Axios

Five Florida men, who all self-identify as militia members, were arrested Wednesday on charges stemming from their actions during the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the Department of Justice announced.

The big picture: They're part of more than 860 people that have been arrested so far for their involvement in the riots, including more than 260 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

The chair of House Republicans’ campaign arm on Wednesday sought to tamp down fears over the party’s loss in New York’s 19th district in a memo in which he called Democrat Pat Ryan's win a “quirk.”

Why it matters: The memo, obtained by Axios, comes as Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) faces criticism from inside his party that he's too distracted about what his role may be if the GOP takes power in November — and not focused enough on ensuring the party wins back the majority.

Two of the officers shown in a video beating Randal Worcester earlier this week allegedly have histories of violence, the Arkansas Advocate and AP report.

The latest: Thell Riddle of the Mulberry Police Department said he "may have hit" his girlfriend in 2008, documents posted by the Advocate show. He then lost his job with the Kibler Police Department, the second policing job he lost that year.

The Department of Homeland Security moved Wednesday to codify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program into federal regulations in a bid to protect it from legal challenges.

Why it matters: Since its inception in 2012, DACA has shielded from deportation over 800,000 immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, according to the DHS. The program has been subject to several legal challenges since it was first implemented.

Two ghost gun retailers have reached a settlement with New York City to stop selling parts and kits to residents, NBC News reported.

Driving the news: Rainier Arms, which sells AR-10 and AR-15 rifles online, reached an agreement with the city Wednesday after retailer Rock Slide settled the same public nuisance lawsuit last week.

The Department of Justice on Wednesday released a 2019 memorandum supporting then-Attorney General Bill Barr's decision to clear former President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

Why it matters: The nine-page memo sheds light on Barr's decision to not charge Trump with obstruction even though Mueller did not exonerate him of and provided evidence of obstructive actions taken by the former president throughout the investigation into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), a close ally of former President Trump, on Wednesday filed an emergency lawsuit against the federal government, requesting that the Department of Justice return cellphone data and other property it obtained through a search warrant earlier this month.

Why it matters: Perry, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus who was involved with the campaign to overturn the 2020 election in the run-up to the Jan. 6 riot, said on Aug. 9 that FBI agents seized his cell phone.

The Biden administration announced Wednesday it will cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for Pell Grant recipients, as well up to $10,000 for individual borrowers who make less than $125,000 per year.

The big picture: The Pell Grant is considered the largest source of federal aid. Its recipients make up more than 60% of the borrower population, the White House said. About 27 million borrowers will now be eligible to receive up to $20,000 in relief.

First lady Jill Biden on Wednesday tested positive for a rebound case of COVID-19, but is experiencing "no reemergence of symptoms," according to a statement from her office.

The big picture: The first lady first tested positive last Tuesday and experienced cold-like symptoms before testing negative on Sunday.

The Biden administration is canceling up to $20,000 in student debt for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 for individual borrowers who make under $125,000 per year, and it's extending the pause on repayments by four months, the White House announced on Wednesday.

Why it matters: The decision — which comes days before the Aug. 31 deadline when loan repayments were set to resume after a series of pandemic pauses — is expected to alleviate some of the debt burdens of 43 million Americans while also fulfilling a key campaign promise.

Several House Democrats are eyeing the top spot on the House Oversight and Governmental Reform Committee just one day after Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), the committee's current chair, lost her primary.

Why it matters: If Republicans win the House majority in November, the panel's ranking member will be Democrats' point-person on countering a vast array of planned probes into the Biden administration.

In what has been a mixed year for the political establishment, Tuesday's primaries presented a near-total victory for the mainstreams of both parties.

Why it matters: The rise of populism in recent years has allowed grassroots candidates — both Trumpy and progressive — to pull off primary upsets. A historic number of incumbents have fallen to insurgents this year.

The Biden administration has urged the Palestinian Authority not to pursue a vote at the UN Security Council on gaining full UN membership, stressing it will likely veto any such move, U.S. and Palestinian sources said.

Driving the news: The Palestinian Authority announced several weeks ago it will renew its push to gain full UN membership during the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

A federal judge in Texas this week blocked the Biden administration from enforcing guidance saying that health providers who perform abortions in emergency situations are protected under federal law, despite state bans.

Driving the news: U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix in Lubbock, Texas, sided with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in saying that the guidance, released by the Department of Health and Human Services last month, was unauthorized, Reuters reports.

The Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday it will allocate $550 million to support poor and marginalized farmers access land, capital, markets and education and to increase diversity within the agriculture sector.

Why it matters: The money will be provided through two provisions within the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden signed into law last week.

Democrat Pat Ryan on Tuesday won the special election for the U.S. House seat in New York's 19th district after it was vacated by Democrat Antonio Delgado, according to the AP.

Why it matters: The result is an upset for Republicans, who were seen as slight favorites to flip the seat. It's also validation of Democrats' strategy of hammering the issue of abortion in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade being overturned.

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced that the U.S. will provide Ukraine with nearly $3 billion in additional military aid as Ukraine marked six months since the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion as well as its independence day.

Why it matters: Although earlier aid packages focused on fulfilling Ukraine's immediate needs for weapons and ammunition, this package is intended to ensure Ukraine's medium- to long-term defense capabilities, funding contracts for weapons and equipment that may not be used for one to two years, AP reported.

In deciding to cancel some student loan debt, President Biden is carrying out a campaign promise that could leave progressive and working-class Democrats unsatisfied.

Driving the news: White House officials have told congressional allies that the president plans to cancel $10,000 in debt for many Americans, with an announcement expected today, according to people familiar with the matter.

Celebrities including Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Kevin Hart and Sylvester Stallone have been served with notices for exceeding their monthly water budgets at least four times, according to officials in California.

Driving the news: They're among more than 1,600 people who have exceeded their water budgets by 150% as the state faces a water and drought crisis exacerbated by climate change, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District spokesperson Mike McNutt told Axios on Tuesday evening.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) will face Democratic challenger Rebekah Jones, a fired Florida Health Department data scientist who rose to national prominence early in the pandemic, in the state's 1st Congressional District race in November, per AP.

Driving the news: Gaetz saw off two Republican primary challengers, while Jones defeated Peggy Schiller in the Democrats' race on Tuesday — one day after a Florida appeals court reversed a lower court's ruling that she was ineligible to run because she hadn't been a registered Democrat for the required period.

Former impeachment lawyer Dan Goldman on Tuesday defeated a crowded field of primary rivals in New York's 10th district, including Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), according to AP.

Why it matters: Goldman is poised to be the first new member of Congress most residents of the Manhattan and Brooklyn-based district have had in decades, after a chaotic redistricting process carved out a brand new district in the heart of New York City with no incumbent.

New York GOP chair Nick Langworthy defeated Buffalo developer and former gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino in the Republican primary for New York's 23rd Congressional District on Tuesday, AP reports.

Why it matters: The result is something of a loss for the "Ultra MAGA" wing of the Republican party and a victory for establishment Republicans, who hoped to keep the gaffe- and scandal-prone Paladino far away from the halls of Congress.

The U.S. military said it launched "precision airstrikes" against Iranian-backed groups in eastern Syria early Wednesday.

Driving the news: President Biden directed the strikes in Deir ez-Zor, which "targeted infrastructure facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," according to a statement from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday beat back a fierce primary challenge from progressive state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi by a roughly two-to-one margin in New York's 17th District, according to the AP.

Why it matters: Maloney's win heads off a potential PR nightmare for House Democrats: the chair of their campaign arm losing his re-election in a year in which they're already widely seen as being on the back foot.

Incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman won the Democratic nomination for New York's newly redrawn 16th Congressional District on Tuesday, AP reports.

Why it matters: Bowman is expected to hold on to his seat in the heavily Democratic district when he faces the Republican nominee, Miriam Levitt-Flisser, in the November general election.

Democrat Pat Ryan on Tuesday won the Democratic primary for the newly drawn 18th congressional district in New York.

Why it matters: Ryan, who is also vying to finish the term of former Rep. Antonio Delgado, who left Congress to become New York's lieutenant governor in May in the neighboring 19th congressional district.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday defeated Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) in the Democratic primary for New York's 12th U.S. House District, according to the AP.

Why it matters: The result marks the end of Maloney's three-decade-long congressional career, which culminated in her chairmanship of the powerful House Oversight Committee.

Former Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) won the primary in New York's 11th District on Tuesday night, defeating progressive challenger Brittany Ramos DeBarros, according to the Associated Press.

Why it matters: The win puts Rose on track for a rematch against incumbent Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R) in the midterms.

Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) clinched the Democratic nomination on Tuesday in Florida's Senate primary, teeing up a general election battle between the congresswoman and incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio (R). The Associated Press called the race for Demings at 8pm ET.

The big picture: Demings, who was on President Biden's shortlist for vice president, was first elected to her Orlando-area seat in Congress in 2016, after serving as the city's first female police chief.

U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist won Florida's Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, the AP reports. Crist edged out Nikki Fried, the state's agriculture commissioner, in a fight over who will take on Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in November's general election.

Why it matters: Crist previously served as Florida's Republican governor in 2006 and has said he has the best chance of beating DeSantis in November due to his experience in both parties. He became a Democrat in 2012.