National

Yesterday was primary day in California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota. Two of the night’s most-watched results came out of California, where homelessness and crime have been top of mind for voters. 

Plus, why scientists are calling summer the “danger season”

And, a temporary memorial for the 45,000 people lost to gun violence each year

Guests: Dan Walters, columnist at CalMatters, and Axios' Andrew Freedman 

Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

America is staring down a summer of disasters

NIALA BOODHOO: Good morning! Welcome to Axios Today! 

It’s Wednesday, June 8th. I’m Niala Boodhoo. 

Here’s what you need to know today:summer becomes the “danger season.” Plus, a temporary memorial for the 45,000 people lost to gun violence each year. 

But first, today’s One Big Thing: crime drives California voters in yesterday’s primary.

It was primary day again yesterday in California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. Two of the night’s most watched results were in California where homelessness and crime have been top of mind for voters. So we wanted to hone in on two races there this morning - The race for LA mayor is now headed to a run-off between representative Karen Bass and billionaire developer, Rick Caruso, and in San Francisco, the progressive district attorney Chesa Boudin has been recalled. Dan Walters is a columnist for CalMatters based in Sacramento. Good morning, Dan.

NIALA: Dan, let's start with the DA's race in San Francisco. What does it say that in one of the most liberal cities in America, a progressive district attorney was recalled?

DAN: Well, it says that San Francisco's had a terrific crime problem lately, mostly petty crime, car break-ins, car burglars, smash and grabs in stores and everything. San Francisco is a liberal city. It's a progressive city, but you know, what's the old saying a conservative is a progressive who’s been mugged? Something like that. And this is kind of a bit of mugging for San Francisco in a sense. And Boudin probably isn't responsible for that in a sense, but he's a convenient target because he is the prosecutor and he is a self-declared criminal justice reformer, who wants to go easier on people. Don't send them to jail if you don't have to, don't prosecute heavily handed, go light. And so he's become a lightning rod.

And it's an interesting thing this issue of crime could resonate around the country, but that doesn't make California necessarily a bellwether because California is still a deeply blue state. This issue might be a bellwether, but not California as a whole. 

NIALA: When we're thinking about LA, how much did crime and the homeless population play a role in that mayor's race?

DAN: Number one and number two, take your pick. They were the only issues virtually, Rick Caruso, who, the wealthy businessman, who is running for mayor made that his issue, spent millions of dollars on ads to drive home the idea that the crime was going, running amuck in Los Angeles, and they're having many of the same problems in Los Angeles that they have in San Francisco. A lot of smash and grab robberies, a lot of homicides, a lot of car burglaries, the same kind of things that have been plaguing San Francisco. And that's going to be the issue in Los Angeles, in the runoff - homelessness and crime. And the two are largely intertwined in the minds of the public.

NIALA: Now we didn't see particularly high turnout in either of these races, but what is your key takeaway about progressives and crime and where we might be going as we head into the fall midterms?

DAN: I wrote a column earlier this year saying that I thought crime would be the sleeper issue of this year's elections in California. And it’s been - The whole idea of this crime wave or concerned about crime has kind of been poo-pooed by the state's main politicians, but it was out there. It's been out there for the last about two years now and people are just getting kind of disgusted with it. That's something that Democrats should worry about because in close races, the Republicans will use the crime issue. They think that's a winning issue this year in some close congressional elections. And it could, you know, in a close congressional race, it could be this thing that tips the ballots.

NIALA: Dan Walters is a columnist for CalMatters based in Sacramento. Thanks, Dan.

NIALA: After the break, preparing for another summer of extreme weather.

NIALA: Welcome back to Axios Today! I’m Niala Boodhoo.

From ferocious wildfires on the west coast to the busiest hurricane season on record in 2020, the past two summers have been especially devastating for Americans when it comes to natural disasters. And Axios’ climate and energy reporter Andrew Freedman says, this is becoming the status quo. As we head into another summer of climate disasters. He's here with details of what that could look like.

Andrew, we're certainly not trying to be alarmist, but groups like the Union of Concerned Scientists are now referring to the summer as the danger season. Can you explain why?

ANDREW FREEDMAN: Yeah. You know, summer is the time period when natural climate variability combines with the climate change signal to push things in one direction. So an ordinary heat wave with climate change becomes a much bigger threat.

When I was little, you know, summer was synonymous with fun and freedom and summer now for a lot of people in the U.S. and around the world is associated with natural disasters and threats. It's associated with huge floods and huge storms and wildfires. And, you know, we have to kind of adapt to our changing reality and see what we can do to better accommodate these new conditions because they're not exactly going away.

NIALA: So you mentioned wildfires, we're thinking about hurricane season, there's a wildfire in New Mexico. That's still burning. It's the largest on record this year. Can you just go through the signs of what we need to be watching for the summer?

ANDREW: Yeah, so right now we have a huge drought footprint in the West. we're going to see, uh, escalating heat waves in the Southwest, in Texas to Colorado, to California, Nevada. And we're looking at the wildfire risk in different parts of the West at different points this summer. So don't think just Southern California, think Northern California as well, especially at the beginning.

And then, we're looking at the hurricane season, which every sign that scientists look for water temperatures, air circulation patterns, all of these that set up a hurricane season in the Atlantic are pointing in the direction of a much above average season. That doesn't guarantee a record disaster, worst case scenario, but it does mean that there's a signal here that's kind of flashing red for elevated risk.

NIALA: What should all of us be thinking about across the country to be prepared for this?

ANDREW: So if you live along the coast, uh, if you live in a coastal region that is at all vulnerable or sees hurricanes on occasion, you should definitely be watching out for the season. Plan to try to bolster your property, but plan also, what you would do in the event of an evacuation and think about where you might go. In wildfire country, you know, people are urging people to try to take defensive action around their property and clear brush and clear vegetation. There's also efforts to educate people about evacuation routes, and get people to have to-go bags. It's interesting how this is becoming a routine, in planning for one season or another. Just like you'd plan for winter, you'd plan for fall, seasonal activities in the West now include HEPA filters for the wildfire smoke.

NIALA: Andrew Freedman covers climate and energy for Axios. Thanks, Andrew.

NIALA: For the second year in a row, tens of thousands of flowers were placed in the shadow of the Washington Monument in our nation’s capitol in a temporary memorial for Americans who have died because of gun violence.

There are more than 45,000 white and orange flowers to represent the lives lost to guns each year. In 2020, 45,222 people died by guns – that includes mass shootings, homicides and suicide. That’s the largest yearly number in history.

Actor Matthew McConaughy - whose hometown is Uvalde, Texas - later spoke at the White House about why this moment could be different. 

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHY: The American people will continue to drive forward the idea of keeping our children safe. Because it’s more than our right to do - it’s our responsibility.

NIALA: A bipartisan group of Senators is working to negotiate a deal on gun control before the end of the week. 

That’s all we’ve got for you today! Text me your feedback and story ideas: I’m at (202) 918-4893.

I’m Niala Boodhoo - thanks for listening - stay safe and we’ll see you back here tomorrow morning.

Crime drives primary voters in California

Two of primary night’s most-watched results came out of California, where homelessness and crime are top of mind for voters.

Climate change

Axios Today

Podcasts

After 10 months of investigation into the capitol insurrection, the January 6th committee is having its first prime time public hearing on Thursday night.

Plus, more police are banned from marching in this month’s pride parades.

Guests: Andrea Bernstein, co-host of the podcast Will Be Wild; Axios' Russell Contreras.

More Pride events banning police from parades

Here’s what you need to know today: more police banned from marching in this month’s Pride parades.

But first, today’s One Big Thing: the January 6th committee goes prime time.

After 10 months of investigation into the Capitol insurrection, the January 6th committee is having its first prime time public hearing on Thursday night. Andrea Bernstein is with us with what to expect. She's co-host of the podcast Will Be Wild, which looks at the forces that led to January 6th. Hi Andrea.

ANDREA BERNSTEIN: Good morning. It's great talking to you.

NIALA: You know, we've had sort of a drip, drip, drip of information about the committee's work over the last year. What's the latest that we've learned ahead of these hearings?

ANDREA: I think that, the sort of biggest information that we've learned most recently is the extent to which the former president pressured his vice president, Mike Pence. And that in fact, Mike Pence's staff warned the secret service of potential violence that they were so concerned prior to January 6. But let me emphasize how important it is to look beyond the drips. And I think this is what the hearing is going to give us the opportunity to do, which is to say, what is the story of what happened? People saw the event on TV or processed it in real time via social media and then since then have gotten news bulletins, have read bits and pieces of stories, but have not really had a chance to immerse themselves in the story. That's what we've tried to do with our podcast and that is what I hope the committee is going to do a lot more of with this subpoena power that they've had.

NIALA: So what do you think will be the central focus, the central story of these hearings?

ANDREA: So I think initially what we're going to really be learning about is more about what the former president was doing on January 6 and in the run up to January 6. That's what they hinted very strongly, that we will understand the seven hour gap in his schedule. We've learned bits of breadcrumbs on the story from court documents that the committee has filed where they've upended bits of testimony from senior White House aides, not the top, top ones, but people who were in the room when decisions were being made. So we expect that we will be learning information that we'll be hearing from witness interviews that we have not heard thus far.

NIALA: My colleague, Jonathan Swan has been reporting this week that the January 6th committee has been split behind the scenes over what actions to take after the public hearings. Do we know what the intent of the end result of this hearing is meant to be?

ANDREA: So I think we've seen it somewhat of a range of what will happen after this that's been out in public view. There's been some indication that some members of the committee are more inclined to press the Justice Department to bring criminal charges while others feel more compelled to tell the story of what happened on January 6th. We don't know for sure. 

And I think one of the things that's really extraordinary about this committee is to the extent that even though bits and pieces of information have come out, the construction of this committee is so different from anything that we've seen. It has seven Democrats. It has two Republicans who are renegade Republicans. So they're all committed to telling the story. The disagreements that we hear seem to me smaller than the unity of purpose with which this committee has really been trying to dig out the truth of what happened in the run-up to January 6th and on the day itself.

NIALA: What does the committee, what has the committee then indicated its hopes are for public engagement with what they're doing?

ANDREA: What we know from what committee members have said is that they are hoping that this information will be revelatory enough that it will change people's views of what to do about democracy. The forces that have been at play, that were at play in the run up to January 6th, those forces haven't gone away. If anything, they've just intensified. So the question of what that means is an existential question for democracy. And I would be alarmed if there wasn't some kind of debate and disagreement and discussion about what to do.

What we know now is that there will be these hearings. Uh, it's our understanding there'll be six of them, two of them in prime time, that there will be a report coming up sometime later this year, that there may be further hearings. And then beyond that, what they do? Do they press the Justice Department to move forward? We shall see. I mean, there's been very little tactically that the committee has done to tilt its hand prior to when it actually does things.

NIALA: Andrea Bernstein is co-host of the podcast Will Be Wild and Trump Inc. Thanks, Andrea.

ANDREA: Thank you so much. Great talking to you. 

NIALA: In a moment: Pride events are telling police to stay away.

NIALA: Welcome back to Axios Today. I'm Niala Boodhoo. As LGBTQ+ groups March in Pride parades around the country this month, organizers in some cities are banning police departments from marching with them. Axios’ Russell Contreras has been reporting on how these cities are responding. Hey Russ.

NIALA: Russ, what role have police departments played in the past in Pride parades?

RUSSELL: Well, traditionally Pride events were a chance for police to engage with gay and lesbian communities. They've marched officially in parades. But in recent years, Pride organizers have pulled back and asked police not to officially participate or march in uniform. And this is a result of some members who support the Black Lives Matter movements saying it's creating tensions between Black LGBTQ members and the tensions around police violence. So in recent years, there has been a push to remove police from officially participating and relegating them to patrolling.

NIALA: And how were police departments responding to that?

RUSSELL: Police across the country, they’re responding differently. Some like in Albuquerque say they’re hurt. They said this was a chance for them to engage with the gay and lesbian community. Others are saying, like say the San Francisco Police Officer Pride Alliance, that this is kind of a slap in the face. They say that you wouldn't do this to other groups. And just because they're police officers should not disqualify them, especially if they agree with the mission of the Pride events. So it's definitely creating a division amongst Pride organizers and some members of the community.

NIALA: What about cities that are still inviting police? Is that still happening too?

RUSSELL: Yes, there's a division, say like in Seattle - Seattle Pride will still allow officers to participate in the parade. Salt Lake City, the police will be marching and the Des Moines police are welcome to participate in this year's Capital City Pride Parade, but it's still unknown whether officers will accept this offer. What's interesting, Niala is that the discussion about police - We're actually going back to the origins of Pride events. You remember Pride came out of the 1969 Stonewall riots also known as the Stonewall Uprising in New York. This happened after police raided a gay club and gay and transgender people fought back.

The uprising sparked what we call now the modern gay rights movement. The day after this riot or uprising members of the Black Panther Party came to join gay protests and they said, “Look, we find ourselves in solidarity with our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters who are protesting this over-policing. And it's interesting how things are coming back around.

NIALA: The bigger picture here also, Russ, is we're seeing a number of anti-LGBTQ legislation happening in various states across the country. Has that also changed the tone of these events?

RUSSELL: That's right. If you remember, when the George Floyd protests were hitting the streets in the summer of 2020, many people were expressing concern that employers weren't letting workers participate in the George Floyd protests. They knew it was too political, but yet they could participate in Pride events or attend Pride events. People saw them as nonpolitical. That division is now gone. Because of these anti-trans laws that are being proposed and passed in various states, now Pride events, Pride parades are recapturing some of the political overtones. They are seen now as we're going to hold this Pride parade not just to commemorate Stonewall, but also to fight back against these anti-trans bills.

NIALA: Axios’ Russell Contreras from Albuquerque. Thanks Russ.

NIALA: Before we go today: we want to hear from teachers. Between the pandemic, school shootings and stagnant wages, how are you doing? Are you or have you considered changing careers? What support do you have…or do you need? Send me a voicememo with your response. We’ll talk about teachers on the show later this week and may use your reply.

The January 6th committee goes prime time

The Jan. 6th committee is having its first prime time public hearing on Thursday night

Jan. 6

Almost all the jobs that were lost at the beginning of the pandemic are back. The question now is what kind of work are we talking about? Two years into the pandemic, we’re seeing more warehouse jobs and health store employees - but fewer waiters and public school teachers. 

Plus, a growing divide among the gun lobby. 

And - a reminder to pack your patience this summer for travel.

Guests: Axios' Courtenay Brown and Lachlan Markay.

Memorial Day airline hell was a painful preview of summer

Here’s what you need to know today: the gun lobby’s growing divide. Plus, don’t forget to pack your patience when traveling this summer.

But first, today’s One Big Thing: America’s new labor market.

Almost all of the jobs that were lost at the beginning of the pandemic are back. But what kind of work are we talking about? Two years into the pandemic, we're seeing more warehouse jobs and health store employees and fewer waiters and public school teachers. Axios’ Courtenay Brown has been reporting out what this new U.S. labor market looks like. Hey Courtenay.

NIALA: We had the latest job numbers out on Friday, which told us that 96% of the jobs lost before the pandemic are back. What else did this report tell you about solidifying trends in our labor money?

COURTENAY: So there's a really striking gap between the public sector jobs that have been recovered and the private sector jobs that have been recovered. Looking under the hood a little bit - the private sector has recovered 99% of all the jobs it lost when the pandemic hit, but the public sector has regained just 58% of the jobs that it lost when the pandemic hit. So that just shows you, kind of this gaping hole we still have in the labor market when it comes to workers in the public sector, teachers and, and the like, you know, just have not recovered the way that the private sector has.

NIALA: And within the private sector, what are we seeing about what industries have recovered faster?

COURTENAY: Well, it's really interesting because it kind of reflects changed behavior that has kind of become the norm during the pandemic. Never before have transportation and warehouse workers made up a bigger share of the labor force than they do now. And that makes sense, right? I mean, how much did you order online when the pandemic hit? A lot more, I presume. And so these sectors are having to hire up to keep up with that kind of demand. On the flip side, the leisure and hospitality sector has really, really lagged behind in terms of its recovery. It has over 1 million fewer workers now than it did before the pandemic hit.

NIALA: Courtenay, how much of this is about how much what workers want also changing because of the pandemic?

COURTENAY: Yeah, I think that we're really seeing workers trade up for different kinds of jobs to better reflect, you know, the quality of life that they want and, and higher pay. There are workers who are deciding, you know, I want more flexibility to work from home. So they’re opting to work in sectors where that can be a reality. And then there are some sectors where wages are really, really rising and so they can - You know, maybe they were a teacher before the pandemic and during the pandemic and decided, well, I can do something else for way better pay and way less stress. And those are the kinds of jobs that they're opting for.

NIALA: Courtenay Brown is an economics reporter for Axios. Thanks Courtenay.

NIALA: In a moment, we’re back with how a split over red flag laws signals a shift in the gun lobby. 

NIALA: Welcome back to Axios Today - I’m Niala Boodhoo.

There were seven separate mass shootings over the weekend that killed at least eleven people and injured 54 others. So far this year, we've had 246 mass shootings in this country. That's defined by the Gun Violence Archive as attacks where at least four people are killed or injured..

The violence across America has led to even more urgent conversations around federal gun control legislation. But as lawmakers struggle to find common ground, powerful gun lobbies representing manufacturers and individual gun owners are growing more divided.

Axios’ Lachlan Markay has been reporting on how these groups are influencing legislation. Hey Lachlan.

NIALA: Lachlan, when we say the gun lobby, I think everyone thinks we're talking just about the National Rifle Association.

LACHLAN: Yeah, I mean, they remain the foremost gun rights lobbying organization in the country, and it's not particularly close, you know, both in terms of reputation, in terms of the size of their budgets, But it's also in a very precarious position right now. It's facing a lot of legal battles. There's also a lot of really bitter internal feuding and you're seeing some groups try to sort of step up into the fold. Some of them look to be taking a bit of a softer position and more open to, you know, ongoing negotiations in Congress regarding potential new restrictions on guns.

NIALA: And one of these other groups is the National Sports Shooting Foundation. How are they becoming a rising force when it comes to the gun lobby?

LACHLAN: The major distinction between NRA and NSSF is the NRA represents individual gun owners. Those are its members and it has millions of them that makes it very potent politically. NSSF is the trade association representing the industry. So they represent firearms and ammunition manufacturers, distributors, retailers, basically up and down the entire industry associated with firearms in the United States. And that changes the incentives a little bit when it comes to policy and we're seeing that bear out a little bit in the ongoing debate.

NIALA: Right, and so we're seeing this with red flag laws, where does the NRA stand versus the National Sports Shooting Foundation when it comes to these kinds of policy changes?

LACHLAN: So these are laws that - they're already in place in a number of states - that allow a judge or the government in some form to step in and say, this person is a significant and immediate threat to themselves or to others. And therefore, they are no longer allowed to own firearms. The NRA has come out and said totally off the table. We will not support it. But you've, you have seen the NSSF signal they could support a red flag law, depending on the specifics of how it's structured. Now, they ave flatly opposed other measures that have been discussed that would be a little stricter, things like universal background check legislation or a federal assault weapons ban, but red flag laws are one area where you're potentially seeing some segments of the gun rights movement, the gun rights lobby say, this is potentially something we could get on board with.

NIALA: So then how significant to your mind - It sounds like it's not even fair to describe it as a divide, but how significant is it that the American gun lobby may not be completely united at this time?

LACHLAN: Well, I think it is significant and I think there is a divide that goes a bit deeper than just this one issue. Because the constituencies that the NRA and the NSSF represent are different, the political incentives for those organizations are different. And the NSSF at its core is a business group and so the break that we've identified here, I think is a symptom of a larger trend in corporate America of becoming much more highly attuned to political, cultural, social public pressure on these really divisive issues.

We've seen it on things like racial justice, voting rights, education, corporate government relations departments are extremely sensitive to anything that's going to essentially alienate an entire side of the political divide. I think that's bearing out not just on those other issues I mentioned, but also on the gun issue hence NSSF taking a bit of a softer line on this.

NIALA:  Lachlan Markay covers money and influence in politics for Axios. Thanks, Lachlan.

NIALA: One last thing before we go today - thanks to Erica Pandey for filling in for me while I took a few days off last week. I was in Miami - and ended up traveling back to DC during the first named storm of this hurricane season -  Tropical Storm Alex. I have flown in and out of the Miami International Airport dozens of times - and I have never seen a security line as long as I did on Saturday, as Alex dumped more than a foot of rainfall on some parts of South Florida. 

There were more than 7,000 flights canceled last weekend over the Memorial Day holiday also because of bad weather and labor shortages with the airlines.

I fly alot. My advice is, it turns out, the same as my colleague Joann Muller’s - book direct flights whenever possible, enroll in programs like TSA PreCheck to avoid security lines - and try not to take out your travel frustrations on the people around you. 

We’ll put a link to Joann’s story in our show notes. 

That’s all we’ve got for you today! Text me your tips for summer travel - or other feedback to (202) 918-4893.

The new American labor market

Almost all the jobs that were lost at the beginning of the pandemic are back but the job market now looks very different.

Jobs

In the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, the assailants were both just 18 years old, highlighting a disturbing trend: shooters are getting younger. 

Plus, the war in Ukraine at one hundred days. 

And, blue cities in red states are saying they won’t enforce abortion bans.

Guests: Axios' Oriana Gonzales and Dave Lawler.

Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Erica Pandey, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Alex Sugiura, and Lydia McMullen-Laird. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

Blue cities in red states say they won't help enforce abortion bans

Mass shooters are getting younger

In the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, the assailants were both just 18 years old

Mass shootings

Summer is unofficially here, with people across the country going out, traveling, and dropping masks more than in months past. But case numbers over Memorial Day weekend were almost 6 times higher than at this time last year, and COVID vaccines aren't keeping up with the new variants that just keep coming.

Plus, the golden age of remote work is ending. 

And, why it’s more important than ever to get enough Vitamin D.

Guests: Dr. Celine Gounder, editor-at-large for public health at Kaiser Health News and Axios' Hope King.

Omicron is outrunning the vaccines designed to fight it

Musk's WFH warning amplifies threat level for workers

ERICA: Good morning! Welcome to Axios Today! It’s Thursday, June 2nd. I’m Erica Pandey, in for Niala Boodhoo. Here’s what you need to know today: the golden age of remote work is ending. Plus: why it’s more important than ever to get enough Vitamin D. But first, today’s One Big Thing: how to stay safe as Omicron outruns vaccines.

ERICA: Summer is unofficially here with people across the country going out, traveling and dropping masks more than in months past. But case numbers over Memorial day weekend were almost six times higher than at the same time last year. And the COVID vaccines aren't keeping up with the new variants that just keep coming. So where does that leave us for the next few months? Dr. Celine Gounder is back with us. She's the Editor-at-Large for public health at Kaiser Health News. Hi, Dr. Gounder.

ERICA: So first, should people be less concerned about these strains that are coming out? You hear that anecdotally, but you know what's your medical opinion on that?

CELINE: I think a lot of people have been counting on this so-called immunity wall from the Omicron surge over the winter. The issue is that the subvariants that are currently circulating are rather different from what was circulating over the winter. An infection to the original omicron variant will not provide good protection against the currently circulating subvariants of Omicron known as BA.2.

ERICA: How are vaccines doing against these newest variants?

CELINE: There is a mismatch between the vaccines that we currently have and the circulating variants, the immune response that you get to the vaccines or to prior infection don't protect as well against the Omicron subvariants. So while there may still be protection against severe COVID, there's still a pretty significant risk of infection even if you've been fully vaccinated.

ERICA: But are we going to develop wholly new vaccines to deal with these new strains?

CELINE: Well, there are some updates planned for the fall and very likely the vaccines that will be administered starting in the fall will be tailored to the original Omicron variant. The issue is that we already have seen new Omicron subvariants emerge. We have more on the way, BA.4 and BA.5, which were first picked up in South Africa.

They are currently at a pretty low level here in the United States, but we have enough data to suggest that they probably will outpace even the BA.2 that is currently circulating. And with each of these new subvariants, there's greater and greater immune evasion and greater and greater mismatch with our current vaccines. So it is going to be a challenge to figure out how can we stay better matched? How can we keep pace with the virus as it's mutating? And one of those technologies, really the holy grail here would be what we call a universal coronavirus vaccine or more technically pan sarbecovirus vaccine, which would be effective against not just the current variants, but future variants as well.

ERICA: It seems like we're all getting so much more relaxed. I mean, mask mandates are gone in so many places. You're seeing people maskless on transportation as well. What can and should people be doing to protect themselves right now?

CELINE: Well, just because you don't have to wear a mask, doesn't mean you shouldn't and can't wear a mask. There's no mandate that you have to use toilet paper, but most of us do. You know, I think this is one of those situations where you may not have the government forcing you to take action, but for your own personal protection, for the protection of those around you, these tools are still at your disposal. And that includes tools like masking, that also includes tools like testing. Testing before you're around other people, especially more vulnerable people. Say, if you're going to go visit your grandmother in the nursing home, it would certainly make sense to test before making that visit to make sure that you're not going to pose a risk to her.

ERICA: Before I let you go, I want to zoom out a little bit. We've learned so much about this virus in the last two years. What are some of the big questions though that are still unknown that could impact the way we respond to it?

CELINE: It's very difficult to forecast how the SARS-CoV-2 virus will mutate over the coming months to years, how quickly it will mutate, how exactly it will mutate, what that will mean for our vaccines and our drugs. And so that really does create a lot of uncertainty about how the pandemic will evolve and hopefully eventually end. We are not at the end of the COVID pandemic. We still have a ways to go before we get to a steady state where there's a predictable amount of transmission. Right now, we're still in a pandemic because you're still seeing these peaks and troughs that are not predictable. Hopefully we get to a point where you don't see these big surges at certain times of year.

ERICA: Dr. Celine Gounder is the Editor-at-Large for public health at Kaiser Health News. Thanks for your time.

ERICA: In a moment: CEOs are backing away from remote work.

ERICA: Welcome back to Axios Today. I'm Erica Pandey in for Niala Boodhoo. Almost every time a CEO has made a big workplace announcement these last two years, it's been to say, “we're going fully remote” or “we're hybrid.” So Elon Musk shocked this week when he said Tesla employees have to come back full time or they can leave. Is this the start of a new anti-remote movement? And will white collar workers who by and large like remote work and flexibility, accept it? Axios business reporter Hope King is here to break it down. Hey, Hope.

ERICA: So Hope we know how Elon Musk feels. Is this in line with other CEOs and how they feel about remote work?

HOPE: I think it is. I think if you look at some of the comments from some of the biggest banks like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, you know, those CEOs like Jamie Dimon and David Solomon have been talking about the need for workers to come back and how much they want workers to come back. If you have someone like Elon Musk, who is in charge of this big company, Tesla, very influential in many ways, you might have other companies who have been waiting for other big companies like Tesla to make decisions, to then follow suit.

ERICA: We know there's been a split between CEOs C-suite and you know, rank and file employees when it comes to remote work. But are workers are starting to change their minds about remote work. Who's staying home still and who wants to be in?

HOPE: If you look at who can stay home and are staying home, it's likely workers who have an advanced degree so higher than a bachelor's degree. Um, that's according to government data. On the other hand, workers who might have less than a high school diploma, they are among the least likely to be able to be remote. When you look at Elon Musk's memos, he even mentioned that, you know, he says that everyone is required to work 40 hours minimum in the office per week. And that is less than what we ask of our factory workers. So I do think that's an important distinction.

ERICA: Right now, there are 11.4 million open jobs and the workers really have the power. So most companies are leaning into this hybrid work and flexibility because they want to attract as much talent as they can. Is that eventually going to change?

HOPE: So I do think that ultimately the tables will eventually turn back to favor our employers, but for the moment, as you mentioned, the workers still have the power, But again, when you have someone like Elon Musk out there talking about his own policies that might give more companies the leeway to do the same. And if more companies are then enforcing the same policies, workers will ultimately have fewer choices because no matter where they go they will have to work from the office. And I think that's where this gets very interesting. When you have again, an Elon Musk out there, trashing working from home. 

ERICA: Hope King co-writes the daily Closer newsletter. Thanks, Hope.

ERICA: We started the show talking about omicron – and we’ll leave you today with one more note about staying safe as Covid surges: An unexpected way to protect yourself may be to soak up the sun. We’ve all heard about how missing out on vitamin D weakens our bones and our teeth, but recent research has also linked vitamin D deficiency to risk of Covid. In a 2020 UChicago study, researchers found that patients who were vitamin D deficient were twice as likely to test positive for Covid as those with enough of the sun’s vitamin. 

The study was careful to note that this is just an observation for now. We don’t know for sure whether taking vitamin D reduces your risk of getting Covid. But we do know that it comes with big benefits for your bones, teeth and immune system. You need need 15-20 minutes of direct sunlight without sunscreen to get enough vitamin D from the sun. If that’s not possible or doesn’t feel safe consider multivitamins to supplement the Vitamin D you’re able to get from the sun’s rays.

That’s all for today – I’m Erica Pandey, in for Niala Boodhoo - thanks for listening - stay safe and we’ll see you back here tomorrow morning.

Omicron is outrunning vaccines

Covid case numbers over Memorial Day weekend were almost 6 times higher than at this time last year.

COVID-19

A sweltering heat wave has made its way across the country over the past week, in a reminder of the drastic effects of climate change that just keep getting worse. Now cities are looking for new ways to keep people cool. 

Plus, how the war in Ukraine is causing global hunger. 

And, Canada proposes new gun legislation, in the wake of American mass shootings.

Guests: Axios' Jennifer Kingson and Emily Peck.

Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Alex Sugiura, and Lydia McMullen-Laird. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

For cities, staying cool is the hot new thing

Canada poised to pass sweeping gun restrictions in wake of Uvalde and Buffalo

Monarch butterflies see resurgence in Mexico

It’s Wednesday June 1st. I’m Niala Boodhoo. 

Here’s what we’re watching today: US cities are combating extreme heat. Plus: Canada proposes new gun legislation, in the wake of American mass shootings.

But first, today’s One Big Thing: how the war in Ukraine is causing global hunger. 

Russian forces have taken almost full control of several of Severodonetsk, a key city in Ukraine's Donbas region. The Kremlin has captured nearly all of this Eastern part of the country, including the southern coastline, which effectively blocks Ukraine's major ports along the Black Sea. Before the invasion began, Ukraine exported about 5 to 6 million tons of grain a month. Just in April, that number was 1 million tons. The sharp decline in grain exports has caused bread prices to soar, particularly in some of the world's most vulnerable countries. Axios markets reporter Emily Peck has been reporting on what this surge can mean for global food prices. Hi Emily.

NIALA: Emily I think the important first question here is how much of the world relies on Ukrainian wheat exports?

EMILY: 26 countries on the planet get 50% or more of their food from Ukraine or Russia. The two countries combined, they're exporting about more than 25% of the world’s wheat. Um, so this is critical suppliers of wheat especially to Africa and the Middle East.

NIALA: And what about us? So does America rely on European, Russia and Ukrainian wheat?

EMILY: No, food prices are going up in the United States, but we're not dependent on that supply from Ukraine and Russia. People will be affected, especially those at the lower end of the income scale, those dependent on SNAP benefits. And so that is having impact here and we'll continue it's just that it's not as dire.

NIALA: India is another major wheat exporter. India is actually the ninth largest in the world. How has India responded to this shortage?

EMILY: So shortages, beget, shortages. Shortages beget what's called export bands and protectionism. You see the price of something as critical as wheat going up. And you're worried about securing enough for the people who live in your country as India is. And so they have banned wheat exports to the rest of the world, putting even more price pressure on bread and wheat for everybody else.

NIALA: And so what are we looking like globally? Are we facing a global hunger crisis because of these shortages?

EMILY: Yes. You would speak to experts, you know, at the UN World Food Program, they've been sounding the alarms for a while on this. Hunger crisis is a definite concern. Certainly shortages are a concern. And all the instability and unrest that comes along with that is a big concern as well. If you look back on in history, the price of bread going up often leads to political unrest. Let's just say going back to Arab spring, to the French revolution in the 18th century to the Russian revolution, this is a serious, serious business.  Vladimir Putin is using food as a weapon in this war. And it is working. You hear a lot about the Western sanctions against Russia and yes, they are working, but this is Putin's retaliation. This is what he's doing. And it’s probably going to cause a lot of people to go hungry and who knows what else political unrest could come from it.

NIALA: Axios’ Emily Peck. Thanks Emily.

NIALA: In a moment, we’re back with how cities are trying to fight the urban heat island effect.

NIALA: Welcome back to Axios Today, I'm Niala Boodhoo. It was 94 degrees yesterday here in DC, the hottest day of the year so far. A sweltering heat wave has made its way across the country over the past week. A reminder of the drastic effects of human-caused climate change that just keeps getting worse. Now cities are looking for new ways to keep their residents cool. Here to explain on the first day of meteorological summer is Axios chief correspondent, Jennifer Kingson. Hi Jennifer.

NIALA: So Jennifer, technically it was 94 yesterday, but when I was driving in my car, I saw, especially when you're on the highway and around concrete, my car temperature said it was 98 degrees outside.

JENNIFER: That's because of the urban heat island effect, which has buildings and dark streets and all the things that, uh, crowd into cities, trapping the hot air and making it feel even hotter. Climate change is hitting cities twice as hard as other areas and slamming public officials in the face with the problem. 

NIALA: Jennifer, can you remind us what the stakes are here in terms of deaths and how cities are trying to prevent this?

JENNIFER: As bad as the heat is for everyone in the city uh, when a heat wave hits, it's particularly dire for low-income people who are more likely to lack  air conditioning, to have jobs that require them to be outside, to live in areas with, uh, undesirable facilities, like industrial plants and so forth. And it's something that forward thinking cities are trying to tackle methodically. So far, three US cities Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami Dade county have appointed chief heat officers whose job it is to, uh, come up with ways to cool people down during the summer. That includes high-tech things like applying advanced sealants to streets, to cool them down and low tech things like misting people in the streets um, having cooling centers where people can come inside. One interesting experiment in Phoenix had a particular brand of sealant painted on the streets to change the color to gray from black and that succeeded in a 10 to 12 degree temperature drop, on those streets that were painted. So that's one thing that cities are starting to look at, but not quite fast enough.

NIALA: Jennifer Kingson is an Axios correspondent and you can find her in the What's Next newsletter. Thanks Jennifer.

NIALA: Funerals have begun for the 21 people who were murdered in the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. And while the US Congress continues to debate action on guns, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced new gun legislation on Monday.

PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU: We need only look south of the border to know that if we do not take action firmly and rapidly it gets worse and worse and gets more difficult to counter. That’s why as of this moment or as of the passage of this legislation, it will be illegal to buy, sell, import or transfer handguns in this country.

NIALA: The proposed Canadian laws are expected to pass, and would also force people to turn in handguns and military-style rifles through a buy-back program.

Many countries have responded to mass shootings with broad legislation, including Australia, which enforced a mandatory gun buyback program after a 1996 massacre. It has only seen one mass shooting in the 26 years since. And the UK banned semi automatic weapons after a gunman used one to kill 16 people in 1987. They also banned handguns after a 1996 school shooting.

The US has had more mass shootings than almost any other country. The New York Times reports that when adjusted for population, Yemen is the only country with more.

Alright, we know we’ve been covering some heavy news stories. So - let’s end with a moment of hope. Axios Latino’s Marina Franco reports that Monarch butterflies are seeing a resurgence in Mexico. The eastern Monarch has declined more than 70% over the last three decades because of factors like climate change and deforestation. But a new study says the area occupied by eastern monarchs in the Mexican forests they flock to grew 35% from 2020 to 2021. For more on this glimmer of good news, you can find Marina’s piece in our show notes.

U.S. cities are combating extreme heat

As heat waves start to make their way through the country, cities are looking for new ways to keep their residents cool.

Heat waves

As with virtually everything in the Senate these days, Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia holds a lot of power. As he engages in talks on climate and deficit reduction with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, could he also play a role in gun reform?

Plus, what new details on George Floyd’s life reveal about the U.S. past and present.

Testing Senator Joe Manchin’s power

Could Joe Manchin help ease the way on gun reform?

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