A handful of powerful, white, male entrepreneurs are tussling over the role — and essentially the need for — diversity, equity and inclusion programs, or DEI, in the workforce.
The big picture: Major employers across the U.S. have embraced DEI programs as part of their efforts to attract and retain talent, but criticsofDEI have become so emboldened that it now stands out when high-profile figures in the corporate world, such as Mark Cuban, defend those initiatives.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday that the city had filed a lawsuit against 17 charter bus companies used by the state of Texas to transport migrants to the city.
Why it matters: The lawsuit — yet another move by Adams to clamp down on migrant busing — accused the bus companies of violating New York state law by transporting migrants to the city without paying for their continued care.
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee and a potential successor to retiring Chair Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), said Thursday he won't seek reelection to Congress.
Why it matters: Luetkemeyer adds to an already long list of lawmakers in both parties, including numerous committee chairs and House veterans, opting to leave Congress after a chaotic year of infighting and gridlock.
None of the federal government's leading elected and appointed figures have earned a job approval rating above 50%, a new Gallup poll reveals.
Why it matters: Across party lines, nearly all of the 10 leaders' approval ratings the Gallup poll measured have declined since 2021, reflecting how lower ratings span beyond just President Biden himself.
Bomb threats targeting state institutions rippled across the country for a second day in a row on Thursday, one day after multiple state capitols were forced to evacuate due to similar threats.
Why it matters: Paired with a recent spate of swatting calls targeting lawmakers, the incidents suggest this could be a raucous year for lawmakers and other officials across the country.
Most of the nation's 10 largest cities saw major surges in hate crimes last year, increases that averaged 11% to a record 2,173 cases, according to a new preliminary report.
The big picture: It was the third straight year of spikes in the big cities' overall average number of hate crimes and came as the Israel-Hamas war sparked jumps in antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes in the last months of 2023.
The Drug Enforcement Administration told lawmakers it is "now conducting its review" of whether to soften federal regulation of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act.
Why it matters: Moving marijuana off the list of Schedule I drugs would mark a significant shift away from federal enforcement of a drug that dozens of states have legalized or decriminalized in recent years.
Vivek Ramaswamy sold $33 million worth of shares in the biotech company he founded, as he fights to stay competitive in the GOP presidential primary race.
Why it matters: Ramaswamy will use some of the proceeds to make a "significant investment" in his campaign, a spokesperson confirmed to Axios.
New Mexicans impacted by the Trinity Test — the world's first atomic explosion — say they are still hopeful one day they'll be included in a federal compensation bill despite Senate leaders last month pulling a provision that would have done that.
The big picture: A federal law that awards financial reparations to people who lived downwind of nuclear testing sites is scheduled to sunset this summer if Congress does not renew it, and it's unclear what lawmakers will do.A provision in last year's bill to renew the act would have included New Mexicans and others for the first time.
Former President Trump's legal team on Thursday filed a motion arguing that special counsel Jack Smith should be held in contempt of court for allegedly violating a stay order in the federal 2020 election case.
Why it matters: Trump's team is arguing that Smith and his team continued to submit court filings after Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered a pause to proceedings in the case.
The big picture: The unsealed records are part of a civil suit against Maxwell, who was sentenced to prison for helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.
All eyes are on MIT president Sally Kornbluthafter two other major university leaders who testified at a congressional hearing about antisemitism on campuses last month lost their jobs in the political maelstrom that followed.
Why it matters: The Biden administration's signature legislation — particularly the CHIPs Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — has spurred a surge in construction spending that's buoyed the economy, as Axios' Neil Irwin reported.
President Biden is betting that enough Americans are so appalled by Donald Trump's role in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol that they won't let the former president back in the White House.
Why it matters: Biden aims to put the deadly assault on the Capitol at the center of his re-election campaign in the same way he portrayed the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville during the 2020 campaign: as a Trump-inspired threat to democracy.
Washington, D.C., New York and Vermont had the country's highest concentrations of people experiencing homelessness in 2023, according to a report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
By the numbers: D.C. had an estimated 4,922 people experiencing homelessness in 2023 — or 73.3 per 10,000 residents.
In a new campaign ad that doubles as a confessional, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tells voters he has "an admission to make."
Why it matters: Christie, who's been particularly critical of Trump during his campaign, is trying to win over voters who, like himself, backed Trump in the past and now are wary or disillusioned.
Why it matters: Biden administration appointee Tariq Habash is at least the second official, and the first who's known to be of Palestinian origin, to resign in protest over the U.S. response to the war.
A Florida man was arrested Wednesday and charged with threatening to kill a U.S. Congress member and his children.
The big picture: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) confirmed he and his family were the targets after the Department of Justice announced the arrest of 72-year-old suspect Michael Shapiro, but did not identify the Congress member.
A progressive watchdog group filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission arguing that Rep. Dean Phillips' (D-Minn.) presidential campaign illegally coordinated with a supporting super PAC, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: The complaint filed by Campaign for Accountability on Tuesday night is the latest headache for Phillips, who made a late entry into the Democratic primary in October to challenge President Biden.
White House chief of staff Jeff Zients is throwing an off-campus party for hundreds of Biden staffers to celebrate their last three years — and steel the team for the final sprint ahead of the election, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Zients, a millionaire former businessman, knows that White House staff have a grueling year ahead of them. He's using his personal funds to convey appreciation for Biden aides who spend most of their waking hours at work.
Democrats are entertaining border policies once treated as complete non-starters, as pressure from a united GOP, angry Democratic city officials and desperate Ukrainians threatens to boil over into political disaster.
Why it matters: Republicans believe that if they can make 2024 the year of the border — an issue that polls consistently show is a top priority for voters and a vulnerability for Democrats — President Biden will be defeated at the ballot box in November.
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas Wednesday, alleging that its new immigration law is unconstitutional.
The big picture: The law, which set to take effect in March and gives local police authority over immigration enforcement, has faced criticism over its potential to lead to racial profiling.
