Axios

Suicide death rates among 10- to 14-year-old girls and boys nearly evened out from 2018 to 2024, according to new research published this week.

Why it matters: The research found that suicide death rates between boys and girls nearly evened out during the years analyzed, bucking previous data showing boys had higher suicide death rates, though girls think about and attempt suicide more often.

Republicans are outspending Democrats in almost every battleground Senate race this month as Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) looks to the GOP's cash advantage to help hold his majority.

Why it matters: The post-Labor Day rush is here, with $390 million (and climbing) of Senate campaign ads headed for voters' TVs, tablets and phone screens.

Sen. Rick Scott said Friday he is "absolutely not" committing to backing John Thune for another term as Senate GOP leader.

Why it matters: It's a sharp change in tune for Scott (R-Fla.), who has repeatedly and publicly said he supports Thune (R-S.D.) and will not run for leader a third time.

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board unanimously voted Friday to support renaming the airport after Dolly Parton.

Why it matters: Renaming an airport is reserved for the likes of presidents, astronauts, war heroes, or in Nashville's case, a country music icon.

• The grandiose honor is proof of Parton's status as Nashville royalty.

The White House is doubling down on President Trump's promise to deliver $5,000 checks to American adults, arguing his record shows he can pull it off.

Why it matters: The Trump administration is teasing these massive checks as Americans' frustrations with the economy and rising costs grow ahead of the midterm elections.

Headline CPI rose 0.4% in August, its biggest monthly increase since May, with gasoline accounting for more than a third of the increase.

• The Fed typically looks through temporary supply shocks, but a sustained energy surge risks spilling into other prices — and energy price pressures have only escalated further in September.

Zoom out: Central banking orthodoxy would suggest not responding to energy price shocks directly, but responding to the extent that swings in fuel prices are filtering through to broader prices.

• Unfortunately for anyone seeking lower borrowing costs, there is evidence that this is indeed happening, risking energy-driven inflation becoming more entrenched.
• Soaring diesel fuel prices are affecting the price of transportation of all sorts of goods, with the biggest effects on bulky or heavy items.
• Airline fares were up 2.7% in August alone and are up 23.4% over the last 12 months.

Between the lines: If energy price relief were in progress, it would be easier to look through those price surges. No relief is in sight, however.

• Those figures are already backward-looking. The energy shock has since worsened this month, with oil prices around $100 a barrel and diesel topping $6 a gallon for the first time on record — all pointing to more inflation pressure still to come.

I don't know if AI is going to destroy humanity. Neither do you.

• But here's what I do know: It's very difficult to have a sober conversation about AI risk when there's so much money at stake.

More than three-quarters of U.S. states have a smaller share of justices of color on their high courts than the share of people of color in their population, per an Axios analysis of new Brennan Center for Justice data.

Why it matters: State high courts shape major decisions on voting, abortion, civil rights and criminal justice, yet their benches often don't reflect the communities they serve.

Consumer prices remained elevated in August as the Iran war's energy shock fueled a fresh burst of inflation.

Why it matters: The renewed price pressures are squeezing household budgets, with signs that underlying inflation is proving stubborn across the broader economy.

• The data could strengthen the case for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next week.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) called President Trump twice Thursday, urging him to launch strikes against the Houthis as the Iran-backed group closed in on a vital Red Sea chokepoint, two U.S. officials told Axios.

• Trump declined, and U.S. officials stressed the administration has no plans to intervene directly against the Houthis for now.

Why it matters: Oil prices surged Thursday as the Houthis seized a strategic coastal city in Yemen, pushing them closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait — a vital artery for global trade and Saudi oil exports.