Doctors and patientsare alreadyrethinking fertility treatments after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled last week that frozen embryos should receive legal protections as "unborn life."
Driving the news: The University of Alabama at Birmingham paused in vitro fertilization treatments, citing "the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care."
The Senate GOP's campaign arm is instructing its candidates to demand a Senate impeachment trial for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Axioshas learned.
Why it matters: Senate Republicans this week called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to hold a trial for Mayorkas, who was impeached by the House on a mostly party-line vote.
Why it matters: Hawley's stance aligns him with other critics of the deal, most of whom are Democrats, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) who also has called for regulators to block the deal.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told NBC News on Wednesday that frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilization are "babies" — a stance that's in line with a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling.
Why it matters: The Alabama Supreme Court ruled last week that frozen embryos created through IVF are legally children, raising questions about the future of fertility treatments in the state.
The Biden administration pledged to invest $100 million for women's health research, First Lady Jill Biden announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: The investment is part of federal efforts to close gender gaps in research, which supporters say have led to insufficient funding for endometriosis, MS and other conditions that disproportionately affect women.
The big picture: The comments from the committee's top Democrat come after former FBI informantAlexander Smirnov admitted that "officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story" about Hunter Biden.
President Biden's great-great-grandfather was pardoned by Abraham Lincoln after engaging in a Civil War-era brawl that saw him charged with attempted murder, U.S. National Archives records shared with Axios confirm.
Why it matters: The historic documents shed light on a new facet of Biden's family history, revealing "the hidden link between the two men — and between two presidents across the centuries," writes David J. Gerleman, the historian who first detailed the records in the Washington Post this week.
Former CNN anchor John Avlon on Wednesday announced a run for Congress in New York's first district, adding to a crowded field of Democrats vying to unseat a first-term Republican.
Why it matters: The Long Island seat, currently held by Rep. Nick LaLota, was key to the GOP securing a razor-thin House majority in the 2022 midterm elections.
Beyoncé is drawing mainstream attention to Black artists and country music after becoming the first Black woman to top Billboard's Hot Country Music chart. In recent years, there's been a renaissance of new Black country artists producing music despite getting little radio play.
The intrigue: From musicians Mickey Guyton and Dalton Dover to singers Julie Williams and Jimmie Allen, the artists sing about isolation, race, Jesus, partying on the back road and, of course, drinking after a breakup.
President Biden's brother, James Biden, is testifying Wednesdayin a closed-door interview with the House Oversight and Judiciary committees as part of their impeachment probe into the president.
Why it matters: His testimony comes as House Republicans' impeachment effort is on thin ice after one of their key sources of information was charged last week with making up claims.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), one of the most vocally pro-Israel Democrats in the House, has left the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The departure marks the second time since the Oct. 7 attack the group has lost a member with dissenting beliefs on the Israel-Hamas war.
Why it matters: Trump ended the month with about $30 million in cash on hand, whilePresident Biden's campaign closed January with almost $56 million in cash on hand, adding to the president's financial edge as he appears headed for a rematch with Trump.
Why it matters: The book, being published two months before our own contentious election, "is an eye-opening warning of what's at stake and what it takes to protect our democracy," the forthcoming announcement says.
The share of Hispanic, Black and Asian Americans who own a home grew over the past decade despite soaring interest rates in the past few years, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Why it matters: Homeownership is "Americans' biggest asset," says Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research for the association.
President Biden will sign an executive order Wednesday aimed at toughening cybersecurity at U.S. shipping ports and elsewhere in the maritime sector.
Why it matters: Chinese government-linked hackers have already shown interest in targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, including ports, as it prepares for a potential invasion of Taiwan.
The Biden administration approved another $1.2 billion in student loan forgiveness for nearly 153,000 borrowers on Wednesday.
The big picture: The administration has now provided almost $138 billion in relief for more than 3.9 million student borrowers, finding workarounds after the Supreme Court blocked President Biden's signature student loan forgiveness plan last year.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said she's ready to seize former President Trump's buildings and other assets if he can't pay the penalty imposed on him and his companies in the state's civil fraud case.
What she's saying: "If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets," James told ABC News on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Kemp resisted Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, notably pushing back against the former president's demands over the phone for the governor to call a special legislative session after President Biden's win.
Former President Trump on Tuesday sought to draw similarities between his four indictments and New York civil fraud judgment and the plight of Putin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian prison last week.
The big picture: Alexander Smirnov, 43, admitted that "officials associated with Russian intelligence" were involved in passing a story about Hunter Biden, per the government's memorandum in support of his detention.
Hunter Biden's lawyers argued that the "rabbit hole of lies" allegedly told by indicted ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnov have infected the investigation into the president's son, per a Tuesday court filing.
Why it matters: While this is a separate matter to the indictment Smirnov faces concerning President Biden and his son, the lawyers' response signals the ex-FBI informant's claims will form a key part of Hunter Biden's defense against tax charges.
A moderate House Democrat is circulating a resolution to protect Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from a potential removal attempt by one of his party's hardliners, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Centrist Democrats have floated protecting Johnson to give him room to put bipartisan legislation on the floor.
Behind closed doors, House Republicans have shifted from optimistically cautious to expecting a government shutdown, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will have to choose in coming weeks between a fight with Democrats that threatens a shutdown, or a deal with Democrats that threatens his job.
