A Pennsylvania man who pleaded guilty to beating a police officer with a metal flagpole during the Jan. 6 riot was sentenced to 46 months in prison on Friday, the Department of Justice said.
Driving the news: Howard Richardson, 72, repeatedly hit an officer at the Capitol using a flagpole with a Trump flag attached, federal prosecutors said. He also helped other rioters throw a "very large metal billboard" toward a line of officers that day, according to a video cited in the government's sentencing memorandum against him.
A bomb threat was reported against Howard University on Friday, forcing students to evacuate residence halls in the early morning hours, school officials announced.
Why it matters: The threat is the second one for the campus in just 48 hours and the eighth one this year, according to university president Wayne A. I. Frederick.
Driving the news: A video circulated this week of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) saying, "For our government just to say, 'OK, your debt is completely forgiven.' ... It's completely unfair." In response, the White House's official account on Thursday tweeted: "Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had $183,504 in PPP loans forgiven."
The 38 pages released Friday by the Justice Department gives the American public a much more detailed understanding of why the FBI felt an imperative to search former President Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago and retrieve documents — but there's still a lot we don't know.
Why it matters: The released affidavit sheds light on new details of the criminal investigation, including the probable cause that warranted the search.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of the Jan. 6 select committee, said Friday he will seek the lead spot on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Why it matters: Competition for this spot could become a proxy for a struggle between senior, more establishment Democrats and younger progressives.
If Republicans win the House majority in November, the top Democrat on the panel would be charged with leading the defense against a host of GOP probes into the Biden administration.
Driving the news: The opening is being created by Tuesday's primary loss of Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), the current chair.
The big picture: Raskin joins two other panel members who are running for the position: Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the chair of the governmental affairs subcommittee, and Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), the chair of the national security subcommittee.
Raskin, the chair of the oversight subcommittee on civil rights and civil liberties, leaned into his relative youth in a letter to colleagues announcing his run.
"We must use every new technique of investigative research, communication, and social media to galvanize public opinion in our campaign to defend strong democracy and effective government in America," he wrote.
A former constitutional law professor, Raskin sits on virtually every other committee with jurisdiction over government affairs: House Administration, Rules and Judiciary.
But, but, but: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), chair of the economic and consumer policy subcommittee, put out a statement on Friday blasting his colleagues' "unseemly" pre-November jockeying — but didn't rule out a run.
"Is it concerning that there has never been a South Asian Chair or Ranking Member of a full committee in the history of the U.S. Congress? Yes," he said.
What's next: The position will be decided at the start of the next Congress by a vote of the House Democratic caucus — which, as Axios has reported, could have a much more left-leaning tint if Democrats lose seats.
What we're watching: Raskin's roles as an impeachment manager and a member of the Jan. 6 committee have increased his public profile and made him popular among the liberal grassroots who want a scrappier, more fight-hungry Democratic Party.
At 59, he is the youngest and least senior member of the panel to throw his hat in the ring — and also the most vocally progressive.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), another younger progressive who chairs the subcommittee on the environment, is publicly supporting Raskin and calling for "progressives and the Dem Caucus to rally around him."
Connolly, 72, and Lynch, 67, are leaning into their relative experience.
"We need a tested leader who will not be timid in the face of Republican insurrectionists," Connolly said in a statement announcing his run, noting he has served on the committee since he entered Congress in 2009.
Lynch noted in a letter to his colleagues he is "the most senior member of the Oversight Committee seeking this position."
The intrigue: The Oversight Committee also currently boasts an usually high number of progressive "Squad" members: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) all sit on the panel, as does Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.).
Driving the news: The affidavit outlined the evidence for the FBI's search at former President Trump's home for classified documents he took with him when he left office.
The Department of Justice on Friday released a redacted version of the affidavit that led to the execution of a search warrant for former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence earlier this month.
Why it matters: The document, though heavily redacted, still provides new details on the FBI's ongoing criminal investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents after losing the 2020 election and leaving the White House.
President Biden met with state and local leaders Friday to discuss what it would take to protect and expand access to abortions and reproductive health care.
Driving the news: Friday is Women’s Equality Day, and the Biden administration marked it as a "day of action" on reproductive rights, focused on bolstering access to reproductive care for women who live in states that are restricting abortion access.
Driving the news: The funds, originally a form of aid to businesses struggling during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, were obtained by scammers using fake identities and dummy accounts, the agency said.
The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled Friday a proposal to designate certain "forever chemicals" as hazardous substances under the 1980 Superfund law.
Why it matters: Designating two of these chemicals as hazardous will increase transparency around releases of the compounds and could allow the EPA to hold polluters accountable by forcing them to clean up their contamination.
The big news of the moment is the Biden administration canceling up to $20,000 in student debt for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 for individual borrowers.
We reached out to the House campaigns for Zach Nunn and Cindy Axne to get their takes if it goes too far or not far enough.
The implementation of President Biden's widespread, income-targeted student loan forgiveness is shaping up to be a bureaucraticchallenge for the Department of Education.
Why it matters: Millions of Americans are in limbo waiting for information on how to take action on student debt relief — the success of which relies largely on an agency juggling unprecedented changes, on top of other reforms.
The Democratic Party is about to find out whether broadly unionizing campaign workers is a smart way to draw top talent, breed happy staffs and embody the party's ideals — or a distraction that will divert donor dollars and weaken candidates and their top strategists.
Driving the news: On Tuesday, months after voluntarily agreeing to recognize it, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democrats' House campaign arm, ratified the first collective bargaining agreement with its more than 250-member union.
The American Action Network, a conservative advocacy organization with ties to House GOP leadership, is going up with a national ad campaign for the next 10 days arguing President Biden's student debt forgiveness plan is unfair to working-class Americans.
Why it matters: Republicans are confident that the president's plan will be politically problematic, and are backing up their spin with paid advertising.
A federal judge in Fort Worth, Texas, struck down a state law prohibiting adults under 21 from carrying guns.
Why it matters: U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman's order and opinion that the Second Amendment "as informed by Founding-era history and tradition" does not exclude 18- to 20-year-olds is the first significant legal decision since a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on guns in June, Reuters notes.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) referred to Taiwan as a "country" during a meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Friday.
Why it matters: Blackburn made her comment in person, but her spokesperson confirmed to Axios she deliberately used the word. It's likely to further anger Beijing, which has warned of consequences for the U.S. if American officials continue to visit the island it sees as a breakaway province.
President Biden railed against Trump-allied Republicans Rockville, Maryland, on Thursday night in his first political rally speech in the leadup to November's midterm elections.
Why it matters: Biden's comments that "MAGA Republicans" are a "threat" to democracy and other criticisms of former President Trump and his "Make America Great Again" movement are some of his most pointed yet.
A Florida activist is fundraising to donate Arabic "In God We Trust" signs to Texas schools after a state law was enacted to require signs with the U.S. motto in public schools.
Why it matters: Critics have called the statute, which mandates that schools display the signs in a "conspicuous place" if they are donated, an attempt to reinforce Christian nationalist values across the state.
The Fulton County district attorney investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election is seeking testimony from former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, according to court documents.
Driving the news: Prosecutor Fani Willis also filed petitions Thursday for testimonies from other Trump allies including former campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn, ex-campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and retired Army colonel James Phil Waldron.
