Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), one of President Trump's most steadfast allies, said Saturday he will retire from Congress rather than seek reelection in 2026.
Why it matters: Nehls joins a rapidly growing group of House members in both parties who have decided to call it quits, either to run for higher office or simply leave politics entirely.
Retirement seems scariest before you take the leap, experts say. But there are things workers can do now to prepare and feel less anxious — no matter your age:
The big picture: Take a look at the numbers.
Make a budget, and figure out what you need. Take everything into account — not just your retirement account, but housing wealth too, if you have it.
"It's important to step back," says Kerry Hannon, co-author of the recently published book, "Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future."
Save money. It's obvious but worth repeating.Take advantage of those 401(k)s and any kind of employer match. If you're older and need to catch up, increase your contributions if you can.
"It's really when people get into their 30s that ramping up their retirement contributions makes sense," Andrew Biggs, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, tells Axios. "Their incomes have risen, so they've got more to save, plus their taxes are higher, so the tax break may be worth more."
If you don't have a workplace plan, you can set up a plan for yourself. There are options like a SEP-IRA or solo 401(k), says Diane Harris, deputy editor of Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine.
A key thing to do is automate your contributions, with the money going directly from your paycheck to the account. "Harness the power of inertia," says Harris, who runs the magazine's retirement coverage.
Prioritize paying down high-interest debt. This is especially important for young workers, Biggs says.
"Lots of research shows debt is the biggest buzzkill for retirees, the big obstacle to happiness," Harris says. "The stress will really get you."
Take care of yourself. Medical expenses are one of the biggest expenses in retirement — get regular checkups, think about nutrition and exercise. "Health is wealth," says Hannon.
Delay. Most experts say to keep working, if you can.
"For someone who's later in life and hasn't saved enough, delaying retirement is a more powerful tool than saving more," says Biggs, who was principal deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration in the early 2000s.
When you continue your job past full retirement age, your Social Security benefit increases by about 7%annually when you do retire. The annual increase stops at age 70. Plus you get a similar increase to your retirement savings courtesy of more contributions and interest, and you reduce the amount you'll need to save.
It's not all about money. Non-financial things matter more for your happiness as you age — health and relationships in particular, says Harris.
"People make do, and the vast majority of retirees report being pretty happy. People are more resilient than they give themselves credit for."
For decades, people have fretted about the financial sustainability of America's bedrock retirement income program. Now, Social Security's precarious fiscal state is an issue for the here and now.
How to fix it is set to be a defining political fight of the next several years, with millions of Americans' benefits and the fiscal future of the United States at stake.
Why it matters: There is a tug-of-war between the benefits future retirees receive and the taxes that working-age people pay. Something has to give, and surprisingly soon.
The Trump administration doesn't have the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to meet its deportation goals. But it's placed a huge bet that thousands of local cops can help.
Why it matters: ICE has signed 1,100+ agreements this year for local law enforcement to cooperate on immigration arrests and detentions. The agency is dangling financial incentives from President Trump's "big, beautiful bill."
In the past year, federal, state and institutional decisions have gutted major pillars of America's civil rights protections and racial equity infrastructure, wiping away public data, slashing research funding and erasing Black history.
Why it matters: Taken together, these moves amount to an unprecedented rollback of civil rights progress, historians say — the largest since Reconstruction.
MAGA hopes the holiday season — and renewed attention on its favorite bogeymen — can produce a ceasefire in the pro-Trump movement's burgeoning civil war.
Why it matters: MAGA entered the year at the apex of its power, but has become mired in its most bitter infighting since its founding by President Trump in 2015.
President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson plan to hold a Monday evening tele-rally to boost a Republican candidate in a high-stakes Tennessee special congressional election.
Why it matters: The Trump-Johnson dual rally underscores the emphasis Republicans are placing on the Dec. 2 election.
Black and Latino men are trading in hoodies and sneakers for quarter-zip sweaters, tailored suits and fedoras — a sharp, self-assured look that signals dignity, intentionality and a reimagined masculinity in the post-COVID era.
Why it matters: It's pushing back against decades of narrow stereotypes that linked urban masculinity to athletic gear and reclaiming pride through presentation.
Minnesota is home to the largest population of Somali residents in the U.S., and they have been receiving President Trump's vitriol as he moves to restrict immigration.
Why it matters: Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric after a suspect from Afghanistan was accused of fatally shooting one National Guard member and wounding another just blocks from the White House.
The suspect accused of shooting two National Guard members just blocks from the White House now faces a first-degree murder charge after one of the victims died, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Friday.
Driving the news: During a Fox & Friends interview, Pirro said "there are many more charges to come" as the investigation continues. Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive for the attack.
The U.S. may "almost completely" eliminate income tax in the next couple of years due to tariff revenue, President Trump said late Thursday.
Why it matters: Offsetting the revenue from individual income taxes would require over $2.5 trillion a year in tariff collections, more than 10 times what the government actually took in during the last fiscal year.
Most Americans (78%) believe elected officials should avoid aggressive communication over concerns it might inspire violent behavior, a new Pew Research Center survey found.
The big picture: President Trump and lawmakers in both parties have leaned more heavily on inflammatory language to attack opponents' policies and viewpoints as the nation's politics grow increasingly polarized.
President Trump said late Thursday he "will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover."
The big picture: Trump has stepped up his hardline immigration crackdown since authorities identified an Afghan national as the suspect in Wednesday's deadly shooting attack on National Guard members.
President Trump has ordered "a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card" holder from "every country of concern," U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) director Joseph Edlow said Thursday.
The big picture: Trump escalated his administration's hardline immigration crackdown after officials identified the suspect in Wednesday's deadly shooting attack targeting National Guard in D.C. as an Afghan national.
Fresh U.S. efforts to stop suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers will take place on land "very soon," President Trump said Thursday.
The big picture: There's been a buildup of U.S. military activity in the Caribbean as Trump outlined next steps in his push toward toppling Venezuela's Maduro regime, as American forces strike alleged drug boats.
Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, one of two West Virginia National Guard members shot in an ambush-style attack in D.C. this week, has died from her injuries, President Trump said Thursday evening.
The big picture: Trump said during a public call with service members that the 20-year-old "magnificent person" had "just passed away, she's no longer with us" following Wednesday's attack near the White House that prompted his administration to step up its hardline immigration crackdown after the suspect was identified as an Afghan national.
Two National Guard members from West Virginia were shot in Washington, D.C., in an ambush-style attack near the White House on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
The big picture: Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries a day later and colleague Andrew Wolfe, 24, was "fighting for his life" after they were "shot at point-blank range" by an Afghan national, President Trump said.
The two members of the West Virginia National Guard shot in a brazen afternoon attack in D.C. were identified Thursday as 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe.
The big picture: President Trump said in a Thursday evening public call with service members that Beckstrom had died and Wolfe was "fighting for his life."
