The White House will not assert executive privilege over Jared Kushner's or Ivanka Trump's testimony to the committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said Tuesday.
Driving the news: Kushner is expected to appear voluntarily before the committee this week, according to CNN. The panel had asked Ivanka Trump, who is married to Kushner, to cooperate with the investigation as well.
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday said during an interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin "should release" any information on alleged dealings between Hunter Biden and the widow of a late Moscow mayor.
Flashback: The interview, with far-right television show “Just the News,” is the latest example of Trump pushing unvetted claims about a political rival. Trump was impeached in 2019 for asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to dig up dirt on then-Democratic presidential opponent Joe Biden and his son.
House Democrats are split over how to approach what they mostly agree is a clear conflict of interest for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Why it matters: Thomas has thus far resisted calls to recuse himself from election-related cases amid revelations about the activism of his wife, Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, before the Jan. 6 insurrection. One remedy would be impeachment — a long shot, as well as a rarity in the nation's history.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking his war on COVID restrictions to the skies.
Driving the news: DeSantis announced Tuesday that Florida is leading 20 other states in a lawsuit against the Biden administration's transportation mask mandate.
PBS is re-broadcasting a documentary on the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots — one of the most violent race riots in Los Angeles history.
Why it matters: The Zoot Suit Riots served as a crucial moment in Mexican American history, highlighting the often-overlooked racial violence Latinos faced.
A majority of Mexican Americans polled say they are comfortable with the term "Latinx" while nearly two out of three Central Americans say they are not, according to an Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo.
House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl Grijalva (D.-Ariz.) slammed the CEOs of three major oil companies for refusing to testify at a Natural Resources Committee hearing scheduled for April 5.
Why it matters: The hearing would have examined the fossil fuel industry’s failure to help stabilize gas prices during the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Grijalva said in a statement.
The next batch of U.S. sanctions on Russia will target yet another sector of the country's economy by zeroing in on supply chains, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
Why it matters: In the wake of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and its allies have instituted a slew sanctions against Russia, including those targeting Russian politicians and oligarchs and major Russian banks.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told CNN that he believes NATO members would have to "rethink" whether they can rely on the United States to defend other countries if former President Trump is re-elected.
Why it matters: Trump throughout his term repeatedly criticized NATO as one-sided and bad for America — even describing it as "obsolete" at one point — raising fears among European allies that he would either make U.S. involvement conditional or pull the country out of the defensive alliance altogether.
London's Metropolitan Police confirmed to Axios Tuesday 20 fines will be issued for people who attended lockdown-defying parties at Downing Street and Whitehall government offices in the United Kingdom, but it won't identify who will receive them.
Why it matters: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized for attending at least one party during a strict lockdown in May 2020 and faced calls to resign, even from members of his ruling Conservative Party, over the gatherings.
A year after six Dr. Seuss books were shelved for racist imagery, the family franchise is doing better than ever.
Why it matters: A proactive campaign by Dr. Seuss Enterprises — the private company that manages the work of the late Theodor Seuss Geisel— to address Dr. Seuss' fractured history on race is paying off.
Ukrainian and Russian officials met in Istanbul on Tuesday for the first in-person peace talks in almost three weeks, as fighting continued across Ukraine.
What they're saying: Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told reporters afterward a key issue in discussions "was the agreement on international security guarantees" for Ukraine. "Only with this agreement we can end the war as Ukraine needs," he said.
Peru's President Pedro Castillo survived an impeachment push from opposition lawmakers eight months into his term after they failed to secure enough votes to remove him from office on Monday night.
Driving the news: Opposition lawmakers in Congress accused the socialist leader of "moral incapacity," saying he faces "three preliminary investigations into possible corruption," per AP.
The Jan. 6 select committee on Monday voted unanimouslyto recommend two former Trump aides be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with their subpoenas.
Why it matters: The panel has continued to use contempt of Congress as its tool of choice to compel testimony from intractable or even hostile witnesses, particularly those in Trump's orbit.
Jan. 6 Select Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said Monday that former President Trump was warned of the possibility of violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Why it matters: The committee is tipping its hand as it seeks to paint a picture of a president who knowingly and willfully put lawmakers at risk in pursuit of overturning the election.
Republican Senate campaigns in places like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Alabama are among those attracting the most spending from special-interest groups and political actions committees this cycle, according to financial data compiled by OpenSecrets.
Why it matters: Super PACs, nonprofits and party committees can pump unlimited sums into key states and districts to boost a candidate or wound an opponent.
A federal judge's statement that Donald Trump "more likely than not" committed felony obstruction with his attempt to overturn the 2020 election is significant — but not the same as saying the former president should be convicted of a felony.
Why it matters: Despite the fervent hopes of Trump's critics, the statement by U.S. District Judge David Carter is unlikely to materially increase the chances of a Trump indictment, informed observers told Axios.
Driving the news: The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences said earlier on Monday that it condemns Smith's actions. Smith, who won the Oscar for Best Actor on Sunday night, will be subject to a formal review.
House progressives who often get out front of the Democratic Party are floating the prospect of an eventual effort to impeach Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Why it matters: Several House and Senate Democrats have called on Thomas to recuse himself from Jan. 6 and 2020 election-related cases because of the activism of his wife, Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, but this is the first time impeachment has been floated.
