Pope Francis' comments that Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and negotiate to end the war with Russia was denounced by Ukrainian and other European officials on Sunday.
Context: The pope was asked during a TV interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI for his thoughts on whether Ukraine should have the "courage of surrender, of the white flag" and negotiate for a ceasefire with Russia or whether this would legitimize Putin's forces, per a transcript released by the Vatican over the weekend.
Several top GOP candidates for Senate share a vulnerability Democrats are itching to exploit — million-dollar homes outside of the states they're running in.
Why it matters: Faced with a Senate election map that heavily favors the GOP, Democrats are hoping to hold on to their slim majority by painting Republican challengers as out-of-touch out-of-towners.
Lawmakers from both parties say they are unsure whether they will support a new bill targeting TikTok in the U.S.
Why it matters: TikTok has been a hot-button political issue for years under both the Biden and Trump administrations amid concerns the Chinese-owned app could pose national security concerns.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called on the Biden administration to suspend or condition aid to Israel during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday.
Why it matters: Sanders' remarks come amid a growing rift between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's strategy in Gaza.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) defended her decision to support former President Trump's 2024 campaign despite the events of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot during an appearance on ABC's "This Week" Sunday.
Why it matters: It's a reversal for Mace, who criticized Trump in the wake of the riot, calling for him to be held accountable for Jan. 6 and to never hold office again.
President Biden has begun a tricky maneuver: breaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Gaza war strategy — while sticking with Israel and its fight against Hamas, which is still holding hostages.
Why it matters: No one incident led Biden to start changing his course with Netanyahu, whom he has known for 40 years. It's an accumulation of events and decisions by the prime minister over the last few weeks, U.S. officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: The comments mark the second time in days that Biden has directly criticized the court over the Dobbs ruling, after he admonished the court's decision during his State of the Union address Thursday.
Former President Trump's new team at the Republican National Committee has tapped former RNC executive Sean Cairncross to help run the party's operations and watch its spending in the run-up to the November election, two people familiar with the move tell Axios.
Why it matters: Cairncross, a former RNC chief operating officer, will rejoin the party's staff at a time when GOP critics are pressing the committee to curb what they view as excess spending under former chair Ronna McDaniel.
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 speechis 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.
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.
