Dwayne | Reading desk

Axios8 OctArticle

Trump's foreign worker crackdown comes for Microsoft, Adobe, IT firms

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the Trump administration is suspending Microsoft , Adobe and several other IT firms' ability to hire foreign-born workers for permanent residency in the U.S. Why it matters: The move will affect hundreds of companies owned by the tech giant, escalating the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrant labor. What they're saying: " We want people to invest in the United States of America, particularly the American technology sector," Vance said during a Thursday news conference. "We're the biggest boosters of your industry. We want you to continue to grow and to employ a lot of people, but we want you to employ American workers." "And so our message to Microsoft is, you're a great American company, but you've got to hire great American workers. You cannot lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants." Zoom in: The permanent labor certification program , which is administered through the Department of Labor, allows a company to hire foreign workers to live permanently in America. It's typically the first step in receiving an employer-sponsored green card. It's also separate from H-1B visas, which allow workers to live and work temporarily in the U.S. H-1B visas primarily go to highly skilled workers in specialized occupations. Technology companies are among the program's biggest users. The Trump administration has made reducing the number of foreign workers in the country a rallying cry, and accused foreign-born workers of taking jobs that could — and, in its view, should — go to Americans. Driving

Axios8 OctArticle

Trump: U.S. won't attack Iran before midterms

President Trump said Thursday the U.S. will not attack Iran ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Why it matters: Trump had been considering for several days resuming major combat operations before the midterms. However, his past statements about his intentions in Iran haven't always matched what he ultimately did. If major combat operations resume, they're expected to include large-scale strikes on Iranian energy facilities, infrastructure and nuclear targets, sources say. Resuming the war in the next three to four weeks could influence the midterms, in part because oil prices might rise in response. It could also influence Israel's elections, which are scheduled for Oct. 27. What he's saying: "I want to make it clear to everybody that, while Iran is in very bad condition, both Economically and Militarily, and while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, with Oil flowing in Record Numbers of Barrels through the Hormuz Strait ... we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Flashback: In June 2025, before Operation Midnight Hammer, the White House said Trump would decide "within two weeks" whether the U.S. would join Israel's war against Iran. When he made that statement, he had already decided to attack Iran's nuclear sites. On Feb. 27, less than 24 hours before Israel and the U.S. launched the war against Iran, Trump claimed he hadn't made a decision on going to war. In reality, Trump had already decided to authorize the attacks. Driving the news: The Pentagon instructed U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)

Barak Ravidtop

Axios8 OctArticle

Labor Department marks low layoffs milestone

Data: U.S. Department of Labor ; Chart: Courtenay Brown/Axios New applications for unemployment benefits have stayed below 200,000 in a stretch rarely seen in modern history. Jobless claims fell by 2,000, to 197,000, last week, the Labor Department said Thursday morning. Why it matters: It points to a remarkable stability on the "firing" side of the labor market, even amid a slower pace of hiring on the other side of the equation. That is helping to keep unemployment low, but it also masks a growing divide between Americans who have jobs and those struggling to find one. What they're saying: "New jobless claims have been under 200,000 for a month now, an incredibly low level of layoffs for a sustained period of time that hasn't been seen since the 1960s," Navy Federal Credit Union chief economist Heather Long said. By the numbers: The four-week average, which smooths out weekly volatility, fell to 198,000, its lowest level since the red-hot job market of 2022–2023. The other side: Jobless claims don't capture every layoff. Some workers receive severance, don't qualify for benefits or find the application process too cumbersome. Still, when layoffs have surged across the economy, claims have surged with them — including during the recessions after the financial crisis and the pandemic. The absence of such an increase now is hard to dismiss. Other data tells a similar story: Announced job cuts fell 20% from a year earlier in September, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The bottom line: Employers may be reluctant to hire, but they appear just as relu

Courtenay Browntop

Axios8 OctArticle

The Fed's going to take its time with rate hikes

A couple more interest rate hikes are probably on the way. But the Federal Reserve is in no great hurry to deliver them. That's the takeaway from the latest round of communications out of the central bank. Why it matters: It implies that the Fed is not in a full-scale effort to tighten the screws on the economy, but rather a cautious recalibration in light of inflationary pressures and robust growth. With Fed chairman Kevin Warsh declining to offer much in the way of guidance, traders and Fed watchers must look to other communications for clues — and the message has been strikingly consistent across the latest crumbs of information. Driving the news: Speaking Thursday morning in Istanbul , Fed governor Christopher Waller explained, with distinctly non-Warshian detail, what kind of interest rate path he anticipates. "If the economic data continue to come in as expected, I anticipate additional hikes to support a timelier return of inflation to our 2 percent goal," he said. "But there is some flexibility about when those hikes will occur. The hikes do not need to come at consecutive meetings, but they should be in place in an acceptable period of time." That aligns with the language in the minutes of the September policy meeting released Wednesday afternoon, stating that "most participants assessed that another increase in the target range for the federal funds rate would likely be appropriate by year-end," but that they "approached each meeting with an open mind." Of note: The minutes and Waller comments come after fairly explicit comments last week from vice chair Philip Je

Neil Irwintop

Axios8 OctArticle

Nicolás Maduro and his wife hit with fresh torture charge

Prosecutors accused former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife of orchestrating the torture of people held in his regime's custody, piling onto the narcoterrorism charges they already face in a fresh indictment unveiled Thursday. The big picture: The charges add new fuel to the historic prosecution seeking to hold the strongman-turned-prisoner accountable for alleged crimes against Americans and alleged abuse of power. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty in January to drug- and weapon-related charges. They have been held in the U.S. since their stunning capture from Caracas earlier this year. Maduro's attorney did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Driving the news: Maduro "authorized the use of torture against specific individuals and oversaw a system designed to use torture, arbitrary detention, and violence as a means of repression against the political opposition," a superseding indictment filed in the Southern District of New York alleged. The new indictment charges Maduro and Flores with conspiracy to commit torture, alleging they engaged in a conspiracy to inflict "severe physical and mental pain and suffering to repress and punish political opposition." What's inside: The indictment outlines a series of disturbing torture tactics — including electrocution, beatings, isolation and simulated drowning — allegedly employed at Maduro's direction to quell political opposition. "As opposition to the ruling regime intensified," Maduro allegedly "continued to oversee the development of a more systematic approach to unlawfull

Avery Lotztop

Axios8 OctArticle

DNC sues to stop Trump's taxpayer-funded ad blitz

President Trump said he will help pay for his administration's campaign-style ads after the Democratic National Committee sued Wednesday over their use of taxpayer money. Why it matters: Trump's funding announcement does not address the DNC's central allegation that the administration illegally used taxpayer money to finance the ads. What they're saying: Trump said in a Truth Social post that he considers the ads "to be a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A." and defended using taxpayer money for them. "This is a rather standard thing to do but, rather than doing that, although nothing will make them happy, I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself," Trump wrote. Trump said money from MAGA Inc., his superPAC, would also pay for the ads. A person familiar with the advertising plans said the existing taxpayer-funded ad buy will end this week, after which outside groups will begin paying for the spots. The White House defended the ads as public service announcements, arguing that previous Republican and Democratic administrations have used taxpayer-funded advertising to promote government policies. The White House said the ads are not political because Trump is not on the ballot and the spots contain no call to action. The other side: "These ads are a clear violation of the Congressional ban on the use of appropriated funds for 'publicity or propaganda purposes,'" the DNC's legal counsel wrote in the lawsuit . "The president has nationalized the midterm election, made himself the center of a two-day 'midterm convention,' and repeatedly di

Josephine Walkertop

Axios8 OctArticle

Republicans squirm as Latino support slips in South Texas

Republicans are in a dogfight to defend the Latino gains that had them dreaming of a lasting political realignment just two years ago. Why it matters: Nowhere is that reversal of fortune more visible than in South Texas, where President Trump ran up historic numbers in 2024 — and Republicans redrew the map in 2025, assuming those Latino gains would last. Trump won 55% of Texas Latino voters in 2024 exit polls, carried 14 of the 18 counties within 20 miles of the border and won all four Rio Grande Valley counties. Polling shows Trump's disapproval ratings have skyrocketed among Latinos in Texas since 2024. Democrats and allied groups are now pouring money into races across the Rio Grande Valley. Zoom in: The reversal is starkest in TX-15, where Rep. Monica De La Cruz was one of the GOP's most visible symbols of its South Texas breakthrough. Trump would have carried the newly-drawn district by 18 percentage points in 2024. De La Cruz won her 2024 race under the previous map by 14 points. Cook Political Report moved the race from Lean Republican to Toss Up on Sept. 25, saying public and private polling shows the race tied or even favoring Tejano singer and Democrat Bobby Pulido . By the numbers: Democratic campaigns and allied groups are outspending Republican campaigns and groups on Spanish-language ads in two of the three competitive House districts covering the Rio Grande Valley, according to AdImpact data reported by the Texas Tribune . In TX-34, held by Vicente Gonzalez (D), Democratic campaigns and groups have spent $2.7 million on Spanish-language ads, compared with $1.

Russell Contrerastop

Axios8 OctArticle

"The Axios Show": Inside Bryan Johnson's quest to make 300 the new 70

Bryan Johnson , the face of the longevity movement, wants to make staying alive more important than making money. The famous/infamous biohacker spends over $2 million a year on his health, talks about living forever and publicly tracks everything from his erections to his sperm strength. Why it matters: As Johnson fights to "live forever," he's doing so with a wink to his 8 million social media followers, a link to his business in his bio and a knack for drawing attention to himself. What they're saying: In his interview with The Axios Show, he offered some advice for Elon Musk, said he'd love to help President Trump with his health and revealed his ultimate goal. "Will the 25th century ... be like, 'thank you' in 500 years? Will they give me a head nod? That's the goal," he said. Zoom out: His big picture focus: change the focus of society to health, not wealth. "Society says making money... is the greatest trophy one can get...we are at this inflection moment as a species where we are transitioning to 'Don't Die,'" Johnson said, referring to the title of his longevity movement. "What creates status and power and prestige is going to be different. And as crazy as it sounds, it may be your nighttime erections...It may be your ability to dunk a basketball at age 49," he said. Johnson, 49, is currently trying to dunk . Zoom out: That focus is what drives some of his more extreme experiments and interventions. In 2023, Johnson injected his teenage son's plasma , which he found to be a helpful regimen for his dad but not for himself, saying his own biomarkers are already "prett

Madison Millstop

Axios8 OctArticle

Inside Trump's blow-up at Fox News over El-Sayed coverage

Republicans have spent months griping privately to Fox News about coverage they argue is helping Abdul El-Sayed , Michigan's Democratic nominee for Senate, moderate his image. The frustration boiled into public view Tuesday when President Trump lashed out at his favorite network. Why it matters: Republicans worry that Fox is undercutting their efforts to brand the charismatic El-Sayed as a liberal who's far outside the mainstream. Polls show El-Sayed, a critic of Israel's government who'd be the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, in a tight race against former Rep. Mike Rogers (R). Behind the scenes: White House officials reached out to Fox on Tuesday to complain about anchor Martha MacCallum's interview with El-Sayed, according to people familiar with the conversations. On Truth Social, Trump blasted the interview as "softball." "Fox is promoting the Dumocrats, not the Republicans and MAGA. They have totally lost their way!" he wrote. The White House's frustration over Fox's coverage of El-Sayed had been bubbling for weeks before Trump's post. Senior GOP operatives repeatedly contacted Fox producers and executives in early August, warning that El-Sayed could use favorable commentary from host Jesse Watters to cast himself as moderate. After El-Sayed's upset primary win over an establishment-backed candidate, Watters said: "You gotta respect Abdul because he beat the [Democratic] machine." Later that month, El-Sayed released a TV ad featuring Watters' remark. His campaign called Watters an "unlikely validator." Republicans were reassured when Watters pressed El-Sayed

Alex Isenstadttop

Axios8 OctArticle

OpenAI's math breakthrough points beyond math

AI's conquest of computer programming offered an early demonstration of what happens when models become good enough at a specialized field that experts can no longer treat them as a novelty. Mathematics appears to be next. Why it matters: OpenAI's latest mathematical results — which involved releasing hundreds of new proofs generated by a powerful, unreleased model — demonstrate that the startling advances of AI are likely to continue moving across entirely new fields. Catch up quick: OpenAI on Tuesday released 722 manuscripts organized into 372 groups of findings (" families ") on long-standing mathematical problems, inviting academics and researchers to examine and build on the material. The reception has mixed scientific excitement with genuine unease. One Rutgers University mathematician said on X that a result connected to the Riemann hypothesis would warrant an automatic Fields Medal if a human had done the work. Some mathematicians have questioned these results, as well as another solution OpenAI released last month , asking whether they represent original breakthroughs or draw heavily from previous human input. Others downplayed the utility of AI-generated math. "You can discover new math easily," Stephen Wolfram, a renowned computer scientist and physicist who has followed AI closely for years, said at a Tuesday event for the National Museum of Mathematics. "You can make a trillion theorems easily. The problem is most of those theorems are not ones that anybody will care about." Zoom in: Like computer programming, mathematics gives AI something unusually valuable:

Bradley Olsontop