Axios

The U.S. hospitality industry hopes next month's World Cup can make up for last year's decline in foreign tourism, but travel restrictions and steep prices may keep visitors away.

The big picture: An estimated 1.2 million international fans are coming to the U.S. for the tournament, according to the New York Times, citing the research firm Tourism Economics.

Since changing its press rotation policies last year, the White House has ushered in smaller and creator-led outlets, many of which align politically with the administration.

Why it matters: Just as candidates are leaning into the creator model to reach younger audiences, so too is the Trump administration.

Left-leaning news organizations have gained momentum in Trump 2.0 with podcasts and digital outlets seeing stronger reach, funding and audience engagement.

Why it matters: It marks a reversal from Trump's first term, when conservative media dominated social distribution and audience growth.

Despite the narrative that podcasts and other creator-led media dominated the 2024 election, the vast majority of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris' media appearances during the presidential campaign were with mainstream outlets.

Why it matters: Legacy media still maintain credibility and power in elections.

President Trump is flexing his dominance over the Republican Party to stamp out primaries that would bleed party coffers and fracture the GOP ahead of a treacherous midterm election.

Why it matters: If the party defies expectations and keeps control of Congress this fall, Trump's ruthless maneuvers to sideline some candidates while forcefully backing others will be a big reason.

Republican chances of keeping the House are surging, as panicked Democrats scramble to offset back-to-back-to-back redistricting blows.

Why it matters: Democrats feel good about their midterms affordability message. But they're nervous about the math for retaking the House now that Republicans appear (for now) to have won this year's redistricting wars.

As the U.S. awaits the Iranian response to the draft agreement to end the war, Vice President Vance met Friday with one of the key mediators, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani.

Why it matters: While Pakistan has been the official mediator between the U.S. and Iran since the beginning of the war, the Qataris have continued working behind the scenes. The White House views them as especially effective in negotiations with Iran, U.S. officials say.

Leading the Future, the pro-AI super PAC backed by major tech names, is endorsing three more Democrats in upcoming primaries, the group told Axios exclusively.

• The latest Democratic candidates to get the group's endorsement are Val Hoyle (OR-4), Rob Menendez (NJ-8) and Richie Torres (NY-15).

Why it matters: The pro-AI super PAC is continuing to spend big on candidates it thinks will boost their preferred policies, even as policy fights over AI in Washington get more complicated.

House Democrats fell into a state of anguish on Friday after the Virginia Supreme Court struck down a congressional map that would have netted them as many as four seats in the 2026 midterm elections.

Why it matters: The decision is a huge boost to Republicans' chances of keeping the House in November, with even some Democrats acknowledging they basically need to run the table in November to win now.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is staring down three messy fights when Congress returns next week.

Why it matters: Johnson may have survived "hell week" and ended the politically painful Department of Homeland Security shutdown just before Congress left town, but the speaker will return to Washington with a long to-do list.