Axios

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Biden administration's case to end the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" program.

Why it matters: Last year, the Biden administration restarted the policy, which requires asylum-seekers at the southern border to wait in Mexico while their applications are pending, after a lower court said it "failed to consider several critical factors" before terminating the program.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy endorsed GOP Rep. Liz Cheney's opponent for Wyoming’s congressional seat on Thursday, a move former President Donald Trump applauded on Friday.

Why it matters: "Congressional leaders rarely involve themselves in primary races against sitting members," the N.Y. Times reports.

President Biden said Friday that he is "convinced" that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine, and that U.S. intelligence indicates he will target Kyiv — the capital and a city of 2.8 million people.

Why it matters: U.S. officials are now certain that Russia is planning not just a small invasion to take territory in eastern Ukraine, but a large-scale attack that could topple the Ukrainian government and cause massive devastation across the country.

A federal judge on Friday rejected former President Trump's bid to dismiss a lawsuit from a group of Congress members and Capitol police officers aiming to hold him and Rudy Giuliani accountable for the Jan. 6 Capitol riots — what they call a "civil conspiracy."

What they're saying: Trump entered a "tacit agreement" with Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and other rioters by sending them to the Capitol during certification of the 2020 election, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta wrote in the 112-page ruling.

The U.S. believes Russia is responsible for recent cyberattacks in Ukraine, deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity Anne Neuberger said at the White House press briefing on Friday.

Why it matters: The U.S. has warned that Russian cyberattacks could precede or be coordinated in tandem with a military invasion. The targeting of Ukraine's Defense Ministry and several banks marked the largest denial-of-service attack in the country's history, per Axios' Zachary Basu.

The Houston area had the biggest bump in Latino residents while the rate of Latino population grew fastest in three North Dakota counties, according to a new study.

Why it matters: The Pew Research Center analysis shows where the U.S. Latino population was booming and shifting as it reached 62.1 million in 2020 — 18.7% of the total U.S. population.

The number of encounters between border officials and migrants attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border fell last month to the lowest levels since last February when the surge began.

By the numbers: While it was the second-lowest monthly number on Biden's watch, the 154,000 migrant encounters last month was still abnormally high for the time of year. There were more border patrol arrests than any other January in over two decades, according to government data.

Daunte Wright's mother, Katie Wright, said Friday that the justice system "murdered" her son "all over again," after former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter was sentenced to two years for shooting the 20-year-old Black man.

The big picture: Potter, who is white, was sentenced to serve 16 months in prison and the rest on supervised release, Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu ruled.

A federal judge said Friday that people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot should receive more lenient sentences for assisting the Congressional investigations surrounding the attack, Politico reports.

Driving the news: "I think that that kind of cooperation is helpful to this country and is helpful to making amends for what occurred on Jan. 6," said Beryl Howell, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C.

A New York state trooper claimed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a top aide retaliated against her after she filed a lawsuit against him in federal court.

Driving the news: The trooper's attorneys amended their complaint on Friday and added Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi as a defendant after he called the lawsuit an effort to "extort" a settlement.

Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter has been sentenced to two years in prison for fatally shooting 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop last year.

The big picture: The sentence, which follows a jury's December conviction of Potter for first- and second-degree manslaughter, is 24 months under "the custody of the commissioner of corrections."

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday defended a resolution adopted by the Republican National Committee earlier this month that said those involved in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection were involved in "legitimate political discourse."

Why it matters: Pence's defense of the resolution during a speech at Stanford University exemplifies the divide within the Republican Party over how to define the riot carried out by a pro-Trump mob.

The White House unveiled a draft screening tool designed to guide efforts to ensure 40% of the benefits of federal investments in climate, clean energy and other areas flow to disadvantaged communities.

Why it matters: The beta version launched Friday is a key part of wider administration efforts on environmental justice — that is, addressing the disproportionate pollution burdens facing poor communities and people of color.

John Durham, the special counsel looking into the government's investigation of Russian election interference, distanced himself from reports in conservative media that a motion he filed last week implied Hillary Clinton's campaign paid to spy on Trump White House servers, according to the New York Times.

What they're saying: In a filing Thursday, Durham disavowed responsibility for how the filing was interpreted: "If third parties or members of the media have overstated, understated or otherwise misinterpreted facts contained in the government’s motion, that does not in any way undermine the valid reasons for the government’s inclusion of this information."

Even in turbulent times for President Biden's agenda, White House chief of staff Ron Klain got applause and lavish praise from Senate Democrats Thursday at a luncheon meeting at the Capitol.

The big picture: The conversation, which included other top West Wing officials, ranged from salvaging Build Back Better to the State of the Union on March 1 to the upcoming Supreme Court confirmation fight.

The hard-left politics of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and the so-called "Squad," once a dominant theme for vast numbers of elected Democrats, is backfiring big-time on the party in power, top Democrats tell us.

Why it matters: The push to defund the police, rename schools and tear down statues has created a significant obstacle to Democrats keeping control of the House, the Senate and the party’s overall image.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday announced plans to tackle the "next phase" of the COVID-19 pandemic, as cases in the state decline.

Why it matters: California is the first U.S. state to formally move toward an "endemic" approach to the coronavirus, under a strategy that focuses on a swift response to outbreaks and a shift away from pandemic mandates and business disruptions, per AP.

A state grand jury has indicted 19 Austin police officers related to their use of force during May 2020 protests over police brutality.

State of play: News of the indictment tally broke Thursday evening, hours after the Austin City Council unanimously agreed to give a combined $10 million to settle federal lawsuits with two men wounded by officers during May 2020 protests over police brutality.

A judge on Thursday set a Sept. 26 trial date to hear the D.C. attorney general's case against former President Trump's inaugural committee.

Why it matters: Attorney General Karl Racine's (D) office sued the committee in 2020 alleging that it misused over $1 million in payments to the Trump hotel in D.C. for event space during the president’s 2017 inauguration. That money went directly to the Trumps, the lawsuit claims.

Several Democratic senators facing re-election are looking past President Biden's stalled Build Back Better plans, ramping up other plans to try to ease voters' inflation fears.

Why it matters: They're making independent decisions to set themselves up for success in November, whether it's suspending the federal gas tax until 2023, extending homebuyers' deductions or other ideas.

U.S. governors from both parties are releasing a flurry of proposals as the political potency of inflation hits.

Why it matters: The lousy numbers — a U.S. inflation rate at its highest in four decades and prices up more than 7% over the past year — are coming not just at the start of a pivotal midterm election year but also at the start of the annual sessions for many state legislatures around the country.

Seven of the 12 new congressional district maps graded by the Princeton Gerrymandering Project and RepresentUs have received "F"s — including four passed by Democrats.

Why it matters: Both major parties engage in political gerrymandering — even if they favor different tactics to achieve their aims.

The chief judge presiding over D.C.'s federal court chastised the Republican Party on Thursday for describing the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as "legitimate political discourse," and appeared to lay some blame at the feet of prosecutors for perceptions surrounding the riot.

Driving the news: "A major political party has described what happened on Jan. 6 as legitimate political discourse," Judge Beryl Howell said during a hearing Thursday, per Law.com. "So it bears repeating again and again, this was not legitimate political discourse. This was not a protest."