Online interest in abortion pills has soared since the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to new data from Similarweb data.
Why it matters: Abortion pills will likely become the next major point of contention between abortion rights activists and opponents of abortion, Axios’ Jacob Knutson reports.
The Department of the Interior proposed Friday a new five-year plan to narrow the area for offshore drilling lease sales to the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska's Cook Inlet.
Why it matters: The plan, which rules out drilling on the East and West Coast, is a significant cutback on a Trump-era target that pushed for a broader range of offshore drilling opportunities.
A former Georgetown University tennis coach who once trained former President Barack Obama's family was sentenced Friday to 2½ years in prison in the college admissions bribery scandal known as Operation Varsity Blues.
Why it matters: This is the toughest sentencing yet in the college admissions scandal, which saw dozens of wealthy parents — including celebrities Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman — pay bribes to get their children enrolled in elite colleges.
Federal securities regulators and a federal grand jury in New York have subpoenaed former President Trump's social media company as part of their investigations into its pending deal to go public via a blank-check company called Digital World Acquisition Corp., according to a Friday disclosure.
The big picture: Certain current and former members of Trump Media & Technology Group were also subpoenaed, but no specific individual names were disclosed.
President Biden said Friday during a meeting with U.S. governors that some states will try to arrest women who cross state lines to get abortions.
What he said: "I think people are gonna be shocked when the first state ... tries to arrest a woman for crossing a state line to get health services," the president said during a virtual meeting with governors.
A new bill under consideration in the New York state legislature would require social media checks as part of the gun permit application process, so officials could verify the "character and conduct" of applicants.
Why it matters: New York is re-examining its firearms licensing laws after the Supreme Court struck down the state's mandate that people applying for a license to carry a concealed weapon show they have "proper cause" to carry a gun.
Abortion providers on Friday filed a lawsuit directly with the Oklahoma Supreme Court to challenge two abortion bans in the state.
Driving the news: Nearly all abortions have been unavailable in Oklahoma since late May, when Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed into law a bill banning abortion that is enforced by lawsuits from private citizens.
The most recent Supreme Court term ended with its conservative majority getting rid of major precedents — most notably Roe v. Wade — and setting new ones on religion and guns.
Driving the news: With a 6-3 majority, the next term — which is set to start in October — could be just as big. Here's a look at some of the most prominent cases the court has already agreed to hear.
A second visitor in three days was gored by a bull bison in Yellowstone National Park, underscoring the seriousness with which overcrowded national parks are urging visitors to not approach wildlife.
Driving the news: A 71-year-old woman was gored after she inadvertently approached a bison with her daughter while returning to their vehicle, the park said in a press release on Thursday.
U.S. gymnast Simone Biles and former Rep. Gabby Giffords are among the named recipients to be awarded the President Medal of Freedom, the White House announced on Friday.
The big picture: The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor.
Affinity Partners, the private equity firm formed last year by former President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, has agreed to invest in Mosaic, an Oakland, Calif.-based fintech company that provides loans for residential solar installations, Axios has learned from multiple sources.
Why it matters: This would be the first major deal for Affinity, which has raised more than $3 billion for its debut fund.
The map above shows distinct migration to the West and Sunbelt during the pandemic, based on census figures out Thursday.
Why it matters: This race to the Rockies and Southwest in our work-from-anywhere world signals emerging powers in tech, business, politics, philanthropy — every dimension of life.
China's President Xi Jinping said his government had acted "for the good of Hong Kong" and defended imposing a new "patriots only" elections system on the Asian financial hub during a visit to the city Friday.
Driving the news: Xi was in Hong Kong to mark the 25th anniversary of the former British colony's return to China as a semi-autonomous region and to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the city's new Chinese government-vetted Chief Executive John Lee, who helped lead the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 2019.
The U.S. Treasury Department said Thursday it's notified the Delaware-based Heritage Trust that it's blocking more than $1 billion in assets linked to the sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law Thursday a bill mandating a 25% decrease in disposable plastic packaging and utensils by 2032.
Why it matters: The landmark legislation, which AP called the "toughest plastics reduction rules" in the nation,aims to counter growing plastic waste, which has led to severe pollution and environmental damage.
New Zealand has added the Proud Boys and The Base to its list of terrorist groups.
Why it matters: The designation bars New Zealand residents from funding or supporting the two far-right extremist groups. It comes three years after the country's worst terrorist attack, which involved an Australian white supremacist.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), head of the Senate Rules Committee, has introduced legislation to improve the delivery of election mail and ensure voters don’t have to pay to return ballots.
Why it matters: In the wake of Congress' repeated failure to enact sweeping election reform this year, this narrower piece of legislation is an effort to do bite-sized pieces of election administration reform.
