Finland, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia, is "highly likely" to join NATO despite the Russian government's threats to deploy nuclear weapons, Finnish Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen said in an interview with Sky News on Friday.
Why it matters: The American Library Association tracked over 729 attempted bans of 1,597 books in 2021. Many of these bans target topics related to race, LGBTQ issues and history.
Former President Trump on Fridayendorsed Republican JD Vance in Ohio's Senate primary.
Driving the news: Trump in recent days began calling donors and advisers to weigh a Vance endorsement but held off after pressure from the GOP campaigns of Josh Mandel and Jane Timken, who had attempted to dissuade him from the endorsement, NBC News reported.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced Friday that he will rescind his order to inspect all trucks at the southern border after reaching an agreement with all four neighboring Mexican states.
Why it matters: The additional inspections, which Abbott implemented in response to what he called the Biden administration's inability to stem illegal immigration, caused fierce backlash and led to extremely long wait times and the shutdown of at least one border crossing.
Attorneys for Melissa Lucio, who could become the first Latina to be executed in modern-day Texas history, have asked the state's highest criminal court to stop the execution and vacate her sentence and conviction.
Driving the news: The application was filed Friday with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. It argues new evidence shows Lucio didn't kill her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah. Lucio's execution is scheduled for April 27.
Former Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt on Friday filed to run for a U.S. Senate seat in Oklahoma.
Driving the news: Pruitt is running for the seat currently held by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) who announced in February that he would be retiring at the end of the year.
Why it matters: It's the second year in a row that Biden released his tax returns —after former President Trump refused to do so throughout his presidency.
Tutoring companies are swarming to grab some of the tens of billions of federal dollars doled out to America's schools meant to help kids to catch up after pandemic-related setbacks.
Why it matters: Many of these companies have unproven methods and offer online tutoring — the same type of learning that left kids behind in the thick of the pandemic, the Wall Street Journal reports.
In a reversal of a lower court decision, former Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa) qualifies for the Democratic primary ballot, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday.
Why it matters: The unanimous ruling allows Finkenauer to continue her campaign for the Democratic nomination for the Iowa Senate seat and a chance to challenge longtime Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Two Republican members of Congress repeatedly pressed former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for evidence of widespread voter fraud before turning skeptical of former President Trump's election conspiracies, texts reported by CNN reveal.
Why it matters: The texts from Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) in the aftermath of the 2020 election highlight the winding road some Trump loyalists took to opposing election objections on Jan. 6.
Cameroonians living in the U.S. will be eligible to receive temporary protected status for 18 months, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday.
Driving the news: DHS said it granted the designation to Cameroonians for the first time because of the "humanitarian crisis" caused by conflict between the country's government forces and armed separatists. The department also cited a "significant rise" in attacks from terrorist group Boko Haram.
President Biden is not scheduled to visit Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday.
Driving the news: "He is ready for anything. The man likes a fast car, some aviators — he's ready to go to Ukraine," Psaki said on the "Pod Save America" podcast. But, she added, "we are not sending the president to Ukraine."
Military setbacks and "potential desperation" could prompt Russian President Vladimir Putin to use "tactical" or "low-yield" nuclear weapons against Ukraine, CIA Director William Burns warned during a speech at Georgia Tech on Thursday.
Why it matters: So-called "tactical" nuclear weapons are considered "low-yield" only because other nuclear weapons have become unimaginably powerful. Any nuclear strike against Ukraine would be far more powerful and devastating than any conventional attack.
The Department of Education will soon take new actions to tackle student debt and address longstanding issues with paying off federal student loans, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The move comes as the Biden administration struggles with growing calls to cancel student debt. The moratorium on federal student loan payments has been extended through August, but lawmakers like Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are pushing the White House to cancel $50,000 in debt per borrower.
The Republican National Committee is threatening legal action against the former chair of the Virgin Islands GOP, who for years has used the post to rake in money spent less on candidates than political consultants and fundraising vendors.
Driving the news: The RNC's general counsel sent a cease-and-desist letter on Wednesday to John Canegata. The former territorial party chairman continues to represent himself as its leader despite being forced out by the national party.
Pennsylvania swing voters in our Axios Engagious/Schlesinger focus group strongly favored ramping up domestic oil drilling in response to rising gas prices.
Why it matters: The COVID-19 economy and war in Ukraine have driven up fill-ups. Republicans trying to retake Congress say President Biden's approach to energy and environmental regulation also are to blame — and say if they win back power, they'll push to increase domestic oil production.
No matter what happens with Elon Musk's hostile bid for Twitter, the political megaphone is up for grabs in a way we've never seen before.
Why it matters: No single company does more to drive moment-to-moment political conversation. For all its toxicity and biases, Twitter is politicians' first stop for breaking news and shaping views.
