Enes Kanter Freedom told conservative House members at a lunch Wednesday at the Capitol that "Wall Street, think tanks, academia, Hollywood, the sports ... all of them is pretty much run by the Chinese government in some form."
"The more pressure you put on them, the more we hold them accountable," said the free agent and former center for the Boston Celtics.
Driving the news: The Muslim athlete, an outspoken critic of China's abuse of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang — and of the NBA's relations with China — flew in from Canada to attend the Republican Study Committee lunch at the behest of the group's chair, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.)
The International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors on Wednesday passed a resolution calling on Iran to fully cooperate with the UN inspectors' investigation into three undeclared sites.
Why it matters: It's the first resolution of its kind passed in two years and comes after 10 weeks of stalemate in the indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
The U.S. is deeply concerned about rising tensions between Lebanon and Israel over their maritime border dispute in the Mediterranean Sea, Axios has learned.
Driving the news: The dispute over a potentially gas-rich area that Lebanon and Israel both claim intensified after a ship operated by gas exploration company Energean arrived Sunday to begin drilling in an area Israel says is within its UN-recognized exclusive economic zone.
Israeli officials are pushing the Biden administration to remove Israeli cyber spying company NSO from the Department of Commerce blacklist, two Israeli officials and one U.S. official told Axios.
Why it matters: Removing NSO from the U.S. blacklist would be a dramatic reversal by the Biden administration and would likely be criticized by progressives in the Democratic Party and Congress, as well as many in the cybersecurity community.
Barbara Leaf, the State Department’s most senior diplomat for the Middle East, will arrive in Israel this weekend for talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials in Jerusalem and Ramallah, three Israeli and Palestinian officials told Axios.
Why it matters: A central goal of the visit is to reassure Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that the Biden administration is committed to the Palestinians and a two-state solution, a source briefed on the trip said.
Israel last week rejected a proposal by the Biden administration to hold a high-level summit with the Palestinian Authority, three Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: The Biden administration is trying to create a “political horizon” or diplomatic process between Israeli and Palestinian officials in an attempt to strengthen the PA.
Health advocates say it's time to develop more preventative measures to curb the increasing rate of fatty liver disease among U.S. Latinos
Why it matters: The myth that cirrhosis is a disease related to alcoholism, and the associated stigma, have contributed to less research, advocates tell Axios.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Wednesday that the country is launching a "Book of Executioners" to collect evidence of war crimes during Russia's occupation.
Driving the news: Russia has committed around 15,000 war crimes since the start of the war in February, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova told reporters at The Hague in late May, per the BBC.
Leaders from across the Americas are set to land in Los Angeles later Monday for a major summit that will focus on migration and other pressing matters.
Why it matters: The Summit of the Americas will return to the U.S. for the first time since it launched in 1994. Washington sees the summit as a chance to strengthen ties to Latin America and the Caribbean, which have become more closely tied to China in recent years.
The European Union on Tuesday agreed to provisional legislation that will require phone manufacturers to use the same charging port in devices in an effort to reduce electronic waste and increase convenience for consumers.
Why it matters: Once the legislation is fully approved, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU will be required to have USB-C charging ports by fall 2024.
An American woman who led an all-female ISIS battalion pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to a single charge of providing support to a terrorist organization.
Why it matters: Allison Fluke-Ekren, 42, is the first U.S. woman to be tried for having a leadership role with ISIS, per the Washington Post. As part of a plea deal, she detailed to prosecutors her role in ISIS and her connection to the 2012 Benghazi attacks, the New York Times reports.
Ahead of President Biden's upcoming trip to the Middle East, a group of six Democratic lawmakers wrote a letter Tuesday urging the president to take steps to ensure the U.S.-Saudi relationship serves the United States' national interests.
Driving the news: Since 2015, the kingdom has "repeatedly acted in ways at odds" with the policies and values of the U.S., the lawmakers wrote.
Some U.S. lawmakers are making a major push to give Puerto Ricans a real shot at deciding whether to become a state.
Driving the news: Members of Congress were in San Juan this weekend for contentious public hearings on a draft bill known as the The Puerto Rico Status Act.
Former Marine Trevor Reed, who was held in a Russian prison since 2019 before being released in April, called on the Biden administration and Congress Tuesday to increase efforts to release WNBA player Brittney Griner from detention in Russia.
Why it matters: Reed, who said last month that he feared for his life during his imprisonment, warned that Griner may face greater challenges inside Russia's prison system than he did because of her race and sexual orientation.
Figure skating's governing body voted on Tuesday to raise the minimum age for top competitions from 15 to 17 years old.
Why it matters: The doping scandal surrounding Kamila Valieva at the 2022 Beijing Games put a spotlight on the treatment of young figure skaters at the sport's highest level.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the outcome of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's no-confidence vote during a virtual event hosted by the Financial Times on Tuesday, telling attendees that Johnson's survival was "great news."
Driving the news: Johnson won a no-confidence vote sparked by members of his own party on Monday, allowing him to remain prime minister despite his personal scandals, including his attendance at lockdown-breaking parties during the height of the pandemic.
A group of Democratic members of Congress wants the Biden administration to reviewa U.S.-funded program meant to protect Mexican journalists amid a wave of unpunished killings. The lawmakers say the U.S. needs to do more to promote journalists' safety.
Driving the news: The letter, led by U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), was signed by 11 other members of Congress and sent Monday evening to the State Department and USAID, Castro's spokesperson said.
President Biden is facing public pressure from America's leading unions on an issue that has divided his top advisers: extending former President Trump's China tariffs on approximately $300 billion worth of Chinese goods.
Why it matters: The Biden administration is engaged in an intense internal debate on whether to waive some of the so-called Section 301 tariffs to help ease inflation — the top issue roiling Biden's presidency.
