Kurt Campbell, the coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs at the National Security Council, has emerged as a leading candidate to serve as President Biden's deputy secretary of state, according to people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: During Biden's first two-and-half yearsin office, Campbell, a seasoned diplomat, has been a forceful advocate for a more confrontational approach to China.
The super PAC backing President Biden is launching a joint $13 million national advertising campaign with a progressive climate group to convince voters that Bidenomics is working for them.
Why it matters: After a summer of selling his economic and environmental packages, team Biden knows that it has more work to do to convince a skeptical public that the economy is in good shape.
Why it matters: Some senators say the evidence is still too thin to merit such a drastic step, while others simply don't want to go through another trial after former President Trump's historic dual impeachments.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Axios he has urged former President Trump to support the mega-deal President Biden is negotiating with Saudi Arabia, which could pave the way for a historic peace agreement between the kingdom and Israel.
Why it matters: The comprehensive deal could include a U.S.-Saudi defense treaty that would require support from two-thirds of the Senate, where many Democrats hold critical views of both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Texas must move its controversial floating border barrier in the Rio Grande to the riverbank by the end of next week, a federal judge ordered on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The preliminary injunctionis an early win for the Biden administration, which sued the state over its floating barrier which has upset Mexico as well as immigration advocates worried for the safety of migrants.
The big picture: The move comes weeks after plea deal negotiations broke down over two tax misdemeanors and a gun felony against President Biden's son.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday he has no plans to retire before his Senate term expires or step down prematurely as leader.
Why it matters: The announcement comes despite recent public concerns about the 81-year-old senator's health following two televised freeze-ups at press conferences this summer.
A trial in Georgia's 2020 election case could last around four months, not counting jury selection, Fulton County prosecutors said in a hearing Wednesday.
Driving the news: Special prosecutor Nathan Wade said the government has an excess of 150 witnesses it intends to call in the case.
Former President Trump said that he will testify if his criminal indictments go to trial during an interview that aired Wednesday with conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt.
The big picture: Trump made similar remarks in 2018 during Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, saying he was "looking forward" to being interviewed under oath. He ultimately did not testify.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) filed a lawsuit Wednesday to block former President Trump from the 2024 GOP primary ballot in Colorado, citing the 14th Amendment's stipulation on engaging in an insurrection.
Why it matters: The move comes as liberal groups and state election officials have been raising questions about whether the 14th Amendment can be used to undercut the GOP presidential frontrunner's bid.
There's a growing bipartisan push to bar the use of artificial intelligence for the purpose of generating child sexual abuse content.
Driving the news: Attorneys general in all 50 states and four U.S. territories sent a letter to Congress this week calling for an explicit prohibition against AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
A federal judge on Wednesday ruled former President Trump is liable for defamatory remarks he made against writer E. Jean Carroll when he denied her rape accusations in 2019.
Why it matters: Judge Lewis Kaplan's ruling is another major legal blow to the GOP presidential frontrunner, who is facing several criminal indictments and civil lawsuits, as the upcoming trial over the case will determine how much in damages Trump will owe Carroll.
Driving the news: "Your job as governor is to be the tour guide for the president, is to make sure the president sees your people, sees the damage, sees the suffering, what's going on and what's going to need to be done to rebuild it," Christie said Tuesday on Fox News.
Former President Trump was warned by his attorney that the FBI could search Mar-a-Lago if Trump refused to comply with a subpoena for classified documents, according to contemporaneous notes reviewed by ABC News.
Why it matters: Trump expressed outrage after the FBI's execution of a search warrant at his Florida estate last August, calling it a "shocking BREAK-IN" while insisting he had been cooperating with investigators. The ensuing GOP backlash led to a fundraising surge for Trump.
Saudi Arabia's extension of oil production cuts until the end of 2023 or longer helps ensure energy prices will become an election 2024 debate.
Why it matters: U.S. gasoline prices, which have been on the rise, are closely tethered to global oil prices. Meanwhile, the presidential campaign season is heating up — and voters already give the White House low marks on the economy.
Special counsel Jack Smith said in a court filing Tuesday that the "daily" statements made by former President Trump "threaten to prejudice the jury pool" in the case surrounding his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The big picture: Trump's posts on social media have become increasingly intertwined with his legal woes. The judge overseeing Trump's election conspiracy case has explicitly warned him not to make statements that could intimidate witnesses or prejudice potential jurors.
Nikki Haley's campaign manager labeled Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis "Trump-lite" in a new memo to donors Tuesday night, mocking them for falling "all over themselves to copy Trump on everything," Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Haley, who has risen in the polls following the first GOP debate and served as Trump's U.N. ambassador, is betting on a viable lane in the Republican primary distinct from Trump and his positions — despite his commanding lead.
Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a former FBI agent and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is running for the Republican nomination for Michigan's open Senate seat.
Why it matters: With Rogers' return to politics after nearly a decade, Republicans now have a formidable Senate candidate to run for Democrat Debbie Stabenow's seat.
Former Vice President Mike Pence will warnin a major speech in New Hampshire on Wednesday on "Populism vs. Conservatism" that the right's populists and the left's progressives "are fellow travelers on the same road to ruin."
Why it matters: Pence is taking on former President Trump, the field's prohibitive favorite, without naming him. Pence refers to his former boss as "a leading candidate."
House GOP lawmakers are signaling potential moves against Speaker Kevin McCarthy during leadership's frantic September push.
Why it matters: McCarthy is going to have to dodge multiple landmines to retain his gavel, with Congress having until Sept. 30 to pass legislation to avoid a government shutdown.
Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, former leader of the right-wing extremist group Proud Boys, was sentenced on Wednesday to 22 years in prison for his role in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
Why it matters: Tarrio's sentencing caps one of the highest-profile prosecutions related to the Capitol riot, and his is the longest sentence handed down in the Jan. 6 cases.
Warner Bros. Discovery expects an earnings hit of $300 million to $500 million "predominantly due to the impact" of Hollywood's ongoing writers and actors strikes, the company said in a securities filing Tuesday.
Details: It now predicts earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for 2023 in the range of $10.5 to $11 billion, with free cash flow for the third quarter expected to exceed $1.7 billion, "in part due to the strong performance" of blockbuster movie "Barbie" — the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film ever, per the filing.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned North Korea on Tuesday it would face consequences if it supplies Russia with arms for Putin's war on Ukraine.
Driving the news: Sullivan said at a briefing that discussions between officials in Pyongyang and Moscow on providing Russia's forces with military support were "actively advancing," including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un holding perhaps "in-person leader-level discussions" with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
In the more than two years since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection took place, the consequences for participants have been piling on, with some of the longest sentences yet handed downthis month.
The big picture: More than 1,100 people — including — have been charged in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot.
