Justice Clarence Thomas has been hospitalized after experiencing "flu-like symptoms," which are "not COVID-related," per an emailed U.S. Supreme Court statement on Sunday.
The big picture: The longest-serving U.S. Supreme Court justice was admitted to the Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., on Friday evening, and his symptoms are now abating, according to the statement.
The Biden administration is enlisting former Trump officials on Monday to convince Congress to pass legislation bolstering America’s semiconductor industry.
Why it matters: Officials believe the bill will make American manufacturing more competitive with China. By coordinating with Trump officials, the Biden team is trying to depoliticize and add urgency to the legislation.
The Democratic National Committee joined TikTok earlier this month, hoping to engage more with younger voters and test the benefits of the platform's viral videos for future campaigns, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: TikTok is the central place for Gen Z to get news, as Axios has reported. The Democrats are the first of the two national parties to join. It's already become the Democrats' highest-performing social platform for video views.
The founders of The Lincoln Project are helping unite over two dozen political groups as "The Union," aiming to mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers in legal, tech and communications capacities ahead of the midterms and 2024 election, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The goal is to fight against threats to democracy at the ballot box and beyond. Senior adviser Joe Trippi told Axios roughly 500 lawyers have asked to help, and many former local journalists have registered to assist with communications.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday criticized the Israeli government for not standing unequivocally on the side of Ukraine and against the Russia invasion during a virtual address to Israeli lawmakers.
Why it matters: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is one of the few leaders who is in contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has been passing messages between Putin and Zelensky in an attempt to reach a ceasefire.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hasn't decided whether he'll vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, he told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Why it matters: If confirmed, Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court and the first justice in decades to have significant experience representing criminal defendants.
President Biden's trip to Europe this week does not include plans to visit Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed in a tweet on Sunday.
Driving the news: The announcement comes after former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told CNN on Saturday that Biden should visit Ukraine during his trip as a "symbol of our solidarity."
The Jan. 6 committee is considering recommending enhanced criminal penalties for the "kind of supreme dereliction of duty that you saw with President Trump," Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
Driving the news: Cheney, who serves as the vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee, referenced Trump's refusal to "tell the mob to go home after he had provoked that attack on the Capitol."
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton this week visited a Ukrainian church in Chicago to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Driving the news: The former presidents placed sunflowers — the Ukrainian national flower — outside the Saints Volodymyr and Olha Catholic Church in Chicago, according to an Instagram video posted on Bush's page.
The White House considered giving Americans gas cards to help offset high prices, but faced strong opposition from congressional committees, which questioned the plan's viability and effectiveness.
Why it matters: The Biden administration is feeling political pressure from high energy costs, made worse by Western sanctions against Russia, and Democrats desperately want to offer some kind of policy response.
Driving the news: The group of 10 senators planned to meet with military leaders and NGO officials to learn more about how the U.S. can better support the region and its allies in the defensive alliance. It's the second congressional delegation to visit Europe in the last week.
The South Carolina Department of Corrections can now carry out executions by firing squad for death row inmates who choose the method, the department said Friday.
Why it matters: The state becomes just the fourth to allow the method, joining Mississippi, Utah and Oklahoma. Only three people have been executed by firing squad since 1976, according to NPR.
A rising number of law enforcement agencies are opting not to share statistics about hate crimes with the FBI — just as hate crimes are skyrocketing, according to U.S. Justice Department numbers.
The big picture: The decline in reporting hurts efforts to accurately document violence against Asian Americans, Black Americans, and LGBTQ+ people, advocates and DOJ officials say.
Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young, the longest-serving member of Congress in either party, has died, according to staffers and his family. He was 88.
Driving the news: “It’s with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce Congressman Don Young, the Dean of the House and revered champion for Alaska, passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved," Young's office said in a statement. "His beloved wife, Anne, was by his side."
The American Bar Association (ABA) said Friday that Ketanji Brown Jackson is "well qualified" — its highest rating — to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of her confirmation hearings next week.
Why it matters: The assessment is yet another point in favor of President Biden's nominee, who has garnered support from both Republicans and Democrats. If confirmed, she'd be the first Black woman to serve as Supreme Court justice in U.S. history and the first in decades with significant experience representing criminal defendants.
