House Democrats are looking to Tuesday's primaries in California as a major test of the anti-incumbency sentiment among their voters.
Why it matters: This will be the first time in the 2026 election when multiple House Democrats in their 70s and 80s face off against primary insurgents who have hammered them for their lengthy tenures.
President Trump lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's escalation in Lebanon in an expletive-laden call on Monday, two U.S. officials and a third source briefed on the call told Axios.
Why it matters: Earlier on Monday, Iran threatened to abandon the negotiations with the U.S. over Israel's actions in Lebanon. On the call, Trump called Netanyahu "crazy" and accused him of ingratitude, according to two of the sources. He also put the brakes on Israel's plan to strike Beirut.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Monday sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that the company marketed ChatGPT to the public without sufficiently warning of its dangers.
Why it matters:Florida is the first state to sue OpenAI, part of a growing string of lawsuits the state has filed against Big Tech companies, including Meta and Snapchat.
Dueling events for America's 250th birthday are creating confusion as celebrations ramp up across the U.S.
Why it matters: The disconnect made headlines last week when a group of performers withdrew from on the National Mall, prompting President Trump to step in.
Maine Democratic Senate primary frontrunner Graham Platner is scheduled to meet with Democratic senators in Washington on Tuesday afternoon, according to two people familiar with the plans.
Why it matters: The long-planned meeting will give senators an opportunity to ask Platner directly about allegations that he sent sexually explicit text messages to as many as a dozen women in 2023, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
The Trump administration plans to drop its controversial $1.8 billion "weaponization" fund the president sought to compensate alleged victims of prosecutorial misconduct under the Biden administration, two senior administration officials told Axios.
"It's dead for now," one of the sources said.
Why it matters: Bashed as a political slush fund that could be tapped by those convicted in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Trump's proposal has drawn bipartisan pushback in the GOP-led House and Senate.
Corporate profits are taking the largest chunk of America's total income since a brief period of the early 1950s, as the slice of the pie going to worker pay has shrunk to the thinnest on record.
Why it matters: It's another piece of evidence underscoring the current state of play in the American economy: Surging profits have buoyed stock markets while increasing pressure on an already cranky public.
After years of talking to hundreds of CEOs, elected officials, social scientists and ordinary Americans, this is our best take on how things stand in our country right now and a guide to how we got here.
On Tuesday, Jim will outline why he believes CEOs and business leaders are uniquely suited to step up and help fill the trust void in this moment.
We're living through the most disorienting societal moment since World War II. Almost nobody in a position of power is explaining why, or what to do about it.
This is so much bigger than politics. It touches our jobs, our companies, our communities and our realities.
Why it matters: By most objective measures, it's an extraordinary time to be alive. Americans are wealthier, safer and longer-lived than at any earlier point in history. U.S. total wealth has soared. Violent crime sank to a 20-year low and is still falling. Life expectancy just hit 79 years — the highest in American history. The country produces more energy than ever after four straight record years.
Artificial intelligence models are quietly shaping spiritual advice — often by leaving faith out.
Why it matters: As churches, apps and spiritual chatbots embrace AI, new research suggests general-purpose models may be ill-equipped to handle sensitive questions of faith: grief, forgiveness, marriage, guilt and conversion.
Donald Trump shattered long-held political norms when Republicans elected him twice despite scandals that would have sunk most candidates. Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner is testing whether Democrats are willing to play by the same rules.
Why it matters: The answer will show whether voters' tolerance for scandal — long thought to be a Trump-only phenomenon — is hardening into a broader feature of American politics.
In his first public remarks since the conclusion of his time as Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell has issued a blunt warning that the central bank is undergoing a "stress test" and its credibility is on the line.
The big picture: While Powell's remarks Sunday evening, in accepting the John F. Kennedy "Profile in Courage" award, do not mention the Trump administration's attempts to undermine Fed independence specifically, the meaning of his words is plain.
Those include a criminal investigation of the Fed's over-budget building renovation and the attempted firing of governor Lisa Cook.
Powell framed attempts to weaken the Fed's independence from politics as endangering an institution that is crucial in sustaining American greatness.
