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National

Former President Trump's tortured relationship with his own lawyers has been at the root of his most consequential scandals, including two special counsel inquiries, two impeachments and — now — two indictments.

Why it matters: Trump's history of treating lawyers like attack dogs and personal fixers — shaped by his mentorship under the infamous Roy Cohn in the 1970s — has put him in the most precarious legal jeopardy of his life.

In New York, Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen is expected to testify at trial in March that he arranged illegal hush money payments during the 2016 campaign at Trump's direction.

In Miami, where Trump is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court Tuesday, notes and testimony from his lawyer Evan Corcoran gave prosecutors a detailed roadmap to indict the former president in the classified documents investigations.

Zoom in: Corcoran, who remains a member of Trump's legal team, was forced to testify after a judge determined there was sufficient evidence that Trump used Corcoran to commit a crime — a move that pierced standard attorney-client privilege.

The 37-count indictment unsealed Friday alleges that Trump's legal team falsely certified to the Justice Department that all classified documents Trump had taken had been turned over in response to a subpoena.

Trump allegedly misled Corcoran by directing his personal aide, Walt Nauta, to move dozens of boxes containing classified records before Corcoran arrived at Mar-a-Lago to conduct a review.

Flashback: The first major investigation of Trump's time in office found that the then-president may have obstructed justice by ordering White House counsel Don McGahn to fire special counsel Robert Mueller. McGahn refused.

In 2019, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani worked with the president to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden — resulting in Trump's first impeachment.

In 2020, Trump turned to a cast of conspiracy theorists and fringe legal scholars to help him try to overturn his election loss — leading to a second impeachment and a criminal probe of his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The latest: Trump interviewed new candidates to join his legal team Monday, after reportedly struggling over the weekend to find lawyers qualified — and willing — to represent him in the Southern District of Florida.

Two of Trump's lawyers resigned the day after his indictment last week, calling it a "logical moment" to step aside because the case was filed in Florida.

Timothy Parlatore, another Trump lawyer who had resigned a month earlier, said on CNN on Friday that the departures were "surprising, and yet at the same time unsurprising" — calling it a "difficult situation."

The bottom line: Trump is one of the most famous and wealthiest criminal defendants in the world. But his record of dragging his own lawyers into the mud has turned him into a radioactive client.

Trump's attorney-client curse

Trump's treatment of his own lawyers has put him in the most precarious legal jeopardy of his life.

Illustration of a briefcase with large silver spikes

Donald Trump

Politics & Policy

The Israeli government told the Biden administration it intends to announce later this month the building and planning of thousands of new housing units in the settlements in the occupied West Bank, three Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios.

Why it matters: The Biden administration has said it is vehemently opposed to new building in the Israeli settlements, which it sees as undermining the prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Much of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law.

Driving the news: The plans that are expected to be announced include at least 4,000 housing units in several existing West Bank settlements, according to one source briefed on the issue. 

An Israeli official said the Israeli civil administration planning and zoning committee will convene before the end of June to approve the new settlement plans.

The Biden administration is pressing the Israeli government not to move forward with the settlement announcement or at least minimize it as much as possible, Israeli and U.S. officials said.

The White House National Security Council referred Axios to the Israeli government. 

Asked about Axios' report at the White House briefing, NSC spokesperson John Kirby said the Biden administration has been expressing concerns to the Israeli government about settlements expansion for a long time. 

He added the U.S. doesn’t want to see actions that will make the two-state solution harder to achieve or that increase tensions.

A State Department spokesperson said it is "critical for all parties to uphold the commitments made at regional meetings in Aqaba and Sharm El Sheikh to avoid measures that undermine the prospects for a two-state solution."

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not respond to a request for comment.

The big picture: The Israeli government is facing criticism from some of its supporters over its decision to postpone a scheduled meeting on the settlement plan in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank.

The E1 area between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement is the most diplomatically sensitive area in the West Bank.

Building an Israeli settlement there would prevent Palestinian territorial contiguity between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank, which would make it much harder to establish a Palestinian state in the future.

That decision followed pressure from the Biden administration and several European countries. 

What they're saying: During a press conference on Monday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich pushed back on criticism regarding the postponement of the E1 plan, saying: "We will have big news for the settlements in the West Bank imminently."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with the State Department's and John Kirby's comments. 

Scoop: Israel to announce plans for thousands of new settlement units in West Bank

The Biden administration sees new settlement building as undermining the prospects for a two-state solution.

A picture shows a general view of the Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev, near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on February 3, 2023.

A picture shows a general view of the Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev, near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, in February. Photo: 

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Israel

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

World

Axios AM

Fox News has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Tucker Carlson as he ramps up a competing series on Twitter that drew a combined 169 million views for its first two episodes, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The contract battle between Fox and its former top host — who was taken off the air in April, after the network's historic Dominion settlement — has mighty repercussions for the conservative media ecosystem. 

With "Tucker on Twitter," Carlson and his growing production team are working to elevate Elon Musk's social media site as a news platform.

Details: The cease-and-desist letter has "NOT FOR PUBLICATION" in bold at the top.

What's happening: Fox is continuing to pay Carlson, and maintains that his contract keeps his content exclusive to Fox through Dec. 31, 2024.

Carlson is making a First Amendment argument for posting on Twitter, and asserts that Fox has committed material breaches of his contract.

Behind the scenes: Carlson's first two Twitter episodes were straight-to-camera monologues. He plans to keep iterating with longer, more varied episodes and the addition of guests, Axios is told.

We hear some big names have been lined up.

Justin Wells, Carlson's executive producer, tweeted yesterday: "Next Episode of Tucker on Twitter coming Tuesday: Tucker’s response to the indictment of President Donald Trump."

What they're saying: Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer who represents Carlson along with Bryan Freedman, said in a statement to Axios: "Fox News continues to ignore the interests of its viewers, not to mention its shareholder obligations." 

"Doubling down on the most catastrophic programming decision in the history of the cable news industry, Fox is now demanding that Tucker Carlson be silent until after the 2024 election," the statement continued.

"Tucker will not be silenced by anyone ... He is a singularly important voice on matters of public interest in our country, and will remain so."

Go deeper: Tucker Carlson out at Fox News

Scoop: Fox sends Tucker Carlson cease-and-desist letter

"Tucker will not be silenced by anyone," his lawyers said in a statement.

Tucker Carlson speaks during the FOX Nation Patriot Awards on Nov. 17, 2022, in Hollywood, Florida. Photo: Jason Koerner/Getty Images

Tucker Carlson

Social Media

Media

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

Whats Next

Axios What's Next

Throw on your bell bottoms, grab some Dunkaroos and your Tamagotchi, and rollerblade over to the movie theater to catch "The Little Mermaid" or another new retro film — this is shaping up to be the summer of nostalgia.

Why it matters: From the upcoming "Barbie" movie to a purple McDonald's milkshake honoring the 52nd birthday of Grimace, throwback products and entertainment are huge this year — stirring up memories as they fill corporate cash registers.

Driving the news: The Gen Zers and millennials whom marketers call "kidults" seemingly can't get enough of foods, fashions and movie franchises that remind them of childhood, and profit-minded companies are eager to please them.

Transformers, Indiana Jones and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will all be on the big screen this summer.

Barbies and Hot Wheels are flying off the shelves for summer — and both still make hot holiday toy lists.

On the heels of releasing adult Happy Meals in October, McDonald's is coming out today with a "Grimace Birthday Meal,"—  a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, plus fries and a berry-flavored purple shake.

What they're saying: "The pandemic caused a lot of dislocation, and nostalgia is something of an anchor," says Neil Saunders, managing director of retail for data analytics firm GlobalData.

"There can be a lot of negative feelings about the present, especially in relation to technology and the economy — nostalgic products are a little relief to that."

Where it stands: Consumer brand companies all seem to be taking directions from the same "what's old is what's new" playbook.

Remember Count Chocula and Franken Berry cereals? General Mills thought so: Monsters Cereals, which debuted in 1971, will return to retailers nationwide later this summer.

In a nod to modernity, a new character named Carmella Creeper — a female! — joins the lineup.

Want to build the "life-sized Hot Wheels car of [your] childhood dreams?" NBC had a hunch. On May 20 it debuted a reality show called "Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge" in which 16 "superfans" compete.

Ready to swathe yourself in bubblegum pink clothes like Margot Robbie in the forthcoming Barbie film? Gap understands. Its "Gap X Barbie" collection lets you gear up for the July 21 release date, with pink sweatshirts, sunglasses and even rollerblades.

Barbie has company (and competition): There'll be 42 wide-release films this summer (compared to 22 last year), Axios' Sara Fischer reports — and lots of them lean hard on our rose-colored memories. 

"To lure people from their sofas, cinema, exhibits and theater needs to offer bulletproof experiences — events that resonate and captivate," says Brian Fenty, CEO and co-founder of TodayTix Group, a global e-commerce company that works with theaters.

What to watch: Disney's live-action remake of the 1989 animated film "The Little Mermaid" dominated the box office on Memorial Day weekend.

"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" opened Friday, showcasing Optimus Prime and the rest of Hasbro's gang of versatile robots.

Possible summer blockbusters on the way include "The Flash" (June 16), based on the DC Comics character; "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" (July 12); "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" (Aug. 4); "The Meg 2" (Aug. 4) and "Blue Beetle" (Aug. 18).

Nostalgic for the Manhattan Project? "Oppenheimer" comes out in July.

Do people have fond memories of Grimace, a blobby purple character with a vaguely menacing (yet also somewhat indistinct) personality? He came on the scene in a 1971 TV commercial called "Evil Grimace" in which he attempted to steal shakes in McDonaldland (remember that?). 

Lately he's been rehabilitated as a lovable character: McDonald's says the deep lavender Grimace Birthday Shake is "inspired by Grimace's iconic color and sweetness."

The drink is part of a limited-time offer that follows the return of Halloween Boo Buckets and those adult Happy Meals, officially known as Cactus Plant Flea Market Boxes.

The toys and Halloween pails in those products quickly sold out at restaurants but wound up for sale on eBay, often at exorbitant prices.

The bottom line: From the current miniskirt revival (channeling the 1960s) to  Count Chocula and friends (1970s) to the Ninja Turtles (1980s), there's something this summer for people who grew up in nearly every generation.

Ronald McDonald and Grimace at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2020. Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Tipping onslaught pushes some consumers to close their wallets

Chick-fil-A faces calls for boycott over DEI job

Lifeguard shortage drags on for third summer in a row

Barbie, McDonald's Grimace meal heat up "summer of nostalgia"

The Little Mermaid, Transformers and Indiana Jones have something in common with Grimace.

Illustration of a VHS tape with "Summer '23" written on the tape sticker. 

McDonalds

Retail

Generative AI will experience explosive growth in coming years, but the cash the core technology generates for its inventors will pale in comparison to revenue from Big Tech's existing services and hardware, per a new S&P Global report. 

Why it matters: Generative AI is blowing our minds and changing our jobs, but the companies driving that innovation will struggle to join the household name ranks of Apple, Google and Microsoft.

Be smart: AI providers will often be operating in less lucrative B2B markets, while consumer-facing companies rack up savings from using AI, and find ways to sell more profitable AI-powered services. 

Five years after smart phones hit the market, their global market revenue was around $330 billion — nearly 10 times what's forecast for generative AI. 

Apple's iPhone alone brought in $78.7 billion in revenue in 2012, five years after launch: more than double the total predicted market for all generative AI five years from now. 

AI's high growth no match for iPhone

An investing report offers a reality check on the prospects that AI might mint new fountains of revenue.

Axios

Monday's top stories

Trump's attorney-client curse

Scoop: Israel to announce plans for thousands of new settlement units in West Bank

Scoop: Fox sends Tucker Carlson cease-and-desist letter

Barbie, McDonald's Grimace meal heat up "summer of nostalgia"

AI's high growth no match for iPhone

Canadian officials warn historic wildfires could "last all summer"

Thousands of dead fish wash ashore along Texas Gulf Coast

Section of I-95 collapses in Philadelphia after tanker truck fire

Trump ratchets up his rhetoric in North Carolina

America's most powerful get a close-up of climate change

Trump's survive-the-unsurvivable plan