The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will feature an unprecedented cocktail of dangerous air and ocean conditions — and is likely to be extremely active, Axios extreme weather expert Andrew Freedman reports.

• Why it matters: Hurricanes are nature's largest and most expensive storms. The U.S. government's latest outlook represents its most aggressive prediction ever released in May, just before the season begins.

"This season is looking to be an extraordinary one in a number of ways," NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad said at a press conference today.

🧮 By the numbers: NOAA forecasts the season will bring 85% odds of an above-normal season, with 17–25 named storms of tropical storm intensity or greater.

• Of those, 8–13 are projected to become hurricanes — and 4–7 major hurricanes of Category 3 or greater.
• The numbers are well above the 1991–2020 average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes each season.

🌀 What to watch: The season will officially start on June 1, with record to near-record warm ocean waters in every part of the Atlantic.

• Warm water is hurricane fuel. There are few signs that a significant cooldown will occur between now and the heart of the season in August and September.

🖼️ The big picture: Climate change's influence on hurricanes is becoming increasingly clear, according to numerous studies.

• Recent hurricane seasons have featured more storms that underwent periods of astonishingly rapid intensification, which studies have tied to human-caused global climate change.
• Hurricanes also bring greater rainfall than they used to as the climate has warmed.

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The Justice Department and 30 state and district attorneys general sued ticketing giant Live Nation on antitrust grounds, Axios' Sara Fischer reports.

• Why it matters: The outcome of the legal battle could upend the ticketing and live-events industry for years to come.

🔬 Zoom in: The lawsuit calls for breaking up Live Nation — accusing the company of illegally abusing its monopoly power in live ticketing following its 2010 acquisition of Ticketmaster.

• "We will defend against these baseless allegations, use this opportunity to shed light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists," Live Nation said in a statement.

Go deeper ... Read the complaint.

1. 🇰🇪 Above: President Biden and Kenya's President William Ruto participate in an arrival ceremony for the first state visit by an African leader since 2008. Menu for tonight's state dinner.
2. 🎓 More than 1,000 people walked out of Harvard's commencement in protest of the university denying degrees to 13 seniors involved in the pro-Palestinian encampment, Axios Boston's Mike Deehan reports.
3. 🏀 The WNBA will expand outside of the U.S. with a new Toronto-based team joining the league for the start of the 2026 season, Axios' April Rubin writes.

The average age of registered cars and light trucks in the U.S. now stands at a record 12.6 years, Axios' Joann Muller writes from S&P Global data.

• Why it matters: We're holding on to our cars in part because they're better built than they used to be — but also because it's just too expensive to buy a new one.

🛠️ Between the lines: The aging of the U.S. auto fleet is good news for car dealers, neighborhood mechanics and auto parts retailers who make their money on car repairs and service.

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