As the Trump administration deploys creativeways to keep parts of the government open without congressional approval, it runs the risk of colliding again with a 150-year-old legal wall: the Antideficiency Act.
Why it matters: The law bars spending without appropriations and underscores Congress' constitutional control of the purse. Every attempt to stretch the law fuels the broader rise of executive power, the defining trait of Trump's second term.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is planned to visit Washington on November 10 and is expected to meet President Trump at the White House, U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack told Axios.
Why it matters: It will be the first-ever visit by a Syrian president to the White House and another key step in rebuilding U.S.-Syrian relations.
President Trump's political operation is digging into its massive war chest to bankroll a multimillion-dollar voter turnout effort in the final days of the New Jersey and Virginia governor races, Axios has learned.
Each state is getting a $1 million-plus microtargeting effort aimed at Trump supporters and other Republicans who usually skip off-year races.
Why it matters: The White House knows it's much harder to turn out pro-Trump voters and other Republicans when Trump himself isn't on the ballot.
The Democrats running for governor in Virginia and New Jersey have brought in scores of high-profile lawmakers and potential 2028 presidential contenders to campaign for them in the run-up to Tuesday's elections.
But they pointedly haven't invited progressive leaders Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who are two of the most popular figures among Democrats and attract big crowds across the country.
Why it matters: Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (Virginia) and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (New Jersey) are betting that Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez would turn off independent voters even if they would rally Democrats.
The U.S. Mint has stopped making pennies and the fallout is already hitting cash registers, as stores run short on change.
Why it matters: Roughly 250 billion pennies are still out there — though the American Bankers Association says the issue isn't supply, but circulation, with many coins collecting dust in jars.
Socialism beats capitalism among U.S. college students, in a new Axios-Generation Lab poll.
67% of survey respondents say they hold a positive or neutral association with the word "socialism," compared with 40% with the word "capitalism."
Why it matters: Days before a nationally watched election that could make democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani New York City's next mayor, the survey reveals Gen Z's growing disillusionment with capitalism — fueled by high inflation, surging healthcare and housing costs, and the rising influence of billionaires in politics, tech and media.
The big picture: Millions of people expected to see their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) delayed for November due to the government shutdown. But a judge's ruling Friday might have changed that.
Why it matters: While most Republicans still back the military show of force, the falling approval comes at a time when some Republican lawmakers have questioned Trump's claim that he has unilateral power to conduct lethal strikes on boats allegedly smuggling drugs into America.
President Trump on Friday said he's asking "the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible," after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered his administration to continue funding the program during the shutdown.
Why it matters: Roughly 42 million Americans are set to lose their supplemental food benefits Saturday — and it's unclear if Friday's ruling will be enacted fast enough to guarantee recipients get their money in time.
President Trump's March executive order requiring voter registration forms to include proof of citizenship was blocked Friday by a federal judge.
The big picture: U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly had previously issued a preliminary injunction in April, temporarily halting the order. Friday's decision makes the block permanent, ruling that Trump's effort was "unconstitutional."
Households facing the loss of SNAP benefits will have to rely on a patchwork of state assistance and charitable organizations to keep food on the table if their benefits freeze Saturday.
The big picture: States across the country — including New York, Delaware and Virginia — are taking emergency measures to help families stave off hunger.
President Trump revealed Friday that he's remodeled the White House's Lincoln Bathroom, suggesting the new design makes the space more "appropriate" for the 16th president's era.
The big picture: The announcement comes after Trump knocked down the White House's entire East Wing for a new ballroom, which drew widespread backlash.
Trump's second term has broken presidential norms at a breakneck pace, but his demand that Republicans initiate the "nuclear option" of ending of the filibuster on Thursday to reopen the government is a Pandora's box senators would rather keep closed.
Why it matters: Overhauling Senate precedent in such a powerful way is great when you're the party in power — but it could make life miserable for Republicans if Democrats retake control.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins criticized SNAP Friday, saying the government shutdown exposed a program that, under the Biden administration, became "so corrupt."
Why it matters: No food stamp benefits will be issued on Nov. 1, leaving roughly 42 million Americans who rely on the program vulnerable.
The United Nations human rights chief on Friday condemned the Trump administration's military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, calling for an investigation.
Why it matters: The administration's escalating campaign faces human rights violation accusations, alienates allies and provokes outrage at home, a collision of military might, international order and a president showing no signs of changing course.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) declared a state of emergency on Thursday as 2.9 million New Yorkers are set to lose crucial SNAP benefits this week because of the government shutdown.
The big picture: Some 42 million people across the U.S. will lose safety net nutrition assistance if lawmakers in Washington don't strike a deal to end the shutdown or find a stopgap measure to extend the benefits.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, 77, won't commit to release her medical records in her 2026 bid for Senate, Axios has learned, as her Democratic primary opponents call for a new generation of leadership in Congress.
Why it matters: If she wins, Mills would be the oldest first-term senator elected in U.S. history — 79 when she'd take office in January 2027. Congress now has more members over 70 than any time since at least 1950, increasing scrutiny on their fitness for office.
Axios reporters sat down with IBM CEO Arvind Krishna this week in Washington and talked about everything from quantum computing to taking risks during economic upheaval.
Why it matters: Krishna has led a turnaround at the legacy tech giant as AI reshapes the industry — and he says he's confident the technology's impact on jobs and productivity at IBM will be a net positive.
The White House is now sifting through hundreds of comments on AI regulation from industry and outside groups as it decides how to cut as much red tape as possible.
Why it matters: The Trump administration is touting this effort to cut barriers to AI development and deployment as key to the president's AI action plan.
President Trump's post announcing the U.S. would resume nuclear testing featured some inaccuracies, and introduced quite a bit of uncertainty.
Why it matters: Nuclear rhetoric is closely scrutinized — by governments, by defense contractors, by outside analysts — and can have unintended consequences. Trump's Truth Social shocker will have generated significant debate in Moscow and Beijing over the past 24 hours.
President Trump called for the end of the Senate filibuster on Thursday, urging Republicans in a post on Truth Social to "initiate the 'nuclear option.'"
Why it matters: The demand could endanger fragile negotiations to open the government. Senate Republicans privately asked Vice President Vance on Tuesday to get Trump to stop asking about the filibuster, as Axios first reported.
Senators from both parties are begging for bipartisan negotiations, saying they're tired of spending time away from Washington during the government shutdown.
Driving the news: Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) objected Thursday to Senate Majority Leader John Thune's (R-S.D.) plan to send lawmakers home for another long weekend.
A handful of Republican senators have broken with President Trump on four issues this week, even as they're in lockstep with him on the government shutdown.
Why it matters: From tariffs to troop levels, some Republicans are starting to flex their institutional muscles.
Democrats' already fraying alliance with organized labor is coming under new strain as a growing list of union leaders calls on the party to accept a Republican bill that would reopen the government.
Why it matters: Once it would have been virtually unthinkable for so many unions to break so decisively with their long-time Democratic compatriots in such a highly charged national fight. Not anymore.
