Rep. Mike Lawler's (R-N.Y.) fight to hold on to a key battleground seat is getting a behind-the-scenes assist — for now, at least — from an unlikely group: House Democrats.
Why it matters: Kamala Harris carried Lawler's district in 2024, but some Democrats are privately wary of spending the small fortune it would take to oust one of the GOP's most bipartisan — and electorally savvy — members.
Why it matters: A friendly senator or House member can help on the stump. But only a handful can juice fundraising, draw a real crowd or make a mark with an endorsement. And Democrats have more of them.
Karoline Leavitt will be stepping down from her role as White House press secretary at the end of the month, President Trump announced Wednesday in a Truth Social post.
The big picture: Leavitt is leaving to spend more time with her family, the president said.A member of Trump's team who followed him from his presidential campaign to the White House, she's been a fiercely loyal face of the White House.
The development costs of President Trump's White House ballroom keep rising — as does speculation about what the finished project, including its underground complex, will look like.
The big picture:Trump's ballroom project is more than a simple remodel of the East Wing. It's a complete overhaul featuring what appears to be a military-grade underground bunker, meant to protect and secure the president.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to begin using electric shock gloves designed to cause pain and disrupt a person's ability to react.
The big picture: The gloves could give ICE officers a new way to use force as theirtactics face intense scrutiny after several deaths and violent encounters.
President Trump's Kennedy Center renovation would polish its Carrara marble facade, remodel its grand halls and theaters, and likely send marquee events offsite over the next few years, according to 180 pages of plans first obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: It's the first deep look at the scale of Trump's proposed overhaul of the Washington performing arts center.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeatedsocialist Francesca Hong by about 3,000 votes, dealing a blow to the progressive left's momentum Tuesday in Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor, after his own polling indicated he was behind by nearly 20 points.
Why it matters: Crowley's win could breathe new life into a center-left that had been losing primary after primary in recent months, from last week's Senate contest in Michigan to House races across the country.
Azerbaijan is on the hunt for demining technologies and techniques, and hopes the U.S. can lend a hand, ambassador Khazar Ibrahim told Axios.
Why it matters: The collapse of the USSR and years of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia have saturated the region with unexploded ordnance, which can maim or kill and scare off industry.
REDONDO BEACH, California — The bus departed Impulse Space and was hurtling down the highway, bound for an In-N-Out Burger somewhere southeast. Inside, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and other executives were discussing defense tech: its ups, its downs, its risks, its opportunities.
How could they help? Where were the relevant watering holes? And what would it mean to get creative, to avoid the pitfalls of the past?
"The notion that this country is behind is frustrating, but I'm very uplifted by what they're doing," Dimon said. "You walk around companies like Impulse Space — they're doing amazing stuff."
The big picture: In October, JPMorgan Chase tossed $1.5 trillion into the national-security ring with its Security and Resiliency Initiative. At first a stateside push, it has since extended to include Canada, Europe and the U.K.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated state Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, in Tuesday's Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: Hong's loss blunts progressives' recent momentum and hands moderate Democrats a chance to prove their electability in a crucial battleground state in November
Crowley will vie to become Wisconsin's first Black governor.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is trying to pull off a political feat for the ages: bury a chapter of left-wing politics that seemed like a good idea to many liberals at the time — but not so much anymore.
Why it matters: The country's most prominent democratic socialist is essentially seeking a mulligan for candidates who embraced policies like defunding the police, saying candidates should be judged on their current platforms.
Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) was unseated Tuesday by his primary challenger, former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, according to the Associated Press.
Why it matters: Larson is the 7th House Democrat ousted in their primary this year. Only one other election cycle in the 21st century has seen this many incumbent losses in primaries.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar sailed to victory in Minnesota's Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday.
The big picture: Polling indicates that the four-term senator and 2020 presidential candidate will be a formidable contender in Democrats' bid to hold the open seat this November.
Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) advanced Tuesday to a runoff in South Carolina's crowded Republican Senate primary, per the AP, extending the fight to succeed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Why it matters: The Aug. 25 runoff will almost certainly determine South Carolina's next senator.
