The Department of Justice found that former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his executive staff maintained a sexually hostile work environment and violated federal retaliation rules, according to a settlement announced Friday.
Driving the news: The DOJ reached an agreement with the New York State Executive Chamber to resolve claims - which Cuomo denies - that the chamber under Cuomo "engaged in a pattern or practice of sexual harassment and retaliation" in violation of Title VII.
A Utah bill that would ban transgender people's access to public restrooms and locker rooms is poised to be signed into law.
The latest: H.B. 257 received final passage in the Utah House on Friday in a 58-16 vote largely along party lines. It will now head to the governor's desk for his signature.
The former chief of staff to Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Friday filed to run as a Republican primary challenger against his onetime boss.
Why it matters: It sets up what could be a high-profile primary after Mace angered and perplexed some in her party by voting to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) last October.
High schools across the country are using advanced technology to monitor whether students are vaping — and they're sometimeshanding down severe punishments when someone gets caught.
The big picture: Districts have set up sensors and surveillance cameras to detect vaping, often without informing students.
A majority of voters would not cast a ballot for a presidential candidate in their 80s or one charged with a felony, according to Gallup data released Friday.
Why it matters:President Biden, 81, falls into that first category and GOP frontrunner former President Trump falls into the latter, which could leave voters facing a difficult decision come November.
President Biden spoke separately on Friday with the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to discuss the efforts to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, the White House said.
Why it matters: The calls are part of a push by Biden personally and his team for a new hostage deal that could lead to a two-month pause in the fighting in Gaza and open the way for ending the war.
Hunter Biden business associate Rob Walker told Congress on Friday that President Biden "while in office or as a private citizen — was never involved in any of the business activities we pursued."
Why it matters: House Republicans continue to investigate links between Biden and his son's foreign business dealings as part of an impeachment inquiry, which the House voted for last month.
So far, at least 44U.S. House members and seven U.S. senators are not seeking re-election in 2024.
Why it matters: The incumbents' decisions to run for other offices or retire have left key seats open, which could determine Congress' balance of power in 2025.
New York City's American Museum of Natural History announced Friday that it is closing two major exhibit halls containing Native American artifacts.
Why it matters: The decision, explained in a letter to staff obtained by Axios, comes as museums around the country are adjusting how they display Native American artifacts to comply with new federal rules that the Biden administration recently established.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is throwing cold water on the Senate's expected border deal, telling members that if rumors about the details are true it would be "dead on arrival" in the House.
Why it matters: Senators have been scrambling this week to keep a bipartisan border deal alive after months of high-level negotiations.
David E. Sanger,White House and national security correspondent for the New York Times, will be out April 16 with his fourth book, "New Cold Wars" — reported from around the world, with interviews with leaders, combatants and former government officials.
Driving the news: "The first hundred pagesor so are a reported, sometimes anecdotal account of how the U.S. deceived itself into thinking it would bring China and Russia into the West's economies and into its embrace," Sanger tells Axios.
President Biden last week pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale down the Israeli military operation in Gaza, stressing he is not in it for a year of war, two U.S. officials told Axios.
Why it matters: Biden's comments during the two leaders' call last Friday reflect the growing U.S. concern about the continuation of the war and the president's desire to see it end longbefore the November elections.
An Alabama death row inmate on Thursday evening became the first person to be executed in the U.S. using nitrogen gas.
The big picture: Kenneth Eugene Smith made several appeals, including to the U.S. Supreme Court, attempting to halt the state's plan to execute him using the previously untested method.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert defended her mountains-to-plains shift in congressional districts, even as Republican rivals used the contest's first debate Thursday night to suggest she is a carpetbagger and hypocrite.
Why it matters: How voters perceive Boebert's move will determine whether she can win in the 4th District, and the debate offered the first test of her new campaign.
A Republican National Committee draft resolution seeking to declare former President Trump as the party's presidential nominee was withdrawn on Thursday, a person familiar with the matter said.
The big picture: The withdrawal comes after Trump said Thursday evening that the RNC shouldn't move forward with the resolution — which, if approved, would have named him as their 2024 candidate at a time when Nikki Haley has no intention of dropping out of the race.
A Reagan-appointed federal judge said Thursday he's been "shocked to watch some public figures try to rewrite history" in regards to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.
The big picture: U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth was referring to comments by former President Trump and other Republicans including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) who have described imprisoned Jan. 6 rioters as "hostages."
Former President Trump's dominance in the GOP primary has scrambled the political incentives underlying one of President Biden's top vulnerabilities: the border.
Why it matters: The logistical and humanitarian crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border is triggering constitutional challenges and a massive political headache in Congress — with election season only pouring more fuel on the fire.
