Axios

Senate Democrats could find some of their most surprising allies next Congress from the right wing of the Republican Party.

Why it matters: Senate Democrats are on track to need only four GOP votes to break filibusters next Congress. They could find those votes from a bloc of GOP senators with a shared appetite for taking on corporate power.

Mississippi, a state with the largest share of Black residents in the country, has elected its first Black U.S. senator in nearly 150 years.

Why it matters: For generations, Black Mississippians left the state to escape Jim Crow and pursue economic and political opportunities elsewhere.

• Now, Mississippi faces a new question: Was Scott Colom's victory a once-in-a-generation breakthrough, or the beginning of an era of Black political power?

Jensen Huang's self-destruction has left a trail of collateral damage that threatens to ensnare the board of Nvidia and the AI boom itself.

Why it matters: Huang was a singular leader in the global economy, capable of exciting or calming markets with a single sentence and viewed as a virtually indestructible force behind Nvidia's rise.

Newly minted NRSC Chair Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) is stacking a team to claw back Senate seats for Republicans in 2028, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Moreno has the unenviable job of chipping away at a healthy Democratic majority in just two years, with an unhelpful map, an unpopular war and an unpredictable boss in the White House.

As Harley-Davidson's head of government and corporate affairs, Dylan Riddle's workday can span meetings with policymakers on Capitol Hill, product launch conversations with reporters and crisis training with a factory.

Why it matters: For an American icon like Harley-Davidson, business decisions can carry political and cultural weight far beyond the boardroom.

President Trump is backing Apple executive chairman Tim Cook to replace tech giant Jensen Huang after Huang resigned as Nvidia CEO, though it's unclear whether he meant it as a joke.

The big picture: Trump didn't weigh in on the controversy surrounding Huang's departure following alleged affairs with a suspected Chinese spy and an Nvidia executive, instead calling Huang "a Legend" in his Truth Social post.

The White House is standing by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick despite a view within the administration that Lutnick delayed action to address concerns over chip smuggling to China.

Why it matters: Congress smells blood in the water following bombshell reports that U.S. national security may have been jeopardized by former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's relationship with a suspected Chinese spy.

UForce, a Ukraine-founded developer of autonomous uncrewed platforms, raised $700 million in Series A funding led by Valor Equity Partners and the U.K. National Wealth Fund at a $6 billion post-money valuation.

Why it matters: This is a short-term bet on the persistence of the Ukraine-Russia war and a long-term bet on all of Europe continuing to increase its defense-tech spend.

President Trump directed Vice President JD Vance on Thursday to turn his "complete and total attention" toward alleged corruption in Democrat-run cities and states, contending that "[w]e don't need a deal with Iran."

The big picture: After Vance concluded that the Iran war drove Republicans' stunning midterm walloping, Trump is reorienting his No. 2's focus — and directing him to go after Democrats the president labeled as "CORRUPT AND EVIL."

Project 2029, a group writing policy blueprints to pitch to the next Democratic White House, is proposing sweeping power market changes to boost competition and speed connection of new generation.

Why it matters: The group is led by well-connected Democratic insiders, and it will circulate the plan to potential 2028 White House candidates and on Capitol Hill.