Axios

There's a gaping divide in the Democratic Party between institutional public opinion — party leaders, lawmakers, donors, consultants — and the actual voters who ultimately decide elections, recent polling shows.

Why it matters: President Biden has all but erased internal Democratic Party criticism. But only three postwar presidents had lower approval ratings than Biden at this point in their presidency.

The College Board on Saturday hit back against the Florida Department of Education for its attacks on its new Advanced Placement African American Studies course, noting that debate around the course had veered into "misinformation."

Driving the news: Earlier this month, the College Board released its new curriculum for the course, which excluded some of the content that had infuriated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), such as teachings on Black Lives Matter and reparations.

Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.) decried the prevalence of "woke cancel culture," which he claimed sowed "divisiveness" in American schools and communities, during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday. However, he noted that the government was unlikely to be the one to fix a "cultural problem."

Why it matters: Issues of "cancel culture" and "woke" ideas have become increasingly prominent among many in the GOP in recent years.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) acknowledged it was "wild" the U.S. didn't know about the Chinese government's use of balloons "until a few months ago," during an interview on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

Catch up quick: Last week, the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that had traversed the U.S. and is believed to have been capable of collecting communications.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) emphasized the importance of maintaining a "thorough and robust" line of communication between the U.S. and China in light of recent events during an interview on Fox News Channel's "Cavuto Live" on Saturday.

Catch up quick: Last week, the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that had traversed the U.S. and is believed to have been capable of collecting communications.

A bystander used a handheld camera to capture white Los Angeles police officers beating Rodney King nearly 32 years ago. Other videos of police violence have since emerged constantly.

The big picture: Body cameras, dash cams, surveillance videos and cell phone footage in recent years mirror a reality we can't seem to change.

President Biden’s baiting of Republican hecklers wasn't just a signature moment in his State of the Union speech — it was in line with a series of partisan stunts that have marked the new Congress.

Why it matters: From moves aimed at tweaking political foes to spats that have challenged the House's decorum, members of both parties have jumped on opportunities to score political points and try to make things awkward for the other side.

Florida lawmakers approved a bill Friday revoking Disney's special status over its theme parks in the state, granting more power to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

The big picture: Disney said it will not fight the bill and that it's "ready to work within this new framework," Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World, said in a statement.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) agreed Friday to pay $3.3 million in a settlement with four former employees who said they were fired after accusing him of bribery and corruption.

Driving the news: Paxton also agreed to give a statement in which he "accepts that plaintiffs acted in a manner that they thought was right and apologizes for referring to them as ‘rogue employees,'" the settlement agreement states.

The U.S. has blacklisted six entities in China that it says are linked to aerospace programs, including balloons, used by the military for intelligence.

The big picture: The move, which comes after the U.S. last week downed a Chinese balloon that's suspected of being used for surveillance, will likely only increase the tension between the two countries.

A family member of the late Emmett Till is demanding in a new federal lawsuit that Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks serve a 1995 arrest warrant on the white woman whose accusations of harassment against the 14-year-old Till led to his abduction and lynching.

Driving the news: The warrant, which charged Carolyn Bryant Donham for kidnapping in Till's case, has spurred calls for an arrest and answers since it was discovered last June in a Mississippi courthouse basement. A grand jury in Mississippi declined to indict her in August.

President Biden ordered the Department of Defense on Friday to shoot down a "high-altitude" object that violated U.S. airspace above territorial waters near Alaska, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed during a news conference.

Driving the news: Kirby said fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command shot down the object, described as being the "size of a small car," because it "posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight."

A pair of libertarian-minded Republican groups — Americans for Prosperity and the Club for Growth — are planning to pour millions into the presidential campaign to stop former President Trump from winning the GOP nomination.

Why it matters: The battle for the Republican Party's future is a clash between the interests of its big donors and grassroots voters. The donors are overwhelmingly looking for a Trump alternative in 2024, but Trump still maintains a strong hold on much of the populist base he empowered in 2016.

Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) said Friday that she is recovering back home in Minnesota after she was assaulted in the elevator of her apartment building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

Driving the news: The alleged assailant punched Craig in the face and grabbed her neck before the lawmaker tossed hot coffee at him, allowing her to flee.