This week’s guide to government and politics in under 10 minutes

I FCC TO INVESTIGATE ‘THE VIEW’ OVER EQUAL TIME RULE

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is planning to open an investigation into The View over possible violations of a rule requiring broadcasters to give equal time to political candidates when they appear on TV. Agency chairman Brendan Carr said Wednesday that the investigation would be opened after James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for the Senate in Texas, appeared on the ABC talk show. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett is running against Talarico for the nomination, and she previously appeared on the show. The new rule, issued in January, extends to TV hosts who invite political candidates to appear as guests, requiring all candidates to receive equal on-air time. There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as news broadcasts, documentaries, and live event coverage. The FCC’s move follows the Trump administration’s attempts to tighten restrictions on talk shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

I NEW YORK COURT ALLOWS DEMOCRATS TO REDRAW REPUBLICAN DISTRICT

A New York state court ruling will allow Democrats to redraw the boundaries for a previously Republican district, potentially gaining the party an additional seat in Congress and allowing them to win control of the House. The unanimous ruling from five judges on the First Judicial Department’s appellate division denied a Republican appeal to stop the new district lines from being drawn, following State Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman’s decision to side with Democrats in January. The district, currently represented by Republican Nicole Malliotakis, covers Staten Island and a portion of southern Brooklyn. Pearlman ruled that the makeup of the congressional seat is not compliant with language in the New York Constitution that prohibits maps from damaging the rights of minority voters. The court battle is one of many across the country as Democrats attempt to offset President Donald Trump’s push for Republicans to redraw district maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.

>> Check out ASP’s redistricting 101 conversation to learn about what redistricting is, how it works, and why states are doing it now, here.

I PRINCE ANDREW’S ARREST SPURS CALLS FOR MORE LEGAL ACTION IN EPSTEIN CASE

U.S. lawmakers are calling for more legal consequences for people connected to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following the arrest of former British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the U.K. Among the most vocal were Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California, New Mexico Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury, and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who helped to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act in Congress last year. Massie said in a Thursday statement that the arrest was “the metric I established for success of the Epstein Files Transparency Act that [Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)] and I got passed,” and called for Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to take further action. Files recently released by the Justice Department showed that Epstein corresponded with many high-profile American figures, including former President Bill Clinton, commentator Steve Bannon, current Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and President Trump. No charges in the U.S. have been brought against anyone since the release of hundreds of thousands of pages of emails and other documents related to Epstein. As for Mountbatten-Windsor, he was stripped of his royal titles last year by his brother, King Charles III, due to his relationship with Epstein, and has been charged with suspicion of misconduct in public office.

>> Hear about a new bill to end the statute of limitations on sexual abuse cases here.

I HUD MOVES TO END HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is proposing a new rule that would ban families with any member who is undocumented from living in federally subsidized housing. The proposal would also require local housing authorities to report tenants who are not eligible for the rental aid program to Immigration Services. Current rules about federal housing assistance state that undocumented immigrants cannot get federal rental aid, but they can live with family members who do, including children born in the U.S. One recent analysis found that if the new HUD rule is put into place, nearly 80,000 people would face eviction, including nearly 37,000 children who are U.S. citizens. The move comes amid the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration. HUD Secretary Scott Turner recently argued that the proposed measure would more fairly allow citizens to live in subsidized housing, given the Department's limited funding and long waitlists. Critics and housing advocates have called the proposal unlawful and said they will take legal action to prevent the regulation from being implemented. HUD first proposed a similar rule during Trump’s first term, but the Biden administration later withdrew that proposal.

I TRUMP SAYS THE U.S. WILL COMMIT $10 BILLION TO RECONSTRUCT THE GAZA STRIP

President Trump is planning to commit $10 billion to the Board of Peace, the internationally-run forum created to help reconstruct the Gaza Strip in the wake of Israel’s war in the region. Trump made the major financial pledge during the first-ever meeting of the Board of Peace, held in Washington, D.C., amid a fragile ceasefire in Gaza. The planned reconstruction, part of Trump’s previously announced 10-point peace plan, could include projects like a FIFA soccer infrastructure, a U.S. military base, and more, according to Trump. The president also announced that board members, who come from around 40 countries, have committed $7 billion to reconstruction in Gaza. Trump has been candid about wanting to expand the board to secure billions of dollars in funding for projects related to various international conflicts, and he has invited dozens of countries to sign on as founding members with a $1 billion pledge for lifetime membership. Critics of the Board of Peace from around the world have expressed concerns that it could try replace the United Nations.

>> Learn about the history of the conflict between Israel and Hamas here.

Business news takes itself way too seriously.

Morning Brew doesn’t.

Morning Brew delivers a smart, skimmable email newsletter on the day’s must-know business news — plus games that make sticking around a little more fun. Think crosswords, quizzes, and quick breaks that turn staying informed into something you actually look forward to.

Join over 4 million professionals reading Morning Brew for free. And walk away knowing more than you did five minutes ago.

Try it out

Stay ahead of the stories driving national conversations