Axios

The Department of Health and Human Services is releasing a forecast of its demand for personal protective equipment, giving American manufacturers predictability and strengthening supply chains, the department first told Axios.

Why it matters: The COVID pandemic exposed America's dependence on other countries for manufactured goods like PPE and prescription drugs, and there's sustained interest in changing that.

The House's last in-session week before the midterms was beset by furious private finger-pointing between House Democrats following several high-profile rebellions.

Why it matters: This dynamic may only worsen if Democrats retake the House, which is set to see an influx of distinctly rebellious and independent lawmakers, particularly on the left.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday returned to the the anti-vaccine group he founded, using a keynote address to signal the Trump administration isn't done questioning the safety of routine shots and expanding carveouts to federal mandates.

Why it matters: Though Kennedy avoided some of his most politically incendiary rhetoric, the speech made clear that the Department of Health and Human Services is working hard behind the scenes to continue reshaping federal vaccine policy.

Podcaster Joe Rogan says he has a "crazy hope" for AI: Turn government and foreign-policy functions over to it — potentially including decisions about military conflicts — in hopes of ending war.

The big picture: Rogan's comments land in the middle of an intensifying debate over how much control humans should surrender to increasingly powerful AI systems.

Trump officials must give 30 days' written notice before making any changes to the Kennedy Center "including but not limited to any 'demolition'" of the main building, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

Why it matters: The ruling reinforces an earlier injunction blocking the Kennedy Center from closing for its planned renovation, after President Trump and administration officials raised the possibility of demolishing the building.

Staring into the camera, Rep. Maria Salazar cut a new campaign ad that told President Trump what so many of her fellow Hispanic Republicans in Miami are saying: Immigration crackdown has gone too far.

Why it matters: The anger at Trump over heavy-handed immigration enforcement is palpable in Miami-Dade County, and there's mounting political worry among Republicans across the state that it could cost the GOP in the midterm elections.

The U.S. may have committed war crimes in two airstrikes in Iran, including a mass-casualty strike on a school for which Washington has yet to claim responsibility, a UN fact-finding mission said in a report released Thursday.

The big picture: The administration has waged a campaign of aggressive, norm-busting war-fighting, with the president repeatedly threatening to hit civilian infrastructure in his pressure campaign on Tehran.

The White House is pulling Lance Schroyer's stalled nomination to lead ICE.

The big picture: Schroyer's limited immigration experience created tension between Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and border czar Tom Homan, along with other MAGA figures, Axios' Brittany Gibson reported last month.

President Trump told Axios Thursday that he's approaching a critical juncture in the Iran war over whether to restart massive attacks in an effort to bring the conflict to a close.

• "I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not? It's a big decision. Anything could happen with me."

Why it matters: Though Trump has made similar threats before, his comments come ahead of a planned meeting Tuesday with leaders from six Gulf countries — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman — on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

An ICE arrest near a Connecticut school bus stop is spurring Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) to introduce three bills restricting immigration enforcement near children, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Promises of an immigration crackdown were key to Republican victories in 2024. Voters have soured on the Trump administration's aggressive, and at times deadly, enforcement tactics, giving Democrats an opening to go on offense.