Background: The U.S. is currently considering whether to give Pakistan $255 million it withheld in August over concerns the nation isn't doing enough to crack down on terror groups, the NYT reported last week. U.S. aid to Pakistan totals $33 billion since 2002.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Photo: Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images
A major explosion has slammed central Beirut, Lebanon, damaging buildings as far as several miles away and injuring scores of people.
Driving the news: The cause of the explosion is unknown. It's also unclear how many people were killed or wounded, but the Lebanese Red Cross has told AP that casualties number in the hundreds. Reuters reports that at least 10 people have been killed, citing security sources.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Other nations are catching up to U.S. capabilities in space, potentially putting American assets in orbit at risk.
Why it matters: From GPS to imagery satellites and others that can peer through clouds, space data is integral to American national security.