State Rep. James Talarico's Senate campaign has thrust his North Austin church into the spotlight, prompting increased security, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church pastor Jim Rigby told members on Facebook.
Why it matters: Religion is emerging as an early flashpoint in Texas' high-profile Senate race, pitting the Austin Democrat against the winner of a GOP runoff between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.
House Democrats are launching a Hail Mary push to effectively end the Department of Homeland Security's now month-long shutdown by funding all of its sub-agencies except ICE and Customs and Border Protection.
President Trump escalated his threats to seize Cuba this week — raising questions about whether he might seek to topple the Communist Caribbean island's leader Miguel Díaz-Canel.
The big picture: As Cuba's totalitarian government faces a deepening energy crisis that saw an island-wide blackout amid a U.S.-imposed oil blockade, Trump told reporters Monday he believes he'll be "having the honor of taking" the island.
The United Farm Workers says it won't participate in parades honoring its founder César Chávez, citing "troubling allegations" that Chávez abused young women, possibly including minors.
Why it matters: The allegations raise serious concerns about harm possibly done to women and minors, and threaten to tarnish the legacy of Chávez, one of the most celebrated Latino labor leaders in U.S. history.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is doubling down on his Alaska bet with a new ad campaign targeting Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) — in part over the recent spike in gas prices.
Why it matters: Alaska is quickly emerging as a tactical 2026 Senate battlefield as both parties look for opportunities to spend big in a state with a tiny population.
A bloc of House conservatives is making good on its threat to vote against even routine legislation in a bid to strong-arm the Senate into passing President Trump's signature voting overhaul bill, the SAVE America Act.
Why it matters: Conservative lawmakers are vowing to vote against any bill the Senate sends their way, no matter how bipartisan or minor — and more than three dozen of them did just that Tuesday.
Senate Republicans on Tuesday voted to launch debate on the SAVE America Act, but Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is well short of the 60 votes needed for passage.
Why it matters: President Trump is trying to strong-arm Senate Republicans into passing the sweeping measure — which would require proof of citizenship and photo IDto vote — before the November midterms.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is pressing the Energy Department for details on plans to provide oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as pump prices rise.
Why it matters: Gallego's new letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, viewed first by Axios, shows how the energy effects of the Iran war are spilling into Capitol Hill — and politics more broadly.
Arizona's attorney general filed criminal charges against Kalshi on Tuesday in a dramatic escalation of the legal battle over prediction markets.
Why it matters: Kalshi allows users in all 50 states to risk money on event contracts — including what it calls "100% legal sports trading" — but detractors say it usurps state gambling regulations.
Joe Kent, who led the National Counterterrorism Center and was a top aide to intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, became the first senior Trump administration official to resign over the war in Iran.
Why it matters: Kent's stinging rebuke — that Trump launched the war under pressure from Israel despite Iran posing "no imminent threat" to the U.S. — underscores the discomfort some in the "America First" camp feel about the war.
Josh Parker didn't intend to work at Nvidia or even in sustainability — and yet finds himself at this precise intersection at a pivotal moment.
Why he matters: As head of Nvidia's sustainability efforts, Parker oversees the behemoth's efforts to contain its environmental footprint despite explosive growth.
Countries across South Asia are imposing emergency measures like rationing energy, closing universities, cutting short workweeks and even changing the way crematoriums work to deal with the fallout from the Iran war.
Why it matters: Yes, the war is raising gas prices for Americans and causing a political headache for President Donald Trump — but it's also creating a deeper crisis abroad that governments and businesses are scrambling to manage.
Just 6 in 10 Americans now trust the government's vaccination recommendations for children, according to the Axios-Ipsos American Health Index, reflecting the dramatic erosion of public trust during the tenure of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
At the same time, nearly 1 in 3 Americans say they personally identify with Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement.
The big picture: Vaccines are becoming a third rail in administration efforts to overhaul America's public health system before the midterm elections, to the consternation of some of Kennedy's most ardent supporters.
Nvidia's chips are improving at such a staggering pace that it defies any historical comparison.
Why it matters: Without these gains — which are drawing increased attention as AI transforms society — physics would slam the brakes on the data center boom.
Billionaire Rick Jackson filed to run for Georgia governor at the last minute even though another Republican had been endorsed by President Trump. But Jackson made a move that helped put him in contention: He gave $1 million to Trump's political operation.
Why it matters: Now Jackson, a political neophyte, is atop GOP polls and the latest wealthy individual to endear themself to Trump by funneling massive sums to the president's pet causes.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is planning to brief a small bipartisan group of senators on the war in Iran in a classified setting Tuesday afternoon, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: Senators are hungry for real-time information on President Trump's next moves in Iran, the prospects for a diplomatic solution and thoptions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
