James Crumbley, the father of the convicted Oxford High School shooter, was found guilty on Thursday of involuntary manslaughter.
Why it matters: Crumbley and the gunman's mother are the first parents in the U.S. to be held criminally responsible for a mass shooting committed by their child.
Wisconsin swing voters largely blame Republicans — and specifically Donald Trump — for Congress' failure to pass bipartisan legislation to help improve border security, according to our latest Engagious/Sago focus group.
Why it matters: Interviews with voters who backed Trump in 2016 and flipped to President Biden in 2020 suggest that Biden's State of the Union speech last week left them feeling that Trump's GOP is more responsible for Washington's lack of action.
Former President Trump and meddling Democrats are both scrambling to get their preferred Republican candidate — businessman Bernie Moreno — over the finish line in Tuesday's Senate GOP primary in Ohio.
Why it matters: Democrats view Moreno as the weakest general election opponent for vulnerable Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). Moreno is also the only Trump-backed Senate candidate at risk of losing in a GOP primary — a potentially embarrassing blow to the former president.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) speech calling for a new government in Israel landed like an earthquake Thursday, delivering a huge shock to the already tense U.S.-Israel relationship.
Why it matters: In addition to being the most senior Jewish elected official in the country, Schumer has had one of the longest and closest relationships with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of any U.S. politician.
Hamas gave Israel on Thursday through Qatari and Egyptian mediators its response regarding the hostage deal proposal, according to a statement by the group and two Israeli officials.
Why it matters: Israeli officials say Hamas' response to the U.S., Qatari and Egyptian proposal, which they have for weeks been waiting for, is a sign of progress and could allow moving to more serious negotiations on a detailed deal.
Pornhub,one of the world's largest pornography websites, is no longer accessible to users in Texas.
The big picture: The state joins several others — including North Carolina, Virginia, Utah, Arkansas, Montana and Mississippi — in losing access in response to new state laws requiring porn sites to verify user ages.
The judge overseeing former President Trump's classified documents case rejected one of his motions to dismiss the charges on Thursday, hours after a hearing over the arguments concluded.
Why it matters: Trump attended the hearing in Fort Pierce, Fla., where his legal team sought to defend two motions the former president's legal team has filed in seeking to throw out the charges in his classified documents case.
Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Sonia Sotomayor together are promoting civility, saying the nation's highest court can serve as a model for the country in regard to civil debate.
Why it matters: Their unity comes at a time when the Supreme Court faces extremely low approval ratings and is under intense scrutiny, especially in regard to decisions about the political fate of presumptive Republican nominee, former President Trump.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — House Republican leaders are pleading with GOP members to stop campaigning against each other as the party's internal divisions threaten its razor-thin majority in the chamber.
Why it matters: Speaker Mike Johnson's team is worried that the spats fueling the GOP's dysfunction in the House are carrying over into campaigns for the Nov. 5 elections — giving Democrats an easier path to take control of the chamber.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) call for new elections in Israel and harsh criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was met with a divided reaction from his fellow Democrats on Thursday.
Why it matters: There's little love for Netanyahu among Democrats, but some pro-Israel lawmakers feel that calling for a change in a foreign ally's government is a step too far for a top U.S. official.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office said Thursday that it does not oppose a 30-day delay in former President Trump's New York criminal trial, because of the production of thousands of new records.
Why it matters: The filing comes less than two weeks before the criminal trial on a 2016 hush money payment is scheduled to begin, and could mark the latest delay in proceedings for one of the former president's legal troubles.
The day after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, President Biden was already talking about it as a world-altering event that could reverberate through the 21st century.
Why it matters: The president's raw reaction to the attack is captured in the transcript from his five hours of interviews with special counsel Robert Hur on Oct. 8 and 9.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the highest-ranking Jewish lawmaker, levied some of the harshest criticism yet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from a top U.S. official, calling on Israel to hold elections for a new government to deal with the threat of Hamas.
Why it matters: Democrats have felt increasing pressure from their left to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and be tougher on Israel, while also standing with a key ally.
The U.S. Department of Treasury announced new sanctions Thursday against two illegal outposts in the occupied West Bank that were used as a base for attacks by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, three U.S. officials told Axios.
Why it matters: It is the first time U.S. sanctions are being imposed against entire outposts and not just against individuals.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) was one of the first senators to applaud yesterday's House vote on a bill that requires ByteDance to divest TikTok, or else risk the app from being banned.
But hetells Axios that he doesn't have much faith that there will be a similar vote in the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is noncommittal about bringing it to the floor (despite support from President Biden).
President Biden on Thursday is expected to express concerns over Nippon Steel's planned $14.9 billion acquisition of Pittsburgh's U.S. Steel, ahead of next month's White House visit by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Why it matters: U.S. Steel picked Japan's Nippon over domestic rival Cleveland-Cliffs, because it preferred a national security review by CFIUS to an antitrust review by the Justice Department.
PublicSq, a publicly-traded sales marketplace that promotes retailers with conservative values, has acquired Credova, a buy now, pay later company that caters to shooting sports and firearms sales.
Why it matters: The all-stock deal will help PublicSq hedge against payment vendors who may not be comfortable servicing certain goods, like guns.
The country's top four fastest-growing metro areas over the past three years were all in the Sunshine State, according to U.S. census figures out Thursday.
The big picture: The growth in the Florida cities comes amid a broader population and economic boom in Southern states.
The number of books targeted for censorship at U.S. schools and libraries rose 65% in 2023 over 2022, the American Library Association (ALA) said today.
Why it matters: It's the highest level the group has ever reported, coming as pro-censorship groups increasingly target multiple titles at once.
More than two-thirds of college students believe universities should protect free speech — even if the speech extends to physical threats or inciting violence, according to a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.
Why it matters: The stunning finding reveals a desire to push the limits of free expression on campus. It hints at deep divides over how to advocate for Palestinian civilians while protecting the safety of Jewish students.
Huge majorities of students in both parties say the government should do more to help them pay off their student loans, a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll finds.
Why it matters: Among all adults, party ID drives deep differences of opinion on this question. But the gap all but disappears among U.S. students currently enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and professional institutions.
With an anti-TikTok bill flying through the House, Senate Democrats are debating whether to give President Biden what he's wanted for three years: An opportunity to bully former President Trump on China.
Why it matters: Biden has used his presidency to stake out hawkish positions toward Beijing. But he's never had the chance to clearly distinguish his approach from Trump's.
A House-approved bill that threatens to ban TikTok picked up critical bipartisan support in the Senate on Wednesday — but Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) remains noncommittal about bringing it to a vote.
Why it matters: President Biden's commitment to sign the legislation on top of the decisive, bipartisan House vote puts immense pressure on the Senate to take action. But the politics will be tricky.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is being accused in a lawsuit of breaching D.C. consumer protection laws over online video posts this week that praised a Texas dentist.
Vice President Kamala Harris will visit an abortion clinic in Minnesota's Twin Cities area Thursday, a dramatic and symbolic move to emphasize the Biden administration's commitment to reproductive rights.
Why it matters: Harris will become the first president or vice president to tour an abortion clinic while in office, according to the White House.
