Why it matters: Trump was banned from several social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, after the Jan. 6 insurrection. He said he is now working to set up a meeting to discuss his reinstatement with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
A former Herschel Walker campaign staffer who accused conservative strategist Matt Schlapp of sexual assault has filed a civil lawsuit against him seeking up to about $7 million in damages.
The big picture: Schlapp, an ally of former President Trump and chair of the American Conservative Union, has been running CPAC for nearly a decade. It bills itself as "the largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world."
The big picture: The number of threat assessment cases remains startlingly high — nearly double what it was five years ago — which congressional security officials chalked up to inflammatory political rhetoric.
The 21 GOP lawmakers who opposed Rep. Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) speakership are seeing their rebellion pay off after a historic stalemate that embarrassed and frustrated their party.
Why it matters: After hearing arguments from Chauvin's lawyer and prosecutors Wednesday, a member of the three-judge panel hearing the appeal said the court would issue a ruling on Chauvin's murder convictions within 90 days, according to AP.
Harvard Medical School this week joined the ranks of a number of other higher education institutions boycotting the decades-old U.S. News and World Report ranking list.
Why it matters: Harvard provides the latest sign that the influence of the longstanding higher education rankings juggernaut is wavering.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan landed in Israel on Wednesday for talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials.
Why it matters: The talks are primarily aimed at reaching understandings with the new Israeli government on its policies concerning the Palestinians, Iran, and the process to normalize relations between Israel and other countries in the region, U.S. and Israeli officials say.
Police say they have arrested the suspected "mastermind" behind some of the recent shootings at the homes and offices of elected Democratic officials in New Mexico.
The White House on Wednesday condemned the addition of far-right Republicans to the House Oversight Committee, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).
Why it matters: The blistering statement foreshadows the tension that will fester in Washington over the next two years, with the Oversight Committee set to be ground zero for investigations and high-profile standoffs between House Republicans and the Biden administration.
ZURICH, Switzerland — Janet Yellen plans to make her first trip to China in the "near future" as Treasury secretary, according to the Treasury Department.
Why it matters: The visit will mark another step in the Biden administration’s effort to improve communications with China after relations deteriorated over the last two years.
The U.S. has in recent months transferred hundreds of thousands of artillery shells from its ammunition stockpiles in Israel to Ukraine, three current and former Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: The ammunition that was transferred to Ukraine was part of a U.S. weapons stockpile that is pre-positioned in warehouses on Israeli soil as part of an agreement between the countries.
Driving the news: The Filipino American journalist was cleared of four counts of tax violations, charges filed by former President Rodrigo Duterte's government that Ressa said were politically motivated.
Embattled Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has secured two committee assignments,despite receiving growing blowback for fabricating key details of his background that were central to his campaign, a committee spokesperson confirmed.
Why it matters: Republicans and Democrats have called on Santos to resign, and the freshman lawmaker faces numerous investigations into his financial disclosures, campaign finances, and outstanding legal issues.
Ukrainian troops began training in Oklahoma on Tuesday, as top U.S. military official Gen. Mark Milley traveled to Poland, near the border with Ukraine.
Driving the news: Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, for the first time, signaling "unwavering support" during a critical time in Russia's war with Ukraine, per a Department of Defense spokesperson.
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) will serve on congressional committees once again after Democrats kicked them off during the previous Congress.
Why it matters: The assignments, announced Tuesday, fulfill a past promise by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to restore the members' committee seats, and will allow the far-right lawmakers to help investigate and oversee the Biden administration.
A federal judge said Tuesday that a California woman who breached the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection "followed then-President Trump’s instructions" in breaking the law.
Driving the news: Danean MacAndrew, who traveled to D.C. from California for Trump's rally and filmed herself storming the Capitol with the mob of pro-Trump supporters, was found guilty on charges including violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building after a three-day bench trial.
An influential conservative nonprofit led by former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows is buying up millions of dollars worth of office space on Capitol Hill, records show.
Why it matters: The Conservative Partnership Institute is the backbone of a policy and advocacy apparatus aligned with hard-right legislators such as Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
Members of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus are seeing the first dividends from the deal they struck to give House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) his gavel: prime committee assignments.
Why it matters: The plum postings for Republican rebels fulfill a key concession McCarthy made, handing conservatives greater influence over the GOP conference's congressional probes and legislative agenda.
The 2024 election is set to draw a flood of Senate candidates built in the traditional Republican mold — with several leading contenders eyeing campaign launches just weeks into the new year.
Why it matters: The emergence of establishment figures so early in the recruitment process is a sign of the McConnell wing of the party seeking to regain its foothold over MAGA forces after November's disappointing midterms.
