Vice President Kamala Harris attacked former President Trump's abortion record during a visit to Arizona Friday, calling him the "architect of this health care crisis" as she cast post-Roe America at risk of reverting to the 1800s.
Why it matters: The Biden campaign is eager to drive Democratic voter turnout in the key swing state after its Supreme Court's decision this week to uphold a restrictive Civil War-era abortion ban, with exceptions only to save the mother's life.
A New York judge denied another request from former President Trump to delay his upcoming hush money criminal trial after his lawyers claimed the case has garnered too much attention, AP reports.
Why it matters: Judge Juan Merchan's ruling on Friday was at least the fourth delay rejection Trump received this week and increases the likelihood that the trial will begin as scheduled on April 15.
Former President Trump offered much-needed praise Fridayfor House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) as he faces threats to his gavel from his conference's far-right flank.
Why it matters: Trump's assurance thathe stands "by the speaker" came as conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has ratcheted up her attacks on Johnson in the latest display of GOP congressional dysfunction.
House Republicans' frustration is simmering over plans to vote on a series of appliance-related messaging bills next week that are likely to stall in the Senate.
Why it matters: It's not about the bills themselves, GOP lawmakers say, but what they represent — the GOP-controlled House's inability to pass substantive bills aside from "must-pass" legislation.
One of the only serious Senate primaries for Democrats is getting more competitive just a month before voters head to polls, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Whoever emerges from the Democratic contest will face a formidable test in keeping the Senate seat blue, with former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, awaiting the winner.
The House passed a bill to reauthorize a key section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) — which permits the government to spy on noncitizens overseas — by a 273-147 vote Friday after days of infighting between privacy and national security hawks.
Why it matters: The bill passed with a compromise — it would expire in two years instead of the proposed five. That would give Republicans another chance to revise the bill if former President Trump, a FISA critic, takes back the White House.
House Democrats are fuming over their Republican colleagues' plans to hold a vote denouncing what they say is President Biden's "one-sided pressure" on Israel.
Why it matters: Many pro-Israel Democrats, particularly Jewish lawmakers, are struggling to balance their affinity for Israel with their support of the president — while accusing Republicans of playing politics with a war.
A House bill aimed at reauthorizing FISA, the key surveillance bill, overcame a procedural hurdle on Friday after heated GOP infighting earlier this week.
Why it matters: Leadership agreed to have the bill expire in two years instead of five, arguing that the new timeline would provide them another opportunity to tackle the bill if former President Trump takes back the White House.
Even if lawmakers succeed in repealing the state's pre-Roe abortion ban, Arizonans' access to the procedure is all but certain to be curtailed, for at least some part of this year.
The big picture: Barring other possible litigation, abortions will remain available for about 60 days after the Arizona Supreme Court's landmark ruling, which reinstated the ban Tuesday.
The enormous crane being used to clear the collapsed Baltimore bridge Baltimore bridge has a backstory that reads like a Spielberg spy movie: Cold War espionage, a covert CIA mission, and … Howard Hughes?
The big picture: A huge crane — one of the East Coast's largest — arrived in Baltimore last month to help remove the precarious jumble of debris from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.
A key House Democrat reviewed Israel's assurances on following international law in Gaza but still came away without giving his approval for Israel's purchase of F-15 fighter jets, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) faces pressure from "at least a dozen" Democrats on his committee to exercise his power to effectively block the deal, according to a lawmaker familiar with the matter.
President Biden used campaign donations to help pay his legal bills last year during the special counsel's probe into his handling of classified documents, according to two people familiar with the matter and an Axios review of campaign finance records.
Why it matters: The payments, made through the Democratic National Committee, are at odds with the Biden campaign's recent attacks on Donald Trump for spending his campaign funds on legal fees.
The FBI is growing increasingly concerned about a potential attack in the U.S. similar to last month's Russia concert hall shooting, bureau director Christopher Wray said Thursday.
The big picture: "As I look back over my career in law enforcement, I would be hard-pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once," Wray told lawmakers as he urged Congress to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
About half of Pennsylvania swing voters said presidential candidate's stances on abortion will influence how they vote in the fall, according to our latest Engagious/Sago focus groups.
Why it matters: Interviews with 11 voters who swung from former President Trump in 2016 to President Biden in 2020 suggest the security of access to abortion will determine who they support in November.
There's a lot of angst in Trumpworld right now about how to stop a motion to vacate effort waged by one of their own.
Why it matters: As Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) continues to threaten House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), former President Trump's inner circle is concerned about the prospects of another ugly speakership fight with uncertain outcomes.
House Democrats are engaged in a widespread whip operation aimed at persuading progressive stragglers to sign onto a discharge petition to force a vote on the Senate's Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan aid bill, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Democrats want a display of party unity to strengthen their hand with Republicans ahead of potential votes on Ukraine and Israel aid as soon as next week.
