Axios

A potential U.S. strike on Iran is exposing a quiet but consequential split inside the Senate Democratic caucus.

Why it matters: The Democratic base strongly opposes war with Iran, but some of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) colleagues are more open to military action — provided Congress has a say.

President Trump on Friday expressed frustration about nuclear talks with Iran, but said he hasn't decided yet whether to launch a military campaign.

Why it matters: With the region on high alert and growing signals that war could be imminent, Trump is maintaining ambiguity and sending messages that could be interpreted as either alarming or reassuring.

President Trump hasn't been shy about deploying the U.S. military during his second term.

Why it matters: Despite promoting himself as a president of peace, he's deployed the U.S. military in multiple American cities and across the globe, striking Iran and others, raiding Venezuela and striking suspected drug boats in the Caribbean.

Most U.S. adults are concerned about the threat Iran poses to the U.S., but a majority say they don't trust President Trump's handling of foreign affairs, according to a new AP-NORC poll.

Why it matters: Thursday's nuclear talks between the Trump administration and Iran could be the last chance for a diplomatic solution before the president opts for military action.

House Democratic leadership on Thursday announced plans to force a vote next week on a resolution that would require President Trump to seek congressional authorization to use military force in Iran.

Why it matters: The vote has a chance to pass in the House, with even some House Republicans expressing opposition as the White House inches closer to a potential major war in the Middle East.

World Economic Forum leader Børge Brende announced his resignation Thursday, the latest casualty of the Epstein files fallout rocking business, politics and academia.

The big picture: The files have captured some of the world's most powerful people in a far-reaching shadow of shame, effectively ending the careers of captains of industry, academic big shots and prominent politicians. And the dominoes keep falling.

U.S. officials are looking into an announcement by Cuba's government that it killed four people aboard a Florida-tagged boat near the Villa Clara coast on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Why it matters: The Trump administration has already signaled an openness to regime change in Cuba, and the incident that Cuban officials claim was "intended to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes" risks another escalation between Washington and Havana.

At the Winter Olympics this year, I added a new title to my reporting job: credentialed photographer.

The big picture: The gig gave me a literal front-row seat to history in Milan. Covering my third Olympics for Axios, it also dealt me a learning curve I had to navigate for more of the events than in past years.

Armed with some of the best gear on earth, I still felt like a novice — fumbling the focus, missing split-second moments, wondering if I was in over my head.

The Pentagon asked two major defense contractors on Wednesday to provide an assessment of their reliance on Anthropic's AI model, Claude — a first step toward a potential designation of Anthropic as a "supply chain risk," Axios has learned.

Why it matters: That penalty is usually reserved for companies from adversarial countries, such as Chinese tech giant Huawei.

President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he wants to push for an end of the war with Russia as soon as possible, according to a Ukrainian official and two other sources with knowledge of the call.

Why it matters: Trump wants a peace deal by the summer, but there are still significant gaps between Ukraine and Russia, particularly on the issue of territorial control in eastern Ukraine.