Even Beyoncé — who has more Grammy wins than anyone — still struggles to break barriers and stereotypes in an industry she dominates.
The big picture: She just became the first Black woman to top Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart," but not without sparking renewed debate about diversity in the genre.
Efforts to remove career advancement barriers for underrepresented workers have become strained over the past year amid broad DEI backlash.
Why it matters: Some of the progress achieved since 2020 in providing access to opportunity — including improvements in hiring and promotion of Black employees — is at risk of being rolled back.
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo contradicted federal health guidelines on measles this week by not urging parents to vaccinate their children against one of the world's most contagious viruses.
Why it matters: Ladapo's apathy toward measles vaccinations comes as a Florida elementary school is attempting to contain an outbreak and as measles cases have remerged across the U.S.
Former President Trump said Friday that he supports in vitro fertilization and called on the Alabama legislature to "act quickly to find an immediate solution to preserve" the availability of IVF in the state.
Why it matters: The 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner had not yet weighed in on the Alabama Supreme Court ruling restricting access to the fertility treatment, as his party has faced blowback over the decision.
House Democrats' main super PAC is promising to pour money into attacking Republicans on fertility treatments in the wake of a controversial, first-of-its-kindAlabama Supreme Court ruling, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Republicans in bothchambers are scrambling to distance from the ruling and the restrictive impact it's already having on IVF clinics.
A bipartisan ethics committee in Wisconsin has recommended felony charges against one of former President Trump's political action committees and Republicans in the state for allegedly skirting campaign finance laws, the committee confirmed to Axios on Friday.
Why it matters: The criminal referrals could spell more legal trouble for Trump, who already faces 91 charges in four cases in other jurisdictions.
Why it matters: A ruling by Judge Scott McAfee to remove Willis from the case or adjust charges, as Trump and other co-defendants have sought, would have massive implications for the case — even potentially derailing it altogether.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is urging candidates to strongly oppose the Alabama Supreme Court ruling restricting access to fertility treatments, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Republicans have struggled to find a winning strategy on reproductive issues since the conservative-led U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade — and the Alabama case has given Democrats a chance to bash GOP candidates about the slippery slope of red states' post-Roe restrictions.
A group of top House Democrats is warning House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other congressional leaders not to cave to the right-wing Freedom Caucus' demands on government spending.
Why it matters: Democratic votes in the House will be necessary to pass any spending bill with an actual chance of being signed into law.
The Biden administration on Friday announced a new package of sanctions targeting Russian officials and companiesover the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the invasion of Ukraine.
Why it matters: President Biden has said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin was responsible for Navalny's death in prison, and Navalny's allies have said they suspect high-level Russian authorities were involved.
Attorneys for former President Trump on Thursday asked a judge to throw out his classified documents case in Florida, arguing that he is protected by presidential immunity.
Why it matters: It's the Republican presidential frontrunner's latest claim that he is shielded from criminal prosecution under a broad theory of immunity. An appellate court rejected the argument earlier this month.
Why it matters: Six years later, his foundation is funding the rollout of a new policing tool that would connect victims to officers in real time and try to help police departments better handle mass shootings.
Former President Trump and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley are set to face off in Saturday's South Carolina Republican primary.
Why it matters: Though the Palmetto State is Haley's home turf as the former governor, she has trailed behind Trump in the polls and previous primaries.
A well-funded new super PAC to help former President Trump in the general election has been started by staunch allies in Florida — with Trump family insider Sergio Gor as CEO, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: With optimism rising in Trumpworld that he'd beat President Biden in a rematch, Republican donors will be looking for splashy ways to give. They now have a new outlet.
President Biden has been using notecards in closed-door fundraisers, calling on prescreened donors and then consulting his notes to provide detailed answers, according to people familiar with the routine.
Why it matters: Biden's reliance on notecards to help explain his own policy positions — on questions he knows are coming — is raising concerns among some donors about Biden's age.
School safety, artificial intelligence, student mental health and academic freedom are top of mind for America's school superintendents, who gathered in San Diego last week for one of the biggest education conferences of the year.
Why it matters: The preoccupations of the nation's schools chiefs are a snapshot of what's most pressing for K-12 students — and a reflection of what's happening on the national political agenda.
In a sign of how badly the GOP wants to flip Maryland's Senate seat, former President Trump is expected to set aside his feud with the state's likely GOP nominee, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Distancing himself from Trump could ultimately be crucial for former Gov. Larry Hogan in a solid blue state like Maryland, but Trump hasn't taken well to perceived disloyalty in the past.
