topics

politics-policy

epstein-files

donald-trump

2026-midterm-elections

immigration

behind-the-curtain

race-and-equity

technology

privacy-tech-regulation

automation-and-ai

tiktok-news

big-tech

social-media

cybersecurity

economy

social-security

inflation

tariffs

federal-reserve

jobs

transportation

business

stock-market-news

retail-news

crypto

media

elon-musk

dealmaking

health

rfk-jr

drug-prices

axios-explains-abortion

public-health

world

israel

axios-explains-ukraine

iran

russia

china

energy-climate

nuclear-energy

climate-energy-policy

climate-change

extreme-weather

alternative-energy

electric-vehicles

science

emerging-tech

biomedicine

newsletters

pittsburgh

atlanta

san-diego

charlotte

boulder

washington-dc

kansas-city

dallas

denver

detroit

des-moines

austin

boston

chicago

cleveland

columbus

houston

indianapolis

miami

nashville

new-orleans

nw-arkansas

philadelphia

phoenix

portland

richmond

salt-lake-city

san-antonio

san-francisco

seattle

tampa-bay

twin-cities

raleigh

huntsville

colorado-springs

axios-local

axios-pro

axios-live

the-axios-show

National

Over 900 clergy accused of sexually abusing children are not included in dioceses' public lists of those credibly accused, AP reports. 

The big picture: Sexual abuse and misconduct within the Catholic Church is a global problem that has persisted for decades. Pope Francis recently unveiled rules to make the Church accountable for reporting allegations of abuse. 

Last week, Francis rid the church of the privacy it was previously given in internal proceedings that dealt with sexual abuse by banning "pontifical secrecy" — which often protected perpetrators. 

What they're saying: Church officials told AP that without an admission of guilt, "they have to weigh releasing a name against harming the reputation of priests who may have been falsely accused." 

Naming priests can also open church officials to lawsuits from accused priests who maintain their innocence, AP reports.

Flashback: Francis concluded a Vatican summit on sexual abuse in February by calling for an "all-out battle" against the issue. But, the Church did not make public any concrete measures to move forward to address it.

Go deeper: The stunning scale of the global Catholic sex abuse crisis

AP: Over 900 clergy accused of child sexual abuse absent from dioceses' lists

Sexual abuse within the Catholic church is a global problem that has persisted for decades.

In this image, the Pope stands in front of a crowd of clergy members

Pope Francis holds a 'Protection of Minors in the Church' meeting in February 2019 in Vatican City. Photo: Franco Origlia/Getty Images

World

Sexual assault

Trump retweets supporter, naming purported Ukraine whistleblower

The retweets marked the first time Trump has actively promoted the name.

Politics

Whistleblower complaint

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Former President Barack Obama released his favorite books of 2019 on Saturday. 

Highlights: "The Sixth Man" by Andrew Iguodala, "Lost Children Archive" by Valeria Luiselli — inspired by families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border — and the psychologically driven love story "Normal People" by Sally Rooney.

"How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy" by Jenny Odell

"The Orphan Master's Son" by Adam Johnson

"Girl, Woman, Other" by Bernardine Evaristo

Further reading: Obama also noted the reading recommendations he made earlier in the year, which include the memoir "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren and "The Shallows" by Nicholas Carr, which argues that the internet is fundamentally changing how humans process information.

Go deeper: Check out Obama's full 2019 reading list.

Obama's top books of 2019

Obama also noted his reading recommendations made earlier in the year.

In this image, Obama stands in a suit and claps.

Former President Obama at his foundation's event in Malaysia on Dec. 13. Photo: Zahim Mohd/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Barack Obama

Media

TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is weighing its options for building TikTok's global headquarters outside of China, the Wall Street Journal (subscription) reports.

The big picture: The video-sharing app is likely trying to distance itself from its Chinese ownership amid concerns around its user data and possible censorship on issues deemed off-limits by the Chinese Communist Party.

Catch up quick: Singapore, Dublin, and London are potential cities on TikTok's shortlist, per the WSJ. No U.S. cities are currently under consideration. 

What they're saying: One person told the WSJ that TikTok's move outside of China has been internally discussed for months, but the initiative is “only accelerating because of the things happening in the U.S."

Flashback: TikTok apologized in November for temporarily deleting a viral post that compared China's mass detention of Uighur Muslims to the Holocaust. TikTok cited a "human moderation error."

Go deeper: TikTok is China's next big weapon

WSJ: TikTok wants to move out of China

The video-sharing app is likely trying to distance itself from its Chinese ownership.

In this illustration, a label reading "Made in China" is attached to the TikTok logo 

Technology

TikTok

Social Media

Conflicts, policies and powers are intersecting and shaping the world. Breaking news and analysis of national security, foreign policy and global crises.

The leader of an Apostolic megachurch, Pastor Guillermo Maldonado, will host the launch of President Trump's "Evangelicals for Trump" coalition at a Jan. 3 rally, The Miami Herald reports.

Why it matters: Since Christianity Today released an editorial op-ed calling for Trump's removal from office, the president has been working to strengthen his evangelical base. The rally at Maldonado's West Kendall Church is part of that strategy and also gives him access to one of the country's largest Hispanic congregations, per the Herald.

The West Kendall Church for years has been a popular campaign stop for political candidates interested in wooing Hispanic voters, The Miami Herald writes.

Maldonado is a Honduran immigrant who goes by the title "apostle." 

Maldonado is close to Trump and was present when the president signed an executive order protecting free speech and religious liberty.

Maldonado is "a somewhat controversial figure in Miami politics and religion," the Miami Herald writes.

There have been stories of Maldonado performing miracles, such as reviving a woman who had been in the morgue for an hour, according to local TV station WPLG.

He supported Sen. John McCain during the 2008 presidential race.

Trump's moves to shore up his evangelical base

Evangelical magazine founded by Billy Graham calls for Trump's removal

Miami megachurch with controversial pastor to host Trump's evangelical rally

The pastor claims to have raised a woman from the dead.

Donald Trump

About a half-million Uighur children have been separated from their families and placed in boarding schools as part of China's effort to eradicate the Uighur identity, The New York Times reports.

The big picture per Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian: Forced family separation is a tried-and-true method that governments have used to permanently eradicate minority identities and culture. The New York Times reveals for the first time the true scale — and the genocidal intent — of China's intergenerational family separation policies in Xinjiang, a province with a large population of Uighurs.

The state of play: The Chinese government showcases the schools as a way to fight poverty, and plans to have up to two schools in each of Xinjiang's 800-plus townships by the end of next year, the Times writes.

Chinese officials hope the boarding schools will teach the children to be secular and more loyal to both the nation and the Communist Party.

Authorities in Xinjiang are recruiting tens of thousands of teachers from across the country to teach at these schools, while many Uighur teachers have been imprisoned. Most of the newly recruited teachers are Han Chinese, the nation's dominant ethnic group, according to the Times. 

The schools do not teach in or use Uighur as the main language. Preschools being built in the area are exposing younger children to Chinese as soon as possible.

More than a million dollars has been set aside for security equipment at these schools, including facial recognition technology.

The world's Muslims are facing unprecedented repression

Scoop: China tried to get World Bank to fund surveillance in Xinjiang

Report: Leaked files show how mass detention of Uighurs was organized

China separating Uighur children from families to re-educate them

Nearly a half-million children have been sent to boarding schools.

Illustration of man praying in the shadow of a star

China

A large explosion in Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu, has killed at least 79 people and injured at least 90 civilians on Saturday morning, The Washington Post reports. 

The latest: The explosion was caused by a vehicle filled with bombs appearing to target morning traffic near a tax collection center, per the Post. More than a dozen university students and multiple police officers are among the dead.

Mogadishu Mayor Omar Mohamud said mostly students have been hurt in the attack. 

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist militia al-Shabab regularly attacks the government institutions in Somalia, the Post writes.

Go deeper: Hotel attack in Somalia leaves more than 20 dead

Death toll rises to 79 in Somalia rush hour explosion

At least 90 others were injured, most of whom are students.

Photo:  Abdirahman Mohamed/picture alliance via Getty Images

Somalia

Netflix's 4,181% return from 2010 to the present makes it the S&P 500's best performer of the decade, CNBC reports.

The big picture: Netflix was the catalyst for the now-ubiquitous streaming wars that have overloaded dozens of major platforms with live and on-demand video. 

Where it stands: Netflix's current market cap — nearly $148 billion — makes it one of the 40 most valuable companies in the U.S., per CNBC.

Netflix’s member base rose to 158.3 million at the end of 2019's Q3, CNBC reports, with international growth as the primary driver. 

Subscribers from outside the U.S. now account for 62% of all Netflix members.

Yes, but: Netflix faces emboldened competitors loaded with cash, like Disney+ and Apple TV, and the streaming giant may have to spend more on content to retain customers and subscriptions. More competitors also mean more platforms are vying for the same top talent. 

Go deeper: The streaming battlefield is getting crowded

The stock of the decade: Netflix

Netflix is the S&P 500's best performer of the decade.

This illustration shows the Netflix logo made out of movie reel

Axios

Saturday's top stories

AP: Over 900 clergy accused of child sexual abuse absent from dioceses' lists

Trump retweets supporter, naming purported Ukraine whistleblower

Obama's top books of 2019

WSJ: TikTok wants to move out of China

Miami megachurch with controversial pastor to host Trump's evangelical rally

China separating Uighur children from families to re-educate them

Death toll rises to 79 in Somalia rush hour explosion

The stock of the decade: Netflix

The last fundraising event for man who inspired ice bucket challenge

Thousands of koalas likely dead in Australia fires

Nearly 100,000 Georgia voters to remain purged from voting rolls

The NBA sets its sights on Africa