Dec 29, 2017

Hungarian prime minister to address Merkel-allied party

Photo: Christian Marquardt / Getty Images

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is set to address a party summit for Germany's Christian Social Union next month, per Politico. The CSU is the Bavarian (and far more conservative) counterpart to Angela Merkel's nationally-oriented center-right Christian Democratic Union.

Why it matters: Merkel and the CDU are struggling to assemble a governing coalition after losing ground in September's elections — and they're set to sit down with the center-left Social Democrats in a last-ditch effort to cobble an alliance together. The CSU is a needed ally for the CDU in their talks, but its embrace of Orbán, a hardliner with extremely controversial views on immigration, could be a troubling sign for Merkel as she tries to reach across the aisle.

Go deeper: Learn more about Orbán's immigration policy of refugee bans and border fences.

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Jonathan Swan, Alayna Treene

Scoop: New White House personnel chief tells Cabinet liaisons to target Never Trumpers

McEntee, shown with White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, walks on the South Lawn of the White House Jan. 9. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Johnny McEntee called in White House liaisons from cabinet agencies for an introductory meeting Thursday, in which he asked them to identify political appointees across the U.S. government who are believed to be anti-Trump, three sources familiar with the meeting tell Axios.

Behind the scenes: McEntee, a 29-year-old former body man to Trump who was fired in 2018 by then-Chief of Staff John Kelly but recently rehired — and promoted to head the presidential personnel office — foreshadowed sweeping personnel changes across government.

Go deeper1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Ina Fried

How art can help us understand AI

Photo: Ina Fried/Axios

Activists and journalists have been telling us for years that we are handing too much of our human autonomy over to machines and algorithms. Now artists have a showcase in the heart of Silicon Valley to highlight concerns around facial recognition, algorithmic bias and automation.

Why it matters: Art and technology have been partners for millennia, as Steve Jobs liked to remind us. But the opening of "Uncanny Valley: Being Human in the Age of AI" tomorrow at the de Young Museum in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park puts art in the role of technology's questioner, challenger — and sometimes prosecutor.

Go deeper1 hour ago - Technology

Kendall Baker

The Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury fight is the rematch of the century

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

The weekend's biggest sporting event is Wilder-Fury II, which despite its name is not an action movie sequel starring Jean-Claude Van Damme but, rather, a boxing match starring arguably the two best heavyweights in the world.

The backdrop: In their first meeting in December 2018, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury put on a memorable show at Staples Center, with Fury surviving a brutal right hand in the 12th round to earn a split-decision draw.

Go deeper2 hours ago - Sports