Former Rep. George Santos announced Tuesday he's dropping out of the Congressional race after mounting an independent, third-party bid last month against Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.).
The big picture: Santos, who was a Republican when he was expelled from Congress in December after less than a year, would have potentially siphoned off GOP votes in a swing district that could help determine the House majority.
Why it matters: The move extends protections for some four million salaried workers in the U.S. and marks an about 65% increase in the annual salary threshold for overtime pay from 2019 to 2025.
House Democrats and Democratic candidates have begun to dominate Republicans in fundraising as the 2024 election draws near, an Axios analysis has found.
Why it matters: It's a stark reversal of the consistentfundraising advantage vulnerable Republicans enjoyed over their Democratic counterparts last year.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took a victory lap Tuesday with a harshly worded floor speech and a lengthy press conference, as a majority of Republicans are expected to fall in line on a $95 billion foreign aid package.
Why it matters: It could be one of McConnell's last big wins before he steps down from more than 15 years of leading the Senate GOP conference.
"Women's sports are not having a moment," Mollie Cahillane, a reporter at Sports Business Journal said Tuesday at TN50: The Business of Women's Sports Summit. "Everyone else is just now finally paying attention."
Why it matters: Reporters are now trying to use their platforms to tap into that attention and elevate athletes' stories and experiences to grow the game.
NEW YORK — Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker told jurors Tuesday how he would suppress stories critical of former President Trump and encourage stories targeting his rivals during the 2016 election.
Why it matters: His two-hour-long testimony placed Trump at the center of a deliberate strategy to pay hush money for exclusive rights to any potentially damaging story about him during his first presidential campaign.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) attacked former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for the "demonization of Ukraine."
Why it matters: McConnell has been one of the fiercest defenders of the U.S.'s continued assistance to Ukraine, despite waning support among Republicans for more aid.
President Biden mocked former President Trump Tuesday over his infamous suggestion — delivered at a White House briefing exactly four years ago — that COVID could be treated with an "injection" of disinfectant.
"Don't inject bleach. And don't vote for the guy who told you to inject bleach," Biden tweeted.
Why it matters: The Biden campaign sees the viral moment as a perfect encapsulation of the chaos and uncertainty that surrounded the Trump presidency in the early days of the pandemic.
The Department of Justice said on Tuesday it will pay $138.7 million to settle misconduct claims made against the FBI by more than 100 sexual assault survivors abused by USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
The big picture: The survivors, who includeOlympians Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols, claimed the FBI did not pursue allegations in 2015 and 2016 that Nassar was abusing his patients.
The race to engage the estimated 36.2 million U.S. Latinos who are eligible to vote in this year's election hit full steam this week with the launch of two major nonpartisan efforts.
Why it matters: Latino turnout in 2020 hovered around 54% — the lowest of all racial and ethnic groups.
Both Republicans and Democrats consider Latino voters, especially in swing states, crucial to their success, but advocates have long said registering Latinos to vote comes with unique challenges.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blasted Congress on Tuesday for taking its time to pass Ukraine aid — warning that the delay has made it harder for Ukraine to defend itself.
Why it matters: The floor speech came hours before the Senate is expected to vote on the $95 billion foreign aid package to finally send an emergency spending bill to President Biden's desk.
The judge overseeing former President Trump's New York criminal trial appeared to be losing patience Tuesday, telling Trump attorney Todd Blanche that he was "losing all credibility with the court."
Why it matters: It's a dramatic admonishment from Judge Juan Merchan, just one day after opening statements in the case. It came during a tense hearing about whether Trump had violated the gag order the judge had put in place for the case.
As a TikTok divestment law races to passage, TikTok's parent company ByteDance must reckon with the legislation across all of its apps, many of which are growing rapidly in the U.S.
Why it matters: The broad language included in the bipartisan TikTok ban bill could make it impossible for most ByteDance apps to operate in the U.S. unless the Chinese firm sells them to U.S. companies.
Never before has the party in control of the House of Representatives knowingly and willingly castrated its own power so thoroughly as today's Republicans.
Why it matters: Republicans blew years of potential authority by weak leaders surrendering to keep power. So with a razor-thin GOP majority, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had to depend on Democrats to muscle through the $60 billion Ukraine bill over the weekend.
NEW YORK — Less than 24 hours before this morning's hearingover whether former President Trump has violated the gag order in his criminal case here, he tempted fate again Monday by assailing a key witness — his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen.
Why it matters: Trump repeatedly has tested the limits of the court order barring him from commenting on witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors — sometimes appearing to search for loopholes in the order by quoting supporters' criticisms.
All eyes are on America's college campuses as simmering tensions over the Israel-Hamas war boil over into outright confrontation.
Why it matters: The growing intensity of pro-Palestinian protests has been met with an aggressive crackdown from school administrators and police — leading to a wave of arrests, suspensions and class cancellations.
An associate of former President Trump told the FBI of advising Trump to return documents the National Archives was seeking nearly a year before agents searched his Mar-a-Lago home, according to newly unsealed filings.
The big picture: The summary of the unnamed associate's FBI interview was among a trove of documents that the judge handling Trump's classified documents case released with redactions on Monday.
Global disapproval of U.S. leadership abroad inched upward in 2023, according to a new Gallup report published Tuesday.
Why it matters: The reportpaints a portrait of how the U.S. is perceived internationally, as the U.S. flexes its influence on the world stage amid wars raging in Europe and the Middle East.
The city of Baltimore said the cargo ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge was "clearly unseaworthy" when it left the Baltimore port last month, per court documents filed Monday.
The big picture: Baltimore's mayor and city council accused boththe owner of the container ship Dali, Grace Ocean Private, and its operator, Synergy Marine Group, of being "grossly and potentially criminally negligent."
The Senate is on the verge of sending $95 billion of foreign aid funding to President Biden's desk as soon as Tuesday as global politics continue to destabilize the Middle East and Ukraine.
Why it matters: Congress fought for months over how much Republicans were willing to continue its support of Ukraine and how Democrats wanted to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Why it matters: Hovde, a wealthy banker, is spending millions of his own money on his campaign and is now benefiting from his brother's large contributions.
