Senate Majority Leader John Thune is blazing forward with a controversial move to repeal California's EV mandate — and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is warning it will come back to bite him.
Why it matters: Schumer (D-N.Y.) all but threatened to deploy similar strategies to get around opinions by key, nonpartisan rule makers if and when he grabs back control of the chamber.
Some of the first House Democrats to call for former President Biden to drop his reelection bid in 2024 saw firsthand signs of his deterioration as early as 2023, according to a new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson.
Why it matters: Many top Democrats, including White House officials, donors and lawmakers, ignored what they were seeing for months or even years. Others, the book says, noticed Biden's shortcomings but kept quiet.
The Senate passed a proposal Tuesday to eliminate taxes on tips, advancing a campaign promise by President Trump that has attracted bipartisan support.
Why it matters: It came as a genuine surprise to many in the chamber: The expectation was that at least one senator would object to passage of the measure.
A Utah man convicted for his role in the Jan. 6 riot and later pardoned by President Trump is seeking to recover forfeited money related to his filming of scenes inside the U.S. Capitol, per a federal judge's order denying the request Tuesday.
The big picture: John Earle Sullivan, who claimed he was acting as a citizen journalist when he filmed parts of the insurrection including the fatal shooting of Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, was required as part of his sentence to forfeit nearly $63,000 he made selling Jan. 6 footage.
A maintenance worker at the New Orleans jail is facing charges related to the escape of 10 inmates last week, according to Louisiana State Attorney General Liz Murrill's office.
Why it matters:Six inmates, who are considered armed and dangerous, are still at large as of Tuesday morning.
President Trump on Tuesday touted $25 billion in initial funding for the "Golden Dome" and put Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein in charge of realizing the hemispheric missile shield.
The big picture: Golden Dome — previously dubbed Iron Dome, but separate from Israel's missile defense program — is a mammoth undertaking with enthusiastic backing from the president but many doubters in the national security community.
Democrats who once worked alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused him in a Senate hearing Tuesday of flip-flopping beyond recognition under the Trump administration.
The big picture: The Senate voted 99-0 to confirm Rubio as President Trump's secretary of state in January. Since then, he's become an integral part of the administration's immigration crackdown and has emerged as the face of the government'sspree of student visa revocations.
The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee plans to grill the Department of Justice on its decision to charge Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) with assault on law enforcement, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Democrats have roundly condemned the charges as an intimidation effort aimed at chilling their oversight of the Trump administration's deportation policies.
This story is adapted from the new book "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson.
Mike Donilon, a top adviser to former President Biden, was paid about $4 million to work on the 2024 Biden campaign at the president's insistence, CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson write in their new book, "Original Sin."
Why it matters: The sum was orders of magnitude higher than the pay for other top aides — campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon made $300,000 — and illustrates the standing held by Biden's inner-most circle of advisers.
Security contractors are adapting to DOGE's brutal cost-cutting regime — by pitching their tech as essential to its mission.
Why it matters: As federal workforce cuts deepen, DOGE is expected to lean more heavily on third-party security vendors to help dismantle longstanding information silos — despite the national security risks that could come from its quest.
House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned the Senate in a closed door lunch on Tuesday not to make big changes to the reconciliation bill, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: If Johnson can get his conference in line, his problem will soon be Senate Majority Leader John Thune's (R-S.D.)— with an important July deadline looming on the debt ceiling.
President Trump on Tuesday defended the Justice Department's decision to charge Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) for allegedly assaulting law enforcement offices.
Why it matters: Democrats have roundly accused the Trump administration of pursuing a flimsy prosecution against one of their own for political purposes.
The chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee told Axios the House GOP's campaign arm will stick with its policy of not intervening in Republican primaries if President Trump tries to knock off incumbents.
Why it matters: Trump told reporters on Tuesday that House Republicans who vote against his "big, beautiful bill" could "possibly" face primary challenges, saying they would be "knocked out so fast."
White House economists project that the budget legislation pending before the House will, if enacted, contribute to a stunning rise in the economy's growth path.
Their numbers are eye-popping — and far higher than those that analysts outside the Trump administration are projecting.
Driving the news: In its new analysis of the "big, beautiful bill" that has cleared a key committee and will now go to the floor of the House, the White House Council of Economic Advisers finds that it would add 4.2% to 5.2% to GDP in the short run.
President Trump warned congressional Republicans on Tuesday not to "f**k around" with Medicaid, a stark pushback to conservative lawmakers demanding steeper cuts to the program in "one big, beautiful bill."
Why it matters: Trump is already floating political retribution for Republican holdouts who don't get in line.
A coalition of faith leaders is urging religious organizations to openly show their support for LGBTQ+ people ahead of this year's Pride Month.
Why it matters: The effort comes as corporations are pulling support for Pride events and as GOP-led states are pushing laws banning Pride flags and at least 10 states have introduced bills banning marriage equality.
President Trump has opposed Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel since almost the moment it was announced. He also is fixated on signing deals that include large foreign direct investment commitments.
Why it matters: We're about to learn which force is stronger.
President Trump on Tuesday speculated that former President Biden's aides may have used the autopen to enact less stringent border policies without Biden's knowledge.
Why it matters: Trump's comments signal a line of attack that he and his supporters are likely to employ against Democrats — particularly anyone in Biden's orbit — amid intensifying questions about the former president's health while he was in office.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem botched questions about habeas corpus at a Senate hearing Tuesday, falsely asserting the check on the government's power to detain people actually gives President Trump a "constitutional right" to conduct deportations.
Why it matters: Top Trump adviser Stephen Miller recently floated the idea of suspending habeas corpus if courts impede the administration's efforts to deport immigrants.
Speaker Mike Johnson is still facing a bloc of persistent right-wing holdouts on his "big, beautiful bill" even after President Trump urged House Republicans to support it in a closed-door meeting.
Why it matters: Johnson (R-La.) and his leadership team are hoping to bring the marquee tax and spending cut legislation to the floor for a vote as soon as Wednesday, but that timeline is at risk of slipping away.
Senate Democrats on Tuesday will attempt to pass a proposal to eliminate taxes on tips, daring Republicans to block the policy endorsed by President Trump.
Why it matters: Democrats are attaching themselves to popular, bipartisan tax priorities while hammering Republicans for their plans to cut taxes and slash federal spending.
MAGA ally Elon Musk said on Tuesday that he plans to spend "a lot less" on political donations moving forward after funneling millions into Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
The big picture: The comment from the richest man in the world could come as a disappointment for Republicans in 2026.
This story is adapted from the new book "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson.
Joe Biden repeatedly offered to testify in his son Hunter's trial on federal gun charges in Delaware last June, CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson report in their new book, "Original Sin."
Why it matters: The possibility of "a sitting president taking the witness stand in a case involving his own son," would have added to the media spectacle that the trial became, Tapper and Thompson write.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday expressed hope for peace and dialogue with China — but said the island must continue to strengthen its defenses, Reuters reported.
The big picture: The message of peace suggests a somewhat softer tone than Lai struck earlier this month, when he compared his nation to European countries facing off against Nazi Germany in World War II, per The Guardian.
House Speaker Mike Johnson offered GOP holdouts a detailed proposal on Monday to set the SALT deduction cap at $40,000 for anyone who makes less than $751,600 a year.
Why it matters: But Johnson (R-La.) also offered the SALT members an entirely different option: Figure out the math yourself, he said, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The House Homeland Security Committee is planning a field hearing on cybersecurity issues in Silicon Valley during the congressional recess next week, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Tensions between Washington and the cybersecurity industry have been high amid DOGE-led cuts at the nation's top cyber agency and growing concerns about nation-state cyber threats against critical infrastructure, particularly during a global trade war.
The Medicaid battlebeing waged by House Republicans is just the latest iteration of a long-running fight to repeal the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.
Why it matters: Millions of Americans stand to lose health coverage if the Medicaid cuts in the latest version of the reconciliation bill become law.
Former President Biden's disclosure that he had Stage 4 prostate cancer was quickly met with sympathy late Sunday. By Monday morning, the questions — from Democrats and Republicans alike — had begun.
Why it matters: The timing of Biden's announcement, coupled with the way his handlers tried to cover up his health issues in the past, fueled speculation about how long he'd known about the cancer.
The MAGA masses are growing disillusioned with Justice Department officials who are failing to deliver damning information on a laundry list of hot-button issues — especially Jeffrey Epstein's suicide.
Why it matters: The movement's back-against-the-wall mentality is kicking up fresh suspicions that nefarious government actors are out to stall President Trump's agenda.
House Democratic leadership promised Monday to "respond vigorously" after the Justice Department charged Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) for allegedly assaulting a law enforcement officer.
Why it matters: Democrats are accusing the Trump administration of pursuing a purely political prosecution, arguing that the charges against McIver are baseless.
The Justice Department charged Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) on Monday over a scuffle with law enforcement outside an ICE facility in New Jersey this month.
Why it matters: McIver is the first federal officeholder targeted by the Trump administration as they aggressively prosecute politicians who open themselves to legal liability while opposing the president's mass deportations.
With bipartisan support, the Senate took an important step forward on legislation that seeks to regulate stablecoin cryptocurrencies.
Why it matters: The procedural vote is a win for GENIUS Act backers after partisan fights and ethics concerns about the Trump family's crypto ventures derailed a vote earlier this month.
Former FBI director James Comey accused President Trump and his administration on Monday of using theirpowers "to aim at individuals, eroding the rule of law," as he addressed his "8647" Instagram post that incensed Trump world.
The bit picture: In his first interview since an investigation was launched into the since-deleted Instagram post that Trump said "meant assassination," Comey told MSNBC he thought the formation of shells on a beach into the number "8647" was a "clever way to express a political viewpoint" and didn't know of a violent meaning behind the number "86."
