Axios PM

June 08, 2026
Good Monday afternoon! Today's newsletter, edited by Alex Fitzpatrick, is 561 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.
⚡️ Situational awareness: In a phone interview with Axios, President Trump said he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if he went back to war with Iran, he might find himself fighting alone. More from Barak Ravid.
1 big thing: Why the ISS keeps leaking

NASA's order for International Space Station astronauts to prepare for a hasty departure Friday marked the most dramatic episode yet in a yearslong saga over mysterious leaks in a Russian module, Alex Fitzpatrick reports.
- Five astronauts boarded the SpaceX Crew Dragon docked to the ISS in case they needed to evacuate.
- That order came after Russian space agency Roscosmos decided to investigate — and hopefully fix — leaks plaguing its Zvezda service module.
⏸️ Roscosmos later paused "and did not perform the structural repair work," per NASA.
- The Russian agency instead conducted "additional measurements and data assessments."
- "NASA strongly supported that decision, and as a result ... [the astronauts] ended their safe haven activities and returned to normal operations."

Ars Technica reports: "Engineers believe the leaks are caused by microscopic cracks in the module's structure."
- "Russian cosmonauts have repeatedly inspected and attempted to seal the cracks, but a permanent fix has eluded them."
⚠️ Roscosmos says there's no safety threat — but any leak on a laboratory flying 250 miles above Earth at speeds of 17,500 mph presents a concern.
Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell tells Scientific American: "The worry is that a small crack could suddenly get catastrophically bigger."
- "That's unlikely but not impossible, and that would risk loss of the station and crew."
2. 🚙 America's hottest used car

Demand for used RAV4 hybrids is through the roof as buyers seek fuel-efficient vehicles, Bloomberg reports.
- The Toyota SUV gets around 40 mpg — helpful to beat today's sky-high gas prices driven by the Iran war.
💸 Bloomberg writes: "Used, late-model versions of the RAV4 hybrid often list for more than their original sticker prices, even with thousands of miles."
- "In some cases, they cost more than a new 2026 model fresh from the Toyota factory."
📈 Used prices are up in part because some buyers face long waits for the newest version from dealers.
3. ⚡️ Catch me up

- 🏀 President Trump's attendance at tonight's Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals game is turning the world's most famous arena into a walled garden. Watch parties have been canceled, and fans with tickets are being told to arrive at MSG two hours early to get through TSA-style security. Several streets in the heart of Midtown Manhattan will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians. Go deeper.
- 🍎 Apple previewed the next versions of its phone and computer software, featuring a revamped AI-powered Siri assistant and more. Go deeper.
- 🥄 Bending Spoons, an Italian holding company that buys and revitalizes legacy tech brands like AOL, filed for a U.S. IPO that could fetch around a $20 billion valuation. Go deeper.
4. 📺 1 for the road: Under the dome

Axios Atlanta's Kristal Dixon recently caught the NBA Finals on an 87-foot, 12K+ LED domed screen at Cosm, an upstart "immersive entertainment" chain.
- Kristal writes: "I marveled at the screen quality while watching Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Spurs and the Knicks."
🍿 It's like you're sitting in the first row at the movie theater, but you're not tilting your head backward.
- The seating layout makes the dome viewing a communal experience.
📬 Thanks for reading! Please invite your friends to join PM.
Sign up for Axios PM

