An outside group linked to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is launching a $5 million ad blitz against Sen. Jon Ossoff, the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the country.
Why it matters: The ad campaign shows that Republicans are ready to spend big cash against Ossoff (D-Ga.), their top target in the midterm election.
Maurene Comey, the federal prosecutor who worked on both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal cases, was fired on Wednesday, Politico first reported.
The big picture: It was not immediately clear why Maurene Comey was dismissed from her job, but her firing is also notable because she is the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, who was fired by President Trump during his first term.
Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell responded to a pointed letter from the Trump administration on Thursday, offering the central bank's strongest defense to date in attacks over its building renovations.
Why it matters: The letter comes as President Trump denies he will attempt to fire Powell.
President Trump won't recommend a special prosecutor in the Jeffrey Epstein case, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.
Why it matters: The administration's conclusion that there's no evidence to suggest the disgraced financier was murdered or kept a "client list" sparked anger in the MAGA circles. Some, including Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and far-right activist Laura Loomer, have suggested appointing a special counsel to the case.
The federal health department is sharing Medicaid recipients' personal data with the Homeland Security Department, HHS confirmed to Axios.
The big picture: The arrangement raises privacy and security concerns for critics — including around whether the information is being used to deport undocumented immigrants.
House Democrats are largely shooing away the idea of trying to make Republicans miss their deadline to codify around $9 billion in DOGE cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: While on paper it appears to be a rare opportunity to satisfy the demands of their base to use procedural tools to obstruct the GOP agenda, lawmakers and aides told Axios it's not that simple.
It could be a massive unforced error, if history's any guide.
Why it matters: 40 years ago this year, the Coca-Cola Co. changed its flagship recipe, swapping in its tried-and-true drink for New Coke, and consumers rebelled.
President Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency during a recent medical exam, the White House announced Thursday.
The big picture: Trump, 79, has been reluctant to release medical records demonstrating his physical and cognitive well-being during the 2024 election, though an April exam found him in "excellent health."
Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked the latest Democratic attempt to formally demand that the Trump administration release files related to the government's investigation of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Why it matters: Democrats on Capitol Hill are steadily ramping up the pressure on Republicans to break with President Trump, asserting that those who don't are essentially colluding with a White House-led cover-up.
The House passed legislation Thursday establishing the first-ever regulatory framework for issuers of stablecoins, sending the landmark GENIUS Act to President Trump for his signature.
Why it matters: The GENIUS Act is set to be the first cryptocurrency bill signed into law after it cleared both chambers of Congress, an institution that is notoriously slow to respond to emerging technologies.
The House on Thursday passed legislation to establish the first comprehensive set of rules for the cryptocurrency industry.
Why it matters: It's an initial legislative win for cryptocurrency backers and a major step toward offering long-awaited guidance to an industry often compared to the Wild West.
President Trump's push to switch the sweetener in Coke to cane sugar could cost thousands of U.S. jobs, an influential corn industry group said.
Why it matters: A can of soda just became a minor political crisis, adding to a White House pile that includes the Jeffrey Epstein controversy, drama at the Federal Reserve, and a near-boiling trade war.
As Jeffrey Epstein's case becomes the talk of Washington, the family of the woman convicted for her role in assisting the disgraced financier is claiming she received an unfair trial.
The big picture: Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence in Florida after being found guilty of sex trafficking and other charges in 2021.
Juul Labs has won the government's authorization to keep its signature e-cigarettes on the U.S. market.
Why it matters: The vaping company was once facing a federal ban under the Biden administration — which was quickly suspended, and later rescinded, but nonetheless put its future in doubt.
Ten Republican senators asked the Trump administration on Wednesday to release $6 billion in congressionally approved funding for K-12 educational programs.
From left: Andrew Schulz, Shane Gillis and Theo Von. Photos: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix; Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Arturo Holmes/Peacock via Getty Images
The MAGA backlash from the Jeffrey Epstein saga is spilling into a niche but influential corner of President Trump's coalition: the "manosphere."
Why it matters: Anti-establishment comedians and podcasters like Joe Rogan, Theo Von and Andrew Schulz were widely credited with expanding Trump's support among young men in the 2024 election.
A former Louisville police detective convicted of violating Breonna Taylor's rights by using excessive force when he fired 10 shots at her apartment should serve one day in jail, Justice Department officials said in court filings.
Why it matters: The recommendation signals the dramatic shift the Trump administration is making from the Biden administration on police misconduct cases that helped spark the now-defunct racial reckoning.
Retail spending rebounded in June after a pullback in late spring, the Commerce Department said on Thursday.
Why it matters: Consumers ramped up spending more than economists anticipated, a sign of resiliency among American shoppers despite concerns that President Trump's tariffs are weighing on the economy.
Community health centers are in a legal bind following the Trump administration's directive to restrict undocumented immigrants' access to their services.
Why it matters: The federally funded clinics are supposed to serve everyone — but now, only if they fulfill a citizenship requirement.
If President Trump fires Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, it would likely bring a period of short-term market volatility — along with higher long-term borrowing costs, as the Fed would be viewed as more subject to a president's whims.
The big picture: Trump appears to be itching to push out the Fed chief he originally appointed, perhaps by claiming that an over-budget building renovation constitutes legal cause.
The Senate early Thursday passed President Trump's requested clawback of $9 billion in federal funding for the Public Broadcasting Service, National Public Radio and foreign aid programs.
Why it matters: It's a win for conservative fiscal hawks who wanted to follow on DOGE's work, while Democrats fear the victory for the White House opens the door for more rescissions packages negating bipartisan spending deals.
The Trump administration is being sued by 20 states that are seeking to block the cancellation of a grant program that helped protect against potential natural disasters.
The big picture: "By unilaterally shutting down FEMA's flagship pre-disaster mitigation program, Defendants have acted unlawfully and violated core separation of powers principles," says the lawsuit that was filed in Boston on Wednesday. The program has helped state, local and territorial governments and tribal nations work to reduce their hazard risk.
The House voted late Wednesday to take up a bill establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoin issuers, after a record-breaking session that involved intense negotiations to quell a rebellion from hardliners.
Why it matters: The vote puts the GENIUS Act on a glide path to Trump's desk this week for his signature.
Almost two-thirds of U.S. voters disapprove of the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files and the vast majority of Americans believe it should release all files in the case, according to two new polls.
Why it matters: President Trump has made clear that he wants people to move on from the Epstein case, after his administration's conclusion that there's no evidence to suggest the disgraced financier was murdered or kept a "client list."
House Republicans broke the record Wednesday for the lower chamber's longest vote in history — for the second time in as many weeks.
Why it matters: It's the latest example of House Speaker Mike Johnson's strategy for dealing with his razor-thin majority — holding votes open for hours as he tries to sway opponents in his own party.
A federal judge on Wednesday delayed making a ruling on whether Kilmar Ábrego García should be released from jail as he awaits trial, multiple outlets reported.
The big picture: The legal U.S. resident, who spent nearly three months in an El Salvador mega-prison before being returned to a Tennessee jail, is awaiting trial on human smuggling charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.
The Senate is plowing ahead Wednesday evening on $9 billion in cuts to PBS, NPR and foreign aid, threats from Democrats be damned.
Why it matters: Democratic leaders — and some high-level Republicans — say budget rescissions undermine the trust they need to pass the annual bipartisan spending deals.
Mainstream Senate Democrats are starting to echo their party's base, which has soured on supporting Israel.
Zoom in: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a moderate Democrat from a swing state, this week slammed the Israeli government for the lack of humanitarian aid in Gaza and violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
Expelling migrants to third-countries that are not their place of origin is becoming a cornerstone of President Trump's deportation strategy.
The big picture: The administration's increasing number of third-country deportation agreements showcases a dogged desire to pursue every possible avenue to fulfill Trump's promise to deport record numbers of noncitizens.
