Congressional Democrats are planning a new push to constrain President Trump's war powers after he threatened Monday to "bomb the shit" out of Oman.
Why it matters: War powers resolutions, though largely symbolic, have become Democrats' go-to tool for trying to rein in what they see as a far too trigger-happy administration.
Vaccination rates among American kindergartners decreased during the 2025–2026 school year for all tracked vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Monday.
Exemptions from getting one or more vaccines increased in 41 states and the District of Columbia, growing to 4.2% from 3.6% the year before.
The big picture: Mangione, who admitted in federal court last week that he shot and killed Thompson outside an investor conference in New York City, was supposed to go to trial on separate state charges on Sept. 8.
The USS George Washington's deployment from Japan to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln will leave the U.S. without an aircraft carrier in the western Pacific — just as adversaries in the area are flexing their military power.
Why it matters:Temporary carrier gaps are not uncommon, but the absence of a striker ship in the Pacific highlights how the Middle East is once again dictating American military policy. It also has raised questions about how the U.S. can sustain a formidable presence in both regions.
President Trump again floated taking over the Strait of Hormuz as a U.S. "territory" on Monday, as the critical waterway remains a main pain point of the protracted Iran war.
The big picture: Trump's comments come at a difficult time for the ongoing conflict, with stalled negotiations for a ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran expiring on Monday.
The Trump administration paused border wall construction at Big Bend National Park in Texas while U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott visits the site, Scott announced Monday.
Why it matters: The wall's construction inside the national park has been the subject of bipartisan pushback and criticism that the job has been rushed, and is damaging to the environment.
The House Ethics Committee announced Monday that it is investigating Congressman Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Why it matters: Gomez is the latest House member to face scrutiny over alleged sexual misconduct amid a string of incidents that have prompted calls to tighten Congress' rules.
President Trump adviser Jared Kushner told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that the U.S. wants Israel to take "small steps" in Gaza to test whether Hamas' commitment to start disarming is genuine, a U.S. official said.
Why it matters: The four-hour meeting took place amid deep skepticism from Netanyahu about the U.S. plan for Gaza — and ahead of an October election that makes the Israeli leader reluctant to offer significant concessions on the politically sensitive issue.
The Supreme Court once again declined to take up President Trump's attempt to toss a jury's $5 million finding that he sexually abused and defamed E. Jean Carroll.
The big picture: Carroll's payday had been long delayed as the president fought the verdict. The Supreme Court already declined to throw it out earlier this year.
House Democrats who have comfortably held their seats for decades are suddenly finding the ground shifting beneath their feet as primary voters revolt against the party's old guard.
Why it matters: The anti-establishment revolution that has swept Democratic primaries this year is poised to drastically alter the makeup of the party caucus and Congress as a whole.
Yields on U.S. government bonds — known as Treasurys — continue to climb, thanks to groaning federal deficits, bonkers corporate borrowing and uncertainty about monetary policy under Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Warsh.
Why it matters: Virtually all borrowing costs — for mortgages, business loans, auto financing, etc. — are based in part on bond yields produced by trading in the Treasury market each day.
When the U.S. government has to pay higher interest rates to borrow — yields are effectively those interest rates — it raises the floor for almost everyone else too, increasing borrowing costs across the economy.
America is experiencing its biggest prescription drug price deflation in generations.
Why it matters: By one important measure, there is a striking reversal underway for one of health care's most stubbornly expensive necessities amid a major Washington push to lower drug costs.
High prices, a persistent war and anxiety about corruption are quickly eroding President Trump's support among Republicans, a warning sign for the White House with less than 80 days to the midterms.
Why it matters: Democrats look likely to take control of the House already, but Trump's weakness could cost Republicans more seats and further endanger the Senate.
The centrist Democratic group Third Way recently declared "war" on democratic socialists to head off what they fear could be a far-left hijacking of the party ahead of 2028.
But establishment Democrats have made clear what they're against without making much of a case for what they're for.
Why it matters: It's hard to beat something with nothing.
Activists and citizens across the political spectrum are pushing back against license plate readers made by Flock and similar companies, fueled by privacy concerns and suspected police misuse.
Why it matters: Flock cameras are suddenly emerging as the next big target of populist anti-tech, pro-privacy sentiment, alongside the data centers fueling the AI boom.
