National

One dead, 5 injured in shooting near Atlanta mall

Mass shootings

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

China's COVID frustration boils over, protestors call for Xi to resign

COVID-19

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

U.S. gives Chevron go ahead to pump oil in Venezuela again

Big Oil

Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Newsom not planning 2024 presidential run, regardless of Biden's decision

Gavin Newsom

All the protests (so far) at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar

world cup

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Sports

Black Friday online sales break new record despite inflation woes

Sales

Trump talks with white nationalist Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago dinner

White nationalism

Trump showed “lack of judgement” with Nick Fuentes dinner: Christie

Donald Trump

Public outrage over new COVID lockdown restrictions has fueled rare protests within China, with residents demanding the government to lift restrictions ahead of schedule and some calling for President Xi Jinping's resignation.

Driving the news: Record-breaking case numbers have caused a "COVID storm" to overtake China, impacting the country's economic prospects and fueling public unrest.

The big picture: The protests are the latest sign of building frustration with the government's intense approach to controlling COVID. China is the only major country that still is fighting the pandemic through lockdowns and mass testing, per AP.

The new round of lockdowns have fueled protests across the western Xinjiang region and the country's capital of Beijing, Reuters reports.

Crowds marched on the streets, chanting "End the lockdown!"

Residents in Beijing confronted officials about lifting lockdowns, with some being successful in getting their restrictions lifted early, per Reuters.

Zoom in: Videos across social media show people in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, chanting against the COVID restrictions after an apartment fire killed 10 people, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Some protesters believe the victims of the deadly fire could not leave their homes due to the lockdown, but officials deny that restrictions stopped anyone from exiting the building, BBC News reports.

"The Urumqi fire got everyone in the country upset," Sean Li, a resident in Beijing, told Reuters.

In Shanghai, China's financial capital and largest city, hundreds of people gathered Saturday night to mourn those killed in an apartment fire in Urumqi, CNN reported. 

Some of the protesters held blank sheets of paper — a protest of censorship — and chanted, "need human rights, need freedom." Other protesters called for Xi and the Communist Party to "step down" while still others shouted, "don't want dictatorship, want democracy!"

The protest dispersed after police arrested several protesters. On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of Shanghai residents gathered again amidst heavy police presence, with some shouting, "release the people!," CNN reported.

Flashback: Urumqi has faced COVID restrictions since early August, according to WSJ. The city shut down transportation, which left some tourists stuck there. 

Officials have promised the lockdown will lift soon, but said they are waiting from Beijing for more orders on how to implement COVID protocols in the future, per WSJ.

Context: China's "Zero COVID" policy uses lockdowns and city restrictions in an attempt to hold off the spread of the coronavirus. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, many residents said the government had protected the people through the policy. But now, it's led to this civil unrest.

The Chinese government faces a choice of whether to continue the lockdowns and face civil unrest or learn to live with the virus.

Our thought bubble via Axios' Bethany Allen: Protests in Xinjiang, where security forces and surveillance cameras blanket the region and many ethnic minorities have been swept up into internment camps, are even rarer than in the rest of China — suggesting the level of desperation that might drive residents to protest despite the risk of being detained.

WHO chief: China's zero-COVID strategy not "sustainable"

China's "zero COVID" challenge is getting tougher

Protesters called for Xi to "step down" while still others shouted, "don't want dictatorship, want democracy!"

A near-deserted pedestrian mall in Beijing, China, on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.

A near-deserted pedestrian mall in Beijing, China. Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images

China

A shooting near a mall on Saturday evening in Atlanta, Georgia has left one person dead and five others injured, according to the Atlanta Police Department.

Driving the news: The shooting occurred after a group was escorted off of Atlantic Station property, police Lt. Germaine Dearlove said Saturday night. The group then moved to the 17th Street bridge in Atlanta, where a "dispute occurred that escalated to gunfire."

One male was deceased on the scene as of Saturday night and five other victims were transported to area hospitals, he said.

The group was removed from Atlantic Station property for "unruly behavior" and curfew violations, Dearlove said. 

Homicide investigators were on the scene on Saturday evening to investigate the scene and to "establish leads on the case and also suspect information," Dearlove said.

The victims are believed to be between the ages of 15 and 21, Dearlove said.

The big picture: A 3 p.m. curfew was implemented for Atlantic Station in January, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which requires youth under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

No individuals under 21 are permitted on the property after 9:00 p.m, per Atlantic Station. 

Saturday's shooting comes after a spate of shootings at Atlantic Station over the last several months, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Atlanta

Atlanta Alerts

Atlanta Members

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Atlanta. Written by Emma Hurt, Kristal Dixon and Thomas Wheatley.

Axios Atlanta Thought Bubble

Axios Atlanta

One male was deceased on the scene as of Saturday night and several other victims were transported to area hospitals.

Atlantic Station neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia on Nov. 14, 2015. 

The Treasury Department on Saturday said it would allow Chevron to resume pumping oil from Venezuela oil fields. 

Why it matters: The license, granted by the Treasury Department, would allow the California-based oil company to pump Venezuelan oil for the first time in years in joint ventures with Venezuela's national oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PdVSA.)

It also signals an opening for other oil companies to resume their business in the South American country, two years after the Trump administration cracked down on companies’ activities there in an effort to put pressure and oust the Maduro government, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the Unitary Platform, an opposition coalition, reached an agreement to implement a humanitarian program and continue negotiations to hold free and fair elections within the country. 

Details: The license prohibits PdVSA from receiving profits from Chevron’s oil sales and the U.S. and it does not authorize other activity with PdVSA, the U.S. Treasury said in a statement.

Other Venezuela-related sanctions and restrictions imposed by the United States remain in place.

What they're saying: "The announcements by the Unitary Platform and the Maduro regime are important steps in the right direction to restore democracy in the country," the Treasury Department said.

"The United States welcomes and supports the reopening of negotiations between the Unitary Platform and the Maduro regime, as part of our longstanding policy to support the peaceful restoration of democracy, free and fair elections, and respect for the rights and freedoms of Venezuelans."

“This action is not being taken in response to energy prices, this is a limited license. As we have said in the past, this is about the regime taking the steps needed to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela," a Biden administration official said in a separate statement to Axios. 

Our thought bubble via Axios' Andrew Freedman: This move, while tied to political developments in Venezuela, could keep gas prices lower by adding more oil to the global market.

Flashback: U.S. officials had previously offered to ease some sanctions on Venezuela to encourage peaceful negotiations between the opposition and the Maduro regime.

Biden officials in March made a rare trip to Venezuela to meet with the Maduro regime to discuss the release of U.S. detainees and urge them to continue negotiations, which have been suspended for months.

Go deeper: U.S. to ease some economic sanctions on Venezuela

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a second statement from the Biden administration.

The license signals an opening for other oil companies to resume their business in Venezuela.

Sign at entrance to global headquarters of petroleum company Chevron in San Ramon, California, October 22, 2019. Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a new interview with Politico that he does not plan to run for president in 2024, even if President Biden chooses not to.

Why it matters: Some Democrats and independent voters have shown interest in a candidate other than Biden running for president in 2024.

Driving the news: Newsom told Politico that he doesn't plan to challenge for the White House in 2024, saying “the answer is no."

“I’ve told everyone in the White House, from the chief of staff to the first lady," he told Politico.

Newsom said he hopes that Biden will announce his 2024 run early next year so that people can stop asking the California governor if he plans to run.

“He not only beat Trump once, I think he can beat him again,” Newsom told Politico. “I hope he runs, I’ll enthusiastically support him.” 

The intrigue: Newsom has had clashes with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in recent months. DeSantis is seen as a potential 2024 Trump spoiler for Republicans.

The other side: Biden's approval rating sits at about 39% right now, according to a recent Emerson College poll. And for that reason, there is an appetite from Democrats for a different candidate in the next presidential election.

A Quinnipiac University poll found that about 68% of Americans don't want Biden as the nominee in 2024.

Similarly, a New York Times/Siena College poll found the majority of Democratic voters would like another candidate for the election.

Yes, but: According to the Emerson College poll, Biden would be victorious over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump in theoretical 2024 matchups.

The poll found Biden was favored by Democrats as the nominee of choice, too, over Vice President Kamala Harris and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, per CNBC.

Worth noting: Biden has suggested he intends to run in 2024 but has held off on an official announcement.

He told MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart that he hasn't made a formal announcement yet since “a whole series of regulations kick in" once he does and he has to "treat myself as a candidate from that moment on."

President Biden reups his intentions for the 2024 race

Scoop: Stephen Schwarzman comes out against Trump in major defection

Musk “fine” with Trump not using Twitter, would back DeSantis in 2024

Democrats and independent voters have shown interest in a candidate other than Biden.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (L) greets US President Joe Biden upon arrival at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (L) greets US President Joe Biden in San Diego. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Joe Biden

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar has not been short of protests — and there's still three weeks left.

The big picture: Players and nations have used the world stage to speak out against their own countries and the host nation of Qatar, which has been criticized for human rights abuses.

Details: FIFA said ahead of the tournament that every team should “focus on the football" instead of world affairs, per BBC News.

"We know football does not live in a vacuum and we are equally aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all around the world,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a letter, per BBC. 

“But please do not allow football to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists.”

But that hasn't been the case. Protests with potentially dangerous consequences have been happening throughout the tournament with real-world implications for countries inside and outside of the tournament. Here's a roundup of what we've seen so far.

Seven European World Cup teams planned to wear rainbow OneLove armbands as a sign of inclusion and anti-discrimination, Axios reports. 

But the teams —England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Wales — abandoned the idea after FIFA threatened to impose sporting sanctions on those who partook in the protest.

The decision to wear armbands was done in support of LGBTQ+ communities.

“It’s quite scary for LGBTQ plus communities around the world to see our lives be so controversial," Liz Ward, director of programs at LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, told CNN Sport. "It’s become this quite painful, drawn-out debate that is questioning on a global scale the validity of LGBTQ+ lives."

Germany's national team decided to protest FIFA's rainbow armband rule before their World Cup match against Japan last Wednesday, covering their mouths during a team photo, Axios reports.

"It wasn’t about making a political statement — human rights are non-negotiable," the German team said in a statement posted on Twitter.

"That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us. Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice."

Iran stays silent during the national anthem

Iran's players stayed silent during the national anthem ahead of their match with England Monday, Axios' Dave Lawler writes.

What we know: The silence happened after the team captain, Ehsan Hajsafi, spoke in favor of the protests in Iran, which began after Mahsa Amini, 22, died in custody after being arrested for an "improper hijab."

"They should know that we sympathize with them," Hajsafi said ahead of the England match. He added, "I hope the situation changes as the people wish and that everyone will be happy."

The team also wore black jackets over their kits before the match, in what was another sign of dissent against their home nation, according to Fox Sports.

The danger: Iranian authorities have arrested celebrities who have supported the protests.

Wales displayed rainbow flags at their training camp in Qatar, which was a sign of solidarity with the LGBTQ community, according to BBC News. Homosexuality is illegal within Qatar.

Wales staff and supporters had their rainbow bucket hats confiscated at the World Cup as well, which has led to FIFA and Qatar having urgent talks about what is allowed and what isn't, per The Guardian.

Blinken criticizes FIFA's threats over rainbow armbands at World Cup

Germany protests FIFA's rainbow armband rule before World Cup match

The World Cup could become a hot bed for espionage

Players and nations have used the world stage to speak out against the host nation of Qatar.

The players of Iran line up for the national anthem prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between Wales.

The players of Iran line up for the national anthem at the World Cup. Photo:  Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

A record $9.12 billion was spent online for Black Friday, with electronics driving much of the growth compared to last year, according to new Adobe Analytics data.

Why it matters: These record-breaking sales happened amid rising concerns about inflation and the cost of living.

Details: Sales for Black Friday jumped 2.3% year over year, according to Adobe.

Purchases on electronics led the way, soaring by 221% compared to an average day in October. Smart home items jumped 271% and audio items jumped 230%.

Gaming was a popular category, with buyers snagging Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 consoles, as well as popular games FIFA 23, NBA 2K23 and Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

Toys (up 285% compared to last year) and exercise equipment (up 218%) performed well on Black Friday, too.

Zoom in: In a sign of the times, consumers took the opportunity to use new payment methods, with buy now, pay later options jumping 78% compared to the week before Black Friday, according to Adobe Analytics data.

Mobile shopping dominated the field, too, setting a new record with 48% of online sales coming from phones, which is up from 44% in 2021.

The big picture: Prices for gas, food, rent and essentials are up this year, which has left consumers in search of deals and discounts this Black Friday, the Associated Press reports. Americans reached into their savings and used their credit cards this holiday season to spend amid inflation.

Last year, consumers were worried about supply chain-related issues as stores struggled to bring in items and products, which left consumers empty-handed, per AP.

Purchases on electronics led the way, soaring by 221% compared to an average day in October.

Garden City, N.Y.: Overview of shoppers filling the halls of the Roosevelt Field Mall for Black Friday shopping on November 25, 2022.

 Overview of shoppers filling the halls a New York mall. Photo: Howard Schnapp/Newsday RM via Getty Images

Former President Trump dined and conversed with white nationalist Nick Fuentes and rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Tuesday night, according to two sources familiar with the matter. 

Why it matters: Trump's direct engagement with a man labeled a "white supremacist" by the Justice Department, one week after declaring his 2024 candidacy, is likely to draw renewed outrage over the former president's embrace of extremists.

Fuentes, who frequently promotes racist and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, had been spotted with Ye at Mar-a-Lago, but reports erroneously suggested he did not have dinner with the former president.

What they're saying: "Kanye West very much wanted to visit Mar-a-Lago. Our dinner meeting was intended to be Kanye and me only, but he arrived with a guest whom I had never met and knew nothing about," Trump said in a statement.

A Trump spokesman did not provide comment on additional reporting about the dinner. Fuentes did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

“Bigotry, hate, and antisemitism have absolutely no place in America - including at Mar-A-Lago," White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said Saturday in a statement.

"Holocaust denial is repugnant and dangerous, and it must be forcefully condemned,” the statement added.

Behind the scenes: A source familiar with the dinner conversation told Axios that Trump "seemed very taken" with Fuentes, impressed that the 24-year-old was able to rattle off statistics and recall speeches dating back to his 2016 campaign.

Paraphrasing the conversation, the source said Fuentes told the president he preferred him to be "authentic," and that Trump seemed scripted and unlike himself during his recent 2024 campaign announcement speech.

Trump responded, “You like it better when I just speak off the cuff," the source said. Fuentes replied that he did, calling Trump an "amazing" president when he was unrestrained. "There was a lot of fawning back and forth," the source added.

Fuentes told Trump that he represented a side of Trump's base that was disappointed with his newly cautious approach, especially with what some far-right activists view as a lack of support for those charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Trump didn't disagree with Fuentes, but said he has advisers who want him to read off teleprompters and be more "presidential." Notably, Trump referred to himself as a politician, which he has been loathe to do in the past. 

Fuentes also told Trump that he would crush potential 2024 Republican rivals in a primary, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump asked for Fuentes' opinion on other candidates as well.

Trump at one point turned to Ye and said, "I really like this guy. He gets me," according to the source. 

"To be honest, I don't believe the president knew who the hell [Fuentes] was," the source added.

Trump asked if Fuentes was on social media such as Truth Social, the former president's alternative to Twitter.

Fuentes told Trump that he was on Truth Social but had been banned from the social media platform Gettr because Trump adviser Jason Miller, the CEO of the company, wasn't a fan of his.

Trump asked whether it was because Fuentes was on the "fringe" of his supporter base, the source said. Fuentes acknowledged that he was, saying he's "one of those people who got banned from everything."

Driving the news: Ye, whose Twitter account was recently restored after being restricted for anti-Semitic comments, posted a video on Thursday night titled "Mar-a-Lago debrief."

Ye claims in the video that Trump was "really impressed" with Fuentes because "unlike so many of the lawyers and so many people that he was left with on his 2020 campaign, he's actually a loyalist."

A source familiar with the conversation told Axios Trump took a phone call during the dinner, and his demeanor toward Ye seemed to change when he got off the call. Trump made some nasty comments about Ye's ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, and told the rapper to pass them on.

Ye, who has lost major sponsorships over his anti-Semitism and recent far-right associations, has said he wants to run for president in 2024. The rapper claims Trump started "screaming" at him at the dinner and told him he would lose — "most perturbed" by Ye asking Trump to be his running mate.

Between the lines: The Daily Beast reported Wednesday that Fuentes was not present at the Mar-a-Lago dinner with Ye, citing a source familiar with the matter.

Ye tweeted out a screenshot of a group text with Fuentes on Thursday night in which a censored participant accuses a Trump adviser of being the source for the Daily Beast story.

Disgraced far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, who appears with Ye in his "Mar-a-Lago debrief" video, is also in the "YE24" group chat.

Flashback: Truth Social, Trump's social media platform, sparked backlash by verifying Fuentes' account in February.

Fuentes first gained notoriety after attending the white supremacist "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville in 2017.

Trump was heavily criticized at the time for his response to the racist violence.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting and a statement from Trump and the White House.

Fuentes has been labeled a "white supremacist" by the Justice Department.

Nick Fuentes (center) with Alex Jones at a "Stop the Steal" rally in Georgia on Nov. 19, 2020. Photo: Zach Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Axios China

A new COVID calamity is hammering China, with a surge in infections prompting a return of lockdowns, including in some manufacturing areas that supply the West.

China reported a record number of infections this week, amid lockdowns and mass testing that are fueling unrest and darkening the country's economic outlook. Schools in Beijing returned to online teaching.

Why it matters: In addition to the human misery for the world's most populous country, the effects will be felt around the globe, Axios China author Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian reports from Taipei.

Supply chains are likely to be disrupted, causing prices to rise in an already rocky global economy.

Rare protests broke out today in China's far western Xinjiang region. Crowds shouted at hazmat-suited guards after a deadly fire triggered anger by prolonged COVID lockdowns, Reuters reports.

"End the lockdown!" shouted protesters in the Xinjiang capital Urumqi, where an apartment fire killed 10.

What's happening: The moment of truth for China’s zero-COVID policy has finally come.

Either party leaders will need to plunge much of the country into draconian lockdowns, as we saw at the beginning of the pandemic — or they'll decide it's time to learn to live with COVID.

Epidemic control workers drive down a nearly empty highway in China.

Epidemic-control workers drive on a nearly empty street in Beijing's central business district on Wednesday. Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Reality check: China’s doctors have warned Xi Jinping that the healthcare system isn't prepared for the huge outbreak likely to follow the easing of strict anti-COVID measures, the Financial Times reports. 

Chinese-made vaccines, which don't use the mRNA technology employed by many produced by the West, aren't as effective compared to those made in the U.S. And China has worrisomely low vaccination rates among older people.

But the number of cases in China is actually still very low for anywhere but China.

The big picture: "Zero COVID" restrictions have damaged the economy and undermined people’s trust in government. 

That's a stark about-face from the height of the pandemic. Then, many Chinese people felt the tight central control had protected them better than any other governance model in the world.

But it's that very model that has plunged China into its current predicament. Xi tied his reputation, and the party’s legitimacy, to the success of "zero COVID."

Between the lines: Chinese leaders made a huge, politically motivated mistake. They resisted the import of Western-made mRNA vaccines (including Pfizer and Moderna) for its citizens. These vaccines were only recently made available to foreigners.

That's likely because of Beijing's big vaccine diplomacy push: Chinese officials touted their own vaccines as the best and safest.

It was politically unpalatable to admit "defeat," and allow Chinese people to get more effective — but Western-made — jabs.

China's COVID storm

China reported a record number of infections this week, amid lockdowns and mass testing that are fueling unrest.

Workers build field hospital in China amid a new COVID-19 outbreak.

A makeshift hospital being built Tuesday for COVID patients in China's southwestern megacity of Chongqing. Photo: CNS/AFP via Getty Images

Sections

Axios Local

Axios gets you smarter, faster with news & information that matters.

About

Subscribe

Latest stories

All top stories