Two weeks from today,former President Trump's expected absence from the debate stage will provide at least seven Republican candidates a fleeting opportunity to be heard above the Trump megaphone that has dominated the primary.
Why it matters: Betting on a strong debate performance is virtually the only strategy Trump's rivals have at this point, given that the primary calendar's other major wild card — his indictments — has only fueled his massive lead in the polls.
Former President Trump last week joined more than 1,100 people who have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
By the numbers: 110 people have been found guilty at trial and about 366have been sentenced to incarceration in connection to the attack, according to figures from the U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. through Aug. 4.
Former President Trump will travel to the Iowa State Fair on Saturday with a caravan of special guests: nine Florida Republicans who have endorsed him over their own governor, Ron DeSantis.
Why it matters: The polling in Iowa has been sparse, but a recent New York Times/Siena poll found Trump is leading DeSantis in the first-in-the-nation caucuses by 24 percentage points — a slimmer margin than most national surveys.
J. Michael Luttig, a former federal judge and legal adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence, said on Wednesday he believes former President Trump's hold on the Republican party puts democracy "in grave peril."
Why it matters: Trump remains the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential election despite facing a potential fourth criminal indictment.
Lawyers for former President Trump asked the government on Wednesday to reestablish a secure facility "at or near" Mar-a-Lago for him to discuss classified documents in the criminal investigation.
Driving the news: Trump's attorneys argued in the filing that there are "immense practical and logistical hurdles and costs that make it virtually impossible for [Trump] to make regular trips to a public facility to discuss classified discovery material with counsel ... to conduct a defense consistent with the rights afforded by the Constitution."
The FBI shot and killed a Utah man suspected of threatening President Biden ahead of his planned trip to the state Wednesday.
Driving the news: Craig Deleeuw Robertson is accused of making threats against public figures, including Biden and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, according to charging documents obtained by Axios.
In his new executive order banning investment in certain Chinese sectors, President Biden is trying to restrict more than just U.S. dollars from flowing into China's technology industry.
Why it matters: He also wants to prevent the transfer of American know-how from top private equity and venture capital firms to China's semiconductor, artificial intelligence and quantum computing sectors.
The Biden administration on Wednesday launched a new federal system for tracking heat-related illness across the country as a prolonged heat wave continues to scorch the South.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) was sent to the hospital, and later discharged, on Tuesday after what her office described as a “minor fall” at her home in San Francisco.
Why it matters: This follows a prolonged hospitalization and recovery from a bout of shingles earlier this year that exacerbated questions about the 90-year-old senator’s fitness to serve.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to get a security agreement with the U.S. focused on deterring Iran in the context of the mega-deal the Biden administration is trying to reach with Saudi Arabia and Israel, four Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios.
Why it matters: A formal agreement, which would likely have to be approved by Congress, would give stronger U.S. security guarantees to Israel at a time when Iran continues to advance its nuclear program. The chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told Congress the Iranians could build a nuclear device within five months if they decided to do so.
The Republican National Committee announced Wednesday that Fox Business will host the second Republicanprimary debate.
Why it matters: Fox networks will now televise the first two debates of the Republican primary. The first debate is scheduled for Aug. 23 and will be aired by Fox News, a sister station to Fox Business.
Republicans and Democrats alike are bigger fans of Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky than many of their own political leaders, a new Gallup poll shows.
Why it matters: Hyper-partisan politics have sullied the reputations of U.S. political leaders, from President Biden to Speaker McCarthy (R-Calif.) to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Why it matters: The results are a victory for abortion rights advocates ahead of a constitutional amendment on November's ballot that proposes to guarantee abortion access up until fetal viability.
Five people affiliated with the Patriot Front have accused a Seattle-area man in a lawsuit of causing them "harm" by infiltrating the white supremacist group and revealing their identities online.
Driving the news: The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for Western Washington, alleges that David Alan Capito, 37, also known as Vyacheslav Arkangelskiy, invaded their privacy after using a false name to be accepted into the group in July 2021.
