Axios

A former California police chief was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Thursday for his actions during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Why it matters: Alan Hostetter's punishment is among the longest sentences received by those convicted of crimes committed in connection with the riot.

New York Democrats on Thursday nominated former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. George Santos' expulsion.

The big picture: The seat in New York's third congressional district is a top target for House Democrats, who believe Suozzi is a formidable candidate.

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) emphasized Thursday she wouldn't "do anything" to help her enemy former President Trump in the 2024 election, days after suggesting she'd mount a third-party presidential bid.

Why it matters: Spoiler candidates could tip the election in favor of either historically unpopular frontrunner in the 2024 race — Trump or President Biden — and they're playing an unusually outsized role in the cycle.

Viewership for the fourth GOP presidential primary debate continued to fall Wednesday, with just 4.1 million Americans watching live on TV.

Yes, but: While viewership was low compared to other debates, it marked a record for the fledgling cable news network NewsNation, which only launched in 2021.

A Republican-led House committee is launching an investigation into antisemitism at MIT, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and other elite colleges.

Why it matters: The probe is in response to congressional testimony from those colleges' presidents this week in which they they evaded questions about disciplinary action over calls for violence against Jews.

A University of Pennsylvania donor is withdrawing a gift worth around $100 million to protest the school's response to antisemitism on campus.

The big picture: The final straw for Ross Stevens, founder and CEO of Stone Ridge Asset Management, was Tuesday's widely criticized congressional testimony by Penn president Liz Magill.

Hanukkah starts at sundown on Thursday and comes amid the Israel-Hamas war, a war in Ukraine and rising antisemitism around the world.

Through the lens: Despite the anxiety, Jewish communities and their allies from Berlin to New York gathered together in public spaces to celebrate the start of the Jewish eight-day, wintertime festival of lights.

The fatal crash of a U.S. military Osprey near Japan last week has prompted fresh scrutiny of the aircraft that has been involved in a series of deadly incidents in recent years.

Driving the news: The U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday the grounding of all its Osprey aircraft to "mitigate risk" while determining what caused the most recent crash, which killed all eight servicemen aboard.

Testimony by the leaders of three top universities at a congressional hearing this week on antisemitism on college campuses has sparked significant backlash, including calls to resign.

Why it matters: Rarely has a congressional hearing generated this much bipartisan rage.

The big picture: Universities have been under fire over their responses to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which has coincided with student protests and a surge in antisemitic and anti-Arab hate crimes in the U.S.

Former President Trump filed a motion on Thursday seeking to pause proceedings in his federal 2020 election interference case.

Why it matters: The request for a stay — and subsequent court battles over the appeal — could delay the former president's trial, currently set to begin in March, over his alleged 2020 election interference.

Major economic powers, including the U.S., are turning inward — a trend sped up by the pandemic and efforts to boost domestic industries.

Why it matters: The shift away from hyper-globalization poses huge questions for what lies ahead.

The 2024 presidential election calendar is taking shape, with the first electoral contests just over a month away.

Why it matters: Absent a major change to the current primary dynamics, it's looking increasingly likely that President Biden and former President Trump will face each other in a rematch next November.

The Biden administration has reached a new agreement with Mexico aimed at preventing countries like China from investing in North American companies and finding a backdoor into U.S. supply chains.

Why it matters: The accord marks another effort by the Biden administration to keep China from gaining access to U.S. technologies in critical industries.

The House is poised to vote on authorizing an impeachment inquiry into President Biden before departing for their scheduled holiday recess next week.

Why it matters: Republicans hope that a formal vote on the House floor will strengthen them in coming legal battles to force testimony from Hunter Biden and other figures in the president's orbit.

The U.S. in tandem with the U.K. on Thursday issued new sanctions on people affiliated with a years-long hacking campaign sponsored by Russia's top security agency.

Why it matters: Since as early as 2016, the campaign by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has targeted entities associated with the governments, militaries and other affiliates of the U.S., U.K. and other NATO countries, the Treasury Department said in a release.

CNN is planning to host two Republican primary debates in Iowa and New Hampshire next month, the network announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The first debate is set to take place before the Iowa caucuses, and the second is scheduled days before the New Hampshire primary, giving voters a final chance to hear from the candidates before voting begins.

The House on Thursday voted to censure Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) for pulling a Capitol Hill fire alarm in September.

Why it matters: It's the second time in a month the Republican-controlled House has taken the rare symbolic step of censuring a member. Both were Democrats.

Democrats are feeling better about President Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war than they were a month ago, according to a new AP/NORC poll published Thursday.

The big picture: The shift comes as the Biden administration has sought to underscore the need to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza and after a weeklong pause in fighting that led to the release of dozens of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Former President Trump, if elected, would build a Cabinet and White House staff based mainly on two imperatives: pre-vetted loyalty to him and a commitment to stretch legal and governance boundaries, sources who talk often with the leading GOP presidential candidate tell Axios.

Why it matters: Trump would fill the most powerful jobs in government with men like Stephen Miller, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio and Kash Patel — with the possible return of Steve Bannon. If Trump won in 2024, he'd turn to loyalists who share his zeal to punish critics, purge non-believers, and take controversial legal and military action, the sources tell us.

Obnoxious blowhard. Fascist neocon. Angry, bitter man. The final GOP debate of 2023 featured some of the most explosive exchanges yet, as four candidates battled to shake up a race still dominated by former President Trump.

Why it matters: The Iowa caucuses are in 40 days. At least two candidates — former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy — seemed keenly aware that they may not make the next debate stage, giving them every incentive to let it rip.

A New York man hoping to replace expelled former Rep. George Santos has been convicted over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

The big picture: Philip Sean Grillo, 49, of Queens, was found guilty Tuesday after testifying that he had "no idea" Congress met inside the Capitol building despite admitting that he's running for election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 3rd Congressional District, per a DOJ statement.

The fourth Republican primary debate moderators pressed the presidential hopefuls to take on former President Trump on Wednesday.

Why it matters: Trump, who has snubbed the GOP primary debates, is the favorite in the Republican field, but he's largely avoided the brunt of attacks from many of his GOP rivals on stage.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis engaged in an extended, heated exchange over a question about former President Trump's fitness for office during the fourth GOP primary debate.

Driving the news: Christie repeatedly pushed DeSantis to answer whether he thinks Trump, 77, is fit for office and accused him of dodging the question.

Megyn Kelly opened the fourth Republican primary debate hosted by NewsNation on Wednesday by making each of the candidates answer when presented with detailed cases against them.

Why it matters: The debate qualifications have tightened so dramatically that each candidate can receive substantial scrutiny.

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley immediately emerged as the target for her Republican rivals during the fourth primary debate.

Why it matters: Haley is battling Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the second place spot in the Republican primary polls, and she fielded attacks from her rivals within minutes of the debate's opening.

Republicans in Congress and across the country — including on the GOP debate stage — are facing a new litmus test: Should former President Trump's remarks that he will be a "dictator" only on "Day 1" be taken seriously?

Why it matters: This isn't 2016. Trump is well aware that the softball question lobbed last night by Fox News' Sean Hannity — "Do you in any way have any plans whatsoever, if re-elected president, to abuse power?" — is rife with alarming context.

Border Patrol chiefs have acknowledged to Congress that the release of migrants into nearby communities is an incentive for others to attempt illegal border crossings, according to transcripts obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: Republican demands for changes to border policies — including the legal mechanism known as "parole" that allows some migrants to be released into the U.S. — have stalled the Senate's $111 billion emergency package for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific and border security.