President Trump nominated Nick Adams, a self-styled "alpha male" MAGA influencer, to be the next ambassador to Malaysia.
Why it matters: Adams is a popular commentator in the MAGAsphere but is not exactly a household name the way other influencers are. The nomination shows how much attention Trump pays to his online base and works to keep it in the fold.
President Trump responded Wednesday to reports that former CIA director John Brennan and former FBI director James Comey are being investigated over allegations that they made false statements to Congress during the Russia probe.
The big picture: Brennan and Comey were under criminal investigation over the FBI probe into possible links between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia after CIA director John Ratcliffe referred evidence to the FBI of possible wrongdoing.
New Mexicans impacted by the Trinity Test are getting closer to receiving compensation after eight decades of health problems and rare cancers stemming from the world's first atomic explosion.
The big picture: President Trump's recently signed the "big, beautiful bill," which includes an extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) and, for the first time, covers victims of the Trinity Test.
Multiple governors say they're being increasingly pushed to scrounge for disaster recovery money without the support they traditionally rely on from the federal government.
Why it matters: The president has the sole power to issue disaster declarations, but states are finding emergencies that would usually qualify for federal assistance are being slow-walked or denied in recent months.
President Trump's threat to put a 50% tariff on Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, risks making your morning cup — already way more expensive than a year ago — even pricier.
Why it matters: Retail coffee costs have been surging for months on the back of record wholesale prices, but there'd recently been at least a little hope of relief.
Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil filed a claim against the Trump administration on Thursday, seeking $20 million in damages for the harm caused by what his lawyers call a politically-motivated arrest and detention.
The big picture: The legal U.S. resident was released from federal immigration detention last month after being held more than 100 days without being charged with a crime.
The big question at Wednesday's Senate Banking Hearing on regulating digital assets was whether Congress can trust financial regulators to fill in the details from new laws for the crypto industry.
Why it matters: Americans will have to live for years with any law this Congress passes, if Republicans get something done.
President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" legislation hasn't hit the jackpot with gamblers and the wider gaming industry.
The big picture: Gamblers are angry over a provision that could see bettors lose money even when they come out ahead during tax time — something that lawmakers are already making moves to repeal.
President Trump's base is on high alert over his mixed messages on protections for some undocumented workers, warning that any form of "amnesty" would violate a red line.
Why it matters: MAGA sees Trump's promise of mass deportations as non-negotiable. Any attempt to water down the administration's immigration crackdown risks alienating his most loyal and fervent supporters.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday said his department is immediately restricting undocumented immigrants' access to Head Start, community health centers and other federal benefits, as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration.
The big picture: Undocumented immigrants are already prevented from accessing most federal benefits.
A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Trump's executive order attacking birthright citizenship, nearly two weeks after the Supreme Court curbed lower courts' power to freeze federal policies.
The big picture: The high court's ruling last month imposed new limits on lower courts but left room for broader relief through class-action lawsuits. Thursday's order could be a critical new legal defenseas judges navigate the restrictions to check nationwide policies.
Superman might've found romance with reporter Lois Lane, but the newest adaptation of the Man of Steel is getting no love from right-leaning media.
The big picture: The hero's origin story, arriving on Earth from a dying planet, has long been compared to the story of refugees or immigrants — a connection the film's writer and director, James Gunn, recently endorsed.
The appearance of Neil Jacobs, President Trump's NOAA nominee, before a Senate panel on Wednesday was fairly revealing by the standards of these kinds of things.
Why it matters: NOAA is a major climate research agency, and its National Weather Service plays a huge public safety role — especially as climate change intensifies some extreme weather events.
Most local election officials say they need more funding and help from state governments to offset the Trump administration's cuts to the country's top cybersecurity agency, according to a new Brennan Center poll released Thursday.
Why it matters: Preparations for the midterm elections are already underway, and without proper funding, local officials could lack the tools needed to fend off a growing list of physical and digital threats to elections.
A small but growing number of employers are offering immigrants support in obtaining visas and green cards — especially those looking for physicians and surgeons, according to new data from jobs site Indeed.
Why it matters: Immigration plays a key role in filling jobs within industries facing labor shortages — with health care at the top of the list.
Top MAGA influencers warn the Trump administration is bleeding trust over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, and that the president is drifting out of step with the movement he built.
Why it matters: The MAGA base was blindsided by the Justice Department's conclusion that the notorious sex trafficker died by suicide in 2019 and had no "client list." Days after the initial shock, Trump's insistence on moving on is fueling a deeper sense of betrayal.
Iowa Democrats are urging the national party to restore the state's traditional place as the first contest of the presidential primary season — and some are pushing for Iowa's caucuses to be first even if the Democratic National Committee disagrees.
Why it matters: Iowa returning to the lead-off spot could scramble the 2028 presidential contest, and significantly affect who becomes the Democratic nominee.
President Trump on Wednesday launched a multi-front trade assault on Brazil, threatening it with massive new tariffs and demanding the end of criminal charges against his ally former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Why it matters: Trump's tariff letter to Brazil is far more aggressive, with a much higher levy, than any other trade missive he's sent this week — and it prompted Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to push back on what he called "interference" in the nation's affairs.
Six U.S. Secret Service agents were suspended in relation to their conduct concerning the assassination attempt on President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year, ABC News first reported Wednesday.
The big picture: USSS deputy director Matt Quinn told CBS News the personnel were placed on leave over operational failures in the July 13, 2024, rally shooting and that the suspensions varied from 10 to 42 days as they were disciplined in accordance with a federally mandated process.
President Trump said Wednesday he's directing Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to take on the additional role of interim NASA administrator.
The big picture: Trump two months ago pulled his nominee to lead the space agency, Jared Isaacman, a close associate of Elon Musk who has led SpaceX missions.
President Trump announced Wednesday he'll impose a 50% tariff on copper imports from Aug. 1 "after receiving a robust" national security assessment.
The big picture: Copper is the third most widely used metal globally and the U.S. imports almost half of the commodity that it uses — mostly from Chile, per U.S. Geological Survey data.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is setting up a vote next week to claw back billions of dollars in federal spending — but some Senate Republicans are demanding changes.
Why it matters: Thune can only afford to lose three GOP votes.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is warning Republicans they'll risk a government shutdown all alone if they ram through cuts to PBS and foreign aid. Now he just needs them to take that threat seriously.
Why it matters: A shutdown fight in this political climate could put Democratic senators under the most intense pressure of their careers. But the threat of a shutdown is Schumer's (D-N.Y.) only real leverage.
The state of Florida cannot enforce a controversial new law aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from entering the state, the U.S. Supreme Court said Wednesday.
Why it matters: The high court's rejection of the state's emergency appeal leaves in place a lower court's decision to pause the law while legal challenges continue.
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