Axios

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed Thursday a bill that contains language attempting to restrict concepts related to race.

Why it matters: The legislation, part of a wave of backlash against critical race theory, instructs public schools to teach students curricula that align with certain ideals, including: "An individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, does not bear responsibility for actions committed by other members of the same race or sex."

Former First Lady Michelle Obama joined other Black women leaders in commemorating Ketanji Brown Jackson's historic confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, thanking Jackson for giving Black girls and women "a future we can all be hopeful for."

Why it matters: Jackson will be the first Black woman to ever serve on the nation's highest court, and the first justice to have served as a public defender.

Vice President Kamala Harris gave an assignment to the Senate’s two Black Democrats as she presided over the vote to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court: write a letter to a young Black woman in your life.

Why it matters: The encounter underscores the personal significance of the moment for Harris, Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), as well as members of the Congressional Black Caucus — many of whom also were present for Thursday's historic vote.

Democrats are discussing how they might preempt Republican efforts to block President Biden from filling a Supreme Court vacancy should the GOP regain the Senate in the midterms.

Why it matters: While Democrats succeeded in getting Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to commit during an Axios interview to filling any more seats if he becomes majority leader next year.

Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

Why it matters: Both attended the confirmation vote of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon. Warnock was spotted huddling with Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) as the vote took place.

The United States has shipped over 50 million bullets — not just bigger Stinger and Javelin missiles — as it rushes lethal aid to Ukraine for its war with Russia, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: While members of Congress question the speed of the Pentagon's support for Ukraine's war effort, the Defense Department has sent a fact sheet to Capitol Hill detailing not only what it's done — but how fast.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during an Axios NewsShapers interview with Jonathan Swan on Thursday that he has "an obligation" to support former President Trump if he's the Republican nominee in 2024.

The big picture: Through half an hour of persistent questioning, McConnell again and again showed his absolute loyalty to the party.

It’s official: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be a Supreme Court justice, following a 53-47 confirmation vote in the Senate on Thursday.

Why it matters: She’ll be the first Black female justice in the court’s history, and the first justice to have served as a public defender. But as a member of the court’s diminished liberal wing, Jackson will likely be on the losing end of a lot of big cases for a long time.

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday filed a motion to hold former President Trump in contempt of court for refusing to turn over evidence as part of her office's civil investigation into the Trump Organization's financial dealings.

What they're saying: "Despite a crystal clear order from the court, Donald Trump has refused to turn over documents as part of our investigation into him and the Trump Organization's financial dealings," James tweeted.

Advocates want the Biden administration to declare 7,000 acres outside El Paso, Texas, a national monument to give Mexican Americans and others in the area needed public space for hiking and other outdoor activities.

The big picture: Castner Range, a former U.S. Army artillery training facility, sits in desert terrain, and conservation advocates for decades have been trying to preserve it for public use.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday defended Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' decision to not recuse himself despite wife Ginni Thomas' activism to overturn the 2020 election.

Driving the news: "I have complete confidence in Justice Thomas ... I have total confidence in his judgment, about when he should sit," McConnell told Axios' Jonathan Swan.

Ninety-three countries on Thursday voted to suspend Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council over reported atrocities in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha and other places in Ukraine.

Why it matters: Russia is the first permanent member of the UN Security Council to have its membership revoked from any UN body, per AP.

Union representation petitions filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have surged by 57% in the last sixth months, the agency said Wednesday.

Why it matters: The increase suggests that workers are increasingly seeking to organize as unionization efforts against large corporations, like Amazon and Starbucks, have seen success.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, according to a statement.

Driving the news: "After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic," Drew Hammill, Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, wrote in a tweet.

Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Thursday sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland arguing that the Justice Department is "obstructing" its investigation into former President Trump's handling of White House records.

Driving the news: The committee's majority had asked the National Archives and Records Administration to provide "a detailed description" of the records that the agency had retrieved from Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. However, National Archivist David Ferriero said that after consulting with the DOJ, NARA could not "provide any comment" on the records.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during an Axios NewsShapers interview with Jonathan Swan that he’d be obligated to support former President Trump despite the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol if the GOP renominates him for president in 2024.

Why it matters: McConnell had not previously been pressed on the contradiction between his Senate floor comments in February of 2021 saying Trump was "morally responsible" for January 6th, followed two weeks later by saying he’d "absolutely" support Trump as nominee.

President Biden's sister, Valerie Biden Owens, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to a statement.

Driving the news: "She did not have close contact with the president or First Lady prior to her positive test today," according to the statement, which also said that she tested positive "after experiencing mild symptoms."

Most political pundits expect at least one house of Congress to switch hands this fall, and there could be more power shifts in 2024.

• But one thing won't change, no matter which political party is in charge: antipathy toward big business, which often manifests as antitrust enforcement.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that the Republican Party will home in on domestic energy production as a policy priority in 2023.

Driving the news: "We’re going to do everything we can do to push this administration into domestic energy production," McConnell told Axios’ Jonathan Swan during an exclusive interview.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Thursday filed a lawsuit to protect the right to having an abortion under the state's Constitution even if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

Driving the news: Michigan has a 1931 abortion ban that criminalizes the procedure in the state that has been dormant since Roe went into effect in 1973. However, the ban is still part of the state's penal code, and now Whitmer is asking the Michigan Supreme Court to officially deem it as unconstitutional and to recognize abortion rights under the state's Constitution.

Former President Trump on Thursday denied claims from Alabama Senate candidate Mo Brooks (R) that he asked the congressman to help remove President Biden from office.

Catch up fast: After Trump withdrew his endorsement for Brooks, the Senate candidate said that Trump asked him to "rescind the 2020 elections" and to "immediately remove Joe Biden from the White House."

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that it's his responsibility to steer the Republican Party's response against Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Driving the news: "I think we have a moral obligation. We have a strategic obligation. It is in our best interest to be helping the Ukrainians and I think they're an inspiration to all of us," McConnell said during an exclusive interview with Axios national political correspondent Jonathan Swan.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that he won't commit to hearings for a potential Supreme Court nominee if he's the Senate Majority Leader leading up to the 2024 election.

Driving the news: The Senate minority leader told Axios’ Jonathan Swan that he won't "put the cart before the horse," but would expect President Biden to moderate if Republicans retake Congress.

"I remember his eyes. I wish I didn’t," Valerie Biden Owens writes in a new memoir, "Growing Up Biden," describing the moment when her brother — Joe Biden, barely 30 and just elected to the U.S. Senate — understood that his wife and baby daughter had been killed in a car accident.

Why it matters: No one knows President Biden better than his sister, his closest lifelong confidant, supporter and adviser. Her book, out Tuesday, is her story — but it's chockablock with new insights about her big brother.

This is an excerpt from "Growing Up Biden: A Memoir," by Valerie Biden Owens — President Biden's sister and one of his closest confidants. The book will be out Tuesday.

The big picture: Owens describes the night Joe Biden's wife and daughter died in a car crash. Biden had just been elected to the Senate, and took his oath of office in the hospital.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) declared on the Senate floor last night that the reported atrocities in Bucha, Ukraine, amount to "genocide," and he condemned Vladimir Putin as "pure evil."

What they're saying: "When we murder wantonly innocent civilians because of who they are, whether it be their religion, their race, their nationality — that is genocide. And Mr. Putin is guilty of it," Schumer said.

A ribbon-cutting, a press conference, a meeting with enraged constituents — there are just so many places a mayor might want to look their best.

That's why Route Fifty, a news website for state and local government leaders, decided to publish a list of the nation's 10 most fashionable mayors, based on the results of a reader survey and "input from expert fashion judges."

They are, in alphabetical order:

• Eric Adams of New York. "He is often seen donning classic suits, but sported a chic look at New York Fashion Week this year, wearing a blue coat with an eye-catching paisley pattern," Route Fifty noted.
• Justin Bibb of Cleveland. His "laid-back but refined millennial sensibilities come across in his style — from hoodies and bomber jackets to suits."
• London Breed of San Francisco. "Even during her standard daily duties, Breed always manages to wear chic clothing that can stand out in a crowd."
• LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans. "For this year’s Mardi Gras, Cantrell shined with a red sparkly jumpsuit that could get anyone in a festive mood."
• Andre Dickens of Atlanta. "From plaid to stripes to classic black, grays and navy blues," he "may have the largest collection of suits of all the nominees."
• Jacob Frey of Minneapolis. "Overall, Frey's style might be summed up as 'Midwest chic.'"
• Tishaura Jones of St. Louis. Her style is "classy, modern [and] professional," with "jaw-dropping outfits."
• Mattie Parker of Fort Worth, Texas. Her "funky fresh cowgirl look" often "consists of brightly colored outfits."
• Regina Romero of Tucson. "Even when digging a hole on a construction site, Regina Romero still manages to be one of the best dressed at the event, with a fiery red jacket complementing classic black pants."
• Michelle Wu of Boston. "You are likely to see Wu in darker colors such as blacks and blues" or a "forest green dress (with a muted pattern and a tasteful puff sleeve) ... accented perfectly by the flash of a silver necklace."

A fox responsible for nine confirmed bites on Capitol Hill tested positive for rabies on Wednesday after it was euthanized, according to D.C. Health.

The latest: The rampant fox was the talk of the Hill after it reportedly bit two people on Monday, including a lawmaker and a reporter. It was captured by animal control Tuesday in possibly one of the quickest investigations in Capitol Hill history.

Congress is on the cusp of eliminating the federal sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine crimes, which has led to the disproportionate incarceration of Black people — and whose elimination would free thousands from prison.

Why it matters: Republican receptiveness to this targeted legislation is an indication of the potential for bipartisan criminal justice reform, despite the GOP's law-and-order posture and "tough-on-crime" rhetoric.

Five Democratic and six Republican senators will introduce a new bill on Thursday that would prevent the Biden administration from lifting Title 42 without a detailed plan in place to stop an expected surge of migrants at the border.

Why it matters: The administration's plans to end the Trump-era COVID-19 immigration ban by May 23 were immediately met with scathing criticism from lawmakers in both parties. They fear the announcement will trigger a mass migration event.