Axios

The Trump administration is concerned that Israel's repeated strikes inside Syria risk destabilizing the country and undermining hopes of an Israel-Syria security agreement, two senior U.S. officials tell Axios.

• "We are trying to tell Bibi he has to stop this because if it continues he will self-destruct," one of those officials said, referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his nickname.

The big picture: Supporting President Ahmed al-Sharaa's efforts to stabilize Syria and encouraging him to engage in a peace process with Israel are key elements of the Trump administration's Middle East strategy.

A Navy admiral and not Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a September strike on a suspected drug boat near Venezuela where the military was reportedly ordered to kill survivors, the White House said Monday.

Why it matters: The White House defended the legality of the attack, but Congress has vowed to investigate with some members warning that, if substantiated, the deaths could violate the laws of war.

The White House on Monday defended the legality of its strikes on suspected drug boats from Venezuela and the surrounding area following a Washington Post report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a second attack on a ship to kill survivors.

The big picture: Military experts warn the attacks could be illegal and lawmakers are demanding more information about the lethal strikes, which are often announced by President Trump or Hegseth on social media.

Negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine on Sunday focused on where the de facto border with Russia would be drawn under a peace deal, two Ukrainian officials tell Axios. They described the five-hour meeting as "difficult" and "intense," but productive.

Why it matters: Russian President Vladimir Putin — who's expected to meet with President Trump's envoy on Tuesday — insists Russia won't stop until it controls the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

• The U.S. wants Ukraine to hand over territory there to convince Putin to make peace, but that would be a painful and politically explosive concession.

Oxford University Press announced "rage bait" is its 2025 word of the year on Sunday.

Why it matters: The compound of the words "rage" and "bait" has seen a "three-fold increase in usage" over the past year, "suggesting that more people than ever are aware of the negative effects that online life can bring alongside all the positives," per an online post by the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Trump allies Sunday pushed back on a Washington Post report that alleges Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered additional strikes on survivors of attacks on suspected drug trafficking boats from Venezuela.

Why it matters: Legal experts have warned that the attacks could be illegal as the Trump administration ramps up its military presence around Venezuela, placing pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.

The negotiations on Sunday in Miami between the U.S. and Ukraine on President Trump's peace plan made additional progress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine's national security adviser Rustem Umerov said.

Why it matters: The U.S. and Ukraine are working to finalize understandings on the U.S. peace plan, which has been heavily revised over several days of talks to be more palatable to Kyiv. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to present that document to Putin on Tuesday.

The suspect who shot two National Guard members near the White House last week was "radicalized" since coming to the U.S. from Afghanistan, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday.

The big picture: Noem said the investigation is ongoing, but initial interviews suggest the suspect was in contact with "connections" in Afghanistan that may have contributed to his radicalization.

As the U.S. grows more diverse, a quiet civil war is unfolding within American Christianity over who deserves empathy.

Why it matters: Conservatives ranging from evangelical pastors to Elon Musk have started framing empathy not as a virtue but as a vulnerability on immigration, racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights.