Russian leader Vladimir Putin said he had agreed to a prisoner swap involving his staunch critic Alexei Navalny before the opposition leader's death in prison last month.
Why it matters: Putin's comments during a news conference after claiming a landslide win in the country's presidential election on Sunday, as expected, mark the first time he has commented on the dissident leader's death in a Russian penal colony last month.
Former President Donald Trump called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza quickly during an interview with Fox News Channel's "MediaBuzz."
Why it matters: This is the first time Trump has called to end the war in Gaza since the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) said GOP leadership should reconsider how they invite presidents to give the State of the Union address, citing President Biden's "divisive" speech.
Why it matters: Emmer argued Biden's remarks were a "hyper-partisan" campaign speech, telling Axios the president should not be invited to address Congress next year if he's elected to a second term.
The crisis at the southern border is surging as a top issue in states hundreds of miles away, allowing GOP Senate candidates the chance to capitalize in critical races in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Montana.
Why it matters: Immigration has long been one of Democrats' most vulnerable issues, but rarely has it found such traction outside of border areas. This year, the border crisis has become a top concern nationwide.
Former President Trump's rally in Dayton, Ohio, opened Saturday with an announcer's voice directing the packed MAGA crowd: "Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the horribly and unfairly treated Jan. 6 hostages."
Why it matters: Trump's honoring of supporters prosecuted for storming the Capitol has become a tradition at his rallies — and a fitting prelude to the type of provocative speeches likely to define his campaign for the next seven months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to commit to holding new elections once the war in Gaza winds down during an interview with CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, rebuking the call from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) last week.
Why it matters: Recent polls in Israel showed that more than 65% of Israelis support early elections when the war is over, and that if elections were held today Netanyahu and his coalition would be defeated.
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said Sunday that it's up to the Israeli people and their government to decide to hold new elections, days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged such a move occur.
The big picture: Schumer levied some of the harshest criticism yet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from a senior U.S. official, as discontent grows among President Biden and members of his administration about the prime minister's policies.
Former Vice President Mike Pence expanded Sunday on what he sees as "profound differences" between himself and former President Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, after announcing he would not endorse Trump in this year's election.
Driving the news: Pence said Trump is "walking away" from "keeping faith with the Constitution" on Jan. 6 and went on to list other policy differences he has with the former president.
The 2024 presidential election between President Biden and former President Trump is the first presidential rematch since 1956, but this is no re-run of the 2020 election.
Why it matters: Reproductive rights, border security, the economic well-being of Americans and democratic values are on the ballot, and Axios looked into candidates' stanceson the key issues.
A second term for former President Trump would be like the first, but "on turbo," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told The New Yorker.
Why it matters: He was the feature of staff writer David D. Kirkpatrick's profile, which was published Friday, the same day the White House proclaimed that the speaker's impeachment inquiry of President Biden is over.
Donald Trump's new team at the Republican National Committee is reversing its plans to cut the party's community centers for minority voters — and a program to encourage early voting — after a backlash from RNC members.
Why it matters: It's a sign that some of the new RNC leadership's moves — which included firing dozens of staffers — did not go over well with many RNC members.
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