Washington, DC

1. Trump warms to Zelenskyy
2. Netanyahu in DC
3. Altman’s pitch
4. Sinking SCOTUS approval
5. Spending bill talks intensify
6. Independent candidate push
7. Michigan debate recap
8. Trump’s Africa investment

PDB: Clayton to be confirmed tonight

Fed meeting kicks off … Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate … Major earthquake hits Japan

Why Trump is warming to Zelenskyy

President Donald Trump will sit down today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at what looks like the peak of their relationship, and Trump has more than one reason for taking a warmer tone, Semafor’s Shelby Talcott and Burgess Everett write. “I don’t want to overstate this, but for the first time since 2022, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is on his back foot,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. Some close to the president say Trump’s recent posture towards Zelenskyy, including allowing Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles, is also a strategic effort to force Putin to negotiate. “What we’re waiting for here is a more consistent Putin. And the way to get that is for Putin to understand that he’s not the only girl at the party,” said one person close to Trump. White House aides say his goal is simple: to negotiate an end to the war.

Netanyahu meets his frenemy, Trump

Trump’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be under a microscope when the latter comes to the White House today. Trump has cooled toward Netanyahu since the Israeli leader convinced him to wage war with Iran back in February, and we’ll be watching for signs of tension between the two as Trump decides on his next move against Tehran and talks resume. Netanyahu said on Fox News this weekend that Iran’s nuclear program has to be dismantled “one way or another,” even if it takes military force. Trump asserted yesterday that Israel “wouldn’t survive” without the US, setting the tone for the meeting. Netanyahu is also in Washington to attend the funeral of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a staunch Israel ally; Fox News’ Sean Hannity and Trump are both expected to give remembrances at a Washington National Cathedral service this afternoon.

Inside Altman’s latest DC mission

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will meet with Trump administration officials tomorrow and Thursday, a person familiar with the plans told Semafor, as part of the firm’s effort to brief policymakers on its latest advanced model. Altman’s trip to Washington coincides with the administration’s rush to finalize its voluntary review process for such models by Aug. 1 — 60 days after Trump signed a long-awaited executive order. Altman is slated to sit down this week with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the source said. He’s also expected to huddle with lawmakers, OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane told reporters last week. And today, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang is on Capitol Hill to meet with Republicans and Democrats as the chipmaker makes a concerted push for open-source AI models.

— Eleanor Mueller

SCOTUS approval hits new low

Fewer Americans than ever approve of the job the Supreme Court is doing, according to new Gallup polling, a decline driven by a drop in Republicans’ approval over the last year. One-third of US adults approve of the job the high court is doing, down from 39% last year, while a record high of 61% disapprove. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans approve of the court, according to the poll, which was taken after the conclusion of the latest term. That’s down from the near-record 79% who approved of the court last September. The court’s recent rulings against Trump’s tariffs and his birthright citizenship order may have contributed to that softening in approval. Still, the 6-3 majority conservative court has more often ruled in favor of the president — even if, as liberal Justice Elena Kagan argued recently, the court is not a “rubber stamp” for Trump.

Bipartisan funding bill could drop soon

Senators say they are making headway in talks on a bipartisan bill funding the government through the election, even as rank-and-file Republicans doubt that Democratic leaders will go for it. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that text of the stopgap funding bill could be released this week, and that she’s been working with Democrats on it. Her Democratic counterpart, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, said “we’re working on it.” They are also working on provisions addressing the Trump administration’s disclosure that it based some grant cancellations on political criteria last year, according to people familiar with the talks — a move Collins supports and Democrats are seeking. Several Republican senators say they don’t envision Democrats voting for a clean spending bill so far before the Sept. 30 deadline, but Majority Leader John Thune says taking a shutdown off the table is his top priority.

— Burgess Everett

Independent group eyes DelBene’s seat

A group engaging political independents across the country is armed with new polling that shows non-affiliated candidates could be viable. The poll from Brett Loyd of the Bullfinch Group, commissioned for the Independent Center, surveyed voters for Montana’s Senate race, Alaska’s at-large congressional seat, California’s 6th District, Iowa’s 1st District, and Washington’s 1st District. The Washington district is notable because the seat is held by House Democrats’ campaign chief, Rep. Suzan DelBene, and 78% of voters surveyed there said they disapproved of Congress. With congressional approval ratings underwater across the races surveyed, the pollsters argue independent candidates have an opportunity to break through. Seth Bodnar, the independent Montana candidate, placed second behind the Republican Kurt Alme in a head-to-head matchup, and in California’s 6th District, Democrat Richard Pan held a small edge over newly independent Rep. Kevin Kiley, who caucuses with Republicans.

— Nicholas Wu

Michigan Dems clash over donors, Israel

Michigan’s Democratic Senate candidates debated for the last time on Monday, after weeks of attacks and negative comments. Rep. Haley Stevens accused Abdul El-Sayed of running to be a celebrity. “I sound like the people who need help,” said Stevens, suggesting there was snobbery in how El-Sayed and online “influencers” talked about her. El-Sayed went after the congresswoman for voting to fund ICE, which he wants to abolish, and approving funds for Israel to “kill kids.” He also pressed Stevens repeatedly on the tens of millions of dollars spent on her behalf by AIPAC and its affiliates. “I don’t think there’s much difference between super PACs going in for Abdul or super PACs going in for me,” Stevens shot back. Several times, she mentioned her endorsements from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel, suggesting that El-Sayed had disrespected powerful women.

— David Weigel

Trump’s investment push into Africa

For years, the case for US investment in Africa has run into the same wall. Companies and financiers have argued the regulations, infrastructure, and technical capacity needed to make projects bankable simply aren’t there. The State Department thinks it finally has the answer: The Bureau of African Affairs’ new US-Africa Strategic Investment Program invites businesses, nonprofits, and international organizations to compete for grants — up to $50 million each, out of a budget of $500 million overall — that “de-risk and catalyze” private investment, particularly in critical minerals and what the department calls “commercial diplomacy.” This is not development finance. Instead, Washington is funding the work that often determines whether investments happen at all — and embodying the Trump administration’s pledge to prioritize “trade over aid,” using development dollars to create the conditions for private investment.

Blindspot: Hawaii and Obama

Stories that are being largely ignored by either left-leaning or right-leaning outlets, curated with help from our partners at Ground News.

What the Left isn’t reading: Hawaii’s lieutenant governor, a Democrat, was recently indicted on bribery charges.

What the Right isn’t reading: Former President Barack Obama is embarking on a speaking tour in the UK this fall.

Beltway Newsletters

Punchbowl News: “There is a legitimate complaint about giving President Trump too much tariff authority, and that remains a concern,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said of the Russia sanctions bill senators are trying to move this week. He still predicted senators would reach a deal on it this week.

Playbook: Fresh off her trip to Ukraine, Laura Loomer suggested she can fill the foreign policy void left by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. “I’m not saying I’m going to run for Senate,” Loomer said, but she added: “I would like to serve as an envoy for President Trump.”

Axios: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes to Washington in a weakened state, in part because of the declining approval of Israel among Democrats and members of Trump’s base. Some senior Trump officials “have come to view Netanyahu with disdain, arguing he was consistently wrong about the war.”

White House

• Former President