National

Thousands of people protested across Cuba on Sunday against food and medicine shortages during the pandemic, per AP. 

Why it matters: It's unusual for demonstrations to be held against the Communist government, which is known for cracking down on dissent. The protests in Havana and elsewhere are the biggest since 1994, when an uprising saw many Cubans leave by sea, the New York Times notes.

 A man is arrested during a demonstration against the government of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana, on July 11

A man is arrested during the anti-government protest in Havana on July 11. "Multiple people have been arrested," CNN reports. Photo: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images

AP photographer, Spanish Ramon Espinosa, is attacked by the police while covering a demonstration against Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana, on July 11

AP photographer Ramon Espinosa is grabbed by the police while covering the demonstration on July 11. AP reports that a group of government supporters assaulted him. Photo: Adalberto Roque/AFP via Getty Images

Cubans are seen outside Havana's Capitol during a demonstration against the government of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana, on July 11

Cubans outside Havana's capitol building during an anti-government rally on July 11. Cuban activist Carolina Barrero told the NYT, "It is the most massive popular demonstration to protest the government that we have experienced in Cuba since ’59," when Fidel Castro took power. Photo: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images

 Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (C) walks alongside his supporters in the town of San Antonio de los Banos, Cuba, Sunday, July 11

Díaz-Canel (C) with supporters in San Antonio de los Baños after the anti-government protests on July 11. Photo: Yander Zamora/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

In photos: Thousands of Cubans rally for anti-government protests

It's unusual for demonstrations to be held against the Communist government, which is known for cracking down on dissent.

 People take part in a demonstration against the government of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana, on July 11

People take part in a demonstration against the government of President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Havana, Cuba, on July 11. Photo: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images

Cuba

World

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

About 30 million people are under excessive heat warnings or advisories as a heat wave sweeps the Western United States, bringing more record-high temperatures on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Why it matters: The heat wave comes after some regions in the Pacific Northwest saw temperature records shattered last month, with the same "heat dome" weather pattern that is engulfing the West now. Human-caused climate change has exacerbated the frequency, severity and intensity of these extreme heat events. 

State of play: California's Death Valley saw a high temperature of 130°F on Friday, and could reach such highs again on Sunday. Those temperatures could set a record, if verified, since scientists have disputed a 134°F reading from 1913. 

Palm Springs, California, saw a record high of  120°F Sunday, beating the previous record of 118°F it reached Saturday, Los Angeles Times reports. 

The heat has contributed to wildfires that have led to evacuation orders in several states, including California, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia. 

The Bootleg fire in Oregon was threatening transmission lines that supply California with power, after doubling in size to 120 square miles on Saturday. The power lines in question, known as Path 66, provides California with about 4800 Megawatts of electricity. 

Stovepipe Wells, California, near Death Valley, had an overnight minimum temperature of 107.7°F Sunday morning. This is the highest overnight low ever recorded in North America, and the highest globally during the month of July.

A huge wildfire burning in California's Plumas National Forrest, part of the duo of fires dubbed the Beckwourth Complex fires, doubled in size between Friday and Saturday, and even generated its own lightening, according to the L.A. Times. As of Saturday was only 8% contained. 

Las Vegas tied its all-time record high of 117°F on Saturday afternoon. 

What to watch: Utah tied their state heat record yesterday, and Vegas could break theirs today after tying it on Saturday. More importantly, the fires burning in California and Oregon and Washington will flare up again.

The bottom line: Global warming caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuels is intensifying the ongoing heat wave, and playing a role in the region's drought and wildfires, studies show. This weekend's extreme heat comes shortly after a more severe and deadly event killed hundreds in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. 

A study by an international team of climate researchers concluded that heat wave would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change."

Go deeper: Northwest "heat dome" signals global warming's march

Heat wave engulfs the West as Death Valley hits 130 degrees

Human-caused climate change has exacerbated the frequency of these extreme heat events.

The Beckwourth Complex fire continues to burn through the night.

The Beckwourth Complex fire continues to burn through the night. Photo: Ty ONeil/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Climate change

Extreme weather

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.

Science

Breaking climate science and policy coverage as extreme weather events reshape communities. Keep tabs on the race to a low carbon economy, which may be bumpy as governments, climate tech startups and major oil and gas companies race to find their niche amid the changing energy landscape.

Energy & Climate

Senators face a massive squeeze for passing the infrastructure packages by the deadlines set by the White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Why it matters: They return Monday for their final four-week sprint until August recess. The bipartisan group that reached a framework with the White House before the July Fourth recess is still working on its bill, and the reconciliation bill also hasn't been written.

In addition, Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) haven't blinked on the demand from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that they delink the Democrats’ more progressive proposal aiming to tackle "soft" infrastructure.

What we’re hearing: Most Democratic senators in the bipartisan group care far less than leadership about process and sequencing. Once they have the necessary votes, they want to move on the centrist bill.

But progressives, particularly those in the House, have continued leveling threats they’ll oppose that legislation unless the more ambitious reconciliation package passes with it.

Meanwhile, it's still not clear whether McConnell will support the bipartisan package. His comments over the July Fourth recess were intentionally vague, Senate aides say, as he waits to see what the final legislation will look like and how Schumer and Pelosi plan to push it forward.

State of play: In a letter to his caucus last week, Schumer made clear he wants the Senate to consider both packages during the upcoming work period. However, he did not use specific language about tying them together.

Instead, he relied on technical language to say he wanted to pass "a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions, which is the first step for passing legislation through the reconciliation process."

The bipartisan group — now made up of 22 senators with Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) signing onto the deal last week — has been in constant touch over recess about minute details of the package, which their staffs are currently drafting.

Be smart: This is just considering the Senate. The House doesn’t return to the Capitol for another week, and its members are scheduled to jet back home for August recess two weeks later.

Racing Schumer’s clock

The Senate returns tomorrow for it’s final, four-week sprint until August recess.

Illustration of a printed document with red and blue markings and scribbles resembling the U.S. flag

Infrastructure

Nearly six months since his presidency began, Joe Biden's administration has yet to fill key leadership positions in a number of prominent agencies, the Washington Post reports. 

Why it matters: Many of the empty positions are important to advancing the administration's agenda in areas such as the pandemic, voting rights, climate change and cracking down on corporations. 

Temporary agency leaders aren't as empowered to pursue an aggressive policy agenda as permanent heads, and are more likely to pursue short-term, rather than long-term, goals. 

“Acting people don’t bring that authority and can’t undertake long-term projects in the way that full-time confirmed people can," Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, told the Post.

The big picture: The reasons for the vacancies vary and the Biden administration's slow pace isn't necessarily unique.

The Biden administration is filling empty positions faster than the Trump administration did, but slower than Obama, according to the Post.

“We are ahead of several prior administrations in terms of nominations sent to the Senate for confirmation,” White House spokesman Chris Meagher told the Post.

State of play: The delays are hitting positions that are key in advancing the administration's long-term goals.

The United States is hoping to ease out of the pandemic even as the FDA commissioner position, which oversees the approval of drugs and vaccines, remains vacant, the Post reports.

The Office of Management and Budget is being manned by an acting director, despite the efforts to use budget reconciliation to pass the president's "human infrastructure" plan.

Even as Biden cracks down on corporations, the antitrust position at the Justice Department, as well as the assistant attorney general for antitrust, both remain vacant.

A number of other key regulatory roles remain open, including a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and the chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Biden also hasn't nominated a solicitor general, even as the federal government hopes to confront GOP-led efforts to curb voting access. 

Go deeper: Biden vacancies delay Big Tech reckoning

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that there are not currently vacancies on the Council on Environmental Quality.

Key administration posts remain vacant 6 months into Biden presidency

Many of the empty positions are important to advancing the administration's long-term agenda.

Biden administration

Policymaking

Federal Reserve

The Defense Department is "analyzing" a request by Haitian authorities to send troops to assist in stabilizing the country and protect critical infrastructure following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.

The latest: No decision has been made, Kirby said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. "We're analyzing it, just like we would any other request for assistance here at the Pentagon. It's going through a review."

Haitian officials have also reached out to the United Nations about sending peacekeeping forces, Reuters reports.

Elections Minister Mathias Pierre told AP Saturday the troops were needed because local police didn't have enough resources, saying: "We're asking for small troops to assist and help us. ... As long as we are weak, I think we will need our neighbors."

Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said in an interview with ABC News on Saturday that police had "the right people" in custody and revealed that Moïse was "tortured" before he was killed.

What they're saying:  The State Department said in a statement Axios on Friday that the Haitian government "has requested security and investigative assistance, and we remain in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can assist."

"I think that’s really where are our energies are best applied right now, in helping them get their arms around investigating this incident and figuring out who’s culpable, who’s responsible and how best to hold them accountable going forward,’' Kirby said on Sunday.

What to watch: White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday the U.S. will send federal law enforcement officers to aid in the investigation.

Senior officials from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security will travel to Port-au-Prince "as soon as possible" to "assess the situation and how we may be able to assist," Psaki said.

The White House will also send coronavirus vaccines to Haiti as early as next week, according to Psaki.

The big picture: 2o suspects have been detained over the assassination, which also wounded Martine Moïse, Joseph said.

An audio recording, claimed to be of the first lady, was posted to her verified Twitter account on Saturday. In it, the female voice says that the deceased president's enemies orchestrated his assassination, but does not identify anyone specifically.

The assassination comes amid increasing political turmoil and gang violence in Port-au-Prince as inflation and a delayed election contribute to the state of crisis in the Western Hemisphere's most impoverished nation. 

Go deeper: Coup claim deepens Haiti's political crisis

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.

U.S. "analyzing" Haiti's request to send troops

"We're analyzing it, just like we would any other request for assistance here at the Pentagon," the spokesman said.

Haitian citizens argue with police as they gather in front of the U.S. Embassy in Tabarre, Haiti on July 10, asking for asylum. Photo: VALERIE BAERISWYL/AFP via Getty Images

Haiti

Space

Axios Space

Billionaire Richard Branson flew on a suborbital mission to the edge of space with his company, Virgin Galactic, on Sunday, beating fellow space billionaire Jeff Bezos to the punch in the process.

Why it matters: This very public moment of success could help buoy the company as it pushes to begin commercial service next year and attract new customers. 

Driving the news: Branson, his three fellow crew members and two pilots, took flight from Spaceport America in New Mexico at about 10:40 a.m. ET. 

The six-person crew — ensconced within their Unity space plane — were lofted thousands of feet above Earth by their carrier aircraft before the plane was dropped and its rocket engine kicked on. 

At Unity's highest altitude — over 50 miles above Earth's surface — the crew was able to experience weightlessness and see the planet against the blackness of space before gliding back in for a landing.

"Being up there and looking back down has to be one of the most amazing feelings, and we can't wait for more people to experience it," Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, said during the webcast.

Richard Branson reacts on board Virgin Galactic's passenger rocket plane VSS Unity after reaching the edge of space.

Branson reacts on board Virgin Galactic's passenger rocket plane VSS Unity after reaching the edge of space. Still from a video photo via Reuters

Between the lines: The webcast of the launch itself was pretty unique in the world of space launch livestreams. 

Instead of mostly focusing on the technical elements of the launch, Virgin Galactic's livestream was co-hosted by Stephen Colbert and came complete with plenty of jokes. 

The webcast effectively served as an advertisement for anyone who might be interested in flying on the system at some point in the future.

The big picture: Virgin Galactic is in direct competition with Bezos' Blue Origin for a piece of the suborbital space tourism market. 

Bezos is expected to fly on his company's system for its first human flight on July 20.

Elon Musk's SpaceX, on the other hand, isn't interested in suborbital space tourism. 

Instead, his company has created a more powerful system that sends astronauts to the International Space Station, with plans to launch a fully-civilian crew in September.

The intrigue: The FAA is currently barred from creating regulations governing the safety of those who choose to fly on commercial spaceflight systems like these until at least 2023. 

That moratorium was put in place in order to allow the industry to quite literally get off the ground before regulators come in. 

At the moment, these passengers fly under what's known as a regime of "informed consent" where private companies responsible for these systems need to make the risks clear before the flight.

Richard Branson takes flight with his space company Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic hopes to open up full commercial operations next year.

The Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo space plane Unity returns to earth on July 11. Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

Richard Branson reacts on board Virgin Galactic's passenger rocket plane after reaching the edge of space.

Elon Musk

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday urged more rapid distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally, warning that the virus' variants could hinder the worldwide economic recovery, per the New York Times.

The big picture: The comment, made following a meeting in Venice of the finance chiefs of the group of 20 nations, comes as some countries have eased restrictions aimed at curbing the virus. 

But that has been amidst the backdrop of the spread of the highly-infectious Delta variant, which is now the dominant strain in the United States, and has led countries around the world to reimpose restrictions.

What she's saying: “We are very concerned about the Delta variant and other variants that could emerge and threaten recovery,” Yellen said. “We are a connected global economy. What happens in any part of the world affects all other countries.”

Why it matters: The spread of the variant has somewhat dampened hopes for a rapid economic rebound. 

The International Monetary Fund has said it still expects the economy to grow at the 6% rate it projected earlier this year, but warned that the variant is threatening growth to developing nations with less access to vaccines.

Janet Yellen: COVID-19 variants could derail global recovery

"What happens in any part of the world affects all other countries.”

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during the G20 finance ministers and central bankers meeting in Venice, on July 11. Photo: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images

Janet Yellen

Coronavirus

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

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

Reproduced from Pew Research Center; Chart: Axios visuals

Two-thirds of American churches delivered overtly political sermons or messages in the run-up to the 2020 election, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of online sermons.

Why it matters: Many clergy felt compelled to address the controversies dividing the country — and possibly their own congregations — at a time of turmoil. 

By the numbers: Between Aug.31 and Nov. 8, 2020, two-thirds of churches posted at least one sermon or message about the 2020 election. The messages varied among Christian churches: 

48% of sermons mentioning the election in evangelical Protestant churches discussed specific issues, parties or candidates. Evangelical pastors were more than twice as likely as others to use the phrases "Satan," "hell" and "pray [for our] president."

Historically Black Protestant pastors were far more likely to encourage voting and turnout, and to reference voter suppression, more than other groups.

When discussing racism, evangelical pastors disproportionately leaned on phrases such as "racial tension." Evangelicals also used terms like "police officer," "crime" and "convict" around three times as often as others. 

Pastors in mainline and historically Black Protestant congregations used terms like "anti-racism" and "white supremacist" when talking about racism.

Meanwhile, Catholic priests were least likely to discuss any of these topics during services.

Details: The analysis of 12,832 sermons, shared online by 2,143 churches (due to the pandemic), is not necessarily a representative sample of all sermons delivered across the country. 

It provides a glimpse of the messages that churchgoers heard during a pivotal period for the U.S.

Politics came from the pulpit in 2020

Two-thirds of churches posted at least one sermon or message mentioning the 2020 election.

2020 elections

Net migration from Mexico to the U.S.

Data: Pew Research Center; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios 

The past few years have seen a marked decline in the number of people migrating from the U.S. to Mexico, according to a new Pew Research Center report. 

Why it matters: Mexico has long been the largest country of origin for immigrants in the U.S. However, there was even more migration from the U.S. to Mexico in the 2000s and early 2010s— a trend that reversed in the years before the pandemic.

It's not that there was a big spike in Mexicans migrating to the U.S. during that time. Rather, far fewer people have been returning to Mexico, according to Pew. 

By the numbers: Roughly 690,000 people in the U.S. moved to Mexico between 2013 and 2018, according to Pew — down from 1 million people who made that move over the previous five years.

Between the lines: Job losses from the 2008 financial crisis, stricter U.S. immigration enforcement and slowing birth rates in Mexico all may have contributed to more people going to Mexico than the U.S. during the 2000s and early 2010s, according to Pew researchers. 

The Mexican economy has also been more stable in recent decades compared to the 1980s and 1990s, when Mexican migration to the U.S. was at its peak. After spiking in the '80s and '90s, the number of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. has slowly declined since 2007. 

What to watch: The pandemic's impact on migration between the U.S. and Mexico still isn't fully clear.

But, Pew notes, the number of green cards and high-skilled visas given to Mexicans dropped significantly in 2020, compared to the year before. And there was much slower growth in the number of Mexicans who received short-term farmworker visas. 

And while this study covers broad trends over a five-year period, the number of border crossings by Mexicans into the U.S. has surged over the past several months. 

With just eight months of data reported, border patrol has made more arrests of Mexican migrants than in any full fiscal year since 2009, according to Customs and Border Protection data. 

Yes, but: The vast majority of Mexican families and adults arrested at the border have been kicked back to Mexico under a Trump-era public health order kept in place by President Biden. The policy has likely contributed to the increased number of migrants making multiple attempts to cross the border. 

Migration trends between the U.S. and Mexico have flipped upside down

Immigration

Latin America and Latinos

More than 30 million Americans were under excessive heat warnings or advisories across the West on Saturday, as forecasters warned of more record high temperatures.

Of note: McCarran International Airport tied Las Vegas' all-time record highest temperature of 117°F on Saturday evening, per a National Weather Service statement. Flights were canceled at the airport Friday as the temperature hit 116°F.

California's Death Valley hit 129.4°F Saturday and 130°F on Friday, with the NWS warning it could reach 130°F again Sunday — marking some of the hottest temperatures ever reliably recorded on Earth.

The World Meteorological Organization, which officially declares temperature records, is in the process of examining whether last year's temperature of 130°F in Death Valley was Earth's hottest recorded temperature since at least 1931, the Washington Post notes.

What else is happening: California's power regulator and Nevada public utility NV Energy asked people to conserve power, as the states were hit by triple-digit temperatures. 

The extreme heat is spurring wildfires across several U.S. states and Canada, triggering evacuations in California, Oregon and Idaho, and British Columbia.

Two Arizona firefighters died when their aircraft crashed while responding to a wildfire in Mohave County.

By the numbers: Other notable temperatures in California on Saturday included Pine Flat hitting 113°F and Fresno reaching 110 °F. 

A temperature of 112°F was recorded in Phoenix, Arizona.

Our thought bubble, via Axios' Andrew Freedman: The ongoing heat wave is the latest in a series of extreme heat events to hit the West so far this spring and summer. In a vicious feedback, the intense drought is helping to vault temperatures higher, while the heat is worsening the drought at the same time. 

Human-caused climate change is dramatically boosting the odds and severity of heat waves such as this one. A study out this week on the Pacific Northwest heat event concluded it would have been "virtually impossible" without global warming. 

For the record: North America experienced its hottest June on record last month, as a deadly heat wave struck the Pacific Northwest.

Go deeper: Extreme heat has killed an estimated 1 billion small sea creatures

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Death Valley hits 130°F as 30 million under heat alerts across the West

California's Death Valley hit 130°F and a wildfire spurred by the heat "generated its own lightning," per the L.A. Times.

People cool off in the Whitewater River in Whitewater, California.

People cool off in the Whitewater River in Whitewater, California. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

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