Axios PM

July 16, 2026
Happy Friday Jr.! Today's newsletter, edited by Alex Fitzpatrick, is 648 words, a 2½-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.
1 big thing: America's fittest cities

Arlington, Va., Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis are America's fittest cities, per the latest annual report from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Elevance Health Foundation.
- That's based on parks and recreation infrastructure, environmental conditions, residents' health indicators, and more across the 100 biggest cities.
🌃 The big picture: There are "two types of cities," the report finds.
- "One where healthy choices are built into everyday life, and another where structural barriers continue to limit long-term health."
Zoom in: The top-ranked cities tend to have lower obesity and chronic disease rates, more walking and biking activity, and better parks and rec access.
📈 2026's biggest climbers: Richmond, Va. (+20 spots, to No. 20), Charlotte, N.C. (+19 spots, to No. 42), Virginia Beach, Va. (+18 spots, to No. 61), and Durham, N.C. (+17 spots, to No. 49).
- The biggest drops: Orlando, Fla. (-19 spots, to No. 65); Laredo, Texas (-18 spots, to No. 88) and Jacksonville, Fla. (-16 spots, to No. 84).
Former ACSM President Stella Volpe said in a statement accompanying the report: "The cities that consistently rank at the top aren't succeeding because of one program or one investment."
- "They've built systems that support healthier living over time. They are the ones creating environments where physical activity can easily become a part of everyday routines."
2. 🚔 ICE says all field offices will have body cams soon

Half of all ICE field offices now have body cameras for agents, with the rest expected to get them within 60 days, Axios' Brittany Gibson reports.
- That's after ICE agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year. Two more people were killed this month in Texas and Maine, where officers weren't wearing cameras.
📷 Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered immediate body camera use in Minneapolis in February, pledging to expand the technology nationwide.
- Congress then budgeted an extra $20 million for DHS in April to provide body cameras to ICE agents.
A DHS spokesperson said: "ICE will ensure each arrest team has an individual wearing a body camera. Ensuring all of our ICE law enforcement officers have body cameras nationwide is a top priority for DHS."
- The agency said that the recent federal government shutdowns slowed the camera rollout.
Critics say ICE's camera delays are unacceptable amid questions about agents' training and competency.
- Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), who represents the Houston area, said after the ICE shooting there last week: "I think the blame on the shutdown is just ludicrous. They were given $20 million just for this purpose."
3. ⚡️ Catch me up

- 💰 Trump Media & Technology Group is letting financial services companies access real-time Truth Social data for a fee, interim CEO Kevin McGurn tells Axios' Sara Fischer exclusively. Go deeper.
- 🎰 Federal regulators are investigating whether a White House teleprompter operator capitalized on his knowledge of President Trump's prepared speech text by making trades on the prediction market Kalshi. Go deeper.
- 🏛️ Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) says he won't vote to confirm acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to the permanent role until Blanche meets with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse. Get the latest.
- 🍄 Eli Lilly has agreed to buy psychedelic treatment developer AtaiBeckley for up to $3.8 billion. Go deeper.
4. 🚁 1 tech thing: School safety drones

A Colorado charter school opening next month could become the state's first school to install drones designed to confront shooters, Axios' Robert Sanchez reports.
- John Adams Academy is joining a growing national experiment with a system called Campus Guardian Angel.
🚔 The small drones emit high-pitched chirping noises, shoot pepper balls and can ram suspects at speeds of nearly 60 mph.
- Pilots in Austin would use drone cameras and school maps to find shooters and send live video to police.
Yes, but: The company's drones have yet to be used in an actual school shooting.
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