A federal judge on Wednesday delayed making a ruling on whether Kilmar Ábrego García should be released from jail as he awaits trial, multiple outlets reported.
The big picture: The legal U.S. resident, who spent nearly three months in an El Salvador mega-prison before being returned to a Tennessee jail, is awaiting trial on human smuggling charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr. reportedly said during a hearing Wednesday that he plans to making a ruling next week on the Trump administration's case against Ábrego García.
The administration has indicated it will deport Ábrego García if he's released pending trial.
Catch up quick: A federal judge ordered Ábrego García's release from prison last month, but another judge then ruled he should remain in jail for now over concerns from his legal team that he could be deported if freed while awaiting trial.
The administration has accused Ábrego García of being a criminal and a member of the MS-13 gang, which his attorneys have denied.
Data: Axios research; Note: Both Cornyn and Rogers included receipts to their joint fundraising committees; Chart: Axios Visuals
Some Senate candidates aren't hitting the fundraising circuit as if their political lives depend on it.
Why it matters: Most battleground senators facing reelection this cycle put up seven-figure fundraising numbers last quarter. It's a testament to the power of incumbency, indicating their own desire to stay in office.
But Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) raised $723K this quarter, compared to $1.1 million during the same period six years ago.
Former Rep. Mike Rogers, the GOP's preferred candidate in Michigan, raised $1.5 million, much of it through his joint fundraising committee. The figure is unlikely to scare Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) out of a contested primary.
By the numbers: The Democrats' most endangered incumbent, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), had another impressive quarter, raising $10 million. That leaves him with $15.5 million cash on hand.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the only GOP senator from a state Democrats won in the presidential election last year, raised $2.4 million. She has $5.25 million cash on hand.
Zoom in: Sen. John Cornyn, facing a GOP primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, raised $3.9 million for the quarter, although more than $3 million of that was to his joint fundraising committee.
Paxton raised $2.9 million for the quarter and has $2.5 million cash on hand.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who also faces a primary challenger, raised $2.1 million and has more than $9 million cash on hand.
What we're hearing: Ernst is telling colleagues she'll make a decision to run for reelection this fall.
If she doesn't run, GOP strategists expect Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) to jump in.
Hinson raised $850,000 for the quarter and has $2.8 million cash on hand — funds she can transfer from her House race to a potential Senate one.
Ernst campaign manager Bryan Kraber told us in a statement: "Instead of fundraising trips and meeting with millionaires, Senator Ernst has been hard at work advancing President Trump's agenda and delivering a tax break for hardworking Iowans."
Go deeper: Rogers, who struggled with fundraising in his 2024 loss to Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), does have some outside support from a super PAC this cycle. The Great Lakes Conservative Fund raised more than $5 million to support his candidacy,according to The Hill.
His quarterly numbers this year are double the amount he raised in the first quarter after he announced in 2023.
"I'm in this fight for Michigan, and we're going to win it for Michigan," Rogers said when he announced his Q2 numbers.
The Senate is plowing ahead Wednesday evening on $9 billion in cuts to PBS, NPR and foreign aid, threats from Democrats be damned.
Why it matters: Democratic leaders — and some high-level Republicans — say budget rescissions undermine the trust they need to pass the annual bipartisan spending deals.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has warned Republicans they'll be left to figure out a potential government shutdown on their own if they keep the partisan cuts coming.
But GOP leaders insist they aren't worried.
Between the lines: Democrats have a "valid concern" about making spending deals just to be undone through rescissions, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) told reporters today.
"We've actually shared with folks from the administration that the bigger challenge for them is — appropriations take 60 votes," Rounds said.
The other side: Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told Axios he didn't think the appropriations would be any more difficult because of the rescissions package.
"I think we can have a bipartisan process," he said, pointing to the appropriations bills that have already been voted out of committee with Democratic support.
He said the Senate could even start voting on appropriations bills or the National Defense Authorization Act as early as before the August recess.
"I think our first markup went well. The second one was mixed, but we've reported bills out of committee. I expect we're going to report more tomorrow," Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said on whether rescissions will complicate her job.
The simple math: Government spending bills require 60 votes to advance in the Senate.
But rescission packages — which cut specific spending from a budget — can be passed with a simple majority, as they're set to tonight.
"This is beyond a bait-and-switch — it is a bait and poison-to-kill," Schumer said earlier this month.
The bottom line: Votes on rescission packages originating from the White House are rare.
Mainstream Senate Democrats are starting to echo their party's base, which has soured on supporting Israel.
Zoom in: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a moderate Democrat from a swing state, this week slammed the Israeli government for the lack of humanitarian aid in Gaza and violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
"There are times when, to me, it doesn't look like [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] is prioritizing the hostage situation," Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told Axios. "Certainly, there's times when it looks like Hamas does not want a deal."
"I think it's way overdue to have Democratic members of Congress speak up and speak out about the humanitarian disaster in Gaza," Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), another moderate who has criticized Israel since the start of the war, told Axios on Wednesday.
The big picture: The comments are part of a significant shift in tone toward Netanyahu from the center of the Democratic Party.
Slotkin's post on X this week addressed the killing of an American by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and slammed Netanyahu for a lack of accountability.
Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who spent time in Iraq, told Axios on Wednesday she has heard "lots of negative feedback" about her post following a "very rough weekend in the Middle East."
"I say strong things about Iran and how I'm glad that their nuclear capability has been put back, and I also hear a negative response to that," Slotkin said. "So I just try and objectively call balls and strikes."
The other side: Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has emerged as one of the strongest pro-Israel voices in the party.
Fetterman offered his full support of President Trump's decision to attack Iran last month, saying the U.S. commitment to Israel must be "absolute."
The bottom line: ProgressiveSen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told Axios that lawmakers are starting to understand "this is not just a moral issue, it's a political issue."
Van Hollen, a leading Senate Democratic voice against the Netanyahu government, told Axios he's happy to have more Democrats speak up.
"We've seen a pattern of impunity from the Netanyahu government — no accountability for these killings — and we've seen a pattern of indifference from the U.S. government," Van Hollen said. "I'm glad more people seem to be paying attention."
Expelling migrants to third-countries that are not their place of origin is becoming a cornerstone of President Trump's deportation strategy.
The big picture: The administration's increasing number of third-country deportation agreements showcases a dogged desire to pursue every possible avenue to fulfill Trump's promise to deport record numbers of noncitizens.
Catch up quick: The Trump administration restarted deportation flights after the Supreme Court ruled last month that the Department of Homeland Security could resume sending migrants to countries that were not their place of origin.
The decision put a lower court order that required the government to give immigrants adequate time to challenge their deportations on hold.
State of play: Border czar Tom Homan said the U.S. aims to sign third-country deportation agreements with "many countries" to support the administration's deportation plans.
The administration has either approached or plans to approach roughly 51 countries to accept non-citizen deportations from the U.S., per a June report New York Times report.
At least two of those countries, Eswatini and South Sudan in Africa, have accepted flights from the U.S. since the report came out.
The DHS did not immediately respond to Axios' Wednesday evening request for comment on how many of the countries have been approached.
Thought bubble via Axios'Dave Lawler: The administration has reportedly discussed safe third-country agreements with many countries for which the "safe" description is very much in question.
Take Libya or South Sudan, both of which have been wracked by instability and violence for years. Several other countries involved in these deals are among the poorest in the world.
The prospect of deporting migrants thousands of miles away to unfamiliar and often unstable countries has raised alarm among human rights groups, but the idea has strong support within the administration.
Here are the countries that have already accepted deportees who are not their citizens:
Eswatini
Five migrants from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen were deported to the tiny African nation of Eswatini on Tuesday, the DHS announced.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X that the flight was carrying individuals who had been convicted of a range of crimes that included murder, homicide, and child rape.
El Salvador
The Trump administration sent at least 238 Venezuelan migrants to a notorious El Salvadorian maximum security prison under the Alien Enemies Act in March, claiming that they were terrorists and members of a violent gang.
By the numbers: An April CBS News report found 75% of the migrants sent to the prison had no criminal record.
Mexico
Mexico has received roughly 6,000 non-Mexicans from the U.S. as of late April, per Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Sheinbaum said the non-Mexicans her country was accepting for "humanitarian reasons" comprise a small number of the nearly 39,000 migrants the U.S. has deported to Mexico since Jan. 20.
Guatemala
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo announced in February that his country had agreed to accept third-country nationals from the United States and would be ramping up deportation flights from the U.S. by 40%.
Arevalo told NBC News that the agreement was not supposed to provide a pathway for people to seek asylum in Guatemala. Rather, the country would serve as a pit stop in the process of sending people back to their home countries.
Costa Rica
Costa Ricaaccepted roughly 200 third-country nationals from two different U.S. flights through the end of February, per a May Human Rights Watch report.
On the planes were at least 81 children and two pregnant women.
What they're saying: After announcing the expulsion agreement, Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves said his country was helping its "economically powerful brother to the north."
Costa Rican officials have said the U.S. will cover the costs of the deported people's stay in the country, and that the arrangement was expected to be a temporary stop in the repatriation process.
Panama
The U.S. has deported hundreds of people to Panama since February as part of a deal for the country serve as a "bridge" while the U.S. bears the financial costs, per AP.
The migrants are from countries including Iran, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.
Rwanda
The U.S. paid the Rwandan government $100,000 to accept an Iraqi citizen in April and agreed to take 10 more deportees, the New York Times reported.
Negotiations reached over the Iraqi citizen "proved the concept for a new removal program, according to the report.
South Sudan
The U.S. deported eight men to South Sudan in July, after a legal battle diverted their deportation flight to Djibouti for several weeks.
Some of the men deported were from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Kosovo
This landlocked Balkan nation in Europe agreed to host 50 noncitizen deportees from the U.S. in June.
The deal would allow noncitizens to be "temporarily relocated" before being sent back to their home country.
The intrigue: Kosovo reportedly agreed to accept the noncitizens from the U.S. in the hope that the administration will continue to lobby other nations to recognize the small country's independence.
The Transportation Security Administration's security protocols could be in for another shakeup — this time involving the long-standing limits on carry-on liquids.
The big picture: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said TSA is looking to modify the liquid rule Wednesday at the Hill Nation Summit.
Driving the news: Noem said she's questioning "everything TSA does," hinting that the next big update could target the 3.4-ounce liquid limit.
"The liquids, I'm questioning," Noem said. "So that may be the next big announcement is what size your liquids need to be," she added.
"We have put in place in TSA a multilayered screening process that allows us to change some of how we do security and screening so it's still as safe."
TSA liquid restriction
State of play: Currently, TSA rules say travelers are "allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in your carry-on bag and through the checkpoint."
These items are limited to travel-sized containers that are 3.4 ounces or less per item.
The rule was put in place in 2006 after authorities thwarted a plot to use liquid explosives.
The fine print: Larger liquid items, like shampoo bottles or water bottles, must go in checked baggage — with some exceptions for medications and baby formula.
The TSA lists what items are allowed to bring in carry-on or checked bags on its website.
When will TSA liquids rule change?
What's next: Noem did not provide a timeline nor specifics for what changes might be coming.
"Hopefully, the future of an airport, where I'm looking to go is that you walk in the door with your carry-on suitcase, you walk through a scanner and go right to your plane," Noem said, noting it could take "one minute."
Noem told The Hill after the summit that this was "not certainly anything we'll be announcing in the next week or two."
"But we're working to see what we can do to make the traveling experience much better and more hospitable for individuals, but also still keep safety standards," she said.
Maurene Comey, the federal prosecutor who worked on both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal cases, was fired on Wednesday, multipleoutlets reported.
The big picture: It was not immediately clear why Maurene Comey was dismissed from her job, but her firing is notable because she is the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, who was fired by President Trump during his first term.
Representatives for the White House and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment on Wednesday evening.
The Southern District of New York declined to comment.
Context: Before her firing, Maurene Comey led the prosecution of Sean "Diddy" Combs in a sex trafficking and racketeering trial. The jury cleared him of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges but convicted him of prostitution-related charges.
President Trump said Wednesday that Coca-Cola has agreed to use "REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States."
Why it matters: The beverage giant has been under pressure to reduce sugar in its drinks.
The company currently uses high fructose corn syrup in the original soda recipe, according to its website.
What they're saying: Trump said he's been speaking with the Atlanta-based company about using cane sugar, which it does in its Mexican Coke.
"I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them — You'll see. It's just better!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The other side: It is not immediately clear whether Coke plans to change the original recipe or introduce a new product.
"We appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand," the company said in a statement to Axios. "More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon."
Zoom in: Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey told investors in April that "we continue to make progress on sugar reduction in our beverages."
He noted that the company has "done this by changing recipes as well as by using our global marketing resources and distribution network to boost awareness of and interest in our ever-expanding portfolio."
The intrigue: President Trump is an avid Diet Coke drinker who famously had a "Diet Coke button" installed in the Oval Office to obtain the soda quickly.
Diet Coke does not have sugar.
State of play: Coca-Cola has been actively working to mitigate President Trump's imposition of tariffs on imported aluminum, which the company uses to make soda cans.
Quincey told investors in February that "if aluminum cans become more expensive, we can put more emphasis" on plastic bottles.
The big picture: Brazil is the No. 1 producer of cane sugar in the world, according to the USDA.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) will defend the Federal Reserve in a speech on Wednesday, an unlikely ally for the Fed as it faces unprecedented attacks from the Trump administration.
Why it matters: Even one of Fed chair Jerome Powell's toughest, most consistent critics won't back the White House argument.
The rare support from the influential lawmaker, who is the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, shows how the party will hit back at White House pressure to oust Powell.
What they're saying: "When [Trump's] initial attempts to bully Powell failed, Trump and Republicans in Congress suddenly decided to look into how much the Fed is spending on building renovations," Warren will tell a group of financial policymakers and economists at the Exchequer Club of Washington, D.C.
In the remarks — first seen by Axios — Warren acknowledges the topsy-turvy world in which she defends the institution that she has slammed for years.
"Independence does not mean impunity and I have long pushed for more transparency and accountability at the Fed. But give me a break," Warren will say in a speech that slams Trump economic policy.
"[N]obody is fooled by this pretext to fire Chair Powell. And markets will tank if he does."
The big picture: The new attack line among top Trump administration officials and some Republican lawmakers — renovations of the Fed's offices are too costly and over-the-top.
President Trump on Tuesday said that the renovations issue could be grounds to fire Powell, a legally dubious move.
Flashback: Just a few weeks ago, Warren co-sponsored legislation with Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott that would force the Fed's watchdog to be Senate-confirmed — a move aimed at stepping up oversight of the central bank.
Warren has called Powell a "dangerous man" in her criticism of the Fed's bank regulation policies.
She is among the few lawmakers who voted against his confirmation in 2017; she did so again when former President Biden renominated Powell in 2021.
"Look, I don't think [Powell] should be chairman of the Federal Reserve. I have said it as publicly as I know how to say it. I've said it to everyone," Warren told NBC's "Meet the Press" in 2023.
MAGA is recoiling at President Trump's increasingly personal attacks on his own followers over Jeffrey Epstein, opening the most bitter divisions yet between the president and the GOP base.
Why it matters: MAGA has at times grumbled over Trump's handling of foreign affairs, immigration and other sporadic issues. But the president's growing irritation with his supporters' Epstein theories and adamance that they're illegitimate is widening the most significant rift yet.
What they're saying: MAGA did not take kindly to Trump's latest post Wednesday, which included calling his followers' theories a "hoax," claiming they're doing Democrats' bidding and waving away "PAST supporters" discussing Epstein instead of his recent policy wins.
"By continuing to go to war with the online MAGA class, he only continues to keep his unpopular stance on the issue front of mind," one right-wing influencer told Axios. "It's definitely become an inflection point online."
As one MAGAworld operative put it: "Villainizing your base for caring about the thing you told them to care about is never a good strategy."
Zoom in: Sources suggested to Axios that Trump was fundamentally missing MAGA's commitment to Epstein disclosures, and said belittling that stance risked alienating even his most committed supporters.
Calls for a special counsel spiked Wednesday, with sources telling Axios that it would take the launch of an independent investigation into Epstein's operation and supposed intelligence ties to satiate the base.
Raheem Kassam, the National Pulse's editor-in-chief, said: "President Trump sat for interviews during the campaign and committed to releasing more Epstein files. If he's changed his mind, he should at least be willing to explain to his voters why."
"If he maintains that he no longer wants the support of those who want more information, his terms may be acceptable to more people than he realizes."
MAGA for years has been convinced Epstein was murdered in an attempt to protect supposedly rich and powerful clients, and suggestions to the contrary have already set off multiple convulsions.
Catch up quick: Trump has waffled in recent days between expressing surprise at his base's fixation on Epstein and vowing to release details on the financier's sex trafficking operation and death.
The president on Tuesday said Attorney General Pam Bondi should release "credible evidence" — comments that served as a steam valve for MAGA and that he repeated in the Oval Office Wednesday.
Between the lines: Few things are more foundational to MAGA than fighting against the "deep state," and Trump and his allies spun up the right over Epstein for years.
Now, Trump's pushing the base to not care so much about a microcosm of a singular concern for MAGA, and the base is pushing back.
"This is a proxy for Trump getting owned by the deep state," the MAGAworld operative said.
Reality check: There have been divides between Trump and MAGA before — including on Ukraine and Iran — that ultimately did not drive supporters away. And this movement remains reluctant to break from the only person who has ever served as its leader.
"Time and again, we see forces aligned against President Trump concocting narratives designed to try to split his historic America First movement but those supposed divisions always fail to materialize. At what point is this the boy who cried wolf?" Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matt Boyle told Axios.
A new proposal in Congress would stop federal immigration agents from detaining and possibly deporting U.S. citizens.
Why it matters: U.S. citizens aren't supposed to be arrested or detained unless agents allege they're breaking laws. But reports of citizens of Latino descent being detained — or stopped and asked to prove citizenship — are rippling through Latino communities nationwide.
Critics say reports of ICE detaining citizens are instances of racial profiling and overzealous policing — something the U.S. Department of Homeland Security angrily denies.
Zoom in: U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) introduced legislation Wednesday to formally block Immigration and Customs Enforcement from detaining or deporting U.S. citizens.
Dubbed the "Stop ICE from Kidnapping US Citizens Act," the bill would set penalties for ICE agents who unlawfully hold U.S. citizens and place them in immigration proceedings.
The proposal is co-sponsored by several Democrats and will likely face a long-shot bid in the GOP-controlled House.
Zoom out: The allegations of U.S. citizens being detained come as ICE continues raids in predominantly Latino communities in the Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Diego areas; cities in Texas, New Mexico, New York and Florida; and agricultural centers, such as central California.
In May, ICE briefly detained Florida-bornLeonardo Garcia Venegas from his job at a construction site in Foley, Alabama. Agents alleged that Garcia's Real ID was fake, according to Noticias Telemundo. He alleged agents forced him to his knees and handcuffed him.
Immigration officials held U.S. citizen and Albuquerque resident Jose Hermosillo for 10 days in Arizona's Florence Correctional Center after arresting him, and didn't believe him when he said he was a citizen, per Arizona Public Media.
Two U.S. citizen children in April were deported to Honduras after ICE detained their mother during a routine check-in.
What they're saying: "ICE is acting like a rogue force, kidnapping and disappearing people off the streets with no due process," Jayapal said in a statement.
"When ICE is conducting immigration enforcement, arresting and detaining U.S. citizens is illegal — and deporting U.S. citizens is illegal, full stop."
Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, told Axios that recent reports of citizens wrongly being arrested are false — and that "the media is shamefully peddling a false narrative" to demonize ICE agents.
"DHS enforcement operations are highly targeted and are not resulting in the arrest of U.S. citizens," McLaughlin said. "We do our due diligence."
Yes, but: An Axios review of news reports, social media videos and claims by advocacy groups about raids since President Trump took office found several instances in which U.S. citizens alleged they were wrongfully detained.
ICE hasn't released statistics on such detentions in months.
Flashback: In May, House Republicans killed a measure in Trump's big budget bill that would have stopped ICE from being able to deport or detain U.S. citizens.
The amendment, sponsored by Jayapal, would have prevented any funds earmarked for ICE from being used to detain or deport citizens.
"The fact that Democrats ... feel the need to even introduce an amendment that says ICE cannot deport U.S. citizens is bats**t crazy," Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said on the House floor.
President Trump denied he was on the verge of firing Fed chair Jerome Powell, despite multiple news reports Wednesday suggesting he'd told congressional Republicans he was close to doing so.
Why it matters: Trump has the market on a knife's edge, waiting to see whether he throws out more than a century of central bank independence to get what he wants on interest rates.
Driving the news: The New York Times reported Wednesday that Trump has drafted a letter firing Powell and asked GOP figures for feedback.
Bloomberg quoted an unnamed White House official as saying Trump was likely to fire Powell soon.
CBS News also reported that Trump had asked House Republicans about ousting Powell, and indicated he was inclined to do so.
Yes, but: "We're not planning on doing it. It's highly unlikely," CNBC quoted Trump as saying.
Trump also told the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show, in an interview set to air Thursday, that he wasn't planning to fire Powell.
The big picture: Trump wants interest rates to be multiple percentage points lower than they are now, and he has been incessant about demeaning Powell and demanding a rate cut.
Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Three things can simultaneously be true: that it would be reasonable for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates; that its headquarters renovation is too expensive; and that the Trump administration's attacks show why central banks are designed to be independent in the first place.
The big picture: The whole reason the U.S. and other advanced economies grant their central banks a measure of independence is to instill confidence that they won't make policy based on what's most convenient in the near-term for elected leaders — such as cutting rates to save the fiscal authorities cash.
Yet that is exactly the grounds President Trump has repeatedly invoked as the reason he believes the Fed should cut rates drastically.
Driving the news: Bloomberg reported Wednesday that a White House official said Trump is likely to attempt to fire Fed chair Jerome Powell soon. CBS News reported that Trump circulated the idea to receptive Congressional Republicans on Tuesday.
State of play: The 3-percentage-point rate cut Trump has called for would put the Fed's policy in ultra-stimulative mode at a moment when unemployment is low, inflation remains elevated, and tariffs threaten a new price surge in the months ahead.
The core of the argument playing out right now — and potential litigation, should Trump attempt to fire Powell for cause — is whether the U.S. will stick with its tradition of handing control over the money supply to technocrats as opposed to the president.
Between the lines: It's an important new chapter in the nation's long, tumultuous history with central banking.
That includes key moments like Andrew Jackson's war with the Second Bank of the United States in the 1830s and the Treasury-Fed accord of 1951 that delineated the roles of the two institutions in managing government debt.
Yes, but: That doesn't mean that the Fed is getting things exactly right, either in its monetary policy or its real estate decisions.
There is a pretty solid case for interest rate cuts right now, even if not the one Trump makes, and $2.5 billion truly is a massive amount of money to spend on renovating a couple of historic buildings.
Zoom in: The argument for rate cuts that could persuade independent-minded technocrats isn't tied to Trump's calls to save the federal government money on borrowing costs, but rather something rooted in current economic conditions.
The argument would hold that the Fed's current target interest rate, around 4.4%, is still in territory that officials consider "restrictive," deliberately slowing economic activity to try to bring down inflation.
But inflation has been mostly on a gradual downward path for three years now and is not far from the Fed's 2% target. Tariffs might create a price surge, but that should be a one-time event that policymakers ought to look past.
Moreover, there are growing signs of weakness in the labor market, including low hiring rates and weak job creation in cyclical sectors.
Zoom out: The Fed's renovation — fueled by overhauling its historic 1935 headquarters building on the National Mall and a second historic building next door, with a tunnel connecting the two — really is costing a lot of money, ultimately borne by taxpayers.
But it's also the case that the Federal Reserve Act gives the Board of Governors independent authority over its real estate precisely to insulate it from political pressure.
And the Trump administration has left little doubt that the president's discontent over rates is driving the new scrutiny of the project.
What they're saying: "If the Fed were to lower interest rates this month to 1%, White House officials would stop talking about beehives and fancy elevators," Sarah Binder, a political scientist at George Washington University who has studied Fed governance, tells Axios.
If Trump attempts to remove Powell from his job for cause before his term expires 10 months from now, it would set up a legal battle — very likely ending up before the Supreme Court — with long-term consequences for how U.S. economic policy is run.
The bottom line: "How far would the Court be willing to go to insulate the Fed if Powell were charged with 'neglect of duty?'" Binder asks. "Remains to be seen!"
The Trump administration has asked Israelx to halt its strikes on Syrian government targets and to open direct talks with Damascus, a senior U.S. official told Axios on Wednesday.
Why it matters: U.S. officials are highly concerned that the Israeli attacks — including on Syrian military headquarters in Damascus and near the presidential palace — could destabilize the new Syrian government.
The official said the past 48 hours could seriously undermine progress toward a new security agreement between Israel and Syria as a first step toward normalization. Those discussions had previously been showing significant progress, the official said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. was "very concerned" about the Israeli strikes in Syria and wants the fighting to stop.
Behind the scenes: U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack conducted several calls on Tuesday and Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's top adviser Ron Dermer to push for deescalation.
"We told the Israelis to stand down and take a breath," the senior U.S. official said, adding that the administration is pushing for direct talks between Israel and Syria to solve the crisis.
Dermer's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Catch up quick: In recent days, there have been clashes between a Druze militia and a Bedouin gang in the city of Suwayda in southern Syria. There has been sporadic violence between members of the two minority groups since dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December and replaced by ex-militant Ahmed al-Sharaa.
When the Syrian government sent in tanks to try to restore order, the Israeli air force attacked those tanks. The U.S. official said Syria had notified Israel in advance about the tanks and said its response was not directed at Israel.
But Israeli officials claim the tanks entered a zone that Israel, which is occupying parts of western Syria, has demanded be demilitarized of heavy weapons.
Over the last 24 hours, clashes continued in Suwayda between the Druze, the Bedouins, militias affiliated with the Syrian government and Syrian security forces. According to the Syrian human rights observatory in London, at least 250 people have been killed.
Driving the news: The leaders of the Druze community in Israel pressed the Israeli government to intervene, claiming militias affiliated with the Syrian government were carrying out a massacre of Druze in Suwayda.
On Tuesday night local time and into Wednesday morning, Israel escalated its strikes against Syrian government targets in southern Syria and in Damascus.
On Wednesday around noon local time, hundreds of Israeli Druze broke through the border fence with Syria in the Golan Heights and entered the buffer zone between the countries in an attempt to reach Suwayda.
Israeli officials claim the strikes are intended to protect the Druze minority in Syria as part of its commitment to the Druze community in Israel, and that Syrian militias affiliated with the government have been killing dozens of Druze.
However, the senior U.S. official said U.S. intelligence does not show any involvement of the Syrian government in atrocities in Suwayda.
The U.S. official said that the Israeli government told the Trump administration it sees what happened in Suwayda as an Oct. 7 like attack on the Druze community.
The U.S. official said Israel's actions are influenced by domestic political pressure from the Druze community in Israel — which comprises around 2% of the population — on the Netanyahu government.
The latest: Despite the U.S. push for calm, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it's sending reinforcements to the border with Syria to facilitate more strikes and stop the attacks against the Druze.
"Israel will not allow a massacre of Druze in Syria," the statement says.
"He's dead for a long time. He was never a big factor in terms of life. I don't understand what the interest or what the fascination is," Trump told reporters Tuesday when asked about his supporters' focus on the case, which he described as "pretty boring stuff."
Democrats have swiftly seized on that rift, attempting to force their GOP colleagues to choose between the White House and its angry faithful.
Republicans on Tuesday rejected a Democratic procedural maneuver aimed at forcing the DOJ to release Epstein-related documents, dismissing the effort as a partisan ploy.
Driving the news: Despite his party rejecting Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna's (Calif.) measure, Johnson told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson he's"for transparency" in an episode released Tuesday afternoon.
"It's a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it," he said.
Johnson added that Attorney General Pam Bondi, who Trump has defended as she becomes a main target of MAGA rage, "needs to come forward and explain" the confusion she created by claiming in an interview that a list of Epstein's clients was sitting on her desk.
What he's saying: "I'm anxious to get this behind us," Johnson added.
Yes, but: Bondi on Tuesday said, "Today our memo speaks for itself, and we will get back to you about anything else."
David Schoen, a former attorney for Epstein, said on NewsNation's "Cuomo" Tuesday that he doesn't believe a "client list" exists, noting, "That wasn't Jeffrey Epstein."
Between the lines: Axios' Marc Caputo reports that the Trump administration is considering at least three ways to mitigate the backlash that's erupted over an issue of high importance to many in his base.
But in the meantime, Democrats are turning up the volume on the Epstein mess and are promising future votes.
Zoom out: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), whose relationship with the president has long been contentious, announced Tuesday that he would launch an effort to use a long-shot procedural tool to bypass House leadership and force another vote on the matter.
The discharge petition would require 218 lawmaker signatures.
"We all deserve to know what's in the Epstein files, who's implicated, and how deep this corruption goes," Massie wrote on X. "Americans were promised justice and transparency."
The resolution, cosponsored by Khanna, would require Bondi to "make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format" materials in possession of the DOJ (including the FBI and U.S. Attorneys' Offices) connected to Epstein within 30 days of the measure's enactment.
The bottom line: Even as Trump tries to quell the conversation about a man he described as "somebody that nobody cares about," the fallout is haunting the president's team, Axios' Marc Caputo reports.
The divide is music to Democrats' ears — literally, in the case of Rep. Hank Johnson's (D-Ga.) musical plea to release the Epstein files — allowing them to lean into a "more is more" strategy of fighting back against Trump, per Axios' Andrew Solender.
And even key Trump allies, like Johnson, don't seem to be harmonizing with the administration.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s super PAC head co-hosted an organizing call for supporters and influencers last week, stirring speculation that Kennedy's positioning for a run at the White House in 2028.
Why it matters: Last Wednesday's Zoom call involving hundreds of RFK Jr. supporters was aimed at energizing his grassroots "Make America Healthy Again" movement and discussing ways to build enthusiasm for the Health and Human Services secretary.
A 2028 presidential campaign wasn't explicitly discussed, but two people with knowledge of the call came away believing it was a step toward another campaign for Kennedy, whose long-shot run in 2024 wound up helping Donald Trump to victory.
Driving the news: Those leading the call included MAHA PAC leader Tony Lyons, vaccine scientist-turned-skeptic Robert Malone, and Kennedy's top adviser Stefanie Spear, according to two people who were on the call and two others familiar with it.
Entertainer Russell Brand and motivational speaker Tony Robbins also spoke on the call, two of the sources said.
The call was organized by Lyons' non-profit group, MAHA Action. Several who were involved saw Lyons' participation as a sign the PAC would help prepare a campaign and fundraising machine in-waiting for Kennedy, to be ready if he chooses to run.
Spear, a longtime Kennedy aidewho is his top deputy at HHS, highlighted changes he has made at the agency and asked supporters to be patient as he pushes for more changes in health policy, two sources said.
During his tenure at HHS, Kennedy has persuaded several food companies to strip artificial dyes from their ingredients lists, pleasing health advocates.
Kennedy also drew criticism for firing top scientists and creating a new, handpicked vaccine review board that was seen as a triumph by the vaccine-skeptical and anti-vaccine communities.
Spear didn't respond to a request for a comment about the call, which lasted more than an hour.
Zoom in: Kennedy's robust network of "MAHA" grassroots supporters and online influencers propelled his independent campaign last year.
Kennedy — the son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy — would need to significantly build on his base if he decided to run again.
During the 2024 campaign Kennedy polled as high as 15% in some polls. It was the best-performing independent bid since Ross Perot's in 1992, but Kennedy struggled with fundraising, gaining ballot access and growing his support base.
Between the lines: Financial pledges were taken during last week's call, two sources said, but Lyons did not comment about how much money was raised or the prospect of a 2028 campaign.
Lyons started the American Values 2024 PACto support Kennedy in the last election cycle. Lyons has since rebranded the group as the MAHA PAC, which aims to support a health "revolution."
Lyons ran the 2024 PAC as its president, main fundraiser and patron of Kennedy's work. He's also Kennedy's publisher and gave away Kennedy's books at PAC events last year.
He also has made inroads with the Trump family, publishing First Lady Melania Trump's memoir last fall.
Flashback: Kennedy's whirlwind entry into electoral politics last cycle began in the Democratic primary. He then quit his family's party to run as an independent before ultimately endorsing Trump.
The latest: Kennedy's candidate campaign account is still active with the FEC, and its latest filing released Tuesday indicated the campaign has paid its debts from 2024.
It also showed a small number of "campaign consulting" and "administrative consulting" payments were made in June to a few contractors, including $21,000 to an LLC registered to the 2024 campaign's chief operating officer.
The FEC's database indicates Kennedy's campaign account remains active and has less than $400,000 cash on hand.
What they're saying: "MAHA Action is focused entirely on building on the incredible momentum of the MAHA movement and amplifying the successes of President Trump and Secretary Kennedy in their historic attempt to reverse the chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again," Lyons said.
Critics of Kennedy's efforts weren't impressed. "It's alarming to see a dark money super PAC wield campaign money to prop up a cabinet secretary," said Xavier Becerra, HHS secretary under President Biden.
"No amount of slick messaging can cover up the fact that this administration is undermining vaccines, spreading conspiracy theories and eroding trust in our public health heroes who battle to keep our families safe."
House Democrats are introducing what is known as a discharge petition to try to force a vote on quashing President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The long-shot effort to kill the president's initial round of tariffs comes as he is unleashing a new slate targeting top allies including Japan, South Korea and Brazil.
But it has little chance of succeeding after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) effectively disempowered discharge petitions earlier this year by using a procedural maneuver to kill one related to proxy voting.
Still, Democrats hope to at least put Republicans in the difficult position of once again having to choose between their loyalty to Trump and trying to mitigate the economic damage his tariffs inflict on their districts.
What they're saying: "It is time for Republicans to do the right thing, sign my discharge petition, and end this tariff tantrum," House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.) said in a statement first shared with Axios.
It is Democrats' last option to force such a vote after the House approved Johnson's procedural motion to block them from bringing up the measure under the National Emergencies Act.
Reality check: The petition would need 218 signatures to pass, meaning at least a handful of House Republicans would have to sign on in addition to most Democrats.
Some Republicans have expressed unease with Trump's tariffs, but few have been willing to go as far as retiring Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) in openly opposing them.
And Meeks won't necessarily be able to rely on every Democrat to sign on: Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) is one of Congress' most fervent advocates for tariffs in either party.
Even if the petition manages to get 218 signatures, Johnson may still be able to slip language into an unrelated, party-line procedural measure to kill it anyway.
Yes, but: That doesn't necessarily mean buying now is a bad move. It just depends on what your goals are.
Some people with average incomes have done very well in the crypto market by approaching it with a long-term mindset.
The people who have lost money in bull runs have been those who got scared when the price started to fall fast.
Catch up quick: The peak in the last cycle hit in November 2021, above $67,000,but it fell to a low of $15,742 a year later (a 77% loss), amid the FTX collapse.
Threat level: Joe Kelly, CEO of bitcoin finance and security firm Unchained Capital, tells Axios that he sees two ways people lose money again and again when the market perks up.
"One shouldn't go looking to alternative cryptocurrencies as a way to get in on something that looks like it could be the next Bitcoin," he says.
Bitcoin has a much brighter future than any of its imitators, he predicts.
He also warns new entrants to "be aware of your security footing and ensure your bitcoins are safe from cyber and physical threats of theft and loss." For example, don't tell people you have it.
By the numbers: So far bitcoin price has never fallen over any four-year period, even starting at a prior price peak.
In fact, very few investors have lost money if they held for three years or more.
And today, the crypto market has considerably more fundamental strength than it had in past upswings.
When looked at that way, the 80% downturns that have hit Bitcoin in the past have been a boon to long-term buyers.
What they're saying: Sharp corrections could hit before the final all-time high.
Long-time Bitcoin technical analyst Willy Woo said on X, "There's a ton of profit in coins that have been selling and plenty more profit-taking to go before we are properly reset."
The bottom line: Investors who have conviction about bitcoin or another cryptocurrency have a decent shot at doing well, provided they have the nerve to ride out some drops and stick around a while.
But if you're looking at a crypto app right now because you think you can get rich quick, there's a decent chance that you will end up making profits for someone else.
President Trump quickly dismissed a reporter's question Tuesday about whether Attorney General Pam Bondi had told him he was in the sex trafficker's files.
But Trump's relatively calm reaction stood in stark contrast to what happened inside the White House last week when a similar media inquiry put Trump's staff "in a tizzy" — and helped fuel mistrust between the Department of Justice and the FBI.
Why it matters: The fallout over the Epstein case continues to haunt Trump's team, 10 days after DOJ's about-face announcement that it wouldn't disclose any more details about Epstein, that he had no client list, and that he'd killed himself in prison and wasn't murdered.
That angered Trump's MAGA loyalists who — thanks in part to Trump and his aides — had been convinced the president would reveal all about Epstein and his alleged cabal of powerful pedophiles. Suddenly long-held conspiracy theories were fueled by new disappointment.
Inside the room: The blowback over DOJ's decision led to an intense shouting match in the White House last week between Bondi and the FBI's deputy director, Dan Bongino, as Axios first reported.
Unreported until now: After the Bondi-Bongino blowout, a reporter asked whether Bondi had informed Trump that his name was in the Epstein files. Trump has long denied wrongdoing in the case and no evidence has emerged indicating otherwise, but he was friends with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The question alarmed White House and DOJ personnel about the appearance that the administration had shut down the release of more Epstein information to protect Trump from embarrassing disclosures. Speculation about that swept across some cable news channels.
"It put people in a tizzy," a source familiar with the discussions told Axios.
The story didn't run. But on Tuesday, a reporter publicly asked Trump about the rumor that Bondi had told him his name was in Epstein's files.
"No, no. She's given us just a very quick briefing," Trump said at the White House, calling the Epstein files a non-story, old news and even "fake news."
Trump quickly pivoted to his new and baseless conspiracy theory: Fake information was inserted into the files by Presidents Biden and Obama — along with former FBI director James Comey, whom he blames for what he calls "the Russia hoax."
Trump repeated the wild claim later, at Joint Base Andrews, after another reporter asked Trump why his MAGA supporters are so keenly interested in the Epstein story and want more disclosure.
"Anything that's credible, let them have it," Trump said of releasing more Epstein information.
Between the lines: Trump said the decision to release more information rests with Bondi. But insiders say her every move on Epstein has been in accordance with what the president wants, and what she thinks he wants.
Bondi has come under withering assault from the online right and conservative influencers for over-promising Epstein disclosures months ago, then vastly under-delivering on that pledge. Trump says he stands by Bondi and her decisions.
Bondi said Tuesday when asked about calls for her resignation: "I'm going to be here for as long as the president wants me to be here."
As for more disclosures, she said: "Today our memo speaks for itself, and we will get back to you about anything else."
The intrigue: In saying "today," Bondi left open the possibility she may change her mind.
Administration officials and Trump advisers are pushing for three possible course corrections for more disclosures, as Axios first reported Monday.
Bondi declined to elaborate on her relationship with Bongino, who as a private citizen helped promote Epstein conspiracy theories. The two clashed Wednesday in the White House hours after a NewsNation article, citing a source, said Bongino and FBI director Kash Patel had been held back from disclosing more information.
Bongino and Patel denied the allegation. But a source said "Dan blew his stack" and stormed out after his shouting match with Bondi.
The next day, the White House and DOJ fielded the question about whether Bondi told Trump he was in the Epstein files.
"It didn't look like a coincidence at that point," an administration source said, adding that "there's no there there" when it comes to major Epstein files revelations.
"We think this is going to burn out. But not yet."
The big picture: The behind-the-scenes anxiety within the administration underscores the sensitivities of the case. Staffers don't believe Trump is portrayed badly in the files, but they know the story irks him.
"Pissed off Trump is no fun for anyone," said an outside Trump adviser who's in frequent contact with administration officials. "The president wants to talk about his accomplishments. This isn't that."
The Trump administration deported five migrants from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen to the tiny African nation of Eswatini on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced.
The big picture: The deportation flights came after the Supreme Court last month allowed the administration to resume deportations of migrants to third countries that were not their place of origin.
Acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Todd Lyons said in a memo that such deportations could take place within six hours of notification "in exigent circumstances," the Washington Post first reported this week.
However, Lyons said in the July 9 memo that ICE would typically wait 24 hours after informing people that they would be deported.
Driving the news: "NEW: a safe third country deportation flight to Eswatini in Southern Africa has landed— This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back," Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said on X Tuesday night.
They were convicted of a range of crimes that included child rape and murder, according to McLaughlin.
The intrigue: It wasn't immediately clear when Trump officials had made a deal with their counterparts in Eswatini to deport migrants to the southern African nation or what the terms of any agreement were.
Representatives for the DHS and the Eswatini Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment early Wednesday.
Flashback: Following the Supreme Court ruling, eight men from Asia and Latin America who were at the center of the case were deported to South Sudan earlier this month.
