Writers for a D.C.-based media operation run by prominent Democratic operatives are behind a sprawling network of ostensible local media outlets churning out Democrat-aligned news content in midterm battleground states, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Behind the patina of independent local news, these sites are pumping out content designed to put a sheen of original reporting on partisan messaging.
A federal judge in New York temporarily blocked parts of the state's new concealed carry weapon law Thursday.
Driving the news: The judge's order found that several provisions in the law, which went into effect Sept. 1, are unconstitutional and that the state can't ban people from carrying firearms in certain public places.
President Biden said Thursday he will pardon all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession and will call on governors to pardon simple state possession offenses.
Why it matters: It could amount to "thousands" of pardons, which would remove a burden that may have prevented some people from receiving employment, housing or educational opportunities, Biden said.
A member of the Proud Boys on Thursday pleaded guilty to a charge of seditious conspiracy over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, becoming the first member of the far-right group to plead guilty to such charges.
Why it matters: Jeremy Bertino's guilty plea potentially gives the Department of Justice a key witness against Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio and four other members who will face trial over seditious conspiracy and other charges later this year.
The University of Florida announced Thursday that Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) has emerged as the sole finalist to serve as the university's president.
Driving the news: "The University of Florida is the most interesting university in America right now," Sasse said in a statement shared by the university.
U.S. Central Command said Thursday that U.S. forces in a helicopter raid in northeast Syria killed "an ISIS official known to facilitate the smuggling of weapons and fighters to support ISIS operations."
Driving the news: "Two additional associates were detained by U.S. forces," U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
Representation of U.S. Hispanics in the media industry stagnated over the past decade even though the population skyrocketed, the federal Government Accountability Office found.
Why it matters: Despite promises by news outlets and movie studios to diversify, the GAO study requested by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) showed little has changed for Latinos in 10 years.
The city of Rochester, New York, reached a settlement with the family members of Daniel Prude, a Black man who was declared brain-dead and died after being in police custody in March 2020.
Why it matters: Prude's death sparked dozens of nightly protests in September 2020 amid national demonstrations in response to the deaths of Black men and women during police encounters, set off primarily by the police killing of George Floyd.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in an interview this week that the national media wanted Hurricane Ian to hit Tampa Bay, broadly claiming that coverage of the deadly storm was motivated by a "political agenda."
The big picture: Hurricane Ian largely spared Tampa Bay from destruction and major problems despite early predictions that the storm would "flood thousands of homes and deluge the region," per Axios Tampa Bay.
BBC's Katty Kay traveled across America for a documentary on the fate of democracy, "Trump: The Comeback?" — including interviews with voters and local politicians in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.
What she's saying: "Despite the subject, it's actually fun," Kay says. "I go cattle-wrangling in Wyoming and truck-washing in Pennsylvania. ... An outsider/insider's take."
The U.S. ambassador to the UN accused Beijing and Moscow of "enabling" North Korea's military after it fired two more ballistic missiles on Thursday following a Security Council meeting on the country's recent launches.
Why it matters: Thursday's launch was the sixth in 12 days, occurring after the U.S. redeployed an aircraft carrier off the Korean peninsula.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced Wednesday that the U.S. will expand the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site dedicated to commemorating the Native Americans slaughtered by U.S. troops in 1864.
Flashback: In November that year, U.S. soldiers attacked an encampment of roughly 750 Native people along the high banks of Sand Creek in what is now southeastern Colorado. They wounded and killed about 230 people, half of whom were women and children.
17 House Democratic challengers raised more than $1 million in the third quarter, including six who raked in more than $1.5 million, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: House Democrats still see a path to retaining the majority — and it involves going on offense. The strong individual fundraising totals will put GOP incumbents and open-seat nominees on notice that the campaign's final five weeks will be a tooth-and-nail scrap.
President Biden has tried to convince the Saudis to pump more oil with honey. Now he's trying vinegar.
Why it matters: With a new warning that the White House might support legislation targeting OPEC+ in Congress, Biden crossed a symbolic threshold — and sent a clear signal to the Saudis that he’s prepared to escalate.
