All members of Congress will be invited to attend President Biden's State of the Union address next month, House Sergeant-at-Arms William Walker announced Thursday.
Why it matters: The announcement signals a softening of COVID-19 restrictions in the Capitol. Cases are plummeting in Washington, D.C. and around the country, but there are still several guidelines attendees have to follow.
A judge has ordered former President Trump and his two oldest children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., to testify in New York's civil investigation into his business.
Why it matters: New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) has alleged that Trump Organization used "fraudulent and misleading asset valuations to obtain economic benefits."
The Biden administration will ramp up its support of efforts to vaccinate the world with a "surge" in assistance to 11 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, a USAID spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
Why it matters: The global supply of vaccines has largely gone to developed nations. Officials worry that new COVID-19 variants could emerge from countries with low vaccination rates.
The dramatic arrest and likely extradition of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández is a stunning fall from grace for a leader once embraced by American authorities desperate to stem migration to the U.S.
Driving the news: The U.S. government says Hernández led a “violent, state-sponsored drug trafficking conspiracy” with co-opted armed forces, police, Congress members and mayors.
Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) are introducing a bill to repeal President Biden's solar panel import rules and create a Department of Energy program to enhance domestic production and manufacturing of solar panels and other components.
Why it matters: The legislation is a rebuke to the Biden administration, and represents a bipartisan effort to prioritize the U.S. solar industry.
The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday said that former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof can't run for governor.
What it matters: The decision scuttles Kristof's campaign after months of planning and buildup. He left the Times last year as he explored the political bid.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday accused the Securities and Exchange Commission of undertaking a "harassment campaign" in an effort to "chill his exercise of First Amendment rights."
Driving the news: "[T]he SEC seems to be targeting Mr. Musk and Tesla for unrelenting investigation largely because Mr. Musk remains an outspoken critic of the government," a lawyer for Musk said in a court filing.
When it comes to job postings with a vaccination requirement, 9 of the top 10 cities went blue in the 2020 election, according to a new Indeed analysis.
The one metro area that went red is Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Three U.S. Navy patrol aircraft "experienced unprofessional intercepts" by Russian planes over the weekend as they flew in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
Why it matters: As U.S. officials warn of an increased presence of Russian troops at Ukraine's border, State Department and Pentagon officials said in emailed statements that the U.S. had "made our concerns known" to Kremlin officials "through diplomatic channels" about the P-8A aircrafts' Mediterranean incidents.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Missouri on Wednesday in an attempt to stop officials from enforcing a bill that would ban local police from following federal gun laws that the state declared "invalid."
Why it matters: It alleges that Missouri's Second Amendment Preservation Act is unconstitutional and hindering law enforcement efforts in a state where "nearly 80% of violent crimes are committed with firearms," per a Justice Department statement. Missouri officials vowed to fight the suit, which they say attacks Second Amendment rights.
An Indiana public school has become embroiled in controversy after a school counselor reportedly sent a letter to parents giving them the option to opt their children out of Black History Month lessons.
Why it matters: The Indiana case comes as some states impose new restrictions on diversity education under the guise of banning the teaching of critical race theory.
Donald Trump's spamming of Republican donors could kneecap party efforts to build a steady funding stream for future elections and compete with Democratic fundraising, top GOP officials are privately warning.
Why it matters: The former president's decision to bombard donors with numerous daily emails and texts is sucking up record sums. Four top GOP digital strategists tell Axios it's also imperiling efforts to build a sustainable, grassroots base of financial support for anyone not named Trump.
Nearly 200 House Republicans have written to President Biden warning any nuclear deal made with Iran without Congress' approval "will meet the same fate" as the 2015 agreement by President Obama later abandoned by President Trump.
Why it matters: The Biden administration has been working feverishly to secure an agreement via indirect nuclear talks in Vienna, but on Wednesday, an Iranian official publicly called for Congress to pledge that the U.S. will stay in a potential deal.
The 2022 midterms will be marked by the largest number of House Democrats leaving their seats since at least the early 1990s — adding yet another complicating factor to the party maintaining its control of the chamber.
Why it matters: Double-digit departures from either party during past cycles — 1994, 2006, 2010, and 2018 — portended a shift in power in Washington.
Former longtime National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins will step in as interim science adviser to President Biden, while Alondra Nelson — the deputy director at the Office of Science and Technology Policy — will step into the top role at that agency, the White House announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: The moves establish leadership for the White House in terms of climate policy, in the fallout of the resignation of Eric Lander, who was found to have violated the Biden administration's workplace policy by bullying staff.
/2022/02/17/1645108899585.gif?w=3840)
