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South Carolina has been preliminarily tapped to hold the first Democratic presidential primary of 2028, as a key panel of party leaders picked the Palmetto State over Nevada on Friday after a contentious, racially fraught debate. Why it matters: It's a coup for Black leaders who argued the party's most loyal voters — represented by South Carolina's large Black population — deserved to have the first chance to weigh in on who should be Democrats' next presidential nominee. The vote by the Democra

The U.S. and U.K. are planning to convene a high-level meeting in London next week that will focus on a potential international coalition to protect maritime shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, two European diplomats and two other sources with knowledge told Axios. Why it matters: The reopening of the strait for commercial shipping is a key element of any U.S. exit strategy from the war with Iran and of efforts to stabilize global energy markets. The itinerary and date are still under discussion a

The White House has found new legal ways to keep tariffs flowing . But it's not enough to fully replace the revenue from the import taxes the Supreme Court struck down. The intrigue: The administration's replacement tariffs would raise about $105 billion a year — replacing about 60% of the revenue lost when the Supreme Court invalidated the administration's emergency tariff regime, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget . Why it matters: The administration's new tariffs are

President Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, the Israeli Prime Minister's office said in a statement. Why it matters: Netanyahu has met with Trump in the Oval Office six times since Trump returned to office a year-and-a-half ago — more than any other world leader. But Netanyahu is deeply unpopular in Washington these days, among Democrats, Trump's close circle and the MAGA base. Trump is considering resuming major combat operations in Iran th

AI's impact on American life isn't just at work . It's also at home, where it's helping with dinner and bedtime, learning our routines, overhearing arguments and never clocking out. Why it matters: The AI debate has largely focused on jobs and productivity . But a quieter shift is unfolding at home , where AI is also evolving from an on-demand assistant into an always-on presence that remembers, anticipates and increasingly acts like a member of the family. "The barriers to entry for families —

Data: CBPP ; Map: Sara Wise/Axios American food assistance has been rocked by a regulatory earthquake while millions have been dropped from one of the nation's premier safety net programs, tightening the strain on food banks and state agencies. The big picture: As the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) continues to undergo a historic remolding, food banks say they're staring down a gap they can't fill. "We've been operating kind of in emergency management mode," says Terri Shoemake

President Trump used his speech at Friday's rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association Dinner to condemn the political violence that postponed the annual event — and in the next breath attack and insult the gathered press. The big picture: The president opened with jokes to the hundreds of assembled journalists and even made a little fun of himself, in a speech that started light — before descending into a litany of familiar complaints about reporters and prominent Democrats. Zoom out:

The wars in Iran and Ukraine show how the drone tech revolution makes it easier — and cheaper — to interrupt energy supplies by striking refineries and oil tankers. Why it matters: It's an important reason why oil traded at $100 per barrel this week and gasoline and diesel fuel are so expensive these days. Looking ahead, the way drones are reshaping modern warfare has high stakes for how policymakers and companies view new and existing power grids, pipelines, liquefied natural gas ports and plen

We ask almost every AI architect and leader the same thing in private: What AI risk worries you most? Almost all of them fire back the same response: a killer pathogen, spreading too silently, widely and quickly to stop. Why it matters: The rare agreement among AI experts flows from the belief these advanced models could help a bad actor create a deadly pathogen before the government and industry perfect detection and prevention systems. This isn't a likely scenario. And some of AI's biggest opt

The Trump administration this week staked out a new position that could reshape its approach to AI policy, accusing Chinese companies of stealing U.S. technology even as it defends open AI development. Why it matters: That distinction could become the foundation for U.S. action against Chinese AI companies without broadly restricting the open-weight models that businesses, researchers and startups increasingly rely on. Driving the news: The Trump administration is backing open-weight models whil

She has President Trump 's endorsement and is a sympathetic figure after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham . As Graham's temporary replacement, she's a symbol of the political brand he built over more than two decades in the Senate. Driving the news: Even so, Darline Graham faces an uphill battle to win a full Senate term in November, Republicans in D.C. and her home state of South Carolina tell Axios. South Carolina's rapidly approaching Aug. 11 primary has become a test of whether

"Choke point" is having a moment. Why it matters: The term is an increasingly popular shorthand for the bottlenecks tying up the oil market and the AI buildout — and sometimes the entire economy — as the old global economic order gives way to intensifying competition and outright war. Where it stands: The latest choke point is in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has been routing more oil there via pipeline, bypassing the OG choke point in the Strait of Hormuz. Now, Iranian-backed Houthi militants are t

The pace of AI development combined with soaring compute costs is squeezing the AI researchers responsible for evaluating frontier models — just as those models' capabilitie s are becoming harder to measure. Why it matters: When safety testing can't keep pace, models capable of hacking companies or aiding in the development of bioweapons could reach the public before anyone knows what they can do. Last week's breach of Hugging Face, carried out autonomously by OpenAI's models in the middle of sa

House GOP leaders are turning up the heat on Senate Republicans, calling on them to move quickly on the House's $95 billion reconciliation package despite resistance from Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). Why it matters: Before they split town, House leaders left some instructions for their Senate colleagues. "The Senate needs to move on reconciliation before November, and I think the pressure from the American people is going to be unbearable if they refuse to act," NRCC Chair Richard Hudson

Democrats are indicating to their Republican counterparts that they are prepared to vote as early as next week on a Russia sanctions package that includes an 11th-hour demand from President Trump that the bill also include Iran, according to people familiar with the matter. Why it matters: It would mark a rare bipartisan breakthrough on legislation to help end the war in Ukraine in a Senate that has spent much of the year engaged in partisan combat . It also would show that Majority Leader John

The Trump administration announced a new round of tariffs up to 12.5% on 60 trading partners on Thursday, preventing a lapse in import taxes as a temporary tariff program nears expiration. Why it matters: It shows the White House's determination to preserve its tariff agenda by turning to new trade laws as earlier authorities expire or face legal challenges. The new tariffs take effect at 12:01am ET on Friday, precisely when the temporary duties end. It's been one of the busiest weeks for Trump'

The U.S. government will withdraw subpoenas of New York Times journalists over their reporting on President Trump's Qatari-gifted jet , the Department of Justice said in a Thursday court hearing. Why it matters: The Trump administration backed down in its battle with the media on the eve of the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, where the president is expected to speak. Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian reportedly grilled the Trump administration in

Data: CDC ; Map: Brad Jennings/Axios. Note: Estimated rates calculated using CDC case range midpoints and 2025 U.S. Census population estimates. Cases of cyclosporiasis have now been reported in at least 41 states, and infection rates continue to increase in the five states where the CDC has declared an outbreak. The big picture: Although some cases of the diarrhea-inducing illness are reported each year, the outbreak will make 2026 the worst year on U.S. record for this food-borne parasitic inf

Vance Boelter, the man who dressed up like a police officer and killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark last summer , was given two life sentences followed by 40 years in prison by a federal judge Thursday. The big picture: The sentence puts Boelter behind bars without a possibility of parole and brings some resolution to a politically motivated crime that rocked Minnesota. Catch up quick: Boelter, 58, pleaded guilty in June as part of a deal with U.S. Attorney

President Trump claimed Thursday the new nuclear deal the U.S. signed with Saudi Arabia will not include uranium enrichment and requires the kingdom normalize its relations with Israel. Why it matters: Trump is responding to two of the bigger criticisms of the deal: that it could open the door to nuclear enrichment and that Washington gave up leverage to push a peace deal with Israel . What they are saying: "The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!) being made between the

House Democrats are publicly and privately pushing for changes at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee after it spent more than $500,000 backing a failed primary candidate in Arizona. Why it matters: The House Democratic campaign arm has faced persistent criticism this year from its members for getting more heavily involved in primaries than in past election cycles. "I don't think they should get involved in primaries — I've said that before, I've said that directly to them," said Rep

Data: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, U.S. Treasury Department; Chart: Courtenay Brown/Axios The relentless run-up in Treasury yields reflects the globe's new economic reality: It takes a much richer reward to persuade investors to lend their money, especially for the longer run. Why it matters: Unlike previous bond sell-offs driven by inflation fears, this one reflects a world in which governments and companies are scrambling for enormous amounts of capital to finance wide fiscal deficits, t

Data: Department of Labor; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios The last time this few Americans were filing for unemployment benefits, Creedence Clearwater Revival topped the music charts , while "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" was the star of the box office. Driving the news: Only 187,000 people filed new claims for unemployment insurance benefits last week, pointing to an astoundingly low level of firings across the economy . It was the lowest since September 1969. The labor force was much smaller th

President Trump told Axios on Thursday that he's seriously considering restarting major combat operations in Iran — including strikes that would be bigger than the ones carried out during Operation Epic Fury. Why it matters: In a brief interview, Trump acknowledged that such a decision would have consequences and stressed he hasn't made a determination yet. Trump didn't give a deadline for his decision. Two other U.S. officials confirmed no call has been made and no new orders have been given to

The House on Thursday passed a resolution to rein in President Trump's military campaign in Iran. Why it matters: It's Congress' second successful rebuke of Trump's Iran war effort, reflecting growing GOP unease with the conflict. Four Republicans — Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Tom Barrett (Mich.), Warren Davidson (Ohio), Thomas Massie (Ky.) — voted in support of the measure along with every Democrat. The 214-208 vote to direct Trump to end hostilities is largely symbolic and does not carry th

Poor morale among employees is contributing to delayed model releases from Google's DeepMind AI lab , according to conversations with half a dozen current and former Google DeepMind employees. Why it matters: As the company's cash flow just turned negative, investors and competitors are questioning Google's standing in the AI race. State of play: Google's Gemini 3.5 Pro, its most powerful model in the works, is months behind, per Bloomberg , but the company did just release a series of smaller ,

The Democrats' main Senate super PAC is booking another $54 million in TV ads for the midterm campaign's final stretch, targeting four Republican-held seats. Why it matters: The new reservations offer a roadmap to where Democrats think they can flip seats. Republicans' last major advertising reservation was aimed largely at defending incumbents — and protecting the GOP "red wall" to preserve their majority. By the numbers: Senate Majority PAC, the super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Ch

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday laid out an optimistic view of the agentic future , arguing the company's focus on connecting the world will only be strengthened with new AI tools and technologies. Why it matters: His position is framed as a stark contrast to some of Meta's AI competitors, who — according to a video ad posted with Zuckerberg's comments — promote fear and a dystopian vision of the future. "Some people will have you believe AI will make us less connected, that it's going to l

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is warning the Trump administration and other policymakers not to let "science fiction" fears about AI drive policy — arguing that overreaction could slow adoption and weaken America's competitive edge. Why it matters: Washington is navigating two AI minefields at once: how to manage increasingly advanced systems , and whether to restrict powerful open-source models emerging from China over alleged IP theft and security risks. Driving the news: Huang railed against AI doo

A markets mystery has perplexed some analysts this year: Why are stocks sitting near all-time highs while the global economy is rocked by geopolitical conflict and inflation pressures? Why it matters: The usual retort is that the stock market is not the economy, but a new report from Moody's offers a more nuanced explanation. Markets have adjusted to the new economic world order — you just have to know where to look. How it works: You can see the change in bond markets, where government yields h

ASHBURN, Va. – A test server hall tucked inside America's "data center alley" offers a rare firsthand look inside the AI boom. Why it matters: Seeing how AI is physically made helps sharpen our understanding of the unprecedented data center buildout that is becoming increasingly unpopular around the country. Behind the scenes: I recently toured an innovation lab by Digital Realty in Northern Virginia, home to the world's largest concentration of data centers. Digital Realty is one of the world's

A long-simmering feud between Black and Latino leaders in the Democratic Party exploded into the open Wednesday over which state should vote first in the 2028 presidential primary — South Carolina or Nevada. Why it matters: The racially fraught battle could help determine which candidates will have an early edge in the race to be the party's next nominee for the White House. The debate focuses on two groups of voters who are crucial to Democrats' success in presidential elections. Any Democrat s

Frontier AI models are getting scary good at breaking rules in ways their creators didn't anticipate. Why it matters: Forget AGI and superintelligence timelines. Today's models are already slipping past guardrails, carrying out sophisticated, multistep cyberattacks and — in at least one case — compromising real-world infrastructure, sometimes before their creators know what happened. Case in point : OpenAI said Tuesday that GPT-5.6 Sol and "an even more capable pre-release model" carried out las

The U.S. military used a B-1 long-range bomber on Tuesday to strike Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran , U.S. officials said. Why it matters: It was the first time the U.S. conducted a B-1 mission since fighting with Iran resumed 12 days ago. Using B-1 bombers, which can carry two dozen 2,000-lb. bombs or dozens of cruise missiles, signaled a significant escalation and expansion of the U.S. military campaign. The B-1 can fly faster than the speed of sound at low altitudes while ca

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) referred former Special Counsel Jack Smith to the Justice Department on Wednesday, alleging he knowingly made false statements during congressional testimony last year. Why it matters: The referral escalates House Republicans' efforts to scrutinize the former special counsel who prosecuted President Trump , even though the Justice Department is not required to act on congressional criminal referrals. Driving the news: "Smith seemingly made willfully and

Threats against people the U.S. Secret Service protects are up about 40% from a year ago, the agency says, as it prepares for Friday's rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner . Why it matters: The surge is forcing the Secret Service to devote more agents and investigative resources to protecting senior government officials, potentially straining other protective operations. Driving the news: The Secret Service says it has investigated roughly 10,000 threat cases so far this year, about ha