Students and universities are preparing for a reinvigorated pro-Palestinian protest movement this fall, following a boiling point during the spring semester. But it's unclear exactly how demonstrations will manifest.
The big picture: Fervent protests over the Biden administration's position on Israel could derail the burgeoning candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has largely managed to avoid the left's ire since she launched her presidential candidacy last month.
President Biden is aiming to get a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal by the end of next week while also trying to deter Iran and Hezbollah from conducting an attack on Israel that could undermine this effort, U.S. officials say.
Why it matters: Biden and his aides say they feel they are closer than ever to getting a deal that could lead to the release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, including American citizens, and end 10 months of war that has killed more than 1,600 Israelis and 40,000 Palestinians.
House Democrats attending the Democratic National Convention next week are being advised by congressional security officials not to book hotel rooms under their own names or engage with protesters if confronted, Axios has learned.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee is opening an investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Democrats' candidate for vice president.
Why it matters: The panel has spent the last year and a half trying to bring to light damaging information about President Biden. Now, it is setting its sights on the new Democratic ticket.
Protests against Venezeulan President Nicolás Maduro's widely disputed claims that he won re-election are expected around the world on Saturday.
Why it matters: Since declaring victory after the July 28 elections, Maduro's autocratic government has arrested hundreds of protesters, raising concerns about human rights abuses as the the opposition continues to say its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won by a wide margin.
OpenAI said Friday it deactivated a cluster of ChatGPT accounts this week that were using the AI chatbot to craft fake news articles and social media comments as part of an Iranian disinformation campaign.
Why it matters: Nation-state adversaries have already shown a vested interest in disrupting the 2024 U.S. elections — and experts fear AI tools like ChatGPT could speed up their ability to craft disinformation.
Iran, not Russia, is proving to be the biggest nation-state threat to the U.S. presidential election in November.
Why it matters: Russia and Iran have grown more brazen and hungrier in their attacks on the U.S. elections, officials say, and the final stretch of the presidential election could see even more chaos.
The U.S. presented a new bridging proposal to Israel and Hamas on Friday in an effort to close the remaining gaps in the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt said in a joint statement.
Why it matters: The latest round of negotiations underway in Doha, which Israeli officials have said is "the last chance" to get a deal, comes amid intense regional tensions and threats by Iran and Hezbollah to attack Israel in retaliation for the recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in Tehran and Beirut.
With the support of the Biden White House, the United Steelworkers Union (USW) has established a beachhead in the domestic solar industry, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: For organized labor, it's a deeper step in unionizing an industry that's expected to explode with new positions and products, bolstered by billions of dollars in tax breaks from Biden's signature climate and clean tech legislation.
