Yevgeny "Eugene" Vindman — the National Security Council official whose twin brother, Alexander, was a star witness in former President Trump's first impeachment — is actively considering a run for Congress as a Democrat in northern Virginia, according to people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: The campaign would give Democrats the opportunity to reward Vindman with a seat in Congress, after the Trump White House fired the then-Army lieutenant colonel from his NSC job as a senior lawyer and ethics official.
The eight House Republicanswho voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker received a combined $150,000 from his leadership PAC, the Majority Committee, in recent election cycles.
Why it matters: McCarthy's painstaking efforts to unite the GOP conference around him — including through the usual means of political wheel-greasing — ultimately proved insufficient.
U.S. aid to Ukraine is emerging as the biggest potential casualty from Kevin McCarthy's ouster as House speaker, as GOP candidates jostle for support from a conference that has grown increasingly hostile to the war effort.
Why it matters: Publicly, McCarthy toed a skeptical line on Ukraine, keenly aware that any misstep would trigger a backlash from the right flank that ultimately sealed his fate. Privately, he struck a tone far more aligned with the national security establishment.
New York Attorney General Letitia James blasted as a "political stunt" former President Trump's voluntary appearances and violent rhetoric in the civil fraud trial against him.
Why it matters: Trump, who appeared angry and spoke each day to reporters, excoriated James, the case and the presiding judge — offering a potential preview into a combative 2024 campaign as the former president remains ensnared in legal woes.
The big picture: The trial, which is expected to last into December, stems from a $250 million lawsuit New York Attorney General Letitia James filed. It alleges that Trump, his associates and the Trump Organization committed fraud by inflating his wealth and assets over the course of a decade.
The succession race within House GOP leadership has begun, with multiple members of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's team expected to try to move on up.
Driving the news: Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) both announced they are running for speaker on Wednesday, becoming the first candidates to do so.
A group of 20 Democratic senators sent a letter to President Biden on Wednesday, raising concerns about a possible mega-deal with Saudi Arabia and calling on him to demand Israel make "meaningful and enforceable" concessions to the Palestinians as part of any such agreement.
Why it matters: If a mega-deal is reached, some parts of it will likely have to be approved by the Senate. That means the Biden administration will need the support from Democrats, including those who are critical of the Saudi or Israeli governments or both.
Former President Trump has repeatedly complained about the lack of a jury in his New York civil fraud trial, but his own legal team appears to have failed to request one.
Why it matters: Trump has claimed it's "unfair" that the judge in the case opted for a bench trial, without a jury. But the court docket shows that while Attorney General Letitia James filed a document requesting a bench trial, Trump's lawyers never filed any corresponding document requesting a jury.
The two most likely candidates for House speaker —Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — both announced they were running as of Wednesday afternoon.
The big picture: The chamber made U.S. history yesterday when it voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker, setting off a scramble to replace him with no clear successor in sight.
An Illinois man was sentenced Wednesday to 54 months in prison for assaulting a law enforcement officer and a reporter during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, per the Department of Justice.
Driving the news: Shane Jason Woods, 45, of Auburn, Illinois, was also sentenced to 36 months of supervised release.
The historic removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as House speaker on Tuesday leaves Republicans without a clear successor, though several names have been floated.
The latest: Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) both announced they are running for speaker on Wednesday, becoming the first candidates to do so.
This week, speeches by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on the House floor have offered a bounty of new ad material for the Biden campaign and Democrats to exploit ahead of the next election.
Why it matters: Gaetz — whose effort to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker was successful Tuesday — has made himself public enemy No. 1 within the GOP conference.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will be given the Capitol hideaway office from which his predecessor Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was just ejected, a top House Republican said Wednesday.
Why it matters: The move by interim Speaker Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), a close McCarthy ally, to kick Pelosi out has been met with accusations of partisan retribution by Democrats.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the pugnacious chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday he is running for speaker of the House.
Why it matters: Jordan, one of former President Trump's most vocal defenders in Congress, is getting early support from some of the Republican hardliners who have given past GOP speakers hell.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and former Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) were ordered to move out of their hideaway offices in the Capitol on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) gave the order after he became speaker pro temporeTuesday. Pelosi blasted it as a "sharp departure from tradition."
Two polls out Wednesday show former UN ambassador Nikki Haley in second place in the crowded 2024 Republican primary.
Why it matters: Haley is still far behind former President Trump, but her polling among voters in New Hampshire and South Carolina is the latest sign of her jolt of momentum after two strong debate performances.
Former President Trump's violent rhetoric — a staple of his political brand dating back to 2015 — has grown more extreme as the walls have begun to close in on his business empire, livelihood and personal freedom.
Why it matters: Since he left office, Trump's erratic behavior has been masked, numbed and normalized by the political fatigue permeating the media and the public.
After Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was removed as House speaker and opted not to run again, some lawmakers are already suggesting ways of working across the aisle to lift Congress out of the abyss.
Why it matters: With McCarthy becoming the first speaker to be removed from office, the House is in uncharted territory.
Police in Baltimore said a mass shooting at Morgan State University on Tuesday night left five people wounded. The conditions of those shot were not life-threatening, police said.
The big picture: Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said at a news conference that investigators had yet to locate a suspect, but a shelter-in-place order was lifted early Wednesday after it was determined the active-shooter situation had ended.
Religion and race shape views on whether climate change is caused by human activities — with less than a third of white evangelicals saying it's driven by people, according to a new survey.
Former President Trump helped Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) become House speaker. In the end, Trump wasn't willing — or able — to help McCarthy save it.
Why it matters: Trump's backing gave McCarthy a boost when the Californian won the gavel — barely — last January. But the concessions McCarthy made to become speaker left him vulnerable to being ousted by far-right Republicans who identify with Trump's MAGA movement.
House Republicans were distraught, furious and concerned for the future of their party after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced he won't run for speaker again after being ousted on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Several Republican lawmakers suggested it will be a challenge for any would-be McCarthy successor to unify the fractious conference he failed to tame.
