A lawyer with deep ties to conservative groups and conspiracy theorists pushed several extreme ideas to then-President Trump to overturn the results of the 2020 elections, according to a document obtained by the New York Times.
Why it matters: In the memo, William Olson conceded that his proposed plans could be regarded as tantamount to declaring “martial law” and could be compared with Watergate.
A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Biden administration's guidance on Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, Politico reports.
Russian officials visited an airfield in Iran multiple times in the last few weeks to view weapons-capable drones that could be used in its war against Ukraine, the White House said.
Driving the news: The White House released satellite imagery that indicates Russian officials visited Iran for a showcase of weapons-capable drones, AP reports.
Driving the news: Dr. Caitlin Bernard's lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter Friday to Indiana's Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita over “false and misleading statements” he made about Bernard on Fox News this week, NBC News reports.
The big picture: The National Right to Life Committee has drafted legislation that would make it a crime to advertise information online about methods to end a pregnancy, Politico reports.
Why it matters: Zeldin, an ally of former President Trump, gained national prominence as one of the House Republicans who voted against the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. After pushing conspiracy theories about election fraud, his political opponents say his campaign's actions amount to hypocrisy.
Top Senate Republican candidatesturned in poor fundraising numbers in key races from Arizona to New Hampshire.
Why it matters: It's as if big GOP donors either don’t realize a Senate majority is in reach or wrongly think it's a sure thing. And it's clear they don’t like a lot of the Trumpy candidates.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pushed back on President Biden's criticism over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by raising the abuse suffered by prisoners of the U.S.-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the U.S. response to the May killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a Saudi official told Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya.
Why it matters: The murder of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was the most sensitive issue discussed in Biden's meeting with MBS on Friday.
Driving the news: The select committee is weighing whether to have Pence testify at a future hearing. Its decision could have implications for President Biden and Democrats if Republicans regain control of Congress, said Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff.
Federal investigators did not act unlawfully when they seized a phone from an attorney who aided former President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, a U.S. district judge in New Mexico wrote in a new opinion Friday.
Driving the news: The investigators, who obtained a warrant, confiscated lawyer John Eastman’s phone in June as a part of a criminal inquiry into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Eastman's lawsuit sought to stop them from accessing its contents.
President Biden on Saturday told nine Arab leaders at a summit in Saudi Arabia that the U.S. "will not walk away" from the Middle East and "leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran."
Driving the news: The visit — part of Biden's first trip to the region since becoming president — was aimed at recalibrating ties with Saudi Arabia and bolstering U.S. influence in the region.
Democrats are publicly fuming that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) can't be trusted and has doubled-crossed them yet again on Build Back Better. But privately, they're taking him at his word that he's still committed to working with them to lower prescription drug prices.
Why it matters: Party leaders are moving to vote on a drug pricing and health care subsidy package this month. Capping drug costs is hugely popular across party lines and could give Democrats a major boost ahead of November if infighting doesn't sink a deal.
The Jan. 6 select committee subpoenaed the U.S. Secret Service late Friday night for information on deleted text messages from Jan. 5 and 6 that were flagged by an agency watchdog this week.
Why it matters: The committee believes the texts may be relevant to its investigation of former President Trump's actions as violence unfolded at the Capitol and in the days leading up to the riot.
Former President Trump raised about $36 million in the first half of 2022, the lowest amount since he left the White House, the Washington Post reports, citing federal filings.
The big picture: This places Trump behind another potential contender in the 2024 presidential race, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who raised about $45 million in the same six-month period, the Post reported.
Two New York men who pepper-sprayed police officers during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol were sentenced to 44 months in prison on Friday, according to the Justice Department.
Driving the news: Cody Mattice, 29, and James Mault, 30, led a group of rioters as they overwhelmed the police line outside the Capitol, crawled on top of the crowd and pepper-sprayed police officers, according to court documents.
