The Trump administration is halting $259 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota until the state takes steps to root out fraud in the program, Vice President JD Vance and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Mehmet Oz announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: CMS served notice that it plans similar freezes to other states' funding as part of the administration's crackdown on fraud.
The Pentagon asked two major defense contractors on Wednesday to provide an assessment of their reliance on Anthropic's AI model, Claude — a first step toward a potential designation of Anthropic as a "supply chain risk," Axios has learned.
Why it matters: That penalty is usually reserved for companies from adversarial countries, such as Chinese tech giant Huawei.
President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he wants to push for an end of the war with Russia as soon as possible, according to a Ukrainian official and two other sources with knowledge of the call.
Why it matters: Trump wants a peace deal by the summer, but there are still significant gaps between Ukraine and Russia, particularly on the issue of territorial control in eastern Ukraine.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday went to bat for his members who protested and heckled President Trump from inside the House chamber during the State of the Union.
Why it matters: It's a marked departure from last year, when Jeffries privately chewed out the House Democrats who disrupted Trump's speech to Congress, held up signs and walked out in protest.
Tech giants are expected to join President Trump at the White House next week to sign a pledge that they will build or buy their own electricity supplies for data centers.
Why it matters: It's the Trump administration's latest response to election-year voter angst over data centers' AI-driven electricity demands and their potential effects on rates.
President Trump urged Congress on Tuesday to pass a new law to make it harder for immigrant truck drivers to obtain commercial driver's licenses.
The big picture: The Trump administration has targeted truck drivers and undocumented immigrants' license applications as part of its wider immigration crackdown policy.
House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) is opposing Rep. Nancy Mace's (R-S.C.) resolution to publicly release the panel's reports on congressional sexual harassment investigations, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Mace's push comes as Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) is facing mounting backlash over allegations that he had an affair with a former staffer before she died by suicide. Gonzales has denied having the affair.
Former Harvard president Larry Summers announced Wednesday he will resign his positions at the university following backlash to his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Why it matters: Epstein had deep ties to several donors and academics, prompting U.S. colleges and universities to reckon with revelations from recently released documents about investigations into his activities.
Sometimes, presidents use their State of the Union to offer a laundry list of poll-tested policy proposals that might assuage Americans that their concerns are being addressed. President Trump chose a different tack Tuesday night.
The big picture: The president is sticking to a boastful message about the state of the economy heading into the midterms, aiming to persuade voters that these are the best of economic times.
Surgeon general nominee Casey Means said during a confirmation hearing Wednesday that she believes vaccines save lives but did not unequivocally urge people to get vaccinated.
Why it matters: The nutrition influencer and ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.would have a key role in vaccine messaging as the nation's top doctor and at times tried to avoid being pinned down by senators over how she would handle that responsibility.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) leads state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, according to a small survey of 350 registered voters taken before Talarico's viral interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert.
Why it matters: The Democratic race features two rising stars in the party with contrasting styles and messages. The winner will set the tone for the party in a Texas midterm election with nearly every statewide office on the ballot.
President Trump announced during his State of the Union address Tuesday night plans to offer Americans access to a retirement account similar to those available to federal workers.
Why it matters: There are roughly 50 million Americans without employer-sponsored retirement plans, like 401(k)s, and there's been growing bipartisan interest in expanding access.
Today's metrics don't give the U.S. militaryan accurate sense of its own readiness, as the Pentagon battles outdated procurement procedures and other countries quickly up-gun their troops, according to a General Catalyst Institute report first shared with Axios.
Why it matters: Misunderstandings about what works where and who is available when can be deadly. The report warns, for example, that flying a jet off Virginia is different than over a far-flung battlefield.
Why it matters: A defiant Trump bragged, weaved, smiled and sparred his way through 108 minutes of prime-time television, projecting his vision of a "Golden Age" for a country that — according to recent polls — mostly isn't buying it.
Democrats are eyeing aggressive oversight of controversial Trump administration moves on vaccines, Medicaid cuts and drug pricing if they flip control of one or both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.
Why it matters: If Democrats win the House, they would have much greater ability to investigate the Trump administration and its dealings with the health care industry, including through the use of subpoenas.
President Trump hailed the U.S. intelligence-assisted security operation in Mexico that killed the drug lord known as "El Mencho" during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, saying: "We've ... taken down one of the most sinister cartel kingpins."
The big picture: Officials working to combat drug trafficking have had a successful week, with prosecutors in Florida announcing charges against a suspected leader of another terrorist-designated Mexican cartel.
The big picture: The speech took place with quite a few members of Congress missing — though that didn't stop several Democrats from shouting their objections or heckling the president during his 108-minute-long speech.
President Trump said in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday that he prefers a diplomatic solution to the crisis with Iran, but at the same time laid out a case for a potential war against the Islamic Republic.
Why it matters: Trump's remarks about Iran were relatively short and were not the center part of his speech, but it was the first time he detailed the reasons that led him to consider launching a military campaign.
The State of the Union quickly got physical on Tuesday, when Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) mounted yet another protest from inside the House chamber that prompted multiple Republicans to confront him.
Why it matters: The demonstration resulted in Green getting escorted out of the House chamber, the second time in as many years he has been ejected from a Trump speech to Congress.
President Trump's State of the Union speech set a new record Tuesday for the longest address to Congress, at 108 minutes — eight longer than his 100 minute speech in 2025.
The big picture: The annual speech has stretched to ever longer lengths in recent years, not just because of the address but from frequent interruptions — applause, heckling — from spectators.
Almost from the moment Trump entered the House chamber Tuesday night to deliver his State of the Union address, Democrats began to disrupt. It only deteriorated from there.
Why it matters: It's the new normal for presidential speeches to Congress, with Republicans heckling Democratic presidents and vice versa.
President Trump said on Tuesday he believes tariff revenues could one day "replace" U.S. income tax, the government's primary revenue source.
Why it matters: Customs duties fall well short of the trillions of dollars that Americans pay in taxes each year — income taxes generated roughly 13 times more revenue than tariffs did in the latest fiscal year.
Roughly half of House and Senate Democrats skipped President Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday, an Axios headcount found.
Why it matters: The massive boycott represents a shift in American political norms as the party's grassroots have pressed lawmakers to be more partisan and less conciliatory towards Republicans.
President Trump used his State of the Union address to prod Congress to codify his "most favored nation" plan to bring U.S. drug prices in line with what other developed nations pay.
Why it matters: Trump made clear he is comfortable making health care a prominent feature of Republicans' midterm election plans, despite misgivings among some in his party and the GOP's vulnerability on affordability.
President Trump during the State of the Union on Tuesday revealed he is awarding Connor Hellebuyck, the Team USA goalie who helped the men's Olympic hockey team win gold at the 2026 games, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Why it matters: The award is considered the U.S. government's highest civilian honor and is usually presented to recognize a lifetime of significant achievements in the arts, public service, science, or other fields, per the Library of Congress.
A House Republican who has been at the forefront of transparency efforts around the Jeffrey Epstein files ia planning to display her support for the late convicted sex offender's victims during Trump's State of the Union, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Trump isn't expected to mention Epstein during the address, but Democrats are trying to ensure the issue looms large Tuesday night.
