National

Republican strategists see former President Trump emerging as the political winner from the ongoing string of classified document discoveries.

Why it matters: The new revelations involving President Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence could dilute the public attention and understanding about the ongoing investigation into Trump’s mishandling of classified documents.  

"In terms of the political perception, this is a gift for Trump 1,000% over," GOP strategist Ford O’Connell, who was a Trump White House and campaign surrogate for the 2020 election, told Axios. 

What they're saying: "This neutralizes the issue, both within the Republican primary and in the event Trump emerges as the nominee for the 2024 general election," said Ken Spain, a GOP consultant and former communications director for National Republican Congressional Committee.

The series of document discoveries may also normalize the issue for Republican voters who supported Trump, but had doubts after the midterm elections.

"To the extent voters sympathetic to Trump were looking elsewhere because of the multitude of recent political vulnerabilities that have come up post-midterm election, I think it gives them pause," Spain said.

The big picture: There are key differences in the three cases, including the number of classified documents and the leaders' actions after the documents were discovered — distinctions that could carry significance for potential legal ramifications.

Biden has cooperated with the investigation into his handling of the documents, while Trump sought to block efforts to gain access to the documents as part of a grand jury subpoena. 

As part of that cooperation in the investigations, both Biden and Pence invited the review of documents found at locations connection to them. 

Pence, for instance, engaged lawyers on Jan. 16 to review documents at his personal home "out of an abundance of caution," Greg Jacob, Pence's counsel, wrote in a Jan. 18 letter to the National Archives.

The FBI probe into Trump's handling of government records has zeroed in on whether the former president criminally obstructed the investigation.

Despite their differences, Republicans may draw equivalency between the investigations into the public officials' handling of the documents, O’Connell said.

"What the Republicans, and particularly the Republican base, is very concerned about is what they call a double standard," he noted. 

"The idea that Mar-a-Lago's raided ... [compared to] the way that Joe Biden is being treated, to them that is very frustrating," O’Connell added.

Trump, even before documents were discovered at Pence’s home in Indiana, slammed what he said is a "two-tiered justice system," where Biden was getting the "white glove treatment."

Zoom out: Despite their differences, the additional discoveries may create another political headache for Biden, who is weighing a likely 2024 run. 

"When the probe is done, the Biden case will wind up being one of unintended mistakes — carelessness but not willful defiance of the rules or law," David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to former President Obama, told the New York Times.

"The Trump case is much different and more serious. But in the court of public opinion, those lines may now be blurred," he said. 

The bottom line: Trump is still on an "island on his own in terms of the obstruction in which he engaged," Bradley Moss, a national security attorney, told Axios.

Go deeper... What we know about Biden's classified documents investigation

GOP strategists: Biden and Pence classified document revelations a "gift for Trump"

"In terms of the political perception, this is a gift for Trump 1,000%," one GOP strategist said.

 Former U.S. President Donald Trump greets people as he arrives for a New Years event at his Mar-a-Lago home on December 31, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Former President Trump greets people as he arrives for a New Years event at his Mar-a-Lago home on Dec. 31, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Donald Trump

Politics & Policy

Media Trends

Axios Media Trends

Axios AM

Meta will reinstate former President Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts "in coming weeks" following a two-year suspension, according to Nick Clegg, the company's president, global affairs.

Why it matters: The decision sets a new precedent for how the company treats world leaders, and it could change the trajectory of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

"We've always believed that Americans should be able to hear from the people who want to lead the country," Clegg told Axios. "We don't want to stand in the way of that."

Flashback: Facebook, along with Twitter and many other social media platforms, barred Trump soon after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol for breaking their rules and over fears of further incitements to violence. 

The big picture: The reinstatement of Trump's accounts will allow him to run ads via his Facebook and Instagram pages, which have 34 million and 23 million followers, respectively.

Trump relied heavily on Facebook ads in previous election cycles for fundraising and list-building. 

Under Elon Musk, Twitter has also reinstated Trump's account, but he has not posted yet, continuing to rely on his account at Truth Social instead.

Yes, but: Trump will be subject to new policies that Meta has created following feedback from its independent Oversight Board that could restrict his accounts — including his ability to run ads — should he violate the company's policies in the future.

"We just do not want — if he is to return to our services — for him to do what he did on January 6, which is to use our services to delegitimize the 2024 election, much as he sought to discredit the 2020 election," Clegg said. 

His accounts will not be reinstated immediately, Clegg said, because Meta's engineers will need time to build out some of the new functionality necessary to restrict certain posts or ad capabilities in the future, if needed. 

How it works: Trump will be subject to new policies around restricting accounts by public figures during civil unrest. Under those policies, Meta can decide to restrict the account of a public figure that violates its community standards for a time ranging from one month to two years.

Trump will also be subject to a crisis policy protocol, introduced by Meta in August, that will consider both on and off-platform risks of imminent harm to evaluating whether the actions or speech of any public figures requires sanctioning.

"If he now posts further violating content, that content will be removed, of course, and he could be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation," Clegg said.

Be smart: For actions or speech that don't explicitly violate Meta's community standards, Clegg said the company will retain discretion to take action, and may enforce different types of guardrails, including limiting the distribution of posts without removing them or temporarily restricting access to its advertising tools.

"Oblique references to QAnon content, for instance ... is the kind of material that — even if it's done obliquely, and doesn't violate our community standards — we would seek to restrict the distribution of the content and/or restrict his ability to advertise," he said. 

These steps would allow content to remain visible on Trump's account but not get distributed in users' feeds, even for those that follow the former president.

For example, Meta may opt to remove the "re-share" button from such posts, and may stop them from being recommended or run as ads. 

Of note: If Trump posts content that violates the company's standards, but falls within Meta's characterization of "newsworthy content" — meaning the public interest in understanding what Trump said outweighs any potential harm — the company may opt to restrict the distribution of the content but leave it up. 

What they're saying: After Axios reported the news of Facebook's decision, Trump, in a post at Truth Social, said, "FACEBOOK, which has lost Billions of Dollars in value since 'deplatforming' your favorite President, me, has just announced that they are reinstating my account. Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President..."

Between the lines: Clegg said Meta did not speak with Trump or any of his associates leading up to the decision being made and has no insight as to whether he plans to use his accounts once reinstated.

"We saw that his team had written to us publicly — I think they were asking for a meeting with Mark and myself and Joel [Kaplan]. That meeting did not take place," Clegg said, referring to Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and Meta vice president for U.S. public policy Joel Kaplan. 

Trump was not briefed on the decision to lift his suspension before it was made public, Clegg said. He noted that the company will "always make ourselves available to explain and emphasize the policies that we've laid out."

"I think it would help if Donald Trump's team was as well informed as possible about where these lines are drawn and how these guardrails will operate," Clegg said.

"This whole process was really about our decision on our terms," he noted.  

Catch up quick: Meta initially banned Trump from posting on his Facebook and Instagram accounts for at least two weeks following the Capitol attack, until President Biden's inauguration.

Several months later — in response to guidance from Facebook's independent Oversight Board to revisit its decision — the company said Trump's ban would last two years, beginning with his initial suspension on Jan. 7, 2021.

Meta has been the subject of criticism from both the right and left over how it handles content moderation, especially over its handling of noteworthy figures during times of crisis or unrest.

Conservatives have alleged that the company's ban of Trump and others' accounts constitutes censorship, while progressives have argued that Meta hasn't done enough to stop the spread of dangerous misinformation in real time. 

To help shield Zuckerberg from some of that pressure and criticism, the company promoted Clegg last year to a new role that gives him complete oversight of policy decisions, like the one to reinstate Trump's account. 

Clegg said the decision to bring Trump back was "not remotely" made for business reasons. "In general terms, it's not great for business to be, you know, dragged into and embroiled in controversy," he said.

The bottom line: "I am the the ultimate decision maker on these kinds of issues in the company," Clegg said.

Editor's note: This story is breaking news and will be updated.

Exclusive: Facebook to reinstate Trump

The decision will end a two-year ban and allow Trump to post and raise money using the platforms.

Photo of former President Trump speaking at a rally podium

 Former President Trump speaks at a rally in November in Vandalia, Ohio. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Facebook

Big Tech

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

The U.S. and Germany separately announced on Wednesday they would send battle tanks to Ukraine after pressure from NATO allies and Ukraine to supply the advanced armored vehicles as Kyiv prepares for a possible new Russian offensive.

Why it matters: The U.S. decision to supply Abrams M1 tanks and the German announcement on the Leopard 2 tanks is a major boost for Ukraine, which has pleaded with the West for months to send more advanced weaponry as it tries to take back territory from Russia.

Details: The U.S. will send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine and will begin training Ukrainian troops on sustaining the tanks as soon as possible, Biden said at a press conference Wednesday.

Biden cautioned that delivering the tanks would "take time."

Biden said that prior to the announcement he had spoken to the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. “to continue our close coordination and full support of Ukraine."

During a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby called the Abrams tanks "the most capable, powerful tank in the world" and said it would help Ukraine "fight effectively on open terrain."

Kirby noted that no date has been set for the Abrams' delivery but that it would likely be "many months before they're actually there."

Germany will initially supply 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its own stock, as well as ammunition and logistical and maintenance support, its government said in a statement.  

Training Ukrainian forces on the Leopards is expected to begin soon. 

Germany will also quickly provide licenses to other European countries that wish to supply Leopards from their own stock, the statement added. Poland has already requested approval to send some of its Leopards to Ukraine. 

The goal, the German government said, was for Germany and its allies to supply two battalions with Leopards, which would be 88 tanks, per AP. 

Catch up quick: Debate among Western allies — particularly between the U.S. and Germany — over sending tanks to Ukraine had escalated over the last week. 

The Biden administration argued in recent days against sending Abrams, citing logistical issues. Instead, U.S. officials said sending German Leopard 2 tanks would be more beneficial since many European allies already have them and they're easier to maintain. 

"The M1 (Abrams) is a complex weapons system that is challenging to maintain ... that was true yesterday, that is true today and will be true in the future," Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters on Tuesday. 

Until Wednesday, Scholz had expressed reluctance to send Leopards, fearing it could escalate tensions with Moscow. German officials also reportedly privately linked its own commitment to providing its tanks to a U.S. decision to send Abrams as well. Publicly, however, U.S. and German officials denied any link between the two decisions. 

"Germany didn't force me to change my mind," Biden said Wednesday, adding that the countries were waiting to act together. 

What they're saying: "Today's announcement builds on the hard work and commitment from countries around the world, led by the United States of America, to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," Biden said Wednesday.

"That's what this is about. Helping Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land. It is not an offensive threat to Russia. There is no offensive threat to Russia," he added.

"Germany has really stepped up," Biden said, praising Scholz as a "strong voice for unity."

 "Putin expected Europe and the United States to weaken our resolve. He expected our support for Ukraine to crumble with time. He was wrong," Biden said.

"This decision follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability. We are acting in a closely coordinated manner internationally," Scholz said in a statement.

The German government added that Wednesday's decision was "the result of intensive consultations with Germany's closest European and international partners."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his thanks for the U.S.' decision to send Abrams tanks in a tweet Wednesday, writing that it was "an important step on the path to victory."

Earlier Wednesday, Zelensky tweeted that he was "sincerely grateful" for Germany's decision to send the Leopards.

The Kremlin called the German announcement and expected U.S. decision to send battle tanks “a rather disastrous plan," according to state media. 

“The main thing is, this is a completely obvious overestimation of the potential [the tanks] would add to the armed forces of Ukraine. It is yet another fallacy, a rather profound one,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details throughout.

U.S. and Germany to send battle tanks to Ukraine

The decision is a major boost for Ukraine.

A U.S. Army M1A2 Abrams battle tank . Photo: Mateusz Slodkowski/AFP via Getty Images

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ukraine

Russia

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

Markets

Axios Markets

In a big victory for the fast-food industry, California's secretary of state on Tuesday said that enough signatures were collected to trigger a statewide referendum on the landmark Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act. 

Why it matters: The law, AB 257, was hailed as groundbreaking by labor advocates as a way to improve working conditions in the fast-food industry when it was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September.  

It would establish a council to set industrywide health and safety standards, and potentially set a fast-food minimum wage as high as $22 an hour.

The referendum, at a minimum, delays the law's implementation by more than a year. The vote won't be held until November 2024. 

Opponents spent nearly $14 million on the ballot measure to challenge the law, per California state records. 

What they're saying: The fast-food industry, which has argued the law would put restaurants out of business, and trigger more inflation, celebrated the referendum in a raft of statements. 

"We’re pleased that Californians will get the chance to exercise their constitutional right to vote on this law and will continue to support the operators, small business owners, and workers that make the restaurant industry so important to our customers' lives,” Sean Kennedy, the National Restaurant Association's executive vice president for public affairs, said in a statement.

Advocates said they'll keep fighting for its passage: “Despite fast-food corporations’ efforts to distort the referendum process, we know California voters see through their tricks," Mary Kay Henry, president, Service Employees International Union, said in a statement.

Our thought bubble, via Axios Latino editor Astrid Galván: This is a big blow to Latino fast-food workers, who make up 60% of the workforce, and who helped pass the law. It could also stymie plans for similar laws that advocates planned to introduce in other states.

Groundbreaking California fast-food law heads to statewide referendum and big political fight

It's is a big win for the restaurant industry. The vote won't take place until Nov. 2024.

Dozens of fast-food cooks and cashiers in Los Angeles gather to demand that McDonalds, Starbucks and other chains drop their referendum seeking to overturn AB 257  

Fast-food workers protest the push for a referendum in Los Angeles in November. Photo: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Labor

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Tel Aviv

Axios from Tel Aviv

Mass protests. International condemnation. The sacking of a trusted minister. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's first month in office has been nothing short of chaotic.

Why it matters: Even before Netanyahu was sworn in, the Biden administration had expressed concern over what the most right-wing government in Israel's history would mean for the Palestinians and U.S.-Israel relations.

U.S. concerns have only intensified with Netanyahu's plan to overhaul his country's judicial system and the actions of some of his ministers. 

In many ways, the political atmosphere in Israel bears similarities to the chaotic first few weeks of the Trump administration, when the U.S. government announced new controversial policies that angered the public. 

An unprecedented battle with the Supreme Court: 

Netanyahu's government rolled out its plan for the judicial overhaul much sooner and much faster than many expected.

The trigger was the expected Supreme Court ruling on whether Aryeh Deri, the leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, could serve as a minister due to his past criminal convictions. That ruling came last week, with 10 of the high court's 11 judges voting to revoke Deri's appointment, forcing Netanyahu to fire one of the most experienced ministers in his government. 

The government used the Supreme Court’s decision as a pretext for escalating its attacks against the judicial system and accelerating the efforts to push forward with its plan.

“People use the immense power they were given in order to replace the will of the people — this will turn against them," Justice Minister Yariv Levin said at an event Monday night held by Netanyahu and his senior ministers in the Knesset to express solidarity with Deri. 

The judicial overhaul plan has angered the Israeli public. More than 130,000 people across Israel rallied against Netanyahu's government last weekend. The protests are expected to continue. 

The Israeli tech sector, which is the backbone of the Israeli economy, has joined the protests. Several hundred tech companies went on a symbolic strike on Tuesday. Tech workers, who demonstrated in Tel Aviv, blocked one of the main roads for a few minutes.

Many in the business and financial sectors have also joined the protests and expressed concerns that the weakening of the democratic system will harm the Israeli economy.

One of the leading economists in the country resigned from the central bank monetary committee in order to join the protest and criticize the government freely.

Meanwhile, the head of Israel's central bank met Netanyahu on Tuesday and reportedly expressed concerns about the effect of the judicial plan on the country's credit rating. He told Netanyahu that he received worried messages about it during the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last week, according to Israeli media.

Netanyahu's government hadn't even been in power a week when it faced international condemnation over ultranationalist minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit to the Temple Mount, also known as the Haram al-Sharif or the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The visit raised already high tensions, and the relationship between the new Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank appears to be on a collision course.

The big picture: The chaos surrounding Netanyahu's government is happening while the prime minister is standing trial for bribery, breach of trust and fraud. He denies any wrongdoing. 

The Israeli opposition argues that Netanyahu is pushing the new plan as part of his effort to stop the trial.

What to watch: Israeli President Isaac Herzog is trying to facilitate talks between the government, the opposition and the president of the Supreme Court to reach an agreed-upon plan for judicial reform. For now, Herzog has made little progress.

"The lack of a dialogue is tearing us apart from within. This powder keg is about to explode. It is a time of emergency and the responsibility is on all of us," Herzog said on Tuesday. 

What’s next: The government’s goal is to pass the first phase of the judicial plan legislation in a first hearing by April.

Many in the coalition and the opposition think that only then meaningful talks on a compromise formula can start.

Netanyahu's chaotic first month

Mass protests. International condemnation. The sacking of one of his most trusted ministers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel

After last year's midterm fail, Republicans are licking their chops at an enviable outlook for snatching the Senate majority in '24.

Why it matters: The four Senate tossup races are in red (West Virginia, Ohio, Montana) or swing (Arizona) states — part of a strongly GOP-favorable '24 Senate map.

"Democrats on Defense," The Cook Political Report headlined its opening Senate race ratings (subscription).

23 Ds are up for reelection — and just 11 Rs.

"Democrats are defending all 3 seats they hold in states that Donald Trump carried for president in 2020 — Montana, Ohio, and West Virginia," notes Sabato's Crystal Ball, from the UVA Center for Politics.  

1. West Virginia: This is the GOP's best pickup opportunity, since it's the second-most Trump-friendly state on the map. 

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is the only Democrat who can win in this red state — but he's no guarantee to run for a third term. 

Popular Gov. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), a former Democrat, is strongly considering a run. He'd be the toughest GOP opponent Manchin faced in his long political career.

2. Ohio: Ohio, a one-time battleground, is fast becoming Republican turf, with the GOP scoring a clean sweep in last year's midterms. But Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has an enviable brand as a labor-friendly Democrat who has won over blue-collar voters that drifted to Trump. 

He has already announced he's all-in for a tough campaign. 

Republicans expect a crowded primary to challenge him.

3. Montana: The GOP's ability to pick up the seat held by Sen. Jon Tester (D) comes down to candidate recruitment — and whether the popular red-state senator runs for re-election. 

Republicans are worried that two prospective challengers have serious political baggage: Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) lost to Tester in 2018, and hails from the hard-right wing of the House GOP caucus. Rep. Ryan Zinke resigned as Interior Secretary amid ethics investigations.  

4. Arizona: Democrats fear that a potential three-way race, with Democratic voters split between Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), could hand the seat to Republicans. 

Most of the rumored GOP candidates hail from the MAGA wing of the party — including losing 2022 gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

Republicans savor 2024 Senate map

The four Senate tossup races are in red or swing states.

Illustration: Sarah Grillo, Shoshana Gordon/Axios

2024 elections

Many Americans will be getting a smaller tax refund this year, without the padding of a few crucial pandemic-era tax breaks, the IRS warns.

Why it matters: Many people depend on their refunds to make ends meet, pay down debt or fund extras like vacations. And checks are shrinking at a time when rising prices are already making it harder to pay the bills.

By the numbers: The average tax refund in 2022 was $3,039, a 7.5% increase from the previous year. Now, things are headed back down to Earth as pandemic-era policies expire.

The enhanced child tax credit is gone. Parents who received $3,600 per child during the flush times will now get $2,000.

The Child and Dependent Care Credit, a break that helps working parents pay for childcare, returns to a maximum of $2,100 instead of $8,000.

During COVID, taxpayers could take a $600 deduction for charitable donations even if they just took a standard deduction. Now, only those who itemize can deduct charitable payments.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is also lower than last year for taxpayers with no children.

 🚙 If you bought an electric vehicle in 2022, you could qualify for a $7,500 tax credit. 

But there's a catch: Vehicles purchased on or after August 16, 2022, must have been assembled in North America to qualify. (This site has more details and a list of qualifying vehicles.)

Catch up quick: The IRS just started accepting tax returns on Monday. 

Returns are due on April 18 this year, because the 15th falls on a weekend and because of the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C. Storm victims living in Alabama, California and Georgia have until May 15.

Experts caution not to rush to file until you're sure you've pulled together all the relevant forms — and some companies are slow to mail out the relevant 1099s and W-2s.

Electronic filers should expect expect to receive their refund, via direct deposit, within three weeks, the IRS said.

On the bright side: The IRS has postponed a change to its reporting requirements for 1099-ks, which would've caused a tax headache for many.

The agency was also able to hire more help this year, thanks to increased funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, and is aiming to improve call response time for those who dial the agency seeking help. 

There's a lot of room for improvement: Last year, only 13% of the 173 million calls that came into its toll-free number were answered.

Tax refunds may shrink this year

Pandemic-era policies are expiring, leading to smaller refunds.

Illustration of Uncle Sam placing a quarter in a person's outstretched hand.

Taxes

Pope Francis in an interview with AP published Wednesday called laws that criminalize homosexuality "unjust."

Why it matters: The pope's remarks  build on his earlier expressions of support for the LGBTQ community, which has traditionally been marginalized by the church.

What he's saying: "Being homosexual is not a crime ... but it's a sin," the pope told AP. 

"Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime. It’s also a sin to lack charity with one another."

The big picture: While the pope hasn't distanced himself from Catholic teachings that homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered," he has in recent years displayed outreach to LGBTQ people — notably when he expressed support for the first time for same-sex civil unions during a 2020 documentary.

Francis last year called on parents not to condemn their children if they're gay and a Jesuit priest who ministers to LGBTQ Catholics shared a letter from the pope in June 2021 praising his work.

Yes, but: In March of that year, the Vatican in a decree approved by the pope said Catholic priests cannot bless such unions because God "does not and cannot bless sin."

Go deeper: Pope Francis says homosexuality in the clergy "worries" him 

Pope Francis calls laws criminalizing homosexuality "unjust"

"Being homosexual is not a crime ... but it's a sin," the pope told AP in an interview published today.

Wednesday's top stories

GOP strategists: Biden and Pence classified document revelations a "gift for Trump"

Exclusive: Facebook to reinstate Trump

U.S. and Germany to send battle tanks to Ukraine

Groundbreaking California fast-food law heads to statewide referendum and big political fight

Netanyahu's chaotic first month

Republicans savor 2024 Senate map

Tax refunds may shrink this year

Pope Francis calls laws criminalizing homosexuality "unjust"

Severe storms threaten Gulf Coast after tornadoes hit Houston

More mass shootings in U.S. than days in 2023 so far

McCarthy formally kicks Schiff, Swalwell off Intelligence Committee

McCarthy says Santos will be removed if probe finds he broke law

Here comes the "most exciting committee" in Congress