U.S. Army soldiers who took part in the 1890 slaughter of Lakota men, women and children at Wounded Knee will keep their medals posthumously, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on social media Thursday.
Why it matters: The move halts some lawmakers' push to revoke medals tied to the massacre on South Dakota's present-day Oglala Sioux tribal lands — an event Native Americans see as a painful climax of Indigenous removal.
Several official congressional trips that were scheduled for next week have been canceled due to the possibility of a government shutdown, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's one of the starkest indicators yet that lawmakers on Capitol Hill are hunkering down for a shutdown as Republican and Democratic leadership appear far from a deal.
President Trump late Friday demanded Microsoft fire its head of global affairs, Lisa Monaco, over her work in the Biden administration.
Why it matters: Trump's push for one of the world's largest companies to oust one of its top executives is the latest example of the administration's broad efforts to exert more active oversight of corporate America.
President Trump ordered his administration to release "all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her," he said on Friday.
The big picture: Trump's orders around Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, are the latest in the president's declassification spree.
I called him "Counselor!" He called me: "Mister Allen!"
Robert B. Barnett — the iconic Williams & Connolly lawyer for 50 years referred to in news stories for decades as "powerhouse attorney" — has died in Washington at 79.
Friends called him "the doorman to Washington's revolving door," as noted 25 years ago in a New York Times profile headlined, "The Kingpin of Washington Book Deals."
House Democrats are planning to flood the zone with media events in Washington, D.C. next week ahead of a potential government shutdown, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The party is trying to seize control of the public narrative around the federal funding fight as President Trump accuses Democratic leadership of making "ridiculous" demands.
This year, white men made up a majority of new directors at S&P 500 companies for the first time since 2017, according to data from research firm ISS-Corporate.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and his staff are closely coordinating their government shutdown strategy with outside liberal groups, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The same groups slammed Schumer earlier this year for caving on government funding. This time, the Democratic leader is playing to his base.
If North Carolina lawmakers redistrict to try for one more Republican seat in the U.S. House in 2026, they'll likely only have until December to draw a new map.
Why it matters: Rumors began swirling this week that North Carolina will become the latest state to redistrict. And CBS17 reported that Republican Senate leader Phil Berger was considering redrawing maps in exchange for a Trump endorsement — though he denied it.
A map redrawing is under consideration, multiple N.C. political insiders, who were not authorized to speak publicly about redistricting, told Axios. President Donald Trump has been pushing the strategy to give his party an advantage in the midterm slump that typically hits the president's party.
The Justice Department indicted former FBI director James Comey Thursday following a social media post from President Trump that demanded prosecution for more of the president's political foes.
Why it matters: Trump has shattered norms around the Justice Department by installing loyalists at the top and inserting himself into prosecutions at an agency that has historically operated with some independence from the president.
Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and Steve Bannon are all named in copies of Jeffrey Epstein's daily schedules released Friday by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.
Why it matters: The schedules make reference to Musk possibly flying to an "island" in 2014, and Thiel and Bannon apparently dining with Epstein as recently as 2017 and 2019, respectively.
President Trump on Friday called for changes to the childhood vaccination schedule and how the combined measles, mumps and rubella shot is distributed to children.
Why it matters: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s advisors recently voted to limit MMRV access, renewing debate over vaccine timing.
Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat, has told at least two donors that she's running for governor next year, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: A Hinojosa win in the Democratic nomination would set up a battle with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, seeking a fourth term, for the state's Latino vote.
Early warnings suggest next week's possible government shutdowncould be especially disruptive.
Why it matters: President Trump and budget director Russ Vought have framedthe shutdown as a chance to more permanently reshape the federal workforce, not just pause government services.
In a recurring form of protest against widely contentious leaders, dozens of United Nations delegates walked out of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks on Friday.
Why it matters: Global pressure has mounted on Netanyahu to end violence in Gaza as the U.S. is increasingly isolated on the world stage for its support of Israel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked President Trump during their meeting on Tuesday to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, which could give Ukraine the ability to strike as far into Russia as Moscow.
The intrigue: Zelensky told "The Axios Show" on Wednesday that he'd asked Trump for an additional weapons system that could force Russian President Vladimir Putin to enter peace talks — perhaps without Ukraine even having to use it.
Forallthe senseofangst about the U.S. economy of late, the American consumer continues powering growth forward.
New data out this morning confirms that trajectory continued through late summer.
Why it matters: All those recessionwarnings from earlier in the year are looking flat wrong. When consumers keep spending (which they are) and businesses keep investing (which they also are), the economy can't — almost as a matter of arithmetic — fall into a contraction.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told "The Axios Show" that in the opening hours of Russia's invasion, he could not have imagined still being alive and in office 3.5 years later.
The big picture: The fact that the war is ongoing is both deeply tragic and quite remarkable, given initial expectations among many Western officials and military experts that Russia would steamroll through the Ukrainian lines.
A Justice Department senior official ordered federal prosecutors to draw up investigative plans targeting George Soros' philanthropic network after President Trump called the billionaire Democratic donor a "bad guy" who should be jailed, according to the New York Times.
Why it matters: Trump is systematically directing the DOJ to target political enemies, shattering long-standing norms of prosecutorial independence as he builds off this week's indictment of ex-FBI Director James Comey.
When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team gathered on Tuesday to discuss their just-concluded meeting with President Trump, they agreed it had gone well.
They didn't know how well until Trump posted on Truth Social that he now believed Ukraine could defeat Russia militarily. Zelensky had no idea that was coming, he told "The Axios Show," and was "very surprised."
Why it matters: Trump's rhetorical reversal didn't change the situation on the battlefield, or even U.S. policy. But Zelensky left New York feeling much better about his relationship with Trump and the possibility the U.S. will now help him turn the tide of the war.
Data center developers should provide their own electricity if enough isn't available, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Axios in a Climate Week NYC interview.
Why it matters: Energy-hungry data centers are prompting a rush for electricity after decades of stagnant growth, and some independent grid operators warn power shortages could be ahead.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered a warning to Vladimir Putin, new details about his meeting with President Trump, and a pledge about his own political future in an interview with "The Axios Show."
Inside the room: The interview took place on Wednesday night in New York, immediately before Zelensky departed the UN General Assembly for Kyiv.
California appears to be moving closer to enacting a major AI law that would mandate transparency measures from frontier AI companies.
Why it matters: Gov. Gavin Newsom has not definitively said whether he will sign the bill, SB 53 — but its momentum is strong, and if signed, the law would have major implications for the country's biggest AI names.
AI and quantum computing top the Office of Science and Technology Policy's research and development priorities for fiscal year 2027, per a White House memo released this week.
Why it matters: OSTP is doubling down on AI development as it looks to the future of the Trump administration's science and technology agenda.
Weeks of Russian incursions into NATO skies have pushed the U.S.-led alliance to the brink of an explosive choice: strike back or stand down.
Why it matters: With peace talks frozen and nuclear threats flying,NATO and Russia are closer to a direct military confrontation than at any point since the Cold War.
President Trump made historic gains for the GOP among Latino voters last year, but polls and other indicators suggest their support for him is falling amid growing anger over his handling of the economy and immigration.
Why it matters: Latinos' rising discontent could mean trouble for the GOP heading into the 2026 midterms, and undermine Republican redistricting efforts — namely in Texas — partly aimed at exploiting the party's recent gains among such voters.
President Trump signed a presidential memorandum on countering "domestic terrorism and organized political violence" on Thursday.
Why it matters: Trump sought to tie the action to the "radical left," singling out Democratic Party donors George Soros and Reid Hoffman when asked by a reporter what names came to mind that may need investigating.
Former FBI director James Comey said he's "innocent" after he was indicted Thursday on charges of making false statements to Congress and obstructing its investigation into the Russia probe.
The big picture: Comey, who's had a fractious relationship with President Trump since he was fired as FBI chief during the Republican leader's first administration, said his "heart is broken for the Department of Justice," but he has "great confidence" in the federal judicial system.
Former FBI director James Comey was indicted on Thursday evening in Virginia federal court and charged with making false statements to Congress and obstructing its investigation of the Russia probe, per court documents.
Why it matters: The indictment of a former FBI director is unprecedented and the culmination of a years-long feud between Comey and President Trump.
A group linked to Senate Republican leadership has already poured serious money into 2026 congressional races, according to ad spending tracked by AdImpact.
Why it matters: New leadership at the Senate Leadership Fund told Axios they want to spend big early in the cycle. But Senate GOP allies haven't had much choice, due to the expense of their efforts to keep Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) afloat in his primary.
President Trump on Tuesday night threatened to start levying 100% tariffs on imported branded drugs made by companies that haven't committed to building new U.S. facilities by Oct. 1.
Why it matters: The move raises the stakes for drug manufacturers already under pressure from the administration to lower U.S. prices.
James Comey, whom President Trump fired as FBI director during his first term, was indicted on two counts in Virginia federal court on Thursday evening.
The big picture: Comey faces one count of making a false statement to Congress and one count of obstruction of justice in relation to testimony he gave during a 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, per the indictment.
