The Air Force's next-generation stealth bomber — the B-21 Raider — took its first test flight on Friday, roughly a year after it was first unveiled, AP reports.
Why it matters: The sunrise flight near Palmdale, California offered the first unscripted look at the new bomber, which has been developed under strict security.
The third Republican primary debate drew 7.5 million viewers Wednesday night, a 21% decline from the second GOP debate in September, according to Nielsen ratings.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating suspicious envelopes, including some laced with fentanyl, sent to election offices in Georgia, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington this week, AP reports.
Why it matters: Election officials in Georgia, Nevada and other presidential battleground states that determined the outcome of the 2020 election have experienced a major surge in threats, according to the Department of Justice.
Why it matters: Engstrom tells Axios that the AmFree Chamber — backed by former attorney general Bill Barr — plans legal challenges to Biden administration policies.
The Florida judge overseeing Donald Trump'sclassified documents case on Friday rejected the former president's bid to delay the trial’s start date — for now.
Why it matters: Trump's legal team has repeatedly tried to delay the classified documents trial until after the 2024 presidential election, which, if he wins, could allow him to order the charges against him dropped.
Why it matters: The Biden administration has been working behind the scenes to improve communication between the superpowers as tensions rise over Taiwan and other military and economic issues.
The complexity of Americans' views about the Israel-Hamas war has been playing out at city halls across the country.
Driving the news: Many officials taking stands in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack have been met with protests, hours of public comment and personal attacks — mostly from those demanding acknowledgment of the Palestinian perspective and, increasingly, a ceasefire.
For the first two years of Joe Biden's presidency, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) reserved the right to rewrite Biden's legislative agenda. For the next few months, Manchin is preserving his option to rewire the 2024 presidential campaign.
Why it matters: In announcing Thursday that he will not run for re-election to the Senate next year, Manchin clearly hinted at a third-party bid for the White House.
Former President Trump discussed the possibility of weaponizing the Department of Justice against political opponents if he's elected in 2024 during a Univision interview airing late Thursday.
What they're saying: "You say they've weaponized the Justice Department, they weaponized the FBI. Would you do the same if you're re-elected?" Univision journalist Enrique Acevedo asked the Republican primary front-runner during their interview on the Spanish-language TV network.
All U.S. House members will have an opportunity on Tuesday to view footage of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel before receiving a briefing on the war in Gaza, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The 43-minute compilation has been described as an "unceasing display of horrors" from the assault that killed over 1,400 Israelis.
An Indiana man arrested in Indianapolis on Thursday was accused of using a flagpole featuring Confederate and "TRUMP 2020" flags to attack officers and smash through a window at the U.S. Capitol in the Jan. 6 riot.
The big picture: Troy Allen Koen, 53, of Brownsburg, is among more than 1,200 individuals charged in connection with the insurrection — including over 400 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, per a Department of Justice statement.
Why it matters: Interviews with Arizona voters who pivoted from Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020 suggested they are open to a third option other than the two candidates leading their parties.
A Democratic fairy tale is coming to an end in West Virginia, where Sen. Joe Manchin's decision not to seek re-election threatens to blow up the party's chances of holding the Senate — and potentially the White House — in 2024.
Why it matters: Without Manchin — widely viewed as the only Democrat who could run competitively in deep-red West Virginia — Republicans likely will need to flip just one or two Senate seats to take control of Congress' upper chamber, depending on the outcome of the presidential race.
