1 big thing

More than 7 million people in Somalia are in dire need of food assistance. And the UN has warned that famine there is “at the door." East Africa has had four straight failed rainy seasons, for the first time in more than half a century. That, combined with rising food prices exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, are endangering an estimated 20 million people in the Horn of Africa region. Plus, how a...

Russia has stopped gas flow to Europe. The Nord Stream pipeline has been a key source of natural gas for decades, providing heat and electricity across the region. And the result of Russia’s actions are already being felt keenly in Europe - even before cold weather sets in. Plus, could zero-down mortgages close the racial homeownership gap? And, the California power grid struggles against more ext...

How soon after a COVID infection, or after your last booster, can you get the new shot? Axios' Adriel Bettelheim explains what we know about the new boosters tailored to the Omicron sub-variants that are now widely available. Plus, state legislatures see a record number of first-generation immigrants. Israel admits one of its military involved in "friendly fire" death of Palestinian-American Al-Ja...

President Biden spoke in Philadelphia last night, with a warning about former President Trump, his followers, and what he said was their potential to harm American democracy. Plus, the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi continues. And, the stakes for the Artemis mission to the moon. Guests: Axios' Margaret Talev and Miriam Kramer. Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani...

Labor Day is just around the corner, and unions haven't been this popular in 50 years. Almost 71% of Americans now say they approve of unions. That's up almost 10% from pre-pandemic levels. And this week, the California Senate passed a bill that could raise wages for fast food workers to as high as $22 per hour. It has the potential to revitalize the way unions work in the US. Plus, players in The...

Climate concerns and the global energy crisis are pressuring countries to seriously consider nuclear power for the first time since the 1970s. California, Germany and Japan are considering walking back closures, and even reopening nuclear plants. Plus, climate change is affecting monsoons and hurricanes. And, why Americans are holiday shopping earlier this year. Guests: Axios' Matt Phillips, Kelly...

Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive in the south of the country, to retake Russian occupied Kherson. The highly anticipated move could change the shape of the war. Meanwhile, UN nuclear watchdogs are headed to assess the Zaporizhzhia power plant in the southeast of Ukraine, as shelling has been stoking fears of nuclear disaster. Plus, clothing brands respond to our growing waistlines. And, why...

The first updated coronavirus vaccines will be available as soon as the week after Labor Day. These will target the dominant strain of COVID-19 that's circulating in the U.S., in hopes of providing better protection than the vaccines we have now. Plus, the world's top economic experts say volatility is here to stay. And, women’s sports are commanding bigger rights deals than ever. Guests: Axios' A...

The primaries this week solidified a stunning turnaround for Democrats in this election cycle, fueled by passion around the abortion rights issue. How much does that change the assumption that Republicans will run away with control of both the House and the Senate? And, Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan splits Washington. Plus, all eyes on fed chair Jerome Powell ahead of Friday's speech from...

President Biden yesterday announced a sweeping plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for Pell grant recipients, and up to $10,000 for qualifying individual borrowers. But for future students, college costs look as bad as ever. The average price of tuition for a four-year public college is more than $9,000 per year. Out-of-state residents can expect to pay more than $23,000 - and it can be d...

A former Kentucky police detective pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy in the killing of Breonna Taylor. Former Louisville Metro police officer Kelly Goodlett admitted in federal court to falsifying the no-knock search warrant that led to Taylor’s death, and to giving a false report afterwards as part of a cover-up attempt. Plus, the outlook for the Russia-Ukraine war at six months. And, studen...

CEOs telling employees to return to the office are facing major pushback. This week, a group of Apple workers started a petition calling for flexible work schedules to continue. That was in response to a memo from CEO Tim Cook mandating that many workers come into the office three days a week starting this fall. Plus, why America's beloved Tex-Mex cuisine has to evolve to survive. And, Dr. Fauci i...

Inflation in the U.S. may have reached its peak. A big part of that is falling gas prices, which recently dipped back below the $4 per gallon mark. The price of crude oil is also on the decline, closing at just under $90 a barrel on Friday. Plus, a new phase in the search for habitable planets. And, a historic moment at the Iowa State Fair. Guests: Axios' Javier David and Miriam Kramer. Credits: A...

We got big developments this week from Trump world and ongoing investigations into the former president and his inner circle. And Liz Cheney was the latest Republican to lose to a Trump-backed challenger in a primary. Meanwhile many Trump supporters feel like the former president has had a kind of reset, especially since the search of Mar-a-Lago. Plus, Democrats try to head off disinformation targ...

After the 2020 presidential election, President Trump and his allies waged a disinformation campaign about the election’s legitimacy, focused on polling tech and vote counting. And big tech was not ready. Now, tech companies are trying to get ahead of misinformation that could affect the coming midterms. Plus, Georgia’s election interference probe heats up. And, the rise of anti-abortion crisis pr...

The FDA announced yesterday that it’s clearing the way for a new category of hearing aids, that people with mild or moderate hearing loss can buy over the counter without an exam, fitting, or prescription. This is huge news for the millions of Americans who currently struggle to access or pay for hearing aids in America, which usually cost thousands of dollars. Plus, the Afghans still left behind,...

Some Republican lawmakers are embracing a new rallying cry to “defund the FBI,” following last week’s search of Mar-a-Lago. It’s a message that stands in stark contrast to the GOP’s position as the party of law enforcement, especially since the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and calls to “defund the police.“ Plus, the Colorado River reaches a drought tipping point. And, Scotland becomes the firs...

It’s been one year since the fall of Afghanistan’s capital city Kabul and the start of Taliban rule in the country. Shortly after, the U.S. completed its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and since then, the economy has imploded and worsened the existing humanitarian crisis. Per capita income in the country is now about $375 per year, its lowest in more than a decade, and more than half the popul...

There are dozens of cases and investigations involving former President Donald Trump — and this week we saw developments in several. From his Mar-a-Lago home being searched by the FBI, to his pleading the fifth at a deposition in New York in a civil investigation.  Plus: inflation may be cooling, but prices aren’t. And: Wikipedia as a model for consensus in divided times. Guests: Ilya Marrtiz, NPR...

British health authorities said Wednesday that around 1 million children in London are being offered polio boosters, after the virus was detected in the city’s sewage. The first U.S. case in nearly a decade was diagnosed in New York last month. Plus: a powerhouse union has a message for Democrats ahead of the midterms. And: new help for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. Guests: Axios' Adriel Be...

The massive climate, tax and health care bill that Senate democrats passed over the weekend is expected to go to the House for a vote on Friday. If passed as is, the bill will become the largest climate legislation ever passed by Congress, and will invest roughly $370 billion in renewable energy, electric vehicles and other climate programs. Plus: the Senate’s spending bill leaves states on their...

Former President Donald Trump said on Monday that the FBI searched his Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago. Two sources familiar with the matter told Axios’s Jonathan Swan that it was their understanding the search was related to documents taken from the White House -- documents that may have been classified. Plus: a series of killings shakes a Muslim community in New Mexico. And: some news about Axio...

Democrats on Sunday passed a sweeping $740 billion tax, climate and health care bill after 24 straight hours of debate. The Inflation Reduction Act includes lowering the cost of prescription drugs, raising taxes on corporations - and the largest investment in clean energy and emissions cuts the Senate has ever passed. Plus: Why this weekend’s conflict in Gaza was different. And: rents are skyrocke...

Five states held primaries this week in a big test for Trump’s political power. In Kansas, the abortion rights victory is cementing Democrats abortion focus ahead of the midterms. Guests: Axios' Margaret Talev and Josh Kraushaar. Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Lydia McMullen-Laird, Alex Sugiura, and Ben O'Brien. Music...

California is the latest state to declare a state of emergency over the monkeypox outbreak. The CDC says more than 6,600 U.S. cases of monkeypox have been reported since May, and as that number grows so does pressure for more government action. Plus, back to school could mean disease outbreaks beyond COVID. And, credit card balances are soaring. Guests: Axios' Tina Reed, Arielle Dreher, and Courte...