Axios

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday "it seems" Hamas has refused to release all of the Israeli women it is holding hostage in Gaza because the terror group doesn't want them to tell what they have gone through in captivity.

Why it matters: Miller did not provide any evidence to back up his claim, but it's the first time a senior U.S. official has raised the possibility that Hamas has harmed some of the women it's holding hostage.

The National Republican Congressional Committee is planning a reception next week "recognizing and thanking" former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Why it matters: The event comes amid speculation that McCarthy may step down from his congressional seat before the end of his term, which would dwindle House Republicans' narrow majority.

The White House condemned a pro-Palestinian demonstration that targeted a Jewish-owned kosher falafel shop in Philadelphia with chants of "genocide."

Why it matters: It's a high-profile new example of ways the Israel-Hamas war is roiling American campuses, businesses and politics — the rare international conflict that Americans feel viscerally and personally.

Former Rep. George Santos, who was historically fired Friday from Congress, has a new side hustle: Cameo, the celebrity and influencer video messaging app.

The big picture: The Long Island Republican — billing himself as a "former Congressional 'icon'!" — is looking to cash in (more) as his cultural star power rises and his potential legal fees probably rack up.

A prominent local Democrat on Monday filed to challenge Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) for his seat in 2024, potentially setting up one of the most closely watched Democratic primaries in the country.

Why it matters: Bowman is one of several members of the progressive "Squad" facing what will likely be a well-funded primary challenge driven at least in part by comments around the Israel-Hamas war.

A House Republican on Monday introduced legislation barring lawmakers who are expelled from Congress from receiving congressional pensions.

Why it matters: It's a direct response to the House's expulsion last week of then-Rep. George Santos, who was accused of plundering his congressional campaign coffers to personally enrich himself.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced Monday that he is suspending his 2024 presidential campaign.

Driving the news: The announcement comes as the North Dakota Republican struggled to build momentum in the GOP primary.

Axios got an early look at the stage for the fourth Republican presidential primary debate, which will be hosted by NewsNation at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night.

Driving the news: The debate — which will take place in the Frank Moody Music Building — will be moderated by Megyn Kelly, NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas, and Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon.

Three days before the Jan. 6 insurrection, then-Rep. Liz Cheney and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, orchestrated the publication of an open letter in the Washington Post.

Why it matters: The letter, signed by all 10 living secretaries of defense, stressed the dangers of the military getting involved in the outcome of the election.

America's ability to remain the world's most lethal military hinges on two interrelated — and vexing — mysteries.

• Can soon-to-retire four-star generals truly foresee the awesome power of artificial intelligence in time to break generation-old habits and shift warfare theories?
• If they do, can they convince the brightest coding minds to chuck lucrative gigs at Google to build AI-powered systems for America faster or better than their rivals in China?

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump organized a private meeting in New York last Wednesday with Qatar's prime minister and a bipartisan group mostly of Jewish businessmen and billionaires, three sources with direct knowledge of the meeting tell Axios.

Why it matters: Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has been a key player in mediating talks between Israel and Hamas during their ongoing war — especially negotiations over the talks over on the issue of release hostages held by the terrorist group in Gaza.

A U.S. Navy warship intervened after three commercial ships came under attack from drones and missiles in a Red Sea assault claimed by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Sunday, American military officials said.

The big picture: Houthi rebels said the attacks that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) believes were "fully enabled by Iran" were in response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Maria Martin, a ground-breaking Latina radio journalist who later founded "Latino USA," one of the first nationally syndicated radio programs about Latinos, died Saturday. She was 72.

Driving the news: Martin died following complications from a medical procedure and had suffered from several illnesses in recent years.