Axios

New Mexicans impacted by the Trinity Test — the world's first atomic explosion — say they are still hopeful one day they'll be included in a federal compensation bill despite Senate leaders last month pulling a provision that would have done that.

The big picture: A federal law that awards financial reparations to people who lived downwind of nuclear testing sites is scheduled to sunset this summer if Congress does not renew it, and it's unclear what lawmakers will do. A provision in last year's bill to renew the act would have included New Mexicans and others for the first time.

Three Puerto Rican filmmakers tell Axios that they hope the strides they made in cinema last year will lead to larger momentum for other up-and-coming filmmakers.

Why it matters: Puerto Rico's status as a U.S. territory and its historic economic hardships have resulted in limited resources for art forms like cinema. But from major blockbusters to award-nominated indies, filmmakers say there's a path for Puerto Ricans to succeed.

ISIS claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack in Iran that killed more than 80 people who had gathered for a ceremony honoring a top Iranian commander killed in a U.S. drone strike four years ago.

The big picture: It was the deadliest attack in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and came amid escalating tensions across the region.

The Vatican on Thursday defended Pope Francis' recent decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, after bishops around the world condemned the doctrine.

Why it matters: The dissent underscored a wider divide between traditionalist and more conservative Catholic leaders on Francis' goals for the institution and its future membership.

Biden envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Israel on Thursday to push for a diplomatic deal to calm down the tensions on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

Why it matters: The Biden administration is deeply concerned that the escalating border skirmishes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah could lead to an all-out war that could be even worse than the Gaza conflict. Tensions escalated further on Tuesday after Israel killed a senior Hamas official in a strike in Beirut.

Court filings from a lawsuit related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking conspiracy case were unsealed on Wednesday.

The big picture: The documents feature roughly 150 people mentioned in previously redacted parts of the suit against Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced last year to 20 years in prison on sex trafficking and other charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.

A senior Education Department official resigned Wednesday, citing President Biden's response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Why it matters: Biden administration appointee Tariq Habash is at least the second official, and the first who's known to be of Palestinian origin, to resign in protest over the U.S. response to the war.

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas Wednesday, alleging that its new immigration law is unconstitutional.

The big picture: The law, which set to take effect in March and gives local police authority over immigration enforcement, has faced criticism over its potential to lead to racial profiling.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war on Wednesday in the largest prisoner swap between the two countries since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion nearly two years ago, according to officials.

Driving the news: Kyiv said 230 Ukrainian prisoners of war were returned to Ukraine, while Moscow said more than 240 Russian military personnel were released in an exchange that was mediated in part by the United Arab Emirates.

A flurry of balloons from China have crossed the Taiwan Strait in the past week, passing over the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own, according to Taiwan's defense ministry.

Why it matters: The crossings have come just days before Taiwan is set to hold its presidential and parliamentary elections and amid near-daily violations of Taiwan's airspace by Chinese air forces.

More than 80 people were killed on Wednesday in two explosions near a ceremony honoring a top Iranian commander killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020, Iranian state media reported, citing an emergency services official.

The big picture: No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosions, but Iranian officials said they were investigating the blasts as a terrorist attack. The attack comes as tensions grow in the region.

The Biden administration on Tuesday issued a strong condemnation of statements made by two senior Israeli ministers who called for pushing Palestinian civilians out of the Gaza Strip. "This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible," State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said.

Why it matters: It's the strongest public condemnation the Biden administration has voiced against Israeli government officials since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.

Investigators probing Tuesday's fatal crash on a Tokyo runway between a Japan Airlines plane and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft are focusing on communications between air traffic control and the two planes, AP reports.

The big picture: All 379 passengers and crew of Japan Airlines flight 516 were able to escape the plane before it became engulfed in flames. The pilot of the coast guard aircraft, which exploded after the collision, sustained injuries but was rescued, while the five remaining crew members were killed.

Biotechnology company Thermo Fisher Scientific has halted sales of DNA collection kits to Tibet after criticism from rights groups and pressure from Congress, the company tells Axios.

Why it matters: Chinese police are reportedly building a massive DNA database of Tibetans, who live under the Chinese government's repressive policies.

Decisions made by foreign investors and by voters in both Taiwan and the U.S. this year could affect Beijing's own calculus and regional stability.

Why it matters: China is starting 2024 with a weaker economy and facing geopolitical wild cards that have the world on edge. Both could jeopardize Chinese President Xi Jinping's expansive vision for the country.

Beijing has reportedly removed a Chinese official involved in overseeing the country's gaming sector a week after proposed rules sent gaming stocks plummeting.

Why it matters: The turmoil demonstrates the difficult balancing act regulators in China face as they seek to reform key sectors without further damaging an already weak economy.

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit western Japan on Monday, killing at least 84 people and triggering fires, power outages, demolishing buildings and forcing evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents along the coast.

The big picture: Rescue crews were still rushing to find additional survivors on Thursday as the three-day survival window following quakes closed earlier that day.

The Biden administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to permit Border Patrol agents to cut razor wire at the U.S. border with Mexico that Texas officials constructed to prevent migrant crossings.

The big picture: The Justice Department's filing of an emergency motion is the latest turn in a legal stoush between the Biden administration and officials in the Republican-led state, which follows an appeals court last month temporarily blocking the removal of the wire.

A senior White House official said Tuesday that several border crossings that were shut down so authorities could deal with an influx of migrants are reopening this week.

Why it matters: The closures, which caused headaches for locals who travel between both countries regularly, were expected to cost a significant amount of money in trade and sparked backlash against the Biden administration.