Federal aviation officials are investigating an air-safety incident involving President Trump's Marine One helicopter in Washington, D.C.
Why it matters: The incident comes as regulators work to improve safety in increasingly congested U.S. airspace, particularly around the nation's capital.
For Speaker Mike Johnson, Rep. Chuck Edwards' decision to drop his re-election bid just trades one problem for another.
Why it matters: Instead of trying to hold a vulnerable seat with a scandal-ridden candidate, Republicans now have to scramble for a replacement who'll be starting at square one three months out from Election Day against a well-funded Democrat.
New Mexico sued acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Department of Justice on Wednesday, seeking unredacted Jeffrey Epstein investigative files tied to its criminal probe of Zorro Ranch.
The big picture: The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues the DOJ unlawfully withheld records that could help identify victims, witnesses and additional criminal conduct tied to Epstein's former Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is scheduled to headline a fundraiser for former Sen. John E. Sununu outside of D.C. on Thursday, according to people familiar with the plans.
Why it matters: The GOP high command sees New Hampshire as one of its top pickup opportunities this cycle.
A half dozen House Democrats in safe districts have lost their primaries so far this election cycle — and many more could soon follow suit.
Why it matters: Many of these losses are the result of growing restlessness among the Democratic grassroots that has increasingly morphed into anger towards the party establishment.
Embattled Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) is defending himself in national media interviews as tension over domestic abuse allegations against him intensifies.
The big picture: Miller, a former Trump aide currently running for reelection, has repeatedly denied the allegations.
The Senate confirmed Erica Schwartz for Centers for Disease Control director on Wednesday, giving the beleaguered agency its first full-time political leader in almost a year.
Why it matters: While the 51-44 vote marked a step toward refilling the depleted ranks of the Trump administration's health care leadership, it didn't fully resolve questions about whether Schwartz could steer clear of political interference.
The U.S. postmaster general is pushing back against a bipartisan bill that would tie bonuses for him and his deputy to improved mail service, according to a letter obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: The lobbying comes as the legislation is expected to clear the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday morning with bipartisan support, sources familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Federal judges, appointed by both Democrats and Republicans, have handed the Justice Department a steady stream of losses in the administration's attempt to obtain sensitive voter information.
Why it matters: The DOJ has sued 30 U.S. states, as well as D.C., for rebuffing its demands, all to back President Trump's efforts to reshape voting after years of spreading unproven claims of massive fraud.
Tesla hasn't tried to seek regulatory approval for its driverless Cybercab — nor is it likely now that the U.S. cleared Zoox to deploy its own robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals.
Why it matters: Tesla's bet has long been that it doesn't need permission to launch the two-seat Cybercab because the Trump administration is dumping outdated regulations that would prevent it from coming to market.
Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) dropped his re-election bid early Wednesday after the House Ethics Committee concluded he violated House rules over sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment, and recommended his censure.
The findings follow Axios' reporting that Edwards singled out two young female staffers in their 20s for special attention that multiple sources described as inappropriate.
Why it matters: Pressure has been mounting on Edwards to step aside since the Ethics Committee released its report Monday, amid mounting concerns that Democrats could flip his seat in November.
Michigan progressives woke up Wednesday after a banner night: Abdul El-Sayed overcame an outsized cash advantage in the Democratic Senate primary, Will Lawrence won a battleground House nomination, and Donavan McKinney ousted Rep. Shri Thanedar.
Why it matters: Thesweep signals the left's growing strength in a key swing state.
Progressives scored their biggest win of the year Tuesday in Michigan's Senate primary, narrowly defeating the Democratic establishment in the clearest sign yet of how a populist surge is remaking the party.
Why it matters: Left-wing outsider Abdul El-Sayed underperformed predictions, but his victory over moderate Rep. Haley Stevens was still a rebuke to party leaders in D.C. and Michigan, and to big donors who flooded Stevens' campaign with cash.
Abdul El-Sayed, a left-wing outsider, won Michigan's Democratic Senate primary in a rancorous and wildly expensive match-up against moderate Rep. Haley Stevens.
Why it matters: The November election to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is widely seen as one of the most competitive contests in the country.
House Democrats' campaign arm announced Wednesday it is adding a dozen districts that President Trump won handily in 2024 to their midterm target list.
Why it matters: The additions are meant to project Democratic confidence that they can compete in solidly Republican territory come November.
The U.S. Navy is doling out some $76.6 billion in contracts to improve shipyards and build Virginia-class attack and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines.
Why it matters: The deals with General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII's Newport News Shipbuilding are long awaited.
They also have ripple effects for the AUKUS security pact and the American nuclear arsenal.
The U.S. Air Force recently deployed laser weapons to help combat drones overseas, according to an announcement that has flown relatively under the radar.
Why it matters: Employment of directed energy, whether laser or microwave or some combination of the two, is still relatively rare.
That's despite decades of research and billions and billions of dollars spent.
The U.S. Army's latest swingat streamlining networks and communications, known as Next-Generation Command and Control, proved effective at one of the service's largest experiments to date and will soon be distributed among larger units, according to military leaders.
Why it matters: The Army has tried and tried again to future-proof its command and control, juggling its relationships with the Air Force and Navy, the rapid commercialization of tech, the widespread availability of artificial intelligence, and threats posed by hackers, electromagnetic sensors and ever-evolving tactics in wars abroad.
"Next-Generation Command and Control, or what I call Army Command and Control, is not a replacement for how we fight. That's fundamental, and that's often misunderstood," Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the vice chief of staff, told reporters.
Who cares about war, oil prices, interest rates or an AI bubble? Investors apparently do not — for now at least — sending stocks back to record highs.
Why it matters: High stock prices are critical to keeping funds flowing to the AI buildout.
A significant erosion of investors' confidence in stocks would be a big risk to the AI flywheel of financial flows, capital expenditures and industrial activity driving the U.S. economy.
Senate Republicans' planned vote this week on whether to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress is the latest escalation in their attempt to right perceived COVID-era wrongs and further disempower the federal health care bureaucracy.
Why it matters: Critics fear the Senate Homeland Security Committee's efforts will deter scientific talent from taking government jobs, weakening America's public health infrastructure and ceding its dominance in biomedical innovation.
The Trump administration's rosy promises of a new "golden age" with 6% economic growth have fizzled on the realities of slower-than-anticipated growth and souring consumer sentiment.
Why it matters: President Trump's roller coaster economy has risen with consumer spending and AI investment but also tumbled on tariff uncertainty, stubborn inflation and his Iran war, muddling the economic picture.
This will be the first election cycle where AI is both a dominant policy debate — and a widely deployed political weapon.
Why it matters:AI allows both candidates and bad actors to persuade and perplex with unprecedented speed, scale and precision in our elections. Watch what works, as those same techniques will likely be used against YOU.
Sunrise Movement co-founder Will Lawrence is the latest progressive candidate to notch an upset Democratic House primary win — this time in a key battleground district in Michigan.
Why it matters: The seat is a top target for Democrats in November, but party leaders fear that Lawrence's left-leaning politics will make it much harder to win.
The U.S., Iran and Oman are closing in on an interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with the U.S. aiming for a Wednesday announcement, according to two regional sources and a U.S. official.
Why it matters: The deal, which has been under negotiations for several weeks, is aimed at resuming the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran and restarting negotiations over a nuclear deal.
Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) defeated former Rep. Cori Bush in his primary on Tuesday, thwarting an attempt by left-wing groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America, to avenge Bush's 2024 loss.
Why it matters: It's a win for the Democratic establishment in an election cycle where triumphs against left-wing insurgents have been few and far between.
Authorities said Tuesday they arrested a suspect near President Trump's Los Angeles-area golf course ahead of his fundraising visit.
The big picture: Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, California, was arrested Sunday after deputies say they found a pistol and illegal ammunition in his vehicle in a parking lot at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
