Axios

Partial closures at key U.S.-Mexico border crossings could cost billions in trade and are causing chaos and political fallout.

The big picture: A massive influx of immigrants at the southern border has led U.S. Customs and Border Protection to divert resources from busy crossings in Arizona and Texas.

The UN Security Council on Friday approved a resolution calling for "urgent steps" to be taken to immediately allow "safe and unhindered humanitarian access" to Gaza and to create "conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities."

The big picture: The binding resolution passed after several delays by the U.S. over the language in previous drafts. The resolution was since softened, including by dropping language that called for the "urgent suspension of hostilities." Thirteen members voted in favor, while the U.S. and Russia abstained.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst (Iowa) and Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen (Nev.) sent a letter to President Biden on Thursday asking him to put pressure on Qatar to strong-arm Hamas back to the negotiating table on a new hostage deal, according to a copy of the letter shared with Axios.

Driving the news: Qatar is a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, especially when it comes to efforts to release hostages.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) had over 100 asylum seekers flown from his state to Chicago by charter plane this week, officials in the Illinois city and from the governor's office said.

Why it matters: It's a major escalation in Abbott's protest of President Biden's immigration policies that's seen tens of thousands of migrants bused from Texas to mostly Democrat-run cities in a year that's been marked by record numbers of families crossing the border from Mexico to the U.S. amid a global humanitarian crisis.

Gaza's entire population — more than 2.2 million people — is facing crisis or worse levels of hunger, with the risk of famine increasing every day as Israel's ground offensive and bombardment of the enclave continues, a UN-backed body said in a report on Thursday.

The big picture: It is the highest share of people facing such levels of food insecurity that has ever been reported by the multi-partner body known as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which monitors global hunger.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is calling on President Biden to take executive action to address securing the southern border, urging him to restart a series of policies embraced by the Trump administration.

Why it matters: Johnson told Biden in a letter, first obtained by Axios, that "significant action" on the border "must start with you."

At least 15 people were killed and dozens were injured in a mass shooting in Prague on Thursday, per Czech officials.

Driving the news: A Charles University arts faculty building was completely evacuated, and people nearby were urged "not to leave home," as police searched the building's balconies for possible explosives, per the AP.

Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke Thursday to his Chinese counterpart, per a statement.

Why it matters: It was the first time in more than a year that the countries' military leaders spoke — and comes more than a month after President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to resume high-level military-to-military communications.