Why it matters: In an election cycle poised to break records for campaign spending, the hotly contested race to fill Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) open seat is expected to be one of the most expensive in the country.
Republicans' playbookfor defending Donald Trump is likely to face its biggest test in the coming weeks, as special counsel Jack Smith appears set to indict the former president for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Why it matters: Jan. 6 is a proven political albatross for Republicans. Trump's refusal to accept the election results has allowed Democrats to paint the GOP as extremist and anti-democratic — a message that resonated in the midterms as Trump-backed election deniers were defeated across the board.
Driving the news: During a relatively rare veto session, the House voted 75 to 23 to override the governor's objection on House Bill 648, which bans hormone treatments, puberty-blocking drugs and other gender-affirming care for anyone younger than 18.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that he does not think former President Trump should be charged over Jan. 6, adding that it would not "be good for the country."
Why it matters: DeSantis also tried to distance himself from another potential Trump indictment and said during an interview with CNN that "this country needs to have a debate about the country's future."
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Tuesday charged 16 pro-Trump fake electors for their involvement in an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election.
Why it matters: They appear to be the first criminal charges issued against fake electors relating to the 2020 election.
In another blow to House Oversight Chair James Comer's (R-Ky.) probe into the Bidens and Ukraine, former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas wrote a scorching letter claiming there is "simply no merit" for the investigation.
Why it matters: Parnas, a Ukrainian-American businessman, was a central figure in former President Trump’s first impeachment investigation over efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating the Bidens.
Three in four young Americans believe it's unfair for colleges to consider applicants' legacy status when making admissions decisions, according to a poll by Generation Lab provided exclusively to Axios.
Why it matters: The fairness of legacy admissions — giving applicants a leg up if they are directly related to an alumnus — has become a nationwide debate after the end of affirmative action. The practice favors rich, white students, Axios' Felix Salmon reports.
When President Biden urged Benjamin Netanyahu in their call Monday to try and get broad consensus for his judicial overhaul legislation, the Israeli prime minister claimed the opposition was unwilling to negotiate, three U.S. and Israeli officials briefed on the call told Axios.
State of play: It doesn’t appear that Netanyahu’s answer convinced Biden. The White House stressed after the call that the president doesn’t have fewer concerns about the legislation Netanyahu is pushing to weaken the Supreme Court and other democratic institutions.
Democratic lawmakers largely avoided weighing in on the first two indictments of former President Trump, but the possibility of a third one over the Jan. 6 attack is resulting in a departure from that strategy.
Why it matters: These members of Congress were on the receiving end of the Capitol riot, and many feel Trump evaded accountability when the Senate voted to acquit him at his impeachment trial.
President Biden is preparing to name Mike Whitaker — a former Federal Aviation Administration official under President Obama who's now trying to develop "flying taxis" — to lead the FAA as soon as this week, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: Whitaker, if confirmed by the Senate, would take over an agency that's facing challenges on multiple fronts, from responding to extreme weather events that have roiled the airline industry to a shortage of air-traffic controllers.
House Republicans are planning a vote this week on a resolution denouncing anti-semitism and defending Israel, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It is a direct response to comments from Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) over the weekend calling Israel a "racist" state.
