Axios

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sparked a rare and heated bout of public infighting between House Democrats on Monday by endorsing multiple candidates who are still locked in contested primaries.

Why it matters: The blowup is dredging up an intense, long-standing debate about whether Democratic leadership is acting un-democratically to boost the candidates they view as more electable.

Rep. Chuck Edwards told a young female staffer that she had "written a complex chapter in my heart" shortly before she was set to leave his office, according to a handwritten letter he sent her that was reviewed by Axios.

Why it matters: Edwards is now the subject of a House Ethics Committee probe, Axios first reported. That probe was prompted in part by Edwards' conduct toward two female staffers, a source familiar with the matter told Axios.

A group of House Democrats on Monday leveled rare public criticism of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for elevating a candidate in a hotly contested congressional primary.

Why it matters: House Democrats don't usually go at each other in such public fashion, but the intra-party tensions surrounding some of these House primaries is reaching a boiling point.

The Trump administration is considering a new plan that would require the Pentagon to safety test AI models that are deployed to federal, state and local governments, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: In a post-Mythos world, the Trump administration appears to be reevaluating its hard line against the AI safety and security measures it once shrugged off.

The Supreme Court temporarily restored mail-order prescribing of the widely used abortion drug mifepristone Monday, pausing an appeals court decision that dramatically limited access to the pills.

Why it matters: The stay of at least one week issued by Justice Samuel Alito doesn't settle an underlying legal challenge to rules for dispensing the drug that could make abortion access a top-tier issue heading into the midterms.

Spirit Airlines is dead, but the finger-pointing is very much alive.

• Trump administration officials spent the weekend blaming former President Biden, whose Justice Department successfully blocked JetBlue from buying Spirit for $3.8 billion.
• Spirit told the White House to look in the mirror, saying its insolvency was sparked by an Iran war that's caused jet fuel prices to spike.

Why it matters: Around 17,000 people just lost their jobs, and thousands of passengers found themselves stranded.

Texas legislator James Talarico is an underdog for U.S. Senate, but his name is already being whispered as a potential 2028 vice presidential candidate.

Why it matters: The mere suggestion reflects just how stratospheric Talarico's rise has been — and how desperate Democrats are to win Texas' electoral votes.

Kalshi is putting in place new tools to prevent minors from trading on the prediction market, but is resisting calls to block ages 18-20.

Why it matters: Prediction markets are surging in popularity as a way to risk money on sports, politics and news — but they're also facing mounting political scrutiny over their contribution to America's gambling culture.

A fully closed Strait of Hormuz was long seen as unthinkable — and unmanageable if it happened — based on past modeling and interviews with energy experts.

Why it matters: That conventional wisdom underscores just how unprecedented today's closure is — and how little playbook exists for what could come next.

Rudy Giuliani was hospitalized and is in "critical" but stable condition with pneumonia that required him to be placed on a ventilator, the former Trump lawyer and New York City mayor's spokesperson said.

The big picture: Giuliani has restrictive airway disease stemming from his exposure at Ground Zero on 9/11, the 81-year-old's spokesperson, Ted Goodman, said in a statement. The condition has complicated the illness.