Before President Trump posted an image of him as a Christ-like healer, he discussed the meme with his controversial housing finance chief Bill Pulte, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Trump's Truth Social post Sunday night drew such a fierce backlash from Christians that he pulled it down, an extremely rare move for him. But the mystery of who may have helped introduce the meme to him wasn't clear, until now.
Both the S&P 500and the Nasdaq Composite hit new all-time closing highs on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Stocks are soaring on hopes that the Iran war will fade and on signs that Americans are continuing to spend — despite rising prices at the pump and souring sentiment.
Advances in AI's ability to take on novel scientific work are helping researchers move faster, connect siloed knowledge, and design treatments more efficiently, according to a new report from OpenAI's policy, research and sciences team shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: The life sciences have saved hundreds of millions of lives over the past century, but progress has slowed dramatically — even as the toughest diseases remain unsolved.
Dolby Cinema topped $203 million from the 2025 domestic box office and is pacing for another record year as its tech expands to more cinemas, executives exclusively tell Axios.
Why it matters: More audiences are choosing higher-quality theater experiences as studios and exhibitors look to revive moviegoing.
Why it matters: Bayer — which acquired Roundup when it bought Monsanto in 2018 — recently announced a $7.25 billion settlement deal and is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling that could decide the product's fate in the U.S.
I sent the following memo to Axios staff on March 20, 2026 ...
We believe AI will help power our Axios moonshot: to dramatically increase our national and local footprint, catapulting us past rivals as the most useful news organization in America.
Why it matters: Outside of Silicon Valley, we're in the top 5% of companies of our size and vintage in using AI. We're doing a lot more, a lot faster, thanks to your early buy-in. This work falls exclusively outside of the journalism itself. But the business impact is very promising.
U.S. venture capital investment easily hit an all-time record in Q1 2026, according to data released today by PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. In fact, domestic startups raised more last quarter than in any entire year, save for 2021 and 2025.
Yes, but: U.S. venture capital investment decreased quarter-over-quarter, if you remove just five Q1 2026 transactions.
Lyft and Waymo might be ride-hailing rivals, but they're also partners in Nashville, where Lyft's Flexdrive subsidiary will manage Waymo's newly deployed robotaxi fleet.
Why it matters: It's the latest example of frenemies working together to deliver on a shared vision for an autonomous future.
The Wall Street Journal and its parent Dow Jones are launching a new sports vertical that will debut alongside an exclusive, invitation-only sports economy event in New York City this summer.
Why it matters: "Having spent the last couple of years in sports, and seeing how big the opportunities are becoming for investors and owners — It's clear that sports has turned into this incredible asset class," said Dow Jones chief growth officer M. Scott Havens.
Starbucks is rolling out a new AI-powered feature in ChatGPT that suggests drinks based on your mood, cravings or even a photo.
Why it matters: The coffee giant is among the first major restaurant chains embedding AI into discovery and ordering — a preview of the next-gen digital menu.
Hilbert, an AI startup rethinking how companies drive growth, raised a $28 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz, the startup told Axios exclusively.
Why it matters: Companies are pouring money into AI without always seeing returns, which Hilbert hopes to change by helping automate business decisions that drive growth.
Salesforce is unveiling a new way to measure AI productivity, pushing back on Silicon Valley's fixation on "tokenmaxxing" — the belief that consuming more AI tokens signals real work.
Why it matters: As companies race to prove they're using AI, Salesforce argues raw token consumption is a vanity metric and wants to replace it with one tied to actual business results.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby floated the idea of a merger with American Airlines while meeting with President Trump last month, according to multiplereports.
Why it matters: Corporate America has concluded that federal antitrust approval now comes from the top.
Data: National Association of Realtors analysis of Census Bureau data; Table: Shafaq Patel/Axios
Business and tech professionals are most likely to own a home in the Houston region — and that's relatively consistent from a decade ago, according to a real estate analysis shared exclusively with Axios.
The big picture: The occupations with the highest homeownership rates in Houston mirror national trends, per the National Association of Realtors analysis of census data.
Zoom in: Sales and real estate saw the biggest jump in homeownership, rising from 56% in 2014 to 63% in 2024 — reaching the national percentage.
Companies are starting to talk more about the real, quantifiable things they're doing with AI: from designing toys to writing marketing copy, according to a new analysis of investor earnings calls.
Why it matters: It was just a few years ago that many companies paid lip service to AI — now they're offering tangible details.
Turion Space raised more than $75 million and plans to spend the money on improving its spacecraft production rates and its reconnaissance capabilities in orbit.
Why it matters: Turion is one of 14 companies recently selected by the Space Force to compete for work on the Andromeda program.
Walmart is overhauling its biggest brand, Great Value, for the first time in more than a decade.
Why it matters: The retail giant's private-label brand is one the nation's largest for everyday grocery and household products — outsizing many major food companies, Walmart told Axios.
The S&P 500 just took a round-trip — the stock benchmark for investors has recovered, and then some, from a war-driven selloff.
Why it matters: It's a split-screen moment: investor enthusiasm happening alongside the biggest energy shock in history, a rise in inflation and warnings about slower economic growth.
Editor's note: Congrats to Axios head of news Ben Berkowitz, whose son just committed to a college over the weekend. Ben reflects on the process — relatable for any parent of high schoolers in 2026.
Raising a child means having lots of tough conversations. What no one ever tells you is that the most enraging exchange of all will be: "So, have you picked a college yet?"
If, like me, you have a high school senior at home, May 1 — the commitment deadline — looms like a slow-motion train wreck.
The big picture: It seems simple: Here's the list. We know the locations, we know the costs, now pick one.
