National

Former President Obama on Saturday praised Major League Baseball for moving its All-Star Game out of Atlanta due to Georgia's new law curbing voting access.

What he's saying: "Congratulations to @MLB for taking a stand on behalf of voting rights for all citizens," Obama tweeted. "There’s no better way for America’s pastime to honor the great Hank Aaron, who always led by example." 

The big picture: The MLB commissioner announced the decision on Friday, saying the league "fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box." 

Georgia's law, which passed in March, will disproportionately affect voters of color. 

MLB's decision was applauded by players, rights groups and others. 

But it was criticized by many Republicans, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who said MLB "caved to fear and lies from liberal activists."

Former President Trump, meanwhile, called for a boycott of MLB over the move. 

Go deeper: 108 more voting restriction bills introduced by states since mid-February

Obama applauds MLB for "taking a stand" against Georgia's voting restrictions

"There’s no better way for America’s pastime to honor the great Hank Aaron, who always led by example."

Barack Obama

Politics & Policy

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Sports

Former Jordanian Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein was put under house arrest early Saturday after allegedly plotting a coup against his half brother King Abdullah, sources familiar with the situation tell Axios.

Driving the news: Jordanian security forces arrested more than 20 former Jordanian officials, including former chief of the royal court Bassem Awadallah, Prince Hamza’s chief of staff Yasser Majali and former Jordanian envoy to Saudi Arabia Hassan Bin Zayed.

A security official told the official Jordanian news agency Petra that all suspects other than the crown prince had been under surveillance for some time and were arrested on security charges. 

Petra denied that Hamza was under house arrest or arrested. 

The Washington Post first reported about the former crown prince arrest. 

The state of play: In a video published  by the BBC, Prince Hamza said the chief of the general staff of the Jordanian Army arrived at his house Saturday morning and informed him he was not permitted to leave or communicate with others because in meetings he was present for and social media posts he was mentioned in there was criticism of the king and the government.

"I asked him if I was the one criticizing and he said 'no,'" Hamza said. "He said this was a warning from him, from the chief of police and from the head of intelligence that I should not leave my house, that I could not tweet or meet my family."

He added that several of his friends had been arrested, his security removed and his phone lines cut. He said his internet connection is going to be disabled and he might not be able to communicate further. 

"I am not the person in charge of the corruption and incompetence in our government," Hamza said in the video. "I am not responsible for the lack of faith of people in the government." 

Hamza denied he was behind any conspiracy or that he was backed by any foreign element. He said the government was lying and stressed he was suffering retaliation by the government because of his criticism.

What they're saying: The commander of the Jordanian Army General Yousef al-Huneiti issued a statement stressing Prince Hamza was not arrested but was asked to cease activities and movements that are being exploited to target Jordan's security and stability.

Al-Huneiti said the investigation is ongoing and its conclusions will be published with full transparency. He added that all the actions taken were according to the law.

“We are closely following the reports and in touch with Jordanian officials," State Department spokesman Ned Price said. "King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support.”

Flashback: Prince Hamza, King Abdullah's half brother, is highly popular in Jordan for his modest behavior and his resemblance to his father, the late King Hussein. 

Hamza was the crown prince for the first five years after King Abdullah's rise to the throne. As a result, King Abdullah's son Prince Hussein became the apparent heir. Prince Hussein was officially appointed as the crown prince in 2009.

The big picture: Jordan sent a message to Israel earlier Saturday that “the situation is under control” after the wave of arrests and there is no threat to the stability of the kingdom.

Israeli officials told Axios the message was passed by Jordanian military officials to their Israeli counterparts.

Between the lines: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the economic crisis in Jordan. In recent weeks Jordan has seen a new surge in COVID-19 cases which led to harsh criticism against the government and protests in several cities.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Former Jordanian Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein has been put under house arrest.

Former Jordanian crown prince under house arrest for alleged attempted coup

Former Jordanian Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein allegedly plotted a coup against his half brother King Abdullah.

Jordanian Prince Hamzah Bin al-Hussein attends the SOFEX Jordan on May 11, 2010 in Amman, Jordan.

Former Jordanian Prince Hamzah Bin al-Hussein attends the Special Operations Forces Exhibition and Conference on May 11, 2010 in Amman, Jordan. Photo: Salah Malkawi/Getty Images

Jordan

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

World

A look at the growing role of the U.S. Federal Reserve — one of the most important economic stories in the world.

Axios AM Deep Dive: The Fed

The Federal Reserve's unprecedented response to the pandemic

Photo illustration of stacks of money as partial vector shapes. 

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Federal Reserve

Jobs

Top stories & latest news on the Federal Reserve, real-time data, plus the biggest shifts happening in the U.S. and global economy.

Economy

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Amazon has apologized to Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), saying the company's recent tweet denying that drivers urinate in water bottles was "incorrect."

What they're saying: "[W]e know that drivers can and do have trouble finding restrooms because of traffic or sometimes rural routes, and this has been especially the case during Covid when many public restrooms have been closed," the company wrote in a blog post.

Amazon added the issue is not unique to the organization and that the company is looking for ways to solve it, saying that they "don’t yet know how, but will look for solutions."

Flashback: The Verge in 2018 reported that Amazon employees were forced to skip bathroom breaks to fulfill high demand for deliveries. At the time, employees said they felt pressured to meet company goals.

Context: Pocan criticized Amazon's working conditions last week, tweeting: "Paying workers $15/hr doesn’t make you a ‘progressive workplace’ when you union-bust & make workers urinate in water bottles."

Amazon News replied: "You don’t really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us."

Vice released a report the following day showing pictures of bottles and other containers filled with urine. One Amazon driver told the outlet that drivers felt pressured to complete deliveries quickly and finding restrooms could slow them down.

Amazon said its tweet to Pocan "did not contemplate our large driver population and instead wrongly focused only on our fulfillment centers."

Amazon walks back denial, acknowledges issue of delivery drivers urinating in bottles

"[W]e know that drivers can and do have trouble finding restrooms because of traffic or sometimes rural routes."

Picture of Amazon employee getting off an Amazon ban carrying a package

Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Amazon

Big Tech

Emerging Tech

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Politico in an interview this week that the Senate will work toward federal marijuana reform legislation — including legalization — with or without President Biden's support.

Why it matters: Biden has in the past opposed federal marijuana legalization citing a lack of evidence on whether it is a gateway drug. He has instead favored decriminalizing the drug, federally legalizing medical marijuana and allowing states to decide whether to legalize recreational use of the drug.

What they're saying: “I want to make my arguments to him, as many other advocates will,” Schumer told Politico. “But at some point we're going to move forward, period.“

"I certainly will have an ongoing conversation with [Biden], and tell him how my views evolved. And hope that his will too."

"The legalization of states worked out remarkably well. They were a great success. The parade of horribles never came about, and people got more freedom. And people in those states seem very happy."

The big picture: New York, Schumer's home state, became the 15th state to legalize recreational marijuana earlier this week and is expected to quickly become one of the biggest markets for legal cannabis in the U.S.

New Mexico is set to become the 16th state to legalize the drug after the state legislature passed a bill on Wednesday, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) said she would sign the bill, according to the New York Times.

Voters in South Dakota, one of the most Republican states in the country,  approved legalizing recreational and medical marijuana in the 2020 election, though Gov. Kristi Noem (R) has opposed the measures and taken steps to block them, according to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

"I think the American people started speaking with a clear message — more than two to one — that they want the law changed. When a state like South Dakota votes by referendum to legalize, you know something is out there."

Schumer says Senate to act on marijuana legalization

He said the Senate would act with or without President Biden, who has opposed federal legalization.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking during a press conference in March 2021.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking during a press conference in March 2021. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Pool/Getty Images

Chuck Schumer

Policymaking

Science

Axios Science

Like people in a pandemic winter, periodical cicadas are waiting for the warmer weather of spring.

What's happening: In a few weeks, billions of the insects are predicted to emerge in parts of the eastern U.S. after 17 years — and the vast majority of their life — underground.

Brood X is one of the largest of 15 groups of cicadas that come out en masse in the U.S. at different time intervals — some every 13 years, others every 17, and in rarer alignments, at the same time. 

Periodical cicadas (Magicicada) make an appearance most years. (And the adults of annual cicadas, which have a two-year life cycle, emerge every year to reproduce.)

What to expect: Once the soil temperature reaches 64°F, typically in late April or early May, billions of noisy, red-eyed, black-bodied cicadas will emerge in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana and several spots in between.

They'll then make a bunch of noise, mate and lay their eggs in trees — all within four to six weeks.

Those cicadas will die and their nymphs will fall to the ground, bury in to feed on tree roots, and the cicada cycle starts again.

What's next: Who knows what the future holds — and, as Vox's Brian Resnick notes, how cicadas even know when it has arrived — but set your clocks: Brood X will be back in 2038.  

Brace for Brood X cicadas

Billions of the insects are predicted to emerge in the eastern U.S. for the first time in 17 years.

Adult cicadas in Reston, Va., during their last visit in 2004.

 Adult cicadas in Reston, Va., during their last visit in 2004. Photo: Richard Ellis/Getty Images 

Insects

News and analysis of the scientific advances fueling AI and quantum computing, revolutionizing biology and medicine, and tackling climate change. Science is changing the world and colliding with the global politics that shape it.

TSA on Friday screened 1,580,785 people across U.S. airports, a record high since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: The numbers come one day after Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky said that while the agency now says fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk, the CDC is still not recommending nonessential travel due to the rise in virus cases, NPR reports.

The big picture: TSA has been reporting more than 1 million daily screened passengers since March 11. 

Mark Howell, a TSA spokesperson, told Axios the increase is thanks to spring break.

Yes, but: "It's too early to say travel is back. After all, TSA's screening numbers still pale in comparison to pre-pandemic passenger levels," CBS News writes.

What they're saying: The agency is preparing for an increase in travel during the summer months, Howell told Axios.

TSA in February said it was looking to hire 6,000 new officers by this summer.

While the agency is expecting a potential increase in travel, they do not know whether the summer numbers will hit pre-pandemic levels.

TSA reports most passenger screenings since beginning of the pandemic

The numbers come a day after the CDC released new travel guidelines for fully vaccinated people.

Picture of a TSA officer screening a passenger in Utah

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

Coronavirus

The U.S. health system faces critical questions about cost, access and equity. Technological advances and new discoveries about diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s are transforming patient care and reshaping public health.

Health

The Suez Canal Authority said that all 422 ships that had been waiting for the massive "Ever Given" cargo ship to be freed passed through the canal as of Saturday, clearing the backlog caused by the blockage, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The cargo ship was stuck for six days causing downstream damage to the global economy. The Suez Canal is a vital connection between European and Asian Markets, with approximately 30% of global container shipping volumes passing through, Axios' Jacob Knutson reports.

What they're saying: Osama Rabie, head of the SCA, said the final 61 ships of the 422 were expected to pass on Saturday, per Al Jazeera. 

The SCA did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

What to watch: Rabie told Egyptian media on Friday the SCA was conducting an investigation to examine what caused the "Ever Given" to become jammed, adding that the probe would last at least two more days, after which results would be announced.

Suez Canal shipping backlog caused by blockage ends

The blockage caused downstream damage to the global economy.

Picture of the Ever Given ship who caused a blockage in the Suez Canal

Photo: Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen via Getty Images

Suez Canal

Macro

Axios Macro

Media Trends

Axios Media Trends

It's not just Georgia: Corporate America is under growing pressure to put its muscle behind voting rights.

Why it matters: Big businesses have taken on a bigger role in social political issues, but got involved in Georgia's voting-rights fight too late to block it. And the fallout is raising the stakes for similar legislation in other states.

Where it stands: Over 70 Black executives signed a letter this week calling on fellow executives to speak out against a number of restrictive voting bills in dozens of states.

Texas is shaping up to be the next big battleground: Texas-based American Airlines said in a statement it is "strongly opposed" to a state bill with "provisions that limit voting rights."

"Governments should ensure citizens have their voices heard. HB6 does the opposite, and we are opposed to it," Dell CEO Michael Dell tweeted, referring to another voting related Texas bill. 

Between the lines: Employees and customers are increasingly looking to corporations to take on a bigger role in social and political issues. Many of them have leaned into that role — and gotten results.

Big companies, entertainers and ultimately the NBA and NCAA canceled big-ticket events in North Carolina after the state passed its anti-LGBTQ "bathroom bill" in 2016. The state lost roughly $3.8 billion in business and ended up repealing that measure less than a year after it became law. 

There are shades of that organized, well-funded pushback in Georgia, Axios Charlottes's Katie Peralta Soloff reports.

Hollywood studios, which have recently established a major presence in Georgia, thanks to its generous tax credits, threatened to leave the state in 2019 over a controversial abortion law, but that law was then struck down in court.

A few Hollywood voices have threatened to leave the region if lawmakers don't take action to overturn the voting law, but most of the big studios have have been relatively quiet this time.

The fallout is still growing: The MLB on Friday said it would yank its All-Star game from Atlanta.

"I want to tell the Georgia legislature we are not investing in your community if you don't get this bill reversed," SurveyMonkey CEO Zander Lurie, who's company has employees there, told CNBC on Friday.

What's next: Whether Georgia repeals its law or not, the controversy — and the criticism Georgia-based businesses like Delta Air Lines have taken for their initial approach to the bill — will likely push corporations in other states to move faster than their Georgia peers did.

"If companies are on the right side of this, the benefit that they get from speaking out is much greater than the blowback they're gonna get," Paul Argenti, a corporate reputation expert and Dartmouth College professor, tells Axios.

Corporate America scrambles to get behind voting rights

Big business is under pressure to get involved sooner than it did in Georgia.

Illustration of legislation being pierced with fountain pens. 

CEOs

Whats Next

Axios What's Next

In a few years, it might be possible to fly from Washington, D.C., to Paris in four hours — instead of eight — or from San Francisco to Tokyo in just six hours aboard a new crop of supersonic jets.

Why it matters: High-speed air travel promises to shrink the planet, putting far-away vacation destinations within closer reach and enabling business travelers to attend meetings on another continent and return the same day. 

The big picture: Affordable, sustainable, high-speed flight has the potential to revolutionize commercial air travel, just as the jet engine did in the late 1950s. 

Yes, but: Engineers must first solve technical, business and environmental challenges that doomed previous efforts at supersonic travel, most notably the transatlantic Concorde. 

Flashback: British Airways and Air France flew the Concorde from 1976 to 2003 on international routes like New York to London in under three hours. 

But the "great white bird" was terrible for the environment and couldn't make a profit, even with round-trip fares averaging $12,000. 

Fast forward: A handful of startups hopes a fresh approach — lightweight materials, efficient engine technologies and cleaner fuels — will make supersonic jets much cheaper to operate and thus economically viable for everyday travel.

Boeing-backed Aerion is developing a supersonic business jet that will begin production in Florida in 2023 and should be ready for customer delivery by 2027. 

NetJets, Warren Buffett's fractional jet company, this week ordered 20 of the planes for $120 million each. 

Also this week, Aerion teased a concept for its next plane: a larger 50-seat commercial airliner that would fly at Mach 4-plus speed — more than four times the speed of sound — "enabling flight between LA and Tokyo in less than three hours."

Boom Supersonic, backed by Japan Airlines, American Express Ventures, Emerson Collective and others, will begin production of its Overture supersonic aircraft in 2023. 

It will seat 65–88 people and begin commercial flights in 2029, founder and CEO Blake Scholl tells Axios.

His goal, he says, is "four hours to anywhere, for $100." That's a long way off, but the company aims to start by offering fares comparable to today's business class.

A handful of other startups, including Hermeus and Spike Aerospace, are also developing supersonic jets. 

Sustainability, not just speed, is a core goal. The new planes will be less harmful to the environment, the companies say, because they're designed to run on sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).

SAFs are made from sustainable feedstocks like household solid waste, algae or used cooking oil, and producers like BP claim they can produce up to 80% lower carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel.  

But SAFs are in short supply, so production needs to scale significantly in the next few years to meet the demand for cleaner-flying planes. 

Reality check: For all the promising developments, supersonic commercial flights are still limited by regulatory hurdles, cautions Iain Boyd, an aerospace engineering professor at the University of Colorado. 

"This is one of the very few high technology things where it feels like we have gone backward," he said.

"You used to be able to fly supersonically if you had a lot of money. Today, you cannot ... We've been flying the same speeds for 50–60 years." 

The biggest problem, he says, is the noise associated with supersonic flight, on both takeoff and landing and at 60,000 feet.

Planes that fly past the speed of sound — about 760 mph — create shock waves that hit the ground with a startling thud, or "sonic boom."

That's why the FAA won't let them fly over land, limiting them to transoceanic routes.

What to watch: NASA researchers, along with Lockheed Martin, are designing a new supersonic plane that turns the sonic boom into "a gentle thump."

"It sounds more like a car door slamming, or maybe distant thunder," said NASA project manager Peter Coen.

NASA plans to fly the plane over select U.S. communities to see how people react. That data will then help regulators set noise standards for supersonic flight.

Editor's note: Emerson Collective is an Axios investor.

Supersonic travel is about to make a comeback

Affordable, sustainable, high-speed flight has the potential to revolutionize commercial air travel.

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