Former President Trump has repeatedly said undocumented immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country," language echoing the rhetoric of white supremacists and Adolf Hitler.
Why it matters: The phrase "poisoning the blood of our country" has a deep racist and antisemitic history, and the comments come as some Republicans have openly endorsed the once-fringe and racist "white replacement theory."
A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked parts of a law banning books from public school libraries that depict a "sex act."
The big picture: The bill, signed into law in May by Iowa's Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and set to take effect on Jan. 1, also barred educators from teaching "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" at or below sixth grade in public schools.
The Biden administration went around Congress on Friday for the approval of an emergency weapons sale to Israel that includes "projectiles and related equipment," per the Defense Department.
Why it matters: This is the second time in December that the administration has done so, and the move comes as Israel continues its war against Hamas and faces criticism for its military actions in Gaza.
Michael Cohen, former President Trump's onetime personal lawyer, admitted in a sworn declaration unsealed Friday that he had used Google's AI chatbot, Bard, to accidentally cite fake legal cases in a court filing.
Why it matters: The made-up legal citations were used as part of Cohen's bid to secure an early endto the court-ordered supervision that allowed him to be released from prison in 2021.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said if she is elected president, she would pardon former President Trump if he's convicted of a crime, saying the amnesty would be "in the best interest of the country."
Why it matters: Trump currently faces 87 felony charges across Florida, New York and Georgia over allegations that he tried to overturn 2020 election results, interfered in the election, mishandled classified materials and paid a porn star hush money.
Several 2024 Republican candidates running against former President Trump have condemned Maine's decision to disqualify Trump from its 2024 presidential primary ballot.
Driving the news: Maine, following Colorado, on Thursday became the second state to block Trump from its 2024 primary ballot using the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause, ramping up pressure for the Supreme Court to weigh in on the issue.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) vetoed a bill on Friday that would have prevented minors from receiving gender-affirming health care and restricted transgender girls' ability to participate on school sports teams.
Why it matters: DeWine is now just one of two Republican governors who have vetoed restrictions on gender-affirming care and among a few who have rejected bills that would constrain trans athletes.
Asian Americans continue to face widespread discrimination, which is exacerbated by fears that the broader public doesn't particularly care, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.
Why it matters: Asian Americans are among the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the country. But Asian Americans have historically been "invisible" in society, Norman Chen, CEO of The Asian American Foundation, a national nonprofit with offices in New York and San Francisco, told Axios,
Donald Trump and Taylor Swift managed to hold Americans' interest throughout 2023 while a host of other news cycles came and went, according to Axios' annual analysis of Google Trends data.
Why it matters: This project helps separate intense but fleeing interest from the few people and moments that actually captured widespread attention from a divided and distracted America.
Maine on Thursday disqualified former President Trump from its 2024 ballot — becoming the second state to find he's ineligible under the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause over his actions surrounding Jan. 6.
Why it matters: Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) has increased pressure on the U.S. Supreme Court to make a ruling on whether the former president can be removed from ballots in the 2024 presidential election.
American Paul Whelan said he is concerned that "diplomatic efforts have failed" and "not enough has been done at the very top" to ensure his release from a Russian prison.
The big picture: The former American Marine was arrested on Dec. 28., 2018, on espionage charges that the U.S. State Department has denounced as baseless. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows' decision on Thursday to block former President Trump from appearing on the state's 2024 presidential primary ballot elicited pushback from Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
Why it matters: The Democratic secretary of state's controversial move, along with a similar decision by the Colorado Supreme Court, is expected to be adjudicated by the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming weeks.
The big picture: Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) is the first elected official to unilaterally deem Trump ineligible to run due to the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause. The Trump campaign has vowed to challenge her decision.
Read Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows' decision in full, via DocumentCloud:
A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected former President Trump's bid to delay his upcoming defamation trial in a second lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll.
Why it matters: The court's ruling will allow the trial to proceed as planned next month after Trump asked for a delay while the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to weigh in on his presidential immunity claim.
