Axios

President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed last week that the mega-deal with Saudi Arabia should be based on the principle of preserving the prospect for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal in the future, an Israeli official and a source briefed on the meeting told Axios. But the specifics must still be worked out.

Why it matters: The Biden administration is pushing to get a mega-deal with Saudi Arabia and Israel before the 2024 presidential campaign consumes Biden's agenda.

An American soldier who crossed into North Korea in July landed at a U.S. military base in Texas early Thursday morning, a Department of Defense spokesperson confirmed to Axios.

Driving the news: The soldier, Travis King, was subsequently taken to Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio, U.S. Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee said in a statement.

The percentage of U.S. Latinos living in poverty has dropped significantly in the last decade but is well above the national average.

Why it matters: Latinos make up 19% of the population and are set to be a plurality of the country's population by midcentury. Failure to address systemic economic inequalities may act as a drag on the nation's future prosperity, some experts say.

A bipartisan group of senators led by Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) is introducing a bill that aims to strengthen the position of the U.S. security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority and protect it from being downgraded by future administrations, according to the text of the bill shared first with Axios.

Why it matters: The post is one of the most sensitive general officer positions in the U.S. military and plays a key role in coordination between the IDF and Palestinian security forces.

Retiring Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley said he's taking steps to ensure his own safety and that of his family after former President Trump accused him of treason in an online post.

Driving the news: Milley made the comments during an upcoming interview on "60 Minutes" after CBS' Norah O'Donnell noted that Trump last week said that his dealings with China were "so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!"

More than half of Hispanic college students considered leaving school for at least a semester last year — a staggering increase since 2020, according to a study released Wednesday.

Why it matters: The study by the Lumina Foundation and Gallup illustrates that despite the overall increasing percentage of Latinos who enroll in college, they are struggling in a way that "should stop you in your tracks," says Gallup education researcher Zach Hrynowski.

Leaders from more than a dozen Pacific island nations visited Washington this week for a forum intended to underscore America's commitment to the region — even as key agreements set to expire this weekend have not yet been renewed.

Why it matters: After decades of disinterest, the U.S. is trying to reengage with the Pacific Islands region just as it has become an epicenter of U.S.-China competition, with both superpowers courting the tiny island nations for access to waterways and landing strips.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has decided to allow Israel to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, according to U.S. officials who briefed reporters.

Why it matters: The Biden administration's decision is a significant upgrade in relations between the U.S. and Israel, which has been trying to join the program for years.