House Republicans are looking well beyond the roughly dozen Trump-district Democrats as they try to grow their two-seat majority.
Why it matters: For the entire length of House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) tenure, just a handful of House Republicans have been able to hold him hostage. He wants that to finally change.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) blasted Mehmet Oz's past support for abortion rights and gender-affirming surgeries for minors, calling into question his nomination to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Why it matters: Hawley's questions could raise major issues among Republicans. Oz can only afford to lost three Republican senators to win confirmation without any Democratic support.
The GOP chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees fired a warning shot at President Trump on Wednesday, telling him not to tinker with the military structure behind the top NATO command position.
Why it matters: The joint statement from Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) is one of the strongest GOP warnings to date about Trump's plans to potentially reorganize parts of the government.
The Department of Defense will restore materials related to the Navajo Code Talkers on its website after their removal was met with criticism, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren posted on X on Wednesday.
What they're saying: "White House officials reached out to my office and confirmed that removal of 'Navajo' from the agency websites was a result of an error caused by Artificial Intelligence (AI) automated review process associated with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives," Nygren wrote.
A fissure is emerging among congressional Republicans over whether to pursue the impeachment of federal judges who block President Trump's agenda.
Why it matters: Trump kicked the conversation to another level this week by advocating impeachment himself, but virtually all GOP lawmakers would need to be on board for it to actually happen. They are not.
Germany updated its travel advisory for the United States this week, warning of stricter immigration enforcement at the border.
The big picture: Upping an advisory for visiting an ally country could be construed as a serious step, and comes as travelers from both Germany and elsewhere have been detained while in the U.S. under Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown.
The arrest of a longtime immigrant rights activist — who made national headlines when she took sanctuary in a Denver church during President Trump's first term — has rattled advocates and immigrants across the country.
House Republicans are targeting a growing cohort of federal judges with impeachment for issuing rulings unfavorable to the Trump administration.
Why it matters: It's a stark break with tradition as judges until now have been impeached mainly for gross personal misconduct, financial corruption or other serious criminal offenses.
President Trump's move to fire two Democrats serving on the Federal Trade Commission sets up a likely fight over an important, but somewhat obscure, Supreme Court ruling.
Why it matters: The legal precedent, Humphrey's Executor v. United States, protects commissioners at independent agencies from being fired at will — and if overturned, could allow the White House to reshape the government.
The U.S. Department of Defense removed — then restored — a webpage featuring baseball and civil rights pioneer Jackie Robinson, who served in the Army during World War II and segregation.
Why it matters: The initial removal of Robinson's Army history comes amid a massive purge of articles about soldiers of color following President Trump's executive order ending federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The Trump administration on Wednesday said it paused $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania over its transgender athlete policy.
Why it matters: President Trump has targeted and threatened universities it believes have not complied with the administration's new policies on gender, race, identity and research, prompting hiring freezes at some schools.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday offered his colleagues a glimpse into his private Sunday discussion with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Jeffries said on a virtual caucus call that he stressed to his Senate counterpart the need for improved coordination moving forward, five sources familiar with his comments told Axios.
President Trump spoke on Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an effort to reach an agreement on a partial 30-day ceasefire with Russia, the White House said.
Why it matters: The call took place one day after Trump spoke for more than two hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin and tried to convince him to agree to a full and immediate 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine.
Republican lawmakers have launched several long-shot attempts to impeach judges who have stood in the way of some of the Trump administration's most aggressive actions.
Why it matters: There is a longstanding tradition that federal judges should not be impeached due to disagreements with their rulings — a norm endorsed by Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday in a rare rebuke of President Trump from the high court.
The Trump administration has announced the federal government will no longer unequivocally prohibit contractors from having segregated restaurants, waiting rooms and drinking fountains.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is facing more calls to step aside than have previously been reported, with the possibility of more soon to come, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: No senators have called for Schumer to step down. But outside the Senate, he's enduring a pounding from Democrats who want him to adopt more combative tactics or step aside for someone who will.
President Trump's letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei included a two-month deadline for reaching a new nuclear deal, one U.S. official and two sources briefed on the letter told Axios.
Why it matters: It isn't clear whether the two-month clock begins from the time the letter was delivered or from when negotiations start. But if Iran rejects Trump's outreach and doesn'tnegotiate, the chances of U.S. or Israeli military action against Iran's nuclear facilities would dramatically increase.
The Department of Justice continued Wednesday to push back against a federal judge's request for information about Venezuelan migrant deportations and whether it defied a court order, saying the request is "continuing to beat a dead horse."
The big picture: It's the latest response in the back and forth between the Trump administration and U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who has repeatedly requested that the government provide details on the migrant deportation flights conducted over the weekend.
Why it matters: USIP officials maintain that their status as an independent agency means DOGE staffers should not have been able to access the building.
When President Trump issued his executive order to not enforce the TikTok ban for 75 days, it seemed to be in violation of the divestiture law's letter and intent.
But so far no one has sued, even though courts have been inundated with complaints over many of Trump's other executive orders.
Why it matters: The lack of litigation may give Trump more incentive to further extend TikTok's life, even if a viable deal is not yet in hand.
A federal judge on Wednesday denied the Trump administration's request to dismiss Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil's challenge to his arrest by immigration authorities and agreed his case should be moved to New Jersey.
The big picture: The arrest of Khalil, a key leader in Columbia's pro-Palestinian protests and a green card holder, sparked mass concern among immigration and free speech advocates, as the administration promises more arrests to come.
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday characterized a recent string of vandalism at Tesla dealerships as acts of "domestic terrorism," and threatened "severe consequences" for anyone involved.
Why it matters: President Trump and his allies are fuming about the #TeslaTakedown movement, which has targeted DOGE leader Elon Musk's signature brand.
A book four years in the making: New York Times media correspondent Michael Grynbaum will be out July 15 with "Empire of the Elite: Inside Condé Nast, the Media Dynasty that Reshaped America."
Why it matters: It's billed as a cultural history of Condé Nast — publisher of the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue and GQ — as titan of the "once-glamorous magazine world," and "the profound influence of its magazines on the last half-century of American life."
President Trump has accelerated a multipronged, methodically planned strategy to push the Supreme Court to bless his power to deport vastly more people with vastly fewer judicial restraints, top officials tell Axios.
Trump officials see at least five questions, detailed below, that they hope the Supreme Court will answer.
Why it matters: Trump's plan revolves around two cases and obscure lawsthat have ignited lawsuits and sent shockwaves through the immigration system over successive weekends:
Trump administration spending cuts and freezes to federal grants are roiling major academic medical research programs, prompting layoffs, and leading administrators to abandon studies and rescind admissions offers to graduate students.
Why it matters: Experts predict the face of university research could be permanently changed, affecting work on treatments for cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes, among other conditions, along with studies on the underpinnings of disease.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is suing the Trump administration, Kari Lake, the U.S. Agency for Global Media and USAGM acting CEO Victor Morales over moves to terminate the news organization's federal funding.
The big picture: The lawsuit that was filed Tuesday says "Congress has appropriated funds specifically for RFE/RL" and "expressly directed" the USAGM to make these available to the outlet in the form of annual grants.
Chief Justice John Roberts said impeaching federal judges is "not an appropriate response" to disagreeing with their rulings in a rare statement Tuesday.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) may have thrown his support behind Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), but many House Democrats are still privately fuming at the Senate leader.
Why it matters: Some House members are urging Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) behind closed doors to mount a primary bid against the New York senator in 2028.
It's been more than four months since President Trump announced Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as his UN ambassador —and she finally has a date for when she will be free from the House.
Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) slim margins, GOP detractors like Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Trump's shopping spree in the House to fill top administration positions have left Stefanik behind to ensure the House has the votes to get things done.
Democrats are slamming vulnerable Republicans for avoiding town halls — launching a billboard campaign and scheduling their own Q&As in competitive districts, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's a town hall war, with both parties accusing the other of being afraid of their voters.
Grassroots groups have outlined a type of performance improvement plan for embattled Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The groups can make Schumer's life very difficult, by organizing protests against him and his members or dangling potential primary challengers. And they want to see changes in how he leads his caucus.
