Why it matters: The U.S. claims to have information indicating that Russia is considering staging a "fabricated attack" by Ukrainian forces in order to justify an invasion of Ukraine, Axios' Zachary Basu writes.
Republican criticism of President Biden's intent to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court comes at a tenuous time — as the party tries to expand its Black outreach.
Why it matters: The GOP had hoped to capitalize on Biden's lower approval ratings among Black Americans, as well as recent failure to pass federal voting rights bills, to make inroads ahead of this year's midterms and the 2024 presidential election.
A Mexican American photographer who captured some of the Civil Rights Movement’s most critical moments but has largely gone unnoticed is getting her due.
The big picture: MariaVarela was one of the few Mexican Americans involved in the Black Civil Rights Movement in the South, and her work largely has gone unnoticed.
The big picture: Although that's a record-high number of Latinos in 0ffice, they are still less than 2% of elected officials nationwide — but roughly 18% of the population.
President Biden said Thursday that top ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi died during a U.S. raid in northwestern Syria.
What he's saying: "Last night's operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield. And sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: 'We will come after you and find you,'" Biden, who ordered the operation, said from the White House Thursday.
President Biden announced Thursday that the U.S. military has "successfully removed a major terrorist threat to the world," ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
Why it matters: Al-Qurayshi, who took over as the leader of ISIS after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a 2019 U.S. raid, coordinated the group's global terror operations and directly oversaw ISIS attempts to reconstitute in Iraq and Syria, according to senior U.S. officials.
The former president of the Human Rights Campaign on Thursday sued the organization, alleging that racial discrimination led to his firing after he helped former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) respond to sexual harassment allegations.
Driving the news: Alphonso David in court filings alleged that HRC has a "racist, biased culture." His lawyers also wrote that "HRC underpaid David, and then terminated him, because he is Black."
The National Football League believes its Washington franchise, now called the Commanders, has solved many of its toxic workplace problems, according to a third-party audit obtained by Axios.
The big picture: The House Oversight Committee will hold a fact-finding hearing today on sexual harassment, intimidation and other misconduct that came to light last year.
73 Confederate statues were removed or renamed in 2021, according to a new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC.)
Driving the news: The removals and renaming of the statues began in the wake of protests against police violence and racism in 2020, which put a renewed focus on the monuments.
The National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, said Wednesday that it will shut down "for the immediate future" after facing ongoing harassment rooted in right-wing conspiracy theories.
Why it matters: The nonprofit nature reserve, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Rio Grande Valley, became a target after it sued the Trump administration in 2017 disputing its planned U.S.-Mexico border wall.
The Senate Banking Committee's confirmation hearing Thursday for three Biden nominees to the Federal Reserve will be a high-stakes and potentially tense affair.
Why it matters: If one were to falter, it would undermine President Biden's push to remake the Fed to be more concerned about climate change and racial equality.
Some big-name 2022 candidates are cutting checks to high-profile backers who endorsed their campaigns, records show.
Why it matters: Key endorsements are a known boon to campaigns battling for support, especially among ideologically committed primary voters. The payments raise the specter of a quid pro quo.
Americans' disapproval of the Supreme Court has been rising, with 44% now having an unfavorable opinion, according to new survey results from Pew Research Center.
Why it matters: The shift comes as President Biden weighs a replacement for Justice Stephen Breyer, who announced his retirement last week, and following partisan fights about the seatings of Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
