Democrats argue the top Senate leader's retirement might be a good thing. But it's going to set off a scramble to replace him in one of the most hotly contested races in 2016.
Vice presidents have cast 244 tiebreakers in the Senate, but if Biden rescues Loretta Lynch's bid, it will be the first time it has been used for a Cabinet nomination.
Brooke was the first African-American to be popularly elected to the U.S. Senate, serving in the chamber for 13 years. He was a major champion of fair housing laws.
The Islamist rebels also known as ISIS or ISIL reportedly captured 16 Kurdish villages in northern Syria in a major push for territory. The move has prompted fears of a massacre of civilians.
The South Carolina Republican has been outspoken in his criticism of President Obama's administration lately, particularly his opposition to Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense. But this may have to do more with a possible primary challenge than the nomination itself.
Even though the top four congressional leaders left their White House meeting with the president separately and silently Friday, they cast the hourlong encounter in a positive light back at the Capitol.