President Biden signed into law Wednesday legislation to install statues honoring the first two women to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on Capitol Hill.
Why it matters: Both women faced significant obstacles and discrimination in their paths to the nation's highest court and helped pave the way for future generations in an institution dominated by men.
Commercial truckers bringing in produce and other goods from Mexico are protesting a new rule by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott requiring additional inspection, resulting in extremely long wait times and the shutdown of at least one border crossing.
The latest: Abbott announced Wednesday that he will end the mandate at the Laredo border crossing to Nuevo León after Nuevo León Gov. Samuel García agreed to bolster border security in Mexico. Other ports of entry must continue to adhere to the order, which the Texas Trucking Association slammed earlier in the day.
President Biden announced Wednesday that he has approved the transfer of helicopters, artillery systems and armored vehicles as part of a package of $800 million in additional military aid to Ukraine.
Why it matters: The U.S. and its European allies are drastically ramping up the scale and scope of their military assistance ahead of a massive Russian offensive in the eastern Donbas region, which officials believe will dictate the trajectory of the rest of the war.
The 62-year-old man wanted in connection to the Brooklyn subway mass shooting was arrested in Manhattan's East Village, the New York City Police Department announced Wednesday.
The big picture: Frank R. James was stopped on the street and arrested by NYPD officers on Wednesday afternoon who responded to a Crime Stoppers tip. He was taken into custody "without incident" and will be transported to an NYPD facility, according to New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
Russia has imposed sanctions on 398 members of the U.S. House, Russia's Foreign Ministry announced in a statement Wednesday.
Why it matters: The sanctions mark yet another escalation in reprisals from Russia in response to mounting U.S. sanctions over the unprovoked invasion in Ukraine.
The Department of Justice said Wednesday that the Springfield, Massachusetts, Police Department has entered into a "court enforceable consent decree" to mandate reforms within the department.
Why it matters: This marks the first consent decree launched by the DOJ on policing since Attorney General Merrick Garland reversed a Trump-era policy that limited the use of these kind of agreements to change police departments and government agencies.
President Biden is planning to pressure Congress to pass an innovation and competition bill that would boost the semiconductor industry, among others, when he travels to Greensboro, N.C., on Thursday, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The administration knows voters want to see it taking action on inflation and supply-chain issues. It’s especially cognizant of the effect raising food and gas prices are having on voters’ pocketbooks in the buildup to this fall's midterms.
Former President Trump's Save America PAC has given half a million dollars to the Get Georgia Right PAC, which is working to unseat incumbent Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
The CEOs of the four biggest U.S. beef producers — Cargill, Tyson, JBS and National Beef Packing — will testify before the House Agriculture Committee on rising meat price, Chair David Scott (D-Ga.) announced Wednesday.
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey and the U.S. recently announced the launch of a "strategic mechanism" aimed at repairing relations and unlocking potential cooperation in areas of defense, the economy and counter-terrorism.
Why it matters: Relations between the two NATO allies have been strained in recent years over a number of issues, including Turkey’s purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defense systems, U.S. support for the Kurds in Syria and human rights issues.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was removed from North Carolina's voter roll on Monday, the North Carolina State Board of Election confirmed to Axios on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The move comes amid an investigation into Meadows for alleged voter fraud related to his voter registration.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's new rule to inspect northbound vehicles for "causing significant disruptions."
Driving the news: "Gov. Abbott’s unnecessary and redundant inspections of trucks ... are causing significant disruptions to the food and automobile supply chains, delaying manufacturing, impacting jobs and raising prices for families in Texas and across the country," Psaki said in a statement Wednesday.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday that the 62-year-old man who police described as a "person of interest" in the Brooklyn subway shooting that left at least 23 people injured is now considered a suspect.
Why it matters: Police are searching for Frank R. James, the renter of a U-Haul van found abandoned in Brooklyn after the shooting on Tuesday. Adams told Bloomberg that James was named a suspect "based on a briefing from my law enforcement officials and the evidence that we were able to accumulate."
Pennsylvania Republican Dave McCormick's U.S. Senate campaign raised more than $4.3 million in the first three months of the year, his campaign tells Axios.
Why it matters: That substantial haul leaves McCormick in a strong position to compete ahead of a May 17 primary in which his chief rival, celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, scored former President Trump's endorsement last week.
A prominent Russian opposition activist and Washington Post contributor who denounced the invasion of Ukraine was sentenced to 15 days in jail in Moscow Tuesday for "disobeying a police order," per NPR.
Why it matters: U.S. officials and the Washington Post are calling for the release of Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was detained near his Moscow home on Monday — hours after CNN published an interview with the reportedly twice-poisoned Putin critic in which he called the Kremlin "a regime of murderers."
National Security Council officials are discussing releasing a first-ever White House action plan for global water security, a source with direct knowledge of the plan tells Axios.
Why it matters: Climate change, border conflicts, cyber threats and inefficient agricultural practices threaten humanity’s future supply. External conflicts over water pose a threat to national security, as well as international relations.
