Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) is getting some air cover from a political organization that can accept unlimited — and anonymous — contributions.
Last Frontier Action is launching a six-figure digital and TV advertising campaign to bolster Sullivan against former Rep. Mary Peltola in Alaska's Senate race.
Why it matters: Sullivan and his allies are taking the challenge from Peltola, a proven fundraiser, seriously.
DORAL, FL: President Trump told House Republicans the conflict in Iran will be "over pretty quickly," without giving a firm timeline — and repeated his warning that he would not sign any legislation until the Senate passed the SAVE America Act.
Why it matters: The dual messages — boasts about successes abroad, coupled with frustration with Republicans and Democrats at home — competed for attention in his pep-talk to House Republicans at their annual retreat in Florida.
President Trump spoke on the phone with Russian leader Vladimir Putin Monday and discussed the war with Iran and the efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
Why it matters: This was the first call between Trump and Putin since the beginning of the war with Iran.
Live Nation and the Department of Justice have reached a settlement over the latter's antitrust claims, with the live music giant agreeing to cap service fees and allow venues to partner with alternate ticket providers like StubHub.
Why it matters: Severalof the states involved in the suit — and Democratic lawmakers — say that consumers are being shortchanged by the settlement, which still needs to be approved by the court.
The U.S. aims to accelerate the next era of aviation with eight pilot projects to test innovative electric aircraft across 26 states, the Trump administration announced Monday.
Why it matters: Together, the projects will create one of the largest real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft in existence, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
Why it matters: The audit, largely funded by groups loyal to President Trump and supportive of his false claims that he won Arizona in 2020, reached erroneous and inaccurate conclusions.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) sparked furious backlash from congressional colleagues Monday with a social media post stating that "Muslims don't belong in American society."
Why it matters: Ogles is one of several hard-right Republicans who have inflamed tensions on Capitol Hill in recent months by making nakedly anti-Muslim public statements.
While President Trump has offered political risk insurance and Navy escorts for tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz, it still remains one of the most difficult waterways in the world to defend.
The big picture: The Strait, which carries roughly 25% of the world's seaborne oil supply, is approximately 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest point, but the designated shipping lanes are far smaller — concentrating traffic into predictable corridors for Iran to monitor and target adversaries.
Rep. Kevin Kiley (Calif.) announced Monday that his decision to leave the Republican Party and register as an Independent will take effect immediately.
Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) two-vote majority just got even smaller.
Pressure is mounting on President Trump to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the world's largest emergency oil stockpile, as gas prices surge in response to the Iran war.
Why it matters: The stockpile sits near its lowest levels in decades, limiting the government's cushion if the conflict drags on.
The Iran war has cast a sharp spotlight on the global economy's reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters: The strait is a chokepoint for critical global commodities — and prices for oil, gas, plastics and fertilizers are already surging on fears of war-related disruptions.
The Department of Justice and Live Nation have settled their antitrust dispute, which had been focused on the 2010 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
Why it matters: The settlement means that Live Nation won't need to divest Ticketmaster, or any other assets, despite DOJ having argued that the tie-up had created an illegal monopoly that hurt both consumers and performers.
In the first week of the American and Israeli attack on Iran, the economic ripples were looking pretty minimal. But as Week 2 begins, the risks to the global economy are growing much more serious.
The big picture: You can't decapitate the leadership of a country of 90 million people, with expansive military and intelligence capabilities, in the heart of some of the world's most economically important supply chains, without a huge cost.
A senior citizen advocacy group is suing the Trump administration for details on how it's going to implement a new policy that prohibits certain legal immigrants from receiving Medicare benefits.
Why it matters: Last year's GOP tax-and-spending law stripped coverage from an estimated 100,000 immigrants covered by Medicare.
Two years after the seismic Change Healthcare cyberattack, Congress is advancing a plan to safeguard against the kind of hacks that can expose millions of people's private data and cripple health systems.
Why it matters: The bipartisan plan puts the burden on the government and providers to prevent the kind of breach that reverberates across the entire industry, jeopardizing patient access to needed treatments and costing hospitals billions.
Sean Hannity,the longtime Fox News star and syndicated radio host, will add yet another platform Tuesday when he launches a twice-weekly podcast, "Hang Out with Sean Hannity."
Why it matters: Even hosts with massive audiences on TV and radio see podcasting as a way to reach new audiences.
A wave of lawsuits alleging AI chatbots inspired violent acts is shifting the fight over AI safety into the courts.
Why it matters: The growing docket of lawsuits over AI safety could increase pressure on Congress to pass federal safety standards before states pass their own laws or judges set de facto standards through rulings.
Oil prices on Sunday crossed into triple digits for the first time since 2022 — a stark sign of how the Iran war is throttling global supplies and raising consumers' costs.
Why it matters: The psychologically important $100-a-barrel mark is going to increase pain for consumers, many of whom don't support the war and didn't have any real warning that it was coming.
A device that was thrown outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's official residence during a weekend protest was an "improvised explosive," N.Y. Police Department and FBI investigators said Sunday.
The big picture: The NYPD said two people were in custody following Saturday's incident, which happened amid an anti-Islam protest and counter-demonstration near Gracie Mansion — which Mamdani denounced in online posts as "disturbing."
