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U.S. cities are combating extreme heat Jun 01, 2022

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A sweltering heat wave has made its way across the country over the past week, in a reminder of the drastic effects of climate change that just keep getting worse. Now cities are looking for new ways to keep people cool.

Plus, how the war in Ukraine is causing global hunger.
And, Canada proposes new gun legislation, in the wake of American mass shootings.

Guests: Axios' Jennifer Kingson and Emily Peck.

Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Alex Sugiura, and Lydia McMullen-Laird. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

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Testing Senator Joe Manchin’s power May 31, 2022

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As with virtually everything in the Senate these days, Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia holds a lot of power. As he engages in talks on climate and deficit reduction with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, could he also play a role in gun reform?

Plus, what new details on George Floyd’s life reveal about the U.S. past and present.

Guests: Axios' Hans Nichols; Robert Samuels, National Enterprise Reporter at The Washington Post

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Why federal action on guns may be in reach May 27, 2022

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Could Uvalde be the mass shooting that spurs U.S. lawmakers to action that would prevent massacres like Tuesdays? It's a question many are asking this week, and Axios congressional reporter Alayna Treen says there are a few reasons to think this time might be different.

Plus, Blinken’s China warning.

Guests: Axios' Alayna Treene and Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian.

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Parents react to the Texas shooting May 26, 2022

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We now have names and photos of most of the victims murdered on Tuesday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The majority of those killed were around 10 years old. Parents around the country are dealing with the horrific news, and it’s spurring some to action.

Plus, can tech companies do better at helping to prevent mass shootings?

Guests: Axios' Sophia Cai and Ashley Gold; Axios Today listeners

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A nation in mourning again May 25, 2022

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19 children and at least 2 adults are dead after a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Almost 10 years after Sandy Hook, and just 11 days after the mass shooting in Buffalo New York, the nation is forced into mourning and outrage again.

Guests: Axios' Astrid Galván and Margaret Talev.

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Volodymyr Zelensky talks with Axios May 24, 2022

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke yesterday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Axios’ Jonathan Swan interviewed President Zelensky via Zoom, in an Axios exclusive.

Plus, the U.S. is negotiating a deal among Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt.

Guests: Axios' Dave Lawler and Barak Ravid.

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Zelensky zooms out

How the war in Ukraine is breaking families May 23, 2022

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Ukrainian Corporal Andrii Shadrin and news producer Kateryna Malofieieva are at the heart of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Both are based in the Donbas, a region that’s been partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. The battle for the Donbas is critical to the outcome of this war. And in the meantime, Andrii and Kateryna’s families are being torn apart.

Plus, what waning homebuilder confidence tells us about the housing market.
And, a wild weekend of weather with deadly consequences.

Guests: Ukrainian Cpl. Andrii Shadrin; news producer Kateryna Malofieieva; Axios' Dave Lawler and Matt Phillips.

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Reckoning with the forced assimilation of Native American children May 20, 2022

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The Department of the Interior released a report showing that between 1819 and 1969, hundreds of Native American children died while in the federal Indian boarding school system. The probe takes a deep look at the systemic way in which the US government forced indigenous families to assimilate, often through widespread abuse.

Plus, even as COVID cases rise, many Americans say the pandemic is over.
And, billions in new aid for Ukraine.

Guests: Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, Bryan Newland.

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The southwestern border prepares for an influx May 19, 2022

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Title 42 is set to come to an end in four days. That's the pandemic-era CDC policy that allowed officials at the border to turn migrants and asylum seekers away because of public health concerns. But last month, a federal judge stopped the Biden administration from winding down this border policy and its fate is uncertain.

For now, lawmakers, asylum lawyers, and non-profits along the border continue to prepare for the expected surge that would accompany the end of this policy, whether it happens next week or months from now.