Axios

Democrats in mostly blue Maine are threatening to retaliate if Republican-led Nebraska changes how it awards Electoral College votes for the 2028 presidential election.

Why it matters: It's the latest example of tit-for-tat election politics that have come to define the Trump era, and that could help determine who wins the race for the White House.

President Trump will call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and press him not to retaliate for Iran's missile attack, Trump tells Axios.

• "I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate. Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike, and Iran had its strike. We don't need another one," Trump said.

Why it matters: The ceasefire in the Middle East is teetering after Israel struck Beirut and Iran fired multiple waves of missiles in response.

Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday in retaliation for an Israeli strike in Beirut earlier in the day, marking the first direct Iranian missile attack since the April 8 ceasefire.

Why it matters: This marks a major regional escalation and threatens to unravel U.S.–Iran negotiations and reignite the war.