Axios

One in three Americans say that immigrants entering the country illegally today are "poisoning the blood of our country" — language echoing the rhetoric of white supremacists and Adolf Hitler, a new survey finds.

Why it matters: The results suggest that in a nation of immigrants, many Americans have bought into the historically racist rhetoric that Donald Trump has used to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment while promising mass deportations if he's re-elected president.

Elon Musk held his first public event for former President Trump and Mark Cuban campaigned with Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday.

Why it matters: The two billionaires are stepping up to back the candidates they want to win in the final stretch of a 2024 presidential race that's too close to call.

President Biden said after his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that it's time to "move on" and end the war in Gaza after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Why it matters: Biden has been personally pushing for months for a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza, and he hopes to reach a breakthrough in the stalled negotiations before he leaves office on Jan. 20.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's death creates an opportunity to resume negotiations for a deal to release the 101 hostages still held by Hamas and establish a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli and U.S. officials say.

Why it matters: Negotiations for a deal have been frozen for two months, in part because of Sinwar's hardline position and because he was incommunicado, Israeli and U.S. officials said.

1. Environmental crimes, such as illegal mining and logging, would carry harsher penalties in Brazil under a new bill proposed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

• The bill would also increase jail time from three years to six for people accused of purposefully starting wildfires.
• Wildfires, stoked by drought, have been raging in several different regions this year. Authorities say some were started by ranchers or miners looking to make space for cattle or by miners looking to take over land.

2. Genaro García Luna, a former minister of security in Mexico and the country's highest ranking official to be on trial in the U.S., yesterday was sentenced in New York to 38 years in prison.

Less than a month before the presidential election, campaigns are finally reaching out to the Latino voters who will play a key role in determining the outcome of the tight contest, a new poll indicates.

Why it matters: A record number of Latinos are eligible to vote this year and could especially have an impact in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada and other swing states where their numbers have been increasing.

Israeli officials announced Thursday that Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar, the mastermind behind the group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, had been killed by the Israeli Defense Forces.

Why it matters: Sinwar's death could make Israel more willing to scale back its operations in Gaza, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

Israeli officials said Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israel Defense Forces in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Hamas confirmed his death in a statement on Friday.

Why it matters: Sinwar was the mastermind of the Oct. 7 terror attacks, which killed 1,200 people and set off Israel's year-long war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel has made killing him a key objective, and may now be more willing to scale back its military operations in Gaza.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Thursday that 10,000 North Korean troops are being readied to join Russian forces in their fight against Ukraine, multiple outlets reported.

Why it matters: Zelensky warned that North Korea's involvement risks turning the conflict into a "world war."