Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) is actively working to elect Monica Sánchez to Congress, backing her over former Rep. Hilda Solis — a onetime colleague from her early years in the House.
Why it matters: The 12-term Sánchez chairs BOLD PAC, the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, giving her endorsement outsized influence in Latino political circles, not to mention Southern California.
Senate Republicans and Democrats are in a high-stakes staring contest over funding the Department of Homeland Security, with Democrats refining their demands to include "guardrails" on money authorized in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
White House science and technology adviser Michael Kratsios said on Wednesday at Axios' AI+DC Summit that the Trump administration can be bullish on AI innovation and still address the public's growing fears about the technology.
Why it matters: Kratsios is the White House's point person translating Trump's AI executive orders into actual policy.
Americans and lawmakers alike continue to signal their discomfort over the U.S. military strikes against Iran, even as the Trump administration directs more troops to the region.
The big picture: Against the backdrop of a roller-coaster oil market, Trump has suggested he's interested in pursuing a diplomatic path with Iran — while also readying options for a potential escalation. But polling indicates a large share of Americans already think things have gone too far.
HOUSTON — Instability is the defining mood at the world's most influential energy gathering this week — playing out in a split screen of oil markets jolted by the Iran war and an AI-supercharged power sector.
Why it matters: The vibe at the CERAWeek conference underscores how quickly the energy landscape has turned unpredictable, leaving billions in investment decisions — and what consumers ultimately pay — hanging in the balance.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled unanimously in favor of Cox Communications, setting a historic precedent that internet service providers are not liable for copyright infringement if they fail to disconnect customers who have been accused of pirating music.
Why it matters: The decision has major implications for the $17.7 billion U.S. recorded music industry, absolving ISPs of responsibility for pirated music.
The White House is indefinitely postponing its selection of a permanent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, leaving acting head Jay Bhattacharya overseeing the agency past a key deadline.
Why it matters: The punt underscores the difficulty of finding a nominee who can be confirmed by the Senate and leaves the beleaguered public health agency without a full-time political leader.
The U.S. Army updated its enlistment regulation to include an existing policy set in 2023 as the country remains at war with Iran and as President Trump has been threatening military action worldwide.
Why it matters: The Army Regulation 601-210 guidelines increase the maximum age for enlistment while also giving Americans charged with marijuana crimes more chances for eligibility.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to call on Iranians to flood the streets to protest their government last week, but President Trump told him it was just too risky, two U.S. officials and an Israeli source said.
"Why the hell should we tell people to take to the streets when they'll just get mowed down," Trump said to Netanyahu during their call, according to a U.S. official briefed on the conversation.
Why it matters: The U.S. and Israel agree on most of the military objectives of the war, but the outlooks differ on the question of regime change in Iran and the amount of chaos and bloodshed that's acceptable to try to bring it about.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said on Wednesday at Axios' AI+DC Summit that placing a moratorium on the construction of AI data centers would be "idiocy," adding that it would grant China an edge in the race to dominate artificial intelligence.
Why it matters: Warner's comments come the same day that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) unveiled legislation to pause all new data center construction nationwide until AI safeguards are in place.
Humanity is undergoing a "transformation" in the AI era, Meta President Dina Powell McCormick said Wednesday at Axios' AI+DC Summit.
Why it matters: But the key word, she says, is "humanity."In a period of rapidly evolving innovation that has massive implications for the workforce and world, tech can't lose the guiding "soul" behind it.
The U.S. will need a "whole new workforce" within the next two years to be competitive in the AI race, Meta President Dina Powell McCormick said Wednesday at Axios' AI+DC Summit.
Why it matters: She says half a million electricians will be necessary to build the vast infrastructure needed in the U.S. alone.
HOUSTON — EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday the Trump administration is expanding sales of higher-ethanol gasoline this summer as it seeks to ease concerns over rising gas prices.
Why it matters: Gas with a high ethanol content, known as E15 because its content is up to 15 percent ethanol, is generally restricted in summer because it evaporates easily in the heat and causes air pollution.
More than 450 TSA agents have quit in the nearly six weeks since the partial government shutdown began, resulting in the "highest wait times in TSA history," a top Department of Homeland Security official told a House committee Wednesday.
Why it matters: The resignations represent a small fraction of the 50,000 or so TSA agents who screen passengers, but the departures — combined with workers' absences — are fueling security line delays nationwide.
House Democrats say privately that they may be unable to maintain their silence much longer on the explosive allegations of misuse of taxpayer funds against Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.).
Why it matters: Cherfilus-McCormick, who has denied any wrongdoing, may face calls for resignation or even expulsion from her own party if the Ethics Committee process goes as many of her colleagues expect it to.
America has no plan for how to manage an AI wipeout of jobs. Now, there are calls for lawmakers to design a safety net before any crisis emerges.
Why it matters: No one knows whether and how fast AI-related job displacement will ripple across the economy. Massive labor market disruptions of years past — including the "China shock" — had long-term economic and political consequences.
Some investors, former policymakers and economists are trying to draft the fiscal architecture that could help avoid a repeat.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has obtained what he says is a "damning" memo containing previously unknown allegations about President Trump's handling of classified documents when he was out of office.
HOUSTON — The glare has never been brighter on Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Why it matters: Onstage and behind closed doors, he's been seeking to reassure markets and companies spooked by a historic and unpredictable disruption — all while promoting the White House agenda at the CERAWeek conference here.
There's a lot of pressure on President Trump to pull back from the Iran war, and Wall Street has figured out a way to chart it.
How it works: Maximilian Uleer, a strategist at Deutsche Bank, came up with a "pressure index" that considers the one-month change in Trump's approval ratings, stock market performance and whether people and bond markets are expecting higher inflation. (Thanks to the Financial Times' Robert Armstrong for highlighting this index.)
Where it stands: The index is higher now than it was even during "Liberation Day," when the S&P 500 tumbled on the announcement of huge tariffs on basically every country in the world.
Between the lines: The difference? To paraphrase James Carville, it's the gas prices, stupid.
The national average for a gallon of gasoline is now hovering just below $4. And there are scorecards of rising gas prices plastered on every big road in the country.
There's also a notion on Wall Street that Trump is likely to pull back on a policy if the stock market falls about 5% from its highs, Jose Torres, a senior economist at Interactive Brokers, told Axios last week.
By the numbers: Since reaching an all-time high in January, the S&P 500 is now down more than 5%.
The big picture: Most Wall Street analysts are expecting that Trump will do what it takes to end the war and get the Strait of Hormuz reopened to bring gas prices back down before the midterm elections.
Zoom in: Dips in approval ratings have led to other capitulations from Trump over the past year, a separate note from the bank points out.
Reality check: Most presidents are sensitive to declines in the stock market and public opinion, especially around high gas prices.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday will announce legislation to pause all new data center construction nationwide until AI safeguards are in place.
Why it matters: Sanders and AOC are staking out one of the most aggressive AI policy positions yet this Congress, colliding with the industry's rapid expansion.
An epidemic of suspicious trading has emerged around President Trump's most consequential decisions — each time, just minutes or hours before he rattles global markets, according to exchange data.
Why it matters: As the Iran war sends prices soaring for ordinary Americans, a select few appear to be profiting in plain sight. It's precisely the kind of alleged corruption Trump built his political career railing against.
Multiple high-level vacancies at federal health agencies are giving the Trump administration a chance to pivot from contentious vaccine policies to a more mainstream public health strategy.
Why it matters: The anticipated nomination of a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director and selection of a top Food and Drug Administration vaccine regulator will be closely watched for signs the White House wants to break from the drama that characterized much of the past year.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom praised Elon Musk as this generation's Thomas Edison — then accused the Tesla CEO of surrendering the electric vehicle market to China.
"It breaks my heart," Newsom said on a new episode of "The Axios Show," describing Musk as "one of the great disappointments" of our time.
Why it matters: China already holds 70% of the global EV market. Newsom argues Musk — the man who pioneered America's EV industry — is now accelerating that dominance by pivoting Tesla toward robotics.
Iranian officials have told the countries trying to mediate peace talks with the U.S. that they have now been tricked twice by President Trump and "we don't want to be fooled again," according to a source with direct knowledge of those discussions.
The big picture: The U.S. is pushing for in-person peace talks as soon as Thursday in Islamabad, Pakistan. But during the two previous rounds of U.S.-Iran talks, Trump green lit crippling surprise attacks while still claiming to be seeking a deal.
Venezuela's shadowy dealings with the first Trump administration were laid bare by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday when he testified against his longtime friend, David Rivera.
The former Miami congressman is on trial in federal court for allegedly acting as an unregistered foreign agent in a $50 million scheme.
Why it matters: Rivera's trial is a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Venezuela's push to manipulate the U.S. into normalizing relations by throwing around big money and promises for government reforms before Nicolas Maduro established himself as an election-rigging dictator in 2017.
Democrats on Tuesday flipped a Republican-leaning Florida state House seat that encompasses President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, per AP.
The big picture: Democrat Emily Gregory beat the Trump-endorsed Republican Jon Maples in a special election in the Palm Beach County-based district that the president won by 11 points.
ICE officers arrived at more than a dozen airports this week to help TSA deal with the spring travel chaos — but the specifics of their role remains unclear.
Why it matters: Though both under DHS, ICE handles immigration enforcement and criminal investigations and TSA oversees aviation security. This raises questions about whether ICE can ease a TSA staffing shortfall during the partial government shutdown.
