The Justice Department's decisionto charge a sitting House lawmaker after a scuffle with ICE officers has launched her on the fast track to stardom in Democratic politics.
Why it matters: First-term Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), 38, suddenly has a national profile and status among the Democratic base as something of a hero of the anti-Trump resistance.
The Trump administration on Thursday stepped up its attacks on judges whose rulings have hindered the president's agenda, in an escalating battle with the courts.
Key members of House leadership, as well as three Democrats, introduced new legislation Thursday to clarify the lanes of responsibility for regulatory oversight of digital assets.
Why it matters: While the cryptocurrency business is often described as a Wild West, longtime practitioners argue that the only reason they haven't been following rules is because the U.S. hasn't written rules for them to follow.
The Energy Department on Thursday authorized liquefied natural gas exports to major markets from the planned second phase of the Port Arthur LNG project in Texas.
Why it matters: These approvals are vital for companies and investors to move ahead with building multi-billion dollar export terminals.
Two top officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been ousted from leadership as the White House ramps up the pressure on the agency to arrest an unprecedented number of immigrants, five sources familiar with the situation tell Axios.
Why it matters: The changes come a week after top Trump aide Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded that ICE seek to arrest 3,000 people a day — triple what agents were arresting in the early days of the administration.
The U.S. Court of International Trade on Wednesday ruled President Trump does not have the authority under economic emergency legislation to impose his global tariffs.
Why it matters: The court's decision could potentially derail Trump's trade war, but the Supreme Court could also still overturn the ruling. A federal appellate court already stayed it temporarily.
A House Republican introduced legislation to block federal funding for the Washington, D.C., Metrorail system unless it is renamed the "Trump Train."
Why it matters: The bill is likely a long shot, but it is the latest in a series of GOP measures geared primarily toward displaying fealty to President Trump.
The big picture: DOGE-driven cuts wreaked havoc on federal workers, prompting a litany of lawsuits seeking to rein in Musk's chainsaw. As the billionaire departs, judges across the country could still unravel key parts of the effort for which he became the face.
Since it passed out of the Banking Committee in March, Sen. Bill Hagerty's legislation on issuing stablecoins now specifically has language addressing conflicts of interest and national security protections.
Why it matters: Stablecoin legislation in the Senate has addressed many of the Senate Democrats' most pressing concerns, but still carries one notable exception.
After firing more than 100,000 people, the White House is sending out new "merit-based" guidelines for hiring federal workers, implementing a law passed with bipartisan support last year.
Why it matters: The Merit Hiring Plan released to agencies Thursday afternoon by the Office of Personnel Management — the administration's HR department, basically — is a major overhaul to how the federal government hires employees.
A federal judge on Thursday said she will extend a temporary order blocking the Trump administration's revocation of Harvard's ability to host international students.
The big picture: The administration's ban, which was swiftly blocked by the same judge last week, has left international students reconsidering their futures at Harvard.
Companies that maintained their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion saw reputation scores rise in this year's Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation rankings.
Why it matters: Unclear corporate values or a lack of conviction — most recently seen through mass DEI walk-backs — can hinder reputation.
The Supreme Court unanimously decided Thursday to limit environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects in a case that has profound implications for President Trump's "energy dominance" agenda.
Why it matters: The justices' decision reduces the scope of reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act to focus only on immediate impacts.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) on Thursday formally launched his bid to become ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.
Why it matters: The 47-year-old Democratic leadership member is likely to be pitted against a pair of septuagenarian colleagues with more seniority, making this a proxy battle in Democrats' ongoing generational war.
Harvard said "too many international students to count" have asked about transferring out of the university after the Trump administration targeted the institution's ability to host students on visas.
The big picture: Thegovernment'sban was swiftly sidelined by a federal judge, but fear and confusion persist, prompting both international and domestic students to reconsider their futures, Harvard told a federal court in Boston in a Wednesday filing.
China is becoming a top donor country to WHO after promising this month that it'll make a $500 million gift over five years to the group.
Why it matters: President Trump announced in January that he's pulling the United States out of WHO, leaving a power vacuum within the global health consortium that Beijing is trying to fill.
An obscure federal court blew up the cornerstone of President Trump's economic agenda last night, unleashing more chaos on the global economy and all but wiping out his negotiating leverage with trading partners.
Why it matters: At least for now, it turns out the legal system — not the bond market, nor weak economic indicators — is the biggest restraint on Trump's trade agenda.
The Trump administration's embrace of AI acceleration is testing MAGA's populist roots, as fears mount of a jobs apocalypse that could destabilize the movement's economic foundation.
Why it matters: MAGA leaders are engaged in a high-stakes juggling act — championing American dominance in AI while sounding the alarm over its potential to wipe out millions of jobs for young and working-class Americans.
The Trump administration is signaling it wants to ditch federal desegregation efforts in public school systems, a move that would end much-debated, decades-old programs mainly aimed at improving education opportunities for nonwhite students.
Why it matters: Lifting desegregation policies set by federal rules and court orders — some of them a half-century old — could lead to a wide range of changes in more than 80 school systems Axios has identified as still being under such requirements.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration on Wednesday from suspending Biden-era temporary migrant protections and ordered officials to resume applications.
Why it matters: The ruling that comes as the Trump administration is moving to escalate its hardline immigration crackdown affects thousands of people who came to the country legally via temporary programs from Afghanistan, Latin America and Ukraine.
The Trump administration is working to fly a deported immigrant from Guatemala back to the U.S. in compliance with a judge's order, per a Department of Justice court filing on Wednesday evening.
Why it matters: The action contrasts with the administration's defiance of other immigration-related court orders — including ones made by the same federal judge overseeing the Guatemalan man's case and the erroneous deportation of Maryland man Kilmar Armando Ábrego García.
The Trump administration canceled a nearly $600 million award to Moderna to develop an mRNA vaccine for bird flu in humans, the company announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: It ends one of the remaining Biden-era efforts aimed at creating vaccines for pandemic preparedness. But the company said it would explore alternatives for further developing and manufacturing the shot.
Elon Musk pivoted to damage control in his final days as a "special government employee," publicly recommitting to Mars, cars and robots after a bruising year in the political limelight.
Why it matters: The billionaire CEO confirmed Wednesday he is departing the Trump administration, though he will remain one of President Trump's most influential outside advisers.
