Science and Technology - BlogFlock

Medicare weight-loss drug coverage could overwhelm doctors - Axios

2026-06-15T09:30:05.000Z

Next month's launch of a Medicare program providing weight-loss drugs for $50 a month is expected to unleash pent-up demand for Wegovy, Zepbound and other blockbuster treatments — and create new bottlenecks at doctors' offices.

The big picture: It could become one of the biggest drug rollouts ever — and it could test an already burdened system as seniors seek new GLP-1 prescriptions.

Clinicians worry that could also give short shrift to patient counseling on how to take the injectables and pills, adjust dosages and deal with side effects.
Medicare has been prohibited by law from covering weight-loss drugs.

Where it stands: The new program is part of a deal President Trump struck with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to cut prices for their diabetes and anti-obesity drugs in exchange for access to more patients.

Providers are bracing for an onslaught beginning July 1, with roughly 14 million Medicare beneficiaries overweight or obese, according to KFF.
"I have a long list of people who are just holding their breath until July 1, who just could not afford the medication before," Christopher Weber, a board member of the Obesity Medicine Association, told Axios.

First, though, they'll have to go through a verification process, or "prior authorization," to determine whether they qualify for the low-cost drugs.

"We're already in primary care and obesity medicine kind of overwhelmed with prior authorizations ... this is going to overwhelm a lot of clinics," Weber said.

Medicare administrators have told doctors they are streamlining the process and establishing a central clearinghouse for the reviews.

"In our situation we would have to double or triple our pharmacy team, and to my knowledge, that has not happened in preparation for this," said Annie Moore, an internal medicine doctor at the University of Colorado.
A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spokesperson said the agency doesn't anticipate that the program will create any undue burden on pharmacies or prescribing providers.

Between the lines: The new program only runs through the end of 2027 and limits coverage to the weight-loss drugs.

Medicare isn't paying for nutrition and behavioral support programs that often accompany employer-sponsored obesity treatment. That could be particularly concerning for older adults, who often require closer monitoring to avoid losing weight too quickly and becoming frail.
"The primary care clinician can do the counseling, but most people aren't going to have time to give it adequate time," Weber said.

Friction point: Beneficiaries may get sticker shock when they discover the benefit does not count toward their out-of-pocket caps or deductibles, KFF's Juliette Cubanski told Axios.

"I think it could be a bit of a rocky start as the program rolls out in July," she said.
And at $50 a pop, these drugs may still be too expensive for many on fixed, low incomes.
Uptake may also be limited because many seniors have already gotten a GLP-1 prescribed for another condition like sleep apnea or other indication through their Part D benefit. They won't qualify for this discount, even if they are overweight or obese.

What's ahead: Leading GLP-1 makers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly see a potential windfall opening up the market to Medicare patients and are targeting advertising at seniors, CNBC reported.

Novo Nordisk plans to advertise the reduced risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke for its Wegovy and Ozempic while Lilly plans to pitch the convenience of its new GLP-1 pill Foundayo.

Boris Epshteyn: Trump's "psychiatrist" and counsel - Axios

2026-06-15T09:00:07.000Z

Boris Epshteyn is such a fixture in Donald Trump's White House that he's in Oval Office meetings when some attendees don't even know it.

Epshteyn, the president's senior personal counsel, speaks with "the boss" so often that Trump sometimes puts him on speakerphone without telling others in the room, two people familiar with the routine tell Axios.

Why it matters: In a White House where proximity to power is power itself, Epshteyn is one of the most influential people in D.C. — not just because he's listening in, but because Trump listens to him as well.

"He's like my psychiatrist," Trump has joked, referencing how frequently he talks to Epshteyn — who typically offers such enthusiastic support that it's like therapy for the president.

In Trump's fractious political world, though, such presidential praise draws criticism, including from within.
"He's 100% hype man and cheering section for POTUS," one adviser said. "It's sometimes a bit much."

Driving the news: Though Epshteyn operates out of the spotlight, he was seen on national TV Monday night, standing in the same shot as the president at Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Madison Square Garden.

Last week, Epshteyn's role in the settlement that created the highly controversial $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund was detailed in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. The administration scrapped the idea amid a bipartisan outcry in Congress.

Zoom in: As Trump's top personal attorney, Epshteyn has overseen a wave of unprecedented civil litigation from a president against the news media and social media companies.

Trump has won or forced settlements with ABC ($16 million), CBS ($16 million, plus public service announcements), Meta ($25 million), Google ($22 million) and X ($10 million).
Other Trump media targets still in litigation: BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and even the Pulitzer Committee.

The big picture: Epshteyn became a force in Trumpworld by assembling the legal team and charting the risky strategy that paid off during the 2024 election cycle, when Trump faced four criminal cases and two civil ones.

Channeling his client, Epshteyn made brinksmanship the default tactic, fighting on every front, appealing everything possible (winning a landmark Supreme Court presidential immunity declaration) and raising the political pressure on judges and prosecutors as cases unfolded in the heat of an election.
"Boris delivered in the crucible of battle where either Trump was going to be in prison or be president," said Steve Bannon, influential MAGA podcaster and first-term Trump official. "Boris was the guy who got it done."
"He's the president's fixer," said a frequent White House visitor.

Between the lines: Epshteyn's role extends beyond the courtroom. In April, he was named chair of Trump Media. Donald Trump Jr. serves as director.

Epshteyn has significant influence in the Justice Department, Trump advisers say, because of his close relationship with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who replaced Pam Bondi.
Epshteyn is in the Oval Office about once a week, a White House official said, and is "constantly" on the phone with Trump in between.
Pointing to the needless political distraction of the aborted anti-weaponization fund, a Trump political adviser was less effusive about Epshteyn:
"He's the keeper of dog-sh*t ideas," the adviser said. "And he has only gotten more powerful, maybe one of the five most powerful people around the president."

The intrigue: From custom-made suits to his Bentley to his penchant for taking meetings at a classic D.C. steakhouse, Epshteyn's wealth has been a constant source of speculation in Trump's circles.

A friend of Epshteyn countered that he was successful before his current role, and bought his car six years ago. "Boris has lived the exact same lifestyle for the past decade. Any suggestion to the contrary is founded on baseless rumors and innuendo," he said.
"I've tried to cut him in on a side deal for pardon work. And Boris said no. He's ethical," said one Trump insider and attorney who successfully persuaded the president to grant his client clemency.

During the transition, another team of Trump attorneys conducted an internal investigation to determine if Epshteyn had parlayed his connections to Trump, which Epshteyn denied.

A Trump spokesman at the time characterized the inquiry as a "review" and said it had been settled internally. Trump kept Epshteyn.
During the transition, Axios reported, Epshteyn also clashed with billionaire Elon Musk. Though Musk's star was ascendant in Trump's orbit, the president kept Epshteyn on, a sign of his staying power.

The backstory: Epshteyn, a former adviser to John McCain's presidential campaign in 2008, entered Trump's operation a decade ago when the then-candidate saw Epshteyn voicing support for his campaign on cable TV.

When Trump's top legal counsel, Michael Cohen, was indicted in 2017 and had a falling out with Trump, Epshteyn slowly began filling his shoes.
White House communications director Steven Cheung cited Epshteyn's pugnacity, longevity and loyalty, calling him "an original" in Trump's political circle.

In 2021, as Trump plotted his return to the White House at a time when many in his own party wanted him gone after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Epshteyn stuck by Trump's side along with Susie Wiles. She became Trump's top political adviser as Epshteyn handled legal affairs.

Epshteyn became Trump's top counsel after the National Archives and President Biden's DOJ began criminally investigating Trump in the classified documents case.
As the criminal cases grew, they became a potent weapon for Trump on the campaign trail. He argued that the prosecutions were political persecutions. It helped him win the GOP primary and galvanized his voters in the 2024 general election.
Throughout, Epshteyn pushed Trump to fight the cases, make no compromise and take everything to trial, which others advised against.
"What Boris advised and what the president did was frankly insane, completely risky," said a Trump adviser. "But it worked. That's why Boris is where he is."

"They screwed us": Personality clashes sent Anthropic's models offline - Axios

2026-06-15T09:00:07.000Z

Anthropic has once again found itself in the Trump administration's crosshairs over an inability to communicate effectively, sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: Governing the world's most consequential technology is coming down to speaking President Trump's language.

Anthropic failed to "honor" a recent cyber executive order, administration officials claim, and the company's purported failure to take the matter seriously led to its most powerful products being scrubbed from the internet.
"Everybody said Anthropic was a bad actor. Some of us said it was time to give them a chance. Now those people are questioning that. They screwed us," an administration official said.

Catch up quick: On Thursday, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy called Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressing concerns that Anthropic's most powerful models, Mythos and Fable, could be jailbroken.

The administration official said Anthropic knew a jailbreak could happen and chose to distribute it anyway: "They came to every fork in the road and took the wrong fork."
Anthropic says it received explicit approval from the government to deploy Fable.
On Friday night the government imposed stringent export controls that ultimately led Anthropic to take the models offline entirely.

Behind the scenes: "Anthropic has not done a great job at trying to speak to the administration and appreciate the ideological differences," one source familiar with the administration's thinking said.

"It's like they just speak in different languages," the source said, adding that the company has simply not figured out how to communicate with this administration.

The administration first threatened Anthropic with export controls a couple of weeks ago after learning that its cutting-edge Mythos model was made available to an entity in a foreign country with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party, according to the White House.

A source close to Anthropic said the company has always worked closely with the government on expanding Mythos access — and in this case, involving a global telecom company, Anthropic revoked Mythos access without the threat of export controls.
Amazon's report raised fresh concerns but Anthropic's "position at the outset was no, we're not going to do anything, this is not a real issue," the source familiar with the administration's thinking said.
The source close to Anthropic said the company did not refuse to resolve the issue.

Even before this breakdown, a previous fight between Anthropic and the Pentagon also came down in some ways to just not liking the person on the other side of the negotiating table.

A White House official told Axios that the Pentagon fight is completely unrelated — but Anthropic's inability to communicate effectively showed up in a similar, unhelpful way.
"We never wanted this to happen. Our number one priority is innovation but our hands were tied," the White House official said.
The optics added fuel to the fire. Anthropic came out with a blog post dismissing the Amazon report. Then the company enlisted a cybersecurity expert viewed by the administration as a "radical Democrat," who was then celebrated by Chris Krebs, who Trump just fired.

The big picture: Anthropic has been the loudest of the frontier AI labs on safety concerns, calling for strong regulation and spooking the Trump administration and the public with their own model's cyber capabilities.

The White House led in thawing relations with the embattled company following the Pentagon spat.
The technology is moving fast and the government is struggling to catch up, sources said. That — combined with the personality differences — led to a blunt instrument being hastily deployed instead of a scalpel.

What's next: "The immediate crisis was averted but longterm we have a problem," an administration official said.

The Commerce Department will meet with Anthropic senior tech staffers Logan Graham, Dave Orr and Nicholas Carlini on Monday, officials told Axios.
Meetings are also scheduled with the CIA and White House science advisor Michael Kratsios to work through adhering to that cyber executive order.

The bottom line: One option is to make sure Anthropic's models can't be jailbroken — though perfect jailbreak resistance may be impossible.

Absent that, a source familiar with the administration's thinking said it may simply come down to an attitude fix where, instead of feeling dismissed, "everyone feels safe, secure and happy."

Oil prices fall on US, Iran deal announcement - Axios

2026-06-14T23:11:09.000Z

Crude oil prices fell over 4% to their lowest levels in over three months Sunday after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire extension that could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Why it matters: Severe restrictions on oil traffic through the strait since the conflict began in late February have created an unprecedented energy shock that's a drag on the global economy.

The oil price spike caused U.S. gasoline prices to soar to their highest levels since 2022, adding to GOP political peril ahead of the midterm elections.

The latest: The global benchmark Brent crude is down 3.6% to $84.21 per barrel. It initially fell even more steeply before reversing some of the decline.

WTI, the U.S. reference, is down over 4% to $81.38 per barrel.
Sunday's decline follows prices that had already slid Friday on reports that an agreement was imminent.
The apparent agreement could greatly expand tanker traffic through the narrow waterway that handles about a fifth of the global oil trade. Axios' Barak Ravid has the latest on the agreement.

Catch up quick: The memorandum of understanding would mark the biggest diplomatic breakthrough of the war and buy time to settle the hardest questions over Iran's nuclear program.

What we're watching: Average U.S. gasoline prices soared to a high of roughly $4.56 per gallon in May, but have retreated in recent weeks and now average $4.07, per AAA.

That's still over $1 higher than pre-war levels at a time when affordability is front and center in midterm election battles.
But prices will likely recede if crude oil prices — the largest variable in retail pump prices — continue to recede.

What's next: The disrupted market will take months to fully untangle, but the apparent deal could enable a major increase in tanker transit.

But it's not clear how many ship owners and operators will quickly have confidence to move through the waterway.
Plus, even if the strait is fully open, Persian Gulf oil producers that cut production when the main export route was cut off will need time to revive it.

Go deeper: Gas prices won't return to pre-war levels anytime soon

AOC's hot streak on endorsements divides the left - Axios

2026-06-14T21:30:06.000Z

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is on a hot streak.

In the last month alone, four progressive House candidates she's endorsed in open primaries have cruised to victory, making her an early kingmaker as she weighs a 2028 presidential run.

Why it matters: AOC has gotten on a roll by deploying a different strategy from that of her mentor, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — one that, despite its success, is dividing the left.

While Sanders has endorsed dozens of progressive candidates up and down ballots across the country this year, Ocasio-Cortez has been more choosy.
Some on the left say she's being overly cautious, and reluctant to support progressives who are taking on her Democratic colleagues in the House.

State of play: AOC's left-wing picks won congressional primaries in California, Pennsylvania, Montana and New Jersey — often over the Democratic establishment's preferred candidates.

Her favorites have succeeded in both deep-blue and GOP-controlled districts.
But so far, Ocasio-Cortez has shied from endorsing anti-establishment progressives in high-profile Senate primaries — notably in Maine, where Sanders got behind primary winner Graham Platner, and in Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed is on the Aug. 4 primary ballot.
Staying out of the Maine primary enabled AOC to keep her hands clean as controversy after controversy consumed Platner — but it also left some progressives frustrated.

AOC likewise has avoided backing left-wing insurgents trying to unseat Democratic House incumbents, even though she got her start in politics by ousting a sitting member of her party.

Sanders and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani are rallying in Brooklyn on Thursday for Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist challenging Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
The rally will include New York City-area congressional candidates Brad Lander and Claire Valdez, whom Sanders and Mamdani have endorsed. Lander is challenging Rep. Dan Goldman, and Valdez is running for the seat held by departing Rep. Nydia Velazquez, who has endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
Ocasio-Cortez hasn't endorsed in any of those races yet.

Yes, but: AOC has been more willing to get behind progressives challenging sitting Democratic members of New York's state legislature than Mamdani.

The intrigue: A New York progressive operative said Ocasio-Cortez endorses only in races that are "close to a sure thing — she's not going to take a lot of risks."

That operative praised Mamdani — who's seen as closer than AOC to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) — for throwing his weight behind Chevalier. "It shows the stomach he has and the commitment he has to the movement. He's not worried about ruffling feathers and taking risks."
Jesse Lehrich, a Democratic strategist who writes a newsletter about 2028 candidates, shot back, "Only AOC could strategically leverage her influence to secure improbable progressive victories from NYC to Montana, and get yelled at by the left for being a sellout."

A person familiar with AOC's endorsement process told Axios she looks for candidates who can win as well as those for whom her support could make a difference. She often quizzes contenders on their field organizing, path to victory, and ties to the community.

"It's ideologically driven in some part, but it's also really driven by candidates who can get it done," the source said.
AOC liked that Philadelphia congressional candidate and state Rep. Chris Rabb was casually known around town as "Rep. Rabb" — a sign of his local roots. She headlined a rally for the left-wing contender, who has clashed with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, in a three-way competitive primary.

Between the lines: AOC's fans and critics alike agree on one thing: Her endorsement matters.

Anti-establishment progressive Saikat Chakrabarti recently lost his bid for Congress in San Francisco. He campaigned on the fact that he was AOC's first chief of staff in Congress — but she didn't endorse him.
"That was probably the major factor" in his loss, he said. "My opponent spent about $1 million turning [AOC's] non-endorsement into an attack on my trustworthiness."
But Chakrabarti said he didn't blame Ocasio-Cortez, and said if he were to rerun the race, he likely wouldn't focus on that part of his biography.

Rabb, who carried his primary by double digits, said, "I don't think I won because of AOC, but AOC got me a lot of traction, got me a lot of new supporters, got me new attention on the race because she helped nationalize the race by getting involved."

New York City's DSA co-chair Gustavo Gordillo added: "She definitely moves votes at the doors when you're talking in New York City to ordinary, working-class people."

U.S.-Iran deal to end war "now in place": Pakistani PM - Axios

2026-06-14T21:27:36.000Z

The U.S. and Iran declared an end to hostilities on Sunday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced, with an official signing ceremony expected on Friday and more detailed nuclear negotiations to follow.

Trump confirmed the news and said he was now lifting the U.S. blockade, with Iran expected to open the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has yet to confirm it considers the deal to be in effect.

Why it matters: The deal is expected to extend the ceasefire by 60 days, reopen the strait and launch nuclear talks after 107 days of war.

The memorandum of understanding would mark the biggest diplomatic breakthrough of the war and buy time to settle the hardest questions over Iran's nuclear program.
The agreement was expected to be signed electronically on Sunday after mediation by Pakistan and Qatar. Sharif said the formal ceremony would be Friday in Switzerland.

The big picture: If it holds, the deal could ease the global energy shock the war set off. The agreement is designed to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war handled about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas. But it leaves key nuclear issues to be negotiated over the next two months.

Reopening the whole strait may not be immediate in practice. Mine-clearing, repairing infrastructure and guaranteeing security could take time before a full return to pre-war shipping volumes.

Breaking it down: The agreement calls for the U.S. and Iran to negotiate over Iran's nuclear enrichment and the disposal of its highly enriched uranium during the 60-day window.

The U.S. will commit to discuss sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds, with relief expected to be tied to Iran's compliance.
The ceasefire includes fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which flared up again on Sunday.

State of play: The apparent agreement comes after a volatile final stretch. Israel struck Hezbollah targets in Beirut hours before the expected signing, prompting Iranian threats to walk away from the deal.

What they're saying: "The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

That came minutes after Sharif posted on X that "the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED. Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon."

What's next: Sharif said Pakistan and the other mediators would "facilitate a series of meetings this week," to be followed by technical talks.

The sides have given themselves 60 days to reach a technical agreement on how to downblend Iran's highly enriched uranium and both freeze and monitor Iran's nuclear program going forward.
That's a tall order given how difficult it was to reach the much less detailed memorandum of understanding.
The U.S. side insists Iran is incentivized to reach a final agreement because sanctions relief and access to frozen funds depend on progress on the nuclear front. Some hawks in the U.S. and Israel worry there will never be a final deal and the war will end with the nuclear questions unresolved.

Trump won't back FISA renewal without his SAVE America Act voting bill - Axios

2026-06-14T20:01:04.000Z

President Trump is demanding Congress attach his sweeping voting overhaul to legislation renewing a key U.S. surveillance authority.

Why it matters: Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is among the government's most contested surveillance authorities, long opposed by privacy advocates and supported by security hawks. Its fate now hinges on Trump's unrelated demands for a voting bill.

Driving the news: In a Truth Social posts Sunday, Trump tied renewal of Section 702 to the SAVE America Act, his stalled bill requiring proof of citizenship to register and photo ID to cast a ballot.

"I'm against FISA if it doesn't come with The Save America Act (Full version!) firmly attached to it," Trump wrote in one post.
He also defended his controversial pick of Bill Pulte, a MAGA enforcer and housing regulator with no national security experience, as acting director of national intelligence.

Between the lines: Trump had appeared to defuse the fight by naming Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton as his permanent nominee. But on Sunday, he slammed Republicans for "moving too fast on nominations!!!" to replace Pulte.

Clayton has a confirmation hearing set for Wednesday.

Catch up quick: Section 702 lapsed Friday for the first time since the program began in 2008. The House failed to extend it following a 198–218 vote, with 19 Republicans joining Democrats to block the law.

The law allows the government to surveil foreigners abroad, and, in the process, sweep up and search Americans' communications when they're in contact with those targets.
Conservatives, led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Chip Roy and Sen. Mike Lee, have pushed unsuccessfully to require warrants for searches involving Americans.

The big picture: The FISA fight is now another front in Trump's yearlong push for stricter voting laws, a campaign that has increasingly targeted his own party's senators. He has pressured Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to scrap the filibuster and pass the bill on a party-line vote, even as Thune has said the votes "aren't there."

The SAVE America Act drew 50 votes earlier this month but couldn't clear the 60-vote threshold.
Supporters say the law ensures only citizens cast ballots and bolsters confidence in elections.
Critics warn the new rules would block millions of eligible Americans from voting.

Reality check: Audits and studies by election officials and researchers have found noncitizen voting, which is already illegal and carries severe penalties, is rare.

What they're saying: Thune and other Republican senators have refused to vouch for Pulte, who has used his housing post to send criminal referrals against Trump's perceived enemies.

"We don't need a weaponized DNI," Thune told reporters.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle worried what Pulte could do with FISA's expansive warrantless spy powers.

Screenshot / Truth Social

Scoop: Anthropic flies staff to D.C. to clean up White House fight - Axios

2026-06-14T18:16:51.000Z

Senior technical Anthropic staff are in Washington to meet with White House officials to try to fix a dispute that has taken the company's top models offline, a source close to the company tells Axios.

Why it matters: Anthropic is mobilizing quickly to make amends with the Trump administration, after safety concerns resulted in sweeping export controls on its most powerful models, Mythos and Fable.

Driving the news: Administration officials claim Anthropic has not engaged in a serious manner.

But Anthropic technical staff have held virtual meetings with White House officials since the administration's initial outreach on Friday, according to the source.
Sources from both sides say they are eager to resolve the issue.

This is a developing story.

Ranked: The Countries With the Most Uranium - Visual Capitalist

2026-06-14T17:02:13.000Z

Use This Visualization

Ranked: The Countries With the Most Uranium

See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

Australia holds 28% of the world’s identified uranium resources, more than double Kazakhstan’s total.
Australia, Kazakhstan, and Canada account for 52% of global uranium resources.
Identified uranium resources have increased by more than 25% over the last decade as exploration activity expanded worldwide.

Uranium resources are heavily concentrated in a handful of countries, with Australia alone holding more than a quarter of the world’s known supply.

This graphic ranks countries by identified recoverable uranium resources in 2023. The figures include resources that can be recovered at costs of up to $130 per kilogram of uranium.

The data for this visualization comes from the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and International Atomic Energy Agency.

Australia Leads by a Wide Margin

Global identified uranium resources totaled 5.9 million tonnes in 2023. More than half of that supply is concentrated in just three countries: Australia, Kazakhstan, and Canada.

Australia has the world’s largest uranium resource base, with 1.7 million tonnes of contained uranium metal.

That equals 28% of the global total, making Australia the clear leader. Its resources are more than double those of Kazakhstan, the second-largest holder.

Country	Metric tons of identified recoverable uranium (2023)	Percentage of world
Australia	1,671,200	28%
Kazakhstan	813,900	14%
Canada	582,000	10%
Namibia	497,900	8%
Russia	476,600	8%
Niger	336,000	6%
South Africa	320,900	5%
China	270,500	5%
Brazil	167,800	3%
Mongolia	144,600	2%
Ukraine	106,700	2%
Botswana	87,200	1%
United States	67,800	1%
Tanzania	57,700	1%
Uzbekistan	45,000	1%
Argentina	34,300	1%
Peru	33,400	1%
Spain	28,500	1%
Türkiye	27,100	1%
Zambia	23,000	0%
Mauritania	18,200	0%
Other	115,400	2%
World total	5,925,700	100%

Having large uranium resources does not necessarily mean producing the most uranium. Resource estimates measure what is known to exist and can potentially be recovered economically, while production depends on mine development, investment, permitting, and government policy.

Despite this large resource base, Australia’s uranium mining industry is smaller than its reserves might suggest, partly due to policy restrictions and project development timelines.

Kazakhstan and Canada Round Out the Top Three

Kazakhstan holds 813,900 tonnes of uranium resources, or 14% of the global total.

Canada follows with 582,000 tonnes, equal to 10% of the world’s resources. Together with Australia, these three countries account for 52% of identified global uranium resources.

Both Kazakhstan and Canada are also major uranium producers, making them central to the global nuclear fuel supply chain.

A Broad Global Resource Base

Beyond the top three, uranium resources are spread across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Namibia and Niger are notable African holders, while Russia, China, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan represent major Eurasian resource bases. Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and the U.S. add to the resource picture in the Americas.

As countries look to expand low-carbon electricity generation, uranium supply has become increasingly important to energy security planning. Continued exploration has helped increase identified global uranium resources by more than 25% over the last decade, expanding the potential fuel base for future nuclear power growth.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Ranked: The World’s Biggest Electricity Consumers on Voronoi.

Trump to Axios: Netanyahu has "no fucking judgment" but Iran deal still on - Axios

2026-06-14T16:36:50.000Z

President Trump tells Axios the U.S.–Iran deal to end the war is still on track for Sunday despite Israel's strike in Beirut and the Iranian threat to retaliate.

Why it matters: The president is racing to save a deal that nearly collapsed the moment Israel struck Beirut, leaning on private diplomacy and public messaging to get it signed. Iranian officials haven't confirmed a deal is expected to be signed today.

"It shook it up. It delayed the signing by a few hours. It was supposed to be now. Now it is scheduled for a few hours from now," Trump said in a phone call.
The escalation in Lebanon took place hours before the U.S. and Iran were supposed to sign a deal to end their war.
Ebrahim Azizi, chair of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, wrote on X: "A strong response is coming"

State of play: Trump said he was shocked when his advisers called to brief him about the Israeli strike in Beirut, and he fumed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"It is so bad — I couldn't believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal."
Trump acknowledged Hezbollah attacked Israel first but stressed it didn't cause any damage and nobody had been killed.
"Why did Bibi have to do a fucking attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that," Trump said.

The big picture: Trump claimed the deal with Iran will be good for Israel because it will prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, require the disposal of the nuclear material and allow snap inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Did a medieval flying monk spot Halley's comet, twice? It's complicated - Science – Ars Technica

2026-06-14T16:02:53.000Z

Early in the 11th century, a young Benedictine monk named Eilmer jumped from the 150-foot tower of his abbey in the small English town of Malmesbury, wearing a pair of crude wings he’d fashioned from willow wood and cloth. Eilmer managed to glide a good 600 feet, passing over the city wall before crash-landing in a small valley near the river Avon. The fall broke both his legs, crippling him. Malmesbury Abbey still boasts a stained-glass window in honor of Brother Eilmer.

This legendary experiment in medieval aviation comes to us via 12th-century historian William of Malmesbury in an account written circa 1125, although William neglected to provide future historians with an exact date for the feat. But William does mention another key episode in Eilmer's life when the monk was "advanced in years": Eilmer witnessed Halley's comet in 1066, commenting, "It is long since I saw you." Some historians have interpreted this to mean that Eilmer saw Halley's comet on an earlier fly-by in 989, when he would have been a young boy.

Assuming Eilmer was at least five years would in 989, he would have been born no later than 984. This would make Eilmer in his 80s in 1066, with his attempt at flight—which occurred when he was "in his first youth"—likely falling between 1000 and 1010. However, it's an estimate that is based on a lot of assumption, according to James Aitcheson of the University of Leicester, who argues in a paper published in the journal Notes and Queries that Eilmer may have seen a different comet altogether in his youth—the comet of 1018. If so, he would have been born much later and the date of his flight would have occurred between the 1020s and 1040s.

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Ranked: Refugees Hosted Per Capita by Country - Visual Capitalist

2026-06-14T14:37:08.000Z

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Ranked: Refugees Hosted Per Capita by Country

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Key Takeaways

Lebanon hosts the world’s highest concentration of refugees, with 131 refugees per 1,000 residents.
Most countries at the top of the ranking border major conflict zones, highlighting how geography shapes refugee flows.
The U.S. ranks 82nd globally on a per-capita basis despite being among the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries in absolute terms.

The countries carrying the world’s largest refugee burden are often not the ones most people expect.

Using data from the UNHCR via Our World in Data, this graphic ranks countries by the number of refugees hosted per 1,000 residents in 2024.

The results reveal how proximity to conflict frequently matters more than economic size. Many of the countries at the top of the ranking border active war zones and have absorbed large refugee populations relative to their own populations.

Which Countries Carry the Largest Refugee Burden?

Roughly two-thirds of the world’s refugees remain in neighboring countries, helping explain why several relatively small nations rank ahead of much larger economies.

Rather than being distributed across the world’s wealthiest countries, refugee populations are often concentrated in states that share borders with major conflicts. The ranking below shows which countries carry the largest refugee burden relative to their population.

Rank	Country	Refugees Per 1,000 People 2024	Region
1	Lebanon	130.7	Middle East
2	Chad	63.0	Africa
3	Jordan	55.7	Middle East
4	Armenia	48.5	Asia
5	Moldova	44.8	Europe
6	South Sudan	43.1	Africa
7	Iran	38.1	Middle East
8	Czechia	36.4	Europe
9	Uganda	35.2	Africa
10	Cyprus	33.7	Europe
11	Türkiye	33.6	Europe
12	Germany	32.5	Europe
13	Austria	31.2	Europe
14	Estonia	31.1	Europe
15	Mauritania	30.0	Africa
16	Montenegro	29.2	Europe
17	Libya	27.1	Africa
18	Latvia	26.3	Europe
19	Slovakia	26.2	Europe
20	Poland	26.2	Europe
21	Ireland	23.7	Europe
22	Norway	22.2	Europe
23	Switzerland	22.0	Europe
24	Liechtenstein	21.1	Europe
25	Djibouti	20.5	Africa
26	Iceland	20.0	Europe
27	Lithuania	18.7	Europe
28	Finland	16.6	Europe
29	Denmark	16.4	Europe
30	Bulgaria	16.1	Europe
82	United States	1.3	North America

Why Does Lebanon Rank So High?

Lebanon tops the ranking by a wide margin, hosting 130.7 refugees per 1,000 residents. Put differently, about one out of every eight people living in the country is a refugee, the highest ratio in the world.

Its position reflects the country’s proximity to Syria, which has produced one of the world’s largest refugee crises since civil war broke out in 2011. Over the past decade, millions of Syrians have sought refuge in neighboring countries, with Lebanon absorbing one of the largest shares relative to its population.

The country has also faced mounting economic and political challenges of its own. More recently, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah displaced more than one million people within Lebanon, adding further strain to public services and infrastructure.

Taken together, these pressures help explain why Lebanon remains one of the countries most affected by displacement anywhere in the world.

Geography Matters More Than Wealth

Many of the countries hosting the largest refugee populations are located near active conflicts or regions experiencing prolonged instability.

Jordan and Lebanon border Syria. Moldova shares a border with Ukraine. Chad hosts refugees from neighboring Sudan, while Uganda has long received people fleeing violence in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The pattern helps explain why many smaller countries appear near the top of the ranking despite having far fewer economic resources than larger developed nations.

For refugees, crossing a nearby border is often the fastest and safest option. As a result, neighboring countries frequently absorb the largest influxes long before refugees are resettled elsewhere.

Why the U.S. Ranks 82nd

At first glance, America’s ranking may seem surprisingly low.

The United States hosts hundreds of thousands of refugees and remains the world’s 18th-largest refugee destination in absolute terms. However, its population of more than 340 million significantly changes the picture.

When refugee numbers are adjusted for population size, the U.S. hosts roughly 1.3 refugees per 1,000 residents, placing it 82nd globally.

The gap highlights why per-capita measures can reveal a different reality than headline totals. While large countries often host more refugees overall, smaller nations can experience a much greater impact relative to their population size.

Refugee Pressures Are Reaching Record Levels

The number of forcibly displaced people worldwide has surpassed 120 million, nearly double the level seen a decade ago. Conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, and other regions continue to drive displacement across borders.

For host countries, the impact extends beyond humanitarian assistance. Large refugee populations can increase demand for housing, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and public services, particularly in smaller countries with limited resources.

The ranking highlights a reality often overlooked in global migration debates: the countries carrying the largest refugee burden are frequently those located closest to conflict, not necessarily those with the largest economies.

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To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s largest migration corridors.

Iran warns Israel's Beirut strike could derail U.S. deal - Axios

2026-06-14T13:53:45.000Z

A drone strike on northern Israel set off a chain reaction Sunday: Israel hit Hezbollah targets in Beirut in retaliation, and Iran is now threatening to strike back.

Why it matters: The escalation lands hours before the the U.S. and Iran are supposed to sign a deal to end their war, and now Iranian officials have signaled Israel's attack could scuttle the agreement.

A similar strike last week led to Iran launching missiles at Israel and a day of escalation between the two countries.

Driving the news: On Sunday morning, Hezbollah launched several drones at northern Israel.

Hours later, Israel struck a Hezbollah command center in Beirut, the IDF said.
Israel's strikes killed at least one person and wounded four. Israeli officials said the target was Hezbollah's military telecommunications chief.

Behind the scenes: The Israeli military notified the U.S. Central Command shortly before the Beirut strike, Israeli and U.S. officials say.

It is not clear whether the White House gave it a green light.

What they are saying: Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signaled the Israeli strike on Beirut could undermine the U.S.–Iran deal.

"The Zionist aggression on Dahieh has once again shown that America either does not have the will or the ability to fulfill its obligations. You cannot gain concessions by giving the regime [Israel] a green light. The good cop, bad cop routine has become old. If you do not have the will or the ability to fulfill your commitments, then there is no basis for talking about continuing down this path," said Ghalibaf who is also Iran's speaker of parliament.

What to watch: The deputy commander of the Iranian armed forces' emergency headquarters Gen. Mohammed Jafar Asadi said the Israeli attack on Beirut "will not go unanswered".

The IDF chief of staff told northern commanders Israel is prepared for developments on other fronts.

Scoop: Trump aides fear Haberman and Swan obtained Situation Room tapes for "Regime Change" - Axios

2026-06-14T13:04:13.000Z

Top White House officials believe New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan obtained audio recordings of Situation Room meetings for their forthcoming book, "Regime Change."

Why it matters: Such a taped leak would be a shocking breach of one of the most secure settings on Earth. Independent recording devices in the Situation Room are forbidden.

"We're afraid some of our most sensitive conversations were being recorded," an administration source told us. "And we have no idea which ones."

Verbatim accounts of several Situation Room meetings were included in excerpts about the Iran war and the Epstein files that The Times posted ahead of the book's June 23 publication. The authors conducted more than 1,000 interviews for "Regime Change," which covers Trump's second term.

Tellingly, White House officials haven't disputed verbatim dialogue from the top-secret Sit Room talks, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying about Bibi's regime-change scenarios for Iran: "In other words, it's bullshit."

We hear President Trump is furious about the blow-by-blow accounts.

Haberman and Swan refused to comment.

More on the book.

📈 If you're a CEO or on a CEO's team: Ask to join Jim's new weekly Axios C-Suite newsletter, where this scoop first appeared.

Ranked: The Countries With the Most High-Speed Rail - Visual Capitalist

2026-06-14T12:02:52.000Z

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Ranked: The Countries With the Most High-Speed Rail

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Key Takeaways

China operates 40,493 km of high-speed rail, more than the rest of the world combined.
Spain leads Europe with 3,993 km, ahead of Japan and France.
Morocco is Africa’s only country with a high-speed rail network, while the U.S. has just 735 km in operation.

Over the last two decades, high-speed rail has evolved from a niche transportation technology into a centerpiece of national infrastructure strategy.

Countries have pursued these networks for different reasons, from reducing domestic flight demand to improving connections between major economic hubs. The result is a striking global divide between nations that have invested heavily in high-speed rail and those that have largely stayed on the sidelines.

This graphic ranks countries by installed high-speed rail length using 2024 data from the International Union of Railways (UIC). High-speed rail generally refers to passenger lines capable of operating at speeds of at least 200 km/h (124 mph), including Japan’s famous Shinkansen bullet trains.

China: The Giant of High-Speed Rail

China has built 40,493 km of high-speed rail, giving it a network larger than all other countries combined. The scale of this lead is striking: Spain, the world’s second-ranked country, operates less than one-tenth as much high-speed rail.

China’s rail expansion has been one of the largest infrastructure buildouts in modern history. Since the late 2000s, the country has rapidly connected major cities through a national network designed to reduce travel times and support economic growth. The network links major metropolitan areas including Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Wuhan.

This data table ranks countries based on their total high-speed rail length in operation as of 2024.

Rank	Country	Length in km
1	China	40,493
2	Spain	3993
3	Japan	3146
4	France	2735
5	Germany	1631
6	Turkiye	1232
7	Finland	1120
8	Italy	921
9	Sweden	895
10	South Korea	873
11	USA	735
12	Saudi Arabia	449
13	Austria	254
14	Poland	224
15	Belgium	209
16	Morocco	186
17	Switzerland	176
18	UK	113
19	Netherlands	90
20	Serbia	78
21	Denmark	56

China’s high-speed rail network extends to all Chinese provinces as well as Hong Kong, although Macau remains disconnected as of 2026.

The Beijing-Tianjin route, which began operations in 2008, was China’s first high-speed passenger rail line.

Europe’s High-Speed Rail Champion

In Europe, no country has rolled out high-speed rail more extensively than Spain, which counted 3,993 km of network length as of 2024.

The Barcelona-Madrid high-speed line, which was also introduced in 2008, has helped reduce carbon emissions as travelers have opted for rail instead of short-haul flights between the nation’s two largest cities.

Unlike China’s coast-oriented system, Spain’s high-speed rail network is concentrated around Madrid, which is located in the center of the country. This creates a drawback for travelers hoping to bypass the capital, such as those traveling between Barcelona and Valencia or Alicante and Málaga.

The Lack of High-Speed Rail in the Americas

High-speed rail remains rare outside Eurasia. Of the world’s 10 largest high-speed rail networks, eight are located in Europe or Asia, highlighting how concentrated this infrastructure remains despite decades of discussion in other regions.

In Africa, the challenge has largely been one of resources. Morocco (186 km) is the only country with any high-speed rail in operation as of 2024, while other countries have prioritized more essential infrastructure projects.

In the Americas, meanwhile, high-speed rail has lagged due to transportation systems that prioritize highways and automobile travel over intercity rail. The U.S. has only 735 km of high-speed rail in operation, as long-awaited projects in California have yet to come to fruition.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The State of High-Speed Rail Projects in the U.S. on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Cruz breaks with Trump on key endorsements as 2028 looms - Axios

2026-06-13T20:44:02.000Z

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is staking out his independence from President Trump ahead of a possible 2028 run for the White House, backing rivals to Trump-endorsed candidates in two high-profile Republican primaries.

Why it matters: Cruz is testing whether there's room in the Republican Party for a 2028 contender willing to break with a president who's maintained an iron grip on the party for the last decade.

State of play: Cruz this week announced he was backing Rick Jackson for Georgia governor and Alan Wilson in South Carolina's race for governor.

Jackson, a wealthy health care executive, faces Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in Georgia's June 16 runoff.
Wilson, South Carolina's attorney general, is up against running Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in a runoff taking place on June 23.
Cruz appears to be the only potential 2028 GOP contender to publicly side against Trump in either race, underscoring how reluctant other ambitious Republicans are to cross the president.

Yes, but: Cruz' endorsements carry political risk. If Jones and Evette win, Cruz could face Trump's wrath — likely complicating his 2028 prospects.

Zoom in: As he lays the groundwork for a 2028 bid for president, Cruz has identified a few key policy areas where he's willing to break with Trump's White House.

The senator privately told donors last year that Trump's tariffs would damage the economy and potentially cost Republicans control of Congress, Axios first reported in January.
In talks with donors Cruz also has trashed Vice President Vance — another potential 2028 presidential candidate who could run with Trump's support. Cruz has accused Vance of wrongly advancing an anti-interventionist foreign policy.

Flashback: Cruz was Trump's final major rival in the 2016 Republican primary and has spent the years since navigating the tension between his own presidential ambitions and loyalty to Trump.

Behind the scenes: The Texas Republican has been taking steps to prepare for a 2028 run.

He's been giving high-profile speeches and is hosting a podcast and syndicated radio show, which has given him entree to small donors who could be helpful in a future campaign.
He also has repeatedly savaged podcaster and Vance ally Tucker Carlson, whom he has accused of promoting antisemitism and an anti-Israel foreign policy.
By endorsing Wilson in South Carolina, Cruz is building a relationship with a potentially influential ally in a traditional early primary state.

Between the lines: By breaking with Trump in key primaries, Cruz is challenging a central pillar of the president's political brand: His reputation as the GOP's kingmaker.

Trump has long viewed primary endorsements as a measure of his influence inside the Republican Party.
So far this cycle, Trump-backed candidates have won every federal or statewide primary except one: Rep. Randy Feenstra, who lost the GOP primary for Iowa governor.

What they're saying: "Ted Cruz attempting to undermine the president in primaries is a curious way to try to help his 2028 bid," a source close to the White House told Axios.

A Cruz representative did not respond to a request for comment.

How Amazon and the White House ended Anthropic's Fable - Axios

2026-06-13T20:02:48.000Z

Anthropic's much-anticipated, powerful Fable 5 AI model lasted just days in the public's hands, after an urgent report from Amazon triggered a scramble inside the White House that ended in a dramatic Friday night takedown.

Why it matters: The episode highlights the administration and industry's reactionary approach to a technology that is moving at breakneck speed.

It also raises questions about why Amazon would strike such a disruptive blow against a company in which it is a major investor.

Behind the scenes: Amazon called administration officials Thursday night to share a report showing how they were able to jailbreak and access portions of Anthropic's powerful new Mythos model that pose a national security threat, sources familiar told Axios.

Anthropic had previously notified the government multiple times about the planned June 9 release of Fable — which is a general-use version of Mythos —and the government did not object, a source close to the company said.
But calls from Amazon — as well as at least five other companies to a variety of senior administration officials Thursday evening and Friday morning — led to the model being shut down by Friday night.

For the record: "As a leading cloud provider that serves a large number of private and public sector customers, it's not uncommon for governments to seek our counsel on potential security risks. When they occur, we don't share the details of these discussions," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.

Administration officials spoke with Anthropic for hours early Friday, trying to get the company to pull the latest model; those efforts were unsuccessful, an official said.

On Friday around 5:20 p.m. ET, the White House sent Anthropic a letter, first reported by Axios, informing the company the Fable and Mythos models would be subject to sweeping export control rules. By about 10 p.m., users lost access to Fable.
Under the controls, not only would Anthropic's most advanced models be inaccessible to foreign adversaries — something Anthropic was already preventing on its own — but any U.S. ally or foreign national in the U.S.

The implications were immediately felt within the company, where many foreign-born workers need access to Anthropic's models.

The Anthropic source says that CEO Dario Amodei and other Anthropic officials spoke with the administration after the company was told the government would impose the export rules.
During the conversations, Anthropic officials laid out how the alleged Amazon jailbreak was relatively simple, could be achieved with other models, and did not demonstrate a flaw in Fable 5's safety systems.

Between the lines: The government's response "seems way out of line with what's actually in the research report," Luta Security CEO Katie Moussouris, who Anthropic shared the Amazon report with, told Axios.

Moussouris said the researchers were able to find security vulnerabilities by asking questions normal defenders would ask AI, which is exactly what the model was intended to do.
"All AI models need to be able to help defenders in exactly this way, or we won't be able to scale our defense against attackers," Moussouris said.

The big picture: The export control letter targets just one company but could have broader implications across industry.

"This is a de-facto licensing regime," one person familiar told Axios. "Companies will not screw with the White House. That is the ultimate effect."
An administration official told Axios they do not view other models as national security threats because they do not surpass the bar that Mythos set.
Anything at Mythos level or above would need to go through the administration to ensure the government's national security apparatus is hardened enough, the official added.

The bottom line: The source familiar with the government's thinking said there was a "lack of seriousness" that Anthropic was applying to the release of Fable.

"Had Anthropic taken it seriously and, rather than dismissing as isolated, moved to fix or pause access, this would have never happened," the source said, adding "they were overly confident."

U.S., Iran expected to "electronically" sign agreement to end war Sunday - Axios

2026-06-13T16:58:50.000Z

The U.S. and Iran, together with Pakistani and Qatari mediators, are expected to hold a virtual meeting on Sunday and electronically sign a memorandum of understanding that will extend the ceasefire by 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.

Why it matters: The pending remote signing is a result of almost three months of negotiations between the U.S. and the Iranian regime, mediated by Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. .

The MOU is expected to end the war in the region and potentially stabilize global energy markets.

What they are saying: "We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalization likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical level talks next week," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X on Saturday.

Shortly after, the Pakistani foreign ministry confirmed that the virtual signing ceremony has been scheduled for Sunday.

Zoom in: "The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL. Our relationship with Iran is a much different and better one than previous Administrations have had," President Trump posted on Truth Social.

"At the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust, buried deep under the powerful sunken granite mountains, thanks to our beautiful B-2 Bombers and their brilliant pilots, and downblend and destroy it, whether in Iran, or the United States."
Trump threatened that if the agreement is not implemented "quickly, easily, and smoothly" he could use military force again.

Behind the scenes: U.S. officials and sources in the mediating countries confirmed that the signing will take place virtually, and claimed it is mainly for logistical reasons.

One of the main reasons is that Vice President J.D. Vance, who is leading the U.S. negotiations team, wouldn't have been able to go back to the U.S. before President Trump leaves for the G7 summit in France on Monday morning, the sources said.

What to watch: On Tuesday President Trump will hold a meeting in France with G7 leaders, together with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, U.S. officials said in a briefing with reporters.

A U.S. official said the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Salman has been invited too, but couldn't join for schedule reasons. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also not expect to attend, the U.S. official said.
Trump will also hold separate bilateral meeting with the three Arab leaders on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
The U.S. official said the meeting is expected to focus on the deal with Iran and opportunities in the region after the end of the war.
Another issue that is expected to be discussed is the Strait of Hormuz, and the international coalition that the UK and France have been working on to clear the strait of mines, the U.S. official said.

America's race categories face a stress test - Axios

2026-06-13T16:57:05.000Z

The next great civil rights battle may be whether America's old racial categories can keep up with its future.

Why it matters: The U.S. is heading toward a more Latino, Asian, Black immigrant and multiracial future — and the rules for counting race will help decide who gets political power, civil rights protections and public resources.

Zoom in: Two massive generational shifts will redefine the nation...

Multiracial dominance: Multiracial Americans are on track to likely dominate the population over the next two centuries.
Trade with Latin America could blur lines of migration and citizenship.

State of play: For decades, federal racial categories have been the foundation for enforcing anti-discrimination laws, drawing political districts and measuring inequality.

If identity becomes completely fluid, or if old boxes break down, the very legal tools used to protect marginalized communities could weaken.

The bottom line: The question isn't whether America will diversify, but whether a civil rights enforcement system built on 20th-century boxes can govern a 22nd-century nation.

This story is part of an Axios Deep Dive on the policy debates shaping America's future. Read more in the series:

America's killer app: The dollar as the world's currency

AI oversight gap could leave a lasting legacy

The power decisions that could shape the next century

The fight over America's vaccine future

ABC's FCC battle could redefine press freedom

ABC's FCC fight could redefine press freedom - Axios

2026-06-13T16:57:04.000Z

The outcome of ABC's legal battle with the Federal Communications Commission could set a landmark precedent around press freedom and the role businesses play in supporting American democracy.

Why it matters: The FCC's efforts to target broadcasters deemed critical of the president speak to a broader trend of regulatory agencies losing or conceding power to the executive branch during the Trump era.

FCC chair Brendan Carr has suggested his agency isn't independent and that commissioners who are supposed to independently regulate broadcasters are ultimately governed by the president.

State of play: Carr is targeting late-night and daytime talk shows, like ABC's "The View," arguing they shouldn't be exempt from rules that require "bona fide news interview programs" to allot equal air time for competing political candidates.

In a notable departure from its previous effort to acquiesce to political pressure from the president, ABC has lambasted Carr, arguing his actions threaten to "upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech."

Zoom out: The FCC has simultaneously ordered an accelerated review of ABC's local station broadcast licenses as it investigates whether those stations violated rules that are meant to prevent "unlawful discrimination" related to ABC's diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

ABC called the order "unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional" when submitting the applications the following month.
The FCC has launched investigations into multiple broadcasters for their DEI practices, including NBC and CBS.

This story is part of an Axios Deep Dive on the policy debates shaping America's future. Read more in the series:

America's killer app: The dollar as the world's currency

AI oversight gap could leave a lasting legacy

The power decisions that could shape the next century

The fight over America's vaccine future

America's race categories face a stress test