Congress plans to vote on legislation next week temporarily extending federal funding to March and avoiding a government shutdown on Friday, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It will give lawmakers time to pass bills to fund the government through September in line with the spending levels House Republicans and Senate Democrats agreed to last weekend.
Former President Trump said in a video message ahead of the Iowa caucuses that he expects to arrive in the Hawkeye State Saturday night despite the brutally cold weather.
Why it matters: While Trump is the anticipated GOP favorite for president, many look to the state caucuses on Monday to gauge how much competition Trump's top rivals Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley pose.
John Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, will leave the administration later this winter, and plans to help President Biden's campaign, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Kerry, 80, thinks Biden's reelection is the "single biggest" difference that can be made this year for climate progress at home and globally, a source close to the administration told Axios.
What's happening: Kerry — former Secretary of State and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Democratic nominee for president in 2004 — plans to help tell the climate story in the context of Biden's campaign.
Kerry is working with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients on transitioning out of government in the coming months (before spring).
What we're hearing: Kerry met with Biden in the Oval Office on Wednesday to catch up after last month's historic COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
In the conversation, Kerry emphasized his gratitude for the assignment, his belief that Biden has amassed a trailblazing climate record at home and globally, and his excitement about the difference renewed U.S. leadership has made globally over the past three years, the source said.
The big picture: Kerry faced a formidable challenge since his appointment was announced in November 2020, alongside Biden's core national security team.
He needed to reestablish U.S. credibility on climate change after the Trump administration backed out of the Paris Agreement.
Kerry brought a rare stature and deep experience to the job: He's able to meet with world leaders as well as fellow climate envoys, and has been involved in this issue since his time as a senator.
Kerry's successor will encounter a world that's increasingly skeptical about U.S. climate commitments in the run-up to the election.
The intrigue: Kerry was a leading voice in the administration in favor of engagement with China, the world's top emitter.
He sought to separate climate policy from the myriad issues souring relations between the two countries, with mixed success due to geopolitical headwinds.
Kerry argued that no climate solution could be effective without the participation of the top two emitters.
The intrigue: Kerry's longtime Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, who was brought out of retirement when Biden named Kerry to the post, just retired again. Xie's plans prompted speculation about Kerry's future.
The countries found the most fertile common ground in addressing methane emissions, a powerful but short-lived greenhouse gas.
Zoom in: Under the jet-setting Kerry, the U.S. joined a COP26 global agreement to set up a fund that would compensate developing nations for climate change-related damage, and the non-binding COP28 outcome of moving away from a fossil fuel-based energy system.
But Kerry couldn't offer large monetary commitments for climate aid, since the Republican House controlled the purse.
So he focused on scaling up private-sector funding for climate action, arguing that national governments lack the money needed to fully address the problem.
What's next: Kerry will stay on the job full-time through his exit.
He's part of the U.S. delegation to next week's World Economic Forum in Davos, where he'll expand the First Movers Coalition he founded.
The coalition unites 85+ of the world's largest companies behind 100+ specific purchase commitments. That "demand signal" totals over $13 billion — the highest dollar-value commitment to emerging clean fuels and products in world history.
DES MOINES — Former President Trump — who for months has appeared to be coasting to a big win in Iowa's caucuses — is showing signs of worry ahead of Monday night's voting.
Driving the news:Trump is escalating his attacks on Nikki Haley and imploring his supporters to brave Monday's wickedly cold weather to vote as if he's trailing in the polls.
Americans are furious about high inflation, according to the Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll. Economists say that high inflation has mostly been vanquished. Both are correct.
Why it matters: If you look at the level of prices, they are way up since 2020. If you look at the rate at which prices are changing, it has returned to fairly normal levels. This intuition is crucial to understanding this confusing moment for inflation trends and public opinion around them.
The Iowa caucuses have a spotty recent track record on forecasting future presidents or nominees, despite captivating the nation at the top of an election year.
Why it matters: While this year's caucuses will focus on Republicans — and who might swing a perceptible dent in former President Trump's lead — history has some wild cards to offer.
With a federal funding deadline looming next week, a House Republican is threatening to force a vote on impeaching a Biden cabinet official into the mix.
Why it matters: It's hardly an empty threat – House members in the 118th Congress have made unprecedented use of their ability to force votes on rogue impeachments, censures and expulsion resolutions.
Top House Republicans said Friday they plan to move forward with a vote on holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress despite an offer from his legal team to sit for the closed-door deposition GOP lawmakers have demanded.
Why it matters: It would be the first time Republicans have voted to hold a committee witness in contempt since taking power last year and launching a vast array of investigations targeting President Biden and his administration.
A group of Jewish House Democrats pressed Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog on inflammatory comments by ultranationalist Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich in a meeting on Thursday, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Israeli and U.S. officials say the statements and actions by the extreme right-wing ministers, particularly around the war in Gaza, have created growing tension between Israel and many of its allies — especially the Biden administration and Democratic lawmakers.
A Florida school district is pulling nearly 2,000 books from its shelves — including some dictionaries and encyclopedias — to make sure they abide by a new state law.
Why it matters: The state law, which prohibits schools from carrying books that describe sexual content, comes as Florida continues to get pushback over its titles banned in prisons and classrooms.
President Biden said Friday that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin experienced a lapse in judgment in not revealing his recent hospitalization earlier.
Why it matters: The secrecy surrounding Austin's hospitalization spurred days of controversy as well as calls from lawmakers for Austin's resignation.
The Justice Department plans to seek the death penalty for the white gunman convicted of killing 10 Black people in a "racially motivated" mass shooting in Buffalo, New York in 2022.
Why it matters: This marks the first time that the Biden administration has sought the death penalty in a new case, per AP.
Why it matters: It's yet another gulf between Biden and the left flank on the administration's Middle East policy as the U.S. expands operations in the region in response to rising tensions sparked by the Israel-Hamas war.
The chair of the Senate Finance Committee is calling for an official investigation into the recent hack of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Driving the news:In a letter first shared with Axios, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is calling on the SEC's inspector general to open an investigation into the agency's "apparent failure to follow cybersecurity best practices."
Driving the news: Starting next month, borrowers enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education plan who took out less than $12,000 in loans and have been in repayment for 10 years will get their remaining student debt cancelled, the administration announced Friday.
Virginia's first Black House speaker in the legislature's 405-year history couldn't help but think of the past as he was sworn in this week.
The big picture: Don Scott, a Democrat from Portsmouth, now reigns over a chamber that voted to block the desegregation of public schools nearly 70 years ago, inside a Capitol built by enslaved Virginians, in the former capital of the Confederacy.
Zombie Burger's downtown location unveils its Iowa caucuses-themed food menu Friday.
The quirky downtown restaurant is starting with "Mom-Aswamy's Spaghetti" ($15.99) — a sandwich made with spaghetti and meatballs that is a nod to Vivek Ramaswamy, the GOP candidate who used Eminem's music on the campaign trail before getting hit with a cease-and-desist letter.
DAVENPORT, Iowa —Donald Trump doesn't have the support of Iowa's most prominent evangelical leader in Monday's caucuses. But in Iowa and across the country, MAGA pastors are among Trump's most loyal backers.
Why it matters: It's not just that they like the former president for appointing three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn abortion rights.
An oft-delayed ban on menthol cigarettes is in doubt, as President Biden's pledge to "follow the science" runs into election-year politics.
Why it matters: Inaction on a ban that is expected to prevent the deaths of thousands of Black Americans each year has already left some usual allies questioning if the Biden administration is putting politics over public health.
The big picture: Trump has a history of launching racist "birther" conspiracies against opponents, particularly to discredit those he sees as a direct threat to him.
Half of millennials and Gen Z say they're staying up late worrying about money. Women in particular don't feel like they're getting ahead financially. And nearly 60% of Hispanics say they're more stressed about their household budgets than they were before the pandemic.
Why it matters: The findings in the new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll show several of President Biden'scrucial voting blocs are plagued by financial stress — despite data that point to an improving economy.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)is at a career-defining crossroads: Hardline Republicans — a day after sabotaging their own party's bills in a show of force — are pressuring him to renege on a spending deal he struck with Senate Democrats.
Why it matters: Members of Johnson's own conference are pleading with him to stand firmly behind the deal, warning that a failure to do so could create the same trust issues that led to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) downfall.
A Maryland elections board official resigned after the FBI arrested him on charges related to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot this week.
The big picture: The Maryland State Board Elections chair confirmed Thursday he accepted the resignation of the Republican official, Carlos Ayala, who's accused of climbing a police barricade and "jabbing a flag and flagpole" at a U.S. Capitol Police officer while also urging a police line defending the complex to "join us."
