Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the nation's top diplomat, turned his powers of persuasion inward Tuesday — laying out the emotional and practical cases for supporting Israel and Ukraine to a divided domestic audience.
Why it matters: The stepson of a Holocaust survivor and one of President Biden's closest confidants, Blinken's appeals represent the latest attempts to corral support for the administration's strategy on two of its defining foreign policy crises.
Why it matters: Those splits have become increasingly pronounced in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and Israel's retaliatory airstrikes and ground invasion of Gaza.
Two courts this week are debating whether former President Trump, the leading candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, should be kept off their state ballots.
The big picture: Trump's involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, through the lens of the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause, is being scrutinized during a hearing in a Denver court and oral arguments in the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Antisemitic and anti-Arab andMuslim hate crimes have skyrocketed in New York City and Los Angeles since the war between Israel and Hamas began, new police numbers show.
The big picture: Early data in the nation's two largest cities show the Middle East conflict coincides with an uptick in violence against Jewish Americans and Arab Americans, in the wake of an increase in hate crimes nationally.
The leaders of the House Ethics Committee on Tuesday signaled that an announcement on the panel's investigation into Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) could come in a matter of weeks.
Why it matters: The update comes as the House is set to vote this week on a Republican-led resolution to expel the embattled Long Island freshman from Congress.
The big picture: After seven years with no convictions in the case, the move effectively ends efforts to prosecute public officials in relation toFlint's drinking water being contaminated with high levels of lead in 2014.
The Senate on Tuesday confirmedformer Treasury Secretary Jack Lew's nomination to become the next U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Why it matters: Lew's confirmation fills a months-long vacancy and comes at a critical moment, as the U.S. prepares for the possibility of a wider regional conflict in the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war.
FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Tuesday of "violent extremists" in the U.S. and abroad drawing inspiration from Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
The big picture: Part of Wray's warning includes possible extremist attacks toward Jewish and Muslim populations in the U.S., who have already experienced an increased number of threats since the war began.
A vast majority of Republicans say they support installing deterrents such as razor wire and floating barriers in rivers to prevent immigrants from entering the country illegally, even if people are endangered or killed, a new survey finds.
Why it matters: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is locked in a legal fight with the Biden administration to keep razor wires and buoy barriers with blades along the U.S.-Mexico border amid a surge in the number of migrants attempting to enter the country.
President Biden's administration has released a new proposal for student loan relief that prioritizes borrowers experiencing financial hardship.
Why it matters: After the Supreme Court struck down Biden's signature student debt relief plan in June, the administration has worked to find additional ways to deliver promised relief to millions of borrowers.
57% of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers say that former President Trump missing the GOP presidential debates does not matter to them, according to a Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa poll.
Why it matters: Trump is expected to snub the third Republican primary debate next week. He hasn't debated since Oct. 22, 2020.
Thousands of children gathered Monday for a night of spooky fun at the White House's Halloween trick-or-treat event.
Driving the news: This year's celebration featured a "Hallo-READ!" theme in which children received candy and books from President Biden and First lady Jill Biden, per a White House release.
There have been nearly four times the number of views to TikTok posts using the hashtag #StandwithPalestine globally compared to posts using the hashtag #StandwithIsrael in the past two weeks, according to data from TikTok's creator center.
Why it matters: The data shows how the conversation around the war between Israel and Hamas is playing out on one of the most popular platforms for young people in the world.
Former President Trump has called for the return of "mental institutions" as part of his plan "to get the homeless off our streets" should he be elected to a second term in office.
Why it matters: The state-run psychiatric hospitals that largely disappeared in the mid-1900s are often associated with inhumane mistreatment.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has restored the voting rights of nearly 3,400 residents who were wrongly taken off the state's voting rolls, but Democrats and civil rights groups are still demanding answers about the voting purge.
Driving the news: The voters who were "canceled in error" were felons who'd violated probation but were misclassified as having committed new felonies, the Richmond Times-Dispatch first reported.
Israel's military has been secretive about its "expanded" ground operation in Gaza, but parts of its strategy have become clear in the hours since an Israeli soldier was rescued from a remote location where she'd been held by two Hamas militants.
Why it matters: As talks to free more than 230 hostages held at sites across Gaza continue, the Israel Defense Forces' mission now isn't just to "destroy Hamas military capabilities," as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Oct. 7, the day Hamas attacked Israel.
Joe Biden's age is a big theme of the 2024 campaign, but if Donald Trump wins the presidency he'd also be the oldest person ever to be inaugurated — and his campaign has disclosed far less about his health than the White House has about the president.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday announced plans to vote to subpoena a pair of billionaires who reportedly gave lavish gifts to Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Why it matters: It's a major escalation of the panel's investigation into Supreme Court ethics as Democratic senators push legislation to strengthen disclosure requirements and create a judicial code of conduct.
