President Biden touched down in Brussels on Sunday evening ahead of two days of talks with NATO and European Union leaders as part of his first foreign trip as president.
Driving the news: Biden was greeted on the tarmac by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and a slate of other officials, including Douglas Jones and Mark Libby, the U.S. Permanent Representatives to NATO and the EU respectively.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Suzanne Clark told me on "Axios on HBO" that the business group was right to endorse vulnerable House Democrats last year, despite the flak that resulted from Republicans.
Clark, who took over the top job in March, said those House Democrats "had really helped push business's number one priority, which was the free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, over the finish line."
"All of the Republicans that we work with on tax, on regulation — those people are really, really important to us," she added: "So we have to be willing to have a different coalition on every issue."
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency tells "Axios on HBO" that it's "essential" to have a nuclear deal with Iran because otherwise "we are flying blind."
Driving the news: Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi sat down with "Axios on HBO" at IAEA headquarters in Vienna, ahead of Iran's June 18 presidential election and a June 24 extension on negotiations seeking to restore curtailed surveillance of Iranian nuclear sites and salvage the 2015 deal.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., told me on "Axios on HBO" that President Biden will be candid, frank — and tough — during this week's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The president will make clear to the Russians that they cannot harbor cyber terrorists and criminals in their country and not be held accountable for it," she added. "And they need to take the responsibility for dealing with this issue."
If a bipartisan group of lawmakers fails to strike a deal on the infrastructure proposal it's negotiating with the White House, ramming through a package using the partisan reconciliation process isn't a guaranteed solution.
Why it matters: Getting 51 Democratic votes would be a long, uphill battle. And moderates within the party are balking at the cost of President Biden's spending — even as progressives openly lament that the "transformational" change they seek is slipping out of reach.
A national police union is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking The Squad, records show.
Why it matters: The $510,000 in spending by two PACs associated with the International Union of Police Associations is the largest independent political expenditure of the 2022 cycle to date. It appears geared less toward unseating any of the members and more toward raising money for the groups themselves.
Vice President Kamala Harris' stumbles during her first foreign trip have rekindled the debate from her presidential campaign about whether she — and not her staff — is to blame.
Why it matters: While Harris' only overture toward running for president in 2024 has been a trip to New Hampshire in April, the vice president is in a prime position to cast herself as the best choice for Democrats should President Biden not seek a second term.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has argued over her 39-year diplomatic career that educating and empowering women and girls is an investment in peace and security for their nations.
"I will always push for women to be part of negotiation teams," she told me in the State Department Treaty Room, during an interview for "Axios on HBO."
"I notice ... when they're not in the room. ... Sometimes I'm the only one," she added with a laugh. "And I will call it out."
Large numbers of election workers have left their jobs in the aftermath of the 2020 election, when many faced persistent threats of violence and harassment while performing their jobs, the Associated Press reports.
Driving the news: Officials in states across the country have quit or retired early due to the "partisan rancor" that now surrounds their jobs and as conspiracy theories about the election continue to thrive within the Republican party, per AP.
U.S. flagmakers have begun preparing designs to add a 51st star to the American flag amidst a revitalized push to grant statehood to Washington, D.C., NBC News reports.
The state of play: The House passed a bill for D.C. statehood in April, but getting it through the Senate remains a long shot.
Why it matters: The group of 10 senators announced the success of their infrastructure negotiations on Thursday, but did not elaborate on how the bill would be paid for except to say it would "not include tax increases."
More than 16,000 Southern Baptists will gather for their annual convention Tuesday to make key decisions about the direction of the congregation, debate key issues and elect a new leader.
Why it matters: TheSouthern Baptist Convention is the country's largest evangelical Christian denomination, and has had a great deal of influence on Republican politics. This year's convention has been marred by recent internal controversies about systemic problems of sexual abuse, racism and the treatment of women, AP reports.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday that she won't "give up" on Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who has been acting as an obstacle on the House Democrats' election reform bill, Politico reports.
The big picture: Manchin has opposed some of the more high-profile legislation, which House Democrats have backed, and has ultimately played a pivotal role in much of the success, or failure, of House-passed bills in the Senate.
President Biden and the first lady met on Sunday with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle.
Driving the news: The Bidens were greeted by the Queen's Guard of Honor and then retired to a private tea within the castle. Biden spoke warmly about their meeting, saying the queen "reminded him of his mother" and that she was "very gracious," according to pool reports.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that he and President Biden’s meeting at the NATO summit Monday will need to set the platform to pacify tensions between the two countries, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: Relations between the two nations are in a fragile state over disputes concerning Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 missiles, among other issues.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday she thinks Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer should retire at the end of the court's term to allow President Biden to name a successor.
Flashback: The comments come less than a year after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which allowed President Trump to fill a vacant seat with a conservative judge before he lost the presidential election.
The Group of Seven leaders ended their summit on Sunday by demanding that Russia take action and investigate the use of chemical weapons within its territory and hold accountable those behind ransomware attacks and other cyber crimes.
Why it matters: The allied language come as all eyes turn to President Biden's Wednesday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva.
The Group of Seven leaders on Sunday concluded their summit by agreeing to reaffirm their previously-established goals to create a turning point in climate change issues in 2021.
The big picture: The G7 leaders emphasized their commitment to a green transition that would cut emissions, halt and reverse biodiversity loss and "increase prosperity and wellbeing." They did not announce specific new goals.
Group of Seven leaders on Sunday announced they have agreed work together to challenge China’s “non-market economic practices” and to press Beijing to respect human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
The Group of Seven nations will provide more than a billion coronavirus vaccine doses to aid global vaccination efforts over the next year, the leaders announced on the final day of the summit.
Why it matters: The G7 nations have been criticized for not sharing their vaccines, particularly with countries that have struggled to contain new waves of the virus.
President Biden reaffirmed his support for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo during a meeting this weekend with Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide at the G7 summit.
State of play: The games are scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8 and come as Japan navigates recent spikes in coronavirus cases.
Thousands of teachers and other educators held protests across the U.S. Saturday against the actions of "at least 15 Republican-led states" that aim to restrict teaching about racism in class, the Washington Post reports.
Driving the news: There were demonstrations in at least 22 cities for the "Day of Action" to raise awareness about moves to limit students' exposure to critical race theory, which links racial discrimination to the nation's foundations and legal system, per Axios' Russell Contreras.
A federal judge on Saturday dismissed a lawsuit brought by 117 Houston Methodist staff over the hospital's policy requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Why it matters: This is the first federal court ruling on a coronavirus vaccine mandate. Attorney Jared Woodfill, representing the plaintiffs, told KHOU 11 it's "the first battle in a long fight," as he vowed to file another lawsuit soon.
England's Football Association issued a statement Saturday asking fans to respect players taking the knee to protest racism after some supporters booed the national soccer team for doing so ahead of the European Championships.
Driving the news: Ahead of England's opening game in the tournament against Croatia at London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday, the FA asked fans "that oppose this action to reflect on the message you are sending to the players you are supporting."
G7 leaders are set to announce Sunday a range of measures to tackle climate change, including "ending almost all direct government support" for fossil fuels and phasing out gasoline and diesel cars.
Driving the news: The plan was outlined in a British government announcement Saturday, which states that the leaders will also agree to halting "all unabated coal as soon as possible."
Mass shootings in three states overnight has taken the total number of such events for this year to 267, the Gun Violence Archive announced Saturday.
Driving the news: The nonprofit research group has since Friday recorded seven incidents of gun violence across the U.S. that meet its definition of a mass shooting — when four or more people have been shot.
