President Trump announced Thursday that he'll nominate Jay Clayton, the current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as the permanent Director of National Intelligence.
Why it matters: Clayton would replace Trump's soon to be acting director Bill Pulte, who critics say doesn't have enough experience for the role.
President Trump is once again threatening to seize Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub and a high-value target in the months-long war.
The big picture: Attacks on the small island's oil infrastructure — or a full-blown takeover — could choke Iran's revenue, but there's no guarantee the stark escalation would persuade Iran to accept Trump's terms.
The man charged in last year's politically motivated attacks that killed Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and wounded another legislator and his wife pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court.
The big picture: The guilty plea brings a measure of resolution to a case that rattled Minnesota politics and became a national symbol of growing concerns about political violence.
A false alarm over "air quality" summoned hazmat crews to the Pentagon and forced lockdowns across the building early Thursday.
The big picture: Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said subsequent testing "confirmed no hazard exists," adding that "normal operations have resumed."
Why it matters: A standoff over President Trump's decision to install Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence has jeopardized what lawmakers in both parties consider one of the government's most important intelligence tools.
President Trump said the U.S. will hit Iran with new strikes Thursday and threatened to seize Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub.
Why it matters: This will be the third consecutive night the U.S. military strikes Iran. U.S. officials say the goal is to push Iran to show more flexibility in the negotiations over its nuclear program.
President Trump has been on a roll of rhetorical missteps that could come back to bite Republicans in the midterms.
Why it matters: Trump has served up a platter of ready-made campaign ads to Democrats, suggesting he's fine with rising prices and unconcerned about Americans' financial struggles.
House Republicans are looking at paying for Iran war costs with savings from the ongoing crackdown on fraud in federal health programs as they begin the process of assembling another party-line budget bill.
Why it matters: GOP lawmakers contend Medicare and Medicaid are rife with theft, but the new effort risks crossing the line into benefit cuts that could prompt political backlash in an election year.
President Trumptouted the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism and global unity on U.S. soil.
But the feel-good vibes surrounding the world's biggest sporting event have been dampened by stories of immigration crackdowns and visa restrictions in the run-up to the tournament.
Why it matters: The World Cup is an early test of whether Trump can successfully host a global spectacle while pressing his America First agenda, with the 2028 Olympics looming just two years later.
A year's worth of inflation-adjusted wage gains vanished in just four months, leaving workers little better off than when President Trump returned to office.
Why it matters: The reversal shows how the recent energy-driven inflation surge is eating into household purchasing power. Real pay for rank-and-file workers is up just 0.1% since Trump took office in January 2025.
Rising real wages helped underpin the White House's case that the economy was improving. That advantage has now largely disappeared.
Tulsi Gabbard, the outgoing director of national intelligence, got an unexpected call Tuesday from her controversial successor, Bill Pulte: "Today is your last day," he said.
Gabbard was surprised. She had announced she was leaving at month's end, not Tuesday.
"I need to hear it from the president or the White House," Gabbard told Pulte, two officials briefed on the discussion told Axios.
Why it matters: The call, unreported until now, was the latest flashpoint in the intelligence wars that erupted last week in D.C. after President Trump picked Pulte as Gabbard's temporary replacement.
One of America's most powerful spy authorities is nearing an unprecedented lapse, threatening to plunge intelligence agencies and telecommunications companies into legal uncertainty if allowed to go dark on Friday.
Why it matters: Members in both parties are warning that an expiration of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act could jeopardize U.S. national security.
House Democrats' threat to withhold their dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee unless it stops intervening in primaries comes as they are already struggling to get some members to cough up, Axios has found.
Why it matters: This isn't the DCCC's only source of income, but it is a significant one.
