An annual global democracy index dropped to its lowest score since tracking began in 2006, with just 45.7% of the world's population living in a democracy of some sort.
Why it matters: At his inaugural "Summit for Democracy" in December, President Biden cast the global advance of authoritarianism as "the defining challenge of our time." He pledged to spend up to $424 million over the next year on democratic renewal initiatives.
Russia may be on the cusp of invading Ukraine, but it's the Taliban's advance on Kabul shaping much of the U.S. response.
Why it matters: After being branded incompetent and seeing their popularity ratings plummet after the Afghanistan debacle, President Biden and his team have decided to overshare information, coordinate closely and publicly with allies and tell Americans to leave the embattled country — now.
A swastika drawn on a window shade in purple ink was found inside the U.S. embassy in Bulgaria last month, Axios has learned, raising concern within the State Department headquarters itself about antisemitism.
Driving the news: News of the discovery circulated in Washington on Friday after the embassy in Sofia sent back a diplomatic cable describing the incident.
The image was first identified on Jan. 28, a day after International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Another swastika was found inside the department itself last July, as first reported by Axios.
President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday "agreed on the importance of continuing to pursue diplomacy and deterrence," the White House said in a readout of the call.
Why it matters: The 50-minute call comes a day after Biden spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin, warning the Russian president that the U.S. and allies will "respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs" if Russia invades Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin "should pay very close attention to" the unity among the U.S. and allies around severe sanctions that would come should Russia invade Ukraine, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Sunday.
Why it matters: The speaker's comments during an appearance on ABC's "This Week" come as fears of an imminent incursion, as soon as this week, continue to rise.
Poland has opened its borders to Americans leaving Ukraine by land without advance approval, the State Department said on Saturday, as it encouraged U.S. citizens to "depart immediately."
State of play: The Biden administration announced on Friday it would deploy several thousand troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to Poland to bolster NATO defenses. They are also expected to aid in evacuating Americans.
It was only two years ago that former President Trump struck a mega trade deal with China, containing commitments by the Chinese to purchase vast sums of American exports. So how's it going?
The big picture: U.S. exports to China have only been 57% of what was pledged as part of the deal, below levels before the trade war even began, according to calculations by Chad Bown of the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations expressed solidarity on Saturday with a South Korean diplomat assaulted in an unprovoked attack in New York City earlier in the week.
Details: The diplomat, whose name has been withheld by officials, worked for the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. An unknown assailant punched the diplomat in the face on Wednesday evening in Midtown in what police told reporters was an “unprovoked” attack.
The U.S. embassy in Mexico on Saturday expressed dismay at the situation journalists experience in the country, which remains one of the most dangerous nations outside of war zones for reporters.
Driving the news: Heber Lopez, director of the Mexican online news site Noticias Web, was murdered earlier this week — the fifth journalist to be killed since the start of the year.
French police fired tear gas and fined several hundred demonstrators in Paris on Saturday to quell a vehicle protest against COVID-19 restrictions, AP reports.
Driving the news: The police stopped at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter Paris, despite a ban on such protests, but a few dozen vehicles were still able to avert the authorities, per AP.
Thousands of protesters convened in Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv on Saturday to show unity amid increasing concerns over a Russian invasion, Reuters reports.
Driving the news: Those marching carried flags and banners that said "Ukrainians will resist" and "Invaders must die," per Reuters.
It's likely more enslaved Black people escaped to Mexico than originally thought, scholars say.
Why it matters: The story of the Underground Railroad to Mexico — loosely organized paths allowing enslaved Black people to escape bondage by fleeing south — exposes a neglected history about the Black experience in the Americas.
Between the lines: President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are planning to speak by phone on Saturday, AP reports. Putin is also scheduled to speak with French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Russia earlier this week.
A Canadian judge on Friday granted an injunction that gives law enforcement more power to remove vaccine mandate protesters from the Ambassador Bridge following a five-day blockade at the U.S.-Canada border, AP reports.
The latest: Truckers, farmers and other protesters have blocked roads and portions of U.S.-Canada border crossings for days as part of the demonstration, cutting off key delivery routes. Factories facing a shortage of parts have been forced to stop production on both sides of the border, Axios' Joann Muller reports.
