Axios

President Trump nominated Nick Adams, a self-styled "alpha male" MAGA influencer, to be the next ambassador to Malaysia.

Why it matters: Adams is a popular commentator in the MAGAsphere but is not exactly a household name the way other influencers are. The nomination shows how much attention Trump pays to his online base and works to keep it in the fold.

President Trump responded Wednesday to reports that former CIA director John Brennan and former FBI director James Comey are being investigated over allegations that they made false statements to Congress during the Russia probe.

The big picture: Brennan and Comey were under criminal investigation over the FBI probe into possible links between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia after CIA director John Ratcliffe referred evidence to the FBI of possible wrongdoing.

New Mexicans impacted by the Trinity Test are getting closer to receiving compensation after eight decades of health problems and rare cancers stemming from the world's first atomic explosion.

The big picture: President Trump's recently signed the "big, beautiful bill," which includes an extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) and, for the first time, covers victims of the Trinity Test.

President Trump on Wednesday launched a multi-front trade assault on Brazil, threatening it with massive new tariffs and demanding the end of criminal charges against his ally former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Why it matters: Trump's tariff letter to Brazil is far more aggressive, with a much higher levy, than any other trade missive he's sent this week — and it prompted Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to push back on what he called "interference" in the nation's affairs.

The state of Florida cannot enforce a controversial new law aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from entering the state, the U.S. Supreme Court said Wednesday.

Why it matters: The high court's rejection of the state's emergency appeal leaves in place a lower court's decision to pause the law while legal challenges continue.

At least two Catholic dioceses in the U.S. say immigrants fearful of detentions from ongoing immigration raids are not required to attend Sunday Mass.

Why it matters: The rare dispensations from the dioceses of Nashville and San Bernardino, California, signal how some local Catholic officials are responding to the growing panic that immigrants feel from the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat for an interview on Tuesday with the Nelk Boys, a team of pro-Trump YouTubers and podcasters known for their pranks and popularity among young men, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The move by Netanyahu — who's in the U.S. this week for talks with President Trump — mirrors Trump's campaign strategy of reaching out to nontraditional, conservative U.S. media.

Senior U.S., Israeli and Qatari officials held secret talks at the White House on Tuesday that focused on the key remaining sticking point for a long-sought ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, two sources with direct knowledge tell Axios.

The big picture: President Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu twice in the last 48 hours as he presses both Israel and Hamas to finalize a deal. White House envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday that three of four areas of disagreement had been resolved in recent days.

The U.S. started imposing tariffs by letter to a variety of countries, pairing new rates with an explicit warning that even those could change at any time.

Why it matters: After months of threats, President Trump is abruptly re-escalating the trade war.

Recent U.S. messaging regarding Ukraine has been a cluster.

The big picture: Jumbled narratives and dismissive answers raise questions about what an "America First" foreign policy looks like, and who really holds the levers of power in Washington.

A growing number of U.S. citizens — many of them Latinos — are reporting they were detained for various periods by immigration agents in what critics say were instances of racial profiling and overzealous policing.

Why it matters: U.S. citizens aren't supposed to be arrested or detained unless agents allege they're breaking laws. But reports of citizens of Latino descent being detained — or stopped and asked to prove citizenship — are rippling through Latino communities nationwide.

Senate Republican hawks are eagerly embracing President Trump's increasingly critical comments on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Why it matters: U.S. military support for Ukraine has become one of the biggest flashpoints between the GOP's growing isolationist wing and more traditional Reaganite hawks.