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Democrat Scott Colom pulls off stunning Mississippi Senate upset Democrat Scott Colom defeated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in a stunning Mississippi upset, becoming the first Democrat elected to the state's Senate delegation since 1982, AP projects.Why it matters: Colom's victory marks another extraordinary breakthrough for Democrats in the Deep South, extending the historic blue wave that handed the party control of both chambers of Congress.Colom also becomes Mississippi's first Black senator since Reconstruction. Hiram Rhodes Revels became the nation's first Black senator in 1870. Mississippi's last Black senator, Blanche K. Bruce, served until 1881.Catch up quick: The race remained too close to call after Election Day, with Colom's victory expanding Democrats' 55–44 advantage over Republicans in the Senate.The big picture: Colom's victory followed a late surge of Democratic spending and organizing in a state Trump carried by 23 points in 2024.Hyde-Smith faced warning signs in the campaign's closing months, when Colom raised twice as much as the GOP senator despite her overall cash advantage.She was also outspent on TV advertising, with a flood of ads from left-leaning PACs and super PACs pushing support for Colom and attacking the senator for her vote not to release files related to the convicted human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.Hyde-Smith's campaign also faced criticism over an interview she gave to WLOX-TV in Jackson, Mississippi, where she fumbled an answer about the price of beef, saying that Mississippians had "so many other proteins to choose from." Colom's campaign capitalized on her blunder, creating a viral campaign ad urging voters to "choose another senator." The GOP made a late push to help Hyde-Smith, including President Trump speaking at a rally for her in Alcorn County, where he won by 68% in 2024. But it wasn't enough. Hyde-Smith's term will end after eight years. She was appointed to the Senate in 2018 by then-Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, and ran for a full term in 2020, where she bested her Democratic challenger Mike Espy by 10 points.Zoom in: Colom, a 43-year-old district attorney from Columbus, campaigned on lowering the cost of living, raising wages and protecting rural hospitals. His campaign also drew in heavy Democratic hitters to stump for him, including former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock.The bottom line: Colom's win adds Mississippi to a growing list of Republican strongholds where Democrats broke through in the midterms, including Texas and South Carolina.It also reinforces the role of Black voters in the Democratic comeback, after the party rebuilt support among a crucial voting bloc that showed signs of shifting toward Trump in 2024.

Nvidia sinks after report implicates CEO Jensen Huang in 2nd affair Shares in Nvidia sank Wednesday night after the New York Times reported CEO Jensen Huang had a second affair with a senior executive who reports to him.Why it matters: The report adds to mounting scrutiny of Huang, already under investigation over an affair with a purported Chinese spy.The potential impact goes beyond one man and one business, though. Huang is arguably the world's most powerful CEO at the moment, his company serving as the beating heart of the AI revolution. He also has no obvious successor.Driving the news: Huang, 63, had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, 48, Nvidia's vice president of health care, according to the Times.Both are married to other people.The two were reportedly seen being affectionate at a hotel during Nvidia's annual developer conference in San Jose in March. A bystander recorded the interaction, and Huang's security team made an offer to the person to sign a nondisclosure agreement, per the Times.The paper reported that Nvidia declined to issue a statement, and Powell did not respond to a request for comment. By the numbers: Nvidia shares fell nearly 5% in after-hours trading Wednesday.The company's lost about $1 trillion in market cap since the Times first reported on Oct. 29 that Huang had a "close relationship" with a suspected spy.On the prediction market Kalshi, the odds of Huang being out as CEO by Jan. 1 doubled after the report. Zoom out: This new report comes after Huang confirmed in a company email that he had been unfaithful in his marriage. Nvidia has an independent panel investigating, and hired the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to handle the probe.What we're watching: How Nvidia handles the growing scandal could have affects far beyond just its walls.

Outgoing Trump foe Massie forces new Epstein files showdown Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) secured the 218 signatures needed to force another House showdown over the Jeffrey Epstein files Wednesday, just one day after fellow Republicans blocked his attempt to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.Why it matters: Congress overwhelmingly voted last year to force the release of the Epstein files, but survivors and lawmakers say the Trump administration has still withheld records. The new bill would give them the power to sue the DOJ and help state prosecutors pursue investigations.Driving the news: Massie announced Wednesday afternoon that his discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act II had reached the required 218 signatures.Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) provided the final signature Wednesday, according to the House clerk's records.Just four Republicans signed the petition: Massie, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. The other 214 signatures came from Democrats.What he's saying: "I'm working closely with @RepJayapal, @RepTeresaLF and @RepRoKhanna to get this to the floor for a vote soon," Massie wrote on X.The White House and Speaker Mike Johnson's offices have not yet provided comment.The intrigue: President Trump helped drive Massie out of Congress by backing a primary challenger, but the Kentucky Republican is using his final weeks in office to challenge the administration on some of its most politically sensitive topics.This latest effort could force Republicans to revisit a scandal that dogged the Trump administration for more than a year, even after Congress overwhelmingly voted to require the release of Epstein's files.This time, Massie wants to give Epstein survivors, state prosecutors and lawmakers the power to sue the Justice Department over records they believe it has unlawfully withheld.Catch up quick: Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) led the original push to force the release of the Epstein files.Their first bill passed the House 427-1 in November 2025 after they secured enough signatures to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson. Trump ultimately signed it into law.The law required DOJ to release its Epstein-related investigative records by Dec. 19, 2025, with limited exceptions to protect victims, ongoing investigations and other sensitive information.The department missed that deadline but announced in January that it had released nearly 3.5 million pages.The controversy: Epstein survivors and lawmakers have accused DOJ of withholding too much information while simultaneously exposing victims through inadequate redactions.A report released Tuesday by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee faulted the Trump administration's handling of the disclosures, including failures to protect victims and excessive redactions concealing alleged co-conspirators.The committee also said its investigation found no evidence implicating Trump in Epstein's crimes.What's next: Massie's petition is expected to become eligible for a floor vote by early December, with more than enough legislative days remaining under the House's current schedule.But passage is not guaranteed, and Senate Republican leaders could still decline to consider the measure before the new Congress takes office in January.

Scoop: Lutnick stalled curbing Nvidia chip sales to China — again — after Oval Office showdown President Trump on Thursday authorized a crack down on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia's advanced AI chips to China for the third time this year — even consulting Elon Musk before giving the go-ahead. One administration official has repeatedly stood in the way: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.Why it matters: This standoff illustrates a breakdown in efforts to keep American technology out of China's hands as the world wonders why the Trump administration has not taken action against the company at the center of suspected chip smuggling — and an espionage scandal.This report was assembled from interviews with six high-level sources who were briefed on or, in some cases, heard the discussions.Inside the room: On Thursday, as the spy scandal rocked the administration, Lutnick met in the Situation Room with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During the meeting, Bessent confronted Lutnick about why his department has resisted implementing the export controls, particularly on Megaspeed, the company at the center of the spy scandal. The group sided with Bessent.Lutnick appeared to agree, but then muttered under his breath, "I need to check with the president."Friction point: Lutnick's seemingly innocuous comment raised concerns, the sources said, because officials have repeatedly believed the Commerce Department would impose the export controls, only to have nothing happen. "He's stalling it out," said one official, describing how Lutnick had previously met privately with the president to change his mind about the export limit. "This is an ongoing concern with Howard and this issue," said another.This time, one person in the room called his bluff by saying: "Great. Why don't we do it today?"Around 5pm, the group headed to the Oval Office.Trump called tech advisor Elon Musk and agreed to move forward. Musk supported Rubio, Bessent, Greer and Hegseth's case to impose the controls while Lutnick warned it "will start a trade war with China.""Everyone argued back that China is already doing to us what Lutnick warned would happen," a source said.Behind the scenes: With Lutnick the lone holdout, Trump made his decision: "Let's get it done." But once everyone was outside of the Oval Office, Lutnick proposed a new delay tactic."I'll develop some options and come back," he said."Everyone was like: 'No, no, the decision's been made. Go fucking execute,'" one source said. "Well, it still hasn't happened."The other side: Commerce Department spokesperson Kristen Eichamer denied that Bessent confronted Lutnick and would not immediately comment on the other allegations.Flashback: On at least three separate occasions — in May, August, and Nov. 5 — Trump approved taking action against suspected diversions of Nvidia chips to China.But Lutnick and Commerce Undersecretary Jeffrey Kessler resisted pressure from Bessent and others to move forward.In May, a highly classified memo warning about Jensen Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, a Megaspeed employee suspected by U.S. intelligence of being a Chinese agent, was shared with the president and other officials.In a subsequent meeting, Bessent, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, Hegseth and White House officials pressed Lutnick and Kessler to act, the source said, "and they were refusing."Catch up quick: The Trump administration last year announced it would loosen export controls on Nvidia H200 chip sales to China — something Nvidia has lobbied hard for.Trump has taken a more lax approach to export controls on China, agreeing to allow sales of Nvidia's H200 chips, which are older but still powerful, in exchange for a 25% tariff.Long before the affair with Alice Huang, Jensen Huang has pushed for tapping into the Chinese market. The CEO at the center of an AI boom Trump is dead set on winning has largely been successful at convincing Trump and Lutnick that selling less powerful chips to China is good for national security because it prevents China from developing its own alternatives and keeps the adversary dependent on the U.S. The bottom line: While Lutnick oversees the department squarely at the center of export control policy, Trump is the ultimate decider.

Scoop: U.S. asks Russia to propose new security agreement with Europe The U.S. has asked Russia to submit a new proposal for a future security agreement with Europe that includes Russian steps to ease tension with the continent, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.Why it matters: For years, Russia has sought a European security deal that limits NATO expansion and scales back its military presence in Eastern Europe. The U.S. has rejected those demands in the past, but now appears open to them in some form as part of a broader agreement to end the war in Ukraine.But many European governments are deeply suspicious of the administration's approach.State of play: President Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday to reiterate the request. They also want Putin to allow European representatives to join the next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks, a U.S. official said. From Moscow, Kushner and Witkoff are expected to travel to Dublin to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday night. Catch up quick: The talks on Tuesday and Wednesday were the first time Ukrainian and Russian officials met with U.S. mediators present since February, when they were suspended due to the war in Iran.In recent weeks, Witkoff and Kushner met with both Putin and Zelensky, creating a bit of momentum.Putin agreed to resume peace talks and release U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard, who was detained by Russia in 2022. Together with First Lady Melania Trump and her team, Witkoff and Kushner also brokered a humanitarian ceasefire in the city of Oleshky.Driving the news: The talks in Abu Dhabi started on Tuesday with Witkoff, Kushner and commander of the U.S. European Command Gen. Alexus Grynkewich mediating between the Russians and the Ukrainians. The parties agreed to a prisoner exchange deal that Kushner and Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said could be the biggest since the war began.U.S. and Ukrainian officials said the exact number of prisoners to be released will be decided during meetings with Putin and Zelensky on Thursday. Before and after the talks, the U.S. and Ukrainian negotiating teams briefed a delegation of senior diplomats from Germany, the UK, France, Italy, the EU and NATO.Behind the scenes: The meetings between the Russians and the Ukrainians on Tuesday were tense and at times emotional, with both sides airing grievances after nine months of not talking directly, according to a source in the room.Kushner and Witkoff tried to lower the temperature, telling Russian and Ukrainian negotiators that the goal is to end this round of talks with options for the leaders on both sides. Eventually, after each party made its case, the discussion became more constructive, the source said. "We had pretty tough discussions," Kushner said at a press conference after the talks concluded on Wednesday. "The Russians came with strict directives. It was very hard to soften it, but it ended productively," Arakhamia said. Zoom in: The U.S. proposal to secure a deal on a new Europe-Russia security architecture as part of an agreement to end the war in Ukraine was a key focus of the Abu Dhabi talks.Russian negotiators said Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine because then-President Biden did not reply to his 2021 letter laying out his security concerns, two sources with knowledge of the talks said. According to one of the sources, Kushner and Witkoff told the Russians that the world has changed a lot since 2021.They proposed that Russia draft a new proposal that includes its security concerns and demands, but also lays out what "symmetrical steps" it's willing to take to de-escalate and reassure Europe that it will not attack in the future. Kushner and Witkoff also told the Russians that in order to seriously discuss security issues in Europe, they need to agree to allow European representatives to participate in future peace talks. "We told the Russians, they have their desires and fears, but they have to provide different de-escalation and different proposals as well, if they want Europe to be able to receive those proposals in a good way," Kushner said at the press conference. The other side: So far, Russia has been unwilling to allow Europeans to be part of peace talks with Ukraine. "As for the leadership of a number of European countries, they are essentially engaged in a collective deception of the Ukrainian people and contributing to the mass deaths of civilians," Putin adviser Vladimir Medinsky, who headed the Russian delegation, said at a press conference after the talks. "Therefore, I don't understand what can be discussed with them." Still, Medinsky said that Russia wants to reach a broader security deal with Europe as part of an agreement to end the war. "In Ukraine, an abscess has simply burst. The entire body needs to be treated — a Band-Aid won't do the trick," he said.What to watch: The Trump administration wants to negotiate a new Europe-Russia security architecture and a Russia-Ukraine peace deal simultaneously. But the implementation of a security arrangement would only happen after a deal to end the war is reached, according to a source familiar with the White House's thinking. The U.S. hopes giving European representatives a seat at the peace talks will make their governments more willing to discuss a broader security agreement before the war ends."Zelensky won't agree to a deal until he knows what happens next regarding security guarantees and Putin wants to know this, too. This is why the security issue is so important," the source said.The source added that the U.S. made it clear to European countries that it would not agree to a security deal with Russia unless Europe and Ukraine are on board. The U.S. also wouldn't give Russia a veto over Europe's security considerations, the source said.The bottom line: Security will be a key issue at a summit of European leaders in Dublin later this week. European diplomats said there is a lot of resistance to the idea of a Russia-Europe security arrangement. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said Europe will discuss a new security architecture only after the war in Ukraine ends.

Scoop: Inside Bessent's Situation Room confrontation with Lutnick over China chip security Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over a failure to place Nvidia customer Megaspeed on a list of companies that pose national security concerns, sources familiar told Axios. Why it matters: The Commerce Department oversees the export of sensitive U.S. technologies and Lutnick's actions — or lack thereof — are increasingly under scrutiny following revelations that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had an affair with Megaspeed employee and suspected Chinese spy Alice Huang. Driving the news: At a White House Situation Room meeting on Thursday after the midterm elections, Bessent pressed Lutnick on why Megaspeed was had not been added to the Commerce Department's entity list, to which Lutnick responded he would "look into it." Commerce Undersecretary Jeff Kessler also was repeatedly warned about Megaspeed in deputy meetings. But sources told Axios that Lutnick has spent the last year "undoing" efforts by other administration officials to hold Megaspeed — a company accused of illegally diverting U.S. chips to China — accountable because of concerns it would escalate the trade war with China. Catch up quick: The Commerce Department is increasingly at the center of scrutiny over the broader Trump administration's handling of an intelligence memo overseen by State Department head Marco Rubio.Lutnick was among the officials who received the report in May, ahead of a trip to China, Axios first reported. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported Commerce Undersecretary Kessler abruptly stopped an investigation into Megaspeed after Nvidia intervened.The Financial Times reported the department was delaying efforts to blacklist Megaspeed despite several U.S. government agencies pushing it to do so.Inside the room: White House and intelligence officials have pressed Lutnick and his top advisers to take action against Megaspeed since the fall of 2025, sources tell Axios. But they refused, so Bessent spoke up Thursday."How come Megaspeed isn't on the entities list?" Bessent asked Lutnick, according to a source briefed on the meeting.Lutnick initially stammered, sources said, and then replied: ""I don't know. I'll look into it."One source, who has extensive experience concerning the chip controversy, said the reply was "bullshit" because Lutnick had resisted action ever since he was personally handed a memo, drafted by National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that outlined the problems with Megaspeed.

Don Leonard isn't a House member yet. He's already rocking Capitol Hill. Rep.-elect Don Leonard (D-Ohio) hasn't been sworn in yet, but he's making a name for himself on Capitol Hill as one of the most outspoken anti-establishment progressives in the incoming freshman class.Why it matters: That's an unlikely position for a Democrat who represents a rural Ohio district that President Trump carried by 10 percentage points in 2024.Leonard is archetypal of a burgeoning breed of swing-district House Democrats — populist in style, receptive to left-wing policies and unbound by traditional political norms — that will be well-represented in the 120th Congress."I'm really vibing with my class," he told Axios in a Tuesday interview on Capitol Hill. "These are everyday citizens who heard the same call I heard and stood up."State of play: Leonard, a professor of city planning who defeated Republican Rep. Mike Carey in last Tuesday's midterm elections, was turning heads on Capitol Hill before he even arrived for freshman orientation on Sunday.He told his local CBS affiliate the day after the election he will "be shopping for a new leader" unless House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) changes his pro-Israel positions.He made an even bigger splash on Tuesday with a video he posted to social media saying he met with "senior members" who warned him his life would be a "living hell" and that he would lose reelection if he opposes Jeffries for speaker of the House.The other side: House Democratic Caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), asked about Leonard's video at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, told reporters, "I don't know what senior Democrats he's talking about.""I think all of us here can attest to the work, the time, the energy that Hakeem Jeffries put into helping us build this majority," Aguilar said.Aguilar predicted Jeffries will be "overwhelmingly selected" as speaker and that he doesn't "lose any sleep over that.""Members could have ideas and interests and they could have asks along the way, but the outcome is not in question," he added.What they're saying: Leonard, in his interview with Axios later on Tuesday afternoon, characterized the conversation described in his video as a "friendly" and "well-intentioned" talk with "folks who have been on the Hill for a really long time.""They let me know that while we all agree on a lot of this stuff ... the leader is going to pursue his message and agenda as he sees fit, and [said], 'Don't be insane. How could you possibly stand in the way?'" In addition to cutting U.S. aid for Israel, Leonard said he wants Jeffries to commit to supporting a Constitutional amendment to ban super PACs."The time for half-measures is over," he told Axios. "I hear people, even members of the Progressive Caucus, talking about, 'Maybe we just tax super PACs.' Y'all, we need a 28th Amendment."Between the lines: Leonard said he has also found himself irked by House Democrats' seniority system, which makes it difficult for freshman members to get onto some of the most coveted committees."I'm just a little confused and frustrated right now by why the Democratic caucus is so hierarchical when it comes to these committees," he told Axios.Leonard added: "When we're less democratic than the Republican Party ... that raises questions for me."What's next: The Ohio Democrat said he got a chance to meet Jeffries for the first time on Tuesday and arrange for their staffers to work out a time to sit down and talk."I shook his and and I asked him for six minutes," he said, telling Axios he wants to "look him in the eye, let him know that [I] respect his capacity as a leader ... but I need something to take back to my district that shows that my party understands the magnitude of the crisis we face.""I'm going to hope that I can persuade him in the six minutes that we don't have to cross that bridge, but my constituents aren't bluffing and neither am I."

The AI industry's week from hell A week of political upheaval, financial turmoil and salacious scandal delivered one final indignity to the AI industry Tuesday, as Anthropic's staggering IPO target fell short of expectations.Why it matters: The bubble is wobbling. Investors, businesses and governments need a spectacular success from Anthropic to stave off a crisis of confidence that could tear through the broader economy.Facing new political headwinds, the industry can scarcely afford another setback — much less the spectacle of AI's crown jewel losing its luster on Wall Street.Zoom in: Anthropic announced plans Tuesday to raise as much as $64.4 billion in one of the largest IPOs in history, targeting a valuation of up to $1.4 trillion.That's roughly $600 billion below what investors envisioned just months ago, as slowing revenue growth, soaring infrastructure costs and a punishing market selloff tempered expectations.Anthropic's annualized revenue reached $81 billion in October, but its long-term commitments to chips, data centers and computing infrastructure have also climbed to nearly $901 billion.Zoom out: Anthropic's valuation reset caps a punishing stretch of new challenges that began with last week's stunning midterm results:🌊 A blue wave of AI-skeptical Democrats will arrive in Congress armed with subpoena power and an appetite for investigating the industry's safety failures and vast political influence.Voters delivered another blow at the local level, favoring restrictions on data-center development in 40 of 41 ballot measures nationwide.🤖 Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, the central cog in AI's global gears, was swept up in an espionage scandal after admitting to an affair with a suspected Chinese spy. His board, the FBI and Congress are investigating.Nvidia has shed more than $1 trillion in market value since the first New York Times revelations on Oct. 29, with shares plunging further Tuesday as the company faces a new shareholder lawsuit.📉 Wall Street went into a tailspin as investors reckoned with the implications of the Democratic sweep — including in data-center havens like Texas — for AI's sprawling infrastructure ambitions.The Nasdaq lost $2.5 trillion in market value Thursday, its worst session since April 2025, before staging a sharp rebound.⚠️ Financial warning signs are mounting: OpenAI scaled back its fundraising ambitions, while SoftBank reported a $3.7 billion write-down on U.S. data-center equipment, contributing to a $7 billion quarterly loss.Amid renewed fears of rate hikes, anxiety is also spreading to credit markets, where lenders have grown wary of financing the industry's astronomical infrastructure spending.Reality check: Anthropic is still poised for one of the largest IPOs ever, with Google, Nvidia and other technology giants committing another $26 billion in private investment alongside the public offering.The company could emerge with roughly $85 billion in net new capital — a historic financial windfall for a company founded less than six years ago.Yes, but: Bubbles don't run on "good enough." They demand more, better and faster — indefinitely.Even a $1 trillion or $1.5 trillion valuation of Anthropic may not be enough to reassure investors, who thought just a few weeks ago it'd be worth as much as $2 trillion.What to watch: Whether Anthropic can deliver a spectacular debut and sustain it after trading begins. SpaceX's stock surged after its record June IPO, only to surrender those gains and fall below its offering price within weeks.

Dems put Noem on notice President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March, but Democrats aren't finished with her.Why it matters: Armed with commanding House and Senate majorities, they're preparing to haul the architects of Trump's mass deportation agenda before Congress to answer for their actions."Noem, Markwayne, Miller, Homan, Bovino, what's up? Clear your schedule," Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, warned on X.She was referencing current DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin (who replaced Noem), White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Border Czar Tom Homan and former Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino.Dems on the House Oversight Committee included former DHS Special Government Employee Corey Lewandowski in a list of people who should "lawyer up." Zoom in: Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, said in a letter to colleagues he'd prioritize investigating every death in DHS custody and during arrests.Thompson, who is running for committee chair and the subpoena power that comes with it, also plans to investigate alleged financial corruption at the agency and oversight of spending, particularly the gargantuan budget supplied by the One Big Beautiful Bill."I called for Kristi Noem's impeachment in January, and she was gone by March. But the questions she refused to answer are still open," Thompson wrote."Tom Homan and Stephen Miller would not appear [for a hearing] when we invited them this spring. In the majority, they will not have that choice," he wrote.Zoom out: Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate have a lengthy list of areas for oversight, according to sources familiar with their plans. That includes:The billions spent to expand ICE detention, including Alligator Alcatraz and a warehouse buying spree. Oversight agencies have been reviewing these purchases.Noem's purchase of luxury private jets that she claimed could be used for deportation flights. A senior administration official called these purchases "abuse" at the time.Alleged conflicts of interest involving Lewandowski, Noem's top advisor, who was accused of seeking payments from DHS contractors. Lewandowski has long denied wrongdoing. Dems have welcomed reports that the Justice Department was investigating Lewandowski.Use of force incidents involving ICE agents, including fatal shootings. They also want to investigate a whistleblower complaint about how ICE's hiring spree reduced the amount of training new agents received before being put on the streets. Between the lines: Noem was dismissed from her role in part because of a $200 million DHS ad campaign, starring her. Noem claimed in a congressional hearing that President Trump was aware of the cost of the ad campaign, which encouraged self-deportations.Noem also oversaw a policy of personally signing off on all agency spending over $100,000, creating a bottleneck that slowed down everything from border wall construction to FEMA grants. The agency said at the time the policy fought waste, fraud and abuse.The other side: DHS declined to share comment from Mullin, who formerly served in both the House and Senate. DHS general counsel James Percival said in response to Ramirez on X, "It is unfortunate that Democrats are more interested in political shenanigans than in governing. Rest assured, however, that we are well prepared to deal with this nonsense so Secretary Mullin can continue focusing on protecting the homeland."DHS declined to say which oversight priorities Percival considers nonsense.The White House referred comment on Noem and Lewandowski to DHS, but spokesperson Lauren Bis said of Homan or Miller's potentially being called to testify: "If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people." DHS did not respond to a follow-up request on Noem or Lewandowski.Bovino, who is now retired, replied to Ramirez on X, "Honey, slow your totalitarian roll. Citizens don't answer to communists in this country as much as you seem to believe that."Lewandowski did not respond to an Axios request for comment.

House GOP bets on MAGA "fighter" Jim Jordan House Republicans are turning to one of their fiercest fighters to lead their diminished conference after one of their biggest drubbings in decades.Why it matters: Jim Jordan, 62, a founding member of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, has completed a stunning insurgent-to-establishment turn after spending much of his nearly 20 years in Congress battling Republican leaders from the right.The Ohio Republican's victory over House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) represents a bet by Republicans that they shouldn't move away from President Trump to claw their way back to power.But Republicans are divided over what went wrong in the midterms, and whether a more confrontational approach is the right answer.Driving the news: Republicans emerged from last week's defeat hungry for change, handing Jordan a 106–73 victory over long-time GOP leader Scalise.GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) survived their elections.Jordan pitched himself as a battle-tested fighter capable of defending Trump against Democratic investigations and winning back the majority.What they're saying: "I think when you take a beating like we took, you need to make some changes, and I also think we're gearing up for war," Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.), who backed Jordan, told Axios."We need someone who can punch hard, and I think that he'll do that," Fine said."We just got beat bad. We can't just go in with the same step forward," Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) told Axios.McClain told Axios: "Don't count Jim Jordan out. He's a fighter. He's been able to get stuff done."Yes, but: Not all Republicans are convinced they have the right response to their losses.Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), who backed Scalise, argued that Republicans lost too many independent and Hispanic voters, pointing specifically to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies.Asked whether Republicans should have examined their losses before electing new leaders, Gimenez said: "Yeah, we probably should have," adding he was "not sure" whether Jordan is the right person to lead Republicans back to the majority, though he pledged to support him."We've got to do a lot of introspection," Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) told Axios. "It's going to take some really deep thought and really looking at what we did wrong and what we can do to gain back the trust of the American people."Zoom in: Jordan's victory marks a major shift in the relationship between GOP leadership and the hardline House Freedom Caucus, whose members have spent years clashing with party leaders.Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), who is running to chair the Freedom Caucus, told Axios he hopes the group won't have to push leadership as hard under Jordan, though it will still try to serve as the party's "moral compass."But Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), a Freedom Caucus member who voted for Jordan, warned that changing the man at the top won't change the conference's ideological divisions."I still don't expect a ton to change," Crane told Axios.The intrigue: Jordan's elevation could also sharpen tensions with Senate Republicans, whose leader, John Thune (R-S.D.), has frustrated House Republicans over his handling of Trump's legislative priorities.Asked whether Jordan would push back harder on the Senate than Scalise, Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) told Axios: "That's to be seen, but I think he was voted in with that in mind."The bottom line: Jordan inherits a conference eager for a new direction but still deeply divided over what that should look like.

Scoop — Stephen Miller's post-midterm focus: MAGA and men Stephen Miller wants to use his new role as White House chief of staff to win back young and minority men who helped elect President Trump in 2024 but swung toward Democrats in the midterms, two people familiar with the administration's plans tell Axios.Why it matters: Miller, named last week to replace Susie Wiles, plans to focus on reviving the populist agenda that helped the president build his 2024 coalition, with an emphasis on working-class voters.Young, working-class and minority men fled the GOP in droves in last week's elections, amid high prices fueled by Trump's tariffs, the war in Iran, and concerns about AI's impact on the job market. Another key factor in last week's voting: Latino men also swung sharply toward Democrats, as the administration's hard-line immigration crackdown became an increasingly contentious political issue.Driving the news: Miller wants to spend more time highlighting administration policies he believes haven't gotten enough attention, and that will appeal to working-class voters concerned about the economy, insiders tell Axios.His priorities will sound familiar to Trump watchers: eliminating what the administration considers "woke" policies from colleges and workplaces, lowering prescription drug prices, and rooting out government and health-care fraud.He also wants to emphasize reducing the federal bureaucracy and push for permitting reform, while highlighting how those efforts could help address affordability.Sources in the business community say Miller's ideological drive makes him mostly impervious to typical Washington lobbying.Yes, but: With Democrats taking control of Congress in January, Miller will have to advance that agenda without the help of Republican majorities in either the House or Senate.Some of his plans could be pursued through executive orders by Trump. Others, including permitting reform, would require bipartisan cooperation.That could be a challenge: Miller, a political fighter who's been called Trump's "wartime consigliere," isn't popular among Democrats.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who's in line to become House speaker in January, has said he has "zero interest" in working with Miller, whose immigration policies have made him a frequent target of Democratic attacks.Flashback: Trump won men under 30 by 14 points in the 2024 election, according to a Tufts University study of election data.Last week, Democrats won that demographic by 22 points in House races — a 36-point shift.The shift was even more pronounced among young Latino men, who went from backing Trump by 2 points in 2024 to favoring Democrats by 37 points in 2026.Young voters with a high school education or less swung 37 points toward Democrats — from backing Trump by 12 points in 2024 to favoring Democrats by 25 points in the midterms.More than half of voters under 30 cited the economy and jobs as one of the country's three biggest issues, according to the Tufts study.Among young voters who said they were falling behind financially, 73% backed Democratic House candidates.Miller's focus on young men isn't new. He made direct appeals to them during Trump's 2024 campaign.During a Fox News appearance just before the 2024 election, he urged young men to embrace their support for Trump, telling them to "show that you are a real man" and "not a beta."On Election Day 2024, Miller posted on X: "Get every man you know to the polls."

The Democratic leadership revolt has a glaring problem The Republican leadership fights are over. For Democrats, the pain has only just begun.Why it matters: All the talk about changing party leadership is empty if no one steps up to run.Senate Republicans demanded more time and deeper conversations about their leadership, but no one stepped forward to challenge John Thune, who won by acclamation.Democrats are demanding their own conversations about the party's future and the leadership of Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. Neither has a challenger.‼️ The intrigue: Where there was a contested leadership fight, the challenger won.Rep. Jim Jordan, the Freedom Caucus founding member who spent years tormenting Republican leaders, will now lead the battered House GOP after defeating 12-year leadership veteran Rep. Steve Scalise by 33 votes.Jordan is the kind of fighter House Republicans want to take on Democrats as they enter the minority, lawmakers told Axios."We're gearing up for war. And you're talking to a guy who's known as a hammer. You know we need someone who can punch hard, and I think that he'll do that," Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) told Axios.🤺 Zoom in: No such fighter has emerged to challenge Democratic leaders from within their ranks, and Schumer said he is "confident I will be elected majority leader."The closest thing to a challenge is Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who's listening to calls to run for Democratic leader while also considering a presidential campaign. It's hard to do both.Meanwhile, opposition to Schumer is building: "[T]he time is now for change," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Tuesday. He appeared with Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), who said she's not "actively seeking the job" but demanded a plan for change.🏛️ Over in the House, Jeffries is dismissive of the idea that anyone would challenge him after the midterms gave him a massive majority."You think I don't have the vote nailed down? I guess we'll find out next Wednesday," he told reporters on Monday.Some of his new members are signaling that they're not afraid to defy their new leaders. Rep.-elect Don Leonard (D-Ohio) said it "aches" his heart to potentially oppose the first Black speaker, "but Rome is burning." But other new members are on Jeffries' side, like Reps.-elect Marni von Wilpert (D-Calif.), Denise Powell (D-Neb.) and Cait Conley (D-N.Y.).🤝 Jeffries also has high-profile progressive incumbents on board, such as Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)."There is one candidate in this race, Hakeem Jeffries, and I think that everyone is far more concerned about what that leadership means, what is it promising?" Ocasio-Cortez told reporters on Tuesday.Between the lines: Thune and Jordan don't have much of a relationship; Thune had left the House for the Senate two years before Jordan arrived.What's next: Senators say they plan to be in the Capitol working on Veterans Day.Thune committed to working more days during the lame-duck session to ensure they leave no judge appointments behind, senators said.

"Rome is burning": Incoming House Democrats prove unusually willing to defy leaders House Democrats' incoming freshman class is barely a week old and already threatening to defy party leaders in ways most of their incumbent colleagues wouldn't dare. Why it matters: It's a dynamic House leaders may have to learn to live with as they integrate a massive group of new members who were swept into office on a wave of populist, anti-establishment anger."My class is huge not because of ... the Democratic Party and its brand but despite it," said Rep.-elect Don Leonard (D-Ohio). "Many of us are outsiders who didn't come up through the machine, don't buy into the conventions."Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) told Axios: "Any members that are new and have just run their elections are going to be very close to where the voters are, and we know the voters are very upset."State of play: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is on track to become speaker, in part thanks to his rock-solid support among sitting House Democrats.His supporters include high-profile progressives such as Casar and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)."There is one candidate in this race, Hakeem Jeffries, and I think that everyone is far more concerned about what that leadership means, what is it promising," Ocasio-Cortez told reporters on Tuesday.Things get more spotty when gauging Jeffries' support among incoming freshmen, some of whom have openly declined to commit to supporting his leadership.That includes members of the informal progressive "Bloc," including Reps.-elect Darializa Avila Chevalier (D-N.Y.), Melat Kiros (D-Colo.), Claire Valdez (D-N.Y.), Adam Hamawy (D-N.J.) and Chris Rabb (D-Pa.)."As far as I've heard, Jeffries is the only one running," said progressive Rep.-elect Randy Villegas (D-Calif.). "But ... I think we need to see some prioritization of some legislation, particularly around health care, foreign policy and immigration."Some incoming and sitting House Democrats have been flooded with calls and emails urging them not to elect Jeffries speaker, Axios previously reported.The intrigue: It's not just progressives hesitating to throw their full-throated support behind Jeffries. The list also includes some moderates in districts President Trump carried by double digits in 2024.Said Rep.-elect Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-Nev.), a member of the center-left New Democrat Coalition: "I just won a district that went for Trump two years ago by 14%. … I've got to turn around and show that we're making change.""For anyone running for speaker, that's my message back to them," she added. "It's much more about, like, what can you do for Nevada?""I'd like to see who's on the ballot," said Rep.-elect Jake Johnson (D-Minn.), a member of both the New Dems and the centrist Blue Dogs. "Until I've had an opportunity to chat, until I've had an opportunity to see who's out there, I'm not making any decisions."Yes, but: Plenty of freshmen are supporting Jeffries as well.Well-represented in that contingent are incoming members who ran in marquee races with substantial backing from House Democrats' campaign apparatus, including Reps.-elect Marni von Wilpert (D-Calif.), Manny Rutinel (D-Colo.), Denise Powell (D-Neb.), Cait Conley (D-N.Y.) and Rebecca Bennett (D-N.J.).Rep.-elect Zack Mullock (D-N.J.), who didn't have support from the national party, told Axios he is "not making many big splashes" as a new member: "You're going to have pretty strong support for Hakeem, and I'll be part of that support."Zoom in: Several members, such as Leonard and Rep.-elect Richard Ojeda (D-N.C.), have said they want to see Jeffries commit to a ban on corporate PACs as a prerequisite for voting for him."We need a 28th Amendment in the year 2028 or before to shut down Elon Musk and corporate money and Israeli lobby money, for that matter," Leonard said.Said Ojeda: "I have hard lines: I want to make sure that we are making sure we are getting big money out of politics. It's time for us to stop allowing the billionaire class to buy our elections."The bottom line: Leonard said it "aches" his heart to potentially oppose the first Black speaker of the House, but that "Rome is burning."The Ohio Democrat said he needs to be able to tell his districts "the leader shares our sense of urgency for transformational change and is willing to take the size of his caucus and take it for a spin."

Scoop: Commerce Department received national security warning on Nvidia CEO affair Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was sent a highly classified memo warning about Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's relationship with suspected Chinese spy Alice Huang, multiple sources familiar told Axios.Why it matters: Lutnick oversees the agency charged with keeping sensitive U.S. technology out of the hands of American adversaries. The warning raises questions about how the department weighed potential security risks as it cleared advanced Nvidia chip sales to China-affiliated entities. Driving the news: Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw the drafting of the memo detailing Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, who U.S. intelligence officials believe is a Chinese intelligence agent, according to The New York Times.The memo, which drew on surveillance of Alice Huang and a chip-smuggling investigation into her company, Megaspeed, circulated before President Trump's trip to May 13–15 trip to China.Rubio also warned Trump directly aboard Air Force One before a refueling stop in Anchorage where Jensen Huang joined the delegation. He hadn't initially been invited to participate, the Times reported Tuesday. On May 14, Reuters reported that the Commerce Department had cleared around 10 Chinese companies to purchase Nvidia's H200 chips. Some export approvals predated the warning. Nvidia disclosed in February it had received an H200 export license, and Huang told Axios' Ina Fried in March the company had licenses covering Chinese customers.Yes, but: It's unclear how those approvals ultimately translated into sales, as China's government has halted some chip-buying activity in spite of U.S. approvals.Megaspeed purchased billions of dollars' worth of Nvidia chips, according to multiple media outlets.What they're saying: Trump said on Monday that it was possible intelligence officials had shown it to him, but he didn't recall: "Certainly, it didn't make much of an impact on me."The Commerce Department did not comment.Catch up quick: Nvidia has been rocked by the scandal, losing about $1 trillion in market value since the Times' first reported the relationship, although some of that decline also came after an overwhelming number of Democrats promising to slow an AI data-center buildout were elected in the midterms.Huang acknowledged an affair Sunday, and Nvidia's board announced an independent investigation. The board expressed confidence in his leadership and said it had no reason to believe national security secrets were compromised.What to watch: New revelations continue to drop almost daily about the administration's handling of the Nvidia CEO's relationship. Lawmakers in both parties have promised investigations and demanded more information, including closed-door testimony from Jensen Huang next week.Top Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs committee have also demanded answers from Lutnick about the administration's chip approvals, "including to companies with concerning links to China and amid alarming reports of potential Chinese intelligence ties to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang."

Trump swung between war and diplomacy — then chose a third way When Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his G7 counterparts in Paris on Tuesday, he told them that President Trump had considered resuming the war with Iran or cutting a deal — but chose a third option: strangling the Iranian regime, three people who attended the meeting told Axios. Why it matters: The Iran war has become a political albatross in Trump's second term, costing Republicans dearly in the midterms. For months, the president has alternated between threatening to obliterate Iran and predicting it will capitulate and give him the deal he wants. "He's been searching for the solution, but he wasn't sure what's the best way to go," a U.S. official close to Trump said. This debate over which course to follow has led to strife between several factions within the top echelon of the administration. Each faction had the support of U.S. allies in the Middle East — namely Israel favoring renewed strikes and most Gulf countries opposing them. Driving the news: After meeting with the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Monday, Trump said that a new round of strikes against Iran is "quite unlikely" and "doesn't seem to be necessary."Trump said he instead favors continuing the economic crackdown and naval blockade against Iran, in addition to a new operation dubbed "Iron Gate" to cut off land routes that Iran uses to move advanced weaponry and other technology.Behind the scenes: Rubio explained the U.S. Iran policy in a closed meeting on Tuesday with the foreign ministers of the G7 countries in Paris. "The President doesn't just have two options. It's not just return to war or sign a ridiculous peace deal.  We won't do a stupid deal. The third option we have is to continue to do what we do now," Rubio said, according to three people in the room. Rubio went on to say that the U.S. is imposing devastating costs on Iran's economy, making it harder for it to fund terrorist organizations or rebuild its military. And there's no end date. "The President is not under false time pressure, the Iranians are inflicting major damage on their own economy," Rubio said.The intrigue: U.S. officials say that Rubio was among the members of Trump's national security team who pushed for the strangulation strategy, along with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Jared Kushner, Trump's adviser and son-in-law. That group opposed the resumption of war, didn't believe Iran's current positions could lead to a deal that serves U.S. interests and lobbied for the third option. State of play: Rubio is deeply skeptical of a diplomatic breakthrough."Iran would love a deal.  The problem is the conditions they continue to place are absurd.  Like, they're not even serious right now," he told reporters after the G7 meeting.  That could change if the Iranians feel more economic pain, he said. "Eventually you have to eat," he said. "Eventually the economic realities penetrate the skull of even the most radical lunatic. So I think as time goes on that will have an impact."Yes, but: Several U.S. allies — such as Turkey, Iraq and Pakistan — are concerned about Trump's intention to prolong the economic squeeze, a U.S. official said. The person said those allies worry that U.S. pressure on them to stop doing business with Iran — including by stopping flights and closing their borders — will create instability in their own countries.The other side: The course Trump has chosen is completely at odds with the directive Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei gave his government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Khamenei ordered an end to the "no war, no deal" status quo, demanding a clear conclusion to the war. Iran's civilian leadership interpreted this as a green light to negotiate a deal. But if the current stalemate continues and pressure on Iran intensifies, the IRGC could see it as a green light for more aggressive attacks in the region in an attempt to break the status quo."Iran has no intention of simply accepting this situation indefinitely," said Danny Citrinowicz, an expert on Iran at the Atlantic Council. "Tehran may conclude that increasing the economic and security costs for Washington and its regional partners is the only way to force a change in American policy."He added: "The danger is obvious: Iran escalates, Washington responds, and both sides find themselves in another military confrontation that neither necessarily wanted."What to watch: Qatar's prime minister briefed the G7 meeting on mediation efforts and his conversation with Trump the previous day.Al Thani said he came away from his meeting with Trump believing there's more breathing room for diplomatic efforts. The sticking points remain which side will take the first step toward de-escalating and which confidence-building measures the parties will agree to take. The Qatari prime minister said he wants to bring in China and European countries as guarantors, to help ease deep Iranian suspicions that Trump will break the agreement and resume the war in a few months.

GOP House rejects Hegseth impeachment effort House Republicans voted Tuesday evening to block an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, shielding a top Trump administration official from a politically embarrassing rebuke.Why it matters: The vote marks a victory for Hegseth, the Trump administration and Republican leaders, who were bracing for the prospect of a rebellion within their own ranks.But the reprieve is probably short-lived: Democrats are all but guaranteed to force the issue again when they retake majorities in the House and Senate in January.The vote to refer the impeachment measure back to committee passed 211-204, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), the measure's sponsor, the lone "no" vote. Driving the news: Massie forced a procedural vote on his resolution to impeach Hegseth, alleging he has defied Congress and illegally continued the U.S. war in Iran.The Trump administration has been vehemently defending Hegseth, including through a statement opposing the impeachment effort issued shortly before the vote. "Has Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes? The question is absurd and the answer is: obviously not," Vance said Tuesday on X."Like so much of Congress, impeachment has become a ridiculous show that stands in for actual policymaking. Congress has so many tools for registering its policy disagreements," Vance added.Axios' Marc Caputo and Alex Isenstadt previously reported that Hegseth is on "thin ice" with Trump officials.Between the lines: Republican leaders protected their members from having to go on record on the politically difficult issue before Election Day after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent lawmakers home early to campaign.What's next: Tuesday's vote effectively kills any effort to impeach Hegseth this Congress.

Credit card debt hits record high as Americans struggle with cost-of-living Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Note: Not adjusted for inflation; Chart: Axios VisualsAmericans' credit card balances hit a record $1.29 trillion in the third quarter, according to a new report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Why it matters: Falling behind on credit card payments can trap struggling households in a cycle of fees, damaged credit and increasingly expensive borrowing. The latest figures show that financial pain is concentrated in lower-income communities, even as delinquency rates improve nationally.By the numbers: Consumer credit card balances rose by $22 billion in the third quarter, an increase of 1.7%. That's $52 billion higher than a year earlier.The figures aren't adjusted for inflation, meaning some of the increase reflects higher prices rather than greater borrowing in real terms. Total household debt, including mortgages and student and auto loans, rose $334 billion, reaching a record $19.1 trillion in the third quarter. The total is up $5 trillion since 2019, just before the pandemic. Yes, but: Fewer credit card balances are becoming seriously delinquent, a sign of some improvement in Americans' ability to keep up with payments.The rate at which credit card debt becomes seriously overdue edged down to 6.9% in the third quarter, though it remains notably above the 5.2% recorded before the pandemic.Between the lines: A separate report from the New York Fed on Tuesday showed Americans in lower-income neighborhoods are having a harder time keeping up with credit card payments relative to their wealthier counterparts.Delinquency rates remain above pre-pandemic levels across all neighborhood-income groups, with the gap between the richest and poorest areas increasing since 2022.In the lowest-income neighborhoods, 10.3% of credit card balances became seriously delinquent over the past year — more than double the 4.4% rate in the wealthiest neighborhoods.The big picture: Average credit card balance per borrower is now $6,678, according to TransUnion's Q3 insights report.Borrowers under 30 had the highest rate of credit card debt newly becoming at least 90 days overdue, the Fed's report found. What we're watching: Democrats won the midterms promising to lower prices — but delivering relief that voters can actually feel in their household budgets will be difficult to fulfill.

3 charged with plotting terror attacks in U.S., Europe The U.S. charged three individuals in connection with alleged Iranian-linked terror plots, including a September scheme against a British Royal Air Force Base that housed U.S. military personnel and aircraft, per an indictment unsealed Tuesday.The big picture: The indictment alleges that a leader of an Islamic terrorist group attempted to coordinate with his fellow defendants from jail by passing coded messages through third parties. Driving the news: Since early in the year, the three men named in the indictment worked to commit terror attacks on behalf of an Iran-aligned terrorist network, the indictment alleges.This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Jim Jordan wins House GOP minority leader race House Republicans elected Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as their new leader Tuesday, handing the reins of the battered GOP conference to one of its most prominent conservative firebrands.Why it matters: Jordan's victory marks a major shake-up in House Republican leadership, elevating a founding member of the hardline Freedom Caucus who campaigned as an alternative to the leaders who presided over the GOP's crushing midterm defeat.Jordan bested Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who had served as the No. 2 House Republican since 2014, in the conference-wide secret ballot for minority leader. His victory signals an appetite among House Republicans for a more confrontational approach as they prepare to enter the minority.State of play: Jordan and Scalise entered Tuesday's election locked in a tight race, with both camps expressing confidence in their chances of winning.Jordan drew public support from some of the conference's most conservative members, who argued Republicans needed a change in direction after their devastating midterm losses.Scalise leaned on his longstanding relationships across the conference and his decade-plus of experience in leadership.The big picture: Jordan's ascent represents a remarkable turnaround for a conservative agitator who spent much of his career challenging the Republican establishment before becoming one of President Trump's most vocal allies.He'll be tasked with uniting a fractured Republican conference and leading the party's efforts to reclaim the House majority in 2028.

The Atlantic can pursue FBI records in fight with Kash Patel A federal judge took sharp aim at FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday, ruling in favor of The Atlantic and freezing most discovery in his defamation lawsuit against the publication.Why it matters: The ruling shields The Atlantic from potentially intrusive demands for its reporting materials and confidential sources while the court weighs dismissing the case entirely. What they're saying: "Plaintiff misrepresents Defendants' argument, the court's reasoning in Moldea, and the standard applicable in this District," U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan wrote in his 16-page ruling."The Court concludes that discovery should be stayed at this juncture because of Defendants' legitimate First Amendment concerns and because discovery may be unnecessary," Sullivan wrote.Catch up quick: Patel sued The Atlantic after the magazine reported in April that he allegedly drinks excessively and is sometimes unavailable or difficult for his staff to wake because he was seemingly intoxicated.The story also alleged that Patel had grown increasingly worried about losing his job.Patel denied the reporting and sued the publication shortly after the story aired.Zoom in: The judge paused most discovery until he rules on The Atlantic's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but both sides may request government records.The Atlantic says it needs Justice Department and FBI records to assess the truth of its reporting and Patel's reputation.Patel complained the requests were too broad, seeking everything from his medical and travel records to his calendar and records about personnel decisions. Sullivan rejected Patel's objection that the arrangement was unfair.The intrigue: The Atlantic warned that discovery could involve "the sitting FBI Director invading Defendants' newsgathering and editorial processes," potentially exposing confidential sources to retaliation.The Atlantic called Patel a "serial defamation plaintiff" and warned that he "may seek to wield governmental power" in connection with the lawsuit and broader criticism of his FBI leadership.Sullivan agreed that the magazine had "legitimate First Amendment concerns" and found it would face "substantial prejudice" if discovery proceeded now.Worth noting: Sullivan didn't rule on whether the Atlantic's reporting is true or whether Patel was defamed.Neither The Atlantic nor the FBI immediately responded to Axios' request for comment.Go deeper: Kash Patel files $250M defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic

Harsh new inflation reality America's inflation problem is stubborn, broadening out and showing no sign of letting up.Why it matters: October marked the third straight month of hotter-than-expected inflation, defying repeated predictions over the last couple of years that price pressures were finally about to ease. In this sixth consecutive year of steep price increases, consumers are finding there is nowhere to hide from inflation. The Iran war has added to the pain, but other factors — tariffs and the AI investment boom — have also put upward pressure on costs, complicating an affordability problem that long predates the conflict.What they're saying: "Today's inflation report is a warning shot," Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, wrote Tuesday morning."Coming just a week after the midterm elections exposed the depth of voters' concerns about affordability, the message for the Fed is uncomfortable but clear: The inflation fight is not finished," Shah wrote.Driving the news: The headline Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in October, down slightly from a 0.6% surge the previous month. Core CPI — which excludes volatile food and energy costs — climbed 0.3% for the third consecutive month, a sign that underlying inflationary pressures remain stubbornly persistent.The Labor Department did not calculate October's annual inflation rate since last year's government shutdown prevented it from collecting price data for October 2025. But assuming prices that month were halfway between September and November, overall inflation over the last 12 months was 4% — up from 3.7% in September. Core inflation would have risen to 2.8%, up from 2.6%.Another measure similarly paints a picture of hot inflation. Core prices rose at a 3.7% annualized pace over the three months through October, the fastest pace by this gauge all year. It also is a sharp acceleration from the summer, when underlying inflation appeared to be cooling.Zoom out: Gasoline prices advanced another 1% in October after surging 9.1% in September, adding to the steep increase in fuel costs since the Iran war began.Food prices climbed, raising concerns that higher diesel costs are rippling through to consumer prices. Grocery prices increased 0.4% after declining in September, while restaurant prices gained 0.5%.Shelter costs rose 0.3%, accounting for more than 30% of the overall increase in consumer prices last month.Zoom in: Inflation is persistent in the services sector, which is largely insulated from swings in energy prices. The closely watched measure, which excludes housing, energy and food prices, surged 0.4% in October — pushed up by higher costs in transportation, medical care and insurance.What to watch: A strong labor market is not providing much relief from the sharply rising cost of living.Inflation has now outpaced or matched wage growth for three consecutive months, leaving workers with less purchasing power.

Vance says Hegseth impeachment vote "isn't about Iran" Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday said that the vote to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "isn't about Iran," but rather his willingness to take on challenges at the Pentagon. Why it matters: It's the latest instance of the Trump administration backing the embattled Cabinet member, who is facing the possibility of enough GOP members defecting for the impeachment effort to succeed.The Iran war is at the center of the allegations against Hegseth, with three of the eight articles of impeachment specifically concerning the conflict. Other allegations include that Hegseth illegally initiated military conflict in Venezuela and Yemen.What they're saying: "Has Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes? The question is absurd and the answer is: obviously not," Vance said Tuesday on X. "Like so much of Congress, impeachment has become a ridiculous show that stands in for actual policymaking. Congress has so many tools for registering its policy disagreements."Vance added that Congress was choosing to impeach Hegseth as they did President Trump. "Legislation is hard. Impeachments are easy (and ultimately, inconsequential).""The irony is that legislators are most angry at Pete on the issues where he's most correct: repositioning forces away from Europe/Ukraine and reorganizing the general officer corps," he continued. "This isn't about Iran, this is about the fact that Pete took on the bureaucracy at the Pentagon."Go deeper: Hegseth faces impeachment resolution from GOP member with little to loseEditor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Pressure builds on Thune ahead of GOP leadership elections Eight Republican senators now are calling for their leadership elections to be delayed — with one even promising to walk out rather than vote Tuesday.Why it matters: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is still expected to be reelected to lead the Senate GOP tomorrow. But the growing push to delay is a sign of troubles ahead.What we're hearing: Senate Republicans spent roughly two hours behind closed doors hashing out their path forward.Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) led much of the conversation, arguing for a delay in the leadership elections and demanding an aggressive lame duck schedule, senators told Axios.Some senators also discussed their election losses, including Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who was ousted last week by former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).They will resume the discussion at 2pm ET, where leadership votes — and motions to delay leadership elections — are expected.Driving the news: Sens. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) plan to float a delay of the leadership vote by one week during a morning, closed-door GOP meeting, according to a source directly familiar with their plans.Meanwhile Johnson's group of five senators who wrote a letter calling for a delay will bring a motion to delay the vote by a whole month.Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) emerged from Tuesday's closed-door morning meeting telling reporters he planned to vote for a delay.Some senators see Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) as a better option for leader. Barrasso won't raise his hand for the position unless Thune decides not to run.Catch up quick: Johnson, Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) all signed a letter demanding that the leadership elections be delayed to allow for more discussion about what went wrong for the party last week. McCormick and Banks backed them up in statements posted on X. Johnson threatened to skip the vote if the delay doesn't happen.Between the lines: The decision technically falls to conference chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) — though it's usually made with leadership buy-in.The election is expected to be held as planned Tuesday morning unless a senator motions to delay and it passes with a majority — which seems unlikely given the number of senators who have publicly called for a later vote, according to a source familiar with the planning discussions.The bottom line: At this point, none of the leadership elections are competitive. No one has thrown their hat in the ring to challenge Thune.And Barrasso, Cotton, Policy Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Conference Vice Chair James Lankford (R-Okla.) are expected to keep their spots as Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 atop the conference. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) is the sole candidate for NRSC chair. Editor's note: This article has been updated with more reporting.

Price pressures persisted in October Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Courtenay Brown/AxiosInflation remained hot in October, according to data from the Labor Department released on Tuesday.Why it matters: The Consumer Price Index shows that even as gasoline prices steadied, inflation pressures elsewhere remained stubborn.By the numbers: CPI rose 0.4% last month, slowing from the 0.6% increase in September. Gasoline prices gained 1% in October, a sharp slowdown from the 9.1% surge in September, the Labor Department said.Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, advanced 0.3% for the third straight month, with higher prices for recreation, medical care, car insurance and airline fares contributing to the increase.Of note: The Labor Department did not publish year-over-year inflation rates for October. Last year's government shutdown left a gap in the data that prevents direct comparisons with October 2025.But if one assumes the October 2025 readings were halfway between September and November, year-over-year inflation comes to 4% — or 2.8% excluding food and energy.That compares with September's annual inflation rate of 3.7%, or 2.6% excluding food and energy.The big picture: The inflation report was already shaping up to be a crucial piece of the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision next month. But the stakes grew just hours before its release when Fed governor Christopher Waller raised the prospect of a larger-than-usual rate hike if inflation remains stubbornly elevated.In a speech, Fed governor Christopher Waller said a half-point rate hike should be considered next month if core inflation rose by at least 0.3% in October — exactly what Tuesday's report showed.The yield on the two-year Treasury note, which is particularly sensitive to expectations for Fed interest rate policy, jumped 0.13% on Tuesday following Waller's comments and the CPI report. What to watch: The report also offers a fresh measure of the inflation problem that helped shape last week's midterm elections.Nearly nine in 10 voters said the cost of living was a "crucial" or "major" factor in their vote in last week's midterms, according to national exit polling data.Democrats won on promises to lower prices for groceries and other essentials. Now they face the more difficult task of delivering on their promises, with limited power to reverse years of price increases.The bottom line: Inflation remains stubbornly hot, strengthening the case for another Fed rate hike and prolonging the cost-of-living pressures that have frustrated American households.Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details.

The path ahead for the permitting bill The Senate's bipartisan permitting bill advanced in a lopsided vote on Monday, but key hurdles lie ahead.Why it matters: The legislation could have far-reaching consequences for how energy projects get built across the U.S.A few takeaways from Monday's vote:The big margin was politically lopsided. The 73-25 split to advance the bill "was as good or a little bit better" than what co-author Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) was expecting, she told reporters in the Capitol.The GOP split was 51-1 in favor, with only Sen. Mike Rounds (S.D.) voting no.21 Democrats and Maine independent Sen. Angus King voted yes, while 23 Dems and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders were against advancing the bill toward full debate.It was tentative. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement afterward that he has "outstanding concerns" with the bill that he'll "fight to address" through amendments.He's not alone in only a tentative yes vote. For instance, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is against final passage unless changes to the National Historic Preservation Act are jettisoned, citing tribal concerns.Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is in a similar place. Climate hawk vs. climate hawk. The most outspoken Senate Democrats on climate change split on the vote.Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) joined coauthors Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) in backing the measure.But Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), along with Sanders, all voted no. Watch the clock. Whitehouse pledged a "very healthy" amendment process. But the Senate is now up against the lame duck calendar, and the House would still need to act on whatever emerges.Plus, any changes would need to thread a political needle of maintaining Democratic support without losing too many Republicans.Climate's cachet has fallen. Heinrich and Whitehouse, at a pre-vote press conference, emphasized affordability, data center accountability and jobs before touting power sector emissions curbs from the bill.But Whitehouse also sought to reassure climate and environmental organizations."This bill is the floor, not the ceiling, of our climate and environmental aspirations, and we look forward to working to accomplish big things with our big Democratic majorities," he said in the Capitol. President Trump is a wild card. His comments shortly before Monday's vote that he would not approve wind turbines, while reiterating his full support for the bill, rocketed around the Capitol.And the White House reaffirmed that the president "stands 100%" behind the bill.The bill's success depends on Trump officials "getting wind turbines up and spinning to get affordable energy on the grid," and progress is needed before final passage, Whitehouse said in a statement.What we're watching: Proposed amendments as they roll in, but also the politics in the closely divided House.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) criticized the bill last week and called for more engagement with his caucus.Asked Monday whether the Senate co-authors' revisions addressed his concerns, Jeffries told reporters that it's still under review.Sign up here for Axios' Future of Energy newsletter.

Hegseth comes out swinging against Massie impeachment push Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lambasted Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-KY) push to oust him, likening the impeachment effort to Democrats' successful impeachments of President Trump.The big picture: As the possible first impeachment of a Cabinet secretary during the second Trump era and a Democratic-led Congress loom, Hegseth isn't going down without a war of words.This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Trump plans imperial final act to his presidency President Trump, with the clock ticking and congressional investigators closing in, plans to govern even more imperially, hell-bent on stretching executive power, targeting those on his enemies list, pardoning allies, and daring the courts and Congress to slow him down.Why it matters: Trump and his allies are exploring executive action on new tariffs and immigration restrictions, and asserting greater control over spending. On X over the weekend, Trump discussed targeting and perhaps jailing Democrats who investigate administration officials. He claimed politically motivated harassment.Trump is retooling his White House by elevating the one official who's synonymous with his all-gas-no-brakes style: Stephen Miller, who took over for Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff on Monday. Watch Miller and Russ Vought, the White House budget director, to understand how this approach will unfold. Both are architects and advocates of vastly expanding presidential power, believing there are virtually no restraints on what Trump can do as president.The Swamp can expect tougher sledding: Miller, unlike most of his predecessors, is driven more by ideology than by meetings with lobbyists or industry groups. "Stephen gives zero f*cks what K Street thinks," a Trump confidant told us.Between the lines: Midterm losses pushed Presidents Clinton and Obama to the center. Trump's instincts are the opposite: Assert maximal power. The playbook:Restore MAGA. Two years ago, MAGA — mostly its network of podcasts, YouTubers and online activists — was a powerful, united force in media and politics. Today it's a hot, divided mess. Trump's attention to his base drifted. Now Vice President Vance and Miller desperately want to rebuild and rev up MAGA. That's why ending the Iran war, curtailing aid to Israel and pushing harder on RFK Jr.'s MAHA agenda are suddenly top-tier topics.Rule by pen. Miller, Vought and White House lawyers have been drafting executive actions to govern without Congress, with Justice Department opinions ready to defend them, Reuters reported just before the election. Remember: Vought was an architect of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 blueprint for maximizing executive power in Trump II.Target enemies. Before, it was pure payback. Now, it's also a preemptive warning that the Trump administration will target anyone, including elected members of Congress who target them. Trump ally Roger Stone told us: "Many Democrat lawmakers are going to find themselves under indictment and fighting conviction. Watch."Purge the "deep state." The Supreme Court's ruling in a case about independent agencies, Trump v. Slaughter, widened the president's power to remove officials. "The Slaughter case gives the president tremendous powers," Trump said in an Election Day phone interview with CBS News' Robert Costa. The June ruling handed Trump the power to fire the heads of the FTC and other independent regulators (like FERC) for any reason or no reason.More monuments. Trump's pharaonic need to gild the White House, build a ballroom, erect a triumphal arch and slap his name on buildings is also an exercise in raw power. He told New York Magazine's Ben Terris why he's honoring himself: "Nobody will do it once I'm gone. When I leave here, nobody will." No one can stop him.The Republican resistance: Expect very little inside the new Congress. The reason: Most of Trump's Capitol Hill critics are gone. What's left is a much smaller, but more Trumpian, band of middle-aged and older white Republicans with margins too small to matter much.The Trump bet: Congressional Republicans will quickly feel Democrats are overreaching and unify in solidarity with Trump, even if it's forced or begrudging.Yes, but: One of Trump's most predictable attributes is his unpredictability. He said on election night that he'll "work together" with Democrats. What that may look like (with a heavy emphasis on "may"), based on reporting by Axios' Marc Caputo:Soften aspects of immigration enforcement, particularly regarding masked agents harassing U.S. citizens.Find common ground with MAHA's healthy food agenda, which has become the subject of vicious post-election infighting among Trump insiders.Sign legislation from the new Congress that would undo massive Medicaid cuts in his "One Big Beautiful Bill."The bottom line: Trump is still Trump. He's 80 and it shows. But he meets force with force and he'll go down swinging the more Democrats attack him."Trump and his team are at our best when our backs are against the wall," one adviser told Caputo. "Trump comes out fighting. We're full-throated and full-throttle."Go deeper: Texas, Texas, Texas.

How a MAHA leader turned and torched the White House Calley Means quickly rose from wellness entrepreneur to senior Trump health adviser — and now he's attacking the White House and suggesting top aides undermined the president's health agenda.Why it matters: His scorched-earth campaign — which continued Monday in comments to Axios — marks a stunning turn for a figure who was the administration's most vocal advocate of the "Make America Healthy Again" agenda.It also raises questions about what the escalating fight between Means and former White House officials will accomplish for the movement.Driving the news: Means told Axios he's going public with his allegations of corruption — especially by former White House chief of staff Susie Wiles — because of the high stakes."It is existential to the survival [of] America that we rid DC of Susie's brand of politics," Means said in a text exchange.Means' initial comments on Friday's episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" went viral, and he continued the campaign with an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday.Asked if he's worried about lawsuits after comments from a Wiles spokesperson and former White House deputy chief of staff James Blair — who Means has also accused of wrongdoing — Means pointed to his X post warning them and other parties to "immediately preserve all potentially relevant records and communications."Means has kept up a steady stream of X posts about his allegations and the way he claims the officials have responded to them."Susie - I'm not intimidated and you will not scare me. Again, please stop sending me emotional texts. This is not personal - this is civilizational," Means posted Monday.White House spokesperson Allison Schuster said in a statement the Trump administration has won "extensive victories for the MAHA Agenda." The Department of Health and Human Services and a Wiles spokesperson didn't respond to requests for comment.The big picture: After hitching their wagon to President Trump ahead of the 2024 election, MAHA leaders have been complaining for months of a lack of progress on issues around healthy foods and pesticide use.But whether the public feud Means has initiated will have any impact on the policy agenda he's championed — or whether it's more of a personal grievance tour — remains to be seen.A former HHS official said that after Republicans' midterm wipeout, Means is "highlighting that one of the more popular aspects of Trump's domestic agenda should be something [the administration] spends more time on to prepare the party for 2028."The intrigue: The MAHA base sees incoming chief of staff Stephen Miller as an ally, even though he hasn't said much about movement priorities like cleaning up the food supply, curbing food additives or scrutinizing vaccines.Miller's wife, Katie, hosted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on her podcast and has posted photos of dishes with ingredients like raw milk, per the Washington Sun.Means told "Face the Nation" that Miller understands corporate influence over health care and that he represents a break from Wiles."Stephen Miller has been nothing short of a champion in Making America Healthy Again. As a father of four, Miller is acutely aware of the importance of transforming our food, health, and scientific systems for the next generation of Americans," Schuster said.Zoom in: Means, who resigned from his senior adviser post late last month, grew up in Washington and interned in George W. Bush's White House and at the Heritage Foundation before going on to work as a consultant to beverage and drug industries.He told Axios in 2024 that his mother's preventable death from a chronic disease in 2021 prompted him and his sister, "functional medicine" physician and health influencer Casey Means, to advocate and work to reverse the chronic disease crisis. The siblings wrote a best-selling book called "Good Energy."Calley Means also co-founded Truemed, a company that helps people buy wellness equipment using money in health savings accounts, retaining an interest while advising Kennedy, per the New York Times.Means is widely credited with facilitating the alliance between Kennedy and President Trump in the summer of 2024 and became a special government employee in the new Trump administration. He made frequent, at times flamboyant appearances in public forums, railing against a "crisis of trust" in health care institutions and claiming at one 2025 Axios event that Kennedy "has a spiritual mandate" from voters to reform broken government institutions.Means' sister was tapped by Trump to be surgeon general, only to see the nomination withdrawn in April amid questions over whether she could win over enough Republican senators to be confirmed. Calley Means at the time blamed Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) for delay tactics. What we're watching: It's not clear what role Means will play outside the administration — or whether his turnabout has helped or hurt the MAHA cause.Key initiatives like developing a definition for ultra-processed foods remain unfinished, and the Food and Drug Administration appears to be taking a more conciliatory stance toward drug developers and other industries it regulates.

Scoop: El Salvador blasts U.S. State Dept. over Haiti gang war State Department officials have quietly raised objections to El Salvador's gang-fighting efforts in Haiti — even as President Trump has offered his full support, according to diplomatic notes and informed sources.On Monday, El Salvador issued a formal rebuke that questioned the "credibility" of the top U.S. diplomat in Haiti.Why it matters: The controversy exposes the tension between Trump's MAGA foreign policy objectives and the professional diplomatic establishment in the State Department."There is a class of bureaucrats who don't want to see the change in the Western Hemisphere that POTUS wants," a U.S. official told Axios.Zoom in: Haiti is a failed state racked by extreme corruption and gang violence despite years of international efforts, including the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) that El Salvador and other nations have backed.Four Salvadoran aviation technicians supporting medical evacuations were captured Oct. 18 by gangs that refused to heed the entreaties of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele to return the men or their bodies.Bukele responded by surging special forces units to Haiti after receiving the blessing of Trump, an ally, on Oct. 27, Axios first reported."You have to do what you have to do," Trump told Bukele, who proceeded to launch military operations that resulted in firefights with gangs in the streets of Port-Au-Prince.Friction point: Tensions between State Department officials and El Salvador erupted after an Oct. 31 gang attack on a Salvadoran convoy of five armored personnel carriers near the U.S. embassy, which was struck by gunfire.On Nov. 3, Salvadoran attack helicopters repelled gangs attacking GSF soldiers from Chad, Bukele posted on X.The next day, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires David Howell complained in a text message to Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé that El Salvador wasn't "coordinating" with the GSF."They took at least three casualties. They don't have a medical plan. They nearly killed GSF troops as I understand it," according to a copy of the text message shared with Axios.Howell asked the prime minister to tell El Salvador's defense ministry to stop operations "as soon as possible ... until they coordinate. They are going to kill [GSF] troops or civilians and or get themselves killed."El Salvador later accused Howell of spreading misinformation.On Nov. 5, the U.S. embassy in San Salvador sent a formal protest in a diplomatic note to Bukele's government, saying that the U.S. "strongly opposes this lack of coordination by Salvadoran military personnel," the document shown to Axios says.The note said El Salvador's "failure to coordinate" endangered the GSF and that "Salvadoran small arms fire" struck the U.S. embassy, "nearly hitting U.S. personnel."Behind the scenes: Bukele was infuriated by the so-called "dipnote," a source said."His attitude was, 'What the f*ck? I checked with Trump. He said do what we have to do, and some bureaucrat is fighting this?' " said a source who spoke with Bukele.State Department officials said it was unclear who authorized the diplomatic note and didn't comment about Howell's correspondence to Haiti's prime minister.On Monday, Bukele's government fired back at Howell and the State Department officials. El Salvador's diplomatic note provided a point-by-point rebuttal with 4 "clarifications:"Regarding the gunfire that hit the embassy, El Salvador's ministry of foreign affairs wrote that its troops essentially had their backs to the building and were firing away from it. "It is ruled out that the fire from the Salvadoran personnel struck the facilities of the American Embassy," El Salvador wrote.2. During the attack on troops from Chad, El Salvador wrote, "Salvadoran personnel repelled the attack. It is ruled out that the fire of the Salvadoran elements was directed toward the position of Chad."3. El Salvador also said that since Oct. 26, its armed forces repeatedly have coordinated "air assets" with the GSF and Haitian officials.4. In its most caustic reply, El Salvador said it "categorically denies" Howell's claim that three of its soldiers were casualties. "The fact that false information has been disseminated on a matter of such gravity, without providing any evidence to support it, generates serious doubts about the credibility of the rest of the assertions contained in the aforementioned report, which likewise lack any type of evidence that would allow their accuracy to be verified," the note said.What they're saying: An official spokesperson for El Salvador couldn't be reached. Haiti's prime minister didn't return messages seeking comment.A State Department official insisted that "three Salvadorans were injured ... one of which was serious enough to have been medevaced outside the country for additional treatment."A source close to El Salvador's government showed Axios a picture of the smiling soldier with a leg brace on and said he was flown out of Haiti because there were no adequate medical facilities, not because the injury was serious. The State Department, echoing comments from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, said it appreciates El Salvador's efforts, "but the Trump administration has also been clear on the need to deconflict anti-gang operations to ensure seamless implementation of President Trump's policy to support efforts to free Haiti from gangs."

The blue wave's tough-on-crime surprise Democrats swept into power last week as voters also embraced tougher criminal penalties and restrictions on bail.Why it matters: Six years after the George Floyd protests, Democrats won big without promising a return to sweeping 2020-era reforms. Some even adopted border-security rhetoric associated with Republicans.Democrats gained at least 12 state legislative chambers and won governorships in Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas.By the numbers: Voters approved all six statewide ballot measures Ballotpedia tracked that proposed tougher sentences, criminal penalties or bail restrictions in 2026.Five passed Nov. 3 in Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee and Colorado. Alabama approved the sixth in May.Four expanded when courts could deny or restrict bail. Two increased penalties, including for fentanyl offenses and child sex trafficking.The shift: Some Democratic winners embraced tougher border-security language while opposing Trump's immigration crackdown.Texas Sen.-elect James Talarico called himself a "border security Democrat," criticized former President Biden for failing to secure the border and said there needs to be comprehensive immigration reform. Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive, said days before the election: "We needed tougher border security." He also criticized Trump's use of ICE.Zoom in: Colorado voters backed Democrats, tougher penalties and limits on federal immigration enforcement.That included electing Phil Weiser (D) as governor and approving tougher fentanyl penalties and life without parole for child sex trafficking.They rejected a measure requiring police to notify federal immigration authorities in certain cases involving violent crime suspects or people with prior felony convictions whose immigration status was unlawful or uncertain.Weiser and state Democrats are now weighing changes to the fentanyl measure, arguing it falls short on promised addiction treatment.Yes, but: Virginia voters approved automatically restoring voting rights to people convicted of felonies upon release from incarceration.Zoom out: Ballotpedia's historical analysis found more punitive sentencing and bail proposals dominated from 2022 through 2026, reversing 2012–2020, when less punitive measures appeared more often.Meanwhile, the nation's violent-crime rate plunged 9.7% in 2025, its steepest annual decline in 90 years. The murder rate fell 18.5%, according to the FBI.