Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday signed legislation creating a $1 billion program that gives families state money for private school tuition.
Why it matters: The passage of the private school voucher program is a major, long-fought win for Abbott, who spent millions reshaping the Texas Legislature to gainthe votes he needed.
A new Netflix-limited series takes a fresh look at the Vietnam War that examines the conflict from the eyes of Black soldiers, Vietnamese fighters and journalists on the 50th anniversary of its end.
Why it matters: The Vietnam War has split Americans across ideological and racial lines for much of the last few decades, with those divisions around the U.S. role in the world still evident today.
President Trump's decision to make Secretary of State Marco Rubio the acting national security adviser showed the MAGA faithful that his former rival is now among his most trusted advisers.
Why it matters: Rubio's elevation caps a years-long evolution for the former Florida senator, from a traditional Reagan-era conservative to a Trump Republican. But it's not just about politics and policy.
A federal judge found President Trump's executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie to be illegal, per the court ruling Friday.
The big picture: The ruling, whichbars the administration from enforcing the executive order, is the first time a court has permanently prohibited Trump from using his presidential power against a law firm he perceives to have threatened him politically.
The White House's budget proposes enormous cuts to federal spending — some of which, if enacted, would put millions of the poorest Americans in a bad spot.
Why it matters: The proposal is just a starting point, but it's a dark one, say advocates for the disadvantaged.
President Trump is expected to hold a summit with Gulf state leaders during his visit to Saudi Arabia in mid-May, a U.S. official and two Arab officials told Axios.
Why it matters: Trump's first official foreign trip reflects the growing importance his administration is placing on economic cooperation and investments between the U.S. and Gulf countries.
President Trump says a recession is OK in the short term, in a clip of a pre-recorded interview with NBC's "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker" released on Friday.
Why it matters: Business owners and politicians alike have shared fears of a recession given the uncertainty surrounding the president's tariffs.
The U.S., Israel and representatives of a new international foundation are close to an agreement on how to resume the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza without it being controlled byHamas, two Israeli officials and one U.S. source familiar with the plan said.
Why it matters: After the Gaza ceasefire deal collapsed two months ago, Israel halted all humanitarian aid delivery of food, water and medicine into the enclave, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Democratic leaders engaged in a tense, closed-door debate Thursday on the fate of a crypto regulation bill — and the best way to force changes to legislation that could hit the floor this month, according to people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: Crypto divides Democrats on policy and politics. Some progressives, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), are concerned about fraud and corruption. Others, like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), are eager to provide firm guidelines and regulatory certainty for the industry.
Temu has stopped shipping products from China to the U.S. ahead of an executive order from President Trump that went into effect on Friday.
Why it matters: The "de minimis" loophole was an important protection for businesses overseas and U.S. customers, exempting low-value packages from tariffs — until now.
House Democrats are privately grousing about their party's inability to hold down committee leaders — due not just to advanced age, but also ambition.
Why it matters: The day after Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said he would resign as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, House Agriculture Committee ranking member Angie Craig (D-Minn.) launched a bid for Senate.
President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday night that's designed to cut funding to NPR and PBS.
Why it matters: The order that calls the two biggest public broadcasters in the U.S. "biased" and directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to "cease direct funding" for them comes amid a broader push to target traditional media companies that Republicans see as biased against them.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) is boasting a 99% voting record with President Trump in a new memo provided first to Axios.
Why it matters: The four-term senator and his firebrand primary challenger, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, are battling to win Trump's coveted endorsement in what is quickly shaping up to be the most dramatic and expensive GOP primary of the cycle.
Stephen Miller, President Trump's top policy adviser, is in the running to be his next national security adviser and has for nearly a decade been wearing many hats for the president.
The big picture: The deputy chief of staff has already been shaping policy, particularly — and controversially — on immigration, from inside the White House and is one of Trump's longest-serving and most-trusted aides.
President Trump's first federal budget proposal follows through on his campaign promise to slash large chunks of federal spending while boosting security, which could have ramifications for Americans' health care, education, and housing.
Why it matters: While presidential requests almost never survive the Congressional appropriations process intact, the GOP majority in both chambers could line up behind many of Trump's requested cuts.
The Trump administration has dismissed a half-century-old school desegregation case in Louisiana in a sign that it may aggressively end other school racial desegregation cases long targeted by white conservatives.
Why it matters: The move by the U.S. Justice Department this week follows the Trump administration's reinterpretation of Civil Rights-era laws to focus on "anti-white racism," rather than discrimination against people of color.
President Trump on Friday outlined his 2026 budget request, which would slash domestic spending by almost one-fourth while boosting defense spending by 13%.
The big picture: Trump's "skinny" budget for the upcoming fiscal year comes as Congress debates a massive tax and spending bill that will have a much greater impact on government funding, economic growth and long-term deficits.
President Trump's top policy adviser, Stephen Miller, is garnering buzz inside the White House as a top candidate to be the next national security adviser, five sources familiar with the situation tell Axios.
Why it matters: Miller — the deputy chief of staff and the brain behind Trump's controversial immigration crackdown — is one of the president's longest-serving and most-trusted aides.
The White House said Friday that President Trump is seeking $1.01 trillion in defense spending for fiscal year 2026 — a whopping amount meant to sustain his national security blueprint, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Pentagon overhaul.
The big picture: It's an aggressive number to match aggressive goals. It's also a 13% increase at a time when Trump is calling for domestic spending to be slashed. Trump in April said nobody "has seen anything like it."
Everyone now knows that the bond market has a unique sway on President Trump's policymaking — and a subtle, but important, threat from the Japanese government could move his stance on trade with a crucial ally.
Why it matters: Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasuries, and even the vaguest hint that it could dump those holdings is powerful leverage with the administration. Following through on the threat could cause interest rates to spike.
President Trump said late Thursday that he wants to rename Veterans Day as "Victory Day for World War I."
Why it matters: Trump has made name changes a recurring theme of his second presidency. He said rebranding the holiday is an effort to boost recognition of American military wins.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is holding on to its status as the little agency that could, this week surviving yet another court challenge over layoffs that would effectively gut the agency.
The big picture: The CFPB is a relatively small operation tasked with fighting big businesses on behalf of consumers.
President Trump soured on Mike Waltz as his national security adviser for multiple reasons. But ultimately it came down to vibes when he replaced Waltz with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who'll temporarily do both jobs.
Why it matters: The boot for Waltz — two days after the media circus on Day 100 — was this term's first big shakeup. It showed how responsive Trump remains to optics, even while feeling as empowered as ever.
President Trump warned American families this week that they may have to make do with fewer — and more expensive — holiday toys.
But for Trump's own inner circle, a veritable Golden Age is well underway.
Why it matters: Trump's family has enjoyed a historically lucrative first 100 days, leveraging its proximity to power — and raking in billions — through a flood of ethically murky business ventures.
U.S. K-12 public school systems got nearly $360 in federal revenue per person in fiscal 2023, per new census data.
Why it matters: Federal funding for local school districts is on shaky ground as the Trump administration looks to cut spending broadly and to use the power of the purse to influence school curriculum and other decisions.
Democrats aim to pressure just enough House Republicans to defect from their party to block President Trump's massive fiscal package, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The party has been painting with a broad brush, hoping to pick off as many GOP lawmakers as possible. But with a potential House vote coming into view, they're taking a more tailored approach.
Why it matters: In some of the strongest comments yet by a justice in response to the judiciary coming under fire from Trump and his allies, Jackson said the "relentless attacks" on judges risked "undermining our Constitution and the rule of law," per the New York Times.
President Trump will lob his FY 2026 budget request at Congress on Friday, calling for deep cuts in foreign aid and renewable energy and increased spending for the the border and national security, according to administration officials.
Why it matters: In size and scope, Trump's budget amounts to another declaration of war on the status quo – and the priorities and programs that animate the Democratic Party.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to come up with treatments for measles using "existing drugs in combination with vitamins and other modalities."
Why it matters: The plan comes days after Kennedy downplayed the threat from the highly contagious disease and repeated misleading claims about measles vaccines.
Republican Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is still considering a possible run for governor of Florida, he said at an Axios/The Race event on Thursday in Miami ahead of this weekend's Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Why it matters: President Trump earlier this year endorsed Republican Rep. Byron Donalds for governor. Trump's endorsement previously boosted current governor Ron DeSantis.
A group backing Texas Sen. John Cornyn's 2026 primary opponent is out with its first TV ad — but it's not airing in Texas. Instead, it's airing in Palm Beach, Fla., where it's aimed at an audience of one: President Trump.
Why it matters: The strategy behind the ad shows the battle for Trump's coveted endorsement has already begun between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Cornyn.
Surprise! Rather than firing national security adviser Michael Waltz after Signalgate, President Trump is sending him through the gauntlet of a Senate confirmation process.
Why it matters: Waltz is the first big-name ouster in Trump 2.0. But instead of a quiet exit, he — and his still-active use of Signal — will face Senate Democrats who are craving a chance to show how much they hate Trump.
