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

axios-local

axios-pro

axios-live

the-axios-show

National

Vitals

Axios Vitals

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky signed off on allowing Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 shots for children as young as 6 months old on Saturday.

Why it matters: The shots could be in little arms as early as next week, as most states have already pre-ordered COVID vaccines for children under 5 in anticipation of federal authorization.

Earlier Saturday, a key CDC advisory committee unanimously voted to support a recommendation for the shots for children.

What they're saying: "Together, with science leading the charge, we have taken another important step forward in our nation’s fight against COVID-19. We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with today’s decision, they can,” Walensky said, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

In a statement, President Biden praised the "monumental step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus, with virtually every American now eligible for the protections that COVID-19 vaccines provide." 

"For parents all over the country, this is a day of relief and celebration, as the first country to protect our youngest children with COVID-19 vaccines," Biden's statement said. 

The statement also confirmed parents can schedule appointments for their children to be vaccinated beginning next week. "These vaccines are safe, highly effective, and will give parents the peace of mind of knowing their child is protected from the worst outcomes of COVID-19," Biden's statement said.

Zoom in: The shots received emergency use authorization by the FDA on Friday after being considered by an FDA advisory committee earlier in the week. The FDA says the pediatric dose of Moderna COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine may trigger an immune response "slightly more rapidly" than the Pfizer vaccine, while Pfizer might produce a "greater response" after the third dose.

Pfizer's vaccine was approved as a three-dose series for children 6 months through 4 years old. Each dose is about a 10th of the size of an adult dose and FDA advisers warned this week that parents need to be aware that all three doses are needed to develop a sufficient immune response to fight infection. 

Children would receive the first two doses three weeks apart. The third dose would be delivered at least two months later. 

Moderna's vaccine was approved as a two-dose series for children 6 months through 5 years old. Each dose is about a quarter of the dose given to adults and each would be delivered about four weeks apart.

The big picture: While many parents of the youngest Americans have been anxiously awaiting the chance to get their child vaccinated, it remains unclear how strong uptake of the shot will be.

The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates 8.2 million, or just more than a third of kids (36%) ages 5 to 11 have gotten at least one shot as of June 8. And 14.8 million U.S. kids ages 12 to 17 (59%) have gotten at least one COVID shot.

Kids under 5 can get COVID vaccines next week after CDC approval

CDC Director Walensky has agreed with the recommendation the Moderna and Pfizer shots be given to children as young as six months old.

A child is seen with a sign during a demonstration.

Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Protect Their Future

COVID-19

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

This installment of the next phase of our Hard Truths series explores what's being tried to address the problems of systemic racism in housing.

Where homeownership by people of color thrives

One bank's program to boost Black homeownership

Race and housing: The path forward

This installment looks at what's being tried to address the problems of systemic racism in housing.

Photo illustration of a housing development under construction in Los Angeles

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images

Deep Dive: Hard Truths - Housing

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

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

An unusually intense early-season heat wave is bringing scorching temperatures to Western and Central Europe, with highs near or above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40°C) recorded in parts of Spain and France over the weekend.

Why it matters: The World Meteorological Organization warned Friday that this heat wave is a preview of the future, as heat waves are starting earlier in the year and are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of human-caused climate change.

Prolonged, extreme heat is deadly, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly, infants, children and people with chronic diseases.

By the numbers: Spain's meteorological agency said Friday that it was the earliest heat wave in over 40 years, while France's weather service said it was the earliest ever to hit the country.

Biarritz, France, broke its all-time heat record on Saturday with a high of 109.2°F (42.9°C), according to meteorologist Scott Duncan. That exceeded its previous all-time record by 4.14°F, which itself is unusual, since typically such long-term records are broken by smaller margins. 

On Saturday, a staggering 203 monthly high-temperature records were beaten or tied in France, along with 18 records for the hottest temperature observed for any day of the year, according to extreme weather specialist Maximiliano Herrera. 

The nation's hottest temperature on Saturday was 110.1°F (43.4°C) at Pissos, in southwestern Franc,e where "red" warnings were in place for extreme heat. 

Zoom in: In a post on Twitter, Herrera described the heat wave as "catastrophic" due to its intensity. 

Monthly heat records were also broken in Switzerland and Germany on Saturday, according to Herrera.

Spain's weather service said temperatures could reach maximum temperatures of 107°F (42°C) in the northeast Saturday, while large parts of the country could reach a maximum of around 104°F (40°C).

At San Sebastien, Spain, along the Bay of Biscay, the high on Saturday reached 110.3°F (43.5°C), for an all-time record, Herrera tweeted. 

Météo-France said that multiple weather stations across the country recorded temperatures that broke heat records on Friday as well.

Our thought bubble:  This heat wave is shattering all-time records during a time of year that is not the seasonal peak, which may exacerbate its public health impacts since people are not yet accustomed to mid-summer temperatures. 

Climate change is making extreme heat events far more likely and severe, with several heat waves in Europe attributed in large part to human emissions of greenhouse gases. 

One of the first heat wave attribution studies, in fact, detailed the role that climate change played in a deadly heat wave in France that occurred in 2003.

The big picture: Amid the heat, forest fires have erupted in Catalonia, Spain.

One near Baldomar, about 87 miles northeast of Barcelona, has burned around 2,470 acres after starting on Thursday, though several thousand acres are threatened.

Other fires have broken out in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France as temperatures have soared.

The high heat put much of Spain under high or extreme risk of wildfire on Saturday.

What's next: The heat is expected to subside in France on Sunday and move into Germany, though Spain, Poland and Austria will still have abnormally high temperatures for several days, according to the Washington Post.

Go deeper: Flooding kills at least 18 people in India, Bangladesh

Heat wave in Europe sets records as wildfires break out

Heat waves are starting earlier and becoming more frequent and more severe because of climate change.

A firefighting plane drops water on a blaze near Artesa de Segre, in Catalonia, Spain, on June 16.

A firefighting plane drops water on a blaze near Artesa de Segre, in Catalonia, Spain, on June 16. Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP via Getty Images

Europe

Extreme weather

Climate change

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

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

World

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

 The Navy has terminated about a dozen officers over the last several months due to a “loss of confidence” in their ability to command, NBC News reports. 

Driving the news: Earlier this month, five officers were let go in the span of a week. The Navy said the series of dismissals is not related, but did not elaborate on what actions or circumstances specifically led to the decisions.

Catch up fast: The Navy offered few details in most of the cases and gave a boilerplate explanation — a “loss of confidence” — for others.

The commanding officer of the USS Bulkeley destroyer and his third-in-command were relieved last week, with the Navy citing doubt about their "ability to effectively function as a command leadership team." 

The Navy referenced the climate at the Naval Justice School for dismissing both the commanding officer and second-in-command at the end of May.

A probe preceded the termination of the officer in charge of the Submarine Training Facility in San Diego in late April, per NBC News.

A “series of leadership and oversight failures" at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii prompted another officer’s dismissal in early April

What they’re saying: "The U.S. Navy has long maintained high standards for all its personnel. Those who fall short of these standards are held accountable," said Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Devin Arneson, per NBC.

U.S. Navy has dismissed a dozen officers with little explanation

The Navy offered few details in most of the cases and gave a boilerplate explanation - a “loss of confidence” - for others.

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge of the U.S. Navy at the harbor in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 3. Photo: Reinaldo Ubilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Military

After a heatwave killed thousands of cattle in Kansas earlier this month, more scorching temperatures are hitting the central plains this weekend. 

Driving the news: At least 2,000 cattle in southwestern Kansas died amid a heat wave last week, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

What’s next: More blistering heat. The National Weather Service is warning of dangerous temperatures in Kansas and across the plains and deep south through Father’s Day weekend. 

That could lead to record-breaking heat for minimum temperatures and daytime maximum temperatures throughout the Plains and Gulf Coast, per NWS.

“The hottest temperatures versus normal will be positioned in the northern and central Plains where Excessive Heat Watches and Heat Advisories have been posted due to heat indices ranging between 100-110 degrees each late morning and afternoon each day,” according to NWS.

Why it matters: Cattle can experience heat stress when in an excessively hot and humid climate and there isn’t a breeze to help cool them off. 

Rapid temperature increases to as high as 108 degrees preceded the initial wave of deaths, Fox News reported.

What they’re saying: "The combination of high temperatures, humidity and not a lot of wind made it difficult for the cows to stay cool," said Matt Lara, a spokesperson for Kansas's Department of Health and Environment, per Fox News.

Blistering heat wave threatens cattle herds after thousands died last week

The National Weather Service is warning of dangerous temperatures across the plains and deep south through Father’s Day weekend.

Cattle graze near wind turbines at the Invenergy LLC Buckeye Wind Energy Center in Hays, Kansas, U.S., on Thursday, June 29, 2017. Photo: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images 

extreme weather

 About a quarter of Americans living abroad are “seriously considering” or “planning” to renounce their citizenship, a new survey found. 

Driving the news: Burdensome tax laws for Americans living abroad is the most common reason expats are considering the step, according to the survey conducted by Greenback Expat Tax Services, which polled 3,200 Americans living in 121 countries.

State of play: Most of the world’s nations have a residence-based tax system. 

However, U.S. citizens who reside in another country still owe income taxes to the IRS because of the U.S.' citizenship-based tax system. This can lead to costly tax preparation or, in some cases, owing taxes to both countries, CNBC reports.

Expats can face stiff penalties if they do not report foreign bank accounts or income. 

Details: Among those weighing renouncement, 40% said filing taxes was too burdensome, the survey found.

That was more than the next three reasons combined: concern about the current political climate (15%); married a non-US citizen abroad (12%); and disappointment in the direction of the U.S. government (10%).  

A majority want to see citizenship-based taxation repealed and one in five want to see the tax filing process simplified, the survey found. 

In between the lines: An overwhelming majority of respondents — 86% — said they felt their concerns were less likely to be addressed by the government than citizens living in the continental U.S.

In addition to the quarter of people who said they are planning or seriously considering ditching their citizenship, two out of five people said they “wouldn’t rule it out.” 

One in three said they would never consider it. 

Yes, but: In 2020, roughly 9 million Americans were living abroad, the State Department estimates. 

The number of people who formally renounced their citizenship declined from a record-breaking 6,705 that year to 2,426 in 2021, CNBC reports. 

U.S. tax burden may lead some Americans abroad to give up citizenship

According to a survery, a majority want to see citizenship-based taxation repealed, and one in five want to see the tax filing process simplified.

Axios

Saturday's top stories

Kids under 5 can get COVID vaccines next week after CDC approval

Race and housing: The path forward

Heat wave in Europe sets records as wildfires break out

U.S. Navy has dismissed a dozen officers with little explanation

Blistering heat wave threatens cattle herds after thousands died last week

U.S. tax burden may lead some Americans abroad to give up citizenship

"Late Show" TV crew could face criminal charges after Capitol arrest

World's smallest penguins are washing up dead in New Zealand

Scientists find possible black hole wandering the Milky Way

Flooding kills at least 18 people in India, Bangladesh

Trump’s third impeachment trial