Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), the son of civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson, is considering a run for chair of the Democratic National Committee, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: A Jackson candidacy was floated over the holiday break by fellow progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), with Jackson telling Axios he has received encouragement from inside and outside of Congress.
The House voted mostlyalong party lines Friday to adopt a rules package that protects newly reelected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from a potential ouster.
Why it matters: The new rules make it so that a vote on removing the speaker can only be brought if at least nine Republicans support what is called a "motion to vacate."
The big picture: That's just 10 days before Inauguration Day, thoughJudge JuanMerchan indicated in his written decision that Trump won't face jail time.
A group of nearly a dozen right-wing House Republicans on Friday released a list of demands they want Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to fulfill in order to keep the speaker's gavel.
Why it matters: It's enough members to force a vote on removing Johnson later on — meaning the newly reelected speaker has to take them seriously.
Why it matters: The donation reflects a long, collaborative relationship between Trump and Cook that included many meetings during Trump's first term, and dinner at Mar-a-Lago last month.
Local leaders are fielding tough questions over whether the New Orleans attack on New Year's Day that killed 14 people and injured another 35 could have been prevented.
The latest: Bright yellow vehicle-resistant blockades have been newly installed on sidewalks on and surrounding Bourbon Street. NBC reports the city has had them since 2017.
In a now-viral video clip, NOPD chief Anne Kirkpatrick acknowledges that the blockades, called archers, were in storage in New Orleans, and she didn't know about them previously.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) released a list of promises around cutting federal funding in an apparent deal to shore up his reelection.
Why it matters: Johnson's right-wing detractors are upset that the GOP speaker hasn't done more to rein in government spending during his 14 months in the role.
A majority of Republicans now feel confident the 2024 election results were tabulated accurately, according to an AP-NORC poll released Friday.
Why it matters: President-elect Trump for years had repeatedly and falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen from him, but those concerns disappeared after he scored his first popular vote win.
Venture capitalists spent much of last year blaming government for their dearth of distributions. Those excuses wore pretty thin, but will evaporate come Jan. 20.
The big picture: Silicon Valley is about to influence D.C. like Wall Street once did.
House Republicans' chronic infighting is resurfacing in spectacular fashion in the run-up to Friday's vote to elect a speaker of the House.
Why it matters: Right-wing hardliners and allies of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are at each others' throats in a likely preview of what is to come in the next two years.
Japan's Nippon Steel on Friday indicated that it will sue the U.S. government after President Biden blocked its purchase of U.S. Steel on national security grounds.
The big picture: Biden blocked the deal, but defending that decision will fall to President-elect Trump, who also opposed the transaction.
President-elect Trump could help end Russia'swar in Ukraine if he leverages his "unpredictability," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a new interview.
Why it matters: Trump vowed on the campaign trail to swiftly bring an end to the nearly three-year long war — a task he said he is uniquely qualified to accomplish because of his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
President Biden on Friday is expected to block Japan's Nippon Steel from acquiring U.S. Steel, citing national security concerns, the White House announced Friday.
Why it matters: U.S. Steel's shares were down as much as 9% in pre-market trading Friday on the news. The company has warned that a deal failure would cause it to close some operations in Pennsylvania, where it employs around 4,000 people.
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) will serve as chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, a group of pro-LGBTQ+ House Democrats, in the 119th Congress, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The role positions the Californian at the center of an emerging fight over transgender rights that has already seen House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) institute a trans bathroom ban for the U.S. Capitol.
C-SPAN crew sets up in the House chamber for today's special coverage, including the speaker election. Photo: House Radio-TV Gallery
As the 119th Congress opens at noon Friday, allies of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) expect him to keep the gavel when today's speaker election is said and done.
But several key House Republicans say there could be drama — and perhaps more than one ballot for speaker, despite President-elect Trump's endorsement of Johnson.
Why it matters: Johnson's propensity for working across the aisle and cutting deals with Democrats has worn out his welcome among the House GOP's right flank. Now, they want to make an example out of him.
Elon Musk hijacked British politics this week with a stream of at least 60 X posts since Tuesday attacking Prime Minister Keir Starmer, defending an anti-Islam campaigner and endorsing the far-right Reform Party.
Why it matters: The right-hand man to America's next president has gone after the leaders of several of its closest allies in recent months. But his fight with the British government is turning into the nastiest yet.
The deadly New Year's attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas have officials in Washington, D.C., on high alert about potential security threats ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration.
Why it matters: Concerns about a possible wave of nationwide violence come as extraordinary security precautions are already being put in place for both the inauguration and Congress' certification of the 2024 election.
Nearly four years after pipe bombs were planted outside the Democratic and Republican parties' headquarters in Washington, D.C., the FBI on Thursday released new information and footage on the suspect.
The big picture: A Republican-led congressional panel issued a scathing report on the FBI's "failure to identify" the person who placed these undetonated devices on Jan. 5, 2021, on the same day as the bureau released the new details in the case.
The Federal Communications Commission lacks the authority to restore net neutrality rules that prevented broadband providers from slowing or blocking access to internet content, a federal appeals court ruled on Thursday.
Why it matters: The all-Republican panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit handed a blow to the Biden administration, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Democrats who've pushed for fair and open internet measures.
President Biden awarded former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and 19 others the Presidential Citizens Medal on Thursday.
Why it matters: The honor, the second-highest civilian medal, is bestowed to Americans who have "performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens."
