Why it matters: Democrats are scrambling to contain the fallout from an escalating economic conflict between the Trump administration and the Canadian government.
Data: Trade Partnership Worldwide, via National Taxpayers Union Foundation. Note: Includes tariffs mandated by executive order only. Totals through June 2026. Map: Brad Jennings/Axios
States bear wildly different estimated tariff burdens from President Trump's trade actions since the start of 2025, from California's $62.8 billion share to Wyoming's $107 million.
Why it matters: Local industries dictate how and how hard communities have been hit, from Michigan's auto industry to Virginia's aerospace sector.
President Trump told Axios in a phone interview on Thursday that he isn't concerned that Russia will attack NATO countries.
Why it matters: European leaders have grown extremely concerned and warned publicly that Moscow could test NATO's resolve — and Trump's commitment to Article 5, the alliance's collective-defense clause — through a limited attack or other military provocations.
The Trump administration is in talks with Venezuela's interim government about taking an ownership stake in the South American country's enormous oil resources, two U.S. officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: The historic deal would more than double U.S. oil reserves by drawing from a country that has the world's largest proven reserves.
The effort leaves virtually no part of the election system untouched.
Why it matters: Voting-rights experts say the churn is designed to sow confusion, deter turnout and undermine trust in elections. Even measures later blocked in court can create uncertainty and erode trust before Election Day.
Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) is pleading with his colleagues to reject his censure in a 22-page letter arguing that the House Ethics Committee made an "extraordinary leap" in determining that his behavior amounted to sexual harassment.
Why it matters: Edwards' aggressive defense of his conduct — allegations that ultimately caused him to drop his reelection bid — comes as he tries to avoid one of the House's most serious punishments.
Private equity giant KKR has agreed to a $250 million settlement with the U.S. Justice Department, over its alleged failure to file proper pre-merger notifications on over a dozen deals in 2021 and 2022.
Why it matters: This is the largest civil penalty ever for HSR Act violations.
Lawyers for Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook have submitted their case for why she cannot legally be fired, as President Trump seeks new avenues for dismissing the Biden appointee for cause.
The big picture: After the Supreme Court ruled against Trump's attempt to fire Cook last year over allegations that she claimed two different properties as her primary residence in mortgage documents, the White House has sought to introduce a more formal process in pursuit of the same goal.
It is a closely watched case that may determine the political independence of America's central bank, by setting how high the bar is for a president to fire Fed governors.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will hold fireside chats with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang next week during the U.S.-led G20 Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Why it matters: The Sept. 1–2 summit, co-hosted by the Commerce Department and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, is aimed at fostering global innovation in AI and other technologies.
Free-market consumer groups are pushing back against the Trump administration's effort to set a definition for ultra-processed foods, according to a letter shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: It's the latest example of a rift within the GOP base over health and nutrition policy.
Past criticism of abortion pills by President Trump's nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration could revive an intense debate over abortion rights that the administration has largely managed to duck for the last year and a half.
Why it matters: Though the Senate is unlikely to hold a confirmation vote on White House aide Heidi Overton before the midterm elections, new talk about dialing back access to the pills could work both ways politically for Republicans.
The nation's old guard of Black leaders is still a key force for Democrats, but this year's primaries have revealed the rising influence of Black Gen Z voters who aren't swayed by their elders' seniority, civil rights credentials or endorsements.
Driving the news: Michigan's Democratic primary for Senate offered a snapshot of the growing generational divide among Black voters in particular.
A military judge on Wednesday set a June 2028 trial date for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and three other men accused of plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The big picture: Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, a military commissions judge, set the tentative trial date for June 5, 2028 — some 20 years after Mohammed and his co-defendants were first arraigned in 2008 and 27 years after the 9/11 attacks.
