National

The U.S. must mobilize against a growing "epidemic of hate" amid record-breaking hate crimes, Vice President Harris said Friday at an event celebrating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

Why it matters: Her remarks come after three Asian businesses were targeted in shootings in Dallas and a white man killed 10 people, most of whom were Black, in a Buffalo supermarket.

Friday marks one year since the federal government enacted its first substantial effort at addressing anti-Asian hate. 

What she's saying: "It is impossible to celebrate and ignore that we celebrate ... at this moment in time where I do believe we are witnessing an epidemic of hate in our country," Harris said at the AAPI Victory Power Fund rally on Friday. "We only need to look at the events of the last two weeks."

 "There are people who believe that America is meant only for some and not for all, who scapegoat and attack people" because of their race, ethnicity or gender, she added. "We are witnessing again and again the terrible human cost of this hate."

"We know that we need to address those fissures and failures in the system that might cause a lack of accountability," she said, citing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act's provisions such as language support.

"We must mobilize in support of the notion that a harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us. And we must organize against those who seek to incite violence ... Each of us here has an important role to play."

Turning out to vote will be key to ensuring AAPI voices are heard at all levels of government, Harris noted. "It is not hyperbole to say what we do between now and November will determine the future of our nation."

The big picture: Americans continue to wrongly blame people of Asian descent for the coronavirus. A greater percentage harbored distrust of their loyalties now compared to last year.

Meanwhile, nearly seven out of 10 Black Americans say police treatment has gotten worse in the past year. Roughly the same percentage believe police shootings of Black and brown youths have worsened in that time.

Go deeper: Asians in America reach new level of duality

Kamala Harris: U.S. must end “epidemic of hate”

The vice president's remarks come after recent mass shootings targeting Black and Asian Americans.

Photo of Kamala Harris sitting at a table with her hands folded in front of her

Vice President Harris speaks about reproductive rights while meeting virtually with abortion providers in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. on May 19, 2022. Photo: Oliver Contreras/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Kamala Harris

The U.S. must mobilize against a growing &quot;epidemic of hate&quot; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="amid record-breaking hate crimes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/05/hate-crimes-asian-hate-breaks-records" data-vars-content-id="601d2466-dfa1-4209-b0ef-8d236bcca9b6" data-vars-headline="Kamala Harris: U.S. must end “epidemic of hate”" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/05/hate-crimes-asian-hate-breaks-records" target="_self">amid record-breaking hate crimes</a>, Vice President Harris said Friday at an event celebrating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).Why it matters: Her remarks come after three Asian businesses <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="were targeted in shootings" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2022/05/18/arrest-dallas-korean-hair-salon-shooting" data-vars-content-id="601d2466-dfa1-4209-b0ef-8d236bcca9b6" data-vars-headline="Kamala Harris: U.S. must end “epidemic of hate”" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2022/05/18/arrest-dallas-korean-hair-salon-shooting" target="_self">were targeted in shootings</a> in Dallas and a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="white man killed 10 people" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/16/shootings-weekend-buffalo-america" data-vars-content-id="601d2466-dfa1-4209-b0ef-8d236bcca9b6" data-vars-headline="Kamala Harris: U.S. must end “epidemic of hate”" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/16/shootings-weekend-buffalo-america" target="_self">white man killed 10 people</a>, most of whom were Black, in a Buffalo supermarket.

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

As the Supreme Court seems poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, Native American women are sounding the alarm about how it would disproportionately endanger their lives.

Why it matters: Advocates fear overturning Roe would lead to a flood of unsafe abortions, health problems and deaths for Native American women, who suffer some of the highest rates of sexual violence in the U.S. and are two times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. 

Context: The vast majority of Native Americans receive health care through the federal Indian Health Service per treaty agreements, but the Hyde Amendment prohibits the use of federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or when a pregnant person's life is threatened.

The risk of rape or sexual assault is 2.5 times higher for Native women compared to the rest of the U.S., according to the Urban Indian Health Institute. A 2018 study found that one in two Native women will be victims of sexual violence in their lifetime.

Some states have recently enacted abortion bans that do not allow exceptions for rape or incest. "Now that they are denying these services, Indigenous women are out again. There's nowhere to turn," said Lauren van Schilfgaarde, a member of the Cochiti Pueblo, who serves as director of UCLA Law School's tribal legal development clinic. 

State of play: The nonprofit Indigenous Women Rising saw a surge in abortion-related requests for funding after Texas' abortion ban took effect in September. 

Co-founder Nicole Martin, who is Laguna and Diné, said the leaked ruling has only heightened the increase in "frantic and panicked callers." 

Most need money to cover transportation, child care and hotel costs while traveling out of state. Native American women make roughly $0.60 to the dollar of white men as of 2019, according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research. 

With high maternal mortality rates among Native Americans, many also worry that bans similar to Texas' will hurt doctors' abilities to treat people who suffer miscarriages.

What they’re saying: Without Roe, the U.S. would see disparities widen when it comes to maternal mortality, poverty and mental health issues — especially among Indigenous folks who are forced to carry pregnancies after being raped, said Abigail Echo-Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation and the chief research officer of the Seattle Indian Health Board. 

"This is going to impact detrimentally the current crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls," she added, pointing to the role abortion plays for survivors.

Some anti-abortion Indigenous women have argued that the procedure hurts "unborn Native Americans" who are among the most vulnerable in the U.S., but Echo-Hawk rejected that line of thinking.

"It is our responsibility to carry on the future for the next generations, and that includes being able to make autonomous choices on when we birth and when we don't."

Reproductive autonomy is especially important for Native Americans, who are still suffering in the aftermath of mass forced sterilizations in the 20th century, Martin said. 

"The possibility of Roe being overturned is another tool of conquest," she said. "That's what colonizers knew worked best: Eliminate women and you eliminate the community." 

"We shouldn't have to plan for creating abortion funds to get women into specific states to ensure that they can get safe and legal abortions ... And we shouldn't have been and shouldn't have to be dependent on states but we know the federal government isn't going to uphold our right and so we're going to have to do whatever it takes," Echo-Hawk added.

Indigenous women fear for their safety in a post-Roe America

"The possibility of Roe being overturned is another tool of conquest."

Photo of a person holding up a sign that says "Reproductive rights are human rights" at a protest 

Abortion rights activists at the "Bans Off Our Bodies" Reproductive Rights rally on May 14 in Los Angeles. Photo: Araya Doheny/FilmMagic via Getty Images

Abortion

Elon Musk meets Bolsonaro ahead of Brazilian election

The visit comes as Musk is increasingly engaged with global politicians, especially conservative leaders.

Photo of Jair Bolsonaro on the left and Elon Musk

President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro (left) and billionaire Elon Musk. Photos: Andressa Anholete and Dimitrios Kambouris for The Met Museum/Vogue via Getty Images

Elon Musk

Big Tech

Latin America and Latinos

Elon Musk met with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday to discuss connectivity and other technology projects <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ahead of Brazil&#x27;s election" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/07/13/bolsonaro-reject-election-results-vaccine-scandal" data-vars-content-id="defc2a7c-5b8a-46f2-a2f2-2ae331067bb2" data-vars-headline="Elon Musk meets Bolsonaro ahead of Brazilian election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/07/13/bolsonaro-reject-election-results-vaccine-scandal" target="_self">ahead of Brazil&#x27;s election</a>.Why it matters: Musk traveled to Brazil as part of his satellite internet service Starlink&#x27;s expansion in the region. The visit comes as Musk is increasingly engaged with global politicians, especially conservative leaders.

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

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

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

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a deal Friday to secure compensation for countries that "suffered from Russia's actions."

Why it matters: Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova told the U.S. Helsinki Commission earlier this month that Russia has committed nearly 10,000 war crimes over the course of the war. A compensation deal would show aggressors that they will be held accountable for their actions at the international level, Zelensky said.

What he's saying: "We invite the partner countries to sign a multilateral agreement and create a mechanism through which each and every one who has suffered from Russia's actions will be able to receive compensation for all losses," he said in a Telegram post.

"Under such an agreement, Russian funds and property under the jurisdiction of partner countries must be seized or frozen, and then confiscated and directed to a specially created fund from which all victims of Russian aggression can receive appropriate compensation."

"That would be fair," he said. "And Russia will feel the true weight of every missile, every bomb, every projectile it has fired at us."

The big picture: G7 countries have said they will provide nearly $20 billion in financial aid for Ukraine.

Earlier this month, Lithuania became the first country to designate Russia as a terrorist country after recognizing its actions in Ukraine as genocide.

A soldier accused of killing a civilian will be the first Russian service member to stand trial on war crimes charges since the start of the unprovoked war.

Axios' Jonathan Swan will interview Zelensky Monday, May 23 at 2pm ET. Join the livestream here. 

Zelensky proposes compensation for "victims of Russian aggression"

"Russia will feel the true weight of every missile, every bomb, every projectile it has fired at us."

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks in a live video during the opening ceremony for the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2022 in Cannes, France. Photo: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russia

Ukrainian President <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Volodymyr Zelensky" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/22/russia-ukraine-invasion-putin-live-updates" data-vars-content-id="e3d735b9-29ab-4592-b89d-8347f2f90277" data-vars-headline="Zelensky proposes compensation for &quot;victims of Russian aggression&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/22/russia-ukraine-invasion-putin-live-updates" target="_self">Volodymyr Zelensky</a> proposed a deal Friday to secure compensation for countries that &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="suffered from Russia&#x27;s actions" data-vars-click-url="https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/1714" data-vars-content-id="e3d735b9-29ab-4592-b89d-8347f2f90277" data-vars-headline="Zelensky proposes compensation for &quot;victims of Russian aggression&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/1714" target="_blank">suffered from Russia&#x27;s actions</a>.&quot;Why it matters: Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova told the U.S. Helsinki Commission earlier this month that Russia has committed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nearly 10,000 war crimes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/05/ukraine-invasion-venediktova-russia-war-crimes" data-vars-content-id="e3d735b9-29ab-4592-b89d-8347f2f90277" data-vars-headline="Zelensky proposes compensation for &quot;victims of Russian aggression&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/05/ukraine-invasion-venediktova-russia-war-crimes" target="_self">nearly 10,000 war crimes</a> over the course of the war. A compensation deal would show aggressors that they will be held accountable for their actions at the international level, Zelensky said.

The Senate voted 86-11 to pass a nearly $40 billion military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine on Thursday and the bill now goes to President Biden to be signed into law.

Why it matters: The package, which is billions more than the $33 billion initially requested by the White House, includes military aid, economic support and humanitarian assistance for food security stemming from Russia's unprovoked invasion. 

The 11 Republicans who voted "no" on the bill were Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), John Boozman (Ark.), Mike Braun (Ind.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.),  Josh Hawley (Mo.), Mike Lee (Utah), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Roger Marshall (Kan.), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Tommy Tuberville (Ala.).

The House had voted 368-57 to pass the package last week after congressional leaders struck a deal. All 57 of the votes opposing the aid were cast by Republicans.

Senate leaders wanted to pass the bill quickly last week through unanimous consent, but that was delayed by Sen. Rand Paul who wanted language added to the bill to include oversight of the spending. 

What they're saying: President Biden applauded the package's passage and thanked Congress for “sending a clear bipartisan message” that the U.S. supports Ukraine.

“The resources that I requested will allow us to send even more weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, replenish our own stockpile, and support U.S. troops stationed on NATO territory,” Biden said in a statement.

“Together with the contributions of our Allies and partners, we will keep security, economic, food, and humanitarian assistance flowing to Ukraine, across the region, and around the world, and further strengthen Ukraine — both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.”

Go deeper... On the front lines in Donbas: One Ukrainian soldier's story 

Congress approves $40 billion aid package for Ukraine

The bill, which includes military aid and humanitarian assistance, now goes to President Biden for his signature.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speak to reporters outside the Senate Chambers at the U.S. Capitol on May 11, 2022 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images

The Senate voted 86-11 to pass a nearly $40 billion <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="military and humanitarian aid package" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/11/house-passes-40-billion-ukraine-bill" data-vars-content-id="ef05774d-a8c7-4566-a8e7-3c367cae22a4" data-vars-headline="Congress approves $40 billion aid package for Ukraine" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/11/house-passes-40-billion-ukraine-bill" target="_self">military and humanitarian aid package</a> for Ukraine on Thursday and the bill now goes to President Biden to be signed into law.Why it matters: The package, which is billions more than the $33 billion initially requested by the White House, includes military aid, economic support and humanitarian assistance for food security stemming from Russia&#x27;s unprovoked invasion.

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Stories

Indigenous women fear for their safety in a post-Roe America

Zelensky proposes compensation for "victims of Russian aggression"

Kamala Harris: U.S. must end “epidemic of hate”

Elon Musk meets Bolsonaro ahead of Brazilian election

Congress approves $40 billion aid package for Ukraine