National

Tropical Storm Fiona is expected to become a hurricane and could dump as much as 20 inches of rain on Puerto Rico beginning Saturday, the National Hurricane Center warned. 

Driving the news: The meteorological agency issued a hurricane warning for the U.S. territory, where the impending flooding and high winds could imperil the island's power grid, which is still recovering from 2017's Hurricane Maria.

Catch up fast: Fiona has already dumped 17 inches of rain on the island of Guadeloupe and brought significant flooding to some eastern Caribbean islands. 

As of Saturday morning, the tropical storm was located about 130 miles southeast of St. Croix and was moving west. It’s on pace to pass near or over Puerto Rico on Sunday night. 

A Saturday afternoon updated from the NHC revealed no significant chances in the forecast for Puerto Rico, though the agency stressed the likelihood of "life threatening" flooding occurring as a result of the storm. The NHC also said the storm is expected to be a hurricane when it makes landfall sometime on Sunday.

 Data: National Hurricane Center; Map: Jared Whalen/Axios 

Threat level: Forecasters are calling for 12 to 16 inches to fall in Puerto Rico with the potential for as many as 20 inches, particularly across eastern and southern swaths of the island. 

A hurricane watch is in effect for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano westward to Cabo Caucedo and its northern coast, from Cabo Engano westward to Puerto Plata. The island nation is forecast to get four to eight inches of rain, with up to a foot possible along its eastern coast. 

The U.S. Virgin Islands, also under a hurricane watch as of Saturday morning, are expected to receive four to six inches, with as much as 10 inches of rain possible.

The deluge could produce flash and urban flooding, as well as mudslides along higher terrain, particularly in southern and eastern Puerto Rico and the eastern Dominican Republic. On the nearby island of Guadeloupe, 19.85 inches of rain has fallen since Fiona arrived. 

Our thought bubble: From Axios’ Andrew Freedman: The National Hurricane Center raised the possibility of faster intensification prior to the storm’s arrival in Puerto Rico on Sunday, so it’s possible the storm could hit as a stronger Category 1 or even a Category 2 storm, depending on its development.

Once the storm emerges over the southwestern Atlantic, it is likely to further intensify, and appears destined to curve out to sea, away from the East Coast. However, the ultimate track is still subject to considerable uncertainty, so the East Coast from Florida to the Carolinas in particular should keep a close watch.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional forecast information from the National Hurricane Center. 

Tropical Storm Fiona prompts hurricane warning for Puerto Rico

The impending flooding and high winds could imperil the island's fragile power grid.

Puerto Rico

Energy & Environment

President Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin not to use chemical or tactical nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine or there would be a "consequential” response from the United States.

The big picture: The Kremlin last week said that Russia would continue to wage its war in Ukraine until all its military goals have been achieved despite facing a rapidly advancing Ukrainian counter-offensive.

In March, a Kremlin spokesperson said that Russia would only use nuclear weapons if there's a "threat for existence" to the country and not due to the war with Ukraine.

Last month, the UN warned that humanity is "one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation."

Why it matters: Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine increased tensions between the U.S. and its former Cold War foe — both of which have nuclear weapons, Axios' Julia Shapero reports. 

Putin ordered Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on alert soon after invading Ukraine, citing "aggressive statements" from NATO countries.

What they're saying: “It would change the face of war unlike anything since World War II," Biden said in an interview with CBS that will air Sunday. 

"They’ll become more of a pariah in the world than they ever have been. And depending on the extent of what they do will determine what response would occur," he added.

Biden: Putin using nuclear weapons would see "consequential” U.S. response

“It would change the face of war unlike anything since World War II."

Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Joe Biden

Russia

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

The eight grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II stood in silent vigil beside her coffin Saturday at Westminster Hall, in the latest moment honoring the late monarch.

The big picture: Thousands have turned out to visit the Queen as she lies in state. The line reached five miles on Friday and visitors had to be turned away. 

Britain's Prince Harry (left), Duke of Sussex, James, Viscount Severn, and Britain's Princess Eugenie of York mount a vigil around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Photo: Ian Vogler-Pool/AFP

A sketch artist draws Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Princess Eugenie of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn, as they hold a vigil in honor of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall on Sept. 17 in London. Photo: Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Princess Eugenie of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn, arrive to hold a vigil in honor of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall on Sept. 17. Photo: Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Edward, Earl of Wessex (right) and Sophie, Countess of Wessex (center) watch from the gallery as  Queen Elizabeth II's grandchildren hold a vigil in honor of Queen Elizabeth II in London. Photo: Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II's grandchildren (left to right) Zara Tindall, Lady Louise, Princess Beatrice, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Princess Eugenie, Viscount Severn, Peter Phillips and Prince William, Prince of Wales, hold a vigil beside the coffin of their grandmother as it lies in state on the catafalque inside Westminster Hall on Sept. 17 in London. Photo: Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince William, Prince of Wales, holds a vigil in honor of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall on Sept. 17. Photo: Yui Mok-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Princess Eugenie of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, arrive to hold a vigil honoring their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at Westminster Hall in London on Sept. 17. Photo: Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images

In photos: Queen Elizabeth II's grandchildren hold vigil for late monarch

The late monarch's eight grandchildren stood in silent vigil beside her coffin at Westminster Hall.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrive in military uniforms to hold a vigil for their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. 

Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrive to hold a vigil in honor of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall on Sept. 17 in London. Photo: Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II

Good afternoon, and welcome to our Climate Truths Deep Dive series. Today we're exploring the health care impact of climate change, and how the health care industry and emergency management officials are responding.

Axios Climate Truths: New health crisis

The  impact of climate change on our health.

Illustration of the earth with a stethoscope over it surrounded by red crosses and blocks of color

Climate truths

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

Yeshiva University suspended all student club activities this week after the U.S. Supreme Court denied its request to overturn a lower court ruling requiring the New York college to recognize an LGBTQ student group. 

Driving the news: An attorney for the student group, the YU Pride Alliance, called the university’s response to the ruling “shameful," while Yeshiva's president said the school's legal fight is not over.

What they’re saying: YU Pride Alliance’s attorney Katie Rosenfeld said in a statement the school’s course of action "rather than accept one LGBTQ peer support group on campus is a throwback to 50 years ago when the city of Jackson, Mississippi, closed all public swimming pools rather than comply with court orders to desegregate."

"We are confident that YU students will see through this shameful tactic and stand together in community," Rosenfeld added in a statement.

Catch up quick: The YU Pride Alliance sued the Modern Orthodox Jewish college last year after it refused to officially recognize the club.

A New York judge declared that the university is not a religious institution and must recognize the group. After the New York Court of Appeals refused the school’s request to review the denial of a stay, the school asked the Supreme Court to intervene.

The high court told Yeshiva to go back to New York state court to pursue the legal outcome it is seeking. Opposing the 5-4 ruling were four of the court's conservative justices.

State of play: The school informed students in an email that "the university will hold off on all undergraduate club activities while it immediately takes steps to follow the roadmap provided by the US Supreme Court to protect YU's religious freedom,” NPR reports. 

The other side: Yeshiva University President Rabbi Ari Berman said in a statement that the school would continue its legal battle.

"Every faith-based university in the country has the right to work with its students, including its LGBTQ students, to establish the clubs, places and spaces that fit within its faith tradition," Berman said. "Yeshiva University simply seeks that same right of self-determination."

Yeshiva University suspends activities after SCOTUS ruling on LGBTQ club

"We are confident that YU students will see through this shameful tactic," an attorney for the LGBTQ group said.

People walk by the campus of Yeshiva University in New York City on Aug. 30 in New York City. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

New York City

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) challenged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to a debate amid the latter's decision to send nearly 50 Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, a wealthy enclave outside of Boston. 

The big picture: It's the latest in a clash between Republican politicians, who oppose President Biden's immigration and border policies, and Democrats, who have slammed tactics to transport migrants as a political ploy.

Republicans are particularly taking aim at sanctuary cities and sending migrants there to test their values and force them to grapple with social safety-net issues, Axios' Shawna Chen reports. 

Democrats have criticized Republicans for their actions, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) equating it to "trafficking."

What they're saying: “Hey [Gov. Ron DeSantis], clearly you’re struggling, distracted, and busy playing politics with people’s lives,” Newsom said in a tweet. 

“Since you have only one overriding need — attention — let’s take this up & debate. I’ll bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray. Name the time before Election Day.”

DeSantis' office did not immediately return Axios' request for comment. 

Between the lines: Newsom and DeSantis are both running for re-election this year, and are also potential presidential candidates for 2024. 

Go Deeper: Border Dem slams "soulless" DeSantis over Martha's Vineyard stunt

Newsom challenges DeSantis to debate after migrants sent to Massachusetts

The challenge comes amid DeSantis' decision to send nearly 50 Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) criticized Republicans on Friday for their "crimes against humanity on refugees" after governors in Arizona, Florida and Texas transported migrants to Democratic states. 

The big picture: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) flew nearly 50 Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts earlier this week.

DeSantis doubled down and said he plans to spend millions that Florida has budgeted to continue the controversial practice.

Why it matters: It was an escalation of Republican governors' standoff with President Biden over his immigration and border policies — aimed at forcing predominantly Democratic-run states to grapple with social safety-net issues.

Massachusetts, which has a Republican governor, appears to have been targeted because state and local leaders have expressed support for policies that benefit immigrants regardless of their status.

What they're saying: "Don’t normalize this. Lying to & trafficking people for TV and clicks isn’t politics as usual. It’s abuse," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. 

"What a lot of Republican politicians fail to understand is that not everyone shares their zero-sum, scarcity mindset," she added. 

Zoom in: Church leaders, housing advocates, government officials and residents on Martha’s Vineyard came together to provide shelter, food, clothing and other items for the migrants, who were staying at a church in Edgartown.

Go deeper: Border Dem slams "soulless" DeSantis over Martha's Vineyard stunt

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slams Republicans for "trafficking" migrants

"Lying to & trafficking people for TV and clicks isn’t politics as usual. It’s abuse."

Migrants

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended flying migrant families to Martha’s Vineyard this week and said he plans to spend millions that Florida has budgeted to continue the controversial practice. 

Driving the news: “These are just the beginning efforts,” DeSantis said, per CNN. “We’ve got an infrastructure in place now. There’s going to be a lot more that’s happening.”

Florida has set aside $12 million to relocate migrants from the state. DeSantis said Friday he would use “every penny” of the money "to protect Florida." The money covered the cost of buses and will cover “likely more” flights, DeSantis said, per CNN.

Catch up fast: Earlier this week, DeSantis said he used taxpayer dollars to organize flights from Texas for 50 Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, the wealthy enclave about 90 miles outside of Boston. 

Some of the families said they were promised housing and other opportunities if they agreed to take the flight. Many also said they were not told where they were heading. DeSantis disputed that claim Friday, saying the families signed a waiver to participate.

“It’s obvious that’s where they were going,” DeSantis said. He added: “It’s all voluntary.” 

Volunteers and Massachusetts officials scrambled to aid the families, who will now be housed at Joint Base Cape Cod. The state also plans to activate as many as 125 National Guard members to help handle the asylum seekers’ needs.

The big picture: DeSantis joins Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in the controversial practice that’s an apparent response to President Biden’s immigration policies. 

DeSantis has said he is sending the migrants to “sanctuary” jurisdictions, alluding to an immigrant-friendly designation that many Democratic-leaning cities and states adopted during former President Trump's tenure. 

Abbott has bused more than 10,000 migrants to Washington D.C., New York and Chicago since the spring, Reuters reports. 

Biden, Democratic leaders and immigration advocates have sharply criticized the practice as an inhumane political stunt that has used the families as pawns.  The White House is discussing "litigation options" to halt the relocations, Axios' Stef W. Kight reports. 

DeSantis: Florida will keep relocating migrants with state funds

"There’s going to be a lot more that’s happening.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters at a campaign stop on the Keep Florida Free Tour at the Horsepower Ranch in Geneva. Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Ron DeSantis

Immigration

Closer

Axios Closer

Oral health companies, orthodontists, dentists and regulators are engaged in a high-stakes war over how to best straighten your teeth.

The big picture: Products like Invisalign and SmileDirectClub have taken a big bite out of orthodontists' profits, pitting old-school professionals against new upstarts against state dental boards, with millions of dollars in marketing and legal bills piling up along the way.

State of play: Invisalign owner Align Technology and SmileDirectClub — as well as a slew of smaller companies — are increasingly sidelining orthodontists and taking market share away from wire-and-bracket braces.

These companies sell clear-plastic aligners, which can progressively straighten y0ur teeth but, unlike braces, can be removed for eating, drinking, photo-taking and, well, romantic encounters.

But the orthodontics lobby — led by the American Association of Orthodontists — has engaged in a long-running fight with SmileDirectClub over its direct-to-consumer strategy, which allows users to straighten their teeth without ever visiting the office of a medical professional.

The big picture: The pandemic triggered a boom in sales of teeth aligners. Invisalign and SmileDirectClub's sales soared as customers figured it was a good time to fix their crooked teeth, a medical condition known as malocclusion. 

“You’re sitting at home, you’re on Zoom all day, you have some extra coin in your pocket and a lot of people decided to do that,” Jefferies analyst Brandon Couillard, who tracks the teeth alignment industry, tells Axios.

But sales have trailed off over the past year, bruising manufacturers' stock prices. SmileDirectClub in particularly rough financial shape after years of expensive legal battles and aggressive marketing. The company “could run out of cash” in 12 to 18 months, Couillard estimated.

Threat level: Hoping to carve out additional runway for growth, SmileDirectClub has attacked state dental boards that it views as protecting the orthodontics industry.

The company in March won a ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals allowing it to sue the members of California’s state dental board, alleging that they violated antitrust law in a conspiracy to block SmileDirectClub's services.

How it works: People looking to straighten their teeth without wire braces have some options.

Invisalign involves in-person oversight from a dentist or orthodontist. They get a cut of the revenue in exchange for selling and executing the service, which can take anywhere from several months to more than a year to have its desired effect. 

SmileDirectClub largely skips office visits by signing up patients directly. Customers receive an oral impression kit by mail and ship it back to the company, which employs dentists to design teeth-straightening plans and oversee cases remotely, corresponding with patients via photos and online instructions.

Invisalign costs about $5,000 to $6,000 per case — only about $1,300 of that is the cost of manufacturing the aligners, according to Jefferies — while SmileDirectClub typically costs a few thousand less. And as those two market leaders have taken off, a host of smaller competitors have jumped in as well.

The other side: The American Association of Orthodontics did not respond to requests seeking comment, but the organization has argued that an orthodontist should oversee teeth straightening and that direct-to-consumer treatments should be avoided.

“Orthodontic treatment involves the movement of biological material, which could lead to potentially irreversible and expensive damage such as tooth and gum loss, changed bites and other issues if not done correctly,” the AAO says on its website.

What we’re watching: Braces still have the upper hand: They're used in about 8 in 10 cases, including most children, Couillard says — which means there's plenty more room for the aligners industry to grow.

SmileDirectClub is developing an app-based 3D mouth-scanning system that could make the process more enticing for prospective patients, but Couillard thinks Invaslign may be in a stronger position.

“I think consumers prefer the experience of a professional being involved in the process in person,” he said. “Consumers, to some degree, are skeptical about an entirely virtual orthodontic experience.”

The war for your teeth

Millions of dollars in legal bills and aggressive marketing have piled up.

Illustration of a tooth wearing an army helmet.

Health care

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 Department of Justice on Friday sought a stay to block parts of a federal judge's ruling that halted its ongoing review of roughly 100 documents marked as classified that were seized at former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.

Driving the news: "The district court has entered an unprecedented order enjoining the Executive Branch’s use of its own highly classified records in a criminal investigation with direct implications for national security," the department wrote in the Friday evening filing.

DOJ asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to "stay only the portions of the order causing the most serious and immediate harm to the government and the public by (1) restricting the government’s review and use of records bearing classification markings and (2) requiring the government to disclose those records for a special-master review process."

The big picture: The 29-page partial stay request comes a day after U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon appointed Judge Raymond Dearie to review the evidence seized at Trump's Florida residence.

Cannon on Thursday also rejected the DOJ's request to resume its criminal investigation into the classified documents seized at Mar-a-Lago.

"The court’s order hamstrings that investigation and places the FBI and Department of Justice under a Damoclean threat of contempt," the department wrote in its Friday filing to the Atlanta-based court of appeals.  

Go deeper: Judge denies DOJ request, appoints special master in Trump Mar-a-Lago probe

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

DOJ seeks to block parts of judge’s ruling on documents seized at Mar-a-Lago

DOJ asked to "stay only the portions of the order causing the most serious and immediate harm to the government and the public."

 former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is seen on September 14, 2022

Former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is seen on Sept. 14. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Department of Justice (DOJ)

President Biden on Friday met with the families of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan "to reiterate his continued commitment to working through all available avenues to bring Brittney and Paul home safely" from Russian detainment, the White House said.

Why it matters: These are Biden's first in-person meetings with the families of Griner and Whelan. For months, both families have urged the Biden administration to bring their loved ones home. 

Driving the news: Biden held separate Oval Office meetings with Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, and Whelan's sister, Elizabeth Whelan, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Friday evening.  

"The President appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Brittney and Paul from those who love them most, and acknowledged that every minute they are being held is a minute too long."

"As we have said before, we believe that Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney and Paul under intolerable circumstances," she said on Thursday.  

"We have been directly engaged with the Russian government through appropriate channels," Jean-Pierre said. 

The big picture: The administration in July said that they had made a "substantial proposal" to bring home the two "wrongfully detained" Americans, but there haven't been any public plans since Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments.

"We have followed up on that offer repeatedly and will continue to pursue every avenue to bring them home safely,"  Jean-Pierre said Thursday. 

Go deeper: WNBA star Brittney Griner is "struggling" in Russia, wife says

Editor's note: This story was updated with new details, including a readout of the president's meetings on Friday.

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Biden met with families of Griner and Whelan at White House

Both families have urged the Biden administration to secure the release of their loved ones.

Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) basketball player Brittney Griner.

WNBA player Brittney Griner sits inside a defendants' cage after the court's verdict during a hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, on Aug. 4. Photo: Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

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.

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