Axios

Decades of scientific investment have paid off just in the last month, with researchers announcing promising breakthroughs against cancers and other deadly afflictions.

Why it matters: They're all the product of a rigorous innovation system that delivers — though some have one important limitation: All they can do is buy someone a few more years.

Senate Republicans advanced ICE and Border Patrol funding through the end of President Trump's second term, after beating back multiple amendments targeting his priorities during an 18-hour "vote-a-rama."

Why it matters: The party-line vote had been deeply in doubt over the past weeks, as senators revolted against the "anti-weaponization fund" and spending requests for the president's White House renovations.

Hunter Biden is staging one of the most unlikely reinventions in politics, attempting to charm and disarm the internet trolls who feasted on the darkest moments of his life.

Why it matters: Former President Biden's 56-year-old son spent years as the ultimate MAGA villain, staying largely silent as his addiction, legal troubles and personal life were used as a cudgel against his father's presidency.