Democrats in Congress are warming to a strategy of maximum retaliation in response to Republicans' efforts to draw more favorable congressional maps ahead of the 2026 elections.
Why it matters: This is a rare moment in which House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and his members are perfectly aligned with the demands of their grassroots base to fight fire with fire.
"The Pitt" is following up the success of its debut season with a second that addresses President Trump's recently passed "big, beautiful bill," whose cuts to Medicaid could affect millions of people.
An Army sergeant is in custody after a shooting at Fort Stewart military base in Georgia that injured five soldiers on Wednesday, officials said.
The big picture: It's believed the suspect used a personal handgun and "not a military weapon" to open fire at the base that briefly went on lockdown, said Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, at a Wednesday afternoon briefing.
Six Fort Stewart soldiers who tackled and subdued a gunman during a mass shooting at the Georgia military base this week were awarded medals by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll on Thursday.
What they're saying: "They were unarmed and ran at and tackled an armed person who they knew was actively shooting their buddies, their colleagues, their fellow soldiers," Driscollsaid at a briefing praising their heroism over Wednesday's incident that injured five people.
President Trump on Thursday said he would nominate Council of Economic Advisers head Stephen Miranto fill a vacant seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
Why it matters: The pick comes as the White House continues its pressure campaign to get lower interest rates.
President Trump signed a memorandum on Thursday requiring higher learning institutions receiving federal funding to provide the administration with their race-based admissions data, according to a document reviewed by Axios.
Why it matters: The memo is Trump's latest move to target the diversity, equity and inclusion policies in America's institutions that the administration says have gone too far by disenfranchising white people.
President Trump on Thursday called for "a new and highly accurate" census that excludes undocumented immigrants, an unusual move that could set up another legal challenge of the U.S. Constitution.
The big picture: Though it doesn't exactly spell out a methodology, the Constitution has a pretty clear vision for when the census should happen and how it should calculate population totals.
The Veterans Administration has terminated the union rights of hundreds of thousands of its employees — even as the Trump administration had instructed agencies to hold off on such a step.
Why it matters: The White House crackdown on the federal workforce, begun under DOGE, isn't letting up, and, in particular, it's impacting veterans, who make up a disproportionate share of the federal workforce.
The FBI has agreed to cooperate with Texas state law enforcement to locate the 50 Democratic legislators who left the state to avoid a vote on redistricting, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said on Thursday.
The big picture: For days, Texas Republicans have been threatening the state legislators with "legal consequences" for breaking the quorum, a sentiment that President Trump also echoed.
President Trump's sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries went into effect Thursday morning after the clock struck midnight, marking a historic escalation in global trade tensions.
The big picture: After a lengthy delay, the levies — as high as 50% — are finally here, and they could start impacting pocketbooks in the months ahead.
The current U.S. tariff policy will cost midsize businesses $82.3 billion, according to a new report from the JPMorganChase Institute.
Why it's important: Midsize businesses, often defined as those with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion, generate about one-third of U.S. private sector revenue and employment.
They're an important — yet often overlooked — segment of the economy.
The challenge: Nearly half (48%) of midsize companies import goods. Unlike larger companies, these firms may lack the scale or market power to absorb additional cost burdens or negotiate with suppliers for better prices.
Workers inside the agency that oversees Social Security warn that they're buckling under the strain of understaffing — accelerated by recent Trump administration initiatives.
Why it matters: Americans applying for benefits or needing help at their local Social Security field offices are facing delays, workers say.
Katie Miller, a fiercely loyal aide in both Trump administrations, revealed to Axios that she has left her full-time work for Elon Musk — and today will launch a podcast, "The Katie Miller Podcast," aimed at conservative women.
Why it matters: Miller, 33, had behind-the-scenes sway as an adviser to Musk at the height of his DOGE muscle. She left government with him at the end of May, but now is an entrepreneur building her own brand.
Dialog — a secretive, invite-only network founded two decades ago by Peter Thiel and Auren Hoffman, the star investors and entrepreneurs — is preparing a major expansion, including a real estate purchase to build a campus in the D.C. suburbs, a tipster familiar with the group's plans tells Axios.
Why it matters: Dialog, often compared to a tech-era Bilderberg, has quietly become one of the most elite, and mysterious, gatherings for CEOs, elected officials, and intellectual heavyweights.
The White House is sending nine Cabinet secretaries across the country to try to sell President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" to skeptical voters — a move underscoring the administration's increasing urgency as it pivots toward the 2026 midterms.
Why it matters: The stakes are huge. Top Republicans believe the Trump team's ability to make the massive tax-and-spending bill more palatable to voters will go a long way toward determining the GOP's prospects in next year's elections.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to sell her upcoming book through the joint committee her campaign team ran with the Democratic National Committee.
Last weekend, Harris' team sent a promotional email about the book, "107 Days," that was paid for by the Harris Victory Fund — a collaboration between her presidential campaign, the DNC and state Democratic parties.
Why it matters: Harris is a potential 2028 presidential candidate, and the party apparatus is supposed to be neutral in how it deals with possible contenders.
President Trump celebrated his sweeping new tariffs finally taking effect on dozens of trading partners early Thursday.
Why it matters: Trump's tariff policy has begun to impact some businesses, which warn they'll have to pass costs onto consumers. But the president wrote on Truth Social as the levies took effect that "BILLIONS OF DOLLARS" were now "FLOWING" into the U.S.
American adults and kids over age 1 got more than half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods like hamburgers, pizza and sweetened drinks between 2021 and 2023, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why it matters: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made cleaning up the U.S. diet a priority, though critics say he's mostly extracted pledges from companies to swap out single ingredients, which won't make much difference in health.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is investigating a political group led by former presidential candidate and Rep. Beto O'Rourke to see whether its funding of Democrats who fled the state Sunday over a redistricting vote is illegal, his office announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: Paxton's investigation into whether the O'Rourke-led Powered by People might have violated bribery laws marks the latest escalation in Republicans' response to the quorum-busting Texas Democrats.
O'Rourke indicated in social media posts that he's undeterred by the probe.
The Massachusetts State House became a national pulpit Wednesday morning for lawmakers rallying behind Texas Democrats refusing to head home for a redistricting vote. Between the lines: Boston has been hosting state lawmakers across the country this week for the National Conference of State Legislatures summit — a gathering that organizers hoped would remain civil.
