Most Americans in recent polls think Roe v. Wade should be upheld but have no absolute position on abortion, saying it should either be mostly legal or mostly illegal.
The big picture: Years of polling have shown that Americans recognize gray areas in a way that you'd never hear about if you just listened to the politicians and the activists.
U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore suspended all prescribed fires on land owned by the federal government on Friday, citing extreme fire danger, recent burn escapes and a need to review the service's prescribed fire protocols.
Why it matters: The Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak Fire in New Mexico in part caused by a prescribed burn escaping containment amid gusty winds in early April and joining with a separate wildfire.
Why it matters: The maps largely retain a key feature of the preliminary maps which had national Democrats in crisis mode this week: a slew of competitive districts that set the party back in its quest to keep the House.
As the Supreme Court seems poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, Native American women are sounding the alarm about how it would disproportionately endanger their lives.
Why it matters: Advocates fear overturning Roe would lead to a flood of unsafe abortions, health problems and deaths for Native American women, who suffer some of the highest rates of sexual violence in the U.S. and are two times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.
Why it matters: UkrainianProsecutor General Iryna Venediktova told the U.S. Helsinki Commission earlier this month that Russia has committed nearly 10,000 war crimes over the course of the war. A compensation deal would show aggressors that they will be held accountable for their actions at the international level, Zelensky said.
The U.S. must mobilize against a growing "epidemic of hate" amid record-breaking hate crimes, Vice President Harris said Friday at an event celebrating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
Pennsylvania state Rep. Summer Lee has emerged victorious in the Democratic primary for an open U.S. House seat in Pennsylvania, according to the Associated Press.
Why it matters: The result marks another win for progressives this week in a pitched nationwide battle with more establishment Democrats for ideological control of the party.
A federal judge has blocked the Biden administration from ending Title 42 — a controversial border policy that has allowed officials to rapidly turn back migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border nearly 2 million times.
Why it matters: The administration had planned to end the policy on Monday. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have decried the end of the policy — implemented as public health initiative under the Trump administration to block migrants from coming during the pandemic — out of concern that ending Title 42 would exacerbate already record numbers at the border.
The Jan. 6 select committee is requesting testimony from Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), the panel announced Thursday.
Why it matters: The request comes as the panel's members have become increasingly willing to seek information from their colleagues. They even went as far as to subpoena five House Republicans earlier this month.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has been barred from receiving communion until she ends her support for abortion, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said Friday.
Driving the news: "After numerous attempts to speak with Speaker Pelosi to help her understand the grave evil she is perpetrating, the scandal she is causing, an the danger to her own soul she is risking, I have determined that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion," Cordileone, the archbishop of San Francisco, tweeted of the California Democrat.
Elon Musk met with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday to discuss connectivity and other technology projects ahead of Brazil's election.
Why it matters: Musk traveled to Brazil as part of his satellite internet service Starlink's expansion in the region. The visit comes as Musk is increasingly engaged with global politicians, especially conservative leaders.
A federal judge on Friday sanctioned MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell for what the judge called "frivolous" claims against Smartmatic Corp.
Driving the news: "The Court agrees with Smartmatic that Lindell has asserted at least some groundless claims," U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols wrote in the ruling.
COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on virtually everyaspect of America's public schools and now parents are pulling their kids out of the system all together.
Why it matters: With school funding directly tied to enrollment, experts warn that the decline in students may carry deeper repercussions, with some schools potentially forced to close completely.
A Florida appeals court on Friday reinstated a new congressional map backed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, allowing the controversial new district boundaries to take effect for now.
Driving the news: "Based on a preliminary review, the court has determined there is a high likelihood that the temporary injunction is unlawful, because by awarding a preliminary remedy to the appellees' on their claim, the order 'frustrated the status quo, rather than preserved it,'" the appeals court said.
Former President Trump has paid $110,000 in fees he owed after being held in contempt of court but must submit more information to have the order fully lifted, New York Attorney General Letitia James' office said Friday.
Why it matters: A New York state judge suspended his contempt order against Trump provided he met three conditions by May 20 related to James' investigation into the Trump Organization. Her office said he met two of the three as of Friday.
Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, asked Arizona lawmakers to try to reverse former President Trump's loss in the state in the 2020 election by choosing "a clean slate of Electors," according to emails published by the Washington Post.
Driving the news: Thomas — who never specifically named Trump or President Biden — on Nov. 9, 2020, emailed a pair of Arizona state lawmakers asking them to follow their "Constitutional duty" and take steps to "fight back against fraud."
The Department of Justice announced three new initiatives to address hate crimes in the U.S. on Friday, including $5 million grants for states to open new reporting hotlines for hate crime victims.
Why it matters: Though the new initiatives have been in the works for several weeks, the announcement comes just days after a white suspect killed 10 people at a supermarket in a predominately Black neighborhood, in an attack that's being investigated as a case of racially motivated violent extremism.
Only 39% of U.S. adults approved of Biden's performance as president this month, a new low in a monthly poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Research released Friday.
It's more expensive than ever to rent or buy a home, with prices spiking significantly over the past couple of years, according to data from Zillow.
Why it matters: The Biden administration unveiled its affordable housing plan on Monday, as it attempts to tackle rising prices — and the broader problem of inflation.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) wants the Senate's bipartisan energy and climate talks to prioritize domestic battery production — and make it easier to mine critical minerals at home, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: Sinema's engagement on mining reform reveals both the possibilities — and pitfalls — of a potential bipartisan deal. Democrats are eager for a win this critical midterm year.
