Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is "strongly considering" a run for U.S. Senate following the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), two sources familiar with her thinking told Axios. Driving the news: Graham passed away late Saturday from "a brief and sudden illness," his office announced in a statement early Sunday morning. - South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster will be able to appoint an interim replacement to serve out the remainder of Graham's term through Jan. 3. - But Graham was up for reelection this cycle, meaning an Aug. 11 special election will have to be held to replace him as the GOP nominee. - The winner of the primary will face Democratic candidate Annie Andrews, a doctor, in November. What we're hearing: One of the…
Democrat Graham Platner filed paperwork Friday to officially remove his name from the ballot, ending his tumultuous bid to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine. Why it matters: Platner's exit ahead of the Monday deadline clears the way for Democrats to name a replacement candidate in a race that is critical to their effort to win a Senate majority in November. - Platner's campaign posted a copy of the letter it sent to Maine's Secretary of State withdrawing from the race to X on Friday afternoon. - "On June 9, 156,084 Mainers voted for a new kind of politics. One that is representative of people down here in the real world — not billionaires, oligarchs or the political establishment," he wrote, adding, "In submitting this…
The U.S. military struck Iranian military targets in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, a U.S. official said. Why it matters: This is the second day in a row that the U.S. is attacking Iranian targets in what U.S. official say is an effort to get the Iranians to stop attacking commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Driving the news: The U.S. official said Wednesday's strikes are wider in scope than the strikes the days before. - The targets include Iranian military coastal radars, anti-ship missile positions and air defense systems. What they're saying: "At the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom…
Graham Platner was a walking time bomb long before the on-the-record rape allegation he denied this week. - A Nazi tattoo, social media rants, rampant rumors about women: Many Democratic leaders privately feared the Maine Democrat, now their U.S. Senate nominee, could be trouble. But they rationalized their delusions and denialism until it was too late. Now the party has few, if any, good options in one of the nation's most important Senate races. Why it matters: Platner's rise and fall shows a key way President Trump has changed Democratic politics. If it means diminishing his power, Democrats are willing to surrender or temporarily ignore their own stated values. - There are parallels to 2024, when Democrats sleepwalked into disaster…
The Supreme Court said Monday that President Trump could not fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, a blockbuster ruling that limits the president's influence on the central bank. Why it matters: It is among the bigger blows delivered by the top court to Trump's economic agenda. What they're saying: "We see no reason to leave the public in limbo, or to sow doubt as to the status of one of our Nation's (and the world's) most important financial institutions," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. - "Although we appreciate that others may see matters differently, we would not so quickly unsettle this 'special arrangement sanctioned by history.'" Flashback: Trump said last year that he was firing Cook for cause, citing mortgage applications…
House Democrats' campaign arm and main super PAC are stopping short of saying they will pull out all the stops to hold onto Maine's lone swing district after failing to get their preferred nominee. Why it matters: This new headache comes as Democratic leaders were already grappling with the never-ending firestorm around Senate nominee Graham Platner . Driving the news: Maine State Auditor Matt Dunlap , a progressive, defeated centrist state Sen. Joe Baldacci in the Democratic primary for Maine's 2nd congressional district, election officials announced early Friday morning. - Dunlap's victory came despite the DCCC adding Baldacci to its coveted "Red to Blue" list and spending $7,500 on a joint ad buy with him. - It's the second time this…
Less than four weeks after being sworn in as chairman of the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh left no doubt that the way the central bank shapes its policies and communicates is now going to be very different from the last 15 years. The big picture: Warsh is already executing on his longstanding view that the Fed has been over-explaining, over-signaling and overly focused on fine-tuning the economy for years. Investors will need to quickly wrap their heads around this new regime. - Out: Forward guidance and detailed descriptions of how the central bank is interpreting incoming data. - In: Simpler policy statements, tighter (and maybe fewer) press conferences, little guidance as to what comes next and task forces to rethink broader aspects of…
OpenAI has banned China-linked accounts that used ChatGPT to draft social media influence campaigns targeting U.S. debates over tariffs and AI data centers, the company said Wednesday. Why it matters: The campaigns don't appear to have been effective, but they show how pro-China actors are testing AI tools to amplify existing political and economic divisions in the U.S. Driving the news: OpenAI said it uncovered two operations that used ChatGPT to generate posts, comments and political cartoons about U.S. tech policy. - One campaign, dubbed "Data Center Bandwagon," generated comments and comics claiming AI data centers were driving up electricity prices for American families. - A second operation, "Tech and Tariffs," used ChatGPT to…
President Trump said on Friday that he is convening his national security team in the White House Situation Room to make a final decision about the agreement reached between U.S. and Iranian negotiators. Why it matters: The signing of the memorandum of understanding would be the most significant diplomatic breakthrough since the war started, but a final agreement tackling Trump 's nuclear demands would require further negotiations. This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Attorneys for Elon Musk wrapped up their case against OpenAI on Thursday, asserting in closing arguments that they've proven the AI giant misused the millions of dollars Musk donated and violated their duty to uphold OpenAI's founding ethos. - Next up in the mega-trial, lawyers for OpenAI will argue that the organization's structure has changed but its mission hasn't. Why it matters: Musk wants CEO Sam Altman ousted from OpenAI's board as well as billions of dollars in damages, though he says he would donate any winnings back to OpenAI's nonprofit arm. Driving the news: In his closing argument, lawyer Steven Molo argued that OpenAI violated its nonprofit mission to pursue safe, powerful AI for the world — and that its executives…