The EPA on Friday formally proposed ending longtime requirements for many polluters to collect and report emissions of heat-trapping gases responsible for climate change.
Why it matters: Democrats and environmentalists widely condemned ending the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program when the agency announced earlier this year it was considering doing so.
Tesla's board chair suggested Friday that there are no restraints on Elon Musk's political activities, and that he'll be measured "on results, and what he does as CEO of Tesla."
Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, employing nearly half of the American workforce and representing 43% of America's GDP. When entrepreneurs come together to learn from one another, share resources and exchange best practices, they ultimately strengthen the communities that rely on them.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick slammed former President Biden's student loan forgiveness plans as unfair to the average American during a sit-down interview with Axios co-founder Mike Allen on "The Axios Show."
Why it matters: The Trump administration blames Biden for the millions of Americans who are facing severe economic consequences and potentially steep declines in their credit scores after student loan delinquencies soared to a five-year high earlier this year.
A massive spike in jobless claims on Thursday heightened fears of a swift labor market deterioration — but it turns out many of those claims were fake.
Why it matters: The big jump, which took national claims to a four-year high and jolted financial markets, was a result of attempted fraudulent unemployment filings in Texas.
Black Democratic politicians have been receiving both "credible" and "non-credible" bomb threats in the past few days, as have a slew of historically Black colleges and universities.
Why it matters: Bomb threats are rising alongside bipartisan calls to tone down accusatory rhetoric after several recent acts of political violence.
Giorgio Armani's heirs have been instructed to sell the late designer's namesake company, most likely to a French buyer, according to his will.
Why it matters: This has stunned the fashion world, given that Armani had taken several steps to maintain the brand's family control and Italian heritage.
Why it matters: Tether runs by far the world's largest stablecoin, but to operate in the U.S. it needs a token designed to work with the recently passed GENIUS law.
Elon Musk got DOGE wrong by focusing on firing people instead of on slashing government waste, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnicktells Mike Allen in the premiere episode of "The Axios Show."
To the extent DOGE keeps functioning, Lutnick said, its cuts will be aimed at costs, not headcount.
Why it matters: With Musk no longer in the White House, and his relationship with President Trump in tatters, officials are more willing to criticize the slash-and-burn approach to government that reduced headcount but didn't save much money.
Consumer prices are up 2.9% year over year, according to the latest Consumer Price Index, which led stocks to rally as investors believe this level of inflation still allows the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.
Why it matters: As long as consumer spending holds up — a big if — cutting rates amid elevated inflation can be a Goldilocks bull case for stocks.
There is no need to plan for the possibility the Supreme Court could strike down President Trump's tariffs, because it won't happen and other tariff avenues exist anyway, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnicktells Mike Allen in the premiere episode of "The Axios Show."
Why it matters: Lutnick's brash confidence stands in contrast to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's warning the government could face the "terrible" prospect of issuing tens or hundreds of billions of dollars in refunds.
Benton County, Arkansas, saw the most wage growth among large U.S. counties between the first quarters of 2024 and 2025, per new federal data, with average weekly pay up 14.6%.
By the numbers: Following Benton were San Mateo County, California (+11.4%); Monmouth County, New Jersey (+10.9%) and New York County, New York (+10.6%; that's Manhattan).
Here are some of the topics that will drive our reporting:
AI and workers: Elected officials often say they're all about protecting workers and creators. We'll examine what they're doing — or not — to ensure people have the skills they need in a new AI-driven economy and to minimize job losses.
Many Americans will remember exactly where they were when they first saw the gruesome video of Charlie Kirk's assassination, which flooded X within minutes — impossible to avoid, impossible to forget.
Why it matters: On the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Americans once again were grappling with the psychological toll of violent images seared into public consciousness.
Anthropic's head of policy Jack Clark tells Axios that the company is planning a major D.C. expansion to ensure they're preparing lawmakers for the ways they see AI reshaping American industries within the next year.
Why it matters: AI is moving too fast for policymakers to fully keep up with. What Anthropic sees as its challenge: Telling Washington it's about to get exponentially crazier.
A series of swift deal maneuvers over the past few weeks suggest David Ellison, son of Oracle chairman Larry Ellison, is looking to quickly buy his way to the top of Hollywood.
Why it matters: Few moguls have access to enough money to be able to acquire major companies, sports rights and film rights all at once. Fewer have the political capital to get away with a massive media deal blitz in the Trump administration.
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting a military coup to overturn the country's 2022 election in a majority ruling by the Brazilian Supreme Court on Thursday.
The latest: Bolsonaro's lawyers said in a media statement after he was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison that they would appeal and called the prison term "excessive and disproportionate."
Why it matters: The gruesome killing of Charlie Kirk, on top of the killings or assassination attempts of so many others, gives 340 million of us Americans a chance to reflect — and act.
Reflect with sadness — and disgust — on senseless violence. Every time. Without pause or caveat.
And act to prevent murderers — and the small, but loud idiots who applaud — from wholly defining our politics.
Do we let a few crazies define the 44 million registered Democrats? Or a few lunatics define 37 million registered Republicans? Do we let all of this define us?
It need not. Here are six ways we can help break that fever:
1. Wake up. This is getting worse — and dangerous. Presidents, congressional leaders and lawmakers, cultural leaders like Kirk, state officials and ordinary Americans are getting shot at and gunned down at an alarming rate. Within minutes, small but loud groups of heartless people justify or even cheer it, and their soulless views are amplified by both sides. Within seconds, your social media feed feels like the apocalypse.
2. Stay grounded. You must realize — and tell others — that the idiot who makes an idiotic comment on MSNBC or X is just that: an isolated idiot. They're not voicing what an entire party or ideology feels or believes. They're getting attention because it's so ludicrous. But the more people "like" it in rage, the more it's pushed to the top of your social media feed. Again, within seconds, you think the world has lost its mind when most of it is grieving.
It wasn't long ago that the wackiest people could be found at the end of a bar, pounding whiskey, howling nonsense. You didn't hear it because it was one person in one bar in one town. Now, that person pops off, other drunks "like" it, and he seems like the most popular guy at the bar. Yet he's still just a howling drunk. That's social media, folks.
3. Tone it down. Don't let the nuts or algorithms suck you into making matters worse. Don't share this stuff. Don't stare at this stuff. Your brain and heart grow twisted or cold when you do. It's OK to just be sad or mad in silence.
4. Shut it off. I know it's hard. But social media is pure evil in these moments. It's not just the awfulness getting amplified. Every clown with a handle is suddenly a forensic expert or coroner. The amount of misinformation is staggering and soul-sapping. Put down your phone. Go outside. Say a prayer.
5. Open up. We won't solve this by drifting deeper into our bubbles. It's easy to hate a faceless party or person. But you'll discover complexity, heart and struggle if you engage the vast majority of people out of curiosity, not judgment. Find someone you disagree with and simply ask: Can we have a calm, nonjudgmental chat about life? This might seem corny. Give it a try.
6. Love. I'm not a self-help guru or cheeseball. In fact, I'm a ruthlessly pragmatic introvert who happens to run a media company. I share many of your worries and worst fears. But the only antidote to division and despair is hope and repair. It starts with each of us. Watch your words. Hug someone. Help someone.
The big picture: Most people are good and peaceful. But a few bad ones can hurl our nation into true chaos. A series of small choices by each of us will write this ending.
➡️ A short story about Charlie to give you hope: Axios is hardly MAGA's comfort food. But we've marveled at the calm, clinical exchanges we've enjoyed with many MAGA leaders, including Kirk. He was responsive and respectful, even when we wrote things he didn't like or agree with.
The same is true of some of the most controversial voices on the left. People can hold views you question, dispute or even abhor. They're still people.
➡️ A second short story about Congress to give you hope. Hours after Kirk was killed, I joined my wife, Autumn, for a reception honoring parents who adopt or foster children. Autumn is the newest board member of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). You want hope? Listen to parents who take in forgotten kids.
You want hope in politics? Turns out, the largest bipartisan, bicameral caucus in Congress, 135 lawmakers strong, is the Congressional Coalition on Adoption. You won't read that on X or see it on cable.
JCPenney is betting on humor and Thursday Night Football to help power its turnaround and early holiday shopping, the retailer told Axios.
Why it matters: The returning weekly campaign is part of JCPenney's post-bankruptcy reinvention, launching as holiday shoppers are expected to pull back and seek savings.
