Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) turned down a chance to be the top Democrat on a new subcommittee on cryptocurrency under the Senate Banking Committee, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The next Congress will likely play a key role in shaping U.S. policy on cryptocurrency, and Senate Democrats need to find a member to be on the frontline of those battles.
President-elect Trump's Cabinet and West Wing teams are quickly being assembled as the 45th president prepares to become the 47th.
The big picture: So far, he's pulled from his campaign staff, congressional and gubernatorial allies, the business world, Fox News and the remaining loyalists from his first administration to craft a team that so far appears to be more MAGA-aligned than the one he built in 2016.
Hundreds of GoFundMe pages to help friends, neighbors and even strangers impacted by the L.A.-area fires are being shared online, but the language of their fundraising pages could curb the FEMA aid they receive.
The big picture: By law, FEMA cannot duplicate benefits people receive from another source, according to the agency.
The big picture: The former New York City mayor, who will now avoid trial, has been in litigation with Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss over which of his properties and belongings to hand over to them as part of the damages he was ordered to pay more than a year ago.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is staring down surprise and frustration from lawmakers in both parties for removing Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) as chair of the House Intelligence Committee.
Why it matters: The ouster of Turner, a staunch foreign policy hawk and defender of the intelligence community, was a blow to the large bipartisan bloc of national security-minded lawmakers in Congress.
19 U.S. states have passed laws requiring adult website visitors to verify their age as of January.
Why it matters: The Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a challenge to Texas' age verification law that could determine the fate of all such state rules.
President-elect Trump sported a familiar stone-faced stare in his official portrait revealed just days before he makes his White House return.
The intrigue: The nontraditional portrait is starkly different from his first term pose, where he grins under even lighting. Instead, with the up-shot glow, a raised eyebrow and a tight-lipped mouth, it's reminiscent of another photo: his historic mug shot.
House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to name Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) to replace Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) as chair of the House Intel Committee, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: Johnson is assembling his team to help implement President-elect Trump's sweeping agenda, which includes reform of the intelligence agencies.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped the state's attorney general, Ashley Moody, to replace Sen. Marco Rubio when he leaves his office to become the next U.S. Secretary of State. Axios first reported his intentions to make the Moody appointment.
Why it matters: Moody is a DeSantis and Donald Trump loyalist. Her appointment will set off a chain-reaction of office-seeking and Florida political drama heading into 2026.
A group of House Democrats want Attorney General Merrick Garland to release special counsel Jack Smith's report on President-elect Trump's classified documents case — even if it means dismissing charges against his former co-defendants.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew intends to attend President-elect Trump's inauguration next week and is expected to sit on the dais alongside other prominent guests, a Trump transition source confirmed to Axios Thursday.
Why it matters: News of his invite comes as TikTok's fate hangs in the balance, with the U.S. ban of the popular platform set to take effect on Sunday, barring any eleventh-hour intervention.
Scott Bessent,President-elect Trump's pick for Treasury, will tell the Senate Finance Committee at his confirmation hearing Thursday that he sees "a generational opportunity to unleash a new economic golden age that will create more jobs, wealth and prosperity for all Americans."
Why it matters: The South Carolina billionaire is respected on Wall Street and has been called the "quiet killer" for his finesse with massive trades.
One economic unknown is whether President-elect Trump's tariffs will cover all imported goods, as previously threatened.
But Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wants to know the opposite: which companies will get exemptions and how that will be determined, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Warren's demand is a preview of the tariff battle ahead. Questions are broadening from what shape Trump's trade agenda will take, to how such plans will ultimately be carried out — and what it all means for the economy.
In the months before driving a rented truck into a crowded Bourbon Street early on New Year's Day, the FBI says, the suspect left behind digital footprints that ultimately led to the attack that killed 14 people and injured nearly 60 others.
Why it matters: With the right technology, such difficult-to-trace online activity may one day provide enough warning that law enforcement could stop potential attacks before they happen.
State Medicaid funding could be on the chopping block this year, forcing politically difficult decisions about a safety net program that serves nearly 73 million Americans.
Why it matters: Republicans already are targeting hundreds of billions of dollars in federal health spending, meaning states likely will have to bear a bigger share of Medicaid program costs and face the prospect of coverage and benefit losses as they work through their own fiscal challenges.
About 73%of 13- to 39-year-olds in the U.S. said they don't support a TikTok ban in a new survey from YPulse, a youth research organization.
Why it matters: The app could go dark as soon as Sunday if the Supreme Court upholds a law that forces a ban if the app is not sold to a U.S. buyer. China-based owner ByteDance sued over the law and hasn't indicated it plans to sell.
President-elect Trump swiftly claimed the victory for himself on Wednesday, while President Biden retorted sharply when a reporter asked if he or Trump really deserved the credit: "Is that a joke?"
Why it matters: Officials from the U.S., Israel and Qatar tell Axios the deal to free the hostages and end 15 months of war wouldn't have been possible without unprecedented coordination between their administrations.
Big corporate donors to President-elect Trump's inaugural committee could soon find themselves in the crosshairs of his trade policy.
Why it matters: Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Stanley Black & Decker and Apple's Tim Cook all have written seven-figure checks for Trump's inauguration, which is on track to outraise his first ceremony in 2017 and President Biden's in 2021.
President-elect Trump will move to "preserve" TikTok, said his pick for national security adviser, Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), on Wednesday — as a potential nationwide ban looms.
The big picture: It's not immediately clear what action Trump could take if the U.S. Supreme Court were to uphold a bipartisan law that would, unless sold to a U.S. firm, ban the popular video app that's owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
President-elect Trump is pledging his full support for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, telling organizers in a meeting late Wednesday that he wants to help the area recover from the devastating wildfires.
Why it matters: The fires that have destroyed more than 10,000 homes have left Los Angeles County with a massive rebuild. Trump told the local Olympic organizing committee, LA28, that he wants to ensure the games go on without a hitch, according to a source briefed on his meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Casey Wasserman, LA28's president and chairman.
President Biden in his farewell address to the nation on Wednesday took aim at Big Tech and warned of "dangerous consequences" if a "concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people" goes unchecked.
Southwest Airlines is being sued and Frontier Airlines fined over chronic flight delays by the Department of Transportation, the DOT announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: Wednesday's announcement by the outgoing Biden administration's Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, comes days after the DOT fined JetBlue $2 million for chronic flight delays — the first time such a penalty had been imposed on an airline.
President Biden took swipes at President-elect Trump during his farewell address Wednesday as he reflected on his legacy from the Oval Office.
The big picture: The 82-year-old, one-term president who has spent five decades in politics will hand over the White House keys to 78-year-old Trump next week, after initially running to rid him from Washington.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has a "fairly lengthy list" of last-minute Biden regulations that Republicans may try to undo in the coming weeks, he told us.
Scoop: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will kick things off next week with resolutions to erase Energy Department rules on gas water heaters, IRS language on crypto, and an FCC regulation on free Wi-Fi hotspots for students.
Why it matters: The Congressional Review Act (CRA) gives Congress until mid-May to reverse what Republicans are calling the "midnight rules" of the Biden administration.
Top Senate negotiators are privately warning that talks about a spending deal are way behind schedule.
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) — the top two Senate appropriators — told colleagues they're worried spending talks have taken a back seat to reconciliation planning, sources tell us.
Talks between the House and Senate over a spending deal only recently began.
Why it matters: Without significant progress, the GOP trifecta will need another spending stopgap or a much-despised omnibus spending package.
The current spending deal expires on March 14.
Worst-case scenario: A shutdown when Republicans control the whole government.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has a "fairly lengthy list" of last-minute Biden regulations that Republicans may try to undo in the coming weeks, he told Axios.
Why it matters: The Congressional Review Act (CRA) gives Congress until mid-May to reverse what Republicans are calling the "midnight rules" of the Biden administration.
