President Biden is expected to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and urge him to show more flexibility so a hostage-release and ceasefire deal can be reached in Gaza, a source with knowledge of the call told Axios.
Why it matters: Their conversation is expected to focus on a new demand from Netanyahuthat Israel Defense Forces stay deployed along the Philadelphi corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border to prevent weapons from being smuggled to Hamas from Egypt.
Moscow faced a siege Wednesday from nearly a dozen Ukrainian drones, the largest such attack on the Russian capital since the start of the war in 2022.
Why it matters: It's the latest in a series of surprise offensive attacks sprung by Ukraine as Kyiv looks to build on the momentum generated by its surprise incursion into Russian territory earlier this month.
Vice President Kamala Harris is performing better or about the same as President Joe Biden among Latinos on how she'll tackle border security, according to a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.
Why it matters: Attacks from former President Donald Trump on Harris' role in border security as a member of the Biden administration don't seem to have affected Harris among Latino voters so far.
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is scrutinizing hundreds of clinical trials they say U.S. drug companies conducted with medical centers connected to China's military over the last decade.
Why it matters: An Aug. 19 letter the group sent to Food and Drug Administration commissioner Robert Califf about the collaborations broadens the scope of congressional inquiries into Beijing's role in drug development ahead of an anticipated vote on banning select Chinese biotech companies from doing work in the U.S.
The U.S. is counting on Japan to produce dozens more Patriot interceptors, which the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer described as "probably the most effective anti-missile system" in the world.
Why it matters: From Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanding additional overhead protections to Israel's closely watched interdictions, air defense is all the rage right now (and in the years to come).
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) touted Vice President Kamala Harris as "pivotal in engaging" with Central and South American countries to address causes of hemispheric migration at an Axios House event Tuesday during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Why it matters: Harris was tapped by President Biden to lead the administration's coordination with Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to target factors driving migration to the border. That role positioned Harris as a target for Republican criticism that has followed her to the campaign trail.
1. The Brazilian office of X, formerly Twitter, is being shut down by Elon Musk due to an anti-disinformation court order.
Brazil's Supreme Court Judge Alexander de Moraes had ordered the social network to take down posts spreading lies about the country 's voting system, or face a fine.
Musk responded by moving to close the local X office, alleging the judge's order is censorship.
2. Puerto Rico suffered losses of around $23 million in its agricultural sector during last week's battering from Hurricane Ernesto.
Coffee and banana crops were among the most affected.
The island, still vulnerable after the effects of 2017's Hurricane María, also relies on imports for a lot of produce, but distribution could be hampered as Ernesto left several roads flooded or closed off by debris.
Teams in the Copa América de Migrantes. Source: via Noticias Telemundo
A soccer tournament organized for asylum seekers and other immigrants waiting in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, ended last week with a team from Venezuela taking the win.
State of play: Dubbed the Migrant Copa América, the tournamentwas born last year as a way to give some of those people huddled in shelters a chance to decompress and have fun.
This second edition of the Copa included immigrants and shelter workers representing Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Mexico.
A new media company focused on social impact projects intends to open a first-of-its-kind movie studio in Baja, Mexico.
Why it matters: The Latino-founded venture, Phenomena Global, plans to tap Hollywood executives, Washington political players and advocacy groups to fund projects that are entertaining but also tackle issues such as climate change, mental health, and human rights.
A new Venezuelan law could stifle the critical work of non-governmental organizations, aid groups and others, warn activists and international observers.
Why it matters: In a country marked by a yearslong medicine scarcity and hyperinflation that leaves few able to afford meals, food aid organizations are among those that could be shuttered.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Tuesday that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in the city of Khan Younis.
The big picture: The recovery of the hostages' bodies increases the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to reach a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.
Democrats have closed a large enthusiasm gap among Latino voters in the weeks since President Biden dropped his re-election bid, according to a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.
Why it matters: The shift to a Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket has particularly energized millennial Latinos — ages 28-43 — as well as the younger Generation Z and women in this fast-growing demographic.
The Coalition to March on the DNC had a smaller turnout than expected for Monday's demonstration, but it still attracted thousands to Union Park.
The latest: During his DNC address, President Biden acknowledged the pro-Palestinian protests that have erupted in Chicago and across the U.S. since the Gaza war began following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
President Biden said during his Democratic National Convention speech in Chicago Monday that pro-Palestinian protesters "have a point" as he emphasized his commitment to getting a Gaza hostage and ceasefire agreement.
The big picture: A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators with the Minnesota delegation turned their backs to Biden in a silent protest during his DNC speech and thousands of Gaza war protesters rallied at a nearby park on Monday.
