Axios

President Biden declared at this week's Summit for Democracy that the tide is turning in the global struggle between democracies and autocracies.

Driving the news: In drawing up invitations, though, Biden had to make some awkward calls as to which countries fall on which side.

Turkey's parliament on Thursday approved Finland's NATO membership, clearing the way for the Nordic country to join the alliance.

Why it matters: Finland's NATO membership, once official, will more than double the length of the alliance's borders with Russia — dramatically changing the security landscape in Europe.

The latest analysis of diversity in Hollywood found that Latinos and other people of color are more likely to write, direct and star in films made for streaming services than those first released in theaters.

The big picture: Movies that featured diverse casts outperformed those that didn't regardless of how they're released, according to the the UCLA's Hollywood Diversity Report, which was published today.

Hispanic Catholics in 2022 accounted for the largest percentage of people who identify with a religion in the American Southwest, surpassing the share of white evangelicals in the region, according to a survey released last month.

The big picture: Latino Catholics have also eclipsed white mainline Protestants in California, New Mexico and Texas.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro landed in Brazil early Thursday for the first time since his leftist political rival, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, returned to the presidency.

The big picture: Bolsonaro, who never formally conceded defeat in last year's election, left Brazil and flew to Florida just days before Lula's inauguration on Jan. 1. Bolsonaro faces a slew of investigations, including a probe into whether he incited the Jan. 8 attack on Brazil's Congress and other government buildings by his supporters. The far-right leader denies any wrongdoing.

In 2011, the Marshall Islands and Palau sought to put a climate case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. It failed to gain enough traction.

Why it matters: On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly took the extraordinary step of adopting, by consensus, a resolution that would do just that. It's asking the court for an advisory opinion laying out what countries' obligations are to protect the climate in order to secure human rights.

Mexican authorities say they've detained eight suspects in connection to the fire at a migrant facility in Ciudad Juárez that left dozens dead on Monday after a video showed security guards leaving people behind bars before fleeing.

Driving the news: Security and public safety minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez said during a news conference on Wednesday that those detained include two federal agents, five people who worked for the private security company that ran the center and a state employee.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's stops in the U.S. during her current overseas trip will "have a severe impact on China-U.S. relations," the top diplomat at China's embassy in Washington told reporters Wednesday.

Why it matters: Tsai left Taipei for New York on Wednesday en route to Belize and Guatemala, two of Taipei's few remaining diplomatic allies. Before returning home, she's expected to stop in California next week to give a speech and meet House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Within three months of returning to the Prime Minister’s Office, Benjamin Netanyahu with his judicial overhaul plan led the country into an unprecedented crisis inside Israel's military, prompted harsh international criticism, and oversaw unrest that destabilized the economy and threatened to tear Israeli society apart.

Why it matters: Many commentators and members of Netanyahu’s party have expressed shock over how Israel's most experienced and savvy politician made what they see as every possible mistake since returning to office.

President Biden urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a strong private message to halt his government's judicial overhaul just hours before Netanyahu went on television and announced the suspension of the controversial plan, according to two U.S. sources briefed on the issue.

Why it matters: The White House for months has called on Netanyahu to ensure there was a broad consensus around the plan, but the private message reflects the tensions between the two allies — and just how worried Biden was and how engaged he became in trying to convince the Israeli leader to stop the legislation.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of the House China select committee, told Axios that Beijing views artificial intelligence as an "instrument or weapon with which to perfect its Orwellian techno-totalitarian surveillance state."

Why it matters: The speed of recent developments in AI has caused alarm among some policymakers and tech leaders. Gallagher said his "primary concern" is that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will use the technology to "perfect" and "export" its authoritarian model beyond its borders.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of the new House China select committee, told Axios that it would be "geopolitical malpractice" to separate the threats to the U.S. posed by Russia and China.

Why it matters: The Republican Party is divided on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with some — including former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — viewing the war as a "territorial dispute" and a distraction from the real threat posed by the Chinese government.

The TikTok debate could be simplified fast with a sale that puts the Chinese government farther from the platform, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) told Axios' Mike Allen at the What's Next Summit.

Why it matters: Kelly said he recognizes the power of TikTok for businesses and marketing, but cited his concerns about how the Chinese government can "on demand get access to lots of data."

Thousands of Chinese migrants and asylum seekers have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months, and many more are heading north after passing through the treacherous Darién Gap jungle between Colombia and Panama.

Why it matters: It's another example of people from well beyond the Americas seeking refuge in the U.S. through the southwest border — and reflects the ongoing backlash to Chinese President Xi Jinping's harsh domestic policies.

Arkansas officials filed lawsuits against Meta and TikTok under the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act on Tuesday in a move they said was designed to protect children.

The big picture: The two lawsuits against TikTok and parent company ByteDance and a third against Meta come at a time of heightened scrutiny from state and federal lawmakers.

Manchester United will face off against Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham AFC in a friendly soccer match in San Diego, California, on July 25.

The big picture: The game at San Diego State University will be part of Wrexham's first-ever U.S. tour, kicking off in Cary, North Carolina. The Welsh soccer club, one of the oldest in the world, found new fame when actors Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the team in 2020.

An AP investigation into Chinese government efforts to influence Utah lawmakers has drawn scrutiny to elected officials' trips abroad — and a lack of transparency around who paid for them.

Driving the news: Rep. Candice Pierucci (R-Herriman) is renewing a call for state officials to disclose when foreign governments help pay for their travel to conduct state business.