Nearly all states allowing jails and prisons to charge incarcerated people for room and board or medical care highlights a deeper problem: their families, especially Black women, are forced to cover the costs, according to a new report.
Why it matters: Black people account for about 37% of the local jail and state prison population, according to Prison Policy Initiative, and the debt caused by the incarceration fees may be pushing women of color deeper into poverty.
The big picture: The prize was given by musicians Alyssa and Douglas Graham to help "an early-career prose writer whose work expands the possibilities for American writing."
Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was granted "limited" immunity by the Justice Department to answer questions about the child sex trafficking ring that led to her 20-year prison sentence, multipleoutlets reported of anonymous sources.
The big picture: The Trump administration is facing intensifying pressure over its handling of information tied tothe Epstein case, with bipartisan calls demanding the release of related documents.
Left-wing challengers to sitting Democratic mayors are shaking up at least four major races this year, tapping into exploding anger at the party's establishment leaders.
Why it matters: The races will offer early clues into the mood of progressive voters and the direction of the Democratic Party ahead of the midterms and the 2028 election.
The Trump White House is pushing ahead with an extraordinary effort to game the system by redrawing congressional maps ahead of the midterms. Democrats are finding it tricky to fight back.
Why it matters: The push to add Republican House seats is sparking a chain reaction as the parties fight tooth-and-nail over the majority.
Rupert Murdoch's media empire is playing both sides of the Trump-Epstein scandal, breaking bombshell news with one hand and largely ignoring it with the other.
Why it matters: The Wall Street Journal's scoop about Trump's alleged letter to Jeffrey Epstein drew national headlines — just not on Fox News. The divergence underscores how Murdoch's dual media arms serve different audiences, but the same bottom line.
House Democrats are trying to get their hands on the now-infamous book celebrating Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday after it was suggested the disgraced financier's estate is in possession of it, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: As the minority party in Congress, Democrats have been largely toothless in their attempts to investigate President Trump. They believe this is a rare opportunity to obtain concrete information.
Americans are beginning to regain confidence in the Supreme Court after hitting an all-time low when the court effectively ruled to overturn Roe v Wade, according to an AP-NORC poll released Friday.
The big picture: The confidence boost is notable because Americans increasingly thinkthat the Supreme Court has too much power, a trend likely to grow as the justices continue to take on cases that Americans are deeply divided on.
A House Ethics Committee report released Friday found that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) underpaid for costs related to her attendance at the 2021 Met Gala and instructed her to make additional payments.
Why it matters: The committee said it will consider the matter closed once the payments are made, marking the end of a years-long saga triggered by Ocasio-Cortez's headline-making "Tax the Rich" gown.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is planning a fall visit to North Carolina to fundraise for Michael Whatley's upcoming Senate campaign, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Senior Republican officials think the North Carolina contest will be among the most expensive Senate races of 2026 — and that every dollar will matter.
Immigrants are finding it increasingly hard to find legal representation as the Trump administration ramps up deportation proceedings.
The big picture: An expected surge in new federal funding could supercharge both arrests and deportations at a time when immigration attorneys are already struggling to keep up with their day-to-day casework.
The Trump administration is pushing back on more media reports on his inclusion in a leather-bound album celebrating disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday.
The big picture: President Trump is suing the Wall Street Journal and owner Rupert Murdoch, challenging a report about a "bawdy" birthday letter bearing Trump's name in the book that Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly collated in 2003. Now, the WSJ has published a report naming other public figures it says were in the book.
President Trump on Friday suggested the government might consider issuing rebate checks to some Americans from the tariff revenue collected this year.
Why it matters: Rebates would return to consumers some of the higher prices they've paid as a result of those tariffs — but could also raise the specter of inflation, similar to previous rounds of government stimulus.
President Trump signaled on Friday that after the breakdown in negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should escalate the war to "get rid" of Hamas.
Why it matters: The crisis in the negotiations comes as the humanitarian situation grows increasingly catastrophic, with more and more reports from the UN and other agencies of Palestinians dying of starvation.
Top Senate Democrats on Friday accused Republicans of using a $50 billion fund for rural hospitals to "pay off" GOP lawmakers for their support of the "big, beautiful bill," Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Democrats are demanding clarity on how the fund — created to ease the brunt of GOP Medicaid cuts — will be distributed to states.
Meta on Friday said starting in October it will no longer accept political, election or social issue ads in the European Union, in response to new regulation that it says will cause "significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties."
Why it matters: Google already said it would pull ads in the EU for the same reason. Campaigns and cause and appeal organizations will have a significantly harder time placing ads online without the ability to run them on the EU's two biggest digital platforms.
Why it matters: The decline is driven by a 17-point plunge among independents, who give the president a 29% approval rating. His numbers with the group have never been lower.
A majority of Nevada swing voters in our latest Engagious/Sago focus groups who backed President Trump in November said they now disapprove of his administration's actions.
Why it matters: These swing voters' assessment of the administration were the most negative of any of our monthly panels this year besides March, when Michigan voters recoiled against Trump's tariff threats and antagonism toward neighbor Canada.
The Democratic National Committee will target MAGA voters with ads about Jeffrey Epstein in a dozen GOP-held House districts at the start of the August recess, Axios has learned.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) is introducing a bill that would amend decades-old requirements for immigrants seeking permanent status — another long-shot proposal amid the Trump administration's immigration raids.
The big picture: Congress has not passed a major immigration overhaul since 1986, resulting in residency requirements that are now over 50 years old.
Dozens of ambitious Democrats are looking at the next presidential contest and thinking: why not me?
Why it matters: The 2028 Democratic presidential primary is set to be the most wide-open field in a generation. It could also be the longest presidential contest ever.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday he wants "full transparency" in the Jeffrey Epstein files and the case is "not a hoax."
Why it matters: Johnson's comments to CBS News on the late convicted child sex offender's case are in notable contrast to President Trump's position on the matter.
The big picture: As part of his immigration crackdown,President Trump signed an executive order in April targeting sanctuary cities that don't comply with his agenda.
Alina Habba on Thursday proclaimed herself the acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, days after federal judges replaced her from the position.
The big picture: The move potentially sets up another fight with the courts after Habba, President Trump's second U.S. attorney nominee, was replaced by the judges in a signed court order.
The big picture: The Trump administration has been facing mounting pressure over its handling of the case as well as bipartisan calls to release all its documents on Epstein.
