⚖ Politics News

Texas state Rep. James Talarico of Austin defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas. Why it matters: Talarico's victory sets the stage for a battle royal that promises to be among the most expensive contests of the year, as Democrats hope President Trump's unpopularity translates to red-state victories. It also further raises the profile of Talarico, a media darling who has framed his argument against Republicans in terms of his Christi

It comes after Trump criticised the PM for refusing to allow the use of UK bases in the initial US-Israel strikes.

New private sector data shows signs of life for a labor market that's stabilizing after a dismal year for hiring. Why it matters: It's a welcome development in an economy digesting global trade uncertainty, fast-moving AI technological advancements and a new geopolitical shock. Yet just two sectors are carrying the entire labor market, making hiring more fragile than the headline numbers suggest. What they're saying: "In our data, job market growth is gaining traction. In employment terms, Feb

One House Republican lost his seat outright in Texas' primary elections Tuesday night, and four other House members will face grueling, 12-week runoff campaigns. Why it matters: While short of a full-on wipeout, it's not the kind of result that instills confidence in lawmakers who are trying to withstand the anti-incumbency wave roiling both parties right now. A staggering 30 House Democrats are facing at least one primary challenger who has raised $100,000 or more. A dozen of them have been ou

The government will end study visas from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, due to what she says is abuse.

Government data shows a rise in trucks failing to turn up at Sevington after arrival in Kent.

America's natural gas bounty is acting like a moat, largely shielding the U.S. from price spikes while much of the world reels from escalating unrest in the Middle East. Why it matters: Natural gas hasn't, historically, drawn the same headlines as the more volatile oil markets. But it's increasingly central to the economy — including powering the AI boom. Yes, but: The moat isn't impenetrable. And if substantially more American natural gas gets exported, it could raise heating and electricity b

Anthropic's AI tools are now battle-tested, in two radically different military operations — but the Trump administration is still threatening to pull the plug. Why it matters: The international race for AI advantage is not measured in years, but weeks and days. Alienating a leading American AI company and ripping and replacing existing tech could give other countries, especially China, a leg up. Driving the news: AI's use in Venezuela, leading to the capture of strongman Nicolas Maduro, and i

James Talarico prevailed in a hard-fought Democratic contest. Now he waits to see if he'll face scandal-plagued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — or four-term Sen. John Cornyn.

Even in the most heavily Republican counties where Attorney General Ken Paxton might have expected to benefit from a MAGA base, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn largely held his own.

Voters are on the verge of sending multiple House incumbents packing but gave four-term Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) hope that he can defeat Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a runoff in May. Why it matters: The GOP's worst nightmare, in which Paxton led Cornyn or even defeated him outright Tuesday in the first primary elections of the 2026 midterms, didn't happen. National Republicans are concerned that Paxton, a conservative firebrand, could lose in the general election — or at least force

He took a big-tent approach to his campaign by appealing to voters from both parties and independents.

Gonzales, who was accused of having an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, will face influencer Brandon Herrera in a May 26 runoff.

U.S. and Ecuadorian forces announced drug-trafficking military crackdown operations in Ecuador on Tuesday. The big picture: U.S. Southern Command in a Tuesday night statement said the operations targeted "Designated Terrorist Organizations" and hailed the cooperation as "a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism." SOUTHCOM's commander, Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, met in Quito with senior Ecuadorian officials inc

State Rep. Steve Toth cast him as insufficiently conservative for the Texas district. President Donald Trump declined to endorse.

The remarks came amid a row over the refusal to permit the use of UK bases for the initial US-Israel strikes.

Sen. John Cornyn is in the fight of his career — and national Republicans fear they could lose the seat if he falls.

Trump withheld an endorsement in the race to replace Ken Paxton.

Security researchers used relatively simple jailbreaking techniques to trick the AI system powering Utah's new prescription refill bot. Researchers were able to make the bot spread vaccine conspiracy theories, triple a patient's prescribed pain medication dosage, and recommend methamphetamine as treatment. Why it matters: Critics warned this pilot could create safety risks — and researchers say the flaws persist, despite alerting the company in January. Driving the news: In a report shared fi

President Trump's claim that America has a "virtually unlimited" munitions stockpile and could fight a war "forever," could soon be tested as counterattacks target military bases and U.S. Embassies across the Middle East in what has become a rapidly-widening conflict. Why it matters: Reporting suggests that the U.S. stockpile and that of key allies, such as Israel and Gulf nations, are dwindling faster than production can replace the weapons. The problem is particularly notable given that other

House Democrats left a Tuesday night briefing on Iran expressing even greater frustration towards the Trump administration than they had going in, with several lawmakers describing it as "bullsh*t." Why it matters: Democrats are full steam ahead on forcing a vote this week on a resolution that would constrain Trump from unilaterally waging war with Iran. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), one of House Democrats' most vulnerable battleground-district members, said his thinking was "not at all" changed

Half of Americans now support abolishing ICE, compared with just 39% who oppose eliminating the agency, according to a new YouGov poll. Why it matters: It's the first time in YouGov's polling history that support for abolishing ICE has reached 50%, capping a steady rise since January amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. While Democrats have largely supported abolishing ICE in 2026 polling, this survey also marks a new high for Independents, with 52% backing the idea. A majo

Last Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called President Trump with a stunning tip: Iran's supreme leader and his top advisers were all set to meet at one location in Tehran on Saturday morning. They could all be killed in a single devastating airstrike, Netanyahu told Trump and his team, according to three sources briefed on the discussion. Why it matters: The Feb. 23 call — held from the White House Situation Room and unreported until now — was a pivotal moment that set the Ir

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos never met with President Trump or any White House officials last week when he visited Washington, according to sources familiar with the engagement. Sarandos was informed shortly after arriving at the White House that his meeting was canceled because of a last-minute scheduling conflict, and then he promptly left the building. Why it matters: Media onlookers were quick to speculate that Sarandos' meeting at the White House on Thursday prompted Netflix to drop out o

A group of centrist House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a war powers resolution that would give the Trump administration more leeway on Iran than the measure their leadership is pushing. Why it matters: The effort reflects the extreme reluctance some hawkish Democrats have towards voting for the resolution introduced by anti-interventionist Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). Unlike the Khanna-Massie measure, the centrist Democrats' alternative resolution would give the admini

The United Arab Emirates is considering taking military action to stop Iranian missile and drone strikes on the country, two sources with knowledge of the matter tell Axios. Why it matters: An Emirati strike on Iran would be unprecedented. The fact that it's being considered reflects the enormous anger among Gulf countries over Iranian attacks that have targeted civilian infrastructure and oil and gas facilities. The UAE has been the country most attacked by Iran since the start of the war — e

President Trump said the U.S. will "immediately" offer "political risk insurance and guarantees" for energy tankers and other ships in the Gulf region, and that the Navy will escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed. Why it matters: The White House is trying to ease oil price spikes that are starting to boost U.S. gasoline prices. Oil prices retreated Tuesday as word of the plans began to emerge. His statement on Truth Social comes as tankers are avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, the

Sir Keir Starmer had refused to grant the US permission to use the Diego Garcia military base.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, once a Manhattan neighbor of Jeffrey Epstein, voluntarily agreed to an interview with the House Oversight Committee over past ties to the convicted sex offender, Axios has learned. Lutnick told Axios: "I look forward to appearing before the committee. I have done nothing wrong and I want to set the record straight." Why it matters: Lutnick's past association with Epstein has been under growing scrutiny since the Cabinet secretary appeared in Justice Departmen

Addressing press in the Oval office earlier today, President Trump criticised Sir Keir Starmer and the UK's initial response to US-Israeli strikes on Iran.