President Trump called up 300 National Guard members in Illinois after an escalation Saturday between his administration and the state's governor, JB Pritzker.
The big picture: The governor said the Trump administration's War Department presented him with an ultimatum earlier in the day: "'call up your troops, or we will.'"
Why it matters: The ADL had, since at least 1940, worked with law enforcement to combat extremism and antisemitism, which the Trump administration has maintained is still a priority.
President Trump told Axios on Saturday that "we are close" to a peace deal in Gaza, and said he'll push to finalize it in the next few days.
"I said, 'Bibi, this is your chance for victory.' He was fine with it," Trump told me. "He's got to be fine with it. He has no choice. With me, you got to be fine."
Why it matters: Trump's public messaging and behind-the-scenes diplomacy on Friday brought Israel and Hamas closer than ever to ending a war that began almost exactly two years ago with Hamas' attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.
Bad Bunny's Super Bowl pushback from MAGA influencers is the latest chapter in a long history of Latino artists facing heat on America's most significant sports events.
The big picture: These flashpoints underscore how Latino performers frequently bear the weight of cultural politics, identity debates, andrepresentation battles on some of the country's most prominent stages.
America's pullback from the global information war has left an opportunity for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to ramp up investments in state-backed propaganda.
Why it matters: A domestic political agenda to cut government spending and prioritize free speech has led to the gutting of several U.S. programs that for decades slowed China's ability to spread its communist agenda.
MAGA activists have launched a crusade against two of the nation's most storied civil rights watchdogs, accusing them of smearing conservatives as extremists.
Why it matters: For decades, the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center have shaped America's understanding of hate. MAGA leaders — backed by the Trump administration and Elon Musk — are now trying to strip them of that influence.
Top Democrats are increasingly alarmed the party could lose the governor's race in traditionally blue New Jersey next month because of a series of stumbles by the Democratic nominee, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
Why it matters: Both parties are investing millions in the race between Sherrill, a former Navy pilot, and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, an ex-state lawmaker— and it's getting national attention as a preview of the 2026 midterms.
The Israeli military has shifted to defensive operations in Gaza after President Trump called on Israel to halt its strikes in the enclave, the IDF said in a statement on Saturday morning local time.
Why it matters: This is the closest that Israel and Hamas have come to ending the war since the October 7 attacks almost exactly two years ago.
House Republicans on Friday cancelled plans to vote next week as the federal government shutdown dragged into its third day.
Why it matters: The move means Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is digging in against Democrats' demands to come to the table and negotiate a deal to reopen the government.
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Trump may proceed with plans to end temporary deportation protections for more than 300,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S.
The big picture: This marks the second time the Supreme Court has granted approval for the administration to remove the Biden-era extension of Temporary Protected Status, which shields people from deportation when their home countries face crisis.
FBI Director Kash Patel has cut all ties to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a storied civil rights group that tracks hate-motivated violence across the U.S.
Why it matters: The separation is the latest example of the Trump administration turning away from civil rights watchdogs by branding them as partisan and discriminatory rather than protectors of marginalized communities.
The U.S. may mint a $1 coin bearing President Trump's image for the 250th anniversary of America's independence, a Treasury spokesperson told Axios Friday.
Why it matters: The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, passed in anticipation of the nation's 250th anniversary, prohibits portraits of living people on the reverse (or "tails" side) of such coins, and it's unclear whether a design of Trump pumping his fist complies with that rule.
Shutting down the government is about more than health care for congressional Democrats. It's about the very future of their party.
Why it matters: To combat Trump and regain the trust of their voters, the party establishment is seizing on a growing strain of Democratic populism like never before.
President Trump restored $187 million of law enforcement funding to New York state on Friday, reversing a massive cut to the state's historical budget levels.
Why it matters: The cuts eliminated a staggering 86% of New York's homeland security funding, and were opposed by both Republican lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), who claimed they were "politically-motivated."
The two main House and Senate GOP super PACs are joining forces on an ad campaign to pin blame for the government shutdown on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Why it matters: Both parties are girding themselves for a long government shutdown. The longer the shutdown goes, the more ads will be cut.
President Trump posted a government shutdown-themed, AI-generated video late Thursday parodying "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," starring Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought as the grim reaper.
Why it matters: The video exemplifies the Trump administration's approach toward the funding gap, attacking Democrats and threatening job cuts.
Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) is seeking to return to Congress after being ousted in one of the mostly hotly contested primary elections in the country last year.
Why it matters: Her rematch with Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) adds to a growing list of contested Democratic primaries that some lawmakers fear will draw resources away from their efforts to retake Congress.
Hiring likely remained stalled in September, with the job market limping into year's end.
Why it matters: That is the signal from a collection of private sector data that, at least directionally, suggests weak growth in employment over the summer continued into the early fall.
President Trump warned Hamas that it has until 6pm ET on Sunday to agree to his terms to end the war in Gaza or "all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas."
Why it matters: Trump's new ultimatum, posted on Truth Social, is an extension of his original deadline, which was expected to expire on Friday. Trump warned that there would be "potentially great future death" if the deadline was missed, and he urged Palestinians to flee to "safer parts of Gaza."
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Friday it's halting billions in federal funding for Chicago, including a project to bring more accessible public transit to predominantly Black neighborhoods.
Why it matters: In a statement, the department blamed the decision on the ongoing government shutdown — and congressional Democrats they say are responsible for it.
After years of behind-the-scenes work, a pollution-trading initiative is publicly launching on Friday that works in India and plans expansion to other developing nations, the group tells Axios exclusively.
Why it matters: TheEmissions Market Accelerator sees openings, based on its on-the-ground work to date, to cost-effectively cut pollution and CO2 using emissions trading on a very large scale.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s belief that vaccines or Tylenol cause autism is resonating with a slice of voters who feel abandoned by the medical establishment.
Why it matters: The Trump administration's allies in Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement think Kennedy's autism agenda will help rally MAHA voters to turn out in the midterm elections and vote for Republican candidates.
President Trump is seizing on the government shutdown as an "unprecedented opportunity" to consolidate control in the Oval Office, accelerating a trend toward unchecked power.
Why it matters: Many Democrats see the shutdown as a necessary evil to halt — or at least slow — Trump's steamrolling of democratic norms and independent institutions. So far, the standoff is only emboldening the White House.
The U.S. could see an unprecedented 15,000 churches shut their doors this year, far more than the few thousand expected to open, according to denominational reports and church consultants.
Why it matters: The unprecedented contraction, expected to continue over the next decade, risks leaving gaps in communities nationwide — particularly rural ones, where churches often are crucial providers of food aid, child care and disaster relief.
President Trump and top aides are enlisting powerful business and labor groups to push Senate Democrats to end the government shutdown, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Trump, while threatening mass firings of government workers, is also playing an inside game by cultivating support from influential D.C. interests — a tactic he typically dismissed during his first administration.
The government shutdown is set to stall critical tech and science work across federal agencies.
Why it matters: Many tech agencies and offices have already been running on fumes or been gutted thanks to DOGE cuts and consistently low levels of funding from Congress. This is the latest blow.
The White House sustained two setbacks on personnel this week: pulling its controversial nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics and losing its bid to immediately oust Fed governor Lisa Cook.
Why it matters: The reversals suggest that there are still some guardrails, at least when it comes to critical economic arenas, on President Trump's effort to consolidate power.
The next AI policy idea that could gain traction in the U.S. would give companies some legal immunity from challenges over possible harms if they prove they're adhering to safety standards.
Why it matters: As it becomes increasingly clear that the federal government isn't going to meaningfully regulate AI, this is one model that could pick up steam in states across the country.
President Trump needs the Supreme Court to validate some of his most sweeping exercises of presidential power — and to stretch or outright overturn some of its own precedents in order to do so.
The big picture: The rulings standing in Trump's way are conservative ones. The right's long, successful campaign to curtail presidents' domestic powers is on a collision course with a Republican president who's shattering historical precedents at every turn.
Texas megachurch founder Robert Preston Morris was sentenced after pleading guilty to child sexual abuse charges on Thursday, the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office announced.
The big picture: The 64-year-old founder of the Gateway Church in the Dallas suburb of Southlake pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child in Osage County Courthouse in Pawhuska, Okla., per a statement from the state AG's office.
Apple is removing from its App Store apps that alert the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in people's local areas, the tech giant announced Thursday evening.
The big picture: The move comes as the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants shows no signs of abating and follows Attorney General Pam Bondi contacting Apple on Thursday "demanding they remove the ICEBlock app from their App Store," per a statement shared with Axios and other outlets.
A statue of President Trump holding Jeffrey Epstein's hand was reinstalled on Thursday afternoon, just over a week after it was removed from the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The big picture: The Secret Handshake, the anonymous group behind the statue, created the protest artwork to highlight Epstein's previous friendship with Trump, as he faces pressure to release more files on the convicted sex offender.
