President Trump touted the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism and global unity on U.S. soil. - But the feel-good vibes surrounding the world's biggest sporting event have been dampened by stories of immigration crackdowns and visa restrictions in the run-up to the tournament. Why it matters: The World Cup is an early test of whether Trump can successfully host a global spectacle while pressing his America First agenda, with the 2028 Olympics looming just two years later. Zoom out: Visa barriers and broader international concerns are suppressing international demand for World Cup travel, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). - Across host markets,…
President Trump touted the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism and global unity on U.S. soil. - But the feel-good vibes surrounding the world's biggest sporting event have been dampened by stories of immigration crackdowns and visa restrictions in the run-up to the tournament. Why it matters: The World Cup is an early test of whether Trump can successfully host a global spectacle while pressing his America First agenda, with the 2028 Olympics looming just two years later. Zoom out: Visa barriers and broader international concerns are suppressing international demand for World Cup travel, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). - Across host markets,…Open
U.S. launches a second-round of strikes against Iran, inflation jumps to its highest level in more than three years, 2026 World Cup kicks off in Mexico.
U.S. launches a second-round of strikes against Iran, inflation jumps to its highest level in more than three years, 2026 World Cup kicks off in Mexico.Open
One of America's most powerful spy authorities is nearing an unprecedented lapse, threatening to plunge intelligence agencies and telecommunications companies into legal uncertainty if allowed to go dark on Friday. Why it matters: Members in both parties are warning that an expiration of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act could jeopardize U.S. national security. - Section 702 feeds more than half of the president's daily briefing and has been credited with helping thwart terror plots and other national-security threats. - It allows the attorney general and director of national intelligence to compel electronic service providers to provide communications involving foreign intelligence targets overseas. The intrigue:…
One of America's most powerful spy authorities is nearing an unprecedented lapse, threatening to plunge intelligence agencies and telecommunications companies into legal uncertainty if allowed to go dark on Friday. Why it matters: Members in both parties are warning that an expiration of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act could jeopardize U.S. national security. - Section 702 feeds more than half of the president's daily briefing and has been credited with helping thwart terror plots and other national-security threats. - It allows the attorney general and director of national intelligence to compel electronic service providers to provide communications involving foreign intelligence targets overseas. The intrigue:…Open
Tulsi Gabbard , the outgoing director of national intelligence, got an unexpected call Tuesday from her controversial successor, Bill Pulte : "Today is your last day," he said. - Gabbard was surprised. She had announced she was leaving at month's end, not Tuesday. - "I need to hear it from the president or the White House," Gabbard told Pulte, two officials briefed on the discussion told Axios. Why it matters: The call, unreported until now, was the latest flashpoint in the intelligence wars that erupted last week in D.C. after President Trump picked Pulte as Gabbard's temporary replacement. - After the conversation with Pulte, Gabbard got ahold of Trump, who didn't request her immediate resignation. "What day works best for you?" the…
Tulsi Gabbard , the outgoing director of national intelligence, got an unexpected call Tuesday from her controversial successor, Bill Pulte : "Today is your last day," he said. - Gabbard was surprised. She had announced she was leaving at month's end, not Tuesday. - "I need to hear it from the president or the White House," Gabbard told Pulte, two officials briefed on the discussion told Axios. Why it matters: The call, unreported until now, was the latest flashpoint in the intelligence wars that erupted last week in D.C. after President Trump picked Pulte as Gabbard's temporary replacement. - After the conversation with Pulte, Gabbard got ahold of Trump, who didn't request her immediate resignation. "What day works best for you?" the…Open
Elon Musk is on the verge of financial immortality: The world's richest man — and potentially its first trillionaire — has built a sovereign corporate kingdom that is too systemic to fail. - And yet, on the eve of SpaceX's monster IPO , its CEO was hunkered down in his digital fiefdom stoking far-right culture wars with an impunity unmatched in modern corporate history. Why it matters: Musk's years in the public eye, marked by serial controversy and an accelerating embrace of white identitarian politics , have inured investors to conduct that would be disqualifying for almost any other CEO. - Nothing Musk says or does can dent Wall Street's appetite for a stake in his future-forging empire. - Look no further than SpaceX's $1.75…
Elon Musk is on the verge of financial immortality: The world's richest man — and potentially its first trillionaire — has built a sovereign corporate kingdom that is too systemic to fail. - And yet, on the eve of SpaceX's monster IPO , its CEO was hunkered down in his digital fiefdom stoking far-right culture wars with an impunity unmatched in modern corporate history. Why it matters: Musk's years in the public eye, marked by serial controversy and an accelerating embrace of white identitarian politics , have inured investors to conduct that would be disqualifying for almost any other CEO. - Nothing Musk says or does can dent Wall Street's appetite for a stake in his future-forging empire. - Look no further than SpaceX's $1.75…Open
