The city of Memphis requested a Justice Department review of the city's police department after the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died days after being beaten during a Jan. 7 traffic stop.
Driving the news: In addition to the DOJ, the International Association of Chiefs of Police will also be part of the "independent, external review" of the Memphis Police Department, per a bulletin Friday by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.
Of the 60 Black lawmakers elected to Congress this year, 30 now represent states or districts with a plurality of white voters, according to an Axios analysis.
Why it matters: It marks a dramatic shift from the recent past, when most Black lawmakers hailed from majority-minority districts specifically drawn to elect them. In 2014, only eight (of 43) elected Black lawmakers were from plurality-white states or districts.
Get ready for one of the messiest statewide campaigns in recent West Virginia history — whether or not Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) runs for re-election.
Why it matters: West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) would pose the biggest Republican threat Manchin has faced in his 12-year Senate career.
Former President Trump denied the Department of Defense's claims that suspected Chinese surveillance balloons had also transited the U.S. during his administration, telling Fox News Digital on Sunday that it "never happened."
Why it matters: The U.S. on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the South Carolina coast, which the Pentagon accused China of using to collect information on U.S. military sites.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) administration is seeking to revoke the Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation's liquor license after hosting a holiday-themed drag event, which children were allowed to attend.
The big picture: Children attending drag performances has been under debate since 2018, when libraries saw controversy as they tried to host Drag Queen Story Hours, Axios' Selene San Felice reports.
House Republicans are indicating plans to investigate the Biden administration's response to a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.
Why it matters: It fits into a broader array of planned probes by the new GOP House majority into the Biden administration's military and foreign policy, including the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021.
The conservative political network associated with billionaire Charles Koch won't be backing former President Trump's 2024 presidential bid, becoming the latest GOP megadonor to distance themselves from Trump.
Driving the news: The Americans for Prosperity Action, the leading political arm of the Koch network, will support a candidate in the Republican Party primary "who can lead our country forward, and who can win," Emily Seidel, the CEO of AFP and a senior adviser to AFP Action, wrote in a memo issued Sunday.
Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.) said Sunday that he is "definitely thinking about" running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
Why it matters: A number of Republicans have already signaled their interest in jumping into the 2024 presidential contest, including Nikki Haley, who is expected to formally announce her bid this month.
Republican lawmakers reacted Sunday to the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon and criticized the Biden administration for not shooting it down sooner.
Driving the news: "The message they were trying to send is what they believe internally, and that is that the United States is a once-great superpower that's hollowed out, it's in decline," Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said.
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has been accused of sexual harassment and ethics violations by a prospective staffer who briefly worked in Santos' office.
Driving the news: In a letter to the House Committee on Ethics on Friday, the former aide, Derek Myers, claimed that he had been put to work in Santos' office as a volunteer, in violation of ethics rules, and outlined an instance of sexual harassment. Myers shared a copy of the letter on Twitter.
China will be an uninvited guest at President Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, as he takes credit for a resilient economy, celebrates record-low unemployment, and previews a broader domestic agenda designed to unify the country.
Why it matters: The stakes are high for Biden as he emphasizes a series of accomplishments and tries to control the narrative about his administration as it faces investigations by House Republicans. Now, a balloon from China has complicated that.
The big picture: The balloon, which the Pentagon accused China of using to collect information on U.S. military sites, has heightened tensions between the two nations.
A subtle political recalibration is leaving House Republicans with potentially less leverage to force spending cuts.
The big picture: As national debt has risen from around $19 trillion in 2011 to more than $31 trillion today, many left-leaning economists have begun to rethink the risks of debt accumulation, and some congressional Democrats say they no longer view it with as much alarm.
