A top Secret Service official was the target of a "swatting" incident at his home on the Fourth of July, according to an agency official.
Why it matters: While the incident didn't lead to any harm, it's another example of just how difficult it's become for law enforcement to rein in the wave of hoax calls.
Aggressive dip buying is fading for retail investors, according to J.P. Morgan, with new data indicating they're picking up ETFs instead of individual stocks.
Why it matters: Retail investors were good — or got lucky — in April, staying invested when the "smart" money pulled out and missed the start of a huge rally.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently shook up his communications team, and now the outspoken Democrat is turning many of Donald Trump's brash political tactics against the president himself.
Newsom and his team have used online trolling, meme wars, mocking TikTok videos, insults such as "cuck," and even a lawsuit against a media company — in this case, one accusing Fox News of misleading reporting — to create an edgy resistance.
Why it matters: In the lead-up to a potential 2028 presidential campaign, Newsom is essentially acknowledging that many of Trump's tactics are effective — and he's betting they can help Democrats reach more voters in the attention economy.
The federal health department is sharing Medicaid recipients' personal data with the Homeland Security Department, HHS confirmed to Axios.
The big picture: The arrangement raises privacy and security concerns for critics — including around whether the information is being used to deport undocumented immigrants.
The House on Thursday passed legislation to establish the first comprehensive set of rules for the cryptocurrency industry.
Why it matters: It's an initial legislative win for cryptocurrency backers and a major step toward offering long-awaited guidance to an industry often compared to the Wild West.
Juul Labs has won the government's authorization to keep its signature e-cigarettes on the U.S. market.
Why it matters: The vaping company was once facing a federal ban under the Biden administration — which was quickly suspended, and later rescinded, but nonetheless put its future in doubt.
OpenAI says its new ChatGPT Agent, introduced Thursday, is capable of starting and finishing complex web and computing tasks independently.
Why it matters: Agents are a buzzy concept in AI right now, but exactly what they can do in real-world settings without humans is just beginning to come into view.
Longtime Meta executive Connor Hayes has been named head of Threads, Axios has learned, marking a significant milestone for the two-year old product.
Why it matters: Instagram head Adam Mosseri has overseen Threads since its inception, but as the app has grown, so too has its need for a leader solely focused on its future.
Nairi Hourdajian serves as chief communications officer at the collaborative design software company, Figma.
Why it matters: Figma recently filed to go public, becoming the first U.S. unicorn to break the dam for post-Labor Day IPOs, Axios' Dan Primack points out.
Pinterest just brewed up one of its biggest creator collaborations yet — and it was born out of the communications team, not brand partnerships.
Why it matters: Communication and marketing teams are known to butt heads over creator partnerships, with one side focused on pushing the boundaries for cultural relevance and the other mitigating risk.
Public relations professionals and their clients are the latest targets for online phishing attempts, with bad actors pretending to be members of the media.
Why it matters: Eager PR reps, company executives and brand ambassadors are highly susceptible to these sort of scams. Plus, AI has made phishing increasingly sophisticated in recent months.
As tech giants seek nuclear power for AI data centers, the flip side of that coin is emerging — using AI to improve reactor licensing and construction.
Why it matters: Energy demand for data centers is rising fast, and nuclear energy is carbon-free and round-the-clock.
President Trump has set a radical new course in the U.S.-China rivalry, ceding ground to Beijing in pursuit of a far narrower vision of America's role in the world.
Why it matters: Six months into office, the Trump administration has hollowed out the machinery of American soft power and retreated from key arenas where the U.S. has sought to blunt China's rise.
Elon Musk's xAI, even more than rival AI startup leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic, is a cash incinerator — and despite the company's soaring valuations, it has little prospect of building significant revenue, let alone profit.
Yes, but: There's one niche of a future AI business ecosystem that xAI fits perfectly. It could end up as the Fox News of the AI infosphere — a right-skewed source of truth for those who view mainstream alternatives as too "woke."
The House voted late Wednesday to take up a bill establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoin issuers, after a record-breaking session that involved intense negotiations to quell a rebellion from hardliners.
Why it matters: The vote puts the GENIUS Act on a glide path to Trump's desk this week for his signature.
