Axios PM

June 16, 2026
Good Tuesday afternoon! Today's newsletter, edited by Alex Fitzpatrick, is 510 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.
1 big thing: Rethinking red vs. blue

In a new analysis, Pew Research Center carves out nine distinct U.S. political groups that go beyond the simple "red vs. blue" binary, Alex Fitzpatrick writes.
- Pew writes: "Many Americans hold a complex mix of values and beliefs that don't always fit neatly into either major party."
Among the nine groups...
No Apologies Right (9% of American adults, per Pew's survey) and Faith First Conservatives (12%).
- "No Apologies Right take harder-line positions on most issues, but Faith First Conservatives stand out more on topics closely tied to religion, morality and social traditionalism."
Leftward Progressives (7%) and Loyal Liberals (11%).
- "Leftward Progressives are the youngest typology group, with very progressive views across the board."
- "In contrast, Loyal Liberals are far more attached to the Democratic Party, have greater trust in institutions and are more invested in the United States' role as a leader in international diplomacy."
The biggest group: Order and Opportunity Left (18%).
- "One of the most racially and ethnically diverse groups, they are economically liberal but are more concerned about crime and more supportive of immigration restrictions than other majority-Democratic groups."
2. π First named storm of '26

Tropical Storm Arthur is expected to form in the Gulf early tomorrow, Axios New Orleans' Carlie Kollath Wells reports.
- Arthur β the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season β will make landfall tomorrow night, near the Texas-Louisiana border.
π The storm is forecast to dump 4β8 inches of rain in parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
- Some spots could get up to 12 inches through Thursday, leading to potentially life-threatening flash flooding.
Go deeper ... Latest forecast.
3. β‘οΈ Catch me up

- πΏ Workers are battling a green algae bloom in D.C.'s iconic Reflecting Pool, following President Trump's $14 million renovation effort. Go deeper.
- π The FBI foiled an alleged plan to attack this past weekend's UFC fight outside the White House, director Kash Patel said on X today. Patel also posted a Fox News story saying that the plot involved snipers and "explosive-laden drones." Go deeper.
- π―οΈ All eight people aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed just after takeoff yesterday at California's Edwards Air Force Base were killed, officials said. Get the latest.
4. β½οΈ 1 sports thing: Miami gets World Cup fever

Florida's Hard Rock Stadium hosted its first of seven World Cup matches last night, Axios' Martin Vassolo reports from the game.
- The 65,000-seat venueΒ β temporarily rechristened "Miami Stadium" βΒ was packed as two-time champion Uruguay took on Saudi Arabia (result: 1-1).
πΊπΎ The match was personal for the thousands of local Uruguayans.
- Fans gathered hours ahead of the 6 p.m. kickoff outside the stadium, where they painted their faces, played soccer mini-games, and got hype for the TV cameras.

ποΈ Inside the stadium, loud chants of "Uruguay! Uruguay!" competed with drumming and chanting from the Saudi fans.
- Uruguayans draped flags and signs all over the arena, including one that simply read "Asado y Vino" β "barbecue and wine."
Go deeper ... Get Axios Local.
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