Axios

A political organization closely affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is launching a $10 million ad campaign that features a Maine father testifying to Sen. Susan Collins' (R-Maine) effectiveness, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The GOP establishment wants to burnish Collins' image and improve her numbers while Democrats are locked in a divisive battle on who should challenge her.

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) sued the Trump administration Monday, alleging efforts to dismantle a Boulder-based federal lab are "unlawful retaliation" against the state of Colorado.

Why it matters: The lawsuit escalates a growing conflict between the Trump administration and Colorado over election policy, federal authority and the future of a major U.S. climate research hub.

A forum this weekend in Tokyo with 17 Indo-Pacific nations resulted in more than $56 billion in energy-related deals with those countries, the Interior Department said Monday.

Why it matters: Trump administration officials hope the dealmaking can strengthen multinational ties as well as fulfill President Trump's "energy dominance" agenda.

Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol official who became the face of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown, plans to retire at the end of March, he told Breitbart Texas.

Why it matters: Bovino led President Trump's immigration operations in Minnesota but was sidelined after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens. He returned to his prior role in El Centro, Calif.

President Trump revealed Monday that Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.) had a terminal diagnosis and would have been "dead by June," due to a heart problem, before Trump intervened in his medical care.

• "OK, that wasn't public," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), sitting next to the president at an event at the White House, replied.
• Dunn's current health status is unclear. Both Trump and Johnson said medical care Trump facilitated had given the congressman a "new lease on life."
• The comments created an awkward moment and sowed confusion about Dunn's health. His office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The Iran war has entered its third week with ballooning costs and a deepening humanitarian crisis — and no diplomatic off-ramp in sight.

The big picture: Trump and his aides have mentioned varying timelines for ending the war. But with a heavily damaged but defiant Iran stymieing trade, the U.S. remains dug in.

When Jared Kushner formed Affinity Partners in 2021, and then raised most of his first fund from Middle Eastern sovereigns, he took great pains to say that the endeavor was conceived after he left the White House.

• He bristled at suggestions of quid pro quo, but also understood that the whiff was strong enough that it had to be addressed.

Two U.S. companies — Realta Fusion and X-energy — on Monday announced separate agreements with Japanese counterparts on fusion and nuclear energy.

Why it matters: The agreements show the eagerness to take advantage of Japan's technical expertise while expanding supply chain connections between the countries — a priority for the Trump administration.

The Texas primaries this month offered Democrats some hope that Republicans' mid-decade redistricting last year won't net the GOP all five seats the party wants to gain in the U.S. House.

Why it matters: Texas Republicans, at the urging of President Trump, kicked off a nationwide redistricting war for control of the House — but the party leaned on past gains with Hispanic voters in South Texas that are showing signs of cracking.

The war in Iran has sent oil prices skyrocketing, scrambling an economic conflict with Russia that's been raging for more than a decade.

The big picture: It's harder to maintain tight sanctions on Russia —effectively a "cold war" — while also grappling with the economic impact from the "hot war" with Iran.