Axios

The Treasury Department is preparing to announce new sanctions against several Hamas leaders this week as part of the U.S. response to the militant group's attack on Israel, U.S. officials said.

Why it matters: Hamas relies on global financial networks to fund its operations, which are based out of the Gaza Strip. The sanctions aim to disrupt that flow of money.

Bipartisan discussions about how to end the two-week speaker vacancy are growing in seriousness as Republicans' chaotic efforts to elect a permanent speaker struggle to gain traction.

Why it matters: The failure of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to win on the House floor on Tuesday has many Republicans worried that nobody can obtain 217 votes from their side of the aisle.

President Biden's arrival in Israel on Wednesday comes against the backdrop of a dramatic escalation of the war in Gaza, raising the stakes of an unprecedented wartime visit that the world will be closely watching.

Why it matters: The visit — intended as a show of solidarity with Israel and a warning to Iran and Hezbollah — will be clouded by the bombing of a hospital in Gaza Tuesday, which the Hamas-run Health Ministry says killed at least 500 people.

A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced Tuesday after being captured on video of using a bullhorn to direct people during the Capitol riot, per the Department of Justice.

Driving the news: Rachel Marie Powell, a 43-year-old from Sandy Lake who was dubbed the "bullhorn lady," was sentenced to 57 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release after being found guilty in July of nine felony and misdemeanor charges.

Progressive members of Congress are calling on President Biden to facilitate an end to the violence in the Hamas-Israel war.

Driving the news: After hundreds of people were killed in a blast on the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called on Biden "to push for an immediate ceasefire to end this slaughter."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) dismissed former President Trump calling Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah "very smart" and criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Why it matters: McConnell, whose relationship with Trump deteriorated at the end of his presidency, joined the White House and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in criticizing the GOP presidential frontrunner's comments since the Gaza war began Oct. 7.

House Republicans found themselves in an increasingly familiar position on Tuesday as yet another GOP pick for House speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), failed to win the support necessary to secure the gavel.

Why it matters: Jordan's loss on the House floor puts Republicans two weeks into a speaker vacancy that has paralyzed the House without a clear path forward.

U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on Tuesday formally issued a gag order on former President Trump in his Jan. 6 criminal case.

Driving the news: Chutkan wrote in the order that Trump's statements "pose sufficiently grave threats to the integrity of these proceedings that cannot be addressed by alternative means."

Voting was underway Tuesday for a new House speaker, with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) fighting for support among his colleagues.

Driving the news: While 200 House Republicans voted for Jordan on the first ballot, the House Judiciary Chair fell short of the 217 votes needed to become speaker during the first roll call ballot on Tuesday.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is currently the top candidate to become House Speaker after the ousting of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) earlier this month.

Why it matters: Jordan, a hardline conservative and fierce ally of former President Trump, would represent a significant rightward lurch for the House GOP if he becomes speaker.

The White House has been discussing the possibility of using military force if Hezbollah joins the war in Gaza and attacks Israel with its huge arsenal of rockets, three U.S. officials and one Israeli official with knowledge of the situation tell Axios.

Why it matters: Lebanon-based Hezbollah joining the war would dramatically escalate the Middle East's worst conflict in decades — raising the likelihood of mass civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon and possibly drawing in the U.S.

• The Israeli military — now focused mostly on Gaza — would have a significantly more difficult time fighting on two fronts simultaneously while missiles rain down on its bases and Israel's population centers.

State of play: Since the Gaza war began Oct. 7, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have been increasing, with daily skirmishes between the parties along the Israel-Lebanon border.

• Iran-backed Hezbollah has fired rockets and anti-tank missiles at Israeli outposts and forces on the border in recent days, while Israeli airstrikes have hit Hezbollah positions. Several Hezbollah operatives and several IDF soldiers have been killed.
• At the same time, both sides have managed to keep the exchange of fire on a relatively low level, avoiding all-out fighting.
• Hezbollah so far has refrained from sending its operatives for a ground assault or from firing its long-range, accurate missiles at Israeli targets.

Driving the news: Since the Gaza war began, the Biden administration has sent public and private messages to Hezbollah and Iran through third parties, warning them not to intervene in the war.

• One of the U.S. officials said the response the Biden administration received from Iran and Hezbollah through intermediaries was that while they don't want an escalation, they might have to intervene if Israel continues its military operation in Gaza.
• The Biden administration followed these messages by sending two aircraft carriers and several other war ships to the eastern Mediterranean, and put more forces on alert for a possible deployment to the region.
• Biden's trip to Israel this week is designed partly to show U.S. support for Israel — and reflect the administration's concern about Hezbollah opening a second front in the Gaza war.

Two U.S. officials said Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Arab leaders in the region, with whom he'd met in recent days, that the U.S. "is not fooling around" by sending so many military assets to the region in support of Israel.

• The scenario of using U.S. military force if Hezbollah were to join the war has come up in several White House meetings in recent days, the officials said. They added that any decision to use force would be made according to the scope of a Hezbollah attack and Israel's ability to respond.
• The two U.S. officials stressed the administration is doing all it can to keep Hezbollah out of the war — but also is preparing for the opposite scenario.
• The White House declined to comment.

Behind the scenes: In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, President Biden expressed concern about the war expanding along the Israeli-Lebanese border, U.S. and Israeli officials said.

• The officials said Biden asked Netanyahu to keep the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) operations in Lebanon as restraint as possible and warned of a possible miscalculation that could lead to a serious escalation with Hezbollah.

What they're saying: "President Biden — with his public messages, with his private messages to Iran and Hezbollah and with the practical steps he took — made it clear to our enemies that if they think of joining the attack against Israel there will be American involvement and Israel will not be on its own," Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said at a news conference Tuesday.

Between the lines: One of the legal justifications for the U.S. using force in case of a Hezbollah attack would be to protect tens of thousands of American citizens who live in Israel, said Jonathan Lord of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).

• "Under commonly held understandings of Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the president can enter U.S. forces into hostilities to protect Americans abroad," Lord said.
• He added that if Biden were to make that decision, he'd need to notify Congress within 48 hours under the War Powers Resolution of 1973. That would give Biden 60 days to act before Congress' approval to use military force would be required.

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) fell short of the 217 votes needed to become House speaker during the first roll call ballot on Tuesday.

Why it matters: The Jordan team entered the day expecting to need multiple ballots to win the gavel, but they're dealing with a group of resolute GOP defectors.

Major tech companies are weighing their involvement in Europe's biggest tech conference after Web Summit's co-founder suggested Israel was guilty of war crimes in its response to Hamas' terrorist attacks.

What's happening: The Israeli government and several speakers withdrew their participation on Monday.

GOP speaker nominee Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) ramped up the pressure on his critics ahead of a House floor vote on Tuesday, but some Republicans were warning it could leave him exposed to backlash.

Why it matters:  Jordan got significantly close to 217 votes on Monday, but there are too many public holdouts to coast to a victory on a first ballot.

Women are not only underrepresented as political candidates across the country, they're also underrepresented as donors.

Driving the news: Women donors made up just 29% to 33% of the contributions to general election candidates at statewide and state legislative levels between 2019 and 2022.

As the Biden administration grapples with the soaring number of migrants and asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, conservative pundits and politicians have upped accusations that some Democrats support "open border" policies.

The big picture: By using the term "open border," conservatives — including Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who is seeking the role of House speaker — are suggesting that anyone can get into the U.S. without much hassle. But the reality is that the southern border is more fortified than it's ever been.

Former President Trump returned Tuesday to the Manhattan courthouse for his New York civil fraud trial, marking his fourth appearance at the proceeding in less than a month.

Why it matters: Trump voluntarily appeared at the courthouse for the first three days of the trial, an unusual maneuver by the ex-president in a sign of his particular interest and connection to the ongoing fraud trial.

The Justice Department took an initial step toward appealing for longer prison sentences for four former Proud Boys leaders who were convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Driving the news: Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Ethan Nordean were all sentenced to between 15 and 22 years in prison earlier this year. In court filings Monday, the prosecution signaled plans to appeal the punishments.

Ukraine on Monday marked 600 days since the start of Russia's invasion, as the bloodshed stretches on with no clear end in sight.

The big picture: Ukraine's counteroffensive, launched roughly four months ago, has made some headway — but it's had limited success against Russia's larger military, AP reports.

The Biden administration is tightening its restrictions on the export of artificial intelligence chips and manufacturing equipment to China, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced on Tuesday.

Why it matters: The new restrictions are designed to prevent China's military from importing advanced semiconductors or equipment.

As President Biden leaves for Israel on Tuesday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin is starting a visit in Beijing.

Why it matters: The crucial meetings involving global superpowers this week come amid the ongoing Russian attack on Ukraine, as well as the escalating war between Israel and Hamas.

As the war in Gaza threatens to create massive numbers of Palestinian refugees, all of the leading Republican presidential candidates in the U.S. have come out with a similar message: Those refugees shouldn't be allowed here.

Why it matters: The rush to take hardline positions on refugees — before the Biden administration has announced any plans to accept them — reflects Republicans' eagerness to tap into concerns about immigration and national security as the 2024 elections approach.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett spoke in favor of a U.S. Supreme Court ethics code during a University of Minnesota Law School event on Monday, per multiple reports.

Why it matters: The Supreme Court is the only court in the federal judiciary that doesn't have an official ethics code and there have been growing calls for it to adopt one following revelations of lavish gifts and business activities of some of the justices.

Dozens of Jewish demonstrators calling for President Biden to press for an Israel-Hamas war cease-fire were arrested outside the White House on Monday.

Driving the news: USSS officers arrested 49 protesters at the demonstration for allegedly crossing safety barriers or blocking entrances during the demonstration at the White House complex, per a statement from Special Agent Steve Kopek, an agency spokesperson, on Monday night.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) faces a small but resolute rump conference of Republicans vowing to oppose his bid for House speaker as he moves ahead with plans to hold a floor vote on Tuesday.

Why it matters: There are still enough GOP lawmakers publicly opposed to the Judiciary Committee chair and GOP speaker nominee to keep him from winning on the House floor.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) tells the author of a forthcoming book that Oprah Winfrey suggested he join her on a unity presidential ticket in 2020 to stop President Trump's reelection.

The latest: After this story was published, a spokesperson for Oprah Winfrey told Axios: "In November 2019, Ms. Winfrey called Senator Romney to encourage him to run on an Independent ticket. She was not calling to be part of the ticket and was never considering running herself."

President Biden will visit Tel Aviv on Wednesday in a show of support as Israel prepares for a ground offensive in Gaza, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said on Monday.

Why it matters: The unprecedented visit, the first by a U.S. president while Israel is actively at war, will also be aimed at discouraging Iran and Hezbollah from joining the fighting.