The State Department's top diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, will travel to Damascus in the coming days, two U.S. officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: This will be the first visit by a State Department official to Syria in many years. The visit is part if a resumption of U.S. diplomatic engagement with the transitional government in Syria after the toppling of the Assad regime.
I also loved to highlight Latinas' inroads in industries like beauty and VC funds, along with environmental, health and techinitiatives and accomplishments, and projects addressing major issues in Latin America.
As the Axios Latino newsletter ends, senior reporter Russell Contreras reflects on covering Latino communities.
The now-defunct Houston Post's Hispanic insert, Viva Magazine, published my first professional piece of journalism in 1994. It was about Latino immigrants passing U.S. citizenship tests and the celebrations that followed.
Why it matters: My Mexican-born grandmother, Guadalupe "Lita" Ramos, was among the first to see the piece. She cut it out and saved the clipping.
Over the past nearly four years, Axios Latino has highlighted Latinos of all nationalities and political ideologies — their successes and struggles. But the work isn't over.
Why it matters: Latinos make up nearly 19% of the U.S. population, and that share will only grow as the country moves toward having no majority racial or ethnic group.
The U.S. economy grew at a 3.1% annualized pace in the third quarter — stronger than previously thought, the Commerce Department said on Thursday.
Why it matters: The revision suggests 2024 was yet another shocker year in which the U.S. economy surprised to the upside, as other major nations grappled with sluggish growth.
This Sunday on "60 Minutes," Lesley Stahl interviews the recently retired Mossad agents who masterminded the exploding pager operation against Hezbollah.
Why it matters: The stunning, decade-long Israeli plot to manufacture and sell booby-trapped devices sparked chaos among Hezbollah's leadership and helped devastate the group's operations.
One of Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio's most challenging tasks won't be abroad but at home: Navigating a network of envoys nominated by President-elect Trump to manage key foreign policy issues directly out of the White House.
Why it matters: Rubio has extensive foreign policy and national security experience from his years in the Senate, but he isn't a member of Trump's inner circle. He'll have to fight for influence and for Trump's ear as the U.S. decides how to handle a range of conflicts and alliances around the world.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates sky-high tariffs promised by President-elect Trump might improve the nation's fiscal outlook — but at the cost of higher inflation and slower economic growth than would otherwise be the case.
Why it matters: The nonpartisan agency's findings are the highest-profile estimates yet of how such trade policy could slam consumers, businesses and the broader economy.
An Italian-born nun who confronted Billy the Kid, calmed angry mobs, opened New Mexico territory hospitals and later gave refuge to immigrant children is getting closer to Sainthood from the Roman Catholic Church.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised the mother of U.S. journalist Austin Tice that the IDF isn't conducting airstrikes in areas in Syria where he might be located, according to a copy of a letter obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: After the fall of the Assad regime, the search for Tice — who was abducted in Syria 12 years ago — has been relaunched by his family, the U.S. government and private NGOs with ever greater urgency.
The Biden administration is readying dramatic last-minute steps to preserve a crucial advantage in its AI arms race with China: supply of the world's most advanced chips.
Why it matters: The chips needed to develop cutting-edge AI are the most valuable pieces of hardware on Earth, and the best chips Chinese firms can produce lag about five years behind the top end of the market.
