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National

Sports

Axios Sports

For just the second time in college football history, Saturday featured three matchups between teams 5-0 or better.

Why it matters: Take those three games between unbeaten teams ... and add three more games between ranked teams. 

12pm ET: Michigan (7-0) gave Penn State (5-1) its first loss, 42-17.

3:30pm, CBS: No. 3 Alabama (6-1) lost its first game at No. 6 Tennessee (6-0), 52-49.

3:30pm, ABC: No. 8 Oklahoma State (5-1) lost its first game at No. 13 TCU (6-0), 43-40.

3:30pm, ACC: No. 15 NC State (5-1) lost to No. 18 Syracuse (6-0), 24-9.

7:30pm, SEC: No. 16 Mississippi State (5-2) lost to No. 22 Kentucky (5-2), 27-17.

8pm, Fox: No. 7 USC (6-1) lost a close one to No. 20 Utah (5-2), 43-42.

The bottom line: "This is a balanced and bonkers Saturday," as ESPN put it. 

College football heats up with Tennessee-Alabama game

College football is starting to look like the NFL

"Balanced and bonkers": Alabama falls during epic college football weekend

Undefeated Penn State will take on Michigan, while No. 1 Alabama hits the road against Tennessee.

Alabama football coach Nick Saban. Photo: Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Finish Line

Axios Finish Line

My biggest obsession about the future of America is the fast — and permanent — rise of population, experimentation, wealth and dynamism outside New York, San Francisco and D.C.

Why it matters: Influence and power are forever spreading to places like Phoenix, Austin and Boise, as people seek better weather, cheaper living, more space, and more normal people and experiences.

These rising cities are growing so fast that the ring of suburbs around them is sprouting faster too. 

🔭 Zoom out: There is a permanent realignment. Here's why:

The professional class is leading the revolution. In a tight labor market, millions are demanding the freedom to work from wherever. Yes, some will be forced back into full-time, in-person work. But millions of smart, educated, well-paid people will never return.

Ground zero for the next wave of technologies. You need density — lots of people, tons of talent — to bring 5G (exponentially faster internet), drone delivery, driverless cars and digitally connected cities to life. This is a big reason places like Phoenix and Denver are booming. These technologies will be perfected and regulated in rising cities. 

Uncle Sam's nudge. The rollout of 5G and faster internet, expedited by last year's infrastructure law, should make it even easier for workers to live near these cities but also have land and space, widening the local labor pool. 

Business cements it. The smart businesses are adapting fast, starting hubs in rising cities, allowing people to work from home, buying up shared office space for those who want in-person options, and raising their profiles in recruitment and image advertising. Business goes where the action is. 

🖼️ The big picture: We are so confident in this trend that we are making one of the largest new investments of the digital era in local journalism — betting the top 100 cities and beyond will be reinvented and need clinical coverage of the unfolding change.

Click here to see the 24 cities of Axios Local (more soon). Please subscribe if you live in one. 

The next frontier for power and influence

The future of America is the rise of population, experimentation, wealth and dynamism outside New York, San Francisco and D.C.

Illustration of a lightbulb with a location icon for the filament 

Smart cities

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

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

Elon Musk said Saturday that the Starlink terminals from SpaceX provide a "battlefield advantage" that costs less than a new GPS satellite  — but he tweeted that he'll foot the bill. 

Why it matters: This is a quick reversal for Musk from defending his decision to ask for help paying for the Starlink service, saying SpaceX can't fund internet in Ukraine forever and that the Pentagon may need to foot the bill moving forward.

Catch up quick: SpaceX sent a letter to the Pentagon last month asking the U.S. to fund the government and military use of Starlink in Ukraine moving forward, CNN reports.

On Friday, Musk said SpaceX can't "indefinitely" fund critical internet service in Ukraine through Starlink terminals. “This is unreasonable,” Musk tweeted.

On Saturday, Musk said SpaceX's request "for a major battlefield advantage is less than the cost of one new GPS satellite. ... GPS doesn’t work on battlefields, as the signal is easy to jam, but Starlink does," Musk claimed in a tweet. 

The big picture: Musk said the Starlink operation in Ukraine "has cost SpaceX $80 million and will exceed $100 million by the end of the year.”

The Department of Defense spokesman told Axios on Friday that "the department continues to work with industry to explore solutions for Ukraine’s armed forces as they repel Russia’s brutal and unprovoked aggression."

The DOD said on Saturday that it had no additional comment.

"The hell with it": Elon Musk drops request for Starlink funding

Musk said SpaceX's request "for a major battlefield advantage is less than the cost of one new GPS satellite."

Elon Musk, Founder and Chief Engineer of SpaceX, attends the Satellite 2020 Conference in Washington, DC.

Elon Musk attends a conference in Washington. Photo: Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Elon Musk

The White House is “deeply disappointed” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he mistrusts the Biden administration, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council told Axios.

Why it matters: Since assuming office, the Biden administration has resumed sending hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian people that was cut during the Trump administration.

Driving the news: Abbas met Putin on the sidelines of an international summit in Kazakhstan and told him the Palestinians do not trust America and that the U.S. can’t mediate on its own between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

“We don't trust it, we don't rely on it, and under no circumstances can we accept that America is the sole party in resolving a problem,” Abbas said.

The Palestinian president then added he is “happy and satisfied” with Russia's support of the Palestinians.

"Russia stands by justice and international law and that is enough for us," he said.

Behind the scenes: Two U.S. sources briefed on the issue told me Biden administration officials were furious and made it clear to Abbas’ advisers.

Abbas' remarks came a week after his de facto No. 2 Hussein al-Sheikh was hosted at the White House by national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Al-Sheikh also met with deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman and several other U.S. officials.

It was the first official visit by a Palestinian official to Washington since December 2017 when the Palestinian president decided to boycott the White House after Trump announced he would recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The big picture: The diplomatic stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is eroding Abbas' legitimacy and President Biden's visit in July didn’t result in any political deliverables.

The tensions between the Biden administration and the Palestinian leadership are growing amid escalating violence in the occupied West Bank. 

What they're saying: “We were deeply disappointed to hear President Abbas’ remarks to President Putin. Russia does NOT stand for justice and international law, as evidenced by the latest vote at the UN General Assembly,” a White House national security council spokesperson told Axios. The UN general assembly passed a resolution this week to condemn Russia's annexations in Ukraine.

The National Security Council spokesperson said Putin is a “far cry” from the type of international partner needed to constructively address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“President Biden, in contrast, has demonstrated U.S. commitment for decades to seeking creative solutions and working toward the lasting peace needed to advance stability and prosperity throughout the Middle East,” the spokesperson said.

Palestinian officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

White House "very disappointed" by Palestinian president's remarks to Putin

Tensions between the Biden administration and the Palestinian leadership are growing amid escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Astana on October 13, 2022. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Astana on Oct. 13. Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

Palestine

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

World

The Biden administration launched the official beta version of the student loan forgiveness application Friday night, the first step in relieving millions of Americans of student debt.

The big picture: Biden's student loan forgiveness plan has faced a number of legal challenges as well as criticism from Republicans and some Democrats in battleground states.

How to apply for student loan forgiveness online

Details: The Biden administration's student loan forgiveness application is officially live, allowing student borrowers to apply for relief through an easy application process. Go here.

"We're accepting applications to help us refine our processes ahead of the official form launch. If you submit an application, it will be processed, and you won't need to resubmit," the website reads.

Zoom in: Borrowers can apply without attaching any proof or documentation that they qualify for debt relief.

The simple application requests borrower information, such as name, Social Security number, email, phone number and more.

Individuals who make less than $125,000 per year, and married couples who earn under $250,000, qualify for forgiveness.

The plan could cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 for individual borrowers.

Borrowers can expect relief in four to six weeks, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said.

Dates to watch: Those interested in debt forgiveness have until the end of the year to make it happen. The application will be available from October 2022 through December 2023, the White House previously said.

Nov. 15: Applicants should apply by this date in order to receive forgiveness before the student loan payment pause ends, according to ABC News.

Dec. 31 will be the final deadline to apply for student loan forgiveness as that is the same day when the payment pause stops.

Jan. 1, 2023: Regular student loan payments will begin again.

Where things stand with Biden's student loan forgiveness plan

Who student debt relief helps (and it's not who you think)

The impact of student loan nationalization

White House launches student loan relief beta website

Biden's student loan forgiveness plan has faced a number of legal challenges since it was announced.

A student walks to class at Rice University on August 29, 2022 in Houston, Texas.

A student walks to class at Rice University on Aug. 29 in Houston. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Students

Joe Biden

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

Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee in the Georgia Senate race, was chastised by a debate moderator Friday night after he used a "prop" badge in an attempt to prove he works with law enforcement.

The big picture: Walker faced a number of questions about his past throughout the midterm elections debate between himself and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) on Friday night.

What happened: During the debate, Warnock challenged Walker about the   Heisman trophy winner's claim that he worked in law enforcement.

Walker, in response, flashed a badge on stage, saying, he does "work with many police officers.”

A moderator then chastised him for flashing the badge since, she said, it's against the rules to use props in the debate.

“Well, it’s not a prop. This is real," Walker responded.

“It is considered a prop. You’re very well aware of the rules, aren’t you?” the moderator said.

Context: Walker has claimed to be a member of law enforcement. But the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported that Walker was an honorary deputy at the Cobb County Police Department.

Go deeper ... Warnock, Walker square off in debate for key Senate seat

Herschel Walker chastised over "prop" by Georgia debate moderator

Walker's past took center stage at the midterms race debate Friday night.

Axios

Saturday's top stories

"Balanced and bonkers": Alabama falls during epic college football weekend

The next frontier for power and influence

"The hell with it": Elon Musk drops request for Starlink funding

White House "very disappointed" by Palestinian president's remarks to Putin

White House launches student loan relief beta website

Herschel Walker chastised over "prop" by Georgia debate moderator

Human cells transplanted into rat brains could offer new insights on diseases

Dems fear Kari Lake could be Arizona's governor—and a major MAGA star

What China looks like after a decade of Xi Jinping's rule

Obama warns against "explicit political games"