Axios

The wealth gap between U.S. Latinos and white Americans can vary greatly depending on which state they live in, according to new research.

The big picture: Researchers have long known that immigration status, educational attainment and country of origin affect Latino's financial net worth. But this new analysis adds a layer to a nuanced topic — and can help policymakers better address economic disparities.

With their country's democracy in peril, thousands of Guatemalans have spent weeks blocking roads and marching to protest against top government officials for what they say are sham investigations into the political party of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo.

State of play: The protests largely target Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who has been banned from the U.S. over corruption allegations, for her office's various moves that critics and human rights watchers say are an attempt to keep Arévalo out of office. Arévalo ran on an anti-corruption platform.

A weakened independent electoral body and the unregulated use of generative AI threaten Mexico's already chaotic presidential elections, experts tell Axios Latino.

State of play: The June 2024 election is set to be the largest in Mexican history, with around 20,000 local, state and federal seats up for grabs.

There is a clear generational divide when it comes to how American voters perceive the war in Israel, according to a slew of new polling data.

Why it matters: This could explain the challenges university leaders have faced in reacting to the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.

President Biden is signaling for the first time what his plan would be for the day after the war in Gaza — a new generation of peace talks in the Middle East on a "two-state solution" in which Israel would co-exist with a Palestinian state.

Why it matters: Biden's call for a "concentrated effort" to begin talking about a two-state solution represents a pivot for the president.

Global business leaders are warning that the Hamas-Israel war could spiral into wider uncertainty, threatening economic growth.

Driving the news: "If these things are not resolved, it probably means more global terrorism, which means more insecurity, which means more [of] society is going to be fearful, less hope," BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said on Tuesday, speaking at an investment forum in Saudi Arabia often dubbed "Davos in the Desert."

President Biden said Wednesday he is alarmed by reports of "extremist settlers" attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank — attacks he said are "pouring gasoline on the fire" as U.S. and Israeli officials try to contain the war between Israel and Hamas.

Why it matters: Biden's remarks at the White House follow his private warnings to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the growing tension in the West Bank could escalate the already complicated war in Gaza, two U.S. officials briefed on the issue told Axios.

The UN and other aid groups say they're in desperate need of fuel in order to keep operations running in the Gaza Strip.

The big picture: The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached an "unprecedented point," as hospitals shut down, food stocks deplete and people resort to unsafe drinking water, the UN aid office warned on Wednesday.

The United States is experiencing a significant spike in antisemitic cases following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, according to a new Anti-Defamation League report.

Driving the news: Early numbers from the ADL Center on Extremism show that reported incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault so far have increased by 388% over the same period last year.

Chinese authorities have launched tax and land-use investigations into Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, in what some experts say may be a warning to U.S. companies and the Biden administration.

Why it matters: Foxconn factories assemble about 70% of Apple iPhones. COVID lockdowns and a huge protest at a major Foxconn factory in November last year resulted in significant delays in iPhone deliveries.

The mother of Travis King, the U.S. soldier who recently returned to the U.S. after crossing into North Korea this summer, says the family plans to "fight the charges" against the Army private "hard."

The big picture: King has been charged with eight counts, including desertion, assaulting other military personnel, and possession of child pornography.

President Biden, despite his full-throated support for Israel and its right to strike Hamas, has methodically and meticulously delayed the looming invasion of Gaza, U.S. officials tell us.

Driving the news: Biden dangled high-level visits (including his own), military support and public backing to buy time in Gaza. He also made plain that America doesn't want Israel to act impulsively, or without considering U.S. concerns.

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken told a group of American Jewish community leaders on Monday that he asked the Qatari prime minister less than two weeks ago to tone down Al Jazeera's rhetoric about the war in Gaza, according to three people who attended the meeting.

Why it matters: Blinken's comments suggest the administration, which has asserted its support for the independent press globally, is concerned Al Jazeera's framing of the conflict could escalate tensions in the region.

Broader conflict in the Middle East could jeopardize China's energy needs and economic interests in the region, analysts say, just as China's economy is facing its roughest headwinds in decades.

Why it matters: Beijing is making a big diplomatic push for peace in the region, where it has significant sway among Arab states and Hamas-backer Iran.

Carnival Cruise Line was deemed "negligent" over a 2020 COVID outbreak aboard the Ruby Princess that resulted in 28 deaths, Australia's Federal Court ruled in a class action lawsuit on Wednesday.

Details: Justice Angus Stewart said in a summary that the cruise company "knew or ought to have known about the heightened risk of coronavirus infection on the vessel, and its potentially lethal consequences" before it left Sydney for New Zealand in March 2020, "yet they proceeded regardless."