Hunter Biden's guilty plea to misdemeanor tax charges, which will allow him to avoid prosecution on a gun charge after two years of probation, has produced political ammunition for both sides:
For Democrats, the charges brought by a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney undermine Republican claims that the Justice Department has been "weaponized" against President Biden's political opponents.
For Republicans, the guilty plea — which will likely allow Hunter Biden to avoid prison time — is a "sweetheart deal" that reinforces the need for GOP-led investigations into the Biden family's alleged corruption.
House members across the ideological spectrum are getting tired of focusing almost entirely on legislation whose only role is to fire up the base.
Why it matters: Those "messaging bills" constitute much of what the House Republican majority has focused on over the last six months — and there's no sign GOP leaders intend to change course.
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Julie Rikelman, a renowned abortion rights lawyer, to serve as a judge in the Boston-based U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in a 51-43 vote.
Why it matters: Rikelman represented the abortion clinic in the Supreme Court's Dobbs case, which resulted in the overturning of Roe v. Wade nearly a year ago.
The New York State Legislature passed a bill Tuesday to protect abortion providers against litigation from states where the practice is banned.
Why it matters: The measure is in response to laws in Republican-led states like Texas, which bans most abortions early on in pregnancy and encourages private citizens to sue those believed to be involved in obtaining an abortion, per Axios' Oriana González.
Driving the news: Arkansas was the first state to prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming treatments to transgender youth after overriding then- Gov. Asa Hutchinson's veto of the ban in 2021.
Democrats in both chambers of Congress hope to force votes this week on protecting access to abortion, a preview of the party's strategy for the 2024 elections — and a particularly personal cause for House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.).
Most adults in the U.S. should be routinely screened for anxiety even if they don’t have symptoms, a national task force recommended Tuesday.
Why it matters: This is the first time the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a powerful group of health experts, issues a final recommendation for anxiety disorder screenings in adults ages 19 to 64.
A powerful Senate committee is launching an investigation "into the dangerous and illegal conditions at Amazon’s warehouses," according to the panel's chairman.
Driving the news: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a letter Tuesday to Amazon that the Senate committee will probe the company's "egregious health and safety violations."
House Republicans are vowing to push ahead with their investigations in the wake of the news on Tuesday that Hunter Biden has reached a plea deal on tax and gun charges.
Why it matters: Top Republicans have made investigations into Hunter Biden a central part of their strategy as they look to paint the Biden family as corrupt and accuse Democrats of weaponizing government agencies against Republicans.
Advocates and legislators are looking to the upcoming farm bill as a way to reinstate Puerto Rico's access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but the effort faces an uphill battle in a divided Congress.
Why it matters: Puerto Rico's own version of SNAP, known as the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), has fixed yearly funding. That forces the program to set higher eligibility requirements to stay within its budget, leaving thousands of people on the island without assistance who may otherwise be eligible.
Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to not paying taxes in 2017 and 2018, and he'll enter into a probation agreement on a charge of illegally owning a gun while being a drug user, according to a Tuesday court filing by the U.S. Attorney in Delaware.
Why it matters: Hunter Biden's agreement could conclude the Justice Department's years-long investigation into him, in addition to prompting congressional Republicans to further ramp up their investigations into Hunter and the Biden family.
A federal judge in Florida on Tuesday set a preliminary start date of Aug. 14 for the criminal trial of former President Trump in connection to his handling of classified documents.
Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is launching a national grassroots effort to find, register and educate voters who are willing to fight for free enterprise, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The former CEO of Cold Stone Creamery plans to use his business and political skills — as well as the national donor network he cultivated while running the Republican Governors Association (RGA) — to build a conservative version of Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight Action, which addressed voter fraud in Georgia and the South.
Driving the news: Fox News' Bret Baier asked Trump why he didn't hand over the boxes containing classified materials to the National Archives and Records Administration. "I wanted to go through the boxes and get all of my personal things out," he replied.
Why it matters: Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart's order against the former president and co-defendant Walt Nauta, a Trump aide, which also limits their access to material, is a victory for special counsel Jack Smith, who requested it to prevent sensitive details being revealed during the discovery process when prosecutors present the defense with evidence.
Thousands of people reportedly lined up over the Juneteenth holiday weekend to view the temporary display of the Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.
The big picture: The event was one of many across the U.S. celebrating the day some of the last enslaved people in Texas learned about their freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, ahead of Monday's federal holiday commemorating the occasion.
