Axios

Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement after her meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that she told him it is time to get a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal now.

Why it matters: The content and tone of Harris' statement in front of the cameras was more critical of Israel than President Biden's.

The families of eight U.S. hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza said that after meeting with President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu they are more optimistic than before that a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal could move forward in the coming days.

Why it matters: The hour-long meeting at the White House was part of Netanyahu's visit to Washington, which is taking place at a critical moment in negotiations over the deal.

The Venezuelan opposition is warning that its efforts to sign up electoral observers for this Sunday's presidential vote are being hindered at the last minute.

Why it matters: Polls point to opposition candidate Edmundo González leading by a very wide margin over President Nicolás Maduro, in what could result in the first power turnover in Venezuela in 25 years.

As the Paris Olympics get underway tomorrow, the first dancing sport — breaking — will make its Olympic debut with a Latino at the helm.

The big picture: Breaking will become the first of its kind sport at the Olympics, which has been adding so-called street sports like skateboarding and climbing in the past few years in a bid to attract younger viewers.

Pro-Palestinian Democrats were the only Michigan delegates who voted against endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris this week, but they say they'd be willing to reconsider if Harris shifts the administration's Gaza policies.

State of play: One of the two "no" votes, Abbas Alawieh, told Axios the national uncommitted movement has been trying to schedule a meeting with the vice president to discuss how to win back support of anti-war Democratic voters.

At a Paris building that helped inspire the first Air sneakers 37 years ago, Nike is using the Olympics here to show a future where generative AI is helping bring athletes the shoe of their dreams.

Why it matters: Much of the discussion around AI and design focuses on replacing human labor, while Nike's effort demonstrates that the technology can also be used to explore and expand creative possibilities.

Labor activist Dolores Huerta on Thursday formally endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

Why it matters: Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez in the early 1960s, is an influential voice among Latino voters who Harris needs to help propel her to the presidency — especially in swing states.

Massive wildfires burning across the unusually hot and dry western U.S. and Canada have led thousands to evacuate, with reports of at least one fire in California and another in Oregon creating their own weather.

The big picture: 78 large fires are burning in the West, per the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). This includes 31 blazes in Oregon and 12 in California, as dangerously hot temperatures continued to roast the West.

President Biden is going to convey the message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their Oval Office meeting tomorrow that "there is no time to waste" in getting a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza, according to U.S. officials.

Why it matters: Netanyahu's visit to Washington takes place at a critical moment in negotiations over the deal, which is the key to Biden's foreign policy strategy and legacy.

With thousands of protesters outside the U.S. Capitol Building and in front of a partially empty chamber, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to a joint session of Congress for nearly an hour and called for more U.S. support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.

Why it matters: Netanyahu tried to use the speech to reassert his leadership in Israel, where polls show that more than 70% want him to resign, and in the U.S., where a dramatic presidential election campaign is captivating the public and overshadowing the Israeli leader's controversial visit.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is among dozens of lawmakers who are planning to skip Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's joint address of Congress on Wednesday.

Why it matters: The list of lawmakers boycotting the speech is growing rapidly, with one Republican saying they will not attend.

A Ukrainian campaign to persuade its weapons benefactors to "lift all bans" on hitting military targets inside Russia is underway, the besieged country's defense minister told the Aspen Security Forum.

Why it matters: Domestic political plays and worries of reprisal abroad influence how and when the American arsenal is tapped for sales and security aid.

The complementary scheming of Russia and China dominated discussions among some of the world's highest-ranking military and political officials at the Aspen Security Forum.

Why it matters: To hear the national security brain trust tell it in Colorado, Western primacy is in a vise, with Moscow and Beijing together applying the pressure.

Breaking is coming to the Paris Olympics and hip-hop culture will be on full display.

Why it matters: For the first time in Olympic history, 32 breakers (16 B-boys and 16 B-girls) will compete in one-on-one battles.

By 2050, a majority of the world will be too hot in the late summer to safely host the Olympics, according to an Axios analysis of data from CarbonPlan, a nonprofit climate research organization.

Why it matters: The Paris Olympics shines a spotlight on extreme heat, with Athletes raising concerns about scorching temperatures, which could not only affect the health of athletes and attendees, but also impact performance.

While all eyes will be on Paris when the Olympics kick off Friday, the City of Love this week resembles more of a ghost town.

Why it matters: A large swath of the city along the Seine River — home to the opening ceremony — is closed to all but those with permission or Olympic credentials.

With extreme heat a top concern for the Paris Olympics, the City of Light's historic architecture has become a point of friction. According to Roofscapes Studio, a startup founded by three MIT graduates, up to 80% of Paris' roofs are made of zinc, a material that absorbs and radiates heat, exacerbating the urban heat island effect.

Why it matters: This makes Paris extremely vulnerable to heat waves. Last summer, four heat waves hit France, causing more than 5,000 deaths.

• A high density of buildings and low green space means heat is easily trapped and slow to dissipate, often making the city hotter than its European counterparts.

Driving the news: Paris is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics, which will bring an influx of visitors to an already vulnerable region.

By the numbers: Temperature measurements show that the air one meter above a zinc roof can peak at more than 131° Fahrenheit, nearly 30° F greater than the Paris air temperature on the hottest days.

• The effect also boosts temperatures on the top floors of zinc-roofed buildings.

What they're doing: Roofscapes Studio installs wooden platforms on top of the zinc roofs to reduce the worst of the heat.

• Since wood can still radiate a certain amount of heat, they are developing a "green roof" to include planted vegetation, which can create energy and remove heat from the air.
• A decommissioned city hall which was turned into L'Académie du Climat (the Climate Academy) had a green roof installed through a pilot program with Roofscapes Studio, and it hopes to expand this program throughout the city.
• The green roof module has shown a 10° Celsius difference (18° F) between the air outside and the temperature inside the top floor of the building at 2pm on a hot day.

What they're saying: Olivier Faber, a founder of Roofscapes Studio, told Axios, "We wanted to work on the roofs because they're more than a third of the city's horizontal surface in dense urban centers like Paris." He explains that roofs are a societal opportunity for climate adaptation, as they typically sit empty and have a huge surface area.

• Faber continues, "[I]f the zinc is protected from solar radiation, its surface temperature will never be above the temperature of the air, which in a heat wave could be 35°-40° C (95° to 104° F) maybe. But it will never be 75° C or 80° C (167° to 176° F)," so the first step is to shade the roof.

What's next: The city of Paris plans to implement green roofs to keep the city cooler during warmer months, but approvals and installations will be an uphill battle.

• Because of the historic nature of Paris' buildings, builders require permission from a preservation architect for any modifications.

Several hours after he announced a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this Friday, former President Trump published a letter he received from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and pledged to work for peace in the Middle East.

Why it matters: Abbas' letter is a signal that the Palestinian president wants to start a new chapter with the Republican presidential nominee following their fallout as a result of Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. embassy to the city in December 2017.