Axios

The United States had a strong showing in Saturday's shot put competition, with Ryan Crouser grabbing gold and Joe Kovacs the silver medal — the third Olympics in a row they finished 1-2. Meanwhile, American Payton Otterdahl just missed the podium, finishing just behind Jamaica's Rajendra Campbell, who won the bronze.

The big picture: It's was a busy day for track and field at the Stade de France — and a successful one for Team USA. Sha'Carri Richardson won a silver medal in the 100-meter sprint, part of a six-medal day for the U.S. track and field athletes.

After missing the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to a marijuana suspension, Sha'Carri Richardson completed her comeback Saturday, taking silver in the 100-meter finals, finishing .15 seconds behind Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred. American Melissa Jefferson captured the bronze medal.

Why it matters: The move caps a strong night for the United States at Stade de France, where Team USA captured gold and silver in the men's shot put as well as the silver medal in the 4x400 mixed relay.

Algeria's Imane Khelif defeated Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori in a unanimous decision in the quarterfinals of the women's under-66 kilogram (145.5 pounds) competition on Saturday.

Why it matters: Though she has competed in the Olympics before and was cleared to compete again this year by Olympic officials, Khelif has been the target of a social media firestorm fueled by a wave of misinformation and disinformation regarding her gender.

Vice President Kamala Harris' prosecutorial record is facing fresh scrutiny now that she's running to be president.

The big picture: Harris is pointing to her time as a district attorney and California Attorney General as a point of contrast against former President Trump, the GOP nominee who is a convicted felon.

Negotiations over a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal are stalled after talks between a high-level Israeli delegation and Egyptian officials on Saturday in Cairo and a possible deal is far away amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new demands, two Israeli officials told Axios.

Why it matters: The meeting in Cairo took place under strong U.S. pressure on both Egypt and Israel three days after Israel assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

The U.S. is boosting its forces in the Middle East in preparation for a possible Iranian attack against Israel and sending to the region more warships and fighter jets, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Why it matters: The Biden administration is convinced Iran is going to attack Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this week and is preparing to counter it, three U.S. officials told Axios.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif weathered a toxic storm of transphobic abuse on social media after her Italian opponent quit 46 seconds into their Thursday bout, dragging the Olympic Games into a bitter and misinformation-filled debate over transgender and intersex athletes.

Why it matters: Human biology is complex, and transgender advocates have long warned that transphobia and a constant stream of online misinformation will also harm cisgendered men and women who don't comport to perceived societal norms about identity.

President Biden privately demanded in a "tough" call Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stop escalating tensions in the region and move immediately toward a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, two U.S. officials told Axios.

Why it matters: Biden and his top aides are deeply frustrated by the fallout from Israel's assassinations in Beirut and Tehran, which took place less than a week after Netanyahu's first visit to the Oval Office in four years.

PARIS — The U.S. men's soccer team was eliminated from Olympic competition on Friday after falling to Morocco 4-0 at Parc de Princes stadium.

Why it matters: It's a disappointing end for the team, which made it to the quarterfinals by finishing with two wins and a loss in group play.

After Simone Biles cemented her status as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time at the Paris Olympics, she took an apparent dig at former President Trump on Friday.

Why it matters: It's one of the few overtly political moments at the Paris Games but underscores Biles' sense of triumph after she drew flak from Trump's now-running mate JD Vance for leaving the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health.

Israel's assassination spree in Iran and Lebanon has brought the Middle East closer to a devastating regional war than at any point since Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

Why it matters: The dangerous spiral of escalation could drag the U.S. deeper into the regional crisis and lead to mass suffering well beyond Gaza, where hopes for a ceasefire and hostage deal are slipping away after months of careful negotiations.

Evan Gershkovich's long-awaited release from a Russian prison Thursday came from thousands of hours of advocacy through quiet diplomacy and official channels, Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour told Axios in an interview Thursday.

Why it matters: The release of Gershkovich as part of a prisoner exchange between seven countries — including Russia, the U.S. and Germany — represents a historic milestone for press freedoms around the world.

Freed Americans Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva arrived in the U.S. late Thursday after being released in a historic prisoner exchange with Russia earlier in the day.

The big picture: President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris joined families and others at Joint Base Andrews to welcome Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich, ex-U.S. Marine Whelan and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Kurmasheva, who's a U.S.-Russian citizen.

The U.S. State Department said Thursday that it is recognizing opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the rightful winner of Venezuela's presidential elections.

Why it matters: President Nicolás Maduro has claimed, without evidence, that he won Sunday's contest. The U.S. government says there is "overwhelming evidence" González won.