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National

The United Arab Emirates has warned the Assad regime in Syria not to intervene in the Hamas-Israel war or to allow attacks on Israel from Syrian soil, according to two sources briefed on the Emirati diplomatic effort.

Why it matters: Several countries, including the U.S., are highly concerned the war could spill over to Lebanon or Syria and escalate to a regional conflict.

"[T]his is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage," the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the U.S. said in joint statement on Monday. 

Behind the scenes: The Emiratis, who last year normalized their relationship with Syria and invited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to visit Abu Dhabi, have more influence on the Syrian government than most Arab countries in the region.

The UAE also has a close relationship with Israel after the countries signed a peace treaty in 2020 as part of the Trump-brokered Abraham Accords.

Emirati officials have sent their messages to high-level Syrian officials and briefed the Biden administration about their communication with the Syrians, according to the two sources. 

An Emirati official said he would not discuss private diplomatic conversations. The Syrian mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

State of play: On Monday, fighting broke out on the Israel-Lebanon border.  

Several Palestinian Islamic Jihad gunmen infiltrated Israel from Lebanon. Two of them were killed in the firefight. Several Israeli soldiers were wounded.

Hezbollah quickly claimed it wasn't part of the cross-border attack and shortly after the Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for it.

Israel retaliated by attacking Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon killing at least five members of the organization.

Hezbollah responded by launching rockets at Israeli military outposts on the border.

The Israeli military called on Israeli civilians in villages and towns close to the border to evacuate and those who stayed were instructed to enter bomb shelters.

Scoop: UAE warns Syria's Assad not to get involved in Hamas-Israel war

Many countries are highly concerned the war could spill over to Lebanon or Syria and escalate to a regional conflict.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. Photo: Borna News/Matin Ghasemi/Aksonline ATPImages/Getty Images

Syria

Israel

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

World

Members of Congress from across the country are trying to help extract constituents caught up in the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Why it matters: Several Americans have been killed by Hamas, according to Israeli officials, with major airlines scaling back flights in and out of the region due to the violence.

In a statement on Monday, President Biden said "we now know that at least 11 American citizens were among those killed—many of whom made a second home in Israel."

"While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas," Biden said.

Driving the news: Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday that her office has "received harrowing reports from constituents who remain in Israel and are seeking to return to the United States as soon as possible."

Citing the reduced flights from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Meng urged the State Department to help ensure Americans can book passage on commercial flights and to consider making chartered and military aircraft available, writing that her constituents "fear for their lives."

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) sent a letter to Blinken requesting information on the number of Americans in Israel, what outreach is being done and whether the State Department is planning to help evacuate them.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) put out a statement "encouraging all constituents or American citizens to register with the [State] department so our government can get a full accounting of how many Americans are on the ground and are in need of assistance."

By the numbers: Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said Saturday he was contacted by 53 "panicked" constituents in Jerusalem, while Lawler said Sunday he still had "hundreds" of constituents throughout country.

Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) told Axios his office has communicated with and assisted around a dozen constituents, but "there clearly are dozens more who are in Israel at this time."

“We're all hands on deck to meet the urgency of this dangerous moment, working around the clock to help dozens of constituents who are desperately trying to escape Hamas's ongoing terrorist attacks,” Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.

The details: Congressional casework is mostly focused on coordinating with the State Department, connecting constituents with airlines – and trying to monitor the situation.

"You do feel a sense of incapacity," said Molinaro. "You want to be helpful, and you're seeing this happen and there are so many bureaucratic steps ... but we're doing everything we can."

Molinaro said he has also seen "horrific" photos and videos from families where "you can see the missiles launching above them, of course the sirens going off regularly," adding, "The level of anxiety and fear is indescribable."

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), in a statement to Axios, said the constituents he is helping are caught up in a “nightmare.”

The big picture: The presence of so many Americans in the country underscores the degree to which Hamas' sudden onslaught of attacks on Saturday caught the U.S. and Israel off guard.

At least two members of Congress, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), were in Israel as the attacks began and sheltered in place on Saturday night as rockets flew overhead.

"Clearly, if there were warnings, they were not known to individuals who [got] clearance to travel," said Molinaro. 

Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify that President Biden said it's "likely" that Americans have been taken hostage by Hamas. 

U.S. lawmakers scramble to help constituents stuck in Israel

"The level of anxiety and fear is indescribable," said one House member.

Passengers look at a departure board at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 7, 2023, as flights are canceled because of the Hamas surprise attacks. Photo: GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images.

Congress

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

A bipartisan delegation of senators led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday as part of an effort to stabilize the fragile relations between the U.S. and China.

Why it matters: The lawmakers are the latest senior U.S. officials to travel to Beijing in recent months to try to smooth ties between the two countries — and the trip comes ahead of a possible meeting between President Biden and Xi next month.

Driving the news: During Monday's meeting, Xi said he hopes for "peaceful coexistence" and "win-win cooperation" between the U.S. and China.

At a press conference after the meeting, Schumer said: "The best path forward for the U.S. remains cooperation and fair competition."

"Both sides, the Chinese and us, said unless we have sincere conversations about our differences and not pull any punches, that we would never solve these problems," he added.

Details: Schumer also pressed Xi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to issue a stronger statement on Hamas' recent attack on Israel, saying he was disappointed with China's initial reaction.

After the meeting, in an updated statement through a foreign ministry spokesperson, China said it "condemns all violence and attacks on civilians" and that it believes the "most urgent task now is to reach a ceasefire and restore peace."

Originally, its foreign ministry called on "relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation."

Of note: Biden has signaled that it's possible he could meet with Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.

Biden and Xi's meeting would round off a turbulent year between the two counties.

The relationship was rocked in part by a congressional meeting with Taiwanese leadership, major Chinese military exercises around Taiwan and the Western Pacific, drama over balloons originating from China that entered U.S. airspace, and increasingly fiery rhetoric from the countries' leaders.  

The big picture: Before making the trip, Schumer said the delegation's visit would focus on promoting reciprocity for U.S. businesses and urging China to crack down on fentanyl.

Schumer was joined by Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Kennedy (R-La.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.). 

Go deeper: Xi protégés fall as Beijing focuses on security risks

Xi protégés fall as Beijing focuses on security risks

Schumer, U.S. senators meet China's Xi in latest diplomatic outreach

They are the latest top officials to travel to Beijing to discuss ties between the U.S. and China.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Oct. 9.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Oct. 9. Photo: Andy Wong/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Chuck Schumer

China

Data: Baseball Reference; Chart: Thomas Oide/Axios

Major League Baseball bet that a series of rule changes this season would bring down the length of games and make the sport more exciting.

By the numbers: The average time of a nine-inning game fell to just under 2:40 — 24 minutes less than last season, and the shortest since 1985.

The changes drove a spike in batting average and the most stolen bases in nearly 40 years, AP reports.

Meanwhile, attendance shot up. Total attendance for the regular season was 70,747,365 — marking "the first time MLB's paid attendance has broken the 70 million mark since 2017," the league said. 

Flashback: Before this season started, the MLB made several major changes — including a pitch clock and bigger bases — to inject more excitement into the game. 

Go deeper: Opening Day sets off baseball's season of change

Opening Day sets off baseball's season of change

Baseball games got a lot faster after MLB's major rule changes

Major League Baseball (MLB)

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.

Sports

Media Trends

Axios Media Trends

Nelson Peltz, co-founder of the activist hedge fund Trian Fund Management, has increased his firm's stake in The Walt Disney Company and plans to seek board seats, a source familiar with his plans told Axios.

Why it matters: It's the second proxy fight Peltz has waged with Disney in the past 12 months, and it adds pressure as Disney assesses major strategic changes. 

Details: Peltz has increased his stake in Disney to about 30 million shares, worth roughly $2.5 billion, according to a source familiar with Trian's position. 

That's up from the roughly 6.4 million shares at the end of the second quarter, per Trian's 13-F filing. The Wall Street Journal was first to report news of Trian's latest move. 

Peltz believes Disney's shares are undervalued and is hoping to get more representation on Disney's board, the source said. 

The window for shareholder nominations opens Dec. 5th. 

Catch up quick: Peltz first pressured Disney last November, arguing for a board seat in the wake of a weak earnings report that drove Disney's stock down to its lowest point in 21 years.

Peltz met with then-CEO Bob Chapek, per the New York Times, shortly before Disney CEO Bob Iger returned to the company as CEO.

Peltz has been vocal about disapproving of Iger's $71 billion acquisition of Fox's entertainment assets and cited the 2019 deal as a major driver of his previous proxy fight. 

Peltz finally called off his last proxy battle in February after Iger announced a restructuring that included 7,000 layoffs and a return of the annual dividend for shareholders.

During that campaign, Disney named Nike executive Mark Parker as its new board chairman.

Of note: Activist investor Dan Loeb's Third Point also engaged in a short-lived proxy battle last summer that was resolved following the appointment of ex-Facebook executive Carolyn Everson to the company's board. 

Be smart: For now, it's unclear which strategic changes Trian and Peltz are looking to see made at Disney, other than receiving more board representation.

The last time it engaged in a proxy battle, Trian said Disney's streaming strategy lacked cost discipline, and it criticized the firm for over-relying on profits from its parks division to subsidize its streaming costs. 

It also blamed Disney's board and leadership for consistently failing on succession planning. 

Disney extended Iger's CEO contract through 2026 over the summer. 

The big picture: Disney's stock is down 12% in the past year and down 57% from its pandemic-era high, shortly after it launched Disney+.

Iger said in August the company was on track to exceed the $5.5 billion in cost savings that he outlined last year.

The entertainment giant is under enormous pressure to make its streaming bets profitable as its legacy broadcast and cable networks face viewership declines due to cord-cutting. 

The company has cut back on production during the Hollywood writers strike, which was resolved last month, and the ongoing actors strike.

Disney declined to comment on this story. 

Go deeper: A timeline of Peltz vs. Disney

Trian ends proxy fight against Disney (Feb. 9, 2023) 

Trian targets Disney board member Froman in proxy battle (Feb. 2, 2023)

Disney defends Bob Iger, takes a swing at Nelson Peltz (Jan. 17, 2023)

Inside Nelson Peltz's proxy fight to fix Disney (Jan. 12, 2023)

Disney director moves fail to stop Trian proxy fight (Jan. 11, 2023)

Trian's Nelson Peltz eyes Disney board seat (Nov. 22, 2022)

Nelson Peltz reignites Disney proxy battle

It's the second proxy fight Peltz has waged with Disney in the past this year.

Axios

Monday's top stories

Scoop: UAE warns Syria's Assad not to get involved in Hamas-Israel war

U.S. lawmakers scramble to help constituents stuck in Israel

Schumer, U.S. senators meet China's Xi in latest diplomatic outreach

Baseball games got a lot faster after MLB's major rule changes

Nelson Peltz reignites Disney proxy battle

RFK Jr. to run as independent in 2024, ditching Democratic primary bid

McCarthy doesn't rule out House speaker comeback attempt

Why you can't escape early holiday shopping deals

Scoop: Netanyahu tells Biden "we have to go" into Gaza

Why Americans' financial pain could get worse

UAW workers reject Mack Trucks contract offer and vote to go on strike