Axios

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) summoned a dozen Senate Democrats to his office last week with firm marching orders: Call your closest CEOs and ask them to press Republican senators on the China competition bill.

Why it matters: Schumer is trying to engineer an inside-outside pressure campaign to force Republicans to move faster on hammering out their differences with the House by mid-July.

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony to the Jan. 6 committee painted a damning, firsthand portrait of former President Trump's mindset and actions on the day of the Capitol riot.

• But a brewing controversy over an explosive detail in her account — that Trump lunged at a Secret Service agent and grabbed at the wheel of the car when told he couldn't go to the Capitol — is causing problems for an investigation that has had its evidence buttoned up until now.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, a south Texas Democrat who narrowly survived a bruising primary challenge this month, lashed out at AOC and other progressives in an exclusive interview — insisting it's time for his party to "let me be me."

Why it matters: Cuellar's nail-biter primary against Jessica Cisneros reflects a broader fight between moderates and progressives about the direction of the Democratic Party.

The House select committee investigating Jan. 6 on Wednesday subpoenaed former White House counsel Pat Cipollone.

Why it matters: Cipollone has come up frequently in the committee's public hearings this month and is often described as a voice within the administration who warned about the legal risk of former President Trump's efforts to overturn the election.

The discovery of a 1955 warrant charging a white woman for kidnapping in Emmett Till's case has spurred calls for an arrest and answers, AP reports.

Why it matters: In 1955, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam lynched Till, a 14-year-old Black boy, after Bryant's wife Carolyn Bryant Donham accused Till of grabbing and propositioning her despite witness accounts saying he whistled at her. His family now wants authorities to use the unserved warrant to arrest Donham.

An escalating dispute between national Republicans and technology giant Google threatens to bring political heat on the company and could spur significant changes in political email practices.

Driving the news: The Republican National Committee fired the latest shot on Wednesday, when chairwoman Ronna McDaniel claimed in a statement to Axios that Google has "systematically attacked" its digital program.

Abortion providers in West Virginia filed a lawsuit Wednesday to prevent the state's pre-Roe abortion ban from taking effect now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade.

Why it matters: While no state action has been taken to activate the ban, which has been dormant since 1973 when Roe was decided, West Virginia's only abortion clinic has suspended services in fear of being prosecuted.

A lawyer for conservative activist Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, sent a letter Tuesday to the Jan. 6 select committee questioning what value her testimony would be to the panel's investigation.

Why it matters: The committee decided to seek testimony from Thomas earlier this month after it emerged she had contact with John Eastman, a lawyer at the heart of some of former President Trump's efforts to overturn the election.

New York officials on Wednesday filed lawsuits against 10 companies that make and distribute untraceable firearms, also known as ghost guns.

Driving the news: New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a press conference that gun distributors sold "thousands of unfinished gun components" into New York City and New York State, which were then converted into illegal — and untraceable — guns.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that his decision to block former President Obama's Supreme Court pick to succeed the late Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016 led to the Roe v. Wade getting overturned.

What he's saying: "It’s the single-most consequential decision I’ve made in my public career," McConnell said in Kentucky on Wednesday, per Bloomberg. The senator also called the Supreme Court's opinion "a huge step in the right direction."

Senior diplomats from the U.S., Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Morocco and Bahrain met in Manama, Bahrain, on Monday to push forward with the establishment of the Negev Forum, a new framework for cooperation in the region.

Why it matters: Regional cooperation and integration between Israel and other countries in the Middle East will be a central theme during Biden’s visit to the region in two weeks.

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will ultimately cost lives, World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.

Driving the news: “The evidence is irrefutable,” Tedros tweeted. “Restricting (abortion) drives women and girls toward unsafe abortions resulting in complications, even death.”

A new round of indirect nuclear talks aimed at reviving the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal ended Wednesday without any progress, a senior U.S. official said.

Why it matters: These talks might be the last chance for the parties to reach an agreement before the nuclear deal becomes irrelevant, as Iran has taken steps to advance its nuclear program and limit the work of UN inspectors.

Lev Parnas, a Florida businessman and associate of former President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, was sentenced by a federal judge to a year and eight months in prison for fraud and campaign finance crimes, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.

Why it matters: Parnas and Igor Fruman, another associate of Giuliani, were key figures throughout Trump's first impeachment trial, as they worked with the former New York City mayor to pressure Ukraine into investigating President Biden for baseless claims of corruption in the lead-up to the 2020 election.

Justice Stephen Breyer will retire from the Supreme Court on Thursday after the court hands down its last opinions for this term, he said in a letter sent Wednesday to President Biden.

Driving the news: Breyer said that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson "is prepared to take the prescribed oaths" to succeed him. She is set to be sworn in Thursday at noon as the first Black female justice in the court's history, per the Supreme Court.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled states can prosecute non-Native Americans who commit crimes against Native Americans within Indigenous reservations.

Why it matters: The opinion could redo the court system not just in Oklahoma but in all 50 states, and it highlights the precarious nature of Indigenous sovereignty in the U.S.

Abortion providers in Ohio filed a lawsuit Wednesday to challenge the state's six-week ban, which took effect shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Driving the news: Ohio's six-week ban had been blocked since 2019, but it became active after a federal judge granted state officials' request to vacate a preliminary injunction following the high court's decision.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) again called on former White House counsel Pat Cipollone to testify before the Jan. 6 committee, one day after damning testimony by a former White House aide tied former President Trump to the attack.

Driving the news: "As we heard yesterday, WH counsel Pat [Cipollone] had significant concerns re. Trump's Jan 6 activities," Cheney wrote in a tweet on Wednesday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), on a visit to the Vatican on Wednesday, received Communion during a mass presided over by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica despite her support for abortion rights, AP reported.

Driving the news: Pelosi, an avowed Catholic, has long been a vocal proponent of abortion rights. In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision last week to overturn Roe v. Wade, Pelosi slammed the ruling in a statement, calling it "cruel" and "heart-wrenching."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is adding two new names to the list of candidates they hope will capture open House seats, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The move is an early example of Democrats' campaign apparatus going on offense after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last week, even as Republicans benefit from skyrocketing inflation.

The House Jan. 6 hearings have over-delivered on revelations and drama — unspooling as a disciplined, captivating summer series that is a new template for effective congressional hearings in the modern era.

Why it matters: The committee ditched the flabby traditional format and has methodically built a taut, colorful narrative with a prosecutor's precision and a cinematographer's flair.

Two people have been charged following the deaths of at least 53 people who were found inside a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas, on Monday after a presumed migrant smuggling attempt.

The latest: At least 11 people are still hospitalized as of Wednesday, per U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday Russia should be expelled from the United Nations, and he called for an international tribunal to investigate "the actions of Russian occupiers on Ukrainian soil."

Driving the news: Zelensky said in a video address to the UN Security Council that the Kremlin must be "brought to justice," otherwise "it could bring terrorist activity" to other European countries and Asia — specifically the Baltic states, Poland, Moldova, and Kazakhstan.

George Washington University has rejected calls to remove Justice Clarence Thomas from his teaching position after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Driving the news: Some students launched a petition signed by nearly 7,000 people as of Wednesday, citing last week's ruling that ended federal protections on abortion and Thomas' concurring opinion suggesting that the court should reconsider opinions protecting same-sex relationships, marriage equality and access to contraceptives.

Rep. Mary Miller won Illinois' GOP primary for the 15th congressional district after fellow House Rep. Rodney Davis conceded the race on Tuesday night.

The big picture: Miller's victory demonstrates the power of Trump's endorsement, even for a controversial candidate without strong local party backing.

Incumbent Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) defeated his GOP challengers Becky Edwards and Ally Isom in Tuesday's Republican primary election for U.S. Senate, AP reports.

Why it matters: Lee, who is seeking his third term in the U.S. Senate, will now move forward to compete against independent candidate Evan McMullin in the general election in November.

Rep. Sean Casten has won a contentious Democratic primary against fellow House Rep. Marie Newman, per AP.

Why it matters: After Illinois lost a congressional seat, the two incumbent Democrats ran against each other. While both are progressive and share many of the same stances on guns and climate, Casten has been seen as a more moderate candidate with a better chance to win this formerly-Republican held district.

County sheriff Mike Ezell won a primary runoff on Tuesday to unseat six-term incumbent Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.).

Driving the news: Palazzo, who was running for his seventh term to represent Mississippi's 4th Congressional District, was accused in a congressional ethics report last year of misusing campaign funds.

Mississippi Rep. Michael Guest (R) won the state's runoff in the 3rd congressional district on Tuesday, AP reports, after unexpectedly falling behind challenger Michael Cassidy during a primary earlier this month.

Why it matters: Guest, who first won his seat in 2018, split with his party and voted for a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — a vote that Cassidy said made the incumbent "not a conservative."

Joe O'Dea, a wealthy businessman and first-time candidate, won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, per the AP.

Driving the news: The win gives Republicans new hope they'll beat Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in November and take back control of the upper chamber.

Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert — a gun-toting restaurant owner and fervent supporter of former President Trump — has won her first challenge as an incumbent in the state's 3rd Congressional District beating out state Sen. Don Coram, per the AP.

Driving the news: The primary election marked Boebert's first challenge after her surprise win in 2020 and served as a test of whether voters in the mountainous rural district wanted to keep the controversial firebrand in office.

In an era defined by blockbuster political hearings — James Comey, Robert Mueller, Brett Kavanaugh, Michael Cohen and Fiona Hill, to name a few — Cassidy Hutchinson and the House Jan. 6 committee successfully delivered what few others have.

What happened: Across two full hours of testimony, the 25-year-old former White House aide divulged a flood of jaw-dropping, new and highly relevant information about one of the most reported-on events in American history.

Political experts expressed concern Tuesday about misinformation spread by "extremist politicians" after Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said she's "tired" of the long-standing separation between church and state in the United States.

Driving the news: The controversial far-right lawmaker, who won her primary election Tuesday night, said at a religious service Sunday that "the church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church."

Pro-abortion rights interests have heavily outspent their opposition on leading social media platforms in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling overturning its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, data shared with Axios show.

Why it matters: The court's ruling throws the issue to the states, where heated legislative fights are imminent over the future of abortion access in America.