Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) is facing an investigation and a Republican-led expulsion effort after he pulled a fire alarm in a House office building while the House scrambled to head off a government shutdown on Saturday.
Driving the news: Bowman spokesperson Emma Simon told Axios in a statement that the congressman "did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote."
A broad bipartisan majority of House members voted Saturday to pass a bill holding off a government shutdown for a month and a half.
Why it matters: Unlike the short-term funding bills the House Republican majority has tried and failed to pass in recent weeks, this bill actually has a chance of becoming law.
Women lawmakers from both parties saluted the legacy of Sen. Dianne Feinstein following her death on Friday.
Why it matters: Feinstein, 90, the longest-serving woman senator in U.S. history, was elected to office in 1992 in the wake of Clarence Thomas' confirmation to the Supreme Court — which helped galvanize a record number of women to run for office in a wave known as "the Year of the Woman."
House Speaker Kevin McCarty (R-Calif.) plans to try to use Democratic votes to pass a bill that would push the deadline for a government shutdown back another 45 days.
Why it matters: It's a sign of Republicans nodding to the reality that they will need bipartisan support to keep the government funded with federal funding set to run out on Saturday at midnight.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) lacks an easy path to funding the government that wouldn't put his leadership position in jeopardy, with lawmakers growing increasingly exasperated as Congress barrels toward a shutdown on Oct 1.
Why it matters: The California Republican is stuck between moderates who fear a shutdown will cost them their seats and conservative hardliners who threaten to take his gavel unless the House passes spending cuts that are dead on arrival in the Senate.
The Supreme Court has teed up two big opportunities to significantly curtail the federal government's regulatory power — to weaken or even dismantle agencies that have been in conservatives' sights for years.
The big picture: The Supreme Court's new term begins Monday. Some of the first cases on the docket have the potential to advance conservatives' years-long push to rein in the federal bureaucracy — and to undercut core Democratic priorities, from regulating Wall Street to combating climate change.
House Republicans are at their wits' end as they try to cobble together yet another plan to pass legislation aimed at averting a government shutdown that would start at midnight on Saturday.
Driving the news: A closed-door GOP conference meeting devolved into accusations and recriminations on Friday evening after Republicans failed to pass a 30-day funding extension, according to lawmakers and sources in the room.
Scott Hall, one of the co-defendants in the Georgia 2020 election interference case, pleaded guilty to charges against him Friday, per the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Why it matters: Hall, a bail bondsman, was the first of 19 people charged in the sprawling election probe to accept a plea deal with prosecutors.
A Nevada man believed to be the last living suspect investigated in the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur was arrested Friday, authorities said.
The big picture: The arrest by Las Vegas police, which AP first reported, comes after nearly three decades of public speculation about the infamous drive-by shooting of the hip-hop icon.
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein's death presents the state's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, with a complicated political problem — and an opportunity.
Why it matters: Newsom is widely expected to use the appointment of Feinstein's replacement to bolster his political standing for a potential presidential run at some point, according to California political advisers.
Outgoing Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley said Friday that military members "don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator," but to the Constitution.
Driving the news: With an apparent swipe at former President Trump, Milley spoke about the ideals of public service during a ceremony marking his retirement.
The Biden administration plans to direct millions of dollars in foreign aid to help Panama deport more migrants — intended to stop people long before they reach the U.S.-Mexico border, Axios has learned.
The intrigue: The unprecedented pilot program has been blocked by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) for months, but that has ended now that Menendez has ceded the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after being indicted on bribery charges.
The Republican-controlled House on Friday voted down a measure to temporarily avert a government shutdown just one day before federal funding is set to expire.
Why it matters: It’s a setback for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as he tries to position himself to make a deal with the Senate on a stopgap bill and save his speakership from hardliners in his conference.
With Congress' Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government and avoid a shutdown fast approaching, federal services and jobs could be thrown for a loop.
The big picture: If a government shutdown takes places, federal functions deemed non-essential could be suspended, affecting health programs, Social Security and Medicare, SNAP benefits, Food and Drug Administration inspections and small business loans.
President Biden on Friday lauded Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) as "a pioneering American" and a "true trailblazer."
Driving the news: "She's made history in so many ways, and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations," Biden said in a statement paying tribute to Feinstein.
The Supreme Court said Friday it will decide the fate of controversial Texas and Florida laws restricting social media platforms' freedom to moderate content.
Why it matters: The case is likely to shape the future of online speech — and determine whether Republican-led states' efforts to fight what they view as "censorship" by Big Tech will expand or fail.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the oldest serving member of the U.S. Senate, has died at the age of 90.
The big picture: Feinstein had a trailblazing political career that was filled with milestones, including becoming the first female mayor of San Fransisco and first female U.S. senator from California.
Why it matters: This would include a pause by German sandal maker Birkenstock, whose IPO roadshow is otherwise scheduled to begin next week, per multiple sources.
The second Republican presidential primary debate drew 9.5 million viewers, down 25% from the 12.8 million that tuned in for the first debate last month, according to Nielsen ratings.
Why it matters: Former President Trump has historically been a draw for debate viewers, but he opted to sit out of Wednesday night's two-hour event, as he did during the first debate last month.
Lorna Roxanne Green was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison and three years probation for burning down Wyoming's only abortion clinic.
Driving the news: Greenpreviously admitted to setting fire to the clinic in May 2022. It had been under construction at the time and planned to offer gender-affirming care and abortion procedures.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will use improved communications with Beijing to discuss "contentious" issues, gain new insight into China's economy — and learn how leaders there plan to respond to issues, she tells Axios.
Why it matters: The Biden administration is taking a series of steps to try to repair relations with China's government, ahead of a potential meeting between President Biden and China's president, Xi Jinping, later this fall.
The Republican-controlled House on Thursday passed three annual appropriations bills after a months-long standstill, but Congress is still hurtling toward a government shutdown.
Why it matters: Republicans hope that by coalescing around spending bills they can amass leverage in negotiations with the Senate that will produce the bills actually geared towards keeping the government funded.
Discussions on who could replace Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) are beginning to emerge from the shadows, with multiple GOP sources questioning if he'll make it until December.
Why it matters: Some House GOP members — including McCarthy allies — say there should be a contingency plan to avoid another grueling speaker vote in case Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-Fla.) threatened motion to vacate were to succeed.
New York City is attempting to veer off migrants as it faces an influx of asylum seekers brought to the city from the southern border.
Driving the news: NYC is releasing flyers "to combat misinformation at the border" and in other cities from which people are coming to New York City from, Anne Williams-Isom, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, said in a briefing Wednesday.
Some House Republicansappeared taken by surprise when two of their handpicked witnesses at the first impeachment hearing testified that there isn't sufficient evidence — at least not yet — to impeach President Biden.
Why it matters: Having launched an impeachment inquiry without a House vote, no direct of evidence of wrongdoing and against the backdrop of an imminent government shutdown, Republicans are embarking on a risky expedition that could backfire with voters if they fail to deliver.
