When SNAP benefits run out on Nov. 1, 42 million Americans are going to struggle to put food on the table — and Democrats allege the Trump administration has specifically designed that outcome by "weaponizing hunger."
Why it matters: Democrats see the looming aid shortage as a Republican disaster designed to push them to the shutdown negotiating table, and are making the freeze central to their reopening messaging.
President Trump's budget team raided three different financial accounts to make sure U.S. troops are paid Friday as the government shutdown continues, White House officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: As long as military personnel are paid, Trump isn't planning to budge on the nearly month-old shutdown, even with as many as 42 million people set to lose food stamp benefits Saturday.
The House Armed Services Committee will be briefed Thursday morning by officials from the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs of Staff on the Trump administration's strikes against alleged drug boats, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The administration's refusal to seek congressional authorization for the strikes and the limited information it has given lawmakers justifying them have led to bipartisan tensions.
Approximately 160 Republican figures may have been investigated as part of the FBI's Arctic Frost probe into alleged efforts by allies of President Trump to overturn the 2020 election, newly released documents show.
The big picture: The GOP-led House Judiciary Committee claims the lists are evidence the investigation was politically motivated, but in those documents FBI investigators opened the investigation based on what they called "specific and articulable facts" of potential crimes.
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday endorsed independent Andrew Cuomo over Democrat Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor.
Why it matters: It is a break with the Democratic Party establishment, which has largely coalesced around Mamdani despite chafing at his left-wing and pro-Palestinian views.
Between $7 billion and $14 billion in U.S. gross domestic product will not be recovered after the government shutdown, the Congressional Budget Office estimated in a Wednesday report.
Why it matters: Government shutdowns don't typically affect the country's broader financial health, but the ongoing standoff between Democrats and Republicans and Trump's unilateral spending moves during the funding gap add extra uncertainty to the economic picture.
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25% on Wednesday, even as the ongoing government shutdown restricts the release of critical economic data — though Fed chair Jerome Powell threw cold water on Wall Street's bets on another rate cut by year-end.
Why it matters: It's the second straight rate cut aimed at safeguarding America's weakening jobs market, but the Fed policymakers were sharply divided, and the path of interest rates ahead looks uncertain
Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh is among a half dozen people the Justice Department has charged for allegedly impeding an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation, according to an indictment obtained by Axios.
Millions of Americans may want to hold onto their EBT cards — even if benefits lapse for a bit.
Why it matters: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will freeze in November, but rollover dollars will still be accessible and cards can be used in the future.
A House GOP group is launching a $5 million ad campaign accusing Democrats in 15 competitive races of fanning the flames of political violence, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Washington is embroiled in a government shutdown. But House Republicans are putting the focus on assassination attempts, violent assaults and heated political rhetoric.
Harvard's campus conservative magazine is under fire after an article echoed the words of Adolf Hitler.
The Harvard Salient's editor says the magazine will continue operating despite its alumni board trying to cease publication Sunday over what alums called "reprehensible" content and culture concerns.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise on Wednesday said Republicans are discussing several ideas that could become GOP asks for ayear-end health deal once the government reopens.
Why it matters: His comments revealed some of the health proposals on the Republican side as Democrats insist on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies at the center of the shutdown fight.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) shut down the idea of bringing his chamber back before the Senate acts on a government funding bill, telling reporters Wednesday it would be a "futile exercise."
Why it matters: The House hasn't voted since Sept. 19, when they passed a clean continuing resolution through Nov. 21. Johnson signaled he's willing to blow through that November deadline and leave it to the Senate to come up with a new bill.
U.S. House staffers were warned by congressional administrators Wednesday that their October paychecks will not be sent out if the government remains shut down into November, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It is yet another painful consequence of the shutdown — and one that hits particularly close to home for the lawmakers in both parties who have dug in to their positions.
In the past 12 years, 35 days is the longest any member of Congress elected via special election has had to wait to be sworn into office, according to a Ballotpedia analysis.
The intrigue: Today marks day 36 for U.S. Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva.
A new kind of data center built by a coalition including Nvidia aims to smooth out power use as AI demand surges.
Why it matters: Shared exclusively with Axios, the project is the first commercial rollout of software that adjusts energy draw in real time — a model the companies say can ease strain on the grid and curb electricity costs.
The Israeli military announced Wednesday it would resume compliance with the ceasefire in Gaza after a night of airstrikes that killed more than 100 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.
The big picture: The deal to end the war in Gaza was easily President Trump's biggest diplomatic achievement this term. The rupture in the ceasefire on Tuesday has put the agreement in jeopardy.
Eyes and ears are fixed to the Indo-Pacific this week, as President Trump leapfrogs across Malaysia, Japan and South Korea and prepares for a high-profile rendezvous with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Why it matters: Trade is at the top of Trump's agenda, with the markets bracing for news on tariffs and export controls. But the two are also expected to discuss Taiwan, which remains a focal point of fears over potential great-power conflict.
A lawsuit Texas filed Tuesday against the makers of Tylenol foreshadows a wave of legal warfare enabled by the Trump administration — and authorities fear it could eventually drive vaccine manufacturers out of the U.S.
Why it matters: It's not new for lawsuits to allege without solid proof that certain drugs do harm, but it is new when they cite the president and the country's top federal health official to make their case.
The AI industry is preparing to launch a multimillion-dollar ad campaign through a new policy advocacy group, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The new group — Build American AI — is the latest sign that the flush-with-cash AI industry is preparing to spend massive sums promoting its agenda, namely its push for federal, not state, regulation.
A leading business group — in a report shared exclusively with Axios — is trying to jump-start efforts in Congress to cut red tape so that new AI and other projects can roll out more rapidly.
Why it matters: The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) carries considerable clout with Republicans.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is struggling to quickly hire 10,000 qualified agents for mass deportations, even as it offers signing bonuses of up to a year's salary.
Why it matters: The agency has received a flood of applications and fast-tracked its training for some recruits. But it's a huge challenge to add 10,000 agents to a force of 6,000, and White House border czar Tom Homan acknowledges a "high fail rate" on physical standards.
Evangelicals and Catholics uneasy with President Trump's rhetoric and immigration policies are subtly distancing themselves from MAGA — and taking some congregation members with them.
Driving the news: Some churches are seeing a "quiet quitting" trend as pastors avoid political sermons and help members disengage from Trump's movement — without ostracizing family members who might still be MAGA devotees.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has seized on the plan that Republicans floated – and then discarded – to soften the government shutdown's sting for some federal workers and aid beneficiaries.
Why it matters: Schumer's (D-N.Y.) strategy had been to withhold votes across the board while Democrats fought for Affordable Care Act subsidies. Now he's pushing a partial reopening of government, without those ACA subsidies as part of the equation.
