Friday morning's dismal jobs report only goes to prove whatever people already believed about government policy.

The big picture: Democrats and progressives are convinced that the weak pace of job growth only serves to underscore the necessity of massive government spending to boost the economy.

A police operation against a group of alleged drug traffickers in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday ended in a shootout that left at least 25 people dead, Reuters reported.

Why it matters: It is the country's deadliest police raid since 2005, per Reuters.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a press conference on Thursday that the Navy is "looking into" the case of a SEAL acquitted of murder in 2019, reports the Washington Post.

Driving the news: On an episode of “The Line” podcast that aired Tuesday, retired Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who was accused of war crimes, told the host that an Islamic State fighter who had been imprisoned in Iraq in 2017 died from "medical treatments" he received.

The U.S. Army announced Thursday that it will allow female soldiers to wear ponytails "in all authorized U.S. Army uniforms."

The big picture: The Army announced earlier this year major changes to its grooming policy, including allowing some ponytails in certain circumstances. Thursday's policy update is intended to help give female soldiers "more practical" option, the Army said.

Pioneer Public Affairs, a lobbying firm focused on climate and clean energy, unveiled new hires Thursday including Charlie Ellsworth, who until weeks ago was a budget aide to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Driving the news: Other names include Dr. Sweta Chakraborty — whose resume includes work with the climate action social network We Don't Have Time — and Brian Willis, who spent years with the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign.

A number of Republican lawmakers are celebrating and promoting provisions of President Biden's American Rescue Plan in their home constituencies, despite unanimously voting against the sweeping COVID rescue bill, AP writes.

Why it matters: Polling suggests the $1.9 trillion plan, the defining legislative victory of Biden's presidency thus far, is widely popular among the American public. Democrats have said they'll make their Republican colleagues' votes a sticking point during the 2022 midterm elections.

Happy, an Asian elephant kept in New York's Bronx Zoo, will get a habeas corpus case at the New York State Court of Appeals.

Why it matters: This represents the first time the highest court in any English-speaking jurisdiction will hear such a case brought on behalf of a nonhuman animal, and could represent a landmark moment for both animal rights and zoos.

The Trump presidency was a "difficult time" for Ukraine, during which the country tried to maintain "bipartisan support" from Republicans and Democrats, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

The state of play: Ukraine found itself uncomfortably involved in U.S. domestic politics on account of Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani's dealings in the country.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is joining a growing legion of Republican lawmakers who support banning transgender girls from playing in women's sports.

The state of play: There's typically legislation targeting transgender people every year by a small group of conservative legislators in the state, but this is the first time Reynolds has overtly pushed for it.

Mass anti-government protests unfolded across Colombia on Wednesday, topping off a week of unrest that has left at least 24 people dead, reports The Guardian.

Why it matters: The demonstrations started as a strike against a proposed tax reform but developed into wider outcry "over poverty exacerbated by the pandemic, human rights abuses and the authorities’ heavy-handed response to protests," per The Guardian.