Axios

David Zervos, a longtime Wall Street strategist known for his out-of-consensus views on markets and the economy, is joining the Trump administration as a senior adviser to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Why it matters: Zervos has spent much of his career challenging conventional thinking on markets and monetary policy and brings a distinctly out-of-consensus voice inside the administration.

CNN is partnering with YouTube-focused Jubilee Media for a Texas Senate town hall with Democratic candidate James Talarico, the company told Axios.

Why it matters: The deal gives CNN access to Jubilee's young, digitally native audience while providing Jubilee a platform that could further legitimize its role as a channel for political debates.

Democrats in some of this year's most critical congressional battlegrounds are sending a clear message to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: We don't want you to campaign for us.

Why it matters: If they continue, the snubs could hurt AOC's standing as a potential contender in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, when many voters will prioritize electability.

Two highly anticipated giant pandas from China have finally arrived in Atlanta.

Why it matters: The fuzzy ambassadors have long been one of China's most beloved tools of soft power — and their arrival could signal an attempt to cool tensions with the U.S.

British police arrested five men Sunday on suspicion of terrorism near a U.K. air base used for U.S. operations in Iran, as President Trump said the suspects had been under investigation.

The latest: "Working with Britain, it was an amazing job," Trump told reporters Sunday morning. "We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great and we got them."

President Trump plans to host Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei at a private White House dinner on Sunday evening, sources familiar told Axios.

Why it matters: The dinner —the first one-on-one meeting between the two— is an indication of thawing relations between Anthropic and the administration, whose officials and allies have had longstanding tensions.

One day after he rejected an Iranian proposal to end the war, President Trump told Axios in a phone interview on Sunday that he expects U.S. negotiators to engage in more talks with the country this week.

Why it matters: Qatar and other regional mediators are trying to revive negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, but the two sides are far apart on the key issues.

Cost of living and health care costs top the list of issues rural voters want 2026 midterm candidates to address, according to a new AP/KFF poll.

The big picture: Ahead of the midterms, rural voters rank pocketbook concerns above immigration, the conflict with Iran and several major domestic policy debates.

The cost of borrowing money is moving unrelentingly higher, with profound implications for savers, borrowers and the U.S. government's fiscal outlook.

The big picture: The bond market moves over the last few weeks have pushed most risk-free interest rates north of 5%.

• Barring a rapid reversal, expect pain to come in interest-sensitive sectors like housing, new stress on federal government finances and greater risks of financial disruption.
• It is better news for savers, who have taken paper losses on existing bonds in recent weeks but can now deploy cash safely with the best prospective returns seen in decades.

A pollster for Senate Republicans was met with disbelief on Saturday after telling GOP donors and operatives that they could grow their majority in November's midterm elections, sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: "Delusional," one attendee at the National Republican Senatorial Committee's Sea Island retreat in Georgia told Axios after the presentation by the pollster, Erik Iverson. "The mood is not good," said another.