A federal judge blocked enforcement of a Florida law cracking down on drag shows, writing in an order issued Friday that the rule is vague and contradicts the state's commitment to parental rights.
What's happening: U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell issued the preliminary injunction in response to a request from the Orlando location of Hamburger Mary's, a drag-themed restaurant that sued the state over the law in May.
The Department of Veterans Affairs was more likely to deny disability health benefits to Black veterans than their white counterparts, according to a new government data analysis.
By the numbers: In fiscal year 2023, 84.8% of Black veterans who applied for physical or mental health benefits were granted assistance, compared to 89.4% of white veterans, the VA found.
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday pushed back on allegations from congressional Republicans and IRS whistleblowers this week that the probe into Hunter Biden's taxes was hampered by political influence.
Driving the news: "I don’t know how it would be possible for anybody to block him from bringing a prosecution given that he has this authority,” Garland said Friday, referring to Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who led the Hunter Biden investigation.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus discussed potentially ousting Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) from the conservative group during a closed-door meeting on Friday morning, three sources familiar with the conversation confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: The discussion comes in the wake of Greene taking aim at Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Co.) on the House floor, where Greene called the Colorado Republican a “nasty little b***h” after Boebert introduced competing impeachment resolutions.
Traffic is back flowing in both directions of Philadelphia's I-95, 12 days after a deadly tanker fire and collapse forced the closure of one of the East Coast's most well-traveled highways.
Why it matters: The "eyes of the nation" have been on Pennsylvania since the collapse, Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a news conference Friday, calling the moment one of "civic pride" for everyone involved after initial estimates projected the busy corridor would be closed for months.
The Supreme Court on Friday threw out a GOP-led challenge to one of the Biden administration's key immigration policies — a major victory for the White House.
Why it matters: The ruling is a win for the Biden administration on immigration and may signal that Republicans will have a harder time trying to block other policies as well.
More than half of Pennsylvania's House Republican delegation is endorsing former President Trump's 2024 presidential bid, the campaign announced Friday.
President Biden on Friday will sign an executive order aimed at expanding free access to contraception on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling.
The big picture: This is Biden's third reproductive health-related executiveorder since Roe v. Wade was overturned last June and the first not to address abortion access.
Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd may be a long shot to be the Republican nominee for president, but his entry into the race Thursday was a benchmark: Of the 12 major GOP candidates, half are people of color.
Why it matters: It's a historic turn for Republicans, who in recent years have made a point of trying to recruit more minorities for public office — and have made slight gains among minority voters in recent elections.
The Republican Study Committee is pushing House GOP leadership for a vote on the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act (H.R. 7), Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Moderates and some members of GOP leadership are worried the bill could hurt members in swing districts.
Medical associations say state abortion restrictions adopted in the wake of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision have restricted access not only to reproductive care, but "unrelated" health care treatments as well, according to a report from six Senate Democrats.
Why it matters: CongressionalDemocrats have been trying to bring abortion back to the fore of political discourse as the one-year anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade approaches.
Multnomah County, Oregon — which contains most of Portland —filed a lawsuit Thursday against over a dozen fossil fuel companies and industry associations, seeking $50 million in actual damages from the June 2021 heat wave that blanketed the Pacific Northwest, sending temperatures up to 116° in the county.
Of note: The suit also seeks $1.5 billion in future damages and $50 billion to "weatherproof" the county against extreme heat.
Why it matters: Republican Richer's lawsuit represents "the most aggressive attempt" to hold the Trumpian former Phoenix television news anchor Lake to account over election misinformation, per the Washington Post.
Two House Republicans on Thursday unveiled measures to "expunge" former President Trump's twoimpeachments.
Why it matters: It comes amid a sudden flurry of energy around impeaching President Biden and his officials, which GOP leadership has tried to tamp down.
