NEW ORLEANS — Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin is quietly trying to quash criticism over his decision to hide the party's "autopsy" of what went wrong in the 2024 election, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Nearly four months after DNC officials announced they planned to keep the autopsy private because they wanted to focus on winning the 2026 midterms, they're still trying to contain the fallout from inside and outside the party.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is hustling to win over left-wing critics who say the progressive leader cares too much about mainstream approval and is too cozy with senior Democrats.
Ocasio-Cortez — who's weighing a White House run — recently took a harder line against fundingfor Israel, part of a push to appease those on the left who once saw her as Bernie Sanders 2.0 but now think she's more pragmatist than revolutionary.
President Trump is pairing his Iran blockade with a sales pitch: Countries squeezed by the Strait of Hormuz — especially China — should buy more oil from the U.S. instead.
Why it matters: The U.S. rise to become the world's largest oil and gas producer — and largest exporter of liquefied natural gas — provides geopolitical leverage that Trump is attempting to wield.
The scandal surrounding Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) is rapidly ballooning and could jolt a surge of expulsion votes for at least three of his House colleagues as soon as the chamber returns from recess next week.
Why it matters: Multiple members in the 119th Congress accused of grave misbehavior have so far survived every push to oust them. The bill may finally be coming due.
President Trump announced the U.S. is imposing a naval blockade on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, several hours after peace talks in Pakistan ended in failure.
Why it matters: Iran has effectively held the strait hostage, imposing a toll and limiting oil exports. Trump's blockade aims to flip that dynamic by denying Iran the leverage it's using as a bargaining chip and preventing it from exporting its oil.
It increasingly looks as if the inflation problem that emerged five years ago wasn't a one-off event, but the defining economic challenge of the decade — and Americans don't like it one bit.
The big picture: Price pressures were already reaccelerating in the last few months, and that was before the U.S.–Israeli attack on Iran disrupted global energy supplies.
The U.S. and Iran didn't reach an agreement during marathon negotiations on Saturday in Pakistan.
Why it matters: The deadlock in the talks puts the two-week ceasefire agreed last week in limbo, with the possibility of renewed and escalating warfare.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) lost the last of the 21 endorsements he had from fellow Democratic members of Congress on Saturday as Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) rescinded her support for his gubernatorial campaign.
Why it matters: It's a stunning reversal of political fortunes in just 24 hours. Swalwell was among the frontrunners in the race, but his campaign is in free fall due to allegations of rape, sexual assault and misconduct, which he denies.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) plans to force a vote to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) next week over sexual assault and misconduct allegations, Axios has learned. Swalwell denies the allegations.
Why it matters: Democrats are set to respond by moving in turn to expel Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who's being investigated by House Ethics over sexual misconduct allegations, two Democratic leadership aides told Axios.
Pope Leo XIV and President Trump are escalating a high-stakes clash over immigration and the Iran war, exposing a rare and widening divide between the Vatican and the White House.
Why it matters: The standoff pits the Vatican's moral authority against Washington's political and military power as both shape global narratives on war, diplomacy and human dignity.
