A group of House members from both parties succeeded Thursday in deploying a rarely executed method to bypass GOP leadership and force a vote on a bill to expand access to Social Security benefits.
Why it matters: It's the second time this year that a bipartisan group of lawmakers has sidestepped House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) with the tool, called a discharge petition.
A foundation that promotes the legacy of the late-Holocaust writer Elie Wiesel says it's "scary" that a former aide of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul allegedly removed language from statements mentioning the Chinese government's repression of ethnic Uyghurs.
The big picture: Elisha Wiesel, son of Elie Wiesel, tells Axios that any removal of language talking about the genocide of Uyghurs is inhumane and echoes other efforts in history to erase genocide.
A federal judge on Thursday extended a temporary restraining order on the Biden administration's new plan to provide student debt relief to millions of borrowers.
The big picture: It's the latest setback for President Biden's student loan forgiveness program — a key campaign promise that has been thwarted by legal challenges and a Republican-backed legal push.
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, North Carolina's Republican nominee for governor, made numerous inflammatory comments on a porn website's message board a decade ago, including that he was a "Black Nazi," CNN reported Thursday. Robinson denies making those comments.
Why it matters: The story adds to mounting troubles for Robinson, who's seen his poll numbers plummet in recent months as other past incendiary comments he's made have come to light.
Meanwhile, Republicans fear Robinson's struggles could damage former President Trump and other conservatives down the ballot in a critical swing state.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and an inner circle populated by scandal-plagued allies are staring down a growing list of legal problems and a full-blown political firestorm.
Why it matters: All New York City mayors — faced with one of the country's toughest jobs — fight off scandal and bad press. But perhaps no administration in recent history has faced this much trouble in a single term.
Why it matters: Both mayors are grappling with high tensions and safety concerns after Trump and other GOP lawmakers spread false or exaggerated claims about their cities.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz met on Thursday with the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, a Harris-Walz campaign official told Axios.
Why it matters: The first meeting between Walz and the families takes place as negotiations are deadlocked for a deal to release the hostages and establish a ceasefire in Gaza and escalating conflict in the region threats an agreement altogether.
An Alaska man was arrested for allegedly threatening to injure and kill six Supreme Court justices and some of their family members in retaliation for decisions he disagreed with, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
The big picture: Panos Anastasiou, 76, faces 22 federal charges for sending hundreds of violent messages to the high court with threats of assassination via torture, hanging and firearms, according to an indictment filed Wednesday.
Hispanic and Native American victims of the world's first atomic test will press House members next week for compensation for the generations of health problems the Trinity Test and uranium mining caused their families.
Why it matters: A federal law that awards financial reparations to people who lived downwind of nuclear testing sites expired on June 7, and people in New Mexico near the Trinity Test site were never included.
The big picture: The agency told Bloomberg it was withholding records related to Musk's post because they could "interfere with enforcement proceedings" when the news outlet filed a Freedom of Information Act request for documents.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) met with Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and around a dozen Republican state lawmakers Wednesday as Republicans seek a last-minute change to the way the Cornhusker state allocates its electoral votes, per multiplereports.
Why it matters: Nebraska and Maine are the only states that don't apportion votes on a winner-take-all basis. Vice President Kamala Harris looks likely to pick up the swing congressional district around Omaha — a single electoral vote which could prove decisive depending on how other swing states break down.
Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign stop in Michigan on Thursday night will have an extra dose of star power, with Oprah set to join Harris for a "Unite for America" event that will be streamed live on social media.
Why it matters: Oprah is one of several big-name celebrities the Harris campaign can call upon as the race to the White House enters it's final stretch.
When it comes to the economy, Kamala Harris appears to have closed the "trust gap."
Why it matters: In polling throughout this election cycle,President Biden had been losing on the issue, with voters consistently saying they preferred Donald Trump on the economy.
It has been 27 years and counting since the four corners of congressional leadership managed to do one of their most important jobs on time — fully fund the federal government through appropriation bills.
Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) aren't even talking about passing full spending bills right now — they're haggling over how to punt the issue down the road and avoid a shutdown with a stopgap measure.
One space with bipartisan optimism after Wednesday's failed House vote on the government spending stopgap is Secret Service funding.
Why it matters: Both party leaders in the Senate — Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — are open to including more money for the agency in light of the demands for more protection to be granted to former President Trump.
Shortly before Wednesday's failed vote on the government spending stopgap, House Speaker Mike Johnson told senior Republicans in a private meeting that he had a Plan B — but wouldn't tell them what it was.
Why it matters: The stopgap vote was a baffling setback for the speaker. He said he wanted to put people on the record on the SAVE Act. Then he lost ground.
Billie Jean King will make history as the first female athlete to be awarded a Congressional Gold Medal after the House passed bipartisan legislation in favor of the accolade Tuesday.
The big picture: The 80-year-old tennis legend will receive the nation's highest civilian honor in recognition of King's "lifetime of work fighting for Title IX, and women's and LGBTQ+ equality on and off the tennis court," per a House statement.
