Politics & World Affairs

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> Three police officers are killed and two others wounded in a shooting while serving an arrest warrant in York County, Pennsylvania; the shooter has not been publicly identified as of this writing (More) | President Donald Trump says he will designate Antifa as a terrorist organization (More)

> France's major labor unions call for strikes and demonstrations today against austerity measures proposed by President Emmanuel Macron's administration; more than 250 rallies planned nationwide (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> The US and Ukraine launch $150M joint fund to invest in Ukrainian mineral reserves; each committed $75M, will split profits (More) | Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign mutual defense pact (More)

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> Turning Point USA names Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as the youth organization's new CEO (More)

> President Donald Trump suggests the US is working to reestablish a presence at Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base due to the base's proximity to rival China (More)

> United Nations cites progress toward three-month ceasefire proposal for the civil war in Sudan, backed by the US and Saudi Arabia (More)

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> France joins list of countries recognizing Palestinian statehood; announcement comes as world leaders gather for UN General Assembly in New York (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> US Supreme Court allows firing of FTC commissioner, agrees to hear case on whether to overturn a 90-year-old ruling that prevents presidents from removing independent regulators without cause (More)

> Typhoon Ragasa makes landfall in northern Philippines, with sustained wind gusts of 165 mph (equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane), prompting evacuation warnings and preparations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China (More)

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> Widow of victim in January helicopter-plane collision near Reagan National Airport files first federal lawsuit against American Airlines, its regional partner, the US Army, and the FAA; at least 60 more lawsuits expected (More)

> Chinese President Xi Jinping pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 7% to 10% by 2035, marking the first time the world's largest emitter has set a firm reduction target (More)

> Denmark's prime minister publicly apologizes to Greenlandic Indigenous girls and women who were given invasive contraception against their will by Danish health authorities in the 1960s and 1970s (More)

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> US Supreme Court declines to hear an appeal by Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted sex trafficker and former associate of Jeffrey Epstein (More)

> Federal government shutdown enters seventh day after Senate fails to pass either of two competing stopgap bills; Republican-led bill failed 52-42, with Democratic bill failing 50-45 (More)

> Rescue efforts begin to save hundreds of hikers stranded on Mount Everest in Tibet amid heavy snowfall, at roughly 16,000-foot elevation (More)

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> Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee in oversight hearing on Justice Department; topics covered include Epstein files, DOJ probes (More)

> US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to arrive in Egypt today as indirect peace talks between Israel and Hamas continue; Israel marked second anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023, attacks yesterday (More)

> First National Guard troops from Texas arrive in Illinois a day after Chicago and Illinois sued the Trump administration for deploying federalized troops (More)

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> Internal Revenue Service furloughs over 34,000 employees—nearly half its staff—amid government shutdown; workers guaranteed back pay, despite President Donald Trump's earlier objections to the policy (More) | Read previous write-up (More)

> Supreme Court appears poised to revive Republican challenge to Illinois law accepting late-arriving mailed ballots; Illinois is among 18 states and the District of Columbia that accept ballots postmarked on or before Election Day (More)

> Myanmar military strike kills at least 24 people and wounds nearly 50 during Buddhist candlelight vigil opposing military rule, per government-in-exile (More)

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🤷 Young Americans are losing faith in politics

Data: Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios Half of young Americans say they "don't have any say about what the government does," according to Harvard Youth Poll findings out today. That's up a staggering 15 points from 2017, and based on a survey of 2,018 18- to 29-year-olds polled March 26–April 3. 👎 59% say the country's headed in the wrong direction. That's the highest share since the poll's current methodology began in 2009. Just 13% say it's on the right track. 🎓 The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, which runs the poll, says: "What once converted concern into action is becoming something more conditional — a generation still paying attention, still showing up, but increasingly unsure that their voice carries weight." Full results.

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> Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns, reportedly after months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, including over staffing decisions (More)

> House Intelligence Committee report reviewing 9/11 Commission report treats China as the top counterintelligence threat, warns AI could pose a 9/11-level threat (More) | Revisit findings from the recent Hugging Face hack (More)

> Supreme Court rules 5-4 to allow $400M White House ballroom construction to continue as lower courts consider challenges; new ballroom is believed to be 65% completed (More) | See latest renderings (More)

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> US launches new round of strikes against Iran, with President Donald Trump accusing Iran of planting more sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz; Jordan says it intercepted 10 ballistic missiles as of this writing (More) | See war updates (More)

> Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) heads off primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton (D, MA-6) (More) | House votes 370-48 to pass bill extending funding by three months in effort to avoid federal government shutdown Oct. 1; the bill already passed the Senate and heads to President Donald Trump's desk for signature (More)

> Judge orders jurors deadlocked in Lindsay Clancy case to return to deliberations (More) | See previous write-up (More)

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Sultan of Oman to make state visit to UK, balancing pressures from US and Iran

The Sultan of Oman will visit Britain for a three-day state visit next month as the Arab nation that controls the southern shore of the Strait of Hormuz comes under pressure from both the U.S. and Iran. Read More.

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> Billionaire Leon Black and former associate of Jeffrey Epstein defies subpoena to testify before House Oversight Committee, sues to avoid turning over requested nondisclosure agreements (More)

> People aged 65 and older began outnumbering children 5 and younger worldwide for the first time in recorded history in 2023, US Census report finds; the so-called "tipping point" in fertility came years earlier than expected (More) | Mapping each country's fertility rate (More)

> Justice Department charges ICE officer who nonfatally shot a Venezuelan man in Minnesota with lying to investigators (More)

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> Germany's leading nationalist-populist party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), wins regional election in country's east, earning over twice the number of votes as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s incumbent party (More) | What is AfD's platform? (More)

> President Donald Trump suggests changing New Mexico's name to New America (More) | Changing New Mexico's name would likely require approval from state lawmakers and voters (More)

> Armed man arrested after allegedly charging at Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for Ohio's gubernatorial race; Acton was not harmed, but several others were injured (More)

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> Iranian commercial ship struck in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one person and injuring three others (More) | See live map of ship traffic (More)

> Damage to renovated Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool was caused by chemical mixture used, contractor responsible for work says; Trump administration previously blamed vandalism (More)

> Pennsylvania reports third death linked to measles this year; patient was a 40-year-old woman, no other information made public (More) | Why is measles so contagious? (More)

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> More than 20 states and cities sue to block upcoming Homeland Security policy restricting green cards for some public benefit recipients (More) | Supreme Court rejects Trump administration's mail ballot restrictions for midterm elections (More)

> Protests erupt across Syria after government announces it will raise oil prices as much as 40% amid Iran war (More)

> Russian billionaire close to President Vladimir Putin hosted two nights of wedding celebrations for Donald Trump Jr., report reveals (More) | Russian drone strikes Ukrainian civilian train to Warsaw, narrowly missing former foreign officials (More)

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> Equipment failure at Philadelphia air traffic control facility halts flights at Newark and Philadelphia airports, with more than 1,000 flights canceled nationwide and over 6,000 delayed (More) | How air traffic control works (More, w/video)

> WHO begins testing existing Ebola vaccine against latest strain driving outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo; more than 7,600 cases and 3,670 deaths reported as of this writing (More) | Scroll for outbreak map (More)

> Vermont man convicted of attempted murder in 2023 shooting of three Palestinian American college students in Burlington; one student was left paralyzed (More)

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Trump’s push to acquire Greenland almost broke NATO. The winner of it all may be ... Greenland  The new defense agreement signed on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday puts an end to the standoff between the United States and one of America’s oldest and closest partners. It also marks a major step forward in Greenland’s push for greater autonomy and a more influential seat at the table. Read more.

Why this matters: While the new defense agreement is a bit broader, the United States already had extensive military access under an existing 1951 deal and all the gains laid out in the agreement, ostensibly, have been achieved by asking nicely a year ago. The trans-Atlantic distrust created since the end of 2024 seems a very high price to pay for what may ultimately be a fairly incremental gain.    “I cannot stress it enough: This is the first time that we are venturing into a binding agreement as a country,” Naaja Nathanielsen, one of Greenland’s two lawmakers in the Danish parliament and a former government minister in Nuuk, told The Associated Press. “That is a huge step forward in our quest for more self-autonomy.”

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> President Donald Trump rejects Iranian offer to restart talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; US reportedly focused on nuclear program concessions (More) | Five men arrested on suspicion of terrorist activity outside RAF Fairford, a British airbase used by the US (More)

> Northern Ireland’s “Orange Order” cleared to hold contentious Drumcree parade for the first time since 1998; march was a flashpoint during decadeslong Catholic-Protestant conflict (More) | What were "the Troubles?" (More)

> At least 27 people killed, more than two dozen wounded in separate mass shootings outside South Africa's Johannesburg and Cape Town; suspects at large as of this writing (More)

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> New York prosecutors reopen investigation into alleged 2024 gang rape of a Cornell University student by seven members of Chi Phi fraternity following a civil lawsuit filed by the victim (More)

> FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey resigns, citing family reasons, amid reported tensions with FBI Director Kash Patel (More) | Justice Department files appeal to end transgender care for inmates (More) | Federal prison system had more than 2,000 transgender inmates as of February 2025 (More)

> Iran and US negotiators hold separate talks with mediators (More) | Russian drone strikes Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv, killing at least seven people (More)