Cedric L Richmond

Steve Gleason got in just under the wire. 

Impeachment mania is about to consume the Capitol again, and Wednesday was proof. Press conferences were held. Harsh words were spoken. Poetry was mangled. 

A week from Wednesday, congressional leaders will gather on Capitol Hill to award the next recipient of the highest honor that Congress can grant a civilian.

Fewer than 200 people have received the Congressional Gold Medal, and former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason will be the first NFL player to make the cut on a list that includes the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa.

Absolutely no day is too busy to remind your kids to “listen to mom” and dad, apparently — even if you are a member of Congress voting to impeach the president of the United States. Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III did just that Wednesday in his floor speech.

“Dear Ellie and James,” the dad began his speech, as if penning a letter. (Not that they would know what a “letter” is).

National Collegiate Athletic Association President Mark Emmert received a warm welcome in the Senate on Tuesday morning. But that didn’t spare him withering criticism from Rep. Mark Walker, who called the meeting an “ignominious start” to player compensation discussions.

Emmert told Sens. Mitt Romney and Chris Murphy, members of a bipartisan working group on student-athlete pay, that he is “hopeful” that by next spring, the association will have “some clear indication of where the universities want to go on” player compensation.

The House will come one step closer to impeaching President Donald Trump Friday when the Judiciary Committee is expected to approve charges of obstruction of Congress and abuse of power.

The panel abruptly recessed after 11 p.m. Thursday night after more than 14 hours of debate just before they were expected to take final votes on the articles, extending the impeachment markup into a third day.

More than two-thirds of Democratic lawmakers have yet to take sides in the presidential primary, a sign that the race remains in flux. But the campaigns that have nabbed congressional endorsements so far could benefit from shows of support, particularly from high-profile freshmen.  

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s decision to back Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna S. Pressley’s endorsement of her home-state senator, Elizabeth Warren, grabbed national headlines. But support from lawmakers with lower profiles can still help presidential campaigns generate local media attention, demonstrate support from key constituencies and provide a team of surrogates who can be deployed across the country. 

They call themselves “Dadvocates,” men who say paid family leave is not just crucial for moms, but for dads who want to bond with their newborn and create more equity when it comes to child care expectations within the home.

Alexis Ohanian, venture capitalist, founder of Reddit and proud “business dad,” said it will be strange when he one day explains to his daughter that paid family leave was not always the law.

For college football fanatics, nothing compares to waking up on that first crisp autumn Saturday morning to prepare for a whole day of game watching. Tuning in to ESPN’s “College GameDay.” Sipping bourbon at the tailgate without facing societal judgment for drinking before noon.

College football’s shared rituals and traditions provide millions with a weekly source of escapism and entertainment every fall. The game offers excitement, frustration and camaraderie on any given Saturday thanks to the dizzying skills of its student-athletes.

On a day House Democrats hoped Robert S. Mueller III’s televised testimony Wednesday would animate the special counsel’s 448-page report for the nation, the star witness eschewed the leading role with a muted performance with few soundbites during the first of two back-to-back hearings.

Mueller’s answers were concise. He often said simply, “True,” or “I rely on the language of the report.” The 74-year-old gray-haired Marine veteran and former FBI director frequently didn’t speak into the mic.

The Democrats’ 14-7 win at the Congressional Baseball Game on Wednesday night was the their eighth in nine years, behind another complete game effort from MVP pitcher Rep. Cedric L. Richmond of Louisiana — and solid hitting from the lineup.

Here are the photos that defined the evening at Nationals Park: