Some Republican lawmakers on Sunday platformed the administration's recent claims that Obama-era officials waged a Russia-related conspiracy against President Trump — but stopped short of endorsing the president's allegations of "treason."
The big picture: Trump is again bemoaning a years-long grudge against the widely held conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, following new accusations from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard of a "treasonous conspiracy" from former President Barack Obama to sabotage Trump's first term.
The big picture: The case of the disgraced financier, who died in 2019, has taken on new life under the second Trump administration, creating splinters in the president's base and dominating conversations on Capitol Hill.
There will be no more extensions on tariff deadlines, and they will go into force as scheduled on August 1, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday.
Why it matters: Since January, the world has gotten accustomed to President Trump announcing tariffs and then reversing them, pulling them back at the last moment, or pausing them shortly after going into effect.
The U.S.'s great AI race with China, now freshly embraced by President Trump, is a competition in the dark with no clear prize or finish line.
Why it matters: Similar "races" of the past — like the nuclear arms race and the space race — have sparked innovation, but victories haven't lasted long or meant much.
The U.S. economy is about to enter one of the busiest weeks economists have ever seen.
Why it matters: The release of important national data this coming week — GDP! Jobs! Inflation! — will show whether the economy is still holding up under the weight of Trump's trade wars.
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.
