Axios

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday that he replaced the country's top military general.

Why it matters: The removal of Valery Zaluzhny is the most significant personnel shift Kyiv has made since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly two years ago.

An estimated 36.2 million U.S. Latinos are eligible to vote this year, a new record for an increasingly crucial demographic in the expected rematch between President Biden and former President Trump.

Why it matters: Latino voters, an increasingly ideologically and racially diverse demographic, have helped swing tight races in battleground states and are expected to play a key role in November.

Jordanian King Abdullah II will meet President Biden at the White House next week to discuss the war in Gaza and the growing tensions in the region.

Why it matters: The king will be the first Arab head of state to visit the White House since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The trip, which also includes stops in Canada, France and Germany, is aimed at mobilizing "international support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza," the Jordanian Embassy in D.C. said.

The Department of Justice announced charges in two separate cases Wednesday over allegedly "sophisticated schemes to transfer sensitive technology, goods, and information" to benefit the governments of China and Iran.

The big picture: In one case in California, Chenguang Gong, a 57-year-old U.S. citizen who was born in China, is accused of stealing trade secrets developed for use by the U.S. government to detect nuclear missile launches and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles, per a DOJ statement.

The Pentagon on Wednesday said that a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad killed a commander of the Iran-backed militia group responsible for attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East.

The big picture: The strike, which U.S. Central Command said killed a commander of the Kata'ib Hezbollah group, came just days after President Biden warned that the U.S. would continue to retaliate for the deadly attack on U.S. forces in Jordan late last month.

Senior White House officials are expected to meet with Arab American leaders in Metro Detroit Thursday.

The big picture: The meeting comes as many Muslim and Arab voters have expressed betrayal over President Biden's support for Israel during the war in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he told Secretary of State Tony Blinken that President Biden's executive order targeting Israeli settlers involved in violent attacks against Palestinians was "inappropriate" and "highly problematic."

Why it matters: Biden's order, which was issued last week, is the most significant move by any U.S. administration against settler violence in the occupied West Bank and signaled the White House's determination that Netanyahu and his government aren't seriously tackling the issue.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that caving to Hamas' "delusional" ceasefire demands won't lead to the release of the hostages still being held in Gaza, but instead to another attack like the one the militant group committed on Oct. 7.

Why it matters: It was the first time Netanyahu commented on Hamas' response to a recent hostage deal proposal since it was given to Israel on Tuesday. While dismissing Hamas' demands, Netanyahu didn't close the door to negotiations, however.

A search and rescue operation for five marines was underway Wednesday after an overdue Marine Corps helicopter flying from Nevada to California was located.

State of play: The Marines were flying a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter during a routine training flight from Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Tuesday when the aircraft was reported overdue, authorities said.

China-backed hackers have had access to some major U.S. critical infrastructure for "at least five years," according to an intelligence advisory released Wednesday.

Why it matters: The hacking campaign laid out in the report marks a sharp escalation in China's willingness to seize U.S. infrastructure — going beyond the typical effort to steal state secrets.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Jerusalem on Wednesday that the Biden administration is very concerned about a possible expansion of Israel's military operation into the southern Gazan city of Rafah, an Israeli official and a source briefed on the issue said.

Why it matters: More than 1 million Palestinians — many displaced from elsewhere in Gaza — are concentrated in Rafah and the surrounding areas along the border between Gaza and Egypt.