Top Pentagon officials are already pitching reconciliation 4.0 to Senate Republicans behind closed doors, underscoring the need for a massive boost in military funds, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Thune hasn't embraced reconciliation 3.0. The White House is already looking beyond it.
Some members of the Congressional Black Caucus want a condition for incoming Democrats seeking to join their ranks: You have to support House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for speaker.
Why it matters: Things could get dicey fast, as several Black Democrats who are all but guaranteed to be elected in November have declined to commit to voting for Jeffries.
Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) said Tuesday that he won't drop his reelection bid despite facing allegations of domestic abuse and violence from his ex-wife and two other women.
Why it matters: Miller has until Wednesday to withdraw from the race, and President Trump has expressed concern that the embattled congressman could put a reliably Republican seat at risk in the midterms.
The White House is excluding open models from its framework to test advanced AI capabilities, sources familiar with the matter told Axios.
Why it matters: The voluntary framework will determine how the Trump administration reviews advanced AI models before release, but the White House isn't making it public.
Embattled Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) said Tuesday that he'll file paperwork for an ethics investigation — into himself — amid a series of allegations involving his ex-wife.
The big picture: Miller, a former Trump aide in a competitive reelection race, is facing domestic abuse allegations, which he has denied.
The White House does not plan to publicly release its new framework for evaluating advanced AI models, three sources familiar with the discussions told Axios.
Why it matters: The voluntary framework has global implications for AI security, but details will only be made available to the companies that are part of the process.
OpenAI agreed Tuesday to pay $3.2 million to settle Justice Department allegations that it discriminated against U.S. workers by favoring temporary visa holders for jobs, according to the DOJ.
Why it matters: Slapping a multimillion dollar fine on one of the world's biggest AI companies puts the tech sector on notice that Trump administration is cracking down on companies that game the visa system to bypass American talent.
Less information from the Federal Reserve would likely make the markets more volatile and market pricing more "error-prone," Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius wrote in a note Monday.
Why it matters: Markets won't stop trying to predict the Fed's actions in the face of less information — investors will likely make the same guesses, only with less evidence and a greater chance of getting it wrong, he argued, echoing the concerns of several other analysts and economists.
Ohio, the red state that helped fuel President Trump's political comeback — and launched his presumed heir, JD Vance, onto the national stage — has become one of the GOP's biggest headaches for the midterms.
Why it matters: Republicans are struggling up and down the ballot in the Rust Belt state, which transformed from a perennial battleground into a Republican stronghold under Trump.
Three consecutive polls have now shown Democrat James Talarico narrowly ahead of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in that state's crucial race for the U.S. Senate. The latest, released Tuesday morning, has Talarico up 47%-45%.
Why it matters: That's within the survey's margin of error, and the Republican establishment isn't panicking — not yet, anyway.
For years, Truth Social was President Trump's money-losing megaphone.
Now his company is charging Wall Street up to $1.2 million a year for a split-second edge on posts that can — and frequently do — jolt global markets.
Why it matters: Trump has transformed his second term into the most lucrative venture of his entire career, raking in more than $2.2 billion in 2025 from his family crypto empire, legal settlements and various licensing deals.
Former Rep. Jim Renacci told Axios in a phone interview Monday night that he may mount a comeback run for Congress if Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) drops his bid for reelection.
Why it matters: As a former Republican nominee for U.S. Senate and congressman from the district, Renacci would likely be a serious contender to take Miller's place on the ballot.
Data: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research via Bloomberg American Health Initiative; Map: Sami Sparber/Axios
After decades of diminishing recess time, half of U.S. states now require it or other physical activity by law.
Why it matters: Yes, recess is literally child's play. But researchers, pediatricians and parents say it's crucial for young students' physical and mental health.
President Trump phoned Rep. Max Miller Monday and expressed doubts about the Ohio Republican's candidacy amid reports he assaulted his ex-wife and their child, three sources familiar with the call said.
On the call, the president told Miller that "things aren't looking good" and repeatedly said his reelection would be tough, the three sources said.
Miller, who denies hurting his wife and child, told the president he is staying in the race, one of the sources said.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will likely advance to a full Senate confirmation vote after he rescinded the order setting up President Trump's $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund Sunday.
Why it matters: Blanche's Sunday order has won over Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who had held out on voting for Trump's pick.
The House Democratic Women's Caucus is calling on Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) to resign after the House Ethics Committee concluded he violated House rules over sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment, according to a statement shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: The Democratic Women's Caucus is arguing that censure — the punishment recommended by the bipartisan Ethics Committee — is not sufficient for Edwards.
