Axios

Majorities across 15 of 19 wealthy democracies polled by Pew feel the pandemic has left their country more divided, with the U.S. leading the way.

Yes, but: The exceptions are interesting.

EU mediators have submitted the "final text" of a nuclear agreement to Iran and the other signatories of the 2015 deal, and they have requested a "yes" or "no" by Monday, the WSJ reports.

Why it matters: Europe's top diplomats have described this updated text and the latest round of talks in Vienna as a final push to get the deal across the line.

A series of explosions this week at a Russian military base on the Crimean coast carries major symbolic and strategic ramifications for both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Why it matters: Satellite images appear to confirm that the explosions — which sent frantic Russian tourists scrambling off a nearby beach — badly damaged several Russian warplanes.

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton told CNN Wednesday the Biden administration shouldn't negotiate with Iranian officials on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal as it drives actions like making him an assassination target.

Driving the news: The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been indicted over an alleged plot to kill Bolton. DOJ officials told former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that he was also an assassination target, per Axios' Mike Allen.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday called for the immediate cessation of military activity around Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the withdrawal of military personnel and equipment from the site.

Driving the news: Last week, Russia and Ukraine accused each other of being responsible for recent shelling at the power plant, which is Europe's largest nuclear power station.

Several Russian warplanes appeared to have been destroyed after a series of explosions hit a Russian air base in southwest Crimea earlier this week, satellite images recently captured by Planet Labs show.

State of play: Ukraine has not officially claimed or denied responsibility for the explosions at Saki Air Base, and Russia's defense ministry claimed the explosions were caused by detonated aviation ammunition.

Nevada’s biggest workers' organization — the Culinary Union — says it's helping Democrats in the midterms by focusing on the economy and battling misconceptions about what's caused record inflation.

Why it matters: The union, which represents 60,000 Nevada hotel staffers, bartenders and casino workers, is a political powerhouse and took credit for helping President Biden win in Nevada in 2020. It aims to reach 1.1 million voters this election on behalf of Democrats — its largest-ever door-knocking campaign.

The nation's largest organization of Republican state leaders is seeking to reverse the declining number of GOP Latino state lawmakers by rolling out targeted ads and highlighting Hispanic recruits.

Why it matters: Republicans see an opportunity to capture swing state legislative seats and build a deep, diverse GOP bench amid a political shift among Latinos.

Latinos are more likely to subscribe to multiple streaming services than the average American, according to a recent report.

Yes, but: Latinos are rarely depicted on screen despite being avid TV consumers and outspending other racial and ethnic groups in movie ticket purchases.

Russia confirmed for the first time on Thursday that it is negotiating with the U.S. regarding a possible prisoner swap deal that would secure the freedom of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan.

Driving the news: The news comes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed last week that Russia was "ready to discuss" a potential deal.

An alleged member of the Islamic State who kidnapped, tortured and beheaded hostages in Syria was charged with terrorism offenses in Britain on Thursday.

Driving the news: Aine Davis, 38, was arrested in London on Wednesday night after arriving on a flight from Turkey. He was charged with various offenses under the Terrorism Act, London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Dozens of migrants remain missing as Greek authorities say search and rescue operations are continuing into a second day on Thursday, after a boat carrying the migrants sank off the coast of Greece early Wednesday morning, AP reported.

Why it matters: Thousands of migrants die or go missing every year trying to make the dangerous crossing to Europe from their home countries via Mediterranean or Atlantic sea routes.

Africa's public health agency said the continent is in "very advanced discussions" with at least two partners to get monkeypox vaccines, AP reports.

Why it matters: The continent of 1.3 billion people, where more monkeypox deaths have been reported this year than anywhere else in the world, does not yet have a single dose of the vaccine.

Beijing has rescinded a pledge not to send troops to Taiwan if it takes control of the island and accused the U.S. of trying to "undermine China’s development and progress" in a new policy document.

The big picture: Beijing's first white paper on Taiwan since Xi Jinping became president comes days after China's military held live ammunition drills near the democratically governed island in protest at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the capital, Taipei.

The focus of the war in Ukraine appears to be returning to Crimea, the region Russia annexed in 2014.

Driving the news: President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukraine must retake Crimea for the war with Russia to end.

"China" became the third most-searched topic across the nation last week out of a list of issues likely to sway midterm voters, according to the newest data for Axios' Google Trends midterm tracker.

Why it matters: The attention and controversy over Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan extended outside the D.C. bubble, capturing national attention. China's ranking was the highest it's been since Axios began tracking the data in late May.