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Axios

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Smart brevity news covering politics, business, technology, and more. Get essential news efficiently.

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Discussions from Axios

Geopolitics

What should Europe do to strengthen its role in global peace efforts?

DAVOS, Switzerland — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began his address at Davos on Thursday with a stinging rebuke for European leaders over their reluctance to use hard power to punish Russia or defend the continent. Why it matters: European countries often see themselves as keeping Ukraine afloat while President Trump pulls back. But Zelensky made clear he thinks the Europeans are too risk-averse and slow to react — and that the wake-up call Trump has given the continent was long overdue. "If Europe is not seen as a global force, if its actions do not scare bad actors, Europe will always be reacting, catching up to new, dangerous attacks," he said.Zelensky called on the European leaders to use frozen Russian assets and take bold steps like seizing Russian tankers, as Trump has done over Venezuela. Driving the news: Zelensky made news in the Q&A portion following his speech, announcing U.S., Ukrainian and Russian officials will hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Friday and Saturday. His remarks came shortly after an hourlong meeting with President Trump.Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are heading to Moscow for a meeting with Putin, who has signaled no desire for a truce any time soon. State of play: The U.S. is close to agreement with Ukraine on the terms of a peace plan. While Putin hasn't outright rejected it, his public comments have been unenthusiastic. Meanwhile, Russia has been pummeling Ukraine's energy infrastructure at a time of brutal winter conditions. What he's saying: Zelensky said "every European leader" is currently wondering whether the U.S. would help them in the event of a conflict. "Europe must learn how to defend itself. Sending 14 or 40 soldiers to Greenland, what is that meant to achieve? What message does that send to Putin? To China? And perhaps most importantly, what message does it send to Denmark?""Europe looks lost trying to convince the U.S. president to change. But he will not change. President Trump loves who

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Geopolitics

What are the possible benefits and challenges of peace talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.?

The Trilateral talks between U.S., Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi were "positive" and "constructive," Ukrainian officials told Axios. Why it matters: The talks were a new phase in the U.S. mediation efforts aimed at ending the war. President Trump's advisers want to try and narrow the gaps on the key sticking point — the territorial control in eastern Ukraine. Driving the news: The talks took place as Russia launched another massive missile and drone attack against Kyiv and other cities overnight. Ukrainian President Zelensky said 370 attack drones and 21 missiles of various types were fired by the Russian military. "We must ensure full implementation of everything agreed with President Trump in Davos regarding air defense," he stressed. State of play: The talks started on Friday and continued on Saturday with U.S. mediators holding a joint meeting with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators and with the Russians and Ukrainians meeting directly without the Americans in the room, Ukrainian officials said. The U.S. delegation included Trump advisers Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and the commander of the U.S. military European command, Alexus Grynkewich.The Ukrainian team included Zelensky's chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov, national security adviser Rustem Umerov, Ukrainian military chief of staff General Andrii Hnatov and Zelensky's advisers Sergiy Kyslytsya and Davyd Arakhamia. Zoom in: The Russian team was led by the head of Russian military intelligence Admiral Igor Kostyukov. The negotiation teams also held a meeting with the President of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, who hosted the talks. The UAE had mediated between Russia and Ukraine on the exchange of prisoners of war."The discussions on Friday and Saturday were conducted in a constructive and positive atmosphere and included direct engagement between Russian and Ukrainian representatives on outstanding elements of the U.S.-proposed peace framework, as well as conf

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Healthcare

What should our community do to address the rise in measles cases and protect public health?

Data: CDC; Chart: Axios Visuals This chart shows what it looks like to hit a 30-year high in measles cases — and why the U.S. is on track to lose its measles "elimination status." Why it matters: We've all heard that cases are on the rise, but the reality is that they're skyrocketing. It started with an outbreak in West Texas, and now infections are reported in nine states and hundreds are in quarantine due to a major surge in South Carolina.More than out of 10 cases were among unvaccinated people or those with unknown vaccination status, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What they're saying: On Tuesday, Ralph Abraham, a top CDC official, told reporters that the end of the measles elimination status in the U.S. would be "just the cost of doing business, with our borders being somewhat porous [and] global and international travel," Stat reported. Driving the news: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Trump administration officials have downplayed the health risks of the virus, and at times they've spread misleading claims about the MMR vaccine. They only said later that the MMR vaccine was the "most effective way" to prevent the transmission of the virus.South Carolina is one of two major outbreaks in the U.S., along with a region on the Utah-Arizona border. Both are outlying areas where vaccination rates were below the 95% threshold public health authorities say is necessary to contain the virus' spread. What we're watching: The risk of spillover increased with holiday travel. North Carolina and Ohio reported infected individuals who traveled to the outbreak epicenter. The Texas outbreak, which was declared over in August, involved at least 762 cases, mostly in children. There were two deaths, marking the first measles fatalities in a decade

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Economy

How can we improve capitalism to better meet the needs of people today?

DAVOS, Switzerland -- BlackRock CEO Larry Fink will open the World Economic Forum with a blunt acknowledgment that Davos — and the economic system it represents — is facing a crisis of legitimacy. Why it matters: As thousands of executives and global leaders descend on the Swiss Alps for a week of cocktails and canapés, WEF's interim co-chair will warn that the prosperity they celebrate has left too many people behind. Outside of the United Nations, this year's conference marks "the largest gathering of global leadership of the post-COVID era," Fink will say in his opening remarks Tuesday."But now for the harder question," he'll add. "Will anyone outside this room care?" The big picture: Fink, who inherits the mantle of "mayor of Davos" from WEF founder Klaus Schwab, is casting this year's forum as an elite gathering struggling for relevance in an age of populism and deep institutional distrust. "Many of the people most affected by what we talk about here will never come to this conference," Fink will acknowledge."Prosperity isn't just growth in the aggregate. It can't be measured by GDP or the market caps of the world's largest companies alone. It has to be judged by how many people can see it, touch it, and build a future on it." Between the lines: Fink believes the AI revolution — a theme of virtually every pavilion on the Davos promenade — will pose the ultimate test of whether capitalism can deliver prosperity beyond its traditional winners. "Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, more wealth has been created than in all prior human history combined," the world's most powerful asset manager will say. Most of it has accrued to the kinds of people who attend Davos."Now AI threatens to replay the same pattern," Fink will warn. "If AI does to white-collar work what globalization did to blue-collar, we need to confront that directly." What to watch: Fink's remarks set the stage for a week in which Davos' elite consensus will be tested by populist politics — including Pr

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Technology

How should we prepare for the changes that AI technology is bringing to our lives and communities?

OpenAI's ChatGPT previewed the future with its chatbot release in late 2022. Anthropic's latest Claude AI takes you there. Why it matters: Claude Opus 4.5 — which powers Anthropic's agent tools, Claude Code for developers and the newly released Cowork — lets anyone quickly turn an idea into a functioning program or app, using plain English. In eight hours, Jim built four apps on his phone — all fully functioning, all beautifully designed and intuitive. "My mind is officially blown in a way it never has been before," he texted Mike on Thursday. We've been building products and companies for 20 years. Any of those apps would have taken multiple people and many weeks to hit this level of design and usability.Jim wanted to create a test to screen for people who'll excel at using AI. He built a 30-question quiz on his phone in two hours, then easily added five-minute training courses for each skill set. Claude shows in vivid and unforgettable ways how easily AI will perform complex human tasks instantly — and forever change work, jobs and chores. Google, OpenAI, xAI and other competitors are racing to match and exceed Claude. You can assume there'll be leapfrogging advancements in this hyper-competitive race.Yes, these AI tools remain imperfect. But when you experiment with them, you'll see they're advancing lightning-fast. The big picture: 2026 seems increasingly likely to be the year AI will go from fascinating aspiration to actual widespread application. Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, tells us: "The whole waterline in capabilities has risen — everyone who has a boat, whether a big boat or a smaller boat, is rising on this rising tide. The capabilities are moving faster, and we as a society need to move faster if we want as many people as possible to have a fair chance of getting their fair piece of the intelligence age." Inside Jim's test run: I used Claude Opus 4.5, Anthropic's flagship AI, accessed through a $20/month Claude Pro subscription. H

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Politics

What are the possible effects of the FBI searching reporters' homes on press freedom and public trust in the media?

The FBI searched the home and devices of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, who covers the Trump administration's reshaping of the federal government, a Post spokesperson confirmed to Axios. Why it matters: Searching a journalist's home is an extraordinary step — even past administrations that aggressively pursued leak investigations stopped short of raiding reporters' homes. "While we won't know the government's arguments about overcoming these very steep hurdles until the affidavit is made public, this is a tremendous escalation in the administration's intrusions into the independence of the press," Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press president Bruce D. Brown said in response to Wednesday's news."The Justice Department should explain publicly why it believes this search was necessary and legally permissible, and Congress and the courts should scrutinize that explanation carefully," said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute. Zoom in: According to the Washington Post, Natanson was at her Virginia home when agents arrived. The FBI warrant said the search was part of an investigation into a Maryland system administrator accused of "accessing and taking home classified intelligence reports," per the affidavit cited by the Post. A spokesperson confirmed the Post is reviewing and monitoring the situation. Between the lines: Natanson is part of a team that covers Trump's overhaul of the federal workforce. She previously covered education and won a Peabody in 2024 for her work. In 2022, she was part of a team of Post journalists awarded a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Zoom out: The move signals a dramatic escalation in the Trump administration's war on leaks. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would resume seizing reporters' phone records to find leakers.In April, Bondi rescinded former Attorney General Merrick Garland's policy restricting federal prosecutors from forcing jou

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Healthcare

What factors contribute to the health disparities among states, and what policies could address these differences effectively?

Data: United Health Foundation. Cartogram: Axios Visuals A state-by-state health report card, out today from the United Health Foundation, finds an array of encouraging signs for America: Rates for premature death, drug deaths, firearm deaths and homicides all fell. Rates of cancer screenings, physical activity and volunteerism all increased. But rates of e-cigarette use and multiple chronic conditions increased. Homelessness and unemployment — socioeconomic factors that help determine the nation's health — rose. Why it matters: America's Health Rankings — from the United Health Foundation, established by UnitedHealth Group — synthesize 99 measures of health and well-being, drawn from 31 data sources, to produce a "comprehensive portrait of health at both the national and state levels." State of play: The five healthiest states, based on social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors and health outcomes: 1. New Hampshire2. Massachusetts3. Vermont4. Connecticut5. Utah The least healthy states: 46. West Virginia47. Alabama48. Mississippi49. Arkansas50. Louisiana Go deeper: Read the full report

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Healthcare

What strategies could communities implement to address declining vaccination rates and rising measles cases?

Data: The Washington Post; Note: County level data unavailable for Delaware, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Wyoming; Map: Jacque Schrag/Axios The battle against infectious diseases like the flu and measles has taken a hit with sinking vaccination rates for children in many parts of the U.S., per new data collected and analyzed by the Washington Post. The big picture: Vaccination rates for school-age children have plunged in hundreds of counties as chaos reigns over vaccination schedules, setting the stage for a potentially grim 2026. The new figures offer stark evidence of the extent of the backlash that began during the pandemic against public health mandates. Catch up quick: Plunging vaccination rates contributed to a spike in measles cases, and set the U.S. up to to lose its coveted <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/09/measles-outbreak-symptoms-elimination-

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Geopolitics

What are the potential implications of the U.S. changing its role in the global order for international relations and domestic policy?

Ian Bremmer — president and founder of Eurasia Group, a top global political-risk research and consulting firm — says the top geopolitical risk for 2026 is the "U.S. Political Revolution," with President Trump "so committed to and so capable of changing the political system." Why it matters: Eurasia Group's annual "Top Risks" report — out Monday, 48 hours after Trump shook the world by snatching Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro — isolates the "biggest threats to the trajectories of nations, industries and institutions," to help leaders and investors prepare for the year. "The United States is itself unwinding its own global order," says Bremmer, also president and founder of GZERO Media. "The world's most powerful country is in the throes of a political revolution. In our lifetimes, we have never witnessed an American president so committed to and so capable of changing the political system and, accordingly, the United States' role in the world." Other risks: The report says Europe's center is faltering . water is being weaponized as a resource for countries and businesses . and U.S. attacks on clean energy endanger the nation's AI lead, giving China a potential advantage in post-carbon energy production. That's all happening amid the AI boom, which "represents the greatest opportunity and danger humanity has ever created, and with next to no governance, alignment, or coordination," write Bremmer and Cliff Kupchan, Eurasia Group's chair. The rest of the Top 10: 2. Overpowered (electric stack) . 3. Donroe Doctrine . 4. Europe under siege . 5. Russia's second front (hybrid war between Russia and NATO) . 6. State capitalism with American characteristics ("the most economically interventionist administration since the New Deal"). 7. China's deflation trap . 8. AI eats its users . 9. Zombie USMCA (U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement) . and 10. The water weapon (a tool for non-state actors exploiting state weakness. What was a humanitarian crisis is becoming a national security threat

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Economy

What strategies can be implemented to strengthen the U.S. economy in the face of future challenges?

The U.S. economy was beaten and battered in 2025, and powered ahead despite it all. The big picture: The question for 2026 is whether the underlying sources of weakness that are already evident will broaden out into something that threatens to undermine its overall resilience. Threat level: Beneath buoyant growth in GDP and asset prices are serious worries. The labor market is looking softer by the month.Elevated inflation is pinching family budgets. And fears are rising that the AI-fueled boom could leave ordinary workers worse off. The big picture: Those pain points have already caused public opinion on the economy to turn sharply negative. At the same time, one lesson of 2025 is that the U.S. economy is awfully adaptable and can withstand more challenges than you might expect. Zoom in: In April, President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs sent the stock market swooning and economists upgrading their recession odds. It wasn't the only sign of trouble. Job growth came to a near-halt over the summer. Deportations and restrictionist immigration are part of the story, along with the aging of the native-born workforce. But part of it is that companies are trying to get leaner.Inflation, meanwhile, has become the fire that will not be fully doused. While the sky-high inflation of 2022 is a thing of the past, inflation has been above the Federal Reserve's target 2% target every single month since March 2021. Affordability is top of mind in public opinion. Reality check: It's important to remember, though, that the $30 trillion U.S. economy, for all its flaws, can weather a lot, at least at the macro level. It is, as RSM chief economist Joe Brusuelas puts it, a "dynamic and resilient beast."

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Geopolitics

What policies should be considered to address the implications of China's intentions toward Taiwan by 2027?

China's massive live-fire military exercises this week in the air and seas around Taiwan come as the calendar flips one year closer to a date that looms larger for Pentagon planners than almost any other. Why it matters: The U.S. military has been operating for the past five years under the assumption that the Chinese military is preparing to take Taiwan by force as soon as 2027. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. The big picture: The U.S. has built out bases in the Pacific, poured billions into domestic semiconductor manufacturing, shipped arms to Taipei and shuffled its own military assets — all with an eye on a potential war over the self-governing island. But the sense of urgency has not always matched the tightening timeline — now down to just a single year. Driving the news: In a sign that could be changing, the Trump administration announced the largest-ever arms sale ($11.1 billion) for Taiwan this month. Then on Monday, Beijing launched drills that its military described as a "stern warning" to separatists. They involve simulated aerial strikes, live-fire exercises by the navy, and other elements designed to emphasize China's ability to surround and conquer the island.While the exercises were likely pre-planned, the arms deal announcement infuriated Beijing. A Chinese embassy spokesperson told Axios such moves "risk turning Taiwan into a powder keg" and accele

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