America's 250th anniversary is colliding with a renewed battle over Black history, just as the White House moves to both smooth over and narrow how race and equity are discussed nationwide with rollbacks of diversity initiatives.
Why it matters: Black History Month — in its 100th year since Carter G. Woodson's 1926 Negro History Week — arrives amid an administration actively shrinking institutions that preserve and teach that history.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has moved up his visit to Washington and is expected to meet with President Trump on Wednesday to discuss the negotiations with Iran, the prime minister's office said in a statement.
Why it matters: The announcement of the urgent visit comes a day after Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations in Oman with Iran's foreign minister over a potential nuclear deal.
The U.S. wants Russia and Ukraine to sign a peace deal that ends the war by June, before President Trump pivots to focusing his energy on the midterm elections, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters.
Why it matters: The U.S. timeline Zelensky laid out is pretty ambitious, both because there are still significant gaps between Russia and Ukraine and because Ukraine will have to hold a referendum on the peace deal before it is signed — a process that can take several months.
When asked if he would apologize for an overtly racist video clip of the Obamas posted on President Trump's Truth Social, the president said Friday, "No, I didn't make a mistake."
Why it matters: The clip, which portrayed former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes and was taken down on Friday, used a centuries-old trope against the first Black president and first lady in U.S. history during the first week of Black History Month.
President Trump said on Friday that the U.S. and Iran had "very good talks" in Oman on Friday and claimed the Iranian position is more favorable regarding a nuclear deal than it was before the 12-day war last June.
Why it matters: The talks were the first face-to-face negotiations between the U.S. and Iran since the 12-day war last June. They took place amid a massive U.S. military buildup in the Gulf, and with Trump warning he could pivot to military action if a deal can't be reached quickly.
Progressives are feeling newly emboldened by the stronger-than-expected showing of the left-wing outsider in a New Jersey congressional primary on Thursday.
Why it matters: There are dozens of House races like this across the country where at least one left-wing insurgent is vying either to win an open seat or topple an establishment House Democratic incumbent.
The Justice Department will let members of Congress view unredacted copies of the more than 3 million documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that have been publicly released, according to a letter obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: Democrats have argued that the DOJ is skirting its statutory requirements under the Epstein Transparency Act by withholding millions of documents and heavily redacting some of the files they did release.
House Democrats will need to overperform Vice President Harris by roughly three percentage points in swing districts to capture the majority in 2026, according to an Axios analysis of presidential margins in congressional districts.
Why it matters: In special electionsover the last year, Democrats have been surpassing Harris' 2024 margins by double digits, putting the majority clearly in reach.
The big picture: While the Olympic Charter prohibits political, religious or racial demonstrations at Olympic sites, athletes have used early interviews and social media posts to express their concerns.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) tore into President Trump on Friday for posting a racist video of the Obamas, saying in a clip posted to social media: "F*** Donald Trump."
Why it matters: It's a drastic escalation of the rhetoric between the House Democratic leader and the White House amid delicate negotiations on immigration enforcement.
President Trump's post of a racist video of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama underscores how imagery long recognized as among the most explicit racist tropes in U.S. history has become normalized in the Trump era.
Why it matters: For decades, such imagery routinely ended careers. But even the harshest denunciations from Trump allies suggested they just want an apology, not further accountability.
Construction on the largest infrastructure project in the country, a rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey, is set to stop at 5 pm Friday because the Trump administration cut off funding.
Why it matters: Thousands of jobs are on the line, as is the long-term economic health of the New York metro area and the Northeast Corridor — critically important to the nation's overall economic growth.
Republicans are condemning a racist video President Trump shared depicting former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, with Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) calling it "the most racist thing" he's seen from the White House.
Why it matters: It's highly unusual for Republicans to join in any backlash to Trump posts. The post was later taken down after remaining up about 12 hours, per a White House official who said it was made in error by a staffer.
Sen. Tim Scott asked President Trump to delete his social media post on Friday that portrayed the Obamas as apes, calling it "the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House."
The post was later taken down, per a White House official who said it was made in error by a staffer.
Why it matters: Republicans rarely engage with the backlash to Trump posts. But Scott (R-S.C.), the only Black Republican in the Senate, responded quickly.
A watchdog group is asking the Justice Department to explain why it hasn't included communications from top Trump administration officials in its release of over 2 million pages tied to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a complaint filed Friday.
Why it matters: The letter, from the Democracy Defenders Fund, alleges that the DOJ "impermissibly" narrowed the scope of disclosed documents that were required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The big picture: Trump, more than any prior president, has made his own identity a focus of his administration, naming government buildings and programs the same way he did his business empire and campaign merch.
Top Republicans are increasingly worried about private polling that paints a dire picture of the midterms — and it's not just the House they're afraid of losing, it's also the Senate.
Why it matters: President Trump has warned Republicans that losing their slim House majority could lead to a third impeachment. But a Democratic takeover of the Senate would be a political earthquake — and neuter his last two years in office.
Meet the unlikely poster child for the AI boom and its insatiable energy demand.
Why it matters: Bloom Energy, long seen as a niche energy player, can deliver on-site power far faster than traditional options — a critical edge as data centers race to secure electricity.
The Trump administration is moving forward with a field test of a citizenship question as part of early 2030 U.S. Census planning, raising fresh alarm that the question could make a comeback after being blocked in 2019.
Why it matters: The change is part of a broader push to reshape how the U.S. counts its people, and reduce the practice of counting undocumented immigrants to determine congressional apportionment, Electoral College votes, and the distribution of $2.8 trillion in federal funds.
House Democrats reacted with swift fury Thursday evening over reports that President Trump floated renaming Dulles Airport and Penn Station after himself in exchange for unfreezing $16 billion in funds for the Gateway Development Project.
Why it matters: Trump administration officials proposed the deal to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Axios has confirmed. Schumer's fellow Democrats have angrily echoed the Senate leader's refusal.
President Trump last month offered to drop his hold on billions of dollars for a major infrastructure project in New York, but only if Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed to rename New York's Penn Station and Washington's Dulles International Airport after Trump.
Schumer (D-N.Y.) rejected the offer, a source familiar with the talks told Axios, prolonging the standoff over funding for the Gateway Tunnel Project connecting New York to New Jersey.
Why it matters: Trump, whose allies renamed the Kennedy Center and the U.S. Institute of Peace after him, is continuing his efforts to reshape American institutions in his image.
Press freedom groups denounced Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's declaration this week that a journalist was "down another source" after her department "caught another prolific leaker," whom she'll refer for criminal prosecution.
Why it matters: The Trump administration's escalating efforts to find and prosecute government sources who leak to reporters reflects a broader effort to assert control over information flow, which Committee to Protect Journalists' Katherine Jacobsen on Thursday called "terrifying."
The White House on Thursday launched its TrumpRx discount drug website, offering a new option for people wanting to pay cash for prescription drugs instead of using insurance.
Why it matters: The site is a key part of President Trump's efforts to lower health costs but isn't expected to significantly affect drug prices, since most Americans will likely have access to cheaper medicines through their health plans.
President Trump escalated his feud with Rep. Thomas Massie on Thursday, using his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast to call the Kentucky Republican a "moron."
Why it matters: Trump's political operation has launched an aggressive effort to unseat Massie, its first such effort to defeat a sitting Republican incumbent.
