House Republican leaders floated a new proposal to avert a government shutdown Wednesday evening that appeared to win over some hardline GOP detractors — the first sign of progress in weeks.
Why it matters: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) suffered a series of setbacks this week in his quest to keep the government funded past Sept. 30 while pacifying his right-wing critics, some of whom have openly speculated about forcing a vote to oust him.
The Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing retiring Gen. Mark Milley as the nation's top military officer.
Why it matters: The votes come after months of Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) blocking speedy confirmation of hundreds of military nominations and promotions in protest of the Pentagon's abortion travel policy.
NEW YORK — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left his long-awaited meeting with President Biden Wednesday with exactly the result he wanted: an invitation to the White House before the end of the year.
Why it matters: For nine months, Biden had declined to meet Netanyahu over concerns about his far-right government and its steps to weaken Israel's Supreme Court. The tensions have significantly clouded the relationship between the two allies.
With 10 days until federal funding expires and no resolution in sight, lawmakers are preparing for a government shutdown that looks increasingly inevitable.
Why it matters: The disruptions from House Republicans' infighting aren't confined to the executive branch. The pay of thousands of congressional employees and constituent services — which are especially vital during a shutdown — would be affected as well.
Hunter Biden will have to physically appear in court for his arraignment on gun charges on Sept. 26 after a Delaware magistrate judge on Wednesday denied his request appear by video.
Why it matters: Biden is expected to plead not guilty to the three firearm charges filed against him in an indictment requested by special counsel David Weiss last week.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took aim at former President Trump for calling Florida's six-week abortion ban "terrible" and said that Trump is "a different candidate today than he was" in 2015, during an ABC News interview.
Driving the news: "He's taking positions that I think are different from what he took in 2015 when he first came onto the scene," said DeSantis.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said striking autoworkers "took it on the chin" during the industry's crisis 15 years ago and "deserve to get their end of the shake."
Why it matters: Workers at a Stellantis assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio, were among the first to walk off the job.
Driving the news: Hutchinson, who was a witness at the House's Jan. 6 hearings, wrote that the former Trump lawyer put his hand "under my blazer, then my skirt" while they were backstage during the then-president's speech ahead of the Capitol riot.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Biden Wednesday that Palestinian officials should be part of the process of getting a mega-deal that includes Saudi Arabia-Israel normalization, but they shouldn't have the power to veto parts of it, according to a senior Israeli official.
Why it matters: The Biden administration has stressed to the Israeli government that it will have to make significant concessions to the Palestinians as part of any possible mega-deal with Saudi Arabia.
Driving the news: "I am not the president's lawyer. I will add I am not Congress' prosecutor. The Justice Department works for the American people," Garland told the committee, which is led by chair Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
The military will begin reviewing cases involving LGBTQ+ veterans who may have been forced out of the service under its "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy.
Why it matters: Thousands of veterans could receive retroactive honorable discharges, giving them access to the full amount of benefits for their service.
Former Republican Utah Rep. Chris Stewart has launched a D.C.-based lobbying firm.
Driving the news: Days after Stewart's early departure from office last week, news of the venture became widely known when national consulting agency American Global Strategies announced on Tuesday a partnership with the new firm, Skyline Capitol.
Donald Trump Jr.'s account was hacked Wednesday on X — the app formerly known as Twitter — a spokesperson for the Trump Organization confirmed to Axios.
Driving the news: The hacker reportedly posted multiple times on his X account, including a false claim that former President Trump had died.
NEW YORK CITY — President Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their meeting Wednesday that he was concerned about the Israeli leader's intention to continue pushing his judicial overhaul legislation unilaterally, according to the White House.
Why it matters: The judicial overhaul has been a point of contention in the two leaders' relationship since it was first introduced, with the Biden administration concerned about what it will mean for Israel's democracy.
Here's a first look at the cover of "Oath and Honor" — billed as a memoir and "urgent warning" — coming Dec. 5 from former congresswoman Liz Cheney, who was vice chair and a driving force of the House Jan. 6 committee.
Why it matters: Cheney's account will be published a month before GOP caucuses in Iowa, where former President Trump is the formidable favorite — and three months before the scheduled D.C. trial date for Trump on federal charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election.
Two of the country's biggest unions have joined a coalition calling on federal regulators to protect workers' mental health the way they enforce standards for physical health and safety.
Why it matters: The press comes amid widespread post-pandemic burnout, growing awareness of the country's worsening mental health and some of the strongest pro-union sentiment in decades.
The Biden White House has a blunt message for doomscrolling Democrats fretting about the president's old age and bad poll numbers: Clam up and chill out.
Driving the news: Mike Donilon, a senior White House adviser, is telling anxious Democrats that two issues — abortion and Donald Trump — will propel Biden to re-election, according to people familiar with the matter.
Some of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) biggest headaches can be explained by a familiar element of politics: Ambition.
Driving the news: Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), a particular thorn in the speaker’s side, is exploring whether to leave Congress for a cable news gig, potentially with CNN, the New York Post reported Tuesday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) move to scuttle the chamber's informal dress code collided with tradition and politics Tuesday, as Washington found something to stew over besides the budget talks.
Driving the news: Schumer's decision, first reported by Axios, was denounced by Republicans, roasted by conservative media and given a thumbs-down by The Washington Post's editorial page — all of them casting it as the end of decorum in Congress' upper chamber.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) led a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) with 45 other Republican senators on Monday criticizing his decision to no longer enforce the chamber's dress code for its members.
What they're saying: "The world watches us on that floor, and we must protect the sanctity of that place at all costs," said the letter, signed by all but three Republican senators.
Former Republican Indiana Rep. Stephen Buyer was sentenced Tuesday to 22 months in prison for insider trading, perthe U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
Driving the news: Buyer provided false explanations for his Sprint and Navigant trading schemes, which U.S. District Judge Richard Berman found at sentencing to constitute obstruction of justice, per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Ford and Canadian auto workers "reached a tentative agreement" in negotiations for a new labour contract, said the company and the union on Tuesday night.
Why it matters: An agreement between Ford and Unifor, the union representing over 5,600 members, on a new contract deal in Canada would stave off strike action, as the "Detroit Three" auto makers grapple with the UAW's historic strike across the border in the U.S.
