Axios

Ukraine is entering the next 100 days of the war without the same online attention it had going into the first 100, according to NewsWhip data exclusively provided to Axios.

Why it matters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios' Jonathan Swan last week that global attention has been crucial for Ukraine, but he worries people will get "fed up" and "cynical" and "wants something new." As attention wanes, so will the pressure on world leaders to help Ukraine and punish Russia.

Some Latino Democrats say their party needs a Spanish-language campaign to counter GOP messaging and misinformation around guns, mass shootings and other threats to democracy.

Driving the news: The killing last week of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, renewed calls for gun control measures.

OPEC and its allied producers agreed Thursday to boost oil production by over 200,000 more barrels a day than expected in July and August.

Why it matters: The move may help ease surging oil prices and rising inflation over the high-demand summer months.

The U.S. Treasury Department unveiled a new spate of sanctions on Thursday targeting the network of individuals and entities that enable Kremlin elites to anonymously use their money abroad and make use of their luxury assets.

Why it matters: The move further builds on previous moves by the U.S. to sanction Russia's elites and seize their assets abroad.

Queen Elizabeth II kicked off four days of festivities on Thursday to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, the 70-year anniversary of her ascension to the throne.

Why it matters: The event — a first in British history, since she's the longest-serving monarch — could be the last major public event of her reign.

Russian forces have taken over most of Severodonetsk, the last remaining major city in the Luhansk region of the Donbas under Ukrainian control, according to the regional governor and British intelligence officials.

What's happening: Luhansk region Gov. Serhiy Haidai told Reuters Ukrainian forces were holding less than a fifth of the key city in eastern Ukraine on the 99th day of Russia's invasion, and he expressed concern for civilians sheltering from Russian shelling under a chemical plant that may be storing toxic substances.

The U.S. Transportation Department lifted Trump-era flight restrictions to Cuba on Wednesday.

Why it matters: The move making U.S.-Cuba travel easier is part of a wider Biden administration drive to bolster support for the Cuban people, one year after the largest anti-government protests on the island in decades occurred, per Axios' Shawna Chen.

The Biden administration is expecting a commitment from Spain — set to be announced at next week's Summit of the Americas — to resettle refugees from the Western Hemisphere for the first time ever, according to internal planning documents reviewed by Axios.

Why it matters: The pledge — along with other expected commitments from Canada — could provide a political boost to President Biden, whose administration has continued to grapple with unmanageable volumes of asylum seekers at the southern border.

As Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's unlikely government reaches the one-year mark this month, the Biden administration's main priority in its relations with Israel continues to be the coalition's survival.

Between the lines: U.S. officials won't say so that bluntly, but it's clear they prefer Bennett's broad coalition to the return of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the head of a radical right-wing government.

The U.S. and its E3 allies — France, Germany and the U.K. — are expected to push for a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency board meeting next week that calls on Iran to fully cooperate with UN inspectors regarding suspicions of undeclared nuclear activity, E3 diplomats say.

Why it matters: It's been two years since a resolution about Iran’s lack of cooperation has been passed by the IAEA board. The Biden administration has until now refrained from taking such a step in order to avoid sabotaging the Vienna nuclear talks.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday said it assumes North Korea's coronavirus outbreak is "getting worse, not better," but severely lacks data from the country.

Why it matters: WHO officials are questioning recent reports from state-run media outlets, which claimed as recently as Sunday that the country's outbreak had improved and that leaders were considering revising its containment measures, according to CNN.

The Biden administration and the United Arab Emirates are discussing a possible strategic agreement that would give the Gulf country certain U.S. security guarantees, two current and former U.S. officials told me.

Why it matters: The discussions began last November, but became more serious after the UAE and Biden administration eased tensions in late March. Relations had been strained over what the Emiratis saw as a slow and weak U.S. response to the Houthi missile and drone attacks on Abu Dhabi in January.

Spanish and Portuguese health authorities said Wednesday that the total confirmed cases of monkeypox across both nations have exceeded 250, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The Iberian Peninsula has served as the epicenter of the recent outbreak, which has swept across several European countries as well as the U.S. The emergence of the virus is notable as it is rarely found outside of Africa.

The Pentagon is considering downgrading the post of the official in charge of security coordination with the Palestinian Authority from the rank of three-star general to that of a colonel, four current and former U.S. officials and two Israeli officials told Axios.

Why it matters: The State Department and the Israeli Defense Ministry are concerned such a decision could hurt security cooperation between the U.S. and Palestinians and damage security coordination between Israeli and Palestinian officials as tensions escalate in the occupied West Bank.

Russia's nuclear forces have begun holding drills northeast of Moscow involving Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, Russian news agency Interfax reported Wednesday, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

Why it matters: The drills were announced hours after President Biden said Tuesday the U.S. would provide Ukraine with new, longer-range missile systems.

Russia rebuked the U.S. on Wednesday for its plans to provide Ukraine with new longer-range missile systems, claiming the move was a way to deliberately escalate the war.

Driving the news: In an op-ed in the New York Times on Tuesday, President Biden said the new advanced rocket systems would be used to ward off Russian advances in Ukraine, but wouldn't be used to launch attacks on targets in Russia.

At least 262 children have been killed and another 415 injured in Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion of the country in late February, UNICEF said Tuesday.

The big picture: Nearly two out of three children in Ukraine have been displaced as a result of the war, the agency said.

Australia's new government sworn in Wednesday includes a record number of women in an ethnically diverse Cabinet, and the swearing-in ceremony featured a kangaroo skin cloak, a large Bible and a Quran, per Sky News.

What they're saying: "Proud to lead an inclusive government that is as diverse as Australia itself," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas protested what he called the Biden administration's inaction and “silence” over contentious Israeli steps in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in a call on Tuesday that an American and a Palestinian source described as "tough."

Behind the scenes: Palestinian officials have in recent days conveyed angry messages to their U.S. counterparts over Washington's responses to Sunday's "flag march" of Israeli nationalists in Jerusalem, Israel's violations of the status quo at the al-Aqsa mosque, and Israel's refusal to engage with the peace process, the sources say.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in an interview with CNN that aired Tuesday evening that her assessment last year that inflation posed a short-term threat during the pandemic was "wrong."

What she's saying: "I was wrong about the path inflation would take," Yellen told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room."

The U.S. will provide Ukraine with more advanced rocket systems and munitions, President Biden announced Tuesday in an opinion piece published by the New York Times.

Why it matters: The longer-range missile systems are intended to enable Ukraine’s military to “more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine,” Biden said.