The House is set to vote Wednesday on a bipartisan resolution to condemn congressional testimony from the presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania.
Why it matters: It would be the most formal reproach yet of last week's testimony, in which the three presidents dodged questions about whether calls for the genocide of Jews would violate their schools' codes of conduct.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Capitol Hill on Tuesday called suggestions that his country should give up territory to Russia to end the war "insane."
Why it matters: Former President Trump and other Republicans have suggested that Kyiv could cede territory to Russia to end Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky'sdisappointing visit to Capitol Hill confirmed his worst fears: The future of U.S. aid to Ukraine has become firmly affixed to one of the most intractable debates in American politics.
Why it matters: Even Republicans sympathetic to the Ukrainian cause — with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) chief among them — have drawn a red line. There will be no further aid to Ukraine if Democrats do not agree to substantial changes to U.S. border policy.
The New York Court of Appeals on Tuesday directed the state's independent redistricting commission to redraw New York's legislative maps ahead of the 2024 election.
Why it matters: It could blunt Republicans' strength in a state that was the cornerstone of their 2022 win and will likely be pivotal for control of the House.
Driving the news: Dr. J. Larry Jameson, dean of the university's medical school and the longest-serving current dean at Penn, will take the position effective immediately, the board of trustees announced.
The Senate voted 59-40 on Tuesdayto confirm Harry Coker, Jr. as the U.S.'s next national cyber director.
Why it matters: Coker, once sworn in, will spearhead a range of the Biden administration's cybersecurity priorities, including implementation of the president's national cybersecurity strategy and an effort to harmonize a patchwork for federal cyber regulations.
Driving the news: The ACLU of Kentucky, which is representing thewoman identified as Jane Doe, informed the court of the update Monday, just days after filing a class-action lawsuit challenging the state's abortion bans.
Top Israeli military officials are in Washington to show U.S. officials Israel's military strategy for Gaza, outline their plans to capture or kill Hamas leaders — and discuss the enclave's post-war future, three Israeli officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: The meetings come as President Biden is pushing for Israel's aggressive ground attack against Hamas to end within a few weeks — and warning Israeli leaders that they're losing international support for the war in Gaza.
The largest pharmacy chains in the U.S. give patients' medical records to law enforcement without warrants, a new congressional investigation found.
Why it matters: Legislators urged the Department of Health and Human Services — for the second time this year — to revise HIPAA regulations to protect Americans' medical records.
With Senate negotiators still struggling to reach a deal to provide aid to Ukraine, House Republicans and Senate Democrats are exchanging public barbs over whether to leave town as planned at the end of the week.
Why it matters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came to the Hill on Tuesday to make a last ditch plea for aid, but lawmakers haven't reached agreement on pairing it with conservative border policy.
The future of border security includes robot dogs and AI-powered border inspectors.
Driving the news: U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced last week it had awarded Virginia-based Pangiam a contract to build an artificial intelligence tool to scan vehicles and cargo crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Swing-district House Republicans who held out on supporting an impeachment inquiry into President Biden are coming on board, but skepticism persists among some Senate Republicans.
Why it matters: If the House eventually votes to approve articles of impeachment against Biden, these same Republicans would be the jurors in a Senate trial.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Capitol Hill on Tuesday to make a last-ditch plea for more U.S. military aid to support his country's defense against Russia's ongoing invasion.
Why it matters: Congressional Republicans have held up an aid package the Biden administration proposed for Kyiv. The White House has warned that previously allotted aid for Ukraine could run out by year's end without congressional action, as the country faces another tough winter of fighting.
The Consumer Price Index rose a moderate 0.1% in November, as falling gas prices helped drag the overall index down, the Labor Department said on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Though some underlying price pressures appear to be sticky, the rapid price gains that defined recent years look to be in the past. Inflation continues to cool — a welcome development for consumers, the Federal Reserve and the White House.
Harvard University's governing board announced Tuesday that Claudine Gay will remain the school's president despite calls for her resignation following her congressional testimony about antisemitism on college campuses.
The U.S. government is building a "virtual wall" at the southern border by erecting hundreds of high-tech surveillance towers — some of which use artificial intelligence — to detect people in an effort to reduce drug smuggling and sky-high unauthorized migration.
Why it matters: A record-high number of people have entered the U.S. through the southern border this year, resulting in multiplecrises and exacerbating U.S. Customs and Border protection staffing shortages. But the new surveillance technology is giving rise to concerns over civil liberties, digital watchdogs say.
In private, no issue is more likely to anger or sadden President Biden than attacks on his son Hunter, according to people close to the president who have seen his moods shift when there's bad news about Hunter.
Why it matters: For Biden — who privately has expressed guilt over Hunter's ongoing legal and political fights — the next year will be emotionally fraught as Hunter faces new criminal charges and will be at the center of the Republican-led impeachment inquiry.
The gun charges against Hunter Biden are "unconstitutional under the Second Amendment" and the case should also be dismissed as a collapseed plea agreement still grants him immunity, his attorney said in federal court filings Monday.
The big picture: Federal prosecutors maintain the plea deal didn't go into effect as the Probation Office didn't approve it, but attorney Abbe Lowell said there's "no provision" for this and that President Biden's son should have "sweeping immunity" from this case and the "recently filed tax charges in California."
House Republicans are securing the support they need to pass a resolution on Wednesday formalizing their impeachment inquiry into President Biden.
Why it matters: Republicans say an official vote authorizing the inquiry will give them stronger standing to enforce subpoenas in coming court battles.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus have tapped Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) to serve as the next chair of the powerful conservative group.
Why it matters: Good is expected to play a leading role in negotiations on key pieces of legislation, with the HFC slated to continue to have strong influence given the narrow majority.
A pregnant woman who sued Texas over its abortion ban left the state to get an emergency abortion, the Center for Reproductive Rights said Monday.
Driving the news: Following"a week of legal whiplash and threats of prosecution" Kate Cox left her home state of Texas to get "the time-sensitive abortion care needed to protect her health and future fertility," per the center, which is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
A group of Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), are calling on the Biden administration to revise its new student debt relief plan to include more borrowers.
The big picture: In a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, the lawmakers expressed support for the department's efforts to pursue student loan forgiveness but said their proposal will "fall far short of providing the full scale of debt relief that low- and middle-income Americans urgently need."
The final GOP presidential debate before the Iowa caucuses may not happen, as former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley hasn't committed to participating and Vivek Ramaswamy and former Gov. Chris Christie aren't on pace to qualify.
Why it matters: The Jan. 10 debate would be the last high-profile event for any of the candidates to make a splash before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15, as a new poll shows former President Trump holding a historic lead over the rest of the field.
Members of the House and Senate are engaged in advanced, last-minute negotiations to reach a tax deal in December or January that includes key priorities for both parties, according to lawmakers and aides.
Why it matters: Heading into the 2024 election, Democrats want to resurrect a version of the child tax credit, which expired last year, to lower childhood poverty and give their vulnerable members a tangible policy win.
House Republicans' impeachment inquiryinto President Biden is predicated on allegations about the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor that have been debunked — under oath — by at least nine government witnesses.
Why it matters: The House will vote this week on formally authorizing the inquiry — the prelude to what many expect will become articles of impeachment against Biden for alleged bribery, abuse of power and obstruction.
Special counsel Jack Smith plans to use data from former President Trump's White House cell phone in the federal 2020 election interference case, per a Monday court filing.
The big picture: Smith plans to call an expert witness who has "extracted and processed data," from the phones of the former president and another unnamed person.
An influential member of the House Freedom Caucus won't run for a leadership spot, citing a recommendation by the group's board that Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) serve as its next chairman. Good won an internal election on Monday to become the caucus' next chair.
Driving the news: "I am concerned that our group often relies too much on power (available primarily due to the narrow majority) and too little on influence with and among our colleagues," Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) told his fellow members in a letter sent Sunday.
