Axios

Veteran Republican official Richard Walters is expected to join the Trump White House as a deputy chief of staff, Axios has learned.

Driving the news: Walters, a longtime former senior Republican National Committee official who played a major role on Trump's three campaigns, won't have a specific portfolio.

Several major airlines said Friday that they'll aid Spirit Airlines customers if the budget carrier suddenly goes out of business.

Why it matters: Spirit is said to be on the verge of ceasing operations after failing to land a government bailout during its second bankruptcy in less than a year.

President Trump has notified Congress that the hostilities the United States initiated against Iran on Feb. 28 have been "terminated," though he did not rule out future military action.

Why it matters: Under the War Powers Act, the president must seek congressional approval for military hostilities that last longer than 60 days.

State governments are rapidly embracing AI by launching low-risk pilot programs, but haven't yet figured out how to measure their impact, according to a new analysis from Code for America shared exclusively with Axios.

Why it matters: AI promises to make government more efficient and cut costs.

The Iran war threatens to disrupt summer travel as it sends oil prices surging — and flight and hotel bookings are already dipping, industry experts warn.

The big picture: Rising oil prices and dwindling supplies are hitting travel as drivers face higher gas prices and airlines in the U.S. and elsewhere cut flights and raise ticket costs and baggage fees.

President Trump issued an executive order Thursday that expands access to retirement accounts for workers who don't get 401(k)s.

Why it matters: The order could be a game changer for millions of lower-income Americans — it has a surprising amount of bipartisan support.

The House Ethics Committee has begun investigating Rep. Chuck Edwards over unspecified allegations against the North Carolina Republican, Axios has learned from three sources familiar with the probe.

Why it matters: Democrats are working hard to unseat Edwards in November, and an Ethics probe could damage the GOP lawmaker's reelection prospects.

Two of President Trump's major D.C. remodels are falling flat with Americans, a Thursday poll finds.

Why it matters: Trump's grand vision for a White House ballroom where the bulldozed East Wing once stood and plans for an enormous triumphal arch aren't resonating with Americans as the president stares down a tough midterm election.

President Trump announced a new nominee for surgeon general Thursday, picking Nicole Saphier of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a former Fox News medical contributor, for the top health job.

Why it matters: Trump said he's dropping his previous nominee, Casey Means, a nutrition influencer and ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who struggled to win enough Republican support to be confirmed by the Senate.

House lawmakers passed Homeland Security funding by voice vote Thursday, which should end the partial shutdown that's become the longest in U.S. history.

Why it matters: If the House had waited for the Senate to pass a reconciliation bill, as some GOP lawmakers insisted, it would have left DHS closed until mid-May.