⚖ Politics News

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.

Sure, oil prices have soared since attacks on Iran and counterstrikes began — but it's also possible the market isn't freaking out enough. Why it matters: Consumers and companies worldwide will feel the effects of the conflict that's pushing up petroleum and natural gas prices. But oil hasn't yet approached the $100-per-barrel — or higher — level that numerous market-watchers say is possible in the unpredictable, expanding regional battle. The intrigue: Veteran analyst Bob McNally sees a misma

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is threatening to disrupt Senate business over Kristi Noem's leadership at the Department of Homeland Security. Why it matters: Tillis, who is not running for re-election, has spearheaded GOP criticism of Noem in the narrowly divided Senate and seized on Tuesday's oversight hearing to turn up the pressure. Driving the news: At a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Tillis berated Noem over stalled FEMA funding and agency responses, including for hurricane rec

The forecasts were made before the conflict in the Middle East broke out which could have a "very significant" impact, the OBR said.

European nations say they want to work better together but have differing priorities

The Israeli air force on Tuesday struck the building housing Iran's Council of Experts in the holy city of Qom in an attempt to disrupt the process of appointing a new supreme leader, an Israeli defense official said. Why it matters: The Council of Experts is the body within the Iranian regime with the authority to appoint a new supreme leader. The clerics on the council vote on a short list of candidates being drafted by a smaller secret committee. Former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assa

Chancellor Rachel Reeves updates MPs on her plans for the economy, as the latest forecasts are unveiled.

Ex-housing secretary praises the government's draft bill but calls for more action on service charges.

Data: Financial Modeling Prep; Chart: Axios Visuals Crude oil prices are at their highest levels since the military campaign against Iran after climbing again overnight and Tuesday morning. Why it matters: The latest rise — and how it ripples through consumer prices — raises the stakes of Trump officials' upcoming plans to address costs. The latest: The Energy and Treasury Departments will begin rolling out new efforts Tuesday to address energy price increases from the Iran conflict, Secretary

In Illinois, Texas and Michigan, candidates have been forced to address connections to Israel as support wanes among Democrats.

Katie Miller interviewed Fox News' Sean Hannity for an upcoming episode of "The Katie Miller Podcast," and Hannity jabbed at former prime-time colleague Tucker Carlson: "I don't ever talk to him, ever," Hannity said. "I wish him well. I've read a lot of what he says. I just completely disagree with it. And it's not the person that I knew when he was at Fox." What they're saying: Miller asked Hannity if he thinks conservative media stars have become too focused on fighting each other instead of

MAGA's ascendant "America First" wing erupted after Secretary of State Marco Rubio effectively blamed Israel for drawing the U.S. into war with Iran. Why it matters: Rubio's remarks were the first time a Trump official had so explicitly acknowledged Israel as a driving force behind the war — landing at a moment when Americans' public support for Israel has hit historic lows. "We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action" against Iran, Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill on Monday. "We k

The Texas attorney general will face off against longtime senator John Cornyn in a state that’s increasingly welcomed far-right causes.

An expensive Democratic civil war is brewing this election cycle, with a staggering 30 House Democrats facing at least one primary challenger who has raised $100,000 or more, an Axios analysis found. Why it matters: These primaries are drawing tens of millions of dollars from Democrats' efforts to retake the House while priming House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to inherit a rebellious class of new freshmen. The collective fundraising in these races adds up to more than $64 million

Millions will vote in parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, and local elections in England.

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh was attacked by two drones, according to initial estimates, resulting in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building, a Saudi Defense Ministry spokesperson said. The big picture: Tehran has launched a wave of counterattacks following weekend airstrikes by American and Israeli forces on Iran, firing missiles at Middle Eastern countries that are allied with the U.S. into Tuesday morning — as the U.S. and Israel continued to target Iran. U.S. Central Command

Scotland remains more or less split down the middle on independence, more than a decade after the referendum.

The prime minister told MPs that the government "does not believe in regime change from the skies".

The Department of Justice moved to dismiss its civil case against four leading law firms that won rulings against President Trump's executive orders targeting them for employing or representing his critics. The big picture: The DOJ's motion to dismiss its lawsuit appeals against Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Jenner & Block and Susman Godfrey comes after other prestigious law firms caught in Trump's crosshairs agreed to provide almost $1 billion worth of legal work to the president instead of going t

At a gathering this week, top center-left consultants and strategists for rumored presidential hopefuls pitched how to talk about foreign policy.

Parents of Vincent Chan's victims will meet the education secretary to press her on safeguarding.

President Trump on Monday confirmed he will be accepting an invitation to this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner. Why it matters: Trump never attended the event that's historically known for poking fun at presidents and their policies during either of his presidential terms. Screenshot: President Trump/Truth Social What they're saying: "We're happy the president has accepted our invitation and look forward to hosting him," the White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia

U.S. counterterrorism and intelligence teams are on high alert and law enforcement in major cities has bolstered security in the wake of this weekend's strikes on Iran. The big picture: FBI director Kash Patel instructed federal counterterrorism and intelligence to "mobilize all assisting security assets needed" after placing them on high alert Saturday, per a post to X, while law enforcement in D.C., New York City and Los Angeles are among those to take additional steps. The announcements come

The committee also announced the dates and potential locations for its 2028 presidential nominating convention.

The House Ethics Committee announced Monday that it is looking into allegations Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) over-billed her congressional office for funds to maintain her home in D.C. Why it matters: The charges, which Mace's lawyer called "fundamentally flawed," could add further mayhem to her bid for governor of South Carolina. Mace has built a national profile for making heated public statements and picking fights with both political rivals and other individuals who she says have wronged her.

Six U.S. service members have been killed in action following the massive U.S.-Israel military operation launched in Iran Saturday that sparked swift retaliation. The big picture: President Trump has warned more will likely die before the operation ends. State of play: Monday afternoon, U.S. Central Command confirmed that U.S. forces recovered the remains of two service members from a facility struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region. The deaths were previously unaccounted for. "As

Authorities on Monday night said a third victim died from injuries suffered in the early Sunday morning mass shooting in downtown Austin. The latest: Police identified the deceased victims as Savitha Shan, 21, Ryder Harrington, 22, and Jorge Pederson, 30. Harrington was a Texas Tech student. "The energy he carried, the joy he spread, and the way he made everyone feel welcome are things we will never forget," his fraternity posted on Instagram. University of Texas officials identified Shan as Sa

Political cartoons from the desk of Matt Wuerker

Just 72 hours after the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran, the war has already consumed nearly the entire Middle East, reached the gates of Europe and raised new fears of attacks on American soil. Why it matters: The sheer geographic scope of the war is staggering — directly involving at least 11 countries, disrupting the global flow of oil and gas, and rattling markets worldwide. President Trump said Monday that Operation Epic Fury is designed to last four to five weeks. In that window, the c