Axios

The House Ethics Committee is facing one of its busiest stretches in years as lawmakers confront a growing pileup of misconduct allegations.

• "He has had a great challenge, the chairman of Ethics Committee, that committee is very busy right now," Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Axios on Friday.

Why it matters: Pressure is growing on Congress to prove it can police itself amid a wave of misconduct allegations. But top lawmakers say the panel tasked with investigating those claims needs more resources to keep up.

President Trump said Friday he's unsure whether he would greenlight a planned $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan after discussing arms sales in "great detail" with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Why it matters: The trip began with a warning from Xi about the potential for "conflicts" over Taiwan, and Trump made clear during the visit that he did not want to provoke one.

A wave of voting rights battles and GOP redistricting fights is triggering a coordinated response across the South, with organizers preparing a "Summer of Action" campaign with marches that start this weekend.

Why it matters: Organizers say the fight over congressional maps, voting access and political representation is accelerating in real time as states redraw political power ahead of November's midterms and the 2028 general election.