Axios

Congressional Democrats plan Oman war powers push after Trump threatens bombing

Congressional Democrats are planning a new push to constrain President Trump 's war powers after he threatened Monday to "bomb the shit" out of Oman. Why it matters: War powers resolutions, though largely symbolic, have become Democrats' go-to tool for trying to rein in what they see as a far too trigger-happy administration. "At this point we may just need to file war powers resolutions for the 1

Kindergarten vaccine exemptions rose in 2025-2026: CDC

Vaccination rates among American kindergartners decreased during the 2025-2026 school year for all tracked vaccines , the Centers for Disease Control reported on Monday. Exemptions from getting one or more vaccines increased in 41 states and the District of Columbia, growing to 4.2% from 3.6% the year before. Why it matters: The dropoff coincided with continued efforts by the Trump administration

Middle East demands are testing America's Pacific presence

The USS George Washington's deployment from Japan to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln will leave the U.S. without an aircraft carrier in the western Pacific — just as adversaries in the area are flexing their military power. Why it matters: Temporary carrier gaps are not uncommon, but the absence of a striker ship in the Pacific highlights how the Middle East is once again dictat

Kushner urges Netanyahu to test Hamas disarmament in Gaza

President Trump adviser Jared Kushner told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that the U.S. wants Israel to take "small steps" in Gaza to test whether Hamas' commitment to start disarming is genuine, a U.S. official said. Why it matters: The four-hour meeting took place amid deep skepticism from Netanyahu about the U.S. plan for Gaza — and ahead of an October election that makes t

Trump fails to undo E. Jean Carroll verdict at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court once again declined to take up President Trump's attempt to toss a jury's $5 million finding that he sexually abused E. Jean Carroll. The big picture: Carroll's payday had been long delayed as the president fought the verdict. The Supreme Court already declined to throw it out earlier this year. Trump's lawyers are also still fighting a separate $83.3 million defamation judgment

Birding, silent book club, Mahjong and more: America's meetup explosion

Young people raised on swiping, DMing and streaming are doing something bold: going out. Why it matters: Amid a loneliness epidemic , millennials and Gen Zers are craving IRL connection — enough to show up for meetups built around activities once considered solitary, or " grandma hobbies ." The latest: They're leaving the house to play chess , birdwatch and read in silence together. "It's very eas

Why prescription drug prices are plunging

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Courtenay Brown/Axios America is experiencing its biggest prescription drug price deflation in generations. Why it matters: By one important measure, there is a striking reversal underway for one of health care's most stubbornly expensive necessities amid a major Washington push to lower drug costs. By the numbers: Prescription drug prices fell 0.8% in July

The Democratic establishment's ideas deficit

The centrist Democratic group Third Way recently declared "war" on democratic socialists to head off what they fear could be a far-left hijacking of the party ahead of 2028. But establishment Democrats have made clear what they're against without making much of a case for what they're for. Why it matters: It's hard to beat something with nothing. Democratic socialism, whatever you think of it, is

How wildfires are changing the U.S. electric grid

Years of destructive fires are forcing utilities to prioritize wildfire resilience as they plan the next generation of the U.S. electric grid. Why it matters: Utilities aren't just expanding the electric grid — they're designing it to withstand a more fire-prone climate . This year's wildfire season is exceeding the 10-year average for both the number of fires and acres burned. The big picture: Th

What happens to what you share with AI

Imagine a chatbot built to keep you talking a little longer. To change your mind about something. Or persuade you to buy something. Now imagine it could draw on everything it knows about you — including the fears, insecurities and private details you shared in conversation — to do it. Why it matters: Few rules directly govern that scenario today, making AI companies' promises about how they use co

Trump tells Hegseth to cut back U.S.-South Korea drills

President Trump said Sunday he instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" U.S. military exercises with South Korea. The big picture: Trump cited his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for condemning the drills — and also noted on Truth Social that South Korea declined his request to help the U.S. denuclearize Iran . What he's saying: "These exerc

How AOC is rewriting her own "Woke 1" history

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is laughing off "Woke 1." But she's carrying baggage from the 2020 era of cultural progressivism that some Democrats say is an obstacle to a future presidential run. Why it matters: AOC's pivot to the cultural center — which she began to roll out last week in a high-profile ABC interview by saying, "Woke 1 was crazy" — is potential damage control for her past

Trump's views can factor into prosecutions, Attorney General Todd Blanche says

Attorney General Todd Blanche refused Sunday to pledge the Justice Department's independence from the White House, saying he would consider President Trump's views on individual prosecutions. Why it matters: Trump has remade the DOJ , ousting longtime staffers , urging prosecutions of rivals and installing his former lawyer as attorney general. Blanche made the stakes clear: Trump's wishes can sha

Kushner meets Hamas leaders to push Gaza demilitarization

President Trump's envoy Jared Kushner met Hamas leaders in Egypt on Sunday to press them to carry out their commitment to disarm , according to two sources familiar with the meeting. Why it matters: This was Kushner's first meeting with Hamas leaders since the signing of the agreement to end the war in Gaza last October . The unusual meeting came as the White House and Trump's Board of Peace push

How AI could bring Mayo-quality health care to everyone

My wife, Autumn, has spent nearly a quarter of the past four years in ERs and hospitals, untangling and battling three chronic conditions — and a shamefully broken U.S. medical system. We live in Washington, D.C., with top-rated hospitals in our backyard. Yet her experience has been eye-opening and often horrifying, especially for a nation that spends twice as much on medical care as our rivals. W

Scoop: Inside Trump's secret backchannel to Iran's Revolutionary Guard

In mid-May, U.S. negotiators trying to reach a deal with Iran to end the war ran into a problem: They couldn't tell if the people across the table actually spoke for the country's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). So Trump administration officials did something unconventional — they went around Iran's negotiators and reached out directly to IRGC leadership. The person they tapped

College loses its monopoly on the American Dream

Whether framed on an office wall, collecting dust in a box or still a distant dream, the college diploma is getting a hard reappraisal. Why it matters: College was once sold as a ticket to the American dream. But students today are taking a tougher look at the college tradeoff: burdensome debt and no guarantee of a dream career — or employment at all, as AI threatens the jobs the degrees were mean

"There's no point": AI forces college students to rethink their major

Students — and their parents — are searching for future-proof college majors for an AI -powered world. Why it matters: AI is changing the skills employers expect from entry-level workers, while colleges are rethinking how to prepare students for the transition. The big picture: Rumors of the death of jobs might be greatly exaggerated , but college students and graduates are still worried about wha

Trump shrugs off concerns about dismal conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln

President Trump said Friday that he isn't concerned about the state of the USS Abraham Lincoln, despite calls from lawmakers to investigate reports of mental health issues for those onboard. Why it matters: The San Diego-based aircraft carrier has been deployed for nine months, and numerous reports have indicated that crew members' families are concerned about a lack of food and other basic suppli

Also reported by NewsNation (Center)

Americans' wanderlust hits new heights

Data: International Trade Administration ; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios Even as U.S. policy has walled off Washington, D.C., from friends across the pond, Americans' travel overseas is reaching new heights. Why it matters: Much like the resilient consumer , the American tourist keeps riding the post-COVID travel wave , even as debt delays life milestones and global perceptions of the U.S. slip. Driving

Dorm rooms are tiny. The dorm decor economy is not.

Dorm rooms are tiny. The dorm decor economy is not. The big picture: College dorms are becoming customized, social-media-ready micro-apartments, but the market looks wildly different depending on which side of the Mason-Dixon line your campus sits. Zoom out: The multi-thousand-dollar "designer dorm" industry has grown alongside viral TikTok dorm tours and hauls, and parents hoping to make their ch

Retail sales slump in July

Data: Census Bureau ; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios American consumers have powered the economy forward this year. In July, they took a breather. Why it matters: While the underlying trend in consumer demand appears solid, retail sales hit an air pocket last month, suggesting a bumpier path ahead for overall growth. Combined with a weak jobs report last week and two subdued inflation readings this week,

Consumer sentiment dips, especially among Republicans

Data: University of Michigan ; Note: August 2026 number is preliminary; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios Public opinion about the economy appears to be souring further this month, per the preliminary release of the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. By the numbers: Overall sentiment fell 8% in the early days of August, after two consecutive months of improvement. The index fell to 51, from

OpenAI sheds senior execs in pre-IPO refresh

A wave of top OpenAI executives — including Sam Altman's top deputy, a longtime chief operating officer and the chief revenue officer — has left in the span of a month as the company retools its leadership ahead of an expected IPO. Why it matters: Co-founder Greg Brockman is getting more involved across every level of the company to build out a leadership team he hopes will catapult OpenAI past An

America has more majority-minority rural counties than urban and suburban ones

Data: U.S. Census, USDA ; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals The U.S. is projected to become majority-minority in 2046, but hundreds of rural pockets crossed that demographic benchmark years ago, an Axios analysis finds. Why it matters: The evolving face of rural America, driven both by immigration and increased mobility, has invigorated communities, increased their diversity — and presented new chal

AI scrambles the political map

The search for a winning message on AI is pushing candidates and lawmakers into unexpected political territory. Why it matters: With the midterms approaching, AI is creating alliances across party lines while opening fissures within them. Here are three ways AI is scrambling the political map. 1. Centrist Democrats versus progressives on data centers New York made waves as the first state to impos

Data center backlash echoes fossil-fuel politics

Willie Nelson has become an unlikely barometer of America's biggest infrastructure fights. He once protested the Keystone XL pipeline and fracking. Today, he's fighting data centers. Why it matters: The American icon's latest cause underscores how the politics surrounding AI infrastructure are beginning to resemble the last decade's fights over fossil fuels. "The last thing we need is a loud, wate

GOP finds its next progressive target in Minnesota

Republicans have a new name on their growing list of progressive midterm targets: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan , fresh off a landslide Senate primary win. Why it matters: With President Trump 's approval ratings in the 30s, Republicans are trying to turn the midterms from a referendum on him into a choice between the GOP and a Democratic Party they argue has moved sharply to the left. That me

A convergence of biological risks

What's the common thread connecting AI advances, biological breakthroughs, a preponderance of high-risk-high-reward research, escalating geopolitical tensions and a hollowed-out U.S. public health sector? They all heighten the risk that one day a lethal human-made pathogen will emerge, either accidentally or intentionally, and we won't be ready for it. Why it matters: The same advances that make t

Scoop: Key W.H. national security aide Andy Baker is departing

White House deputy national security adviser Andy Baker is leaving the administration in the coming weeks. Why it matters: Baker, who also served as national security advisor to Vice President Vance, was among the staffers most central to the administration's foreign policy and national security decision-making over the last 18 months. Baker was also personally involved in negotiations with Iran t

Trump stops short of endorsing Bibi as his campaign falters

When Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump met in the Oval Office two weeks ago, the president asked the Israeli prime minister how he was doing in the polls ahead of an Oct. 27 election. Netanyahu paused. Then one of his advisers piped up: "Mr. President, he is winning," the aide said, according to a U.S. official familiar with the exchange. Why it matters: Netanyahu is not winning. And so far, Tru

"Rubio Realizing" memes become a White House birthday gift

Photo: Marc Caputo/Axios Marco Rubio has three official Trump administration jobs and a fourth unofficial title: Viral meme star. He's been featured in countless "Rubio Realizing" images doctored to capture his grim reaction to being "assigned" more jobs, depending on the news of the day or the crisis du jour in the White House. Why it matters: For his 55th birthday on May 28, White House staffers

Scoop: Trump team tells GOP to lean in on health care

President Trump's top political hands had some surprising advice for Senate Republicans last week: Talk more about health care. Why it matters: Trump and the MAGA base are fixated on the voter-ID and proof-of-citizenship SAVE Act . But Republican message testing from Trump's own pollster suggests candidates are better off focusing elsewhere. Driving the news: Top Trumpworld campaign officials, inc

"It is despicable": House Democrats rage over Republican stock trading "set-up"

House Democrats went into the vote on the Stop Insider Trading Act last month groaning that it was all a big Republican set-up. Now they're fuming that the trap has been sprung. Why it matters: A well-funded Republican group is blanketing the airwaves lauding GOP lawmakers in key swing districts — including some with reputations for prolific stock trading — as champions on the issue. "Corrupt cong

Kushner set to visit Israel, Egypt next week for Gaza talks

Jared Kushner, President Trump's envoy and son-in-law, is planning to visit Israel next week for talks on the situation in Gaza , according to five sources with knowledge of the plan. Why it matters: This would be Kushner's first trip to Israel since January. It comes as the White House and Trump's Board of Peace are trying to push forward with the next phase of the Gaza plan, which focuses on dis

Kennedy Center board restores Trump's name, testing judge

The Kennedy Center board voted Thursday to again add President Trump's name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, two anonymous sources told Axios. Why it matters: The move challenges a federal judge's ruling back in May that only Congress could change the name of the performing arts venue, and that Trump's name must be removed . That process was completed in June. U.S. District J

Also reported by Just the News (Lean right)

Trump wins legal battle to keep cheap imports subject to tariffs

A federal trade court ruled Thursday that President Trump can block cheap imports — including from Chinese retailers like Temu and Shein — from entering the U.S. tariff-free . Why it matters: It's a win for the Trump administration's trade agenda after a major legal setback forced officials to find new legal avenues for imposing sweeping tariffs. The Court of International Trade ruling means that

Older Democrats walloped by midterms anti-establishment revolt

House Democrats who have comfortably held their seats for decades are suddenly finding the ground shifting beneath their feet as primary voters revolt against the party's old guard. Why it matters: The anti-establishment revolution that has swept Democratic primaries this year is poised to drastically alter the makeup of the party caucus and Congress as a whole. Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) became t

Trump's White House remodel tab keeps growing

The East Wing is gone, a new helipad is spreading across the lawn, and scaffolding wraps the White House's front columns, but the price tags for President Trump's renovations are far less obvious. The big picture: The muddled mix of funding streams — whether from private donors, the president himself or taxpayers — has fueled ethical questions about who's footing the ever-rising bill for the HGTV-

Maggie Haberman says 70% of Trump's attention goes to monuments, renovations and legacy

The New York Times' Maggie Haberman tells me 70% of President Trump's mindshare ("maybe plus or minus 5%") goes to his gilding, construction, renovation, renaming and tribute projects. "He is spending a huge amount of energy, mental and otherwise, on these renovation projects, beautification projects around Washington, and then monuments to self," Haberman told me for Axios' "Behind the Curtain" v

Musk and Zuckerberg claw back into AI race with new model momentum

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have muscled their way back into AI's elite ranks, defying early obituaries to close the gap on a new generation of Silicon Valley startups. Why it matters: Recent gains by tech giants SpaceX and Meta — long stuck in AI's second tier — are putting new pressure on a hierarchy dominated by OpenAI and Anthropic. State of play: Both companies released models this week fea

Pollsters missed again in Wisconsin. Here's why.

Pollsters appeared to blow another high-stakes Midwest election Tuesday, as center-left Democrat David Crowley stunned socialist Francesca Hong in Wisconsin's primary for governor. But on Wednesday, the reasons for the miss seemed clear: Surveys a week before the primary captured only a hint of a rapidly changing roller coaster of a race in which Crowley was gaining fast, and Hong was playing defe

Youth poll: Thumbs down on everything

Data: Generation Lab; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios More than a quarter of younger Americans (27%) believe they or someone they know has lost a job because their employer replaced them with AI, according to a new Axios-Generation Lab poll of 18- to 34-year-olds. Why it matters: Research suggests the actual share of job losses from AI is smaller. But the survey reflects the suspicion, mistrust and

Why House Dems may go easy on one of GOP's most vulnerable members

Rep. Mike Lawler 's (R-N.Y.) fight to hold on to a key battleground seat is getting a behind-the-scenes assist — for now, at least — from an unlikely group: House Democrats. Why it matters: Kamala Harris carried Lawler's district in 2024, but some Democrats are privately wary of spending the small fortune it would take to oust one of the GOP's most bipartisan — and electorally savvy — members. "If

Congressional campaign stars

It's August, which means lawmakers are fanning out across the country to campaign for themselves and their colleagues. Why it matters: A friendly senator or House member can help on the stump. But only a handful can juice fundraising , draw a real crowd or make a mark with an endorsement. And Democrats have more of them. Zoom in: Axios asked strategists in both parties which lawmakers have enough

Trump's ballroom costs are rising. What we know about the secret underground bunker

The development costs of President Trump's White House ballroom keep rising — as does speculation about what the finished project, including its underground complex, will look like. The big picture: Trump 's ballroom project is more than a simple remodel of the East Wing. It's a complete overhaul featuring what appears to be a military-grade underground bunker, meant to protect and secure the pres

ICE plans to put electric-shock gloves on officers' hands

Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to begin using electric shock gloves designed to cause pain and disrupt a person's ability to react. The big picture: The gloves could give ICE officers a new way to use force as their tactics face intense scrutiny after several deaths and violent encounters . Driving the news: ICE plans to spend between $10 and $20 million on the gloves and issue them to

Quantifying the AI boom crowding-out effect

When investment on the scale of the current AI boom occurs, it inevitably has to come at the expense of something. All the resources devoted to building data centers and developing AI models would otherwise go to something else. The big picture: This crowding out is smaller than you might expect, Goldman Sachs economists find in a new note. But it does exist, they say, and takes the form of displa

Diesel desperation is mounting globally

The state of the global diesel market is getting even more precarious as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Iran crisis squeeze supply from multiple angles. Why it matters: Diesel prices ripple through economies here and abroad, affecting shipping costs, construction and plenty in between. The average U.S. price is up 44 cents over the last month to $5.32 per gallon, compared to $3.71 a year ago, per

Socialist fever breaks: Takeaways from Crowley's win

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated socialist Francesca Hong by about 3,000 votes, dealing a blow to the progressive left's momentum Tuesday in Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor, after his own polling indicated he was behind by nearly 20 points. Why it matters: Crowley's win could breathe new life into a center-left that had been losing primary after primary in rec

AI brings savings to clinical trials: study

Artificial intelligence isn't just speeding up early-stage drug development, it's starting to unlock millions of dollars' worth of new efficiencies in clinical trials on cancer treatments, research shared first with Axios shows. Why it matters: AI-powered tools could shave months off time-consuming processes like recruiting and enrolling patients, monitoring results and interpreting data. That cou

Anthropic's text watermarks signal new front in AI detection

Anthropic's new models will add machine-readable "watermarks" to Claude-generated text and files to comply with new European Union transparency regulations. Why it matters: Comms teams using Claude to simply clean up, translate, or format human-drafted press releases could stamp those documents with an AI signature. How it works: For models launched in the EU after Aug. 2, Anthropic is marking con

Moderate Crowley narrowly beats democratic socialist Hong in Wisconsin

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated state Rep. Francesca Hong , a democratic socialist , in Tuesday's Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor, the Associated Press reports. Why it matters: Hong's loss blunts progressives' recent momentum and hands moderate Democrats a chance to prove their electability in a crucial battleground state in November Crowley will vie to become

"Woke 1 was crazy": AOC seeks do-over on 2020-era rhetoric

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is trying to pull off a political feat for the ages: bury a chapter of left-wing politics that seemed like a good idea to many liberals at the time — but not so much anymore. Why it matters: The country's most prominent democratic socialist is essentially seeking a mulligan for candidates who embraced policies like defunding the police, saying candidates should be jud

Rep. John Larson ouster makes 2026 a record year for Democratic primary losses

Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) was unseated Tuesday by his primary challenger, former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin , according to the Associated Press. Why it matters: Larson is the 7th House Democrat ousted in their primary this year . Only one other election cycle in the 21st century has seen this many incumbent losses in primaries. Bronin's challenge to Larson came after the 78-year-old incumbent suf

It's official: Amy Klobuchar is Democrats' pick to succeed Gov. Tim Walz

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar sailed to victory in Minnesota's Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday. The big picture: Polling indicates that the four-term senator and 2020 presidential candidate will be a formidable contender in Democrats' bid to hold the open seat this November. Catch up quick: Klobuchar entered the race in late January, shortly after Gov. Tim Walz reversed course and scrapped pl

South Carolina GOP Senate primary heads to a runoff

Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) advanced Tuesday to a runoff in South Carolina's crowded Republican Senate primary, per the AP, extending the fight to succeed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham . Why it matters: The Aug. 25 runoff will almost certainly determine South Carolina's next senator. Graham's abbreviated campaign has relied on the immediate advantages of incumbency, President

Trump's mail-in voting restrictions blocked nationwide by federal judge

A federal judge on Tuesday expanded an earlier block on part of President Trump's executive order seeking to tighten rules for mail-in voting ahead of November's elections. Why it matters: The ruling freezes a key piece of Trump's attempted overhaul of mail-in voting for all U.S. states. A previous ruling in a separate case had limited a block for the 23 Democratic states that sued over the presid

The House Democratic money machine is coming for GOP Rep. Max Miller

Democrats have gone from treating Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) as a best-case-scenario target to a genuinely vulnerable incumbent whose downfall is worth a real investment. Why it matters: Democratic groups tell Axios they plan to put their money where their mouth is and spend to win the seat, which Trump carried by double digits in 2024. Phil Gardner, a spokesperson for the centrist Blue Dog Action F

Scoop: Senate GOP super PAC doubles down on Michigan

Senate Republicans' top super PAC is pouring an extra $6 million into Michigan to attack Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Why it matters: It's part of $12 million in new spending this month by the Senate Leadership Fund to defend Republican leader John Thune 's majority. It's an unusually early spend for Republican super PACs, which typically wait until September. Zoom in: SLF is launchin