Former Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to New Orleans later this summer as Democrats confront a Supreme Court ruling that could sharply reduce Black representation in Congress, a person close to her first told Axios.
Harris has slammed the court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling as "backdooring racism through politics."
Why it matters: Harris' moves are the latest sign she's inching toward a presidential run in 2028, and courting Black voters as she lays the groundwork for a campaign.
Years before he helped launch Disney+, or helped the Mouse buy Marvel and Star Wars, Kevin Mayer studied mechanical engineering at MIT and spent time working on battlefield radar systems and signal processors.
Now he's getting back to those roots.
Driving the news: Smash Capital, the venture firm Mayer co-founded in 2021, has led a $200 million Series B round for autonomous turret maker Allen Control Systems at a $2.2 billion post-money valuation.
The U.S. economy added 172,000 jobs in May, while the unemployment rate held at 4.3%, the government said Friday.
Why it matters: The labor market is strengthening after months of lackluster jobs growth, confirming the economy is gaining momentum despite the economic fallout from the Iran war.
Senate Republicans advanced ICE and Border Patrol funding through the end of President Trump's second term, after beating back multiple amendments targeting his priorities during an 18-hour "vote-a-rama."
Why it matters: The party-line vote had been deeply in doubt over the past weeks, as senators revolted against the "anti-weaponization fund" and spending requests for the president's White House renovations.
Hunter Biden is staging one of the most unlikely reinventions in politics, attempting to charm and disarm the internet trolls who feasted on the darkest moments of his life.
Why it matters: Former President Biden's 56-year-old son spent years as the ultimate MAGA villain, staying largely silent as his addiction, legal troubles and personal life were used as a cudgel against his father's presidency.
The AI industry, battling concerns about its impact on jobs and energy costs, is accusing China-linked actors of using social media to fan opposition to the data centers powering America's AI boom.
Why it matters: As the U.S. and China race for AI supremacy, resistance to data centers is threatening the industry's massive buildout plans here — and AI leaders believe foreign actors are stoking the backlash.
Energy Department undersecretary Darío Gil is taking a long-term view of science and technology.
Why it matters: While President Trump's second term has been marked by high-drama fights over AI policy, Gil's been working behind the scenes to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in science and tech.
The Trump administration is undertaking the broadest firearm deregulation in years, a sweeping rollback that would let Americans ship handguns in the mail, gut Biden-era background check rules and make it harder to yank a gun dealer's license.
Why it matters: The effect critics fear is more guns moving with less federal scrutiny under the proposed dismantling of a 1927 criminal statute and dozens of newer rules, including President Biden's effort to close the so-called gun show loophole.
Teens seeking to socialize together in public this summer are discovering that their presence is often treated as a problem.
Why it matters: The decline of malls, cheap hangout spots and welcoming public spaces has left teenagers with few places to gather without money or access to a car, urban designers and youth researchers say.
Democratic lawmakers will roll out a bill setting guidelines for the military's use of advanced AI next week, per an announcement first shared with Axios.
Why it matters: The bill is one in a series of responses from members of Congress concerned about how AI can be used in defense or make deadly decisions without human oversight.
