Axios PM

March 30, 2026
Good Monday afternoon! Today's newsletter, edited by Alex Fitzpatrick, is 684 words, a 2ยฝ-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.
โก Breaking: The TSA says most of its officers received much of their back pay today for working during the shutdown. How it's going.
Bulletin: The FBI says a man who crashed his pickup into a Detroit-area synagogue two weeks ago was inspired by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist organization. The FBI says Ayman Ghazali made a video before the attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township. Get the latest.
1 big thing โ Zelensky: Russia wants more war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes a long war in Iran would be very good for Russia and very bad for Ukraine, he told Axios' Barak Ravid.
๐ท๐บ Zelensky told Axios: "I am sure Russia wants [a] long war. They have benefits: The U.S. is focusing on the Middle East and may decrease military help to Ukraine. Sanctions are partially lifted. I see only benefits for Russia from the war with Iran continuing."
- Asked if he was concerned that a prolonged war in Iran would hamper Ukraine's weapons supply, he said: "I am not just concerned, I am sure we will have such challenges. Absolutely."
- Zelensky also expressed concern about the U.S. issuing sanctions waivers related to Russian oil sales: "If now they get more money from energy, it doesn't help us."
๐ Zelensky spoke with Axios after traveling to the Middle East, where he discussed possible security assistance with leaders in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan.
- Leaders there have mixed views on the Iran war, he said, with some expecting it to continue and others wanting a quick ending.
- Zelensky said Ukraine shared evidence that Russia provided Iran with satellite imagery of U.S. and European military bases and other critical infrastructure in Middle Eastern countries.
๐บ๐ธ What's next: Zelensky said he's concerned that after the Iran war is over, the Trump administration will resume pressuring Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia.
- "They don't see another way to stop Putin other than withdrawing Ukrainian troops from our territory. My concern is that nobody really values the danger of such a decision for our security."
2. ๐ก Who owns America's homes


Business professionals, educators and social service workers have the highest U.S. homeownership rates by career field, Axios' Sami Sparber writes from a new National Association of Realtors analysis.
- STEM and technical workers' homeownership rates have dipped slightly, falling from 69% in 2014 to 67% in 2024.
๐ That's likely because they're clustered in expensive housing markets, such as California's Bay Area.
- NAR principal economist Nadia Evangelou tells Axios: "It's not just about jobs. It's really about where those jobs are located, and how affordable housing is in those markets."
๐ Service workers still have the lowest rates, but saw the highest jump since 2014, rising from 43% to 46%.
3. โก๏ธ Catch me up

- ๐ President Trump threatened to "completely obliterate" Iran's power, energy and water infrastructure if a peace deal "is not shortly reached" and if the Strait of Hormuz isn't opened "immediately." More from Barak Ravid.
- ๐ช๐ธ Spain has closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war, marking another step in the country's opposition to the conflict. Go deeper.
- ๐ผ๏ธ Art thieves nabbed paintings by Renoir, Cรฉzanne and Matisse worth millions from a northern Italian museum in a brazen three-minute heist, police say. Go deeper.
4. ๐ฅ 1 for the road: Learning "Krav Mama"

Arizona Krav Maga instructor and new mom Sara Ullenbruch-Zarezadeh has developed a postpartum version of the popular self-defense technique, Axios Phoenix's Jessica Boehm reports.
- "Krav Mama" focuses on rebuilding muscle and stamina, while incorporating motherhood's new self-defense challenges.
๐ถ Moms are encouraged to bring their kids along.

๐ฅ Jessica writes: "My 10-month-old and I gave Krav Mama a shot last week at EVKM Self Defense & Fitness."
- "We practiced one-handed palm strikes and off-balance front kicks, and simulated what to do if someone tries to grab our babies."
"It was a gift to work out without scrambling to find a babysitter, to compare milestones and sleep schedules between squats, and to see my daughter watch her mom prioritizing her mental and physical health."
- Go deeper ... Get Axios Local.
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