Axios

U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators are intensifying their efforts to reach a hostage deal and temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas amid growing concerns of a violent escalation in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan, three U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.

Why it matters: The raging war and dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza add to a backdrop of violent confrontations between Israeli police and Palestinians in recent years during Ramadan, which is expected to begin Monday.

The White House and Biden campaign call this State of the Union Month, and Thursday's speech is being amplified by a $30 million ad buy (including spots during March Madness) and presidential travel to swing states — Pennsylvania Friday, Georgia Saturday.

Why it matters: The campaign wants viewers to keep seeing President Biden as a feisty fighter — "Smokin' Joe Biden," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called him Friday — while trying to dent former President Trump's image of strength after repeated triumphs in GOP primaries.

Former President Trump stunned Republican China hawks this week when he appeared to argue against banning TikTok, the juggernaut video app owned by Beijing-based Bytedance and beloved by young Americans.

Why it matters: Trump spearheaded the original U.S. threat to ban TikTok over national security concerns. Four years later, President Biden and Congress have picked up the mantle — with a bipartisan bill targeting Bytedance set to hit the House floor next week.

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to stop the Biden administration's migration program that has granted hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans legal entry into the U.S.

Why it matters: It is an important win for President Biden and his signature border effort — and a loss for Texas and other GOP-led states challenging his use of a mechanism called "parole" to expand legal pathways into the U.S.

The semiannual changing of the clocks takes place this Sunday when most of the country will "spring forward" into daylight saving time.

Why it matters: The political fight to end the twice-yearly time changes isn't over despite stalled legislation that has sat idle since March 2023.

Lawmakers passed a $460 billion bundle of government funding bills Friday night to avert a government shutdown, but another deadline looms in just weeks.

Why it matters: Congress will have to pass another batch of spending bills by March 22, and lawmakers have conceded that those negotiations will be a tougher lift.

Two attorneys on Friday qualified to enter the race against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Why it matters: Willis is facing increasing pressure amid allegations of an improper relationship with a special prosecutor she hired for the sweeping racketeering case against former President Trump and his co-defendants. Her ouster could potentially botch the case against them.

A top House Democrat is calling for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to "educate his members on proper decorum" following repeated bouts of heckling by House Republicans at the State of the Union.

Why it matters: Johnson had urged his colleagues to show respect for President Biden ahead of the speech, but Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and others ultimately chose to defy him.

Despite widespread criticism, Trump allies see Sen. Katie Britt's (R-Ala.) much-maligned State of the Union response as the opening salvo in a key 2024 campaign strategy — GOP outreach to anti-Trump women.

Why it matters: Britt's speech — set in her kitchen and delivered with a tone that fluctuated between soft and theatrical — was widely mocked on social media. But sources close to former President Trump argue critics are missing the strategic appeal of her message.

The centrist political group No Labels voted Friday to move forward with plans to put up a "unity ticket" for the 2024 election, following months of speculation about its future.

Why it matters: The group is still undecided on the key question of who will appear on its ticket, but the movement has already sparked scrutiny from Democrats who say the third-party bid could hurt President Biden in November.

Conservative Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) announced Friday he will not seek re-election to his House seat, saying that death threats and "false and defamatory rumors against me and my family" led to his decision.

Why it matters: Rosendale's decision was a reversal from last week, when he announced he'd run for re-election — a move he made after dropping out of a heated GOP primary for a Montana Senate seat.

Put the pencil sharpeners away. The SAT is going digital starting Saturday.

Why it matters: Standardized testing is already losing relevance for college admissions. These changes make the most popular entrance exam shorter, easier to administer and offer more flexibility for students who opt to take it.

A House Democrat is introducing a proposed rule change to bar expelled former lawmakers from going onto the House floor uninvited.

Why it matters: It's a response to expelled former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) attending the State of the Union uninvited on Thursday — shortly before announcing his long-shot bid to return to Congress.

A Republican-led House panel plans to hold a hearing on the pipe bombs left outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters on the morning of the Jan. 6 attack.

Why it matters: It's a mystery that remains unsolved more than three years after the deadly assault on the Capitol, for which more than 1,350 people have been criminally charged.

President Biden's State of the Union address fueled his campaign's most lucrative fundraising day since he launched his bid for re-election, according to a campaign official.

Why it matters: In what may have been the most important speech of his presidency, Biden delivered a fiery performance that Democrats hope will mark a turning point in his re-election campaign.

The U.S. government, academic research and official review panels have not confirmed sightings of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), the Defense Department said in a report unclassified on Friday.

Why it matters: UAPs, or UFOs, have been on Congress' radar with national security and transparency at the center of the bipartisan conversation.

The Republican National Committee on Friday elected Trump-backed Michael Whatley and Lara Trump to take over the committee.

Why it matters: The formal selection of the former president's chosen candidates cements his increasing control over the RNC as he closes in on securing the GOP presidential nomination.

The father of a U.S. Marine killed in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing was arrested for disrupting President Biden's State of the Union address on Thursday.

Why it matters: The disruption by Steve Nikoui as an invited guest of a member of Congress was an extremely rare break in decorum that punctuated a night filled with heckling from lawmakers.

House Republicans' repeated outbursts at President Biden's State of the Union address on Thursday were met with discomfort and disapproval from GOP colleagues.

Why it matters: Heckling has become a hallmark of Biden's addresses to Congress, with the president even getting into back-and-forth interactions with specific lawmakers.

José Andrés, the celebrity chef and founder of World Central Kitchen, is working with the United Arab Emirates to land amphibious crafts, loaded with food, on the shores of Gaza, people familiar with the plan tell Axios.

Why it matters: The need for humanitarian aid in Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war continues is critical and acute — about 1.7 million people have been displaced, the UN reports. Andrés' aid plan is ambitious and untested.

President Biden eased Democrats' concerns about his age with a feisty and commanding State of the Union address Thursday night.

Why it matters: With anger, humor and frequent ad-libs that baited his Republican critics, Biden, 81, tried to show voters he's capable of serving another four-year term at a time when polls show voters don't think he is.

U.S. society is going cash free sooner than the centuries-old country has put a woman historical figure on a paper bill.

Why it matters: The U.S. lags behind many of its peers that have women on currency — see England's late Queen Elizabeth II and Mexico's Frida Kahlo — though only 46 countries, less than one-third around the world, have done so.

Former President Trump came out in support of TikTok in the face of congressional legislation pushing for Chinese divestment from the app in a Thursday night post that also attacked Facebook.

Why it matters: The likely 2024 Republican presidential nominee threatened to ban TikTok when he was president.

Israel's government must take the humanitarian crisis in Gaza seriously and not use aid as leverage, President Biden said in his State of the Union address Thursday.

Why it matters: Biden's emphasis in the speech on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the more than 30,000 Palestinians killed in the conflict reflects the shift in the administration's view of the war over the last few weeks amid Democrats' criticism of Biden's backing of Israel.

Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) gave a rebuke of President Biden's border and immigration policies in her Republican State of the Union response from her home.

Why it matters: The speech from the freshman senator is a stark example of how Republicans continue to make immigration and border security their top election year issue.

Members of the Democratic Women's Caucus dressed in white and wore pins stating "Fighting for Reproductive Freedom" during President Biden's third State of the Union address on Thursday.

The big picture: DWC members previously wore white, which symbolizes women's suffrage, during States of the Union by then-President Trump.

President Biden made the first reference to his "predecessor" less than five minutes into his State of the Union address, and he took repeated swipes at former President Trump throughout his speech.

Why it matters: While not invoking former President Trump by name, Biden used the high-profile address to draw a sharp contrast ahead of their expected November rematch.

President Biden delivered an impassioned State of the Union address on Thursday, seeming to relish a chance to spar with Republicans and confront Americans' concerns about his age as he ramps up his re-election campaign.

Why it matters: Biden's final State of the Union before November's election offered a high-profile opportunity to highlight his accomplishments — and his capacity and energy — to a highly skeptical electorate.

President Biden during his State of the Union address Thursday defended a failed bipartisan border bill, snapped back at hecklers and called out former President Trump for saying migrants "poison the blood of our country."

Why it matters: Biden went on offense on one of his most vulnerable political issues — and Republicans' favorite line of attack.

House Republicans repeatedly heckled President Biden during the State of the Union on Thursday despite pleas from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to act respectfully.

Why it matters: As many Republicans feared, Biden was able to spar with the disruptors and use their jeers to make his own policy points.

President Biden came face to face with one of his most outspoken critics — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — as he shook hands with members of Congress ahead of his State of the Union address.

The latest: After the brief confrontation, Greene heckled Biden during his speech — demanding that he recognize the alleged murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley by an undocumented immigrant last month.

President Biden was delivering his third State of the Union address on Thursday evening, and there were plenty of notable moments before SOTU even began.

The big picture: Biden arrived slightly later than scheduled at the U.S. Capitol after his motorcade took an alternative route to avoid pro-Palestinian protesters. He also came face-to-face with ardent critic Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) as he shook hands with Congress members before his address.

Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) made a surprise appearance Thursday at the State of the Union address, where he announced he plans to primary Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) just months after being expelled from Congress.

Why it matters: Santos — who was spotted wearing a rhinestone collar and silver shoes in his dramatic return to the House chamber — was not welcomed warmly by the many former colleagues who voted for historic ouster in December.

President Biden received a chilly reception at the State of the Union on Thursday from several members the progressive "Squad" who are incensed at his continued support for Israel.

Why it matters: It's the kind of treatment lawmakers typically reserve for presidents of the opposite party.

Pro-Palestinian protesters convened near the Capitol on Thursday, before President Biden was set to depart the White House for his State of the Union address.

Why it matters: The address, set to begin at 9 p.m. ET, began almost 30 minutes late, and Biden's motorcade took an alternative route to avoid the protesters, according to White House pool reporters.

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona was appointed designated survivor for President Biden's third State of the Union address on Thursday.

The big picture: A cabinet member is named designated survivor and kept away from the speech location every year in case of an attack on the SOTU site that incapacitates a president and other officials in the line of succession.

Flashback: Labour Secretary Marty Walsh was named designated survivor last year.

President Biden's State of the Union address is a crucial opportunity to lay out his agenda ahead of a re-election fight with Donald Trump.

Why it matters: At least as scrutinized as the content will be Biden's delivery: an overwhelming majority of Americans consistently express concern in polls about his age and mental capacity to serve.

A judge presiding over former President Trump's hush money case in New York on Thursday ruled that the jury members must not be publicly identified during the trial, which is scheduled to start later this month.

The big picture: Judge Juan Merchan raised concerns in his protective order that extend to courtroom staff about "a likelihood of bribery, jury tampering, or of physical injury or harassment of juror(s)" if they didn't remain anonymous.

An independent report released Thursday did not assign blame to local law enforcement officers and defended their actions in response to the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The big picture: The findings are somewhat contrary to other reports, including one from the Department of Justice earlier this year that heavily criticized law enforcement's response, explicitly calling it a "failure."

Both Republicans and Democrats see strengthening the economy as a top issue for President Biden and Congress — but their other priorities are vastly different, according to recent surveys by Pew Research Center.

Why it matters: In his third State of the Union address, Biden will seek to rally his own party around the issues that unify them, while also defending himself against Republicans' attacks over the border and crime.

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff secured himself an easy path to being California's next senator by propping up a Republican opponent, but the fallout from his campaign has left factions of the party deeply divided.

Why it matters: Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey topped California's open primary field for Senate this week, all but assuring that Schiff will win the general election in November.