Axios

In a win for the Trump administration, Panama's Supreme Court on Thursday canceled a crucial Panama Canal ports contract operated by a firm with ties to China's government.

• Axios exclusively reported earlier that the White House expected the ruling Thursday evening to cancel the contract.

Why it matters: Removing Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere is central to President Trump's strategy to reassert unquestioned U.S. dominance from the Straits of Magellan to Greenland.

Venezuela's commercial airspace is set to reopen and Americans will soon be able to visit the Latin American country, President Trump announced Thursday.

The big picture: Trump in early January ordered the closure of airspace above and around Venezuela after the U.S. operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

President Trump said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to his request to halt missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine for a week because of the extreme cold in the country.

Why it matters: Russian strikes have left many Ukrainians without power or heat at a time when temperatures are well below freezing. Pausing the strikes would be a significant step, as attempts to freeze the population into submission are a clear element of Russia's strategy.

The Trump administration is hosting senior defense and intelligence officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia for talks on Iran this week as President Trump considers military strikes, two U.S. officials and two other sources with knowledge told Axios.

Why it matters: Trump has ordered a U.S. military buildup in the Gulf to prepare for potential military action. Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region have been on high alert for days in anticipation of a U.S. strike.

In a stunning warning for the rapidly-aging U.S., poverty rose for seniors in more than 800 counties over the past five years, according to new Census Bureau estimates.

Why it matters: America's post-pandemic rebound didn't flatten inequality — it rearranged it. The winners clustered in educated metro areas and owned homes outright. The losers are increasingly older, renting, rural — or all three.

A quarter of young Americans think China has more global power and influence than the U.S., compared to 12% of Americans ages 65 and older, according to a new Carnegie Endowment for International Peace survey.

Why it matters: Political dysfunction, economic pressures and cultural exchanges are helping to reshape how young Americans measure global power — and America's place in it.

President Trump advised Iran to " quickly make a deal" on its nuclear program because a new U.S. attack on the country "will be far worse" than the last one.

Why it matters: Trump has ordered a U.S. military buildup in the Gulf ahead of a possible strike. Iran, Israel and other countries in the region have been on high alert for days expecting a U.S. strike.