OnPolitics: Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96, King Charles III ascends throne

Hello hello, OnPolitics readers!

The longest-ever reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the only monarch most of her subjects have ever known, is over.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor died Thursday at Balmoral Castle, her estate in Scotland. She was 96.

Her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, 73, immediately became King Charles III upon her death. Buckingham Palace issued a black-bordered statement from "His Majesty the King," shortly after her death.

"The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family," the statement said. "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world."

It's Ella and Amy with today's top stories out of Washington (and beyond).

Congressional leaders praise Queen Elizabeth, a 'devoted friend of freedom'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff as lawmakers offered an outpouring of praise for Queen Elizabeth II.

Pelosi called the queen, who died Thursday at age 96, a "pillar of leadership in the global arena and a devoted friend of freedom." The House plans on Tuesday to pass a bereavement resolution before adjourning for the day in her the queen's honor.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., noted the queen was the first British monarch to address a joint session of Congress, which she did in 1991. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., praised the late monarch for her efforts to make “sure her reign was never really about herself.” And House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, said the queen “represented what it means to lead with conviction, selflessness, and true faith in God and in her people."

The order of succession: With Queen Elizabeth II's death, Charles is king and his wife, Camilla, formerly the Duchess of Cornwall, becomes the Queen Consort, a request made by Queen Elizabeth. (Charles was previously married to the late Princess Diana.) After Charles, the line of succession turns to his older son, Prince William, followed by William and Duchess Kate's children. Here's the full succession, broken down by USA TODAY's graphics team.

Women leaders: Liz Truss became the U.K.’s third female prime minister on Tuesday, an historic event that did not go unnoticed in the United States, which has yet to elect a woman as president. What gives? Why do the Brits keep choosing women as their leaders while the U.S. keeps sticking with men? USA TODAY's Michael Collins and Kim Hjelmgaard explain.

Real quick: Stories you'll want to read

• How Obamas' White House portraits stand out: Robert McCurdy, the artist Obama chose for his portrait, is known for his photorealistic oil paintings with unusually sparse backgrounds in which the subject holds no props, makes no gestures and doesn't smile.

• Blinken unveils $2 billion in aid for Ukraine: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday announced major new military aid worth more than 2 billion dollars for Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia.

• One month since Mar-a-Lago search: One month after federal agents descended on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, an unprecedented search of a former president's home, there have been a series of key revelations. amid an intensifying court battle. Here's what has happened and what comes next.

• Manchin calls student loan forgiveness plan 'excessive': Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Tuesday that President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan goes too far and that there are other ways to help borrowers.

Steve Bannon pleads not guilty on border wall fund charges

Steve Bannon, a longtime adviser to former President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty Thursday to new criminal charges involving an alleged fundraising scheme.

Bannon and "We Build the Wall" nonprofit organization are charged with two counts of money laundering, plus felony counts of conspiracy and scheme to defraud. Bannon and the group also face a misdemeanor count of conspiracy to defraud.

“There cannot be one set of rules for everyday people and another for the wealthy and powerful – we all must play by the same rules and must obey the law,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

The case is expected to echo aspects of a previous federal criminal case that accused Bannon and three co-defendants of conspiring to dupe donors who contributed more than $25 million to build a security wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Those who ponied up to a crowdfunding campaign allegedly were assured all of the money raised would go toward the construction project.

However, the federal indictment in that case alleged that Bannon and his co-defendants secretly siphoned off hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. Bannon collected more than $1 million via a non-profit organization he controlled, and used the funds to pay personal expenses and other costs, federal prosecutors allege.

"Grief is the price we pay for love." Read some of Queen Elizabeth II's most notable quotes from her 70-year reign. -- Amy and Ella

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: OnPolitics: Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96 ending longest-ever reign