Blake Masters is readying a GOP Senate primary campaign that would put him on a potential collision course with Kari Lake, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday.
The big picture: Masters and Lake both won their primaries with former President Trump's endorsement — Masters for Senate and Lake for governor — but lost in last year's general election.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and his daughter Heather Manchin, a former pharmaceutical executive, are trying to get major donors to promote centrist policies and candidates in effort projected to cost more than $100 million, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The big picture: The effort comes after the West Virginia Democrat said earlier this month that he was "thinking seriously" about dropping his affiliation with the Democratic Party and becoming an independent, while also publicly toying with a potential third party presidential bid in 2024.
The Biden administration added another lump sum to its student loan debt forgiveness offerings: $72 million in relief to over 2,300 borrowers who attended the schoolformerly known as Ashford University.
Why it matters: The decision follows President Biden's promise to continue pursuing student debt relief following the Supreme Court's decision earlier this summer to strike down his administration's loan forgiveness plan.
Officials with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently recommended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to move marijuana to a lower-risk category under the Controlled Substances Act.
Why it matters: Easing federal restrictions on marijuana could eliminate some of the hurdles facing the country's growing cannabis industry, such as access to banking services, and would potentially allow it to expand, according to Bloomberg, which first reported on HHS's recommendation.
President Biden's new income-driven repayment plan launched in August as payments are set to resume after a years-long pandemic pause.
Why it matters: The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan comes as the administration has proposed new debt alleviation options in the months since the Supreme Court torpedoed its historic relief program.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' mansion experienced the impact of Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall in the state as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday.
Driving the news: The storm, continuing inland into Georgia and northern Florida, felled a 100-year-old oak tree that landed on the governor's mansion in Tallahassee, Fla., Casey DeSantis, Florida First Lady, said on Twitter.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared to freeze while speaking Wednesday at a press conference, with an aide stepping in to repeat a question asked while the senator remained silent.
Why it matters: This is the second time McConnell has appeared unable to speak this summer during an interaction with reporters.
Salaried workers who make under $55,000 annually may become eligible for overtime pay thanks to a proposed Labor Department rule announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: If approved, the effort would extend protections to 3.6 million salaried workers in the U.S. and mark an over 50% increase in the annual salary threshold for overtime pay previously set at under $35,568.
Fox News Media's Stuart Varney and Dana Perino and UNIVISION's Ilia Calderón are set to co-moderate the second Republican primary debate, the networks said Wednesday.
The big picture: The debate is scheduled for Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Rudy Giuliani is liable for defaming two election workers in Georgia, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, according to a court filing.
Why it matters: The ruling could add to Giuliani's ballooning legal fees — and comes after he was indicted in Fulton County alongside former President Trump over his alleged efforts to flip 2020 election results.
Frank Foer of The Atlantic worked 2½ years and spoke to nearly 300 people for his forthcoming opus on President Biden's first term, the author tells Axios.
Why it matters: In "The Last Politician," Foer concludes that Biden provides "an instructive example of the tedious nobility of the political vocation. Unheroic but honorably human, he will be remembered as the old hack who could."
Most of the nation's 10 largest cities had significant jumps in hate crimes last year, increases that averaged 22% to a record 1,889 cases, according to a new report.
Why it matters: It was the second straight year of increases in the big cities' overall average number of hate crimes — typically defined as violence stemming from victims' race, color, sexuality, religion or national origin.
Canada is advising travelers to the U.S. to be wary of state laws affecting LGBTQ+ people.
Driving the news: "Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons," the advisory states, adding that travelers should check relevant state and local laws.
