Axios

Efforts this week by Qatari mediators to broker a diplomatic breakthrough between the U.S. and Iran have made little progress, with neither side willing to budge, according to three sources familiar with the talks.

Why it matters: The stalemate bolsters the belief on both sides that a renewed military conflict is becoming more likely. U.S. officials think President Trump could order a return to major combat operations after the midterms.

President Trump is willing to give Iran sanctions relief and release Iranian frozen funds in return for concrete Iranian steps regarding the nuclear program, U.S. officials say.

• But Trump took to Truth Social Monday evening to say such reports were "untrue."

Why it matters: The apparent U.S. message to Iran comes as Qatari and Pakistani mediators try again this week to strike a deal between the two warring countries.

Pope Leo XIV told reporters that warnings from AI researchers should be "taken seriously" and are not "fake news."

Why it matters: Leo is leading the Catholic Church as AI raises sweeping societal concerns, and he has made confronting those risks a key part of his papacy.

Iran on Monday denied any involvement in a suspected terrorist plot at an air base in southwest England used by the U.S. for operations in the Middle East.

The big picture: U.K. counterterrorism investigators detained and moved to release five British men and are reportedly examining a possible link, though police have not identified a motive or confirmed any connection with Tehran.

The historic immigration surge that reshaped the U.S. population after the pandemic left a big imprint on the economy: boosting growth with surprisingly little disruption to native-born workers — but also adding to rent inflation.

Why it matters: Those findings — unveiled in new research presented at the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity last week — offer the most detailed economic postmortem yet of one of the largest immigration waves in modern U.S. history.

WASHINGTON — Innovation in health care treatments and drug development is prompting calls for U.S. policy to contend with the biotech sector's growth, said regulators, advocates and investors at an Axios event.

Why it matters: China's rapid advancements in biopharma are raising questions about America's global standing in the life sciences as policymakers weigh the industry's changes and the implications for national security, patient care and drug discovery.

Axios' Caitlin Owens and Emily Peck moderated the Sept. 23 roundtable discussion. The event was sponsored by Genentech.

5 big takeaways from the conversation:

1. China's biotech growth is the result of a deliberate national strategy, said Caitlin Frazer, executive director of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology. "It is a very intentionally designed strategy by the [Chinese Communist Party] to dominate biotechnology."
2. Regulatory barriers are hindering U.S. ability to compete with Chinese drugmakers, said Colin Rom, head of policy for Bio + Health at Andreessen Horowitz. "Until we compete on the regulatory side, they will continue to eat our lunch to some extent."
3. Accelerating patient diagnoses and workforce growth should be deliberated alongside drug advancements, said National Organization for Rare Disorders CEO Pam Gavin. "We have to also prioritize the workforce to complement these investments that we need to make relative to national security."
4. A "whole-of-government" approach is needed to coordinate a broader U.S. biopharma strategy that provides "a clear vision that says, 'This is what we're doing,'" said Raymond James managing director Chris Meekins. "There doesn't seem to be that coordination at the White House level."
5. FDA leadership will play a role in the U.S. approach to drug development and competition with China. FDA deputy commissioner Grace Graham said President Trump's pick to lead the agency, Heidi Overton, "has a unique experience in management of running interagency processes and where to go with the speed … to get FDA policies done in the right way."

Content from the sponsor's segment

In opening remarks, Genentech senior vice president of public affairs and access Fritz Bittenbender said health care policy should be centered on patient care.

• "I think we have to go back and have a policy conversation that actually puts the patient at the center, and once you do that, I think answers to some of these questions become a lot easier."