New data show that the number of migrants attempting to cross the dangerous Darién Gap from Colombia into Panama has dropped to almost zero.
Why it matters: The decline suggests fewer migrants are attempting the 2,600-mile trek to the U.S., amid President Trump's immigration crackdown and Panama President José Raúl Mulino's vow to close the dangerous route.
Brown University and the Trump administration reached a deal to restore federal funding on Wednesday, the Providence, Rhode Island, school announced.
Why it matters: The administration announced in April it would pull some $510 million in funding from the Ivy League college amid an investigation into alleged antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
Democrats are attacking each other on the Senate floor, Republicans are going at it in committee and the president is lighting up a key GOP ally on Truth Social.
Why it matters: Party infighting seems contagious this summer. But leaders don't know how to break the fever — and they are in their own standoff over how and when to take a much-needed recess.
At Rep. Thomas Massie's request, House Speaker Mike Johnson successfully appealed directly to President Trump for a truce, multiple sources told Axios.
But Massie broke the truce just days later, accusing top Republicans of covering up the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Why it matters: The personal attacks blindsided the House leaders who'd stepped in to shield the Kentucky Republican from Trump's public rebuke.
A dozen Democratic lawmakers accused the Trump administration of obstructing congressional oversight by denying them access to immigration detention facilities in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
The big picture: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities have become a flashpoint between the Trump administration and Democrats who want to inspect the treatment and condition of detainees.
President Trumprevoked on Wednesday an exemption on tariffs for global packages worth less than $800.
Why it matters: The "de minimis" loophole has been an important protection for businesses overseas and U.S. customers, and getting rid of it will make low-price goods from around the world more expensive for Americans.
The Trump administration is flipping language about inclusion and diversity on its head to the advantage of white Americans as a requirement to receive federal grants.
Why it matters: The move follows the administration'sdramatic change to the government's interpretation of Civil Rights-era laws to focus on "anti-white racism" rather than discrimination against people of color.
The U.S. Army rescinded a job offer to a top Biden administration cyber official at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point after public criticism from far-right activist Laura Loomer.
Why it matters: Loomer, a prominent conspiracy theorist and self-appointed enforcer of loyalty to Trump, has a remarkable level of influence over hirings and firings inside Trump 2.0.
The Trump administration quietly rushed through a major change to Social Security's phone service policy, but after advocates for the elderly expressed concerns, the agency that oversees the program now says the change is "optional."
Why it matters: The policy would have forced millions more Americans to travel to the agency's already understaffed field offices to do routine things like change their address, obtain a tax form or generate a benefit verification letter.
Struggling to understand where we are in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking probe? You're probably not alone.
The big picture: We've answered six questions to explain the basics of the Epstein investigation and President Trump's past relationship with the financier, given the intensifying public pressure on this administration to release court files.
President Trump on Wednesday took another sweeping series of tariff actions, formally imposing new levies on copper and Brazil and revoking a global exemption on tariffs for packages worth less than $800.
Why it matters: Ending the so-called de minimis exemption will make low-price goods from around the world more expensive for American consumers.
Former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris ruled out a run for California governor on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Following her loss in the 2024 presidential election, Harris was reportedly weighing a potential 2026 gubernatorial run as California Gov. Gavin Newsom is termed out of the position.
Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), the 77-year-old who froze up during a House floor speech in February due to what his staff said was a partial seizure, is now facing a primary challenger.
Why it matters: Like many of the younger insurgents trying to unseat longtime incumbents, challenger Luke Bronin is running explicitly on a message of generational change.
Why it matters: The letter from the ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee could put Amazon in a tight spot — forced to talk about tariffs' impacts on prices just months after the White House threatened the retailer over sharing tariff costs.
Why it matters: From taxes to mortgages to retirement, the Trump administration wants to embed crypto in the economy as quickly and broadly as possible.
Senate Democrats on Wednesday will mount a last-ditch effort to block President Trump's tariffs from taking full effect at the end of this week, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Democrats, who argue Trump's tariffs could add $2,400 to the average American household expenses, are making signs of economic angst a centerpiece of their 2026 midterm messaging.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Senate Democrats announced Wednesday that they'll use an obscure federal law known as the "Rule of Five" in an attempt to force the Justice Department to release more documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Texas Republicans released a proposed new congressional district map Wednesday that targets Democrats in an attempt to create five new GOP seatsahead of the 2026 midterms.
Why it matters: The move to redraw district boundaries in the middle of the decade is unusual and comes as President Trump seeks to keep hold on the U.S. House.
The Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday unanimously advanced a huge housing bill aimed at boosting the supply of homes in the U.S.
Why it matters: It's a rare moment of bipartisan agreement — and a sign of how bad the real estate market has gotten in the U.S., where home prices have soared and there's an ongoing shortage of affordable homes.
The Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on the Brazilian judge leading the investigation into former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Why it matters: The sanctions are a marked escalation of the increasingly tense dispute between the U.S. and Brazil over Trump ally Bolsonaro, with major tariffs looming as soon as Friday as well.
Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) is expected to announce this week that he will not seek reelection, a senior House Democrat familiar with the matter told Axios on the condition of anonymity.
Why it matters: The development comes as Democrats' old guard is facing a virtual revolt among their younger grassroots base to step aside and allow a new generation of leaders to emerge.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday became the latest septuagenarian House Democrat facing a primary challenge after 26-year-old Liam Elkind launched a bid for his seat.
Why it matters: Elkind is drawing on concerns that Nadler, the 78-year-old former Judiciary Committee chair and dean of the New York congressional delegation, is too old to effectively fight President Trump.
The Trump-era economy has "officially arrived," Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday.
Why it matters: The declaration came shortly after a second-quarter GDP report that suggested strong growth on the surface, though with underlying weakness as businesses slashed investments.
Senior officialsfrom the Biden-era Department of Energy loan office are publicly launching a nonprofit on Wednesday that aims to speed deployment of low-carbon tech in the U.S. and abroad.
Why it matters: It's the latest example of how the federal policy U-turn on energy and climate is creating new efforts in response.
The gulf is widening between the Pentagon and the Washington defense orthodoxy — or what's left of it under Trump 2.0.
Most recently, the Pentagon suspended participation in think tank events, a signal that outside experts consulted and courted by past White Houses are to be treated as suspect.
The big picture: This administration's pledge to upend the status quo, exemplified by the "Make America Lethal Again" mantra, has manifested in two forms:
China-specific national-security concerns were a big reason the Justice Department decided last month to allow Hewlett Packard Enterprise to take over rival Juniper Networks, Trump administration officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: Axios has learned that the U.S. intelligence community intervened to persuade the Justice Department that allowing the merger to proceed was essential to helping U.S. business compete with China's Huawei Technologies, among other national-security issues.
President Trump has extracted more than $1.2 billion in settlements from 13 of the most powerful players in academia, law, media and tech, according to an Axios analysis.
If finalized, a potential $500 million deal with Harvard would represent his largest trophy to date.
Why it matters: America's most elite institutions have largely succumbed to the Trump administration's cultural crackdown, opting to pay up — often to the tune of tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars — rather than fight back.
Attention on Tuesday turned back to an Epstein accuser, the late Virginia Giuffre, as the Trump administration faced growing pressure over its handling of the Epstein files.
The big picture: President Trump suggested Tuesday the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein "poached" workers from his Mar-a-Lago resort and among them may have been Giuffre — one of the highest-profile accusers in the case, who died by suicide in April.
Elon Musk's new political party is so far a no-go on the launch pad.
Why it matters: A Musk-backed "America Party" could disrupt the midterms and escalate his feud with President Trump. But "Musk has read the room," said Dan Ives, a Wedbush Securities analyst who's followed him for decades.
The Senate narrowly confirmed Emil Bove, President Trump's former personal attorney, as a federal appeals court judge on Tuesday evening.
By the numbers: Senators voted 50-49 to confirm Trump's nominee to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which oversees Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Virgin Islands.
