Data: Global Energy Monitor, Axios research; Map: Danielle Alberti/AxiosThe oil market's top players aren't waiting around to see who winds up with control over the Strait of Hormuz — countries and companies are scrambling to bypass the waterway.Why it matters: The Iran war threw a spotlight on the strait as the longtime center of the global energy trade, and the industry now has a huge incentive to reduce its dependence, regardless of the war's outcome."The 2026 U.S.-Iran wa...

Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind co-founder and CEO, is calling on the U.S.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's first-in-the-nation data center moratorium could provide a playbook for other Democrats confronting one of the midterms' most heated issues.Why it matters: Voters across the country are protesting data centers and looking for politicians to take decisive action to address concerns over the industry's rapid expansion.Until now, no governor had imposed a statewide data center moratorium.

In Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, AI is as much a part of daily life as reporting a pothole or making a doctor's appointment or paying a parking ticket — because AI does all that for you.Abu Dhabi, the capital of one of the world's wealthiest and most globalized business hubs, has near-universal adoption of an app that knows when you need to renew your national ID or health insurance or vehicle registration.The app's "AutoGov" feature goes a step ...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned Tuesday that the company's new GPT-5.6 Sol model may face "hiccups" soon.Why it matters: The warning underscores that even one of the world's leading AI companies can struggle to scale the infrastructure needed to meet demand for cutting-edge AI.Anthropic and SpaceX AI are also rolling out flagship models, intensifying competition for consumers and computing capacity.Driving the news: Altman wrote on X that the model's "growth is insane" and that ...

An upcoming House vote on a measure blocking U.S.

Justice Elena Kagan warned Congress on Tuesday that police expect threats against Supreme Court justices to rise nearly 40% this year.Why it matters: As courts play a bigger role in deciding the nation's most contentious policy fights, anger from the losing side is turning into threats that risk undermining the court's independence.By the numbers: The Supreme Court Police Department expects a "very substantial" 38% increase in threats this year, following a 25% increase last ...

President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call Thursday that Israel should start redeploying its forces out of Syria and urged him to do the same in Lebanon, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.

Anthropic has warned that its own technology could bring the end of civilization. Check out its latest job listings to understand how.Why it matters: Anthropic has 32 very scary job openings for roles designed to prevent people from using AI to build everything from human-made explosives to nuclear weapons.Catch up quick: Anthropic is hiring analysts focused on chemicals and explosives, nuclear weapons, financial scams, cybercrime and more.

President Trump's prime-time Thursday speech from the White House is slated to include election integrity, an update on Iran and whatever else he deems important, a senior adviser tells Axios."It will be a potpourri," the adviser said.Why it matters: Though ever-available to reporters, Trump hasn't given many prime-time, direct-to-camera speeches from the White House. He wants to do more of them, the adviser said.

Affordability pain is real, but resilient consumers are still infusing money into the economy, Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America, said at the Axios House News Shapers summit in Washington, D.C.Why it matters: The U.S. economy sits on a remarkably durable foundation, supporting consumer spending even with hot inflation.

House Democrats' internal split over a vote to cut off U.S.

President Trump held a Situation Room meeting Tuesday to discuss a massive offensive in Iran that will be wider in scope than the current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, three sources with knowledge said. Why it matters: Trump appears willing to escalate the war to cause enough damage that the Iranian regime will open the Strait of Hormuz and accept Trump's nuclear demands. Driving the news: Trump convened the meeting as the U.S.

Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Warsh is testifying on Capitol Hill for the second day Wednesday, this time before the Senate Banking Committee.The combination of a few comments he made in Tuesday's hearing before the House and good June inflation data now in hand suggests a rate increase is unlikely at the Fed's meeting in two weeks, while its policy stance the remainder of the year is quite uncertain.Driving the news: The Labor Department on Wednesday morning released a favo...

President Trump on Tuesday walked back his demand for collecting a 20% toll from ships that transit through the Strait of Hormuz — and instead said Gulf states would make major investments in the U.S.Why it matters: Trump's Hormuz fee announcement on Monday was deemed illegal by the UN maritime agency and shocked many U.S. allies in the Gulf. It also validated the Iranian demand to collect service fees in the strait — something Trump himself rejected until several days ago.

Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Warsh said on Wednesday that the AI investment boom will likely raise prices over the next year, but argued that those increases might not automatically be inflationary.