Florida's Republican Party voted to suspend Chair Christian Ziegler during an emergency meeting Sunday to censure him as police investigate a sexual battery allegation, which he denies.
The big picture: The Florida GOP also stripped Ziegler of his authority over the allegations, made by a woman who claimed she was in a consensual sexual relationship with him and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, a cofounder of the conservative group Moms For Liberty.
As Rep. Dean Phillips ramps up his long-shot bid for president, his Democratic colleagues back in Washington are fuming at what they see as the Minnesotan's betrayal of his party.
Why it matters: Phillips has undergone a stunningly swift fall from grace and elicits a rare level of hostility from colleagues who elected him to House Democratic leadership just a year earlier, underscoring the perils of challenging party orthodoxy.
As former President Trump continues to dominate polls in Iowa, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley got a boost in New Hampshire among likely Republican primary voters, per new polling.
Why it matters: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu endorsed Haley as the Republican presidential nominee last week — a signal of encouragement for the White House hopeful as she tries to position herself as the best alternative to Trump amid the looming primaries.
The raw debate over the Israel-Hamas war roiling the Democratic Party will take center stage in House primaries next year, starting with contests in California and North Carolina in early March.
Why it matters: Challenges to Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.), both vocal critics of Israel, will receive most of the attention. But the future of the Democratic caucus will be determined by old-school battles between centrists and progressives in a record number of open seats.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday he is currently "not worried" about impeaching President Biden and has not paid "much attention" to the matter.
Why it matters: The House voted to officially authorize an impeachment inquiry into Biden this past week. Since then, some GOP senators have said they see no evidence of the alleged wrongdoings from the president.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) said Sunday there is "no timeline" for a decision on whether to launch a potential third-party run for president in 2024.
Why it matters: Manchin, who has flirted with the possibility of a White House bid after announcing he would not seek another Senate term, unveiled plans to tour the country for two months beginning in January to mobilize voters who feel like they are "politically homeless."
Jeff Roe, the top strategist for the super PAC behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' 2024 presidential campaign, announced his resignation Saturday.
Why it matters: Roe's departure marks the latest in a slew of staffing distractions for Never Back Down and comes just weeks before the pivotal Iowa caucuses.
The three Israeli hostages who were mistakingly killed by Israeli troops were holding a stick with a white piece of cloth and shouted "help" in Hebrew before being shot, Israeli Defense Forces officials said on Saturday.
The latest: "The shooting at the hostages was done in violation of the IDF rules of engagement," IDF chief of staff Herzi Halei said in a statement. "It is not allowed to shoot at a person who is holding a white flag and wants to surrender. But this shooting was conducted under stress and on a battlefield," he added.
The Biden administration has been looking for ways to provide more student loan borrowers with relief.
The big picture: While the Supreme Court has blocked Biden's signature student loan forgiveness plan, the administration has managed to dole out almost $132 billion in relief for more than 3.6 million borrowers – and has signaled there's more to come.
