The Biden administration today enshrined AI as a national security imperative, Axios Future of Defense author Colin Demarest reports.

• Although the administration established some guardrails for AI, its overall message was clear: The U.S. needs to move faster, not slower.
• In a long-awaited national security memo, the White House signaled a hands-off approach that urges the Pentagon, intelligence agencies and AI developers to quickly expand their use of AI.

🦾 Why it matters: If the U.S. fails to deploy AI faster and more extensively than its adversaries, its hard-won military advantages could vanish, national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned in a speech at National Defense University.

• "We could have the best team but lose because we didn't put it on the field," he said.

🌎 What they're saying: There are few "precedents for a document such as this one," said Gregory Allen, director of the Wadhwani AI Center at CSIS.

• It may ultimately prove just as significant as the documents that shaped Washington's approach in the Cold War — nuclear weapons included.

What's next: Expect a flurry of new investments in defense-related AI applications, as well as the energy and support systems they'll require.

• Go deeper.

Voters in 41 states will consider a total of 159 ballot initiatives this year, Axios Denver's John Frank writes.

• ☑️ Ten states, including Arizona, Colorado and Florida, have abortion-related measures on the ballot, which Democrats hope will drive higher turnout.
• Five states and Washington, D.C., are considering overhauls to how elected leaders are picked, whether through changes to primary elections, ranked-choice voting or both.
• Three states — Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota — are weighing whether to legalize marijuana.

Go deeper.

1. 🐝 Beyoncé will appear with Vice President Harris at a rally in Houston tomorrow. Go deeper.
2. ⚖️ Former President Trump indicated he'd consider pardoning Hunter Biden if he's reelected. Go deeper.
3. 🚢 Russia provided targeting data that helped Houthi rebels in Yemen with their attacks on Western ships earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The New York Liberty celebrated their WNBA championship today with a parade through Lower Manhattan's "Canyon of Heroes" and an event at City Hall.

• It's New York's first basketball championship since 1973.
• "[To] see how many people were in the crowd, smiling, celebrating the Liberty," star guard Sabrina Ionescu said. "It really puts into perspective what it means to bring a championship to this city and how it really takes everyone."