Axios

Senate Republican leaders are eyeing a procedural maneuver on the Venezuela war powers resolution that could spare President Trump an embarrassing defeat.

Why it matters: Trump went ballistic after five Republicans voted with Democrats to move forward with the resolution last week. Now GOP leaders are pressuring the defectors and considering blocking the bill from coming to the floor.

Microdramas — short, serialized stories built for binging on mobile — are gaining traction in the U.S.

Why it matters: Hollywood has long chased the zeitgeist around short-form storytelling but struggled with the economics and audience appetite.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff met secretly over the weekend with the exiled former crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, to discuss the protests raging in Iran, according to a senior U.S. official.

Why it matters: This was the first high-level meeting between the Iranian opposition and the Trump administration since the protests began 15 days ago. Pahlavi is attempting to position himself to step in as a "transitional" leader if the regime falls.

China's government last week confirmed that it will review Meta's $2.5 billion acquisition of Manus AI, whose core team last year relocated from China to Singapore.

Why it matters: This could signal an end to "Singapore-washing," a strategy that's helped a number of Chinese tech companies secure foreign investment and commercial contracts.

President Trump called on the Iranian people on Tuesday to "keep protesting" and "take over" government institutions.

Why it matters: This is the most explicit backing Trump has given to the idea of toppling the Iranian regime since the protests started more than two weeks ago. While Trump said "help is on its way," he didn't say what form it would take.

Many of the world's top central bankers rallied behind Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday, issuing a rare joint defense after the Trump administration opened a criminal investigation into him.

Why it matters: The banking establishment fears Trump's pressure campaign against Powell could destabilize the global economy. If America's central bank loses credibility, every part of the economy — mortgage rates, grocery bills, wages — could suffer.

The climate agenda's fall from grace over the past year has been stunning — in speed, scale and scope.

Why it matters: Whether this collapse in climate-change ambition proves permanent or temporary will shape the planet — which is still warming in unprecedented ways — and trillions of dollars in global energy investment.

The investigation into the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good would likely be going very differently if a local police officer, instead of an ICE agent, had pulled the trigger last week in Minneapolis.

Why it matters: A local police shooting usually initiates a multi-agency investigation and the threat of prosecution. An ICE agent shooting is handled almost entirely inside the federal government — where accountability is far harder to reach.

A former U.S. Navy sailor found guilty of spying for China was sentenced to 200 months in prison on Monday, officials announced.

The big picture: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a Monday statement said Jinchao Wei was an "active-duty U.S. Navy sailor betrayed his country and compromised the national security of the United States" by selling military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer.

A House Democrat is introducing legislation that would block President Trump from making good on his threats to either purchase Greenland or take it by force, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It's in direct competition with a Republican bill also introduced on Monday that would authorize Trump to "take such steps as may be necessary" to acquire the Danish-controlled island territory.

The man shot by a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent in East Portland was charged Monday with aggravated assault of a federal officer, the Department of Justice announced.

Why it matters: The shooting of Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras in the parking lot of a health facility in East Portland has roiled the city, sparking protests over the weekend and condemnation of heavy-handed immigration enforcement.