Mike Whitaker, a former Federal Aviation Administration official under President Obama, has emerged as a leading candidate to head the agency for President Biden, according to people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: Ensuring stable leadership at the agency responsible for aviation safety is especially important after a series of close calls and frustrations among the public about flight delays and cancellations.
President Biden has called the four House and Senate leaders proposing a May 9 meeting on the debt ceiling, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: The Department of the Treasury and Congressional Budget Office said Monday the U.S. may stop being able to pay off its debts as soon as early June – a startlingly short timeline to reach a resolution.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) rebuked a Russian reporter who questioned his support for Ukraine, delivering his most full-throated defense of Kyiv's war effort since Republicans won the Housemajority.
Why it matters: Growing GOP skepticism of U.S. aid to Ukraine has alarmed Ukrainian and Western officials, who fear that a reduction or halt in military assistance could alter the course of the war.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Monday that the U.S. could be unable to "continue to satisfy all of the government’s obligations" by June 1 if Congress does not raise or suspend the debt limit before that time.
Why it matters: The warning reduces the timeline in which the Biden administration and House Republicans must come to an agreement to stave off a catastrophic default.
Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D), the state's only transgender lawmaker, filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging the GOP-led House's decision last week to censure her.
Why it matters: Zephyr is one of several trans or nonbinary state lawmakers who have been recently targeted or censured for issues connected to their identities, as Republicans introduce anti-trans bills across the country.
A Missouri state court on Monday temporarily stayed an order by the state's attorney general imposing restrictions on gender-affirming care for transgender youth and adults from taking effect.
The feud between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the Walt Disney Company has been going on for years, with at least two dueling lawsuits playing out in state court.
Driving the news: DeSantis and Disney are at odds over several issues, including a law dubbed "Dont Say Gay" by its critics and the control over the Reedy Creek District near the Disney World resort in Orlando.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters Monday that democracy must include checks and balances, but stressed "Israel can decide what it wants to do" when asked about the Israeli government's controversial judicial overhaul plan.
Why it matters: The comments were a subtle jabat the Biden administration, which put significant pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to suspend the overhaul legislation and reach a broad consensus on judicial reform.
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) on Monday announced plans to retire rather than seek a fourth term in the Senate.
Why it matters: Cardin's retirement announcement could spur a crowded Democratic primary in the solidly blue state, which hasn't had a Senate vacancy since 2016.
The big picture: Inslee, who was elected governor in 2012 and ran for president in 2020, is the second Washington governor to serve three consecutive terms.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday announced plans for Senate committees to hold hearings into the debt ceiling bill passed last week by the House.
Why it matters: It’s an effort by Senate Democrats to publicly pick the legislation apart while shaming House Republicans for not putting it through the committee process before passing it.
Nearly three out of four Chinese Americans say they have experienced racial discrimination in the past 12 months, and two in three feel a need to stay vigilant about hate crimes or harassment, a new study says.
The big picture: Three years after racial incidents targeting Asian Americans jumped as some people wrongly linked them to COVID-19, Chinese Americans continue to face episodes of discrimination.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a letter Sunday to stop sending migrant buses to the city because it has "no more shelters, spaces, or resources to accommodate" any more.
Driving the news: The outgoing mayor said in the letter she's aware the state was due to "resume bussing individuals and families" to Chicago and other cities from Monday — a practice she called "inhumane and dangerous." She said they continued to "suffer under the humanitarian crisis you have created."
