The House passed a 45-day clean extension of Section 702 of FISA — the government's warrantless surveillance authority — after the Senate failed to accept the House's long-term extension of the program.
Why it matters: The national security tool won't lapse Thursday night, but lawmakers are punting another thorny fight just weeks down the road.
The "Make America Healthy Again" movement notched a big win on pesticide regulation during Thursday's debate on a House farm bill, only to see the White House pull the nomination of a favored influencer for surgeon general hours later.
Why it matters: The events showed how the movement continues to have clout on matters related to the food supply, but can be a political liability when it comes to vaccines and other public health matters.
The House Ethics Committee has begun investigating Rep. Chuck Edwards over unspecified allegations against the North Carolina Republican, Axios has learned from three sources familiar with the probe.
Why it matters: Democrats are working hard to unseat Edwards in November, and an Ethics probe could damage the GOP lawmaker's reelection prospects.
Why it matters: Trump's grand vision for a White House ballroom where the bulldozed East Wing once stood and plans for an enormous triumphal arch aren't resonating with Americans as the president stares down a tough midterm election.
President Trump announced a new nominee for surgeon general Thursday, picking Nicole Saphier of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a former Fox News medical contributor, for the top health job.
Why it matters: Trump said he's dropping his previous nominee, Casey Means, a nutrition influencer and ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who struggled to win enough Republican support to be confirmed by the Senate.
House lawmakers passed Homeland Security funding by voice vote Thursday, which should end the partial shutdown that's become the longest in U.S. history.
Why it matters: If the House had waited for the Senate to pass a reconciliation bill, as some GOP lawmakers insisted, it would have left DHS closed until mid-May.
Louisiana is suspending its House elections just days before voting was set to begin, Gov. Jeff Landry said Thursday, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state's congressional map.
Why it matters: Landry says an "electoral emergency exists," which gives him authority to suspend or delay elections.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspended her Senate campaign on Thursday, acknowledging she lacked the financial resources to win.
Why it matters: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) worked hard to convince Mills to jump into the race. But she was outraised and outpolled by progressive insurgent Graham Platner.
The 2026 midterms are expected to have fewer competitive House districts than past elections, and the Supreme Court just blessed a redistricting war that will only squeeze races further.
Why it matters: That means more often the real race happens in primaries, which cater to a party's most devout members and not the electorate at large.
The U.S. economy expanded at a 2% annualized pace in the first quarter of 2026, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
Why it matters: The economy was on relatively solid footing as the Iran war began, amid a rebound from the government shutdown and strong AI investment.
Oil prices reached their highest levels overnight since the Iran war began, with Brent crude topping $126 per barrel before pulling back on Thursday morning.
Why it matters: The jump will keep sending U.S. gasoline prices higher — and shows the market reacting to the possibility of a long stalemate that keeps the Strait of Hormuz throttled.
The Supreme Court just narrowed a landmark voting law for a nation that has never been more diverse — or more divided over who gets political power.
Why it matters: The latest ruling lands in a more multiracial, more mobile country that looks nothing like it did in 1965, raising fresh questions about how voting protections apply to a rapidly evolving electorate.
A nonprofit that's part of the growing center-left "Abundance" movement is assembling a 2028 policy agenda aimed at targeting regulations it believes have hurt Democrats' efforts on health care, housing, energy and more.
Why it matters: The Inclusive Abundance Initiative is among several groups on the left that already are battling over what the next Democratic administration will prioritize, and what people it will hire.
President Trump is slated to receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action in Iran on Thursday from CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, two sources with knowledge tell Axios.
Why it matters: The briefing signals that Trump is seriously considering resuming major combat operations either to try to break the logjam in negotiations or to deliver a final blow before ending the war.
Here is the most baffling paradox of 2026: Most Americans agree on most things most of the time — and yet, our feeds and screens scream civil war.
Our eyes and our front porches tell a different story.
Why it matters: Three events this week captured beautifully my core belief: The vast majority of Americans are decent, hardworking, neighbor-helping, kid-raising people who don't pop off online.
Elon Musk portrayed himself in court this week as a leading advocate for AI safety — in contrast to what he described as the profit-consumed OpenAI that he's suing.
Why it matters: Musk's self-portrait as a guardian of AI safety clashed with OpenAI's counterargument: that Musk was fine with a for-profit OpenAI when he thought he could control it.
How the debate over Musk's motivations is resolved could be key to the outcome of the lawsuit the richest man in the world is waging against OpenAI.
