Axios

OpenAI on Friday released o3-mini, an AI model that focuses on improved reasoning capabilities at a more modest cost than its predecessor.

Why it matters: The announcement of the new model follows Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's release of its R1 open-source model, which shook up the AI industry and heated up the U.S.-China AI arms race.

The Trump administration's freeze on foreign aid threatens to derail global efforts to fight disease outbreaks, counter terrorism, and provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict.

Why it matters: President Trump's desire to shape an "America first" foreign policy — which was also a focus of his first term — could alter America's posture on the world stage and impact communities around the world.

Investigators have recovered the black boxes of the passenger jet involved in a collision with an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport outside D.C. — the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. in more than 20 years.

The big picture: The American Airlines passenger jet with 64 people on board and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers collided on Wednesday night, sending both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River. There are no known survivors.

China's military is building a massive complex in western Beijing that would be the world's largest military command center — at least 10 times the size of the Pentagon, the Financial Times reports.

Why it matters: The 1,500-acre construction site has "deep holes that military experts assess will house large, hardened bunkers to protect Chinese military leaders during any conflict — including potentially a nuclear war," per the FT.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called President Trump's desire to buy Greenland in the "the national interest" of the U.S. during an interview Thursday.

The big picture: Trump has doubled down on his push for Greenland since winning the presidential election, despite the territory's leader and Denmark's prime minister saying it's not for sale.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff told Axios in an interview at the end of his trip to the Middle East that rebuilding Gaza could take between 10 and 15 years.

Why it matters: The Trump administration wants to see the ceasefire continue and Gaza stabilized so it can move forward with its ambitious plans for the Middle East, which include getting a peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel and trying to get a deal with Iran on its nuclear program.

Eight hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were released on Thursday as part of the ceasefire deal.

Why it matters: The release was an important benchmark: There are now no more women who are believed to be alive that are held hostage by Hamas.

An American Airlines regional passenger jet carrying 64 people collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in midair near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday night, officials said, citing preliminary reports.

The latest: Emergency respondents were now "switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation," D.C. Fire and EMS Department chief John Donnelly said at a press briefing Thursday morning.

Former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of federal charges related to accepting bribes that prosecutors said were tied to Egypt and Qatar.

The big picture: The 71-year-old maintained his innocence but was found guilty on all 16 felony counts and was sentenced alongside New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, who were also charged in the case, per a Department of Justice statement.