A Virginia judge on Tuesday dismissed a case that sought to stop the sale of two books to children over alleged obscenity, according to the Virginia Pilot.
Driving the news: The books, "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe and "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas are not obscene under state law, Virginia Beach Circuit Court Judge Pamela Baskervill ruled, per the Virginia Pilot.
Driving the news: "We took on the NRA. We're gonna take them on again, and we won, and we will win again, but we're not stopping here. I'm determined to ban assault weapons in this country. Determined. I did it once before and I'll do it again," Biden said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said Tuesday in a memo to Department of Justice employees that appointees can no longer participate in partisan political events, like fundraisers or campaign events, revoking a long-standing department policy.
Why it matters: The new restrictions come just months before the midterm elections and amid the department's inquiry into the handling of classified documents at former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.
A congressional commission reviewing military property named after Confederate leaders recommended Monday that West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy rename structures that commemorate the Civil War figures.
Why it matters: The commission's recommendations, which include removing depictions of and dedications to Gen. Robert E. Lee from West Point, are part of a broader effort to rename military installations that bore the names of Confederate military officers.
The flooding crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, is causing schools and local governments to shift their weekly plans as residents remain unable to drink fresh water.
The big picture: The Pearl River flood has caused water pressure issues in Mississippi's capital city, leaving many residents without running water. The crisis is now taking a toll on cities, residents and local sports teams.
Latinos are facing an onslaught of Spanish-language misinformation about abortion in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, health experts and reproductive rights advocates say.
Why it matters: Groups working to counter these campaigns warn that the surge in false claims will have real health consequences for Latinos, who already face barriers to prenatal resources and reproductive health care.
The Department of Education announced Tuesday that it will cancel $1.5 billion in student debt for 79,000 students who attended the now-defunct Westwood College.
The big picture: The news comes less than a week after the Biden administration announced broad student loan forgiveness for millions of Americans.
Former President Trump has hired Florida's former solicitor general, Chris Kise, to represent him in the criminal case that resulted in the search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago residence, a source familiar confirmed.
Why it matters: The news comes as questions lingered over who would represent Trump in the Southern District of Florida after a number of criminal defense attorneys said they wouldn't take the job, the Washington Post reports.
Two years after Black Lives Matter protests swept across the country, Black Americans surveyed see little improvement in their lives, according to a new poll published Tuesday by the Pew Research Center.
Driving the news: Black Americans have a clear vision for how to achieve equality — including supporting Black businesses and institutional changes — but remain skeptical that the U.S. will get there.
Google hasn't yet approved Truth Social's Android app for distribution via its Play Store because of insufficient content moderation, a Google spokesperson tells Axios.
Driving the news: Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes last week claimed the decision about when the app would be available on Android "is up to Google," but Google insists that the ball is in Truth Social's court.
With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats are spending millions to tout its climate and clean energy provisions — aiming to turn out 2 million environmentally-driven voters across 17 states in November.
Driving the news: Climate Power Action and League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Victory Fund, two of Dems' biggest outside climate groups, on Tuesday are launching a $12 million digital ad and direct mail campaign targeted largely to younger, college-educated women.
Call it a 2020 flashback — or a foreshadow of 2024: Residents of Wilkes-Barre, in northeastern Pennsylvania, are getting dueling visits this week, first from President Biden, then from former President Donald Trump.
Why it matters: Their visits underscore the region's significance in national politics.
As President Biden's political fortunes improve, some swing-state Democrats are acting more comfortable about appearing with the president.
Why it matters: For most of the summer, the president was persona non grata for nearly any Democrat running in a tough race this November. But that's beginning to change.
First Lady Jill Biden has tested negative for COVID-19 and will return to the Washington, D.C. area on Tuesday, her spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander announced Monday night.
The big picture: Biden tested positive for a rebound case last week after first testing positive for COVID on Aug. 15. President Biden experienced a rebound case of COVID earlier this month, but tested negative following the first lady's recent positive result.
U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director Tony Ornato retired Monday, the agency confirmed.
Why it matters: Ornato, who served as a political adviser to former President Trump, was two months ago at the center of testimony that a former White House aide gave to the Jan. 6 select committee investigating the U.S. Capitol riot.
California's assembly advanced a bill Monday aimed at providing refuge for transgender youth and their families.
Why it matters: The "Refuge for Trans Kids" bill aims to protect families fleeing from states that criminalize parents who allow their trans children to receive gender-affirming care.
Ninety-four Republican lawmakers are calling on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to take action against President Biden's "unconstitutional and illegal" student loan forgiveness plan.
Why it matters: Pelosi said last year that Biden lacks the "power" to cancel large amounts of student loan debt and that only an "act of Congress" could provide broad debt relief. Republicans want her to stand by her words now that Biden has canceled up to $20,000 in student loans.
