Axios

The average temperature in the Arctic this summer was the warmest on record, per a report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday.

The big picture: The peer-reviewed 2023 Arctic Report Card, which is the work of 82 authors from 13 countries, found that it was the Arctic's sixth-warmest year on record overall and sea ice extent continued to decline.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's disappointing visit to Capitol Hill confirmed his worst fears: The future of U.S. aid to Ukraine has become firmly affixed to one of the most intractable debates in American politics.

Why it matters: Even Republicans sympathetic to the Ukrainian cause — with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) chief among them — have drawn a red line. There will be no further aid to Ukraine if Democrats do not agree to substantial changes to U.S. border policy.

Under mounting U.S. pressure, the Israeli government will "likely" soon reopen the Kerem Shalom border between Israel and southern Gaza to allow aid trucks to enter the enclave, senior Israeli officials told Axios on Tuesday.

Why it matters: If Israel reopens the crossing, it will represent a significant shift in its policy, which has been to refuse to allow any aid to enter Gaza through its territory since the Oct. 7 attack.

Top Israeli military officials are in Washington to show U.S. officials Israel's military strategy for Gaza, outline their plans to capture or kill Hamas leaders — and discuss the enclave's post-war future, three Israeli officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: The meetings come as President Biden is pushing for Israel's aggressive ground attack against Hamas to end within a few weeks — and warning Israeli leaders that they're losing international support for the war in Gaza.

President Biden, during a fundraiser in Washington on Tuesday, called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to make changes to find a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Why it matters: This is a shift for Biden, who has mostly refrained from openly criticizing the Israeli leader and his policies since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, and it signals growing disagreement about what happens after the war.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Activists at COP28 in Dubai brought the war in Gaza to the forefront of the UN climate talks over the last two weeks, linking their calls for climate justice to their demands for a ceasefire.

The big picture: The theme — "there's no climate justice without human rights" — has for years been a common message of the climate justice movement, but activists this year were specifically focused on calling for the rights of Palestinians to be respected and the end to the war in Gaza as Israel's bombardment and ground offensive continue to intensify.

President Biden will meet on Wednesday at the White House with family members of Americans taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, a White House official and a member of one of the families told Axios.

Why it matters: This is the first time Biden is hosting families of hostages at the White House and it comes amid renewed efforts by Qatari and Egyptian mediators to relaunch negotiations on a deal to secure the release of more hostages.

The future of border security includes robot dogs and AI-powered border inspectors.

Driving the news: U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced last week it had awarded Virginia-based Pangiam a contract to build an artificial intelligence tool to scan vehicles and cargo crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

Lawyers for jailed Russian opposition leader and Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said they have not been able to contact him for at least seven days and that he did not appear at a now-postponed trial on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Navalny's disappearance coincides with the start of the Russian election season, as he went missing just days before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he'll run for another six-year term.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Capitol Hill on Tuesday to make a last-ditch plea for more U.S. military aid to support his country's defense against Russia's ongoing invasion.

Why it matters: Congressional Republicans have held up an aid package the Biden administration proposed for Kyiv. The White House has warned that previously allotted aid for Ukraine could run out by year's end without congressional action, as the country faces another tough winter of fighting.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Countries are headed for marathon climate negotiations, after receiving a draft decision text from the COP presidency on Monday that pleased virtually no one.

Why it matters: This summit is likely to be judged by its language on the future of fossil fuels, as well as provisions on climate adaptation and finance.

The U.S. government is building a "virtual wall" at the southern border by erecting hundreds of high-tech surveillance towers — some of which use artificial intelligence — to detect people in an effort to reduce drug smuggling and sky-high unauthorized migration.

Why it matters: A record-high number of people have entered the U.S. through the southern border this year, resulting in multiple crises and exacerbating U.S. Customs and Border protection staffing shortages. But the new surveillance technology is giving rise to concerns over civil liberties, digital watchdogs say.