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National

President Biden is again asking Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines following a mass shooting in Allen, Texas, on Saturday. 

Driving the news: The shooting, where eight people were killed and seven injured, is the latest in a series of mass shootings in the United States. 

According to the Gun Violence Archive, 199 mass shootings have occurred in the U.S. this year. 

Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident where at least four people are killed or injured. 

What he's saying: "Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar," Biden said in a statement. 

"More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence." 

"Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables. Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough," he continued.

Biden asked that Congress work quickly to send him a bill that would require safe storage for guns and enhance universal background checks for those seeking to buy guns. 

"I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe," he said. 

 Context: Congress has been deadlocked in trying to pass an assault weapons ban for over a decade. 

The Democratic-controlled House passed a measure in 2022, but it died in the Senate. 

However, at least 10 states have passed an assault weapons ban. Washington Governor Jay Inslee (D) signed the state's ban into law on April 26. 

The United States' assault weapons ban expired in 2004. It was initially enacted in 1994 when Biden was a U.S. senator.

Go deeper: Texas governor and other political leaders react to Allen shooting

Texas governor and other political leaders react to Allen shooting

Biden urges GOP to act on assault weapons: Thoughts, prayers "are not enough"

"Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough," he said.

Joe Biden stands at a podium, speaking to a crowd, while a line of people clap behind him.

President Biden at a national legislative conference in April.  Photo: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Gun control

Politics & Policy

Axios AM

Tucker Carlson is preparing to unleash allies to attack Fox News in an effort to bully the network into letting him work for — or start — a right-wing rival, sources close to him tell Axios.

Bryan Freedman, the high-powered Hollywood lawyer Carlson retained for the contract dispute, told Axios: "The idea that anyone is going to silence Tucker and prevent him from speaking to his audience is beyond preposterous."

Why it matters: Tucker vs. Fox could reshape the conservative news world. Fox, which has seen its ratings plunge in Carlson's slot since he was let go 13 days ago, wants to sideline him by paying him $20 million a year not to work.

 The intrigue: Axios has learned Carlson is busy plotting a media empire of his own. But he needs Fox to let him out of his contract, which expires in January 2025 — after the presidential election.

We're told Carlson has been contacted by outlets — including the right-wing Rumble and Newsmax — that offered to pay him more than his Fox contract.

Behind the scenes: Axios has learned that Carlson and Elon Musk had a conversation about working together, but didn't discuss specifics.

Carlson confidants say he also is contemplating building a direct-to-consumer media outlet where his millions of fans could pay to watch him. Carlson's predecessor in his Fox slot, Bill O'Reilly, created a blueprint for this.

Two days after being booted, Carlson teased in a Twitter video posted at 8 p.m. ET, counter-programming his former show: "See you soon." The two-minute video has racked up 24 million views.

State of play: The ousted host "knows where a lot of bodies are buried, and is ready to start drawing a map," said a Carlson source who wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

Carlson allies with big platforms are prepared to attack Fox for trying to keep him on the shelf.

Bare-knuckle brawlers from Trumpworld are standing by. 

"They're coming to him and saying: 'Do you want me to hit Fox?' '' a close Carlson friend said. "He's been saying: 'No. I want to get this done quiet and clean.' "

"Now, we're going from peacetime to Defcon 1," the friend added. "His team is preparing for war. He wants his freedom."

In a sign of what could be coming, Megyn Kelly hit her former employer for its post-Carlson ratings by tweeting a reference to conservative attacks on Bud Light: "My audience is calling them #Foxweiser."

The other side: Fox News directed Axios to the network's statement when Fox and Carlson "agreed to part ways": "We thank him for his service to the network."

Several embarrassing revelations have surfaced about Carlson from the files of the settled Dominion Voting Systems case against Fox — including his use of an obscenity about women, and a text message in which he said about a street attack: "It’s not how white men fight."

Carlson's camp said his media suitors have gotten more aggressive about following up on their offers — viewing him as all the hotter.

Scoop: Tucker Carlson accuses Fox of fraud, contract breach

Fox asks Dominion to probe leaks of Carlson messages

Scoop: Tucker Carlson ready to torch Fox News

The ousted host "knows where a lot of bodies are buried, and is ready to start drawing a map," said a Carlson source who wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

Video posted by Carlson two days after his ouster. Via Twitter

Fox News

Asian Americans — especially young, Asian American women— are the least likely to feel they completely belong and are accepted in the U.S., an annual survey of attitudes about Asian Americans has found.

Why it matters: The broad survey illustrates the anxiety felt by Asian Americans three years after the pandemic generated a wave of anti-Asian violence in the U.S.

During Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, Axios will examine the state of Asian Americans — from accomplishments to obstacles, economic well-being and how Asian American history is being preserved in the U.S.

Details: Half of Asian Americans report feeling unsafe in the U.S. due to their race/ethnicity, according to the STAATUS Index (Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the U.S.).

And only 22% of Asian Americans said they feel they belong and are accepted in the U.S.

That's compared to 57% of white respondents, 25% of Latinos and 24% of Black respondents in the survey.

The survey was conducted by The Asian American Foundation and the organization Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change.

What they're saying: "Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders overall feel the least likely to truly belong in...our home country," Norman Chen, TAAF's CEO, told Axios Today.

"We've learned this year other groups like Hispanic Americans and Black Americans share that deep sense of lack of belonging."

Chen says new research this year shows why this lack of belonging exists: Asian Americans report experiencing discrimination and/or hate crimes, at places like work, school, or on public transportation.

They also don't see themselves in positions of authority or power across the U.S.

The intrigue: Respondents, who came from a variety of racial backgrounds, also expressed ignorance of basic facts about Asian Americans.

About 82% of Americans overestimate the percentage of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the country. (They are 6.2% of the nation's population.)

Three out of 10 Americans cannot recall a significant Asian American historical event or policy.

Respondents still cite Jackie Chan (who is not American) and the late Bruce Lee as the most prominent Asian Americans.

Kamala Harris, the nation's first Asian American vice president, replaced Lucy Liu as the third most popular name this year.

"The question we ask ourselves is, 'Who's going be the first Asian American to replace Jackie Chan as the most famous, most prominent Asian American in America?'" said Chen.

Between the lines: This is the second study released this Asian American Heritage Month that showed the fears some Asian American feel.

Nearly three out of four Chinese Americans say they have experienced racial discrimination in the past 12 months, a recent study by Columbia University and the Committee of 100 found.

Of note: Chen's organization this week also announced $65 million of investments in anti-hate, AAPI education and narrative-building initiatives.

Methodology: This survey was conducted from February 9 to March 13, 2023, by Savanta Research. It is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 5,235 U.S.-based respondents, aged 16 and above, conducted through an online panel.

The margin of sampling error is +/-1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample.

Asian Americans least likely to feel they belong in U.S., study finds

The broad survey illustrates the anxiety felt by Asian Americas three years after the pandemic.

Asian Americans are gathered at the Times Square to protest Asian-Hate in New York City, United States on March 16, 2023. 

Asian Americans are gathered at the Times Square to protest Asian-Hate in New York City, on March 16, 2023. Photo: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Asian Americans

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

World

Closer

Axios Closer

Airlines have more workers than they've had in 20 years, but they still might not have enough to handle what's projected to be a sizzling summer travel season.

Driving the news: United Airlines, which has already hired more than 7,000 workers since January, said Wednesday that it plans to add 8,000 more this year.

The company has received more than 12,000 applications for more than 4,000 flight attendant roles, spokesperson David Gonzalez said in an email.

The big picture: The air transportation industry had an estimated 534,400 employees in March — up 9.5% from a year earlier and the most since April 2003, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Those new workers are desperately needed.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said in April that the company is fielding "record" advance summer travel bookings — and international trips are particularly hot.

Between the lines: An ongoing pilot shortage is "one of the hangovers from the pandemic," Going.com travel expert Katy Nastro tells Axios in an email.

"Even with aggressive hiring efforts ... there is still a deficit due to the fact that it does certainly take time to become commercial pilot ready."

Zoom in: Airlines are grappling with surging wages amid labor shortages — and higher wages mean lower profits.

Major airlines have signed deals for pilot compensation hikes of 30%, compared with pre-pandemic salaries, while wage inflation for other airline workers is up by 10% to 20%, according to Third Bridge analyst Christopher Raite.

"All airlines, but particularly the mainline carriers, are structurally less profitable than they were pre-pandemic due to rising labor costs — particularly for pilots," Raite wrote in a recent research note.

One way that airlines have responded to shortages is by reducing flights by about 10% compared with 2019, Nastro pointed out.

Reality check: Despite concerns about labor shortages, Bastian said Delta is "pretty much through the hiring."

And Southwest Airlines CEO Robert Jordan said last week that his company "will be moderating our overall hiring plans" after previously pledging to hire more than 7,000 net new workers this year.

The bottom line: The summer travel season will put airlines to the test.

Airlines add workers as they gear up for summer travel bonanza

The summer travel season will put airlines to the test.

A United Airlines plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport on April 22. Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Airlines

Transportation

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 House will vote on a sweeping, hardline border security package Thursday — just as a pandemic-related policy that has allowed the rapid expulsion of migrants will end, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) tells Axios. 

Why it matters: House Republicans will seek to codify some of former President Trump's strictest border actions, as local officials, humanitarian groups and federal law enforcement grapple with another surge of migrants and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Months of work" on the GOP package have resulted in "the strongest border security package that Congress has ever taken up," Scalise said in a phone interview. 

The bill, known as H.R. 2, will come to the House floor the same day that the Trump-era policy known as Title 42 — which has been continued under President Biden — will expire.

For more than three years, Title 42 has allowed U.S. authorities to quickly expel hundreds of thousands of migrants without first giving them a chance to attain asylum.

Zoom in: The sweeping GOP package would codify a host of stringent Trump-era policies — including the "Remain in Mexico" program, which requires migrants seeking asylum to stay in Mexico until their U.S. immigration court date. 

It would resume construction of a border wall, require more minors who cross the border without their parents to be deported and allow migrant families to be held in detention centers for longer periods of time.

The bill would restrict federal funds from being given to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that assist migrants who do not have legal status. The U.S. has long relied on a network of nonprofit and religious groups to provide initial care to migrants and asylum seekers.

House to vote on GOP immigration bill as border restrictions end

The vote will come just as a pandemic-related policy allowing rapid expulsions of migrants will end.

Axios

Sunday's top stories

Biden urges GOP to act on assault weapons: Thoughts, prayers "are not enough"

Scoop: Tucker Carlson ready to torch Fox News

Asian Americans least likely to feel they belong in U.S., study finds

Airlines add workers as they gear up for summer travel bonanza

House to vote on GOP immigration bill as border restrictions end

Scoop: U.S., Saudi Arabia, others to discuss railway project connecting Middle East

Buffett and Munger lash out at "stupid" U.S.-China tensions

The blockbuster summer of concerts

GOP moderates privately panic over debt ceiling deal

Biden admin offers temporary fix to Afghan refugees in limbo

King Charles III crowned in lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey