Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began his Democratic campaign against President Biden by criticizing the ties between government and corporate power. Two months later, Kennedy's being embraced by high-profile conservatives eager to air his anti-vaccination views — and to tweak Biden.
Why it matters: Democratic voters have made clear in polls that they're open to a Biden alternative. But as many voters have learned more about Kennedy, his support appears to have dipped in some polls — and Biden remains the overwhelming favorite to win the Democratic nomination.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that state officials are suing the U.S. Department of Education over its college accreditation process.
Driving the news: The lawsuit accuses the Biden administration of abusing federal power by withholding federal funding from public colleges and universities that don't get approval from private accrediting bodies.
America is red, white, blue... and gray. The median age in the U.S. reached a record high last year, rising to 38.9 years, and it's likely only going up from here, per Census Bureau data out Thursday.
Why it matters: Decades of lower birth rates and increasing (until recently) life expectancy means older folks make up an ever larger share of the population.
Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Kristie Canegallo will serve as the agency's acting deputy secretary starting next month, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Canegallo will help manage DHS's sprawling mission set, which includes everything from assessing cyber threats to responding to natural disasters to immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, House Republicans have ramped up their efforts to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border.
The House Ethics Committee said Thursday they are expanding their investigation into Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) after the Justice Department charged him with more than a dozen criminal counts.
Why it matters: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has said the panel's findings will determine Santos' fate.
Several members of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) leadership team on Thursday expressed reluctance about potentially being drawn into an impeachment trial.
Why it matters: The upper chamber skepticism cuts against growing energy in the House GOP towards impeaching either President Biden or one of his officials.
Florida's bans on Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming health care amount to "invidious discrimination" and were politically motivated, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
Why it matters: U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle declared the rules are unconstitutional and violate federal law. That means that all transgender Floridians who qualify for Medicaid should now be able to seek coverage of their gender-affirming care, plaintiff's attorney Simone Chriss told Axios.
Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) announced Thursday that he is running for president, saying in his campaign announcement that the "soul of our country is under attack."
The big picture: Hurd, 45, a former undercover CIA operative, joins a crowded Republican primary field that includes former President Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Democratic campaign organizations in charge of winning the House, Senate and White House are going after Republicans on abortion ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson.
Why it matters: It shows how Democratic campaigns are once again leaning on the issue as their trump card this cycle after it proved a potent cudgel in last year's midterms.
A plurality of Latinos now says "neither" when asked which major political party cares more about them, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo.
Why it matters: More Latinos continue to favor the Democratic Party, but their allegiance is drifting. Some Latinos signal growing differences on cultural issues and crime — and give Republicans an edge in handling the economy.
India is undercutting President Biden's strategy on Ukraine and backsliding on the human rights and democracy issues at "the core" of Biden's foreign policy — but U.S. officials are anxious to demonstrate this week that relations have never been better.
Why it matters: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit underscores the stakes of the bet the U.S., and some major U.S. companies, are placing on the world's most populous country.
Texas' Senate voted Wednesday to start state Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial on Sept. 5 and to bar his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, from voting on the historic proceedings.
Driving the news: The Republican-controlled chamber approved rules prohibiting Angela Paxton from voting due to conflict of interest concerns.
