Some of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) Republican colleagues say his absence from the Senate could be a problem if he doesn't return in the coming weeks.
McConnell was treated for a concussion and a minor rib fracture after falling at a fundraising dinner this month. After he was discharged from the hospital last week, his office said he would undergo physical therapy at a separate facility before returning home.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chewjoined the illustrious club of Big Tech CEOs paraded before Congress for a public flogging, producing a viral spectacle that has hardened lawmakers' animus toward the Chinese-owned app.
Why it matters: The Singapore-born, Harvard-educated Chew faced a near-impossible task as he was grilled by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on TikTok's ties to the Chinese government, data practices and harmful effects on children.
The World Athletics Council voted Thursday to ban athletes who are transgender women "or who have Differences of Sexual Development" from competing in elite track and field competitions.
The big picture: The new rule follows similar bans on transgender athletes competing in elite women's competitions, including swimming.
The father of a Parkland shooting victim was arrested Thursday after disrupting a congressional hearing on gun regulations in Washington, D.C.
Driving the news: While Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Tex.) was speaking about gun regulations, Manuel Oliver, whose 17-year-old son Joaquin Oliver was killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, yelled "you're full of s--t, all of you," video footage shows.
TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew defended the company Thursday from charges that it poses a national security threat in a hearing before lawmakers who fiercelyadvocated for banning the popular short-video app.
Why it matters: The White House and TikTok's critics in Congress say the app, which has 150 million U.S. users, puts their data at risk because TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company.
It was a near-perfect split screen: As lawmakers ripped TikTok in a congressional hearing with the company's CEO on Thursday, the app’s users took to the platform to defend it.
Driving the news: A hashtag — #tiktokhearing — garnered 2.8 million views as of 3:30 pm.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office on Thursday rebuffed a request from top House Republicans for testimony and documents about his investigation into former President Trump.
Why it matters: Bragg’sresponseleavesRepublicans with little room to maneuver in their effort to dent the probe’s credibility — forcing them to decide whether to venture into the uncharted territory of subpoenaing a local prosecutor.
Why it matters: There were more than 1,250 book challenges at school and public libraries in 2022, suggesting that the recent surge in attempted book bans is not abating.
The White House is accusing House Republicans of wanting to "defund or abolish" law enforcement, according to a statement first obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: It's the latest example of the White House's new aggressive strategy to counter Republicans' sprawling investigations and attacks on Democrats over the issue of crime.
The Biden administration has a simple response to the army of TikTok influencers who swarmed Capitol Hill yesterday: The app can stay — if ByteDance agrees to sell it.
Why it matters: The White House is under intense pressure from Republicans — and President Biden's fellow Democrats — to protect the nation from potential security threats posed by the Chinese ownership of TikTok, the wildly popular app with 150 million active users in the U.S.
Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. jumped to a record level in 2022, up 36% from the year before, an annual audit by the Anti-Defamation League shows.
Why it matters: It's the third time in five years that reported episodes of antisemitism — from the distribution of hate propaganda to threats, slurs, vandalism and assault — were the most on record since the ADL began tracking such incidents in 1979.
A U.S. District Court judge in Wyoming on Wednesday temporarily blocked a statewide abortion ban that came into effect over the weekend, according to multiple reports.
Driving the news: Judge Melissa Owens granted a restraining order due to a wider lawsuit challenging the state's new law that prohibits abortion at all stages of pregnancy except in cases of rape or incest, or to save a pregnant person's life, and another banning abortion pills that's due to take effect in July, per the New York Times.
House Republicans are expanding their investigation into Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's probe of former President Trump by seeking testimony from two prosecutors who resigned from the D.A.'s office last year.
Why it matters: It demonstrates a sustained effort by Republicans to undermine Bragg's case amid reports that an indictment over hush money payments Trump allegedly paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels could be imminent.
Schools across the U.S. are increasingly moving to recognize Ramadan — a month on the Islamic calendar dedicated to fasting, prayer and community — and bolster support for Muslim students.
Driving the news: Muslim students in dozens of cities have in recent years pushed schools to recognize the holy month of Ramadan the same way other religious holidays are recognized. Those calls have increased as the Muslim population in the U.S. continues to grow — Pew Research Center projected in 2018 that Islam could be the U.S.'s second-largest religion by 2040.
