Barron Trump, 18, former President Trump's youngest child, has declined to serve as a Florida delegate to the Republican National Convention after being selected to do so, multipleoutlets reported.
Why it matters: The former first couple largely kept their son out of the spotlight while they were in the White House.
Democrats in Congress are attempting to flip the script on border security, going on offense to try to blunt Republican attacks on a central 2024 election issue.
Why it matters: The strategy shift reflects growing public hawkishness on the issue, even among Democratic voters.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is on record saying he doesn't anticipate passing a nationwide abortion ban if Republicans achieve a majority in both chambers of Congress in November.
Why it matters: Johnson's remarks, shared in an interview Politico published Friday, coincide with those former President Trump made against a national abortion ban.
The cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore could be moved next week in a significant step toward reopening the vital East Coast shipping channel, the White House said Friday.
Why it matters: Shipping traffic to Baltimore, which is a key port for vehicle manufacturers, has been restricted since the cargo ship M/V Dali struck the bridge across the Patapsco River in late March.
The House Homeland Security Committee is trying to get Microsoft president Brad Smith to testify this month on the company's recent cyberattacks.
Why it matters: Microsoft has recently come under fire in Washington over its cybersecurity practices after a series of high-profile cyberattacks — but it's been years since a congressional committee grilled the tech company on the topic.
A federal appeals court on Friday rejected former Trump White House adviser Steven Bannon's appeal of his conviction for contempt of Congress.
Why it matters: By upholding Bannon's conviction, the three-judge panel on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit paved the way for him to eventually begin serving his four-month prison sentence.
Why it matters: Trump's legal team had sought documents from Pomerantz's time at theManhattan district attorney's office as well as some dated after his departure.
Three Travis Heights Elementary students have created a project to help their peers understand why they wear hijabs — and have even secured funding to spread their message throughout their school.
Why it matters: Travis Heights has a large population of Afghan students who wear hijabs, and the project by the fourth graders aims to spread understanding and inclusivity at their campus.
A new documentary from D.C.-based filmmakers examines the Jan. 6 insurrection from the perspective of six people who lived through it.
Why it matters: "The Sixth" is an up-close look at how Washingtonians who simply showed up to work that day watched an event unfold with far-reaching consequences.
Former President Trump and the oil industry are sketching out audacious plans to begin dismantling President Biden's fossil fuel regulations on Jan. 20, 2025:
At Mar-a-Lago last month, Trump asked some of the industry's top executives to help raise $1 billion for his campaign as he outlined his pro-drilling agenda for a second term, the Washington Post first reported.
Separately, oil industry officials have begun drafting the text of oven-ready executive orders to start reversing the Biden administration's green policies on day one of Trump's presidency, according to Politico.
A Virginia school board voted early Friday to reinstate the original Confederate names of two public schools.
Why it matters: The Shenandoah County School Board's 5-1 vote in favor of the move appears to be the first such action since authorities began removing Confederate symbols from U.S. institutions and public spaces in 2020 following racial justice protests that erupted after the murder of George Floyd.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to submit to Congress as soon as Friday a highly critical report about Israel's conduct in Gaza that stops short of concluding it has violated the terms for its use of U.S. weapons, three U.S. officials said.
Why it matters: The report assessing whether Israel complied with international law and restricted humanitarian aid to Gaza sparked the most contentious internal debate in the State Department since the Oct. 7 attack, U.S. officials said.
The Senate late Thursday passed a five-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration that includes programs to improve safety and protect consumers, ending weeks of grappling that threatened to disrupt air travel.
Why it matters: Senate leadership struggled to find a path to reauthorize the aviation safety authorities ahead of Friday's deadline. Senators filed more than 100 amendments to what will be one of the last must-past packages before the election.
