Congressional leaders are straining to get their absentee members to return to Capitol Hill as the House's vote margins on major legislation grow ever more precarious.
Why it matters: Just on Thursday, an Iran war powers resolution failed to pass in a tie vote. Any lawmaker could have tipped the outcome — and half a dozen were absent.
A divided U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday indefinitely extended a freeze on strict new restrictions for dispensing the widely used abortion pill mifepristone while an underlying legal fight over the drug plays out.
Why it matters: The widely expected order provides legal certainty for pharmacies, telehealth companies and clinicians caught up in the latest battle over accessing the pill.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Cuba on Thursday to meet with intelligence officials and Raúl Guillermo "Raulito" Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of former leader Raúl Castro.
The big picture: Cuba is facing a crippling fuel shortage and economic crisis due in part to U.S. sanctions. President Trump has repeatedly indicated he wants regime change, though a CIA official said Ratcliffe emphasized that cooperation is possible if the government makes "fundamental changes."
The House Ethics Committee said it is investigating Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) over allegations of sexual harassment and creating a "hostile work environment" in a statement Thursday.
Why it matters: Axios has reported that Edwards engaged in inappropriate conduct towards two female staffers in their 20s, including one who later complained about his behavior and feared retaliation. That probe was prompted in part by Edwards' conduct toward female staffers.
U.S. Chief District Judge Chip Campbell on Thursday rejected Tennessee Democrats' request for a temporary restraining order to stop the state from implementing a new U.S. House map that favors Republicans.
Why it matters: The legal challenges to the new map will press on, but Campbell's ruling is a critical setback for opponents.
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) has told allies in her district that she plans to run for reelection despite her nearly month-long absence from the Hill, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: There had been rumors that the 83-year-old from Miami was considering retirement as she convalesced following what sources described as major eye surgery.
Trump allies want to smash the Guinness World Record for the world's biggest fireworks show, planning over 30 minutes of pyrotechnics in D.C. this July 4.
Why it matters: The supersized spectacle for America's 250th birthday is the latest Trump touch on D.C., including a never-before-seen UFC cage fight on the White House lawn next month — putting Washington on its highest-ever July 4 security footing.
Attorneys for Elon Musk wrapped up their case against OpenAI on Thursday, asserting in closing arguments that they've proven the AI giant misused the millions of dollars Musk donated and violated their duty to uphold OpenAI's founding ethos.
The other side: OpenAI lawyers countered that Musk's $38 million donations in the early days of OpenAI didn't have specific strings attached and that the organization has continued to pursue its mission, albeit with various changes in structure.
OpenAI and Microsoft are also claiming that the lawsuit was filed too late and that Musk's own misconduct should prevent him from prevailing.
Why it matters: Musk wants Sam Altman ousted as CEO and removed from OpenAI's board, as well as billions of dollars in damages, though he says he would donate any winnings back to OpenAI's nonprofit arm.
Pope Leo XIV is expected to sign his first encyclical later this month, positioning artificial intelligence as the defining moral and labor challenge of a new industrial revolution.
Why it matters: The document, reportedly titled "Magnifica Humanitas" ("magnificent humanity"), would become the Catholic Church's clearest attempt yet to place human dignity, labor rights and ethics at the center of the AI race.
President Trump's remark this week that "I don't think about Americans' financial situation" as he weighs his next moves in Iran may have inadvertently captured the fundamental bind he's in: how to pressure Iran without spooking markets and sending oil prices soaring.
Why it matters: Trump currently has no clear way to square his desire to end the war on his terms with the need to rein in inflation and keep the stock market humming in an election year.
Republicans are slowing down a feared redistricting blitz across the Deep South, giving several longtime Black lawmakers a temporary reprieve.
Why it matters: Democrats had been grappling with the imminent collapse of Black political representation in the South after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act in late April.
