Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's approval rating in New York has cleared 40% just once during the last six months, according to polling from Siena University.
His approval was at 53% at the same point in President Trump's first term, according to Siena.
Why it matters: Schumer is obsessed with his hometown polls. He's up for reelection in 2028 and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is eyeing his seat.
Todd Blanche has been appointed as acting attorney general after President Trump announced Thursday that Attorney General Pam Bondi is leaving the Department of Justice.
The big picture: An administration official told Axios that Blanche is among those Trump is considering nominating as Bondi's replacement, and the president praised his former defense attorney on Truth Social as "a very talented and respected Legal Mind."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Republicans on a call Thursday he won't hold a vote on a DHS funding bill until the Senate makes significant progress on funding for ICE and CBP, sources told Axios.
Why it matters: Johnson's members are deeply frustrated with leadership's plan to fund the agency, and he doesn't have the support to pass a DHS funding bill without ICE and CBP right now. But any delay will prolong what's already been a record-long shutdown at the agency.
The Trump administration said on Thursday that it would impose 100% tariffs on patented pharmaceuticals to force deals for lower drug prices and move manufacturing to America.
Why it matters: It is the latest example of President Trump using tariffs as leverage over corporate America.
Attorney General Pam Bondi is leaving the Department of Justice, President Trump announced on Truth Social Thursday.
The big picture: Bondi led the unsuccessful attempts to prosecute Trump's political foes and oversaw the release of files about deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which has been a political liability for the president.
Why it matters: The National Capital Planning Commission's sign-off won't restart construction, but it clears a final procedural hurdle for Trump's fast-tracked, $400 million plans for transforming the White House.
Members of the House Oversight Committee said Thursday they will still fight to enforce their panel's subpoena of Pam Bondi after her removal as attorney general.
Why it matters: Bondi has been a target of congressional investigators in both parties over how she has handled the release of the Justice Department's files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Pam Bondi was ousted as attorney general on Thursday, closing the book on her year-plus tenure as the Department of Justice's leading official.
The big picture: While the hype over the Epstein files saga largely defined Bondi's time as attorney general, it was far from the moment that propelled her into the national spotlight.
President Trump said Thursday he would "soon sign an order" to pay all Department of Homeland Security employees.
Why it matters: The president's announcement marks the second time in a week he's moved to circumvent Congress to pay federal workers amid the record-long DHS shutdown.
Kalshi, the fast-growing prediction market, is adding Stephanie Cutter, a longtime Democratic strategist who's managing partner of Precision Strategies, as a policy adviser as part of a bipartisan overture.
Why it matters: Kalshi, which named Donald Trump Jr. as a strategic adviser last year, is working to educate the Hill and administration about the value of prediction markets. Since opening a D.C. office in January, Kalshi has held nearly 200 meetings with policymakers on both sides of the aisle.
Medical research advocates are bracing for a grinding election-year fight over the future of the National Institutes of Health with the expected release of the Trump administration's FY 2027 budget Friday.
Why it matters: Congress rejected the steep 40% cut the administration proposed for NIH last year, but the biomedical research institution continues to feel fallout from canceled grants, layoffs and a slower pace of getting money out the door to academic researchers.
JPMorgan Chase chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon tells me the U.S. is facing the most concurrent risks in 80 years — and that's before AI starts displacing a large number of American workers.
Why it matters: Dimon, in an interview for "The Axios Show," says American business leaders need to step up, and speak up, to help guide the country through these high-risk, tumultuous times.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro raked in more than $10 million in the first three months of the year for his reelection campaign, his team tells Axios — a huge sum that shows off the fundraising chops of the potential 2028 candidate for president.
Why it matters: Shapiro's haul not only signals his strength going into his bid for a second term this November in a key swing state, it also indicates he could be a formidable fundraiser if he eventually runs for the White House.
President Trump said in a prime time address that the U.S. was close to ending its war in Iran but would spend the next two to three weeks bombing the country "back to the stone ages."
The big picture: If a deal to end the war cannot be reached, he said, the U.S. would bomb all of Iran's power plants and perhaps its oil fields. That would have devastating consequences for Tehran's civilian population and the future of the country, while likely inciting retaliation on America's allies in the region.
