Presidents Trump and Barack Obama both relied on executive orders and other presidential directives to get some of their most controversial policies around a deadlocked Congress. But no president has come out of the gate as eager to use the authority as Biden. A primer on how the presidential power works and its often fleeting impact.

The Justice Department will scrutinize a wave of new laws in Republican-controlled states that tighten voting rules, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday, vowing to take action on any violations of federal law.

President Joe Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin were said to be sharply divided Wednesday over Democrats' huge social and environment bill, with the holdout senator pushing to erase the measure's improved child tax credit.