Vice President Vance sent a letter to Iran's national security chief stressing that any negotiations to head off U.S. military strikes "require discussions on the nuclear issue," a U.S. official said.
Why it matters: The letter to Mohsen Rezaei, which focused on the possibility of restarting negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, is the most senior-level outreach by the U.S. to Iran in several months. It comes as President Trump considers resuming major combat operations in Iran after the midterm elections.
The most-aired ad in the closing stretch of Mississippi's Senate race features a Jeffrey Epstein survivor attacking GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith for voting against releasing files related to the convicted human trafficker.
Why it matters: In the past week, Hyde-Smith has been outgunned on the airwaves. AdImpact data shows that only one of the eight most-aired spots portrays her positively.
Democrats will happily tell you how good they feel about retaking the House on Tuesday — just as soon as they stop hyperventilating into a paper bag.
Why it matters: They've been burned too many times on Election Day to feel anything more than "nauseously optimistic," as one House Democrat put it to Axios.
The stakes in regulating digital assets now go far beyond cryptocurrencies, as the technology begins to reshape how money moves, financial markets operate and countries control their currencies.
Why it matters: The central challenge for governments is allowing the useful features of digital assets into mainstream finance while protecting financial stability, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group.
Four of America's biggest sportsbooks have poured more than $80 million into a political operation seeking to influence state elections ahead of the midterms, according to Federal Election Commission data reviewed by Axios.
Why it matters: Sportsbooks are ramping up their political spending as they seek broader legalization and navigate a growing rivalry with prediction markets.
The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged Wednesday, with two officials dissenting, including Lisa Cook, the governor President Trump is seeking to fire.
Why it matters: Fed officials have signaled they may raise rates again by year-end but are in no hurry, preferring to move gradually with more data in hand.
Why it matters: With Republicans controlling Washington, Democratic attorneys general have become some of the most powerful challengers curtailing the Trump administration's policies on elections, tariffs, federal funding, National Guard deployments and more.
Republicans fear that Vivek Ramaswamy's explosive attack ad featuring his opponent's estranged mother could cost them the Ohio governor's race, based on new internal polling that shows him falling further behind, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The poll's findings underscore Republicans' anxiety over Ramaswamy's decision to air the deeply personal attack on Democrat Amy Acton despite warnings from some fellow Republicans that it crossed a line.
Dolores Huerta, the pioneering labor organizer who co-founded the United Farm Workers and coined the rallying cry "Sí, se puede," died Wednesday at 96, her family announced on her Instagram account.
Why it matters: The civil rights legend helped lead strikes and boycotts, fought to expand rights for Hispanic Americans and became a powerful kingmaker in politics.
With less than a week until a potentially historic midterm election, the political discourse is being dominated not by war or seismic shifts in technology, but by the Cheesecake Factory.
The big picture: Culture wars regularly swarm American political discussions, especially when the jibes are personal.
If Democrats gain full control of Congress next week, as many polls and prediction markets suggest they will, private equity could once again find itself in the political crosshairs.
The big picture: Private equity has become a rhetorical punching bag for a number of Democratic House and Senate candidates, including in debates and on the stump, as an affordability bête noire.
A senior Treasury official who played a key role in the Trump administration's trade negotiations with China is leaving the department for Netflix, Axios has learned.
The big picture: The departure comes as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent helps steer Trump's sweeping overhaul of U.S. trade policy.
Some of the biggest vulnerabilities in election security are lying in plain sight.
Why it matters: There's no credible evidence that voting-system vulnerabilities have been exploited to change election results. But researchers have found isolated flaws that threaten ballot secrecy, accurate vote recording and independent verification of results.
Former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is urging Democrats to pass a sweeping bipartisan permitting bill now, while warning President Trump that his restrictions on wind energy could derail the deal.
Why it matters: The former Michigan governor is an influential Democratic voice on energy policy, and her comments come as the party weighs whether to embrace a major permitting compromise despite opposition from some environmental and tribal groups.
Rival satellite companies are jockeying to loosen Elon Musk's grip on battlefield communications after his company's restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink service shook officials in Europe and the U.S.
Why it matters: The episode, which temporarily disrupted Ukraine's drone usage, shows how vulnerable a military can be to the whims of a single company or market dominator.
The U.S. government is granting visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family following his defeat in Brazil's presidential election, a senior Trump administration official tells Axios.
Why it matters: The move comes days after Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, in a closely watched election.
