Sen. Bernie Moreno wants his fellow Republicans to cancel their holiday plans and jam through "everything that we could possibly get" if they lose the majorities in November's midterms.
Why it matters: Republicans couldn't muster the votes for a megabill this summer, and leadership is not confident they can now. But Moreno (R-Ohio) is calling for the GOP to make a bigger push in the event of losing power.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun not to return a truckload of explosives to Hezbollah after the group tried to smuggle them into Beirut last week, according to a State Department official and another source with knowledge of their call.
Why it matters: The issue is a test case for the Lebanese government's resolve to stand up to Hezbollah and implement its policy of keeping weapons outside the control of state security forces.
The Trump administration is suing California and two election officials over claims that there are suspected ineligible voters who received mail-in ballots for this November's election.
Why it matters: The lawsuit is asking the court to prevent about 20,000 voters from having their ballots counted until their citizenship status is confirmed.
Nine former FBI agents and intelligence personnel sued the Trump administration Thursday, alleging they were unlawfully fired for working on the investigation into President Trump's handling of classified documents.
Why it matters: The agents' bid to regain their jobs adds to a growing number of legal challenges accusing the Trump administration of retaliating against FBI personnel who investigated the president.
James Talarico,the Democratic Texas state representative from Austin, hauled in $64 million in the third quarter in his U.S. Senate bid, his campaign announced Thursday.
Investigations into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) are raising questions about whether she could be stripped of her citizenship and deported, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Why it matters: Federal law allows the government to revoke citizenship in limited circumstances, but Omar's path to citizenship through her father could complicate such an effort.
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) says he and his family were at an Aurora Hindu temple on Sunday when a self-described white supremacist allegedly tried to carry out a mass shooting.
Why it matters: The alleged plot targeted people of Indian descent at a Hindu temple, according to court documents, raising concerns about hate-fueled violence at places of worship in the Chicago suburbs.
President Trump said in a Thursday Truth Social post that the execution of the convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan by firing squad will not be live-streamed.
The big picture: The president's post walks back an idea that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pitched last week, setting off an avalanche of bipartisan condemnation.
Don Bolduc, the Trump-endorsed Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire in 2022, and a group of other Republicans and independents have endorsed Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas in the state's upcoming Senate race.
Why it matters: The cross-party endorsement is a rare moment of bipartisan unity and highlights how dissatisfaction with the Trump agenda could affect how moderate and independent voters vote in the purple state.
The Trump administration is threatening emergency court action unless California officials investigate potential ineligible voters within 48 hours and set aside ballots from anyone whose citizenship they cannot verify, according to two letters sent to state officials from the Justice Department.
Why it matters: With voting already underway, President Trump's DOJ could delay ballots from eligible Californians mistakenly flagged as noncitizens and set up a court fight just three weeks before Election Day.
A trio of polls out this week carries a stark message: Americans feel disgruntled, dizzy and down on the man in the White House.
Why it matters: The vibes going into the midterms are bleak, with a large majority of voters wanting significant change. But the question remains whether those sentiments will drive them to the polls.
America's biggest banks are having a rough week in President Trump's Washington.
Why it matters: The industry has had policy victories under Trump. But this week's historic fine against Bank of America and a regulatory report that raises new concerns about politically motivated "debanking" show the limits of Wall Street's influence with the administration.
The four-star general leading the military's high-stakes space missions sees critical gaps in the nation's arsenal to counter China's and Russia's emerging threats.
Why it matters: Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, has seen orbital threats evolve rapidly during his 37-year military career. In an exclusive chat with Axios, he said the command needs more investment and capabilities.
The ongoing war in Iran has revealed that U.S. adversaries are targeting ground-based radar systems to gain an advantage. Whiting said the same logic now applies to the nation's military assets orbiting Earth.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is on the cusp of leading his party to midterm victory and reclaiming his title as Senate majority leader.
Winning the majority isn't guaranteed. But this son of Brooklyn, who has been in public life for 52 years, is more than favored to win a secret ballot to remain Democratic leader.
Why it matters: At age 75 (76 by the time the new Congress convenes in January), Charles Ellis Schumer, an old-school pol who visits all 62 of New York's counties every year, looks poised to do what very few people do in life — go out on top.
Gen Z and millennials have launched their biggest bid yet to remake Congress, but roughly seven in 10 were out by early September, a new report finds.
Why it matters: These two generations are struggling to clear the first hurdles of a political system that rewards experience, fundraising and established party support.
The future of war is in outer space — and the U.S. is unprepared for the fallout.
Why it matters: An outbreak of space warfare would cripple the global economy by disrupting satellites used for everything from worldwide financial transactions to maritime navigation. It would also hinder the U.S. military's ability to conduct some of its key missions on Earth.
Bill Gates is gearing up to dramatically expand his AI safety push, personally leaning on business leaders and considering a major deployment of his resources, sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: The formidable, sharp-elbowed Bill Gates who built Microsoft is back, and he's directing his competitive fire toward what he has come to see as one of the most important causes of his lifetime.
"I can reach CEOs on this better than you can," Gates told one person he consulted on AI safety, showing an eagerness for combat that associates say is a return to "OG" form.
Elon Musk,by far the biggest known midterm donor, is single-handedly keeping the Republican Party afloat in some of its most vital races.
Musk's team reached out to Republicans in late August to discuss a train wreck they all saw coming: Unless the GOP poured more money into Texas immediately, the state's Senate race could be lost in a matter of weeks.
Why it matters: That chat set in motion a massive rescue operation for Republican Ken Paxton funded substantially by Musk, who gave $158 million to the GOP in September alone.
The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday sent civil subpoenas to AI giants seeking documents about safety incidents that have spiraled into an industry crisis.
The FTC sought documents from Anthropic and OpenAI in a probe focused on potential consumer protection violations, a person familiar told Axios.
Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico made his case to voters for 90 minutes Wednesday night in a CNN and Jubilee town hall.
Why it matters: The event — often a dialogue with voters — amounted to free national airtime for Talarico amid an advertising blitz by his Republican opponent, Ken Paxton, who was invited but did not participate.
