Axios

The Senate unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday declaring that Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker who aided Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of underage girls, should never receive a presidential pardon.

• Why it matters: Democrats wanted to put every Republican senator on record as opposed to a potential pardon.

Dr. Anthony Fauci faced dozens of questions and theatrics Wednesday before the Senate's Homeland Security Committee.

Why it matters: Fauci, who led the nation's infectious disease response during the COVID pandemic, has remained a polarizing political figure, and his handling of the pandemic faces renewed scrutiny after Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released more than 1,000 pages of the doctor's personal diary this week.

The Supreme Court's approval rating — long the highest among the three branches of government — has sunk to a record low, joining President Trump and Congress in drawing low public support.

Why it matters: Americans aren't just unhappy with individual leaders. They're increasingly convinced the country's biggest institutions aren't working for them.

AeroVironment and Applied Intuition are collaborating on unmanned machinery and autonomy, and recently tested the former's Mayhem 10 drone's ability to synchronize and swarm.

Why it matters: The two are well-established players in the defense and commercial markets.

• Putting their heads together could produce something novel and — perhaps more importantly — super scalable.

Chaos Industries acquired Atropos Group, a deal some six months in the making, according to company executives.

Why it matters: The takeover expands Chaos' defense-tech offerings, which began with radars and other sensors and have since grown to include interceptors, missiles and now autonomous aircraft.

• "The very few companies that are going to win are going to be really, truly multi-product," CEO John Tenet told Axios.
• "I think there's going to be an opportunity here to pick up a few more companies over the next few years, and there's a lot of thought that goes into it."

LONDON — Lockheed Martin this month introduced the world to the newest Patriot missile, the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector. It's caused quite the stir on both sides of the Atlantic.

Why it matters: 2026 is the year of the air defender and their air defenses, with militaries expending pricey countermeasures en masse and governments scrambling to procure many more.

• Drones, missiles and decoys are saturating the skies everywhere from St. Petersburg, Russia, to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan.

The nation's largest known cyclospora outbreak is straining Americans' trust in the food safety system — and could undermine the healthy-foods messaging from the Trump administration.

Why it matters: It arrives as the administration urges Americans to eat more whole foods, even as health experts say recent cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure responsible for detecting outbreaks.

Abigail Jackson, deputy White House press secretary, is leaving her post for OnMessage Public Strategies.

Why it matters: Jackson is the White House press liaison for three of the administration's most high-profile areas — the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Capitol.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has one of the toughest jobs in Washington. It could get even harder next year.

Why it matters: Thune is one of the few Republicans in Washington who's managed to say "no" to President Trump and still keep his job. But the Senate leader could enter the next Congress with diminished power, leading a conference whose loyalty increasingly lies with Trump.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios in an interview Tuesday that he asked President Trump for an emergency "winter package" of Patriot air defense interceptors to help thwart Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Why it matters: Ukraine's stockpiles of the interceptors have been almost depleted, and without them the country can't defend itself against ballistic missiles. It was the reason Ukraine couldn't stop recent Russian attacks on Kyiv.