Nancy Pelosi is retiring from Congress, but she has more campaigns in mind. Among them: Boost Gavin Newsom as a potential contender for the White House in 2028.
Why it matters: Publicly and privately, the former speaker has been touting the California governor, a fellow San Franciscan she's helped mentor for decades.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's national star is on the rise, but his relationships with fellow Democrats in his backyard are fraying.
Why it matters: Moore appears to have little control over his state's Democrat-led legislature, as lawmakers repeatedly defy his wishes and override his vetoes even as he builds a national profile ahead of a potential 2028 campaign for president.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the future of MAGA's foreign policy clear in a speech Saturday: In Germany, he warned the Munich Security Conference of the dangers of mass migration, while emphasizing the shared heritage between Europe and the U.S.
Rubio's Make the West Great Again message dovetailed in substance with Vice President Vance's address at the same conference last year. But it was softer in tone and loftier in rhetoric, earning Rubio applause instead of the shock that greeted Vance.
Why it matters: Taken together, the two Munich speeches by Rubio and Vance articulate President Trump's global vision, albeit more cogently and eloquently. And the twin addresses chart the course of Republican foreign policy for years to come.
The Department of Homeland Security is rushing to fulfill President Trump's mass deportation goals, and its haste has led to high-profile deportation screwups.
Why it matters: The high-visibility enforcement campaign has drawn attention to every tactic from Trump's immigration enforcers, including when they're on the wrong side of the law and public opinion.
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed during their meeting at the White House on Wednesday that the U.S. will increase the economic pressure on Iran, mostly when it comes to oil sales to China, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the issue.
Why it matters: More than 80% of Iranian oil exports go to China. If China reduces its purchases of oil from Iran, the economic pressure on Iran would increase significantly.
Consultants and pollsters tell Axios that after moving toward Donald Trump in 2024, the nation's fastest-growing electorate is splintering into competing political identities, with no single partisan anchor after decades as a reliably Democratic bloc.
Why it matters: This fracture helped reshape the 2024 election map — and it's one of the biggest wildcards in 2026 and 2028, even as the economy and Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement have given tailwinds to Democrats.
House Republicans who reliably vote "yes" tell Axios they're fed up with watching the same small group of colleagues repeatedly threaten rule votes — and some want payback.
Why it matters: Under Speaker Mike Johnson's one-vote majority, every Republican wields outsize power. How a few are regularly using that power to buck leadership is fueling open resentment inside the GOP conference.
President Trumppromised economic relief for Black businesses and workers, but so far, analysts say his second-term policies have put them under greater strain.
The big picture: The combination of federal layoffs, tariff-related cost pressures and a weakening labor market have hurt many Black-owned small businesses. The Black unemployment rate has climbed to its highest level since 2021 during Trump's second term.
Casey Wasserman, the veteran Hollywood talent agent who also chairs the LA28 Olympic committee, is selling his agency amid a growing controversy over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Why it matters: Wasserman has seen a few high-profile celebrity clients exit in response to revelations about suggestive emails he sent to Maxwell that were revealed as part of the Epstein files.
The U.S. and Iran are expected to hold a second round of nuclear talks in Geneva next Tuesday in an effort to reach a deal that prevents war, according to a U.S. official and three sources with knowledge.
Why it matters: While President Trump said he prefers a diplomatic solution and wants to reach a deal with Iran, he has also ordered a massive military buildup in the Gulf, including sending a second aircraft carrier strike group.
Elon Musk took a victory lap Friday as a Department of Government Efficiency team released a huge trove of Medicaid spending data he said the public could use to look for fraud themselves.
Why it matters: The Trump administration often cites waste, fraud and abuse as justification for deep program cuts — including the nearly $1 trillion in reductions to federal Medicaid spending in last year's Republican budget bill.
