Republican senators are evading direct critiques of President Trump's FCC chair, Brendan Carr, who seemed to threaten broadcast companies if they did not drop late-night host Jimmy Kimmel after his Charlie Kirk monologue.
Why it matters: The Republican response stands in stark contrast to the Democrats, who are sounding the alarm over what they see as a clear and craven assault on the First Amendment.
The Republican Party's pro-Israel allies are going all-out to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie. He's responded by making those attacks a centerpiece of his campaign.
Why it matters: The GOP's mega-donor ranks are filled with backers of Israel, and they're showing they're willing to invest in defeating lawmakers who are critical of Israel.
All eyes will be on State Farm Stadium on Sunday, where a massive security presence will surround the memorial for Charlie Kirk.
Why it matters: The event, "Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk," comes amid heightened tensions following the conservative activist's fatal shooting in Utah last week.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s handpicked vaccine advisors on Thursday approved limiting the availability of a combined shot for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, the virus that causes chicken pox.
The 12-member panel also appeared poised to do away with the recommendation that all newborns receive the Hepatitis B vaccine, but delayed a vote until Friday.
Charlamagne tha God said he would "definitely" sit down and have a conversation with President Trump if given a chance, "The Breakfast Club" co-host said Thursday at Axios Media Trends Live.
Why it matters: Appearing on Charlamagne's show and The Black Effect Podcast Network could offer the president access to the company's 2 million-plus monthly listeners, and comes at a time when the Trump administration is pressuring broadcasters to moderate their content to better align with the president's ideals.
The Senate confirmed 48 of President Trump's nominees in a roll call vote Thursday after Republicans invoked the "nuclear option" by using a simple majority to officially change chamber rules.
The big picture: Among those confirmed on Thursday was Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host who was engaged to the president's elder son Donald Trump Jr., who's now U.S. ambassador to Greece.
President Trump said networks giving him negative coverage may deserve to have their licenses revoked, ramping up threats administration officials have made in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing.
Why it matters: Trump's threat came a day after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show over remarks about conservative's response to Kirk's death, a move critics already see as government-driven censorship.
There's a growing split between MAGA Republicans and non-MAGA GOP voters on the state of the economy, according to research firm Global Strategy Group's nationwide study of 1,000 registered voters conducted in early September.
Why it matters: The results highlight a growing divide in sentiment among Republicans amid Trump's shifting economic policies.
A federal judge slammed the Trump administration for trying to deport a group of Guatemalan children on Thursday, saying that the government's justification for removal "crumbled like a house of cards."
Why it matters: The judge criticized the Trump administration for trying to circumvent the children's rights and rejected federal officials' attempts to rebrand the removals as "reunifications."
The Federal Communications Commission under the Trump administration is "weaponizing its licensing authority in order to bring broadcasters to heel," FCC commissioner Anna Gomez said Thursday at the Axios Media Trends Live event.
Why it matters: Her comments come as FCC Chair Brendan Carr has been vocal in pressuring broadcasters with threats of investigations and warning of other actions.
Former President Obama condemned ABC for pulling Jimmy Kimmel off the air Thursday, calling it "government coercion" by a Trump administration official.
Why it matters: Obama, who infrequently wades into political fights, joined other high-profile personalities in accusing the administration of hypocrisy for threatening broadcasters after the MAGA movement spent years railing against "cancel culture" and "censorship."
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will attend conservative activist Charlie Kirk's funeral on Sunday, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Kirk's assassination has left raw emotions on Capitol Hill, especially among Republicans who were close to him and his movement, including Johnson.
President Trump's economic agenda collided with the Supreme Court Thursday, as Trump asked the justices to let him fire Fed governor Lisa Cook and the court scheduled arguments on a challenge to his trade agenda.
Why it matters: The outcome of both cases has major implications for the future of the economy and administration policy.
At a closed-door meeting Thursday morning, multiple House Democrats raised the fear that lawmakers who vote against a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk could be subjected to threats or even violence, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It was a tense and emotional meeting — some members left visibly upset — that added fuel to existing concerns about the potentially dire political ramifications of the vote.
Erika Kirk, the widow of slain activist Charlie Kirk, was named as his replacement to be CEO of Turning Point USA, the youth mobilization movement founded in 2012.
Why it matters: Charlie Kirk's activism through Turning Point USA is widely credited with helping Republicans make significant gains with young voters in the 2024 election. Its next leader will be tasked with continuing that work to lock those gains in for future midterm and presidential candidates.
Hundreds of federal workers across 60 agencies and departments are urging Congress to rein in the White House even if it means shutting down the government, in a letter sent Thursday afternoon.
Why it matters: It's the broadest protest yet to emerge from inside the civil service — a sign of widespread discontent, anger and worry over the Trump administration's cuts to research, spending and the workforce.
AI policy proposals, and even many AI investments, often are rooted in the concept of a "race with China." Rarely is there follow-up about what the race course or finish line might look like.
Yesterday, however, we got into some of the particulars during an Axios AI+ Summit conversation with Sriram Krishnan, the longtime tech exec and venture capitalist who now serves as the White House's senior policy advisor for AI.
A resolution to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk and condemn his assassination has been the subject of frenzied talk among House Democrats this week as some lawmakers grapple with how to vote on it.
Why it matters: Kirk was not beloved by Democrats, but some in the party fear that anything short of a unanimous vote for the resolution could be a messaging coup for Republicans.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and his leadership team on Thursday called for Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr to resign over the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel.
Why it matters: The House Democratic leaders are accusing Carr of using his government position to pressure a private company to crack down on protected First Amendment speech — and they're promising an investigation.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s push to reshape vaccine policy will hit a crescendo on Thursday, when his handpicked advisory panel is expected to consider limiting the availability of MMR, hepatitis B and COVID-19 shots.
Why it matters: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) traditionally operates on scientific consensus and makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Trump-friendly billionaires are consolidating control over American media, steering legacy brands and social platforms in a new conservative direction.
Why it matters: The media landscape of 2016 is unrecognizable. Once dominated by critics of President Trump, today's fragmented ecosystem is increasingly controlled — or threatened — by forces aligned with the White House.
Axios' 2025 AI+ DC Summit mapped a stark divide in approaches to handling a predicted tidal wave of jobs disrupted or eliminated by AI.
Why it matters: Whether and how to help workers navigate a job market reshaped by AI will be one of the most consequential choices the U.S. government makes in the next few years.
President Trump was hosted by King Charles III in southeast England during the first full day of his second U.K. state visit on Wednesday.
The big picture: The president and first lady Melania Trump were escorted by royal carriage to Windsor Castle, Windsor, where the king held a ceremonial reception and later a state banquet, as some protesters rallied nearby and thousands more demonstrated some 25 miles away in central London.
Three police officers in York County, Pennsylvania, were shot and killed and two others criticallyinjured on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
The big picture: The suspect in the shooting, which happened in a rural community some 100 miles west of Philadelphia, is also dead, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris said at a Wednesday evening briefing.
An immigration judge ordered that Mahmoud Khalil, a leader in Columbia University's pro-Palestinian protests and a legal U.S. resident, be deported to Syria or Algeria, per court documents filed Wednesday.
The big picture: The judge found the former Columbia student who's been at the center of a protracted legal fight with the Trump administration that saw him spend over three months in immigration detention had failed to disclose certain information on his green card application, per the documents submitted by his lawyers, who indicated they'll appeal the ruling.
President Trump is designating the anti-fascist antifa movement as a terrorist organization, according to a post he made during his state visit to the United Kingdom early Thursday U.K. time.
What he's saying: "I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Many Democrats in America, for the first time, feel not merely powerless, but like targeted strangers in an occupied land.
Many write to us wondering: What can they do beyond protesting government actions they find truly abhorrent and yelling on social media?
Why it matters: If there were simple answers, they wouldn't keep asking the same question. But, conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat has offered several worthy thought experiments to help liberals — but really anyone — think more deeply about solutions.
Jimmy Kimmel's comments on the killing of Charlie Kirk saw his show pulled by ABC on Wednesday.
The big picture: "'Jimmy Kimmel Live' will be pre-empted indefinitely," an ABC spokesperson said in a statement shared with outlets including Axios. Here's what Kimmel said on his show and Instagram about Kirk's shooting in Utah last week.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) failed Wednesday in her attempt to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) over comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk after four Republicans voted against her measure.
Why it matters: Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) provided the decisive vote shortly after Axios reported that Democrats planned to pull a retaliatory censure resolution against him if the Omar measure failed.
Two Democratic groups are launching a six-figure ad campaign against Rep. Monica De La Cruz, hoping to capitalize on Latino voters' growing discontent with President Trump's economy.
Why it matters: Democrats see South Texas as a proving ground for whether they can claw back Latino support in 2026.
