Axios

Two top Biden administration officials held indirect talks with Iranian officials in Oman this week on how to avoid escalating regional attacks, two sources with knowledge of the talks told Axios.

Why it matters: The talks — involving President Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, and Abram Paley the acting U.S. envoy for Iran — were the first round of discussions between the U.S. and Iran since January, when similar negotiations were held in Oman.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan told foreign ambassadors Wednesday the U.S. believes Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar withdrew from hostage talks last week in hopes of increasing pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza, two sources at the meeting told Axios.

Why it matters: Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a possible hostage deal that could lead to a temporary ceasefire in Gaza reached a deadlock last week after several days of talks in Cairo and Doha.

France is calling on Paris businesses to polish up their hospitality skills ahead of the influx of visitors flocking to this summer's Olympic Games.

Why it matters: The country is determined to shake its clichéd reputation for being rude to embrace the more than 1 million visitors who will pump as much as $12 billion into the economy during the games.

The first trucks carrying critical deliveries of humanitarian aid began flowing into Gaza Friday via a newly finished temporary pier, the U.S. military announced Friday.

Why it matters: The U.S.-built pier provides a desperately needed aid route into the enclave, where the Israel-Hamas war has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government dropped $55 million for 18 acres stretching along the Potomac River in McLean, where it plans to build a diplomatic compound, reports the Washington Business Journal (WBJ).

The big picture: The 2022 sale — which happened off-market in a single transaction, but is listed in Fairfax County public records — consisted of three adjacent undeveloped lots: 1019, 1049, and 1079 Crest Lane in McLean.

Thousands of Apple users reported iMessage messages were not working early Thursday evening, according to outage tracker Downdetector.

Why it matters: The iMessage outage is affecting communication between Apple users.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday pledged to deepen the countries' already close strategic ties and condemned what they claimed was aggressive behavior from the U.S.

Why it matters: The joint statement from the two leaders is an overt snub to U.S. officials, who traveled to China last month and objected to Beijing's material and financial support for Russia throughout its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

To understand what it will take to achieve the "last mile" of bringing inflation down to normal, you need to understand why it shot up so quickly in the first place.

Why it matters: Two of the leading economic policy minds of the last generation have sought to do just that in a new paper, unpacking why global inflation took off in the early 2020s — with results that suggest this inflationary episode can end with less pain for workers than in the 1970s and '80s.

Migration and the future of Haiti are among the key issues in the lead-up to Sunday's presidential and congressional elections in the Dominican Republic.

Why it matters: The Dominican Republic's restrictive immigration policies have regional implications as many Haitians try to flee violence.

Latinos are laying a smackdown for their share of the limelight on one of the largest televised wrestling stages.

Why it matters: World Wrestling Entertainment events can be seen in more than 160 countries, and the group has been diversifying and becoming more international over the years.

Days before the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, another landmark Supreme Court decision granted Mexican Americans in Texas the right to serve on a jury — and opened doors to more civil rights battles.

Why it matters: The Hernandez v. Texas ruling in May 1954 affirmed that Mexican Americans were protected under the 14th Amendment and couldn't be excluded from jury duty under Jim Crow laws and practices in Texas.

The share of Latino students attending intensely segregated schools has skyrocketed over the last three decades, according to two new reports and an Axios review of federal data.

Why it matters: Intensely segregated schools, defined as schools with a student population that is more than 90% nonwhite, have fewer resources, more teacher shortages, higher student-to-school counselor ratios, and fewer AP class options.

The Pentagon faces a dilemma exemplified by its battles in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden: How to cost-effectively intercept cheap but deadly drones wielded by a growing number of forces.

Why it matters: The U.S. and other militaries are at times using munitions worth millions of dollars to blow up unmanned aerial systems that can be made with off-the-shelf parts for far less money. That trade may prove unsustainable.

The U.S. military said on Thursday it completed construction of a temporary floating pier in Gaza that will allow for the delivery of critical humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

Why it matters: The pier opens another badly needed delivery route into the enclave, which has been besieged for months amid the Israel-Hamas war. Parts of Gaza are already experiencing famine, United Nations officials have said.

Pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of California, Irvine, were arrested as police moved in to clear an encampment on campus Wednesday evening.

The big picture: The arrests came hours after the union representing some 48,000 University of California graduate students and other academic workers voted to authorize a strike over college crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests on campuses in recent weeks, citing free speech and student safety concerns.