Axios

Parents of children who died by suicide or self-harmed after talking to AI chatbots urged Congress to take action Tuesday as lawmakers push to pass bills to protect kids online and hold tech companies accountable.

Why it matters: Growing concerns over kids' use of AI chatbots, and the lawsuits that follow, are putting the pressure on Congress to act and companies to rethink how they launch products for young users.

A House Democrat responded Tuesday to GOP efforts to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) by forcing his own vote to censure Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.).

Why it matters: It's a prime example of censure increasingly being used as a partisan weapon rather than the House's most harsh rebuke from rule-breaking aside from expulsion.

U.S. tech companies are rolling out investments into U.K. AI infrastructure as President Trump kicks off his state visit to London.

Why it matters: The Trump administration wants allies to make American tech the backbone of their AI infrastructure — and these deals could lock in that path for the U.K.

Charlie Kirk's assassination has dealt a significant blow to MAGA's ability to pressure Washington and the Republican Party from outside the White House.

Why it matters: The right-wing media ecosystem is vast, with several figures wielding large audiences. But few can channel grassroots anger into real fear of primary challenges — the kind of pressure that shapes lawmakers' behavior.

A federal judge said Monday evening that she could not prevent a group of migrants that the Trump administration deported to Ghana from being sent back to their home countries, despite their credible fears of torture.

Why it matters: The ruling represents a win for the Trump administration as it seeks to ramp up removals through all possible avenues, including through third-party deportations, which send immigrants to countries they have no ties to.

Newly published text messages and conversations between Charlie Kirk's suspected shooter and his friends and family appear to further explain the motivation for targeting the conservative activist.

The big picture: The text messages seem to confirm that the suspected shooter targeted Kirk over Kirk's "political expression," and will likely add fuel to an already testy debate about the Turning Point USA's co-founder's legacy.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faced a short-lived Republican revolt on Tuesday against his efforts to block the House from voting to end President Trump's tariffs.

Why it matters: House Republicans have increasingly chafed against the economic impact of the tariffs, with some enraged at Johnson for shutting down a vote on them until April 2026 at the earliest.

FBI Director Kash Patel's hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee saw hours of partisan clashes, including fiery testimony over the Jeffrey Epstein files and the investigation into Charlie Kirk's killing.

Why it matters: The hearing comes as Trump's MAGA base has been critical of Patel and his handling of the investigation into Kirk's assassination. Trump has supported Patel despite the divide.

President Trump on Tuesday announced that the Republican Party will host a convention ahead of the 2026 midterms — an event Axios previously reported senior Democratic officials are also weighing putting on their party's calendar.

The big picture: The conventions typically happen every four years to formally nominate presidential candidates, but the possibility of dueling midterm gatherings demonstrates the weight both parties are placing on 2026, which could determine whether Trump retains his GOP trifecta in D.C.

President Trump's $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times — his fifth complaint against a major news company in the past two years — represents a notable shift in conservatives' approach to free speech issues.

Why it matters: For years, conservatives targeted Big Tech firms for alleged censorship, while criticizing newsrooms but mostly avoiding legal action against them.

The Boston Globe found itself in hot water after publishing an editorial titled "We need more Charlie Kirks" following the conservative activist's assassination last week.

Why it matters: Some readers interpreted the headline as support for Kirk's right-wing ideology, rather than as the Globe says it was intended — a call for more nonviolent political dialogue.

Senate Democrats are expected to roll out their own government funding plan on Tuesday, Axios has learned, countering a just-unveiled House GOP proposal.

Why it matters: Democrats want to lay out a clear alternative to the short-term Republican plan as the two sides hunker down for yet another partisan showdown ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline to prevent a government shutdown.

President Trump on Tuesday extended the deadline for a ban on TikTok again, this time until December, as reports indicated a potential deal with China includes the launch of a new app under U.S. control.

Why it matters: The repeated extensions come despite Congress passing a law just last year, with bipartisan support, to force the app's immediate sale or ban.

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty in the case of the 22-year-old suspect in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a spokesperson for the Utah County Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday.

The big picture: The investigation into the alleged shooter's motivations is ongoing, but filing the charges begins the criminal case in a death that has ratcheted up tensions as people on the left and the right try to blame the other ideological side for America's increasing political violence.

Senate Rules Chair Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told senators in a closed-door lunch on Tuesday that his committee is drafting a fix that would allow senators to use official funds for security expenses, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The rules change resolution will need to pass the full Senate to go into effect. Security fears have rippled through Congress following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Top Democrats quickly ruled out supporting a short-term government funding plan Republican leaders put forth Tuesday, raising the chances of a shutdown in two weeks.

Why it matters: Both sides are now fully engaged in a preemptive blame game, arguing the other side would bear responsibility for a government funding lapse on Oct. 1.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor questioned whether Americans have strong enough civics education to understand the difference between presidents and kings, multiple outlets reported.

Why it matters: While the court's senior liberal justice did not explicitly mention President Trump, a large movement has likened the president to a king in the face of what protesters maintain are threats to democracy.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' (D-N.Y.) progressive members are growing increasingly agitated at him for not yet endorsing Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: What began as a local issue has now reverberated throughout national Democratic politics and could have broader implications for Jeffries' leadership.

In a fit of whiplash, President Donald Trump has Chicago back in his sights, threatening to "go in early" to fight crime in the nation's third-largest city.

Why it matters: Trump seemingly backed down last week in the face of local opposition, shifting his attention to Memphis, where Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) welcomed federal assistance.

House Republican leaders released the text of a 91-page stopgap measure Tuesday to keep the government funded through Nov. 20 and provide additional resources for lawmaker security.

Why it matters: It's the opening salvo in what could be a drawn-out battle to avoid a shutdown in two weeks.

Attorney General Pam Bondi tells Axios her office is not prosecuting or investigating anyone for alleged hate speech, only for speech that she says unlawfully incites violence.

Why it matters: Bondi sought to clarify her comments during a Monday podcast in which she said the Justice Department would "absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech."

All eyes are on the government's short-term federal funding deal as efforts to renew a decade-old cyber threat information-sharing program have hit major roadblocks.

Why it matters: The law underpins cyber threat coordination between the federal government and the private sector by providing liability protections for companies sharing threat intelligence with the government.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that the bureau has "no credible information" that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein trafficked young women to other individuals beside himself.

The big picture: Bipartisan demands for transparency in the disgraced financier's case have plagued the Trump administration and Hill lawmakers for months following the FBI and Justice Department's conclusion that there was no incriminating list of Epstein's clients.

Robert Redford, the iconic actor who died Tuesday at 89, left a legacy that stretched beyond movies into environmental activism.

The big picture: Redford, who founded the Sundance Film Festival and pioneered the independent film scene, spent decades sounding the alarm on climate change.

FBI Director Kash Patel said during his Tuesday Senate testimony that the "original sin" in the investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was the way Alex Acosta initially brought the case in 2006.

The big picture: Acosta, who served as President Trump's labor secretary during his first term before resigning in 2019 amid scrutiny over his handling of the case, is set to appear before a House panel Friday.

A New York court Tuesday tossed out state-level terrorism charges against the suspect in the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City.

The big picture: The suspect still faces second-degree murder charges, but the court said prosecutors presented "insufficient evidence" to warrant terrorism charges under a state law enacted after the 9/11 attacks.

Companies are reacting to pressure from Republican officials and right-wing activists and quickly firing anyone who attempts to justify or minimize the killing of Charlie Kirk — or even criticize the slain conservative activist.

Why it matters: These firings could be legal, lawyers say, but they demonstrate fast-changing norms around free speech that many find troubling.

The Trump administration is redirecting millions in funds to historically Black colleges and universities and tribal universities days after it cut off some grants for colleges with large numbers of Hispanic students.

The big picture: President Trump has sought to eliminate so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies across American institutions, notably on college campuses and in their admissions offices. But at the same time, he's tried to align himself with historically Black universities.

Shoppers spent more than expected in August: Retail sales rose 0.6%, while the previous month's figures were revised higher, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Consumers continue to open their wallets, despite rocky labor market conditions and higher inflation that has raised concerns about the health of the economy.

President Trump on Monday filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and four of its reporters, claiming the paper is a "full-throated mouthpiece of the Democrat Party."

Why it matters: Trump frequently sounds off on the Times' coverage of his administration, campaigns, business dealings and legal cases. The suit is an escalation of his long-running feud with the news organization.

President Trump and MAGA spent years lampooning censorship, discrimination against conservatives, and progressive "cancel culture."

• Now in power — and riding an outpouring of grief and fury over Charlie Kirk's tragic killing — they're enforcing speech codes to punish ideological opponents.

Why it matters: Backed by the Trump administration, digital vigilantes are demanding arrests, firings and deportations for anti-Kirk posts and remarks.

President Trump's push for companies to report earnings semiannually instead of quarterly could force companies to rethink strategies for engaging retail investors.

Why it matters: Retail traders lack the access to corporate leadership that institutional investors historically enjoy. Fewer earnings reports could make it harder for investor relations teams to keep the retail crowd engaged.

Loneliness is draining U.S. youths' mental health, with 61% saying it takes at least somewhat of a toll and 35% reporting it disrupts their daily life, according to Hopelab and Data for Progress survey results shared exclusively with Axios.

The big picture: The polls shows two different paths, with over half of respondents reporting good mental health, though that state of well-being strongly correlates with income and LGBTQ+ identity.

President Trump suggested on Monday that U.S. public companies should not be required to report earnings quarterly, but on a six-month schedule instead, subject to Securities and Exchange Commission approval.

Why it matters: The potential shift could have huge implications for Wall Street, financial markets, traders and companies.

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia voters are raising questions about data centers and rising electricity rates as the state's November election nears — and energy officials, businesses and others are scurrying to answer them.

Why it matters: With most other states' elections happening a year from now, Virginia is seen as a bellwether of how hot-button political issues will play out nationally.

President Trump's high-profile crackdown on drug advertising could quickly hit a wall due to legal challenges and the changing ways medicines are marketed to the public.

Why it matters: Trump's targeting of misleading direct-to-consumer ads isn't backed by legal authority to actually ban pharmaceutical advertising.

Climate scientist David Keith said he's at least twice called police because of threats related to his work on solar geoengineering, in which a portion of the Sun's rays are reflected into space to temporarily cool the planet.

Why it matters: The incidents reflect — no pun intended — important lessons with regard to society's debates over climate and energy.

President Trump was a key booster of a series of grisly TV ads portraying the dangers of fentanyl — commercials that are now drenching the airwaves in several U.S. cities.

Why it matters: A multimillion-dollar campaign by a Trump-aligned group is running the ads in areas hit hard by the fentanyl epidemic — including West Virginia, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. — and is part of the White House's latest anti-drug push.

Visa revocations "are under way" over non-U.S. citizens celebrating the killing of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk, per a Monday night post by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The big picture: Rubio made the announcement on X while sharing a video from a Fox News interview Monday during which he was asked if he planned to restrict visa access or revoke visas for those celebrating Kirk's killing.

President Trump signed an order Monday to deploy the National Guard to Memphis in what he said would be a "replica" of his D.C. crime crackdown — and said Chicago is "probably next."

Why it matters: The latest test of Trump's presidential powers comes in the face of opposition from Memphis Mayor Paul Young (D).

Axios CEO Jim VandeHei writes:

Social media is a wonderful way to connect, discover news and insight, and spread a message.

• It's also an unmitigated dumpster fire of misinformation, mean personal taunts and metastasizing political madness.

Why it matters: The status quo of most social media sucks. We — you and I — need to reverse its course, and we need to start today.

Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook can continue to serve as President Trump's attempt to fire her is litigated, an appeals court decided in a 2-1 ruling on Monday.

Why it matters: The Fed's policy committee begins a two-day meeting Tuesday, at which it is likely to cut interest rates for the first time in nine months.

Some rank-and-file Senate Democrats are open to a short-term funding bill if it includes additional money to protect lawmakers.

Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) are daring Democrats to vote against a 50-day spending stopgap.

The Senate confirmed Stephen Miran to be a Federal Reserve governor on Monday, securing the post for a Trump loyalist just hours before the Fed meets to debate cutting interest rates.

Why it matters: President Trump has demanded lower interest rates from the Fed, and Miran is likely to make that case immediately.

A new group of younger House Democrats is issuing a steep demand to Republicans: Repeal major portions of the "one big, beautiful bill" that's now law and other Trump policies or prepare for a government shutdown.

Why it matters: It's the kind of hardline negotiating stance that some in the Democratic grassroots have been demanding for months, and it comes from a group whose modus operandi is upending the party's status quo.