1 big thing

Hospitals are keeping patients longer than they need to, as healthcare worker shortages are making it hard to get some patients into long-term care facilities. Now, hospitals are looking to Congress for help paying for patients they can’t discharge. Meanwhile – emergency rooms have been overflowing in some parts of the country, and a lack of beds has left some to die in ER waiting rooms. Plus, an...

A missile hit Poland on Tuesday near the border with Ukraine, killing two Polish citizens. Russia has denied responsibility but the incident has prompted international alarm and an emergency NATO meeting Wednesday morning in Brussels. Plus, former President Trump announces his 2024 run for office. Guests: Axios' Dave Lawler and Jonathan Swan. Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara...

48,000 workers across the University of California school system are on strike. The university system has 10 campuses with nearly 300,000 students, and academic workers are asking for higher salaries, saying they don't earn enough to live in the state of California. Plus, is the crypto dream dead? And, the world population’s new milestone. Guests: Axios' Felix Salmon and The New York Times' Shawn...

Almost a week after the election, a clearer picture of the 2022 midterm elections has emerged. We now now that Democrats not only have retained control of the Senate, but might pick up another seat. We’re still waiting on the House, but we’ve got a lot more information on historic Democrat wins in state and local races, including with state legislatures and governors' races. But - it's not a blue...

President Joe Biden defied history with the midterm election results by avoiding a wave of Republican victories…and made his first public address about it Wednesday afternoon. Plus, election denial in Pennsylvania. And, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on its 40th anniversary. Guests: Axios' Hans Nichols, Mike D'Onofrio and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's Robert W. Doubek. Credits: Axios Today is pr...

Georgia is in focus today, as the state gets ready for a runoff election in the tight Senate race between Senator Raphael Warnock and his Republican opponent Herschel Walker. Neither received 50% of the vote, sparking a December 6th runoff. Plus, record-setting billions were spent in campaign advertising in these midterms. What was the impact on results? How midterm outcomes will affect U.S. clima...

We're still waiting to see where things stand in the Senate and the House, but already we’re getting a good idea of what didn't happen in these elections: An overwhelming victory by Republicans that many expected. Plus, the night's historic firsts. Guests: Axios' Mike Allen, Margaret Talev, and Shawna Chen. Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, Nao...

On this Election Night: what we know so far. We talk races that have been called, what we're watching for, and the sparse voting irregularities nationwide. Guests: Axios' Margaret Talev, Hans Nichols and Stef Kight. Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, Naomi Shavin, Robin Linn, Lydia McMullen-Laird, Fonda Mwangi and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed...

Election Day voting begins across the country this morning, including in states with some particularly close and competitive local races. Axios reporters tell us what they're watching for in today's midterm elections. Plus, inside the shortage of Black sperm donors in the U.S. Guests: Axios' Jeremy Duda, Monica Eng, John Frank, Emma Hurt and The Washington Post's Amber Ferguson. Credits: Axios Tod...

Abortion is on the ballot in five states tomorrow. But the fight over abortion in Michigan is making significant waves. It’s hard to be anywhere in the state and not hear about Proposal 3, the amendment that would enshrine an individual's right to an abortion in the state constitution. Plus, what a Republican majority in Congress would mean for pandemic policies like the military vaccine mandate....

We're days away from the midterm elections and finding out who will control Congress and who will win in hotly contested elections throughout the country like in Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia. People's predictions about Tuesday continue to grow. But set aside everything you are hearing about the election…because nobody knows how it's going to unfold. Plus, will anyone take home a $1.5 billion Pow...

President Biden gave a speech on Wednesday evening unlike one we’ve ever seen from a president days ahead of the midterm elections. He urged voters to recognize what is at stake next Tuesday. Plus, the rise of the extreme right in Israel and the return of Netanyahu. Guest: Axios' Hans Nichols and Barak Ravid. Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, F...

More than 4 in 10 Americans think the U.S. should be a Christian nation. And one third say it already is. That’s according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center. But views on what that means vary. And on the campaign trail, overt Christian nationalist language is showing up more and more from right-wing candidates. Plus, Covid makes China’s economic woes even worse. And, the price of turkey i...

Less than a week after Elon Musk officially became the owner of Twitter, there are reports that the company may start charging up to $20 a month for the subscription that will allow users to keep the blue verification checkmark which confirms that world leaders, celebrities, journalists, local politicians and many others are who they say they are. Making that a paid feature could risk opening Twit...

Threats against the lives of lawmakers and their families have been on the rise, and fears that these translate into real violence were realized on Friday, with the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul. With just over a week to the midterms, the attack has Washington on edge. Plus, a glimmer of good climate news. And, an exclusive preview of musician Bono’s upcoming memoir. Guest:...

President Biden was in Syracuse, New York on Thursday to tout his party’s economic accomplishments – and to send a warning about what he says Republican control of Congress could mean by comparison. It’s part of Democrats’ final dash before election day. Meanwhile over 15 million ballots have already been cast in early voting around the country. Plus, states gear up to spend billions on broadband...

Since the 2020 murder of George Floyd, companies and banks have pledged to do better when it comes to racial justice. So how are they doing? Plus, the U.S. mediated-deal between Israel and Lebanon. And, what to know about staying healthy this winter. Guest: Axios' Barak Ravid and Adriel Bettelheim, and The New York Times' Emily Flitter. Credits: Axios Today is produced by Emiy Peck, Niala Boodhoo,...

Last night, Pennsylvania Senate candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz, a Republican, and Lt. Governor John Fetterman, a Democrat, squared off in their first and only debate. It's part of a high stakes race that’s critical not just for their state, but for control of the U.S. Senate. Plus, the Biden administration’s change for Venezuelan migrants at the border. Guest: Axios’ Alayna Treene and Michelle Hackman,...

Two weeks out from the midterms, the parties are making last minute changes to spending and messaging in a final effort to gain as much of an edge as possible before November 8th. Plus, the UK gets another new prime minister. And, technology that analyzes your voice for signs of depression. Guests: Axios’ Josh Kraushaar and Jennifer Kingson. Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara...

It's been about a month since Vladimir Putin’s announcements of mass military mobilization, and since then Putin says at least 220,000 men had been drafted into the Russian military. And as more men continue to disappear from Moscow, things look different from the capital. Plus, how emojis are complicating remote work communications in significant ways. Guests: Axios’ Eleanor Hawkins and The New Y...

Democrats and Republicans are gearing up for their final weeks before the midterm elections. Voters in Georgia are already casting their ballots in higher numbers than they did for the 2018 midterms elections. As of Thursday, the fourth day of early voting in the state, over 430,000 people had voted, which is more than 60% increase from 2018. That’s according to the Georgia Secretary of State. Plu...

With midterms right around the corner, Democrats hold less than a 2-to-1 advantage over Republicans among Latino voters, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos Latino poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo. And nearly 1 in 4 Latinos are still undecided about how they’ll vote in just a few weeks. These findings confirm Latinos’ collective status as the ultimate American swing vote. Plus, a bright...

You can expect higher heating bills this winter than last. Nearly half of American households use natural gas to heat their homes, and this winter, The Energy Information Administration says the average bill will be $931 – a 28% increase from last year. The likely spike has to do with in the war in Ukraine, where many residents are bracing for a brutal winter without power. Plus, Americans are buy...

The FBI has issued a warning about threats to election workers ahead of the midterm elections. Colorado has been identified as one of the top states for threats to poll workers, which has put election administrators on high alert. Plus, flu season starting early. And, the student loan forgiveness program opens applications. Guests: Axios’ John Frank and Kaiser Family Foundation's Dr. Celine Gounde...

Two of the largest grocery store chains in the country are planning to merge. Kroger’s announced last Friday that it will buy its competitor Albertsons for nearly $25 billion. Together, Kroger and Albertsons have about 5,000 stores and almost 750,ooo workers. This deal could change the way people buy food, as inflation pushes prices higher and higher. Plus, ten years of Xi Jinping’s leadership in...