President Biden and Vice President Harris issued a rare joint endorsement on Tuesday, supporting Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) in the open Los Angeles mayoral race and praising her for leading on "crime prevention strategies."
Why it matters: The first joint Biden-Harris endorsement of the 2022 midterms cycle has drawn the White House into an intra-party battle between two ideologically opposed Democrats.
Senators are working behind the scenes on changes to a House-passed bill codifying marriage equality to get it across the finish line, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Thelegislation has been mired in uncertainty since landing in the upper chamber, with just a handful of GOP senators openly stating they plan to vote for the bill — short of the 10 needed to break a filibuster.
The Senate passed legislation expanding healthcare and disability payments to roughly 3.5 million veterans who have been exposed to burn pits since the Sept. 11 attacks.
Why it matters: The passage comes after more than 25 Republican senators, who previously supported the measure, temporarily blocked it from advancing last week, citing spending concerns.
The State Department warned Tuesday that there is a "higher potential for anti-American violence" following the U.S. killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Why it matters: The U.S. drone strike against al-Zawahiri in Kabul delivered the most significant blow to the terrorist group since the death of Osama bin Laden, but it has also triggered concern about renewed threats against U.S. citizens as al-Qaeda and its allies consider their next move.
The Department of Defense and the U.S. Army have confirmed in court filings that some former senior Trump administration officials had their phones wiped at the end of former President Trump's term, deleting any text messages that could shed insight into the events leading up to and surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Why it matters: The revelation, a result of litigation by the government watchdog American Oversight, could hamper the Jan. 6 select committee's investigation, especially on the heels of recent confirmation that certain Secret Service messages from January 6th were also deleted.
Six Democratic senators introduced legislation preventing federal civil service positions from being reclassified outside of a merit-based system, protecting tens of thousands of federal employees.
Why it matters: It follows reporting from Axios' Jonathan Swan on former President Trump's plans to replace huge chunks of government employees with his own army of tens of thousands of loyalists by establishing a new Schedule F employment category for federal employees.
A possible far-right Trump sweep in Arizona, a Midwestern referendum on the Squad and a Kansas ballot question with implications for abortion rights are some of the big decisions before voters today in closely watched primaries in 5 states.
Driving the news: Former President Trump's last-minute endorsement of “Eric” ahead of today's Missouri Senate primary — in a field that includes both the state’s attorney general, Eric Schmitt, and disgraced former Gov. Eric Greitens — highlights how disruptive and unpredictable a force the former president remains in the GOP.
In a 5-2 decision, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court ruled to uphold the state's mail-in voting law, allowing voters to vote by mail in all future elections.
Why it matters: The decision overturns a lower court's decision in January that the state's mail-in voting law was unconstitutional.
The Justice Department on Tuesday filed a challenge to Idaho's "trigger" near-total abortion ban — the Biden's administration's first abortion lawsuit against a state since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Driving the news: Idaho's ban is set to take effect in late August and would make abortion illegal unless needed to save a pregnant person's life. The DOJ argues the state's ban has "extremely narrow" exceptions and conflicts with federal law, which allows for abortions to be performed in emergency situations.
Former President Trump's influence over the GOP faces a new test on Tuesday, as voters weigh in on consequential primaries in five states.
Why it matters: A string of losses among candidates endorsed by Trump in May has punctured perceptions of his dominance over the GOP for the first time in years, raising questions about the competition he could face in a 2024 Republican presidential primary.
Several Republicans said Tuesday they support House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan that has infuriated the Chinese government, which claims the self-governing island as its own.
What they're saying: "We support Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan," a group of 26 Senate Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), said in a statement.
The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday subpoenaed the gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson as part of its investigation into gun makers, saying the company had failed to meet the panel's request for information and testimony about its assault weapons sales and business practices.
Driving the news: Smith & Wesson produced the weapon that authorities say was used by a shooter to kill seven people at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, last month.
Abortion will become illegal in at least 13 states after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and more will quickly follow suit.
Why it matters: The Supreme Court's Friday ruling grants states the legal authority to ban the procedure at any point in pregnancy — including at fertilization.
Nearly $3.6 billion has been spent on political and issue ads so far this year, putting the 2022 elections on pace to obliterate 2018's record as the largest midterm election year by ad spend, according to new data provided to Axios by AdImpact, an analytics firm.
Why it matters: A record percentage of ad dollars have shifted to streaming this cycle, allowing campaigns to target potential voters or funders with more precision than ever before.
The Biden administration on Tuesday named veteran FEMA official Robert Fenton to lead the government's response to the monkeypox outbreak.
Why it matters: The Biden administration has faced mounting pressure to do more to stop the spread of monkeypox, which has prompted threestates to declare health emergencies.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, 55% of voters say abortion is a "very important" issue to consider when deciding how to they will vote in November's midterms, up from 46% in February, according to a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The big picture: While abortion is a motivating issue for some voter groups, it's eclipsed by inflation, including rising gas prices, which 74% of respondents say is "very important."
Two top House Democrats alleged Monday that there's evidence of a cover-up in the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general investigation into deleted U.S. Secret Service messages related to the Capitol riot.
Driving the news: House Oversight chair Carolyn Maloney and House Homeland Security chair Bennie Thompson urged Inspector General Joseph Cuffari in a letter to "step aside" and demanded his office provide documents and interviews, citing emails indicating his staff may have tried to stop efforts to obtain the USSS messages.
President Biden said the U.S. has "delivered" justice after a U.S. drone strike over the weekend killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, one of the world's most wanted terrorists and a key mastermind behind 9/11.
Why it matters: The CIA operation has delivered the most significant blow to al-Qaeda since the death of Osama bin Laden, whom al-Zawahiri succeeded in 2011.
