National

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday at age 100, according to his website.

The big picture: The author, academic and statesman was the top U.S. diplomat for two presidents and a central figure in U.S. foreign policy in the latter half of the 20th century.

The joint Nobel Peace Prize winner was a controversial figure due to policies he pursued during the Cold War, such as the bombing of Cambodia that prompted some to label him a war criminal. But he remained an elder statesman of U.S. foreign policy, sought out by a succession of senior officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Zoom in: Kissinger served as national security adviser and secretary of state under President Richard Nixon and continued as secretary of state in the administration of Nixon's successor, President Gerald Ford.

The German-born Jewish refugee, who fled Nazi Germany with his family to the U.S. in 1938, was the only American to serve simultaneously as secretary of state and national security adviser, per the Washington Post.

Of note: China's leader Xi Jinping called Kissinger, who was central to the U.S. establishing ties with communist China in the 1970s, an "old friend" when they last met in July this year.

Announcing his death, state media agency China News said: "Today, this 'old friend of the Chinese people,' who had a sharp vision and a thorough understanding of world affairs, has completed his legendary life."

Flashback: Kissinger shared his 1973 Nobel with Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam for the negotiations that ended U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Kissinger donated his prize money to the children of American servicemen killed in the war.

His award prompted two members of the Nobel committee to resign. Tho rejected his, accusing Kissinger of violating the truce. Kissinger tried to return his award in 1975, one day after the fall of the South Vietnam capital Saigon to North Vietnamese communist forces, but the Nobel committee rejected his request.

Kissinger also helped negotiate the end of the Yom Kippur War, worked to set the former Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) away from white minority rule and toward representative government and negotiated key arms control deals with the Soviet Union.

After Kissinger served in the Nixon and Ford administrations, President Ronald Reagan appointed him as chair of the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America in 1982. He later served on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board under the administrations of Reagan and President George H.W. Bush. 

George W. Bush appointed him chair of the commission to investigate the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks when he was president. Kissinger resigned after rejecting demands to reveal his business client list.

What they're saying: "America has lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs with the passing of Henry Kissinger," former President Bush said in a statement on Wednesday night.

"I have long admired the man who fled the Nazis as a young boy from a Jewish family, then fought them in the United States Army," Bush said.

He expressed gratitude for Kissinger's service, advice and friendship, adding that he and former first lady Laura Bush will "miss his wisdom, his charm, and his humor."

What's next: Kissinger, who's survived by his wife, Nancy Maginnes Kissinger, two children and five grandchildren, will be interred at a private family service and a memorial service will be held in New York City at a later day, per a statement from his NYC-based international geopolitical consulting firm, Kissinger Associates.

Go deeper... In photos: Major moments in Kissinger's career

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

In photos: Major moments in Kissinger's career

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger dies at 100

Henry Kissinger during celebrations marking his 100th birthday. Photo: Daniel Vogl/dpa via Getty Images

Henry Kissinger

Politics & Policy

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

Environmental groups criticized the Biden administration's $3.4 million auction of oil and gas drilling rights in Wyoming on Tuesday as world leaders prepare to meet in Dubai for the COP28 climate summit.

The big picture: The 37 parcels of land covering some 35,000 acres was the first of 63 drilling parcels the Interior Department's U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) planned to sell across 44,000 acres in six Western states over the next two weeks.

In addition to Wyoming, auctions will take place in New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Utah. The last auction is due to take place on Dec. 12 — the final day of COP28.

What they're saying: "Instead of doing the necessary work to fight climate change, Biden continues to support the expansion of fossil fuels here in the U.S.," Nicole Ghio, senior fossil fuels program manager for Friends of the Earth, said in a statement to media.

Ghio said the Wyoming sales marked the latest in a series of disappointments from President Biden's administration, per the Washington Examiner.

Between the lines: Biden has made tackling climate change a key part of his administration's national security strategy and he pledged to move away from fossil fuels. But Axios' Ben Geman notes he's faced a delicate balancing act on drilling.

Zoom in: Biden signed into law last year key legislation that included measures to combat climate change under the Inflation Reduction Act. But it tethers the White House priority of offshore wind development to oil and gas offerings following demands from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), whose vote was key in the bill's success.

Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's approval of the ConocoPhillips' Willow oil project in Alaska. 

Meanwhile, oil industry and Republican officials have criticized Biden for holding back future production.

Of note: Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said that in its decision on Willow, the administration was "following the science and the law when it comes to everything we do, and that includes gas and oil" lease considerations.

The Interior Department issued 527 leases in total in the fiscal years of 2021 and 2022, according to BLM data. The Trump administration issued 2,740 during the previous two years.

What we're watching: Biden is not scheduled to attend COP28, but he is sending top U.S. officials to the climate conference — where environmental groups and some world leaders are pushing for a COP28 deal to phase out fossil fuel. 

This is likely to face fierce opposition at the conference — notably from China, the world's top emitter of greenhouse gases, which has already ruled out adopting such language in an agreement.

Representatives for the Biden administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Go deeper: Major UN report blasts "doubling down" on oil, gas and coal ahead of COP28

Major UN report blasts "doubling down" on oil, gas and coal ahead of COP28

Environmentalists slam Biden admin's oil and gas auctions during COP28

The last auction is due to take place on Dec. 12 — the final day of Cop28.

Antelope graze near oil and gas wells on Jonah Field near Pinedale, Wyoming. 

Antelope graze near oil and gas wells on Jonah Field near Pinedale, Wyoming. Photo: Glenn Asakawa/The Denver Post via Getty Images

 Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland introduces President Joe Biden before he announces the expansion of areas of three national monuments at the White House on October 08, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Climate change

Environmental groups criticized the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Biden" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" data-vars-content-id="43ebb045-ad83-454b-ac73-4ded2b8a267a" data-vars-headline="Environmentalists slam Biden admin&#x27;s oil and gas auctions during COP28" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" target="_self">Biden</a> administration&#x27;s $3.4 million auction of oil and gas drilling rights in Wyoming on Tuesday as world leaders prepare to meet in Dubai for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="COP28 climate summit" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/27/crude-opec-cop28-drama" data-vars-content-id="43ebb045-ad83-454b-ac73-4ded2b8a267a" data-vars-headline="Environmentalists slam Biden admin&#x27;s oil and gas auctions during COP28" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/27/crude-opec-cop28-drama" target="_self">COP28 climate summit</a>.The big picture: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="37 parcels" data-vars-click-url="https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-wyoming-nets-3405179" data-vars-content-id="43ebb045-ad83-454b-ac73-4ded2b8a267a" data-vars-headline="Environmentalists slam Biden admin&#x27;s oil and gas auctions during COP28" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-wyoming-nets-3405179" target="_blank">37 parcels</a> of land covering some 35,000 acres was the first of 63 drilling parcels the Interior Department&#x27;s U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) planned to sell across 44,000 acres in six Western states over the next two weeks.

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

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Business

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Science

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died on Wednesday at age 100, left a major mark on the world stage while serving as the top U.S. diplomat under two presidents, and beyond.

The big picture: He was lauded as a distinguished author, academic and statesman, but also criticized for some Cold War policies — notably the bombing of Cambodia in the 1970s. His being jointly awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for helping negotiate a cease-fire in Vietnam prompted two members of the Nobel committee to resign.

Pres. Nixon congratulates Henry Kissinger after he was sworn in as secretary of state in 1973.

President Nixon congratulates Henry Kissinger after he's sworn in as secretary of state at the White House, making the German-born Jewish refugee who fled Nazi Germany in 1938 the first foreign-born American citizen to hold the diplomatic U.S. role. Photo: Via Getty Images

 President Nixon toasting with Leonid Brezhnev, and Grmyko during Kremlin seven-day summit conference with the USSR Communist Party.

Kissinger and President Nixon toasting with Leonid Brezhnev during a seven-day summit with the USSR Communist Party in Moscow in the 1970s. Photo: Via Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger accepts food from Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai during a state banquet in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai shares a meal with Secretary of State Kissinger during a state banquet in Beijing. Kissinger was central to the U.S. establishing ties with communist China in the 1970s. Photo: Via Getty Images

Former Secretary Of State Henry Kissinger Speaks With Israeli Leader Yitzhak Rabin In Washington, Dc. Kissinger Helped Negotiate Peace Agreements Between Israel And Egypt And Syria In The 1970's While Working Under President Nixon. 

Secretary of State Kissinger with Israeli Leader Yitzhak Rabin in Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, as Kissinger helped negotiate peace agreements between Israel and Egypt and Syria while in the Nixon administration. Photo: Owen Franken/Getty Images

) In the dining car on the train from Vladivostok to the airport on November 23, 1974, President Gerald Ford discusses progress on the S.A.L.T. agreement with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. 

In the dining car on the train from Vladivostok, Russia, to the airport on Nov. 23, 1974, President Gerald Ford discusses progress on the SALT agreement (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger after the pair spent two days in talks with Soviet leaders. Photo: Via Getty Images

Secretary of State Henry Kissinger talks with George Bush, then Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China, at the White House on August 28, 1974, shortly after Gerald Ford became President.

Secretary of State Kissinger talks with former President George H.W. Bush, then Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China, at the White House in 1974. Photo:David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

U.S. President Ronald Reagan and former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger (L) whisper during a meeting in 1983 in Washington, DC. 

Kissinger and President Ronald Reagan during a 1983 meeting in Washington, D.C. Reagan appointed Kissinger as chair of the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America one year earlier and the diplomat later served on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board under Reagan. Photo: David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

President George Bush is accompanied by former secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, at a White House press conference. Bush appointed Kissinger the head of the commission designated to investigate the September 11 terrorist attacks. 

Kissinger and President George W. Bush after he appointed Kissinger the head of the commission designated to investigate the September 11 terrorist attacks. Kissinger resigned after rejecting demands to reveal his business client list. Photo: Brooks Kraft/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with Former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (L) at the Great Hall of the People on March 17, 2015 in Beijing, China.

Kissinger with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, in 2015. Photo: Feng Li - Pool/Getty Images

China's President Xi Jinping (R) speaks with former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger during a meeting in Beijing on July 20, 2023. 

Kissinger and Xi during a meeting in Beijing on July 20, 2023, when the Chinese leader said: "The Chinese people never forget their old friends, and Sino-U.S. relations will always be linked with the name of Henry Kissinger." Photo: CNS/AFP via Getty Images

Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional photos.

He served 2 U.S. presidents, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but some of his foreign policies created controversy.

North Vietnamese leader Le Duc Tho and U.S. National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger at the Paris Peace Accords in France during the Vietnam War in January 1973. Later that year, they were jointly awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize — which Tho rejected. Photo: Reg Lancaster/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Former Secretary of State <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Henry Kissinger, who died" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/henry-kissinger-dead-100" data-vars-content-id="50ba097c-212c-4336-b04f-3874688b511d" data-vars-headline="In photos: Major moments in Kissinger&#x27;s career" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/henry-kissinger-dead-100" target="_self">Henry Kissinger, who died</a> on Wednesday at age 100, left a major mark on the world stage while serving as the top U.S. diplomat under two presidents, and beyond.The big picture: He was lauded as a distinguished author, academic and statesman, but also criticized for some Cold War policies — notably the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bombing" data-vars-click-url="https://theconversation.com/henry-kissingers-bombing-campaign-likely-killed-hundreds-of-thousands-of-cambodians-and-set-path-for-the-ravages-of-the-khmer-rouge-209353" data-vars-content-id="50ba097c-212c-4336-b04f-3874688b511d" data-vars-headline="In photos: Major moments in Kissinger&#x27;s career" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://theconversation.com/henry-kissingers-bombing-campaign-likely-killed-hundreds-of-thousands-of-cambodians-and-set-path-for-the-ravages-of-the-khmer-rouge-209353" target="_blank">bombing</a> of Cambodia in the 1970s. His being jointly awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for helping negotiate a cease-fire in Vietnam prompted two members of the Nobel committee to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="resign" data-vars-click-url="https://archive.org/details/nobelprizehistor00feld/page/16/mode/2up" data-vars-content-id="50ba097c-212c-4336-b04f-3874688b511d" data-vars-headline="In photos: Major moments in Kissinger&#x27;s career" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://archive.org/details/nobelprizehistor00feld/page/16/mode/2up" target="_blank">resign</a>.

A Texas man accused of threatening Georgia officials in a Craigslist post that called for their killing following the 2020 election was sentenced to two years in prison on Wednesday.

The big picture: Chad Christopher Stark, 55, of Leander, was the first person arrested under the Department of Justice's Election Threats Task Force, which launched in 2021 in response to a spike in threats against election workers following the 2020 election.

Driving the news: Stark pleaded guilty in August to one count of communicating interstate threats over the Craigslist post, titled "Georgia Patriots it's time to kill [official not publicly named] the Chinese agent - $10,000."

The post suggested people "put a bullet in" officials who were not publicly named, along with local and federal judges. 

"One good loyal Patriot deer hunter in camo and a rifle can send a very clear message to these corrupt governors.. milita up Georgia it's time to spill blood," the post said.

It was posted on Jan. 5, 2021, the day before Congress certified President Biden's presidential election win and the U.S. Capitol riot.

What they're saying: Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley, of the FBI Atlanta Field Office, which led the investigation, said in a statement: "Sending death threats and urging others to act is not protected speech — it is a crime."

FBI Director Christopher Wray in a statement noted that Stark "threatened the lives of multiple election workers in an attempt to prevent them from doing their job" and his sentencing demonstrates the Bureau's "resolute commitment to securing American elections from any attempts to undermine their integrity."

Garland said the sentence "should serve as warning — illegal threats against the public servants who make our democracy work will be met with the full force of the Justice Department."

Texas man sentenced for threatening Georgia officials after 2020 election

Texas man sentenced over Craigslist post urging killing of Georgia officials after 2020 election

Post the day before the Jan. 6 insurrection urged people to "militia up" and "put a bullet in" officials.

Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray speak during a news conference in D.C. in January.

Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray during a news conference at the U.S. Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C., earlier this year. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

2020 presidential election

2020 election

A Texas man accused of threatening Georgia officials in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a Craigslist post" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/01/21/doj-arrests-texas-man-threatening-election-worker" data-vars-content-id="795a8331-8e9e-48b0-9909-195dd70e8699" data-vars-headline="Texas man sentenced for threatening Georgia officials after 2020 election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/01/21/doj-arrests-texas-man-threatening-election-worker" target="_self">a Craigslist post</a> that called for their killing following the 2020 election was sentenced to two years in prison on Wednesday.The big picture: Chad Christopher Stark, 55, of Leander, was the first person arrested under the Department of Justice&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Election Threats Task Force" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/01/election-workers-threat-justice-department-taskforce" data-vars-content-id="795a8331-8e9e-48b0-9909-195dd70e8699" data-vars-headline="Texas man sentenced for threatening Georgia officials after 2020 election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/01/election-workers-threat-justice-department-taskforce" target="_self">Election Threats Task Force</a>, which launched in 2021 in response to a spike in threats against election workers following the 2020 election.

Former President Trump will hold a closed-door fund-raiser in Hallandale Beach, Florida, when the fourth Republican presidential debate takes place next week.

The big picture: Trump has been touting in fund-raising emails a "VIP contest" to win tickets to the "end-of-year reception" near Miami on Wednesday as the GOP presidential front-runner's 2024 rivals, including former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, take to the stage for the debate.

Trump's campaign has called on the Republican National Committee to cancel future debates, urging the RNC to instead "refocus its manpower" on beating President Biden in 2024.

Of note: The RNC has tightened its rules for appearing at the debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, requiring participants to have a minimum of 80,000 unique donors "with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in 20+ states and/or territories."

They must also poll at least 6% in two national polls or 6% in one national poll and 6% in one early state poll from two separate "carve out" states.

Trump to host Florida fund-raiser as GOP holds presidential debate

Trump has been touting in fund-raising emails a "VIP contest" to win tickets to the "end-of-year reception" near Miami.

Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a campaign rally at Trendsetter Engineering Inc. on November 02, 2023 in Houston, Texas. 

Republican presidential candidate former President Trump looks on during a campaign rally in Houston, Texas, earlier this month. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Donald Trump

2024 Elections

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Former President Trump" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" data-vars-content-id="f69d4f5d-2d06-4d87-bec6-63870f57441e" data-vars-headline="Trump to host Florida fund-raiser as GOP holds presidential debate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_self">Former President Trump</a> will hold a closed-door fund-raiser in Hallandale Beach, Florida, when the fourth Republican presidential debate takes place next week.The big picture: Trump has been touting in fund-raising emails a &quot;VIP contest&quot; to win tickets to the &quot;end-of-year reception&quot; near Miami on Wednesday as the GOP presidential front-runner&#x27;s 2024 rivals, including former UN ambassador <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Nikki Haley" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/nikki-haley-gop-campaign-ad" data-vars-content-id="f69d4f5d-2d06-4d87-bec6-63870f57441e" data-vars-headline="Trump to host Florida fund-raiser as GOP holds presidential debate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/nikki-haley-gop-campaign-ad" target="_self">Nikki Haley</a> and Florida Gov. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Ron DeSantis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/08/robert-bigelow-trump-desantis-2024-primary" data-vars-content-id="f69d4f5d-2d06-4d87-bec6-63870f57441e" data-vars-headline="Trump to host Florida fund-raiser as GOP holds presidential debate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/08/robert-bigelow-trump-desantis-2024-primary" target="_self">Ron DeSantis</a>, take to the stage for the debate.

Rebecca Falconer

Stories

Trump to host Florida fund-raiser as GOP holds presidential debate

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger dies at 100

In photos: Major moments in Kissinger's career

Texas man sentenced for threatening Georgia officials after 2020 election

Environmentalists slam Biden admin's oil and gas auctions during COP28