House Republicans' mainstream wing is warning Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) not to repeat his predecessor's mistake of giving away the store to his right-wing detractors to retain his gavel, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Johnson is facing roughly a dozen right-wing holdouts on the eve of Friday's speaker election — in which he will only be able to afford a handful of GOP defections.
An independent federal agency recommends the House Ethics Committee open a full-scale investigation into U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles over discrepancies in his campaign finance disclosures.
Ogles refused to cooperate with the federal review of his finances, according to a new report.
Why it matters: Ogles, a pro-Trump Republican and member of the House Freedom Caucus, won reelection in November.
However, his last year has been dogged by scrutiny over a $320,000 personal loan he reported on disclosures to the Federal Election Commission.
The pickup truck attack that killed 14 bystanders in New Orleans' French Quarter on New Year's is part of a persistent global trend of using vehicles as weapons.
The big picture: Vehicle attacks are becoming more common because they're incredibly simple and extremely difficult to prevent, experts warn.
Federal and local law enforcement agencies are investigating Colorado Springs resident Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37, as the suspect behind Wednesday's fatal Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas.
The latest: The body found inside the Cybertruck, believed to be Livelsberger, was "burned beyond recognition," Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a Thursday press briefing.
The U.S. Army on Thursday confirmed that the suspect responsible for the Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas on New Year's Day was a military veteran.
Why it matters: While officials have not confirmed a link between the Las Vegas explosion and the New Orleans pickup truck attack, both suspects served in the Army.
Nick Clegg, Meta's longtime policy chief, said on Thursday he is leaving his post and will be replaced by deputy Joel Kaplan, a prominent figure in Republican circles.
Why it matters: The move comes shortly after CEO Mark Zuckerberg dined with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-lago and as Republicans will soon control all three branches of federal government. Meta also recently donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration.
The biggest question marks for the 2025 outlook involve how the incoming Trump administration's policy agenda will reverberate through the U.S. and global economies.
Why it matters: The incoming administration has big plans in areas including trade policy, fiscal policy, immigration and more. These objectives are likely to create complex crosscurrents for the economy, making it hard to confidently predict how it will all net out.
President Biden is on the clock, needing to decide by Tuesday whether or not to stop Nippon Steel from buying U.S. Steel.
Why it matters: This could have ramifications for economic relations between the two longtime allies, including how U.S. acquirers are received in Japan.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) floated "process reforms" Thursday as he tries to shore up his bid to retain his gavel on Jan. 3.
Why it matters: Johnson's remarks to Fox News are a sign he is willing to make commitments to his Republican skeptics as they demand he take a harder line on government spending and resist the urge to broker bipartisan compromises.
New Orleans police shot and killed a suspect in the Bourbon Street pickup truck attack that killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more early Wednesday amid New Year's Eve celebrations.
The latest: Police are looking into "people of interest" in the attack who may have been working with the suspect who died at the scene, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said in an interview with NBC News' "Today" show on Thursday morning.
Flags of the Sugar Bowl teams — Georgia and Notre Dame — flutter on Bourbon Street as investigators work on New Year's Day. Photo: Michael DeMocker/Getty Images
Seven hours and two time zones apart,the New Year's Day pickup-truck attack in New Orleans and Tesla Cybertruck bomb in Las Vegas meant a violent, frightening start to 2025.
The big picture: President Biden said in televised remarks last evening that law enforcement officers were investigating whether there was "any possible connection": "Thus far, there's nothing to report on that."
House Democrats are pushing back furiously against a proposed change to House rules that would allow only Republicans to force a vote on removing the speaker of the House.
Why it matters: Top Democrats are arguing the move would inhibit bipartisanship and effectively make House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) answerable only to his members — not the entire House.
A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas' entrance on Wednesday, killing the driver and wounding seven people, law enforcement officials said.
The big picture: Clark County/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a Wednesday afternoon briefing that "camp fuel canisters and large firework mortars" were found in the back of the truck. It wasn't immediately clear how they ignited.
The FBI found more than 150 homemade bombs during a raid on a Virginia farm when they arrested a man on a firearms charge, federal prosecutors allege.
The big picture: Preliminarily assessments of the haul seized from Brad Kenneth Spafford's Isle of Wight County farm indicate it's "the largest seizure by number of finished explosive devices in FBI history," per a court filing from federal prosecutors. His defense lawyers say there's no evidence that he planned to commit any acts of violence.
