Axios

Federal health officials announced a new push on Tuesday to ensure that Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees are U.S. citizens or have a satisfactory immigration status.

Why it matters: The effort could create new administrative hoops for enrollees to jump through.

Driving the news: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will begin providing states with "monthly enrollment reports identifying individuals whose citizenship or immigration status could not be confirmed through federal databases," the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

• The reports will draw on data from sources including the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.
• HHS emphasized that states are responsible for reviewing cases, verifying the immigration status of individuals on the CMS' reports, and "taking appropriate actions."
• All states will receive these reports within the next month, per the HHS.

Reality check: Traditional Medicaid coverage is not available to undocumented immigrants.

• "Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in federally funded coverage including Medicaid, CHIP, or Medicare or to purchase coverage through the ACA Marketplaces," per the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation.
• HHS did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

What they're saying: "Every dollar misspent is a dollar taken away from an eligible, vulnerable individual in need of Medicaid and CHIP," said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Between the lines: The change looks to put the burden of proof on the individuals whose immigration statuses the CMS cannot verify through the databases.

By the numbers: Despite the assertions of Oz — and other parts of President Trump's administration — there is not evidence that undocumented immigrants are broadly receiving Medicaid benefits they're not eligible for.

• Medicaid reimburses hospitals for emergency care provided to individuals who meet other eligibility requirements but lack eligible immigration status. Emergency spending rose less than 1% of total Medicaid spending between 2017 and 2023, according to KFF.
• Immigrants in the country legally may also qualify for Medicaid or CHIP, but face eligibility restrictions. There is a five-year waiting period for these modified forms of Medicaid and CHIP, which states can eliminate for children and pregnant people.

An early version of Republicans recently passed tax-and-spending bill would have cut federal payments to states that covered undocumented immigrants with their own funds.

• The provision was dropped after it was found to violate Senate rules.
• The White House claimed that the provision would "protect Medicaid for Americans by removing at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants from the program."

The other side: The 1.4 million figure "is unequivocally false," according to Georgetown University's Center for Families and Children.

• "The 1.4 million immigrants the White House presumably refers to are immigrants who will lose coverage due to reductions in state health care programs, funded by states and not by federal Medicaid dollars."

President Trump continued his crusade against the Smithsonian museum, on Tuesday saying he has instructed his attorneys to "go through the Museums" the same way that the administration has investigated universities nationwide.

The big picture: Trump's latest announcement came at the backdrop of the White House's extensive reviews of Smithsonian's exhibitions to root out what the president said was "divisive or ideologically driven" language.

Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to push California into a redistricting cold war amid President Trump's bid to bolster House Republicans' power ahead of the midterm.

Why it matters: Trump has positioned Texas Republicans' redistricting efforts as a strategy for GOP congressional control, with prominent Democrats in deep blue states beginning to mirror the Republican playbook.

The Justice Department is investigating the Washington, D.C., police to determine if the department has manipulated data to make crime numbers appear lower than they are, according to multiple outlets.

Why it matters: The criminal probe reflects an escalation of the Trump administration's tactics to exert unprecedented control over the nation's capital, amid broad reporting that the city is not experiencing an outbreak in violent crime.

The Texas Democrat who slept in the state Capitol on Monday is accusing the state's House speaker of illegally confining her and threatening her with arrest.

Why it matters: Rep. Nicole Collier's court filing is an escalation of a two-week standoff between Texas Democrats and Republicans over rare mid-decade redistricting, which could create up to five additional U.S. House districts favorable to Republicans.

California Republicans asked the state Supreme Court to pause Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) redistricting legislation to give the public time to review the proposal.

Why it matters: The Monday lawsuit escalates the nationwide partisan redistricting battle, kicked off by President Trump pushing for redistricting in Texas.

MAGA is anxious for clarity on U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, torn between trusting President Trump's peace efforts and the movement's deep-rooted aversion to foreign interventionism.

Why it matters: As an essential precondition for ending the war, Ukraine wants written, binding assurances that its allies — namely Europe, but preferably the U.S. — will defend it from future Russian attacks.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers under the Trump administration must consider the "positive attributes" of immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship — rather than just the absence of misconduct — according to a recent policy memo.

The big picture: The Friday USCIS memo calls for a more "holistic" approach to assessing the "good moral character" of an immigrant seeking naturalization under an administration that has cracked down on immigration and pathways to citizenship in unprecedented ways.

The Gathering of Nations, a celebration of Indigenous dancing, music and art from around the world in what has become North America's largest powwow, will end next year, organizers announced.

Why it matters: The ending closes a chapter in Native American history that has been mentioned in movies and novels and brought hundreds of thousands to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for more than 40 years.

A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration's Federal Trade Commission investigation into Media Matters, arguing the probe violated the liberal watchdog group's freedom of speech.

Why it matters: Conservatives have targeted advertising and media groups with allegations of bias for months, but to little avail, thanks to strong First Amendment speech protections.

The job market is hotter than average in some states but cooler in others, new data shows.

The big picture: Americans are feeling almost as gloomy about the job market as they did during the Great Recession — and entry-level workers are having an especially hard time getting their foot in the door.

President Trump said Tuesday that American troops won't be sent to Ukrainian border as part of a peace agreement with Russia.

Why it matters: Following his meeting with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump said a security guarantee will be provided to Ukraine by the various European countries as well as the U.S., although details remain unclear.

The Trump administration wants to help struggling U.S. chipmaker Intel, which today received a $2 billion vote of confidence from Japan's SoftBank.

• Its strategy, however, is confusing.

U.S. homebuilders started construction on new homes at the quickest pace in five months in July, though permits for future projects were the weakest since 2020.

Why it matters: The rise in activity might not ease fears that the housing recession, underway for years, could get worse in the months ahead.

The League of Conservation Voters is launching a $4 million campaign across swing states and districts to sour voters on the GOP budget law, the group told Axios exclusively.

Why it matters: It will help determine whether green groups can politically tether rising power prices to the law in the 2026 midterms, where control of both chambers of Congress is in play.

Democrats are tortured by what they should stand for now and heading into the 2028 elections. But a number of current trends suggest a likely answer: their own version of a populist, anti-establishment, MAGA-like makeover.

Why it matters: The debate is usually framed as liberal vs. centrist, Rahm versus AOC. But big, fast changes in AI, media habits and general public angst point to a more sweeping shift in ideas and attitude.

CLEAR and the TSA are piloting biometric "eGates" at three major U.S. airports ahead of a nationwide rollout, the identity verification company told Axios exclusively.

Why it matters: U.S. airports are bracing for record-breaking crowds in 2026 with the World Cup and America's 250th birthday.

Nearly half of non-immigration-related arrests during President Trump's D.C. takeover have taken place in two of the most crime-ridden areas, according to an analysis the White House shared with Axios.

Why it matters: The figures refute critics who claimed the takeover was all for show or was not targeting high-crime areas, per a White House official who crunched the numbers this weekend.

After I wrote last week about Mel Robbins' "Let Them Theory," Mike Allen and I had a series of interactions that reminded us of a helpful twist:

• Call it the "Tell Them Theory."

Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI director Kash Patel have appointed Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to serve as bureau co-deputy director alongside Dan Bongino, Fox News Digital first reported on Monday and Axios can confirm.

Between the lines: The new position is seen by insiders as a prelude to the eventual departure of Bongino, who clashed with Bondi amid the fallout over the release of the Epstein files, per Axios' Marc Caputo.

President Trump says D.C. restaurants are "busier than they've been in a long time" — but industry data and local business owners tell a different story.

Why it matters: Trump's claim on Monday clashes with real-time OpenTable data and restaurateur accounts that reflect a sharp dip since his federal enforcement began.