Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on Sunday said he's doubtful negotiations to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal will prove successful.
Why it matters: An agreement between the U.S. and Iran appeared imminent in early March. But negotiations have since reached a stalemate over the U.S.'s refusal to remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the Iranian military, from its list of foreign terrorist organizations, according to Politico.
The number of women of color holding senior staff roles in Congress trails the general population by a factor of three.
Why it matters: While the membership of Congress is getting more diverse, the senior staff making the most important policy decisions remains largely white and male. That limits the perspectives driving the debate.
Democrats are starting to fight back against the bludgeoning they've taken since the Republicans seized on socially charged issues to help win this fall's midterms.
Why it matters: Recent research has shown the barrage of "culture war" messaging — on everything from critical race theory to bashing LGBTQ communities — is working, and Democrats now realize they can't ignore it any longer. They want to make 2022 a referendum on MAGA nation and its agenda.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) had a tense back-and-forth with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during a closed-door lunch last Thursday over the Biden administration’s efforts to address nutrition in minority communities, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: The heated exchange, which left some senators stunned, is an indication Booker — who, like Joe Biden, ran for president in 2020 — isn’t going to be shy about challenging Biden officials on issues about which he feels strongly.
Tucker Carlson,the highest ratedhost in cable news, told Axios he hasn't read a word of this weekend's New York Times series about him — "and of course won't."
Why it matters: Despite Carlson's claim he won't read the opus, his team believes the scrutiny from The Times will only make his rabid fans more rabidly loyal.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that his message to migrants hoping to come to the U.S. southern border is "do not come."
Why it matters: Mayorkas' remarks come amid plans by the Biden administration to lift the pandemic-era public health policy Title 42 in May, which is expected to result in a surge in migration at the border.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday he's considering running for the Republican nomination for president in 2024 and would not be deterred if former President Trump entered the race.
What he's saying: Hutchinson said he's considering running when asked on CNN's "State of the Union", adding "you've got to get through, of course, this year, but that's an option that's on the table."
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), one of two Republicans serving on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, said he would "love" to see former Vice President Mike Pence appear before the committee.
Why it matters: Pence is considered a key witness into what former President Trump was doing during the insurrection.
President Biden's job approval rating has improved slightly over the past two months, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll indicates, though he and Democrats still face challenges ahead of the midterms.
By the numbers: Biden's approval rating stands at 42% per the poll, five points up from February's version of the same poll. His disapproval rating decreased since February by three points to 52%.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday led a congressional delegation to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
Why it matters: The visit is a reflection of the growing pressure for the U.S. to send high-level officials to Kyiv, after recent visits by U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the prime ministers of Spain and Denmark.
President Biden addressed the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner, as the event returned after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Why it matters: He's the first U.S. president to attend the usually annual gathering of journalists, politicos and celebrities since Barack Obama in 2016 — something Biden acknowledged in his speech, following up with a dig at his predecessor, former President Trump.
Few people in the U.S. know much about Asian American history beyond Chinese migrants building railroads and Japanese American detention during WWII. Advocates hope attention to an 1898 Supreme Court ruling changes that.
Why it matters: The Wong Kim Ark case affirmed that American-born people of Asian descent were U.S. citizens — giving protections to millions of Asian Americans, Latinos and even Native Americans decades later. It's an overlooked example of how Asian American civil rights fights transformed the nation.
Comedian Trevor Noah brought the roast to the White House Correspondents' Association dinner as it returned for the first time in two years following a pandemic-induced break — taking aim at outlets including CNN, Fox News and Axios.
The big picture: The WHCA headliner, who also skewered political figures on both sides of the aisle, began by saying it's a "great honor" to be at "the nation's most distinguished superspreader event" — noting that NIAID director Anthony Fauci had dropped out of the event. "That should have been a pretty big sign," Noah said.
Ukrainian officials said Saturday that over 250 cultural institutions have been "damaged or destroyed" and thousands of artifacts looted since Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24, per the New York Times.
The big picture: Among the items Putin's forces are accused of stealing are ancient Scythian gold objects from "one of the largest and most expensive collections in Ukraine," in the Russian-occupied Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia, said the southeastern city's mayor, Ivan Fedorov.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is appearing in a campaign ad for Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) as the congressman seeks to stave off a Republican primary challenge from the Trump-endorsed Rep. Alex Mooney (W.Va.).
What he's saying: "David McKinley has always opposed reckless spending because it doesn't make sense for West Virginia," Manchin says in the 30-second video ad, released on Friday.
