President Trump told Axios in a phone interview on Thursday that he isn't concerned that Russia will attack NATO countries.
Why it matters: European leaders have grown extremely concerned and warned publicly that Moscow could test NATO's resolve — and Trump's commitment to Article 5, the alliance's collective-defense clause — through a limited attack or other military provocations.
The Trump administration is in talks with Venezuela's interim government about taking an ownership stake in the South American country's enormous oil resources, two U.S. officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: The historic deal would more than double U.S. oil reserves by drawing from a country that has the world's largest proven reserves.
Meta removed a network of Facebook and Instagram accounts tied to an Iran-based operation that used AI to target U.S. audiences with posts about American politics, the company first shared with Axios.
Why it matters: The operation attracted thousands of followers and included accounts posing as everyday Americans to appear more authentic.
A military judge on Wednesday set a June 2028 trial date for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and three other men accused of plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The big picture: Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, a military commissions judge, set the tentative trial date for June 5, 2028 — some 20 years after Mohammed and his co-defendants were first arraigned in 2008 and 27 years after the 9/11 attacks.
President Trump recently blurted out that North Korea has 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons.
Experts told Axios that is believable, but is most likely an undercount.
Why it matters: Nuclear arsenals are often spoken of in generalities — round numbers, increases and decreases, confidence levels. Specifics like this, especially from the very top, are rare and raise hackles.
