Axios

President Trump said "a lot of people didn't like" journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a Tuesday meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).

Why it matters: The 2018 murder of Khashoggi was among the reasons for heightened tension between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia during the Biden administration, which released a report in 2021 that concluded MBS approved the order to "capture or kill" the Saudi journalist.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) told President Trump that he is ready to work on the kingdom joining the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations with Israel, but only if any agreement provides a clear path for a Palestinian state.

Why it matters: While Trump and his advisers acknowledge the gaps between the Saudis and the Israelis are still wide, the White House told the Saudis it wanted to see some progress on this issue during the Trump-MBS meeting, U.S. officials said.

Fortune 500 leaders are panicked after Anthropic said it found evidence of Chinese state-sponsored hackers using Claude Code to automate parts of their espionage campaigns.

Why it matters: Major cyberattacks — and fears of what those will look like — move security budgets.

It's too early to call President Trump a lame duck. But Congress is ready to clip his wings over the Epstein files.

Why it matters: Tuesday's expected House vote to release the files — over Trump's initial objections — will mark the first time this term that a GOP-led congressional chamber will so openly defy him.

Protests in Serbia last week over a planned Trump Tower in Belgrade were just the latest example of the president's business empire rubbing up against U.S. foreign policy.

Why it matters: Officially, the president has handed management of his real estate portfolio to his sons. But for some governments around the world, it may be hard to entirely separate Trump's business from Trump himself.

Russia and the U.S. have discussed the possibility of conducting another prisoner exchange, Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev told Axios in an interview.

• A U.S. official confirmed that and said the U.S. side was receptive, but cautioned that nothing was imminent.

Why it matters: At least eight Americans are in Russian prisons. Bringing detained Americans home is a priority for President Trump, and a swap could help as the Kremlin seeks to improve relations with his administration despite tensions over Ukraine.

The Trump administration on Monday plans to bring back a rule that would make it harder for immigrants deemed likely to rely on government benefits to gain permanent residency.

The big picture: The proposal, first reported by Politico, which would give DHS officers more discretion in assessing "fact-specific public charge inadmissibility determinations," such as an applicant's use of Medicaid or food assistance programs, was roundly criticized by immigrant advocacy groups.

The Trump administration will deploy federal Border Patrol agents to Raleigh on Tuesday for its immigration crackdown, Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell told Axios Monday night.

• Cowell said in an interview she had been notified of a pending U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation by the Raleigh Police Department and Gov. Josh Stein's office.

Why it matters: The operation, which Cowell said was uncoordinated with the city, comes after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have carried out multiple days of arrests in Charlotte.

The Department of Justice sued California Monday over two state laws that prohibit federal agents from wearing masks and require officers not in uniform to display visible identification during operations.

The big picture: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed the laws in September to curb aggressive ICE practices during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, but the DOJ claims the measures endanger federal agents by making them more susceptible to violence from protesters.

The UN Security Council on Monday approved a U.S.-led resolution to establish an international stabilization force (ISF) to deploy to Gaza for at least two years.

Why it matters: The resolution gives President Trump's peace plan additional momentum and international legitimacy. In addition to authorizing the ISF, it also endorses the Board of Peace, which will oversee governance of Gaza and which Trump has said he will chair.

President Trump said Monday that he will approve the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia, making the kingdom the first country in the Middle East other than Israel to obtain the advanced fighter jets.

Why it matters: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is expected to meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday. The F-35 deal, a U.S.-Saudi security agreement and possible normalization with Israel will be on the agenda.

The U.S. continues to conduct deadly strikes off of Venezuela and is assembling unprecedented firepower for what could become a full-on military conflict.

The big picture: President Trump and his administration have been quiet about who has been killed and on what evidence, but the swell of American forces coalescing off Venezuela's shores has escalated tensions between Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Washington.

There is new evidence of global pain stemming from President Trump's trade policy, which single-handedly scrambled the world economy.

Why it matters: From China to Switzerland, the economic readjustment to double-digit tariffs has been bumpy. Even with trade deals, the levies imposed on their goods are still well above pre-Trump norms.

• Unlike the U.S., most countries do not have an AI investment boom picking up the slack.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up a case on asylum applications that could determine where such protections begin along on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Why it matters: As part of its immigration restrictions, the Trump administration has sought to limit the number of people who are able to enter the U.S. to seek asylum.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential bid by leaning into his feud with Tucker Carlson — and staking out turf as a traditional, pro-interventionist Republican.

Why it matters: By poking at Carlson's isolationist foreign policy views, accusing him of antisemitism and more, Cruz is putting himself on a collision course with Vice President Vance, a Carlson ally widely seen as the 2028 GOP frontrunner.

The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, joined other U.S. military in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, as U.S. officials announced what's believed to be the 21st strike on an alleged drug boat.

Why it matters: The increased activity in the region comes after President Trump told reporters Friday that he'd "sort of have made up my mind" on how to proceed with Venezuela, but "can't tell you what it would be."