Trump, indicating last month that she blamed him for the Capitol insurrection and saying she would "never forgive" him.

A top Homeland Security official warned law enforcement authorities across the U.S. on Thursday of concerning online activity encouraging violence on the anniversary of Jan. 6, but said there was no indication of any specific or credible plot. 

Why it matters: The message, obtained by Axios, provides insight into how federal law enforcement agencies are working to detect real-life threats from extremism online — one year after the attack on the U.S. Capitol building.

One year ago today, a pro-Trump mob stormed police barricades and invaded the U.S. Capitol, where lawmakers had convened to certify the results of President Biden's Electoral College victory.

It was a shocking, violent and historic day. Here's how it all unfolded:

Indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico, are replacing corn crops with cannabis in anticipation of marijuana being legalized in the country.

What’s happening: Ten communities in the sierra formed the collective Oaxaca Highlands and are in the process of obtaining growing permits.

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan ruled Thursday that former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is ineligible to run for governor because the state's constitution requires candidates to be a resident for at least three years prior to the election in which they are running.

Why it matters: The decision essentially scuttles Kristof's campaign after months of planning and buildup, though he is allowed to file an appeal.

Former Vice President and House member Dick Cheney criticized Republican leadership while visiting the Capitol on Thursday, the one year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Driving the news: Though he initially supported former President Trump's reelection bid, Cheney has become a critic in recent years. His daughter, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), is one of the most vocal Trump critics in the GOP.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) doubled down on his rhetoric about the Capitol insurrection on Thursday, telling Steve Bannon on his podcast that he is "ashamed of nothing" and "proud of the work we did" on Jan. 6.

Why it matters: Gaetz, one of President Trump's most vocal supporters, has routinely made baseless claims regarding election fraud. He has mentioned the Capitol insurrection on social media more than any other Republican in Congress.

Vice President Kamala Harris will select Jamal Simmons, a top Democratic Party operative and communications aide, to serve as her new communications director after Ashley Etienne's departure last year, a WH official confirmed to Axios.

Why it matters: Simmons is a respected Dem player and allies say that his relationships with the West Wing, journalists and leaders throughout the party will help him shape Harris' long-term goals and legacy. The news was first reported by The Hill.

Top Democrats are calling for expanding voting rights on the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Why it matters: Democrats, including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, seek to build momentum for sweeping voting rights legislation on the anniversary of the deadly day.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) recounted the events of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot on the anniversary of the deadly day, saying "had someone had a gun, had two of them blocked off the door, who knows what would have happened."

Driving the news: "I was told later that one of them reportedly said, 'There's the big Jew, let's get him,'" Schumer said on the Senate floor.

Former President Trump on Thursday responded to President Biden's speech on the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, calling it "a distraction for the fact Biden has completely and totally failed."

Driving the news: Biden today squarely blamed the former president for the Capitol siege, saying Trump "created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election" in an effort to "rewrite history" and added that Trump "rallied the mob to attack" the Capitol.

Former President Obama said Thursday that "our democracy is at greater risk today than it was" one year ago, when a pro-Trump mob breached the U.S. Capitol to try to block the certification of President Biden's Electoral College victory.

Driving the news: "Although initially rejected by many Republicans, the claims that fanned the flames of violence on January 6th have since been embraced by a sizeable portion of voters and elected officials — many of whom know better," Obama wrote in a statement.

President Biden was unsparing in his criticism of former President Trump for fanning the flames of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in a speech marking the first anniversary of the attack.

Driving the news: "The former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election ... He sees his own interest as more important than this country's interest, America's interest," Biden said Thursday, without using Trump's name in his remarks.

Vice President Kamala Harris warned Thursday of the fragility of democracy, saying, "if we are not vigilant, if we do not defend it, democracy simply will not stand" on the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Driving the news: "The strength of democracy is the rule of law," Harris said, while also advocating for the expansion of voting rights, saying, "We must pass the voting rights bills that are now before the Senate. We cannot sit on the sidelines. We must unite in defense of our democracy."

Novak Djokovic, the world's No. 1 tennis player, was denied entry to Australia over an issue with his visa application, the country's health minister confirmed.

The latest: The player, who was slated to play in the Australian Open later this month, has appealed the decision. He is expected to remain in immigration detention until at least Monday as he awaits a hearing.

Japan's foreign minister asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a call Thursday for American soldiers to remain inside their bases in response to a recent increase in COVID-19 infections around U.S. military facilities, according to AP.

Why it matters: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday he asked Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to make the request for stronger restrictions on the bases because he was dissatisfied with the U.S. military's response to the spread of the virus, according to the Wall Street Journal.

A year after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tells Axios he stands by his condemnation of the attack as a "disgrace," as well as his certification of Joe Biden as the election winner.

• But Kemp said he's continued to "thank" former President Donald Trump for “all the things that he did to help Georgia. I have never said a bad word about him.”

Airline employees fighting COVID-19 vaccine mandates have found receptive ears among prominent conservative media and policy figures as they try to beat back measures to force the jab on flight crews.

Why it matters: Dueling concerns about public health and airline staff shortages make debates over those mandates critically important to U.S. health and transportation policy.

The bipartisan group Defending American Democracy is spending $1 million on a TV ad targeting Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Sinema, along with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va), has rejected proposals to lower the filibuster threshold to pass election reform legislation with only Democratic votes — while voting rights is front and center for the Democratic Party.

America's democratic institutions were rattled on Jan. 6, 2021, after pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of the 2020 election.

Why it matters: The insurrection had a lasting impact on the country and Congress. Here's a look at 10 numbers that show where things are a year out from that violent day.

The U.S. Postal Service has asked the Biden administration for a 120-day extension to comply with the COVID-19 vaccination mandate, according to a letter obtained by the Washington Post from deputy postmaster general Doug Tulino to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The big picture: The request comes days before the Supreme Court holds oral arguments to consider legal challenges to the president's vaccine mandates for health care workers and large companies.

The Republican-led Maricopa County released a report on Wednesday that is a near point-by-point rebuttal of the faulty analysis, inaccurate claims and misleading conclusions that they say appear in an Arizona Senate audit of the 2020 election.

Why it matters: Fueled by former President Trump's baseless claims of election fraud, the GOP-led audit escalated into a fiasco last year. Despite no evidence of fraud and objections from the GOP-backed Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, the Arizona Senate refused to call it off.

A new bipartisan Senate group is in early discussions about crafting an election reform measure, as the Democrats’ sweeping voting rights proposals continue to run into steep procedural hurdles.

Driving the news: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) convened a Zoom call late Wednesday afternoon as a cross-section of lawmakers from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) have expressed openness to reforming the outdated bill.

Vice President Kamala Harris is searching for a seasoned Democratic operative to fill a new Hispanic outreach role, as she reconfigures her team ahead of the midterm elections, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: Hiring a dedicated staffer to tend to Hispanic groups is another indication Harris — a potential 2024 presidential contender — knows she needs to shore up her political standing among various factions within the Democratic Party.

Democrats account for nine of the top 10 members of Congress who've most mentioned the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection on social media and other public communications, according to data from Quorum provided to Axios.

Why it matters: A year ago, the Trump rally-turned-deadly-riot threatened the safety of senators and House members on both sides of the aisle. But Democrats have been most persistent in their criticism of the unprecedented event, according to the analysis.

People in and around former Vice President Mike Pence's office have been particularly cooperative as the Jan. 6 select committee focuses on what former President Trump was doing during the more than three hours the Capitol was under attack, sources familiar with the testimony tell Axios.

Why it matters: At the one-year mark of the insurrection, the committee is piecing together a definitive timeline of how Trump resisted pleas from his own advisers, allies, family members and lawmakers to halt the violence down Pennsylvania Avenue.

"We are at genuine risk of civil conflict and losing our precious democracy," former President Jimmy Carter warned ahead of the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Why it matters: Carter rebuked lawmakers in his home state last year for pushing voting restrictions and has continued to speak out against interference in elections.