When tensions flare up in the Middle East or a visiting Israeli dignitary wants to meet with American lawmakers, Congress' informal Jewish caucus springs into action.
Why it matters: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push to overhaul Israel's judiciary has made Congress' loose-knit Jewish members’ working group unusually cohesive of late as it tries to influence policy on both sides of the Atlantic.
It's fittingthat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his presidential campaign tonight with Elon Musk, the space billionaire whose ambitions include sending humans to Mars by the end of this decade.
Why it matters: Defeating former President Trump in a Republican primary will be a Herculean task. For DeSantis, it's a moonshot that could end in embarrassing failure — or thrust the GOP into a new era if he succeeds in dislodging Trump.
Why it matters: DeSantis — widely seen as former President Trump's most serious challenger — made a name for himself challenging COVID protocols and pursuing an aggressive conservative agenda on race, gender and education in the state of Florida after easily winning re-election in 2022.
The Arkansas man photographed with his feet on a desk inside then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the Capitol riot was sentenced to four-and-a-half-years in prison on Wednesday.
Details: Richard "Bigo" Barnett, of Gravette, was also ordered to 36 months of supervised release and a $2,000 fine, the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. announced.
Police nationwide urge drivers to use Apple AirTags to help authorities track stolen vehicles. But there's increasing concern that the tags are leading some car-theft victims to take matters into their own hands.
Why it matters: As several cities embrace the use of AirTags and other Bluetooth trackers to combat soaring car thefts, security experts fear the devices can foster a "Wild West" vigilantism that poses risks to people — and potential legal issues for cities.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is calling on Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to accept nothing less than steep cuts in debt ceiling negotiations.
Why it matters: In a memo sent to House Republicans on Wednesday, Roy — one of the most influential voices in the House Freedom Caucus — said it “shouldn’t be about a deal it should be about saving the country.”
Elon Musk has displaced Rupert Murdoch and Fox News as the king of conservative media in recent weeks.
Why it matters: Fox News used to be the place where conservatives went to break news. But the right-wing ecosystem has turned on the network, leaving Twitter as the center of media gravity for the Republican Party just as the 2024 election heats up.
The private equity and venture capital industries may be edging back toward the political spotlight, whether they like it or not, nearly a decade after Bain Capital founder Mitt Romney was the Republican Party's presidential nominee.
Driving the news: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, former Carlyle Group co-CEO, is reconsidering a bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, Axios reports.
The House Ethics Committee has concluded its two-year investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) over alleged ties to a Chinese spy.
Driving the news: The committee will not take any further action in the investigation concerning allegations that Swalwell may have "violated House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct in connection with your interactions with Ms. Christine Fang,” the committee wrote in a letter to Swalwell Monday, which the congressman made public.
One year after the Uvalde mass shooting, Texas lawmakers are poised to pass measures that they say will make schools safer, even as they have not seriously entertained any gun control bills.
Driving the news: The measures would provide incentives to school employees to arm themselves on campus, require school safety inspections, and mandate mental health training for teachers.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is demanding information from the State Department about to its reported decision to block "competitive actions" aimed at curbing the Chinese Communist Party.
Why it matters: McCaulargued that the pause on actions like sanctions and export controlsaimed at companies like Huawei — first reported by Reuters — "raises serious doubts about Department leaders’ willingness and ability to effectively respond to the PRC’s growing aggression."
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday night he wanted to assure people that he's "committed to making certain that we as a court adhere to the highest standards of conduct."
Why it matters: Roberts' remarks in D.C. were his first public comments since the Democratic-led U.S. panel held a hearing earlier this month exploring the possibility of the Supreme Court adopting a formal code of ethics, like all other federal judiciaries have.
South Carolina's GOP-controlled State Senatevoted to ban abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy on Tuesday despite opposition from the chamber's five women, including three Republicans.
The big picture: Planned Parenthood South Atlantic's South Carolina office praised the three Republican, one Democrat and one independent women lawmakers for their attempted filibuster and vowed to challenge the legislation, which Gov. Henry McMaster (R) pledged to sign soon.
Poet Amanda Gorman said Tuesday that she's "gutted" to learn that her book, "The Hill We Climb," was banned from a Florida school.
Driving the news: Gorman, 25, who performed the spoken word poem at President Biden's inauguration, said on Twitter that she wrote "The Hill We Climb," so that "young people could see themselves in a historical moment."
