The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack plans to send new requests this week for members of Congress to provide testimony, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the committee's chairman, said Thursday.
Why it matters: Documents and testimony already turned over to the panel reveals some Republicans in Congress interfaced with the Trump administration extensively on strategies to overturn the election.
The deputy White House communications director, Pili Tobar, is departing her role for the private sector, a White House official told Axios.
Why it matters: Tobar’s departure is one of several reported in recent weeks as the administration completes its first year and the White House braces for a difficult midterm season. White House press secretary Jen Psaki is reportedly heading to MSNBC.
President Biden said Thursday that his administration is looking at ways to reduce "some" federal student loan debt.
Why it matters: However, he said specifically his administration is not planning to forgive up to $50,000 per borrower, a figure repeatedly proposed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Democrats.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Monday appealed his conviction for the murder of George Floyd, court documents show.
Driving the news: Chauvin's attorneys arguethe jury was swayed by Black Lives Matter protests at the time when it convicted Chauvin, and that media reports before the trial intimidated jurors into making that decision.
President Biden announced Thursday that his administration sent Congress a supplemental request for an additional $33 billion for humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine to help the country thwart Russia's unprovoked invasion.
Why it matters: The proposal would be a major increase in U.S. funding for Ukraine if passed by Congress, coming on top of the $13.6 billion in assistance that the U.S. allocated the country last month.
The White House unveiled a proposed legislative package on Thursday that would allow the federal government to sell assets seized from Russian oligarchs over the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine and use the proceeds for military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Why it matters: The U.S. has already seized million of dollars in assets from wealthy Russians with close ties to President Vladimir Putin. It and other governments are hoping that financial pressure on those individuals will translate into political pressure on Putin, potentially curtailing his power.
Why it matters: Trump tapped Berman for U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York — an office that has historically moved independently of the White House — after firing Preet Bharara.
Amid bitter partisanship in the capital, rampant inflation across the country and a war raging in Ukraine, nearly two dozen women senators broke bread Tuesday night — and, Axios has learned, politics was decidedly off the menu.
Why it matters: The bipartisan chicken dinner in the Capitol — organized by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) — was a throwback to the kind of camaraderie whose loss is often lamented in modern-day politics.
The loss of humid tropical rainforests continued at a blistering pace in 2021, contributing 2.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to the annual fossil fuel co2 emissions of India – the world's fourth largest emitter, an authoritative new report finds.
Why it matters: The report, put together by Global Forest Watch and the University of Maryland, shows the stark challenge of reining in forest loss.
Russia has made about $66 billion in fossil fuel sales in the two months since its forces invaded Ukraine, according to a new study by an independent research group.
Why it matters: The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air's report indicates that Russia has almost doubled its revenues in sales of oil, gas and coal since Putin's forces began attacking Ukraine on Feb. 24, the Guardian notes.
The U.S. has "credible information" that a Russian military unit in Ukraine's Donetsk region "executed Ukrainians who were attempting to surrender, rather than take them into custody," a top American official told the United Nations Wednesday.
What they're saying: "If true, this would be a violation of a core principle of the laws of war," said Beth Van Schaack, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice in remarks to the UN Security Council.
Measles cases jumped 79% globally in 2022 compared to the same period last year, United Nations health experts warned Wednesday.
Why it matters: The rise in January and February "is a worrying sign of a heightened risk for the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases," per a joint statement from the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
The House passed a bill on Wednesday urging President Biden to sell off frozen assets belonging to Russian oligarchs, including a fleet of multimillion-dollar luxury yachts, which have been seized by federal authorities.
A former Liberty University student has accused the school of failing to investigate her claim of rape and allegedly retaliating against her for reporting it, according to a lawsuit filed on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Twelve women filed a suit against Liberty University last year, accusing the school of failing to help victims of sexual assault and allegedly making the campus more dangerous through its responses, the Washington Post writes. Liberty officials at the time said the allegations were "deeply troubling, if they turn out to be true."
A Republican Tennessee lawmaker faced backlash Wednesday after saying on the state House floor that he would burn books that are deemed inappropriate for school libraries, the Tennessean reports.
Why it matters: Book burning is a common feature in authoritarian regimes and was a notable practice in Nazi Germany, where over 25,000 books were set aflame after they were designated "un-German," according to the U.S. Holocaust Museum.
A new political group affiliated with the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is spending significant sums to boost more moderate Democrats in four closely watched House primaries, records show.
Why it matters: New TV ad buys from the group, dubbed the United Democracy Project, are upping the stakes in proxy fights between the Democrats' moderate and progressive factions. Behind the scenes is a fight over U.S.-Israel policy.
Republican incumbents and candidates facing competitive primaries are abandoning their pasts and turning to scorched-earth, socially focused campaigns to head off conservative rivals.
Why it matters: The trend underscores how former President Trump primed his base to demand GOP lawmakers mirror his aggressive tactics — and how his core voters are angrier than ever with him out of office.
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