Oct 4, 2018 - World

White House briefs senators on Middle East peace push

Jared Kushner. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Jared Kushner and special envoy Jason Greenblatt — President Trump's "peace team" — went today to Capitol Hill and briefed a bipartisan group of senators on the administration's Middle East peace efforts. 

Why it matters: This is the first such briefing to senators, and is part of the pre-launch phase of the White House peace plan. Kushner and Greenblatt have met recently with Jewish groups, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Arab officials (though not Palestinians). The briefing didn't include details, a source with knowledge tells me, only an overview on where things stand. Trump said last week that he wants to present his peace plan within 2-4 months, and he said for the first time that he supports a two-state solution. 

Go deeper

Dave Lawler
Updated 9 mins ago - World

Massive explosion rocks Beirut

Photo: Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images

A major explosion has slammed central Beirut, Lebanon, damaging buildings as far as several miles away and injuring scores of people.

Driving the news: The cause of the explosion is unknown. It's also unclear how many people were killed or wounded, but the Lebanese Red Cross has told AP that casualties number in the hundreds. Reuters reports that at least 10 people have been killed, citing security sources.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 45 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 1 p.m. ET: 18,349,260 — Total deaths: 695,550 — Total recoveries — 10,951,112 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 1 p.m. ET: 4,732,418 — Total deaths: 155,942 — Total recoveries: 1,513,446 — Total tests: 57,543,852 — Map.
  3. States: New York City health commissioner resigns in protest of De Blasio's coronavirus response.
  4. Public health: 40% of Americans continue to put off medical care.
  5. Politics: Trump tells "Axios on HBO" that pandemic is "under control," despite surges in infections and uptick in deaths.
  6. Business: Low-income households are struggling to pay energy bills — Construction spending falls for 4th straight month.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Miriam Kramer
Updated 53 mins ago - Science

The U.S. is at risk of attacks in space

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

Other nations are catching up to U.S. capabilities in space, potentially putting American assets in orbit at risk.

Why it matters: From GPS to imagery satellites and others that can peer through clouds, space data is integral to American national security.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow