Senate Republicans successfully thwarted a final vote Wednesday on a war powers resolution seeking to restrict future military action in Venezuela.
Why it matters: It's a big win for President Trump and Senate GOP leaders, who mounted a last-minute pressure campaign to avoid another rebuke of the administration's actions in Venezuela.
President Trump said on Wednesday that he would impose a 25% tariff on select semiconductors, including the Nvidia chips it plans to sell in China.
Why it matters: The tariffs are part of a broader deal, one in which the U.S. government will reap revenues from allowing Nvidia to sell AI processors in China.
The 10th Amendment is key to Minnesota and Illinois' lawsuit to block ICE agents from the states.
The big picture:Illinois and Minnesota have been major sites of Trump's deportation efforts and expansion of ICE, with both states citing the 10th Amendment's limitation of federal powers in their efforts to curb the White House's powers.
Articles of impeachment targeting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem are garnering support from House Democrats at a rapid clip. Not all the party's lawmakers are happy about it.
Why it matters: This is by far the most credible impeachment effort of President Trump's second term thus far, but some centrists continue to argue impeachment is a waste of the party's time and energy.
Influential podcaster Joe Rogan warned his listeners that immigration officials are acting like the "Gestapo," in his latest break from the Trump administration.
The big picture: Americans are showing signs of discomfort about the far-reaching federal intervention of ICE and Border Patrol, with major cities like Boston and Phoenix anticipating agent arrivals.
The White House announced on Wednesday that it was launching "phase two" of the Gaza ceasefire agreement with the establishment of a new Palestinian technocratic government.
Why it matters: U.S. officials worry the situation in Gaza could deteriorate into a renewed war unless there is progress toward implementing the second phase of the deal, which involves Hamas giving up its weapons, Israel pulling its troops back, and new governing and security structures coming into force.
"Abolish ICE" is an ambiguous phrase with a contested meanings, but support for the idea is growing in polls as President Trump wages his massive immigration crackdown.
Why it matters: Like "defund the police" before it, "abolish ICE" risks turning into more of a litmus test than a practical policy plan.
The FBI searched the home and devices of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, who covers the Trump administration's reshaping of the federal government, a Post spokesperson confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: Searching a journalist's home is an extraordinary step — even past administrations that aggressively pursued leak investigations stopped short of raiding reporters' homes.
The White House has described President Trump "as the greatest champion for sports of any president in American history" — and from his plan to hold a UFC fight at the White House and his second-term appearances at various high-profile sportingevents, there's no denying he's a fan.
Why it matters: While the president and MAGA have championed some sports and certain stars, he also has a history of attempting to referee the playing field from the sidelines.
Interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve aren't coming fast enough for President Trump. He's imposing policies to tryto achieve easier money through other means.
Why it matters: Trump's push to address affordability concerns in recent days has largely focused on lowering borrowing costs for consumers — though without spelling out detailed policy levers.
And even if efforts to lower mortgage and credit card rates succeed at lowering borrowing costs, their broader economic impact is uncertain.
The U.S. started evacuating sometroops from al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar and several other bases in the region ahead of a potential military conflict with Iran over the protests in the country, two sources with knowledge tell Axios.
Why it matters: President Trump is weighing the possibility of launching strikes against Iran in response to the mass killing of protesters. Iran has threatened to retaliate by attacking U.S. forces in the region.
Americans are divided on the merits of President Trump's recent foreign incursions and threats and remain especially skeptical of acquiring Greenland, new polling has found.
The big picture: While the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has gained support in its aftermath, Trump's Greenland gambit remains deeply unpopular, underscoring the political riskiness of a key piece of his so-called "Donroe Doctrine."
Chuck Schumer used the threat of two more Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices to bait top Democrats into running for Senate in 2026, the party leader told Axios in an exclusive interview.
Why it matters: Schumer, 75, is up for re-election in 2028 and his longevity as party leader is at stake. But the New York Democrat got his handpicked candidate in all four states where he'll need to flip GOP-held seats.
House Oversight Republicans will begin contempt of Congress proceedings against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she failed to appear for a deposition Wednesday as part of the committee's investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Why it matters:Both Clintons will face contempt of Congress proceedings — a rarely used congressional enforcement tool.
A conversation with Thomas Saueressig, Executive Board Member at SAP SE and Head of Customer Services & Delivery.
1. Around the world, governments are rethinking how they protect and govern data. What global forces are making data sovereignty such a pressing issue right now?
Environmental groups are signaling potential lawsuits over EPA's decision not to put monetary estimates on the health benefits of curbing critical forms of air pollution.
State of play: EPA revealed its approach in publishing a new rule for power turbines, which shies away from "monetizing benefits" of avoiding fine particulate and ozone pollution.
Oil prices have risen to their highest levels since last fall as traders weigh the prospect of the U.S. striking Iran amid the regime's bloody crackdown on protesters.
Why it matters: Iran is OPEC's fourth-largest producer, pumping well over three million barrels per day and exporting over 1 million barrels per day despite U.S. sanctions, with most flowing to China.
Congressional negotiators are working to revive the health care deal that was dropped from a government spending package in late 2024 — but the odds of resurrecting enhanced Obamacare subsidies as part of the effort appear dire.
Why it matters: Long-stalled bipartisan priorities that are in play include an overhaul of pharmacy benefit manager practices, as well as a measure that would place more controls on Medicare outpatient spending.
The world's understandingofhow President Trump intends to wield the American military and influence the industry that arms it changed dramatically in two weeks flat.
The big picture: In the earliest days of the new year, the commander in chief dispatched troops to capture Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and warned Colombia, Cuba, Greenland and Mexico they could be next.
President Trump is reaching deeper than ever into the gears of the U.S. economy, attempting to harness state power to directly shape prices, markets, interest rates and corporate behavior.
Why it matters: The Trump administration's economic interventions — including its extraordinary criminal probe of the Federal Reserve — go far beyond typical electioneering.
The Trump administration is launching an unprecedented, $11 billion soft-power effort to remake foreign health assistance after its controversial decision to gut USAID.
Why it matters: Called the America First Global Health Strategy, the program aims to boost U.S. influence and interests in developing nations —especially those in Africa — while bypassing non-government organizations that delivered services through USAID.
Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens is blasting her Democratic rivals in the state's critical Senate primary, criticizing one of her opponents for supporting the Green New Deal and calling the other weak on manufacturing.
Why it matters: Stevens is opening up a two-front war in a state that Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) needs to hold if he wants to take back the Senate in 2026.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday said there's "currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation," into the killing of 37-year-old Minneapolis mother Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent, multiple outlets reported.
The big picture: The announcement is the clearest indicator yet that federal authorities aren't planning to probe the officer's conduct.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee aren't ruling out voting for a Republican measure to hold former President Clinton in contempt of Congress for failing to appear before a deposition that was scheduled for Tuesday.
Why it matters: Even as some lawmakers on the panel fume that the contempt vote is hyper-partisan, they also want to draw a stark contrast with Republicans' unwavering defense of President Trump.
