The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ended its emergency response to the H5N1 bird flu and said Monday it will streamline future updates on the virus with routine reports on seasonal influenza.
The big picture: A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said the response was "deactivated to transition back to regular program activity" last Wednesday due to animal infections with the H5N1 strain declining and no human cases being reported since February.
Former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is considering challenging Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in NY-17, according to people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: Maloney's entrance into the race would give Democrats a proven fundraiser and a political operative in what would likely be one of the most expensive races in the country.
Elon Musk's proposed new political party has some hurdles to clear before it becomes a reality.
The big picture: The call for a third political party isn't new, and it's been done before to varying success. But experts agree that it will require a herculean effort from Musk to make the so-called "America Party" successful.
A man who opened fire at the entrance of a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, early Monday was fatally shot by law enforcement officials, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The big picture: Two officers and a Border Patrol employee were injured as the 27-year-old man shot dozens of rounds at the building.
The MAGA movement erupted in disbelief Monday after top administration officials said convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had not blackmailed elite figures, kept a "client list" or been murdered in prison.
Why it matters: MAGA's fundamental distrust of the "deep state" sparked years of conspiracy theories over Epstein's suicide in prison while facing federal sex trafficking charges. Now, even declarations from movement stalwarts like Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, the top two officials at the FBI, are not enough to placate adherents.
America's babies are becoming investors, each to receive $1,000 seed accounts via the reconciliation bill signed last week by President Trump.
Why it matters: This could expand financial flexibility and literacy for future generations, given the power of compound interest, albeit on the dime of current taxpayers.
Tesla shares fell sharply again Monday, as Elon Musk's split with the Trump administration deepened over his threats to launch a new political party.
Why it matters: Musk is personally out nearly $20 billion since breaking with President Trump last month, and his investors are out more than $100 billion on top of that.
President Trump's tax and spending bill sets in motion nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and other health policy changes that could loom over the midterm elections.
But the real effects likely won't be felt until well after the ballots are cast.
The White House promised a summer of tariff clarity. Now it looks like it might be another season of confusion.
Why it matters: The rules of global trade in the Trump era are just as hazy now as they were in early April, when the White House suggested "90 deals in 90 days" that would ease the uncertainty.
At town halls in their districts and in one-on-one meetings with constituents and activists, Democratic members of Congress are facing a growing thrum of demands to break the rules, fight dirty — and not be afraid to get hurt.
Why it matters: House Democrats told Axios they see a growing anger among their base that has, in some cases, morphed into a disregard for American institutions, political traditions and even the rule of law.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-L.A.) unveiled a bill on Monday that would make it easier for companies to offer benefits to gig workers without making them full-fledged employees.
Why it matters: As more Americans turn to gig work and self-employment, there's a growing push to get them access to things like paid sick leave, health insurance and retirement benefits.
Millions of Americans got a confusing email from the Social Security Administration over the weekend, celebrating the passage of the "big, beautiful bill."
Why it matters: It's unusual for the agency to blast an overtly political message to its massive email list, which includes retirees and those who've signed up at their website.
Less than six months into President Trump's second term, several possible GOP contenders for president in 2028 already are racing to build their national profiles, travel to early primary states and establish relationships with major donors.
Why it matters: Trump, who's dominated GOP politics for a decade, can't legally run again. Now several ambitious Republicans are signaling they see an opening to offer themselves to primary voters as the future of the party.
President Trump said Sunday night any country "aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS" will be charged "an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff" and there'll be "no exceptions to this policy."
Why it matters: While Trump didn't elaborate further, BRICS issued a statement hours earlier saying the 11 nations-strong bloc that includes Brazil, Russia, India and China had "serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade," which it said was "inconsistent with" World Trade Organization rules.
The Trump administration pushed back Sunday on criticism of the National Weather Service's initial forecasting and its staffing levels ahead of Central Texas' catastrophic flooding.
The big picture: The storm that's killed at least 80 people has brought renewed scrutiny to federal cuts at NOAA's NWS after it emerged that two Texas NWS offices were missing key staff at the time — including San Antonio, where a veteran warning coordination meteorologist has taken an early retirement buyout in April.
President Trump's Justice Department and FBI have concluded they have no evidence that convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein blackmailed powerful figures, kept a "client list" or was murdered, according to a memo detailing the findings obtained by Axios.
The administration is releasing a video — in both raw and "enhanced" versions — that it says indicates no one entered the area of the Manhattan prison where Epstein was held the night he died in 2019.
The video supports a medical examiner's finding that Epstein died by suicide, the two-page memo claims.
Why it matters: The findings represent the first time Trump's administration has officially contradicted conspiracy theories about Epstein's activities and his death — theories that had been pushed by the FBI's top two officials before Trump appointed them to the bureau.
