⚡ Axios AM — Scoop: Train probes coming

Plus: Hollywood behind the scenes | Sunday, February 26, 2023

Open in app View in browser   Presented By TikTok   Axios AM By Mike Allen · Feb 26, 2023 🥞 Good morning! Axios' Erica Pandey, at erica@axios.com, is your Sunday steward. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,185 words ... 4½ minutes. Edited by TuAnh Dam.     🇺🇦 1 big thing: Most welcoming cities Data: Department of Homeland Security. Chart: Axios Visuals In the year since Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. have volunteered to sponsor Ukrainians seeking refuge, Axios' Stef Kight writes. Seattle and Sacramento have been some of the most welcoming metro areas in proportion to their populations, according to Homeland Security data. New York had the largest number of applicants to sponsor Ukrainians. 🔭 Zoom out: The global crisis — with more than 8 million Ukrainians now scattered throughout Europe — was a turning point for the Biden administration's approach to immigration. That same process — offering humanitarian parole coupled with stricter rejection of migrants at the border — inspired the administration's new approach to Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Haitians at the southern border. Ukraine also further opened the door for average Americans to bring in and care for refugees from around the world — a process that has been almost entirely handled by the federal government, the U.N. and a small network of NGOs. 🎄 One sponsor family, based in Austin, welcomed a Ukrainian family in time to celebrate this past Christmas. "What they're doing is a very brave thing," said Seuzuen Mararazzo, one of their hosts in Austin. "They're leaving everything they own, their hopes and dreams, to get the children to safety." Share this story.     2. 🏛️ Scoop: House GOP plans derailment hearings Contaminated waste is removed Friday from the derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio. Photo: Matt Freed/AP Multiple House committees are gaming out aggressive hearings 0n the Biden administration's response to the toxic train wreck in Ohio — including how the government supervises giant rail companies, Axios' Mike Allen has learned. Why it matters: The Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine (pronounced PAL-ə-STEEN) left residents increasingly fearful about the air and water — and ignited a political storm over treatment of the rural, Republican residents. House Oversight and Accountability Chair James Comer (R-Ky). sent a letter demanding documents from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday — the same day Buttigieg was visiting the wreck for the first time, Axios' Andrew Solender writes. Former President Trump had visited the site the day before. Buttigieg last week called for a list of reforms by the freight rail industry. 👂 What we're hearing: We're told probes are being considered by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee — where Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), who represents East Palestine, is a member. Look for at least one field hearing in East Palestine, so House members can hear from residents in person. "The infrastructure failure that caused the derailment has led to an environmental disaster," Comer's letter says. "The Committee is deeply concerned by DOT's slow pace in resolving this matter." The letter asks for a slew of documents and communications about how the derailment was handled + administration policy trains carrying hazardous materials. 🥊 Reality check: The White House tells Axios that at President Biden's direction, federal agencies "are going around door to door in East Palestine this weekend to check in on each family personally." Biden, who has claimed Trump deregulatory tactics were partly to blame, said Friday: "[T]he idea that we're not engaged is just simply ... not there." Share this story.     3. 📈 Soaring employment Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chart: Axios Visuals The employment rate for Americans with disabilities has surged, hitting a new record last year, according to new government data. Why it matters: High levels of bias and discrimination have long kept unemployment levels high for this group, Axios' Emily Peck reports. What's happening: Remote work has made it possible for more people with disabilities to work. Less heartening: The pandemic, and especially long COVID, led to an increase in the number of Americans with disabilities. Share this story.     A message from TikTok Safety: Your priority, our commitment     To encourage responsible use, we set accounts for anyone 13-15 to private by default with no access to direct messages. Our Family Pairing tool lets parents link their account to their teen's so they can decide together what works best for them. Learn more.     4. ☃️ L.A. builds snowmen Crews clear the State Route 14 freeway near Acton, Calif. Photo: David McNew/Getty Images Snow, rain and whipping winds are tearing through Los Angeles County, which got its first blizzard warning since 1989. Stunning stat: Some parts of the San Gabriel Mountains saw more than 80 inches of snow, AP reports. 🗞️ How it's playing ... Today's L.A. Times lead story: "Historic storm gives SoCal chills...System leaves piles of snow, closes roads and cuts power, but many residents love it."     5. 📰 Dilbert dropped Scott Adams poses with a life-sized Dilbert cutout. Photo: Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams has a prediction: By tomorrow, his iconic comic strip will remain in "around zero" newspapers. He's well on the way. What's happening: Newspapers across the country are ditching "Dilbert" following a racist rant on Adams' YouTube show last week, in which he called Black Americans a "hate group" and said white people should "get the hell away from" them, Axios' Sareen Habeshian writes. Why it matters: In just days, Adams' remarks have ousted him from the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, San Antonio Express-News and the USA Today Network, which includes hundreds of papers. The strip debuted in 1989. Adams tweeted: "Has anyone checked the price of free speech lately? It's worse than eggs." He added: "I just learned Cleveland has a newspaper."     6. 🏫 Inside a wartime school A shelter (left) converted to a classroom at School No. 3 in Chernihiv. Photos: savED   Going to school in Ukraine has become a daily act of adapting and improvising for teachers and students. The big picture: The disruption and trauma of Russia's invasion will shape a generation of Ukrainians and the future of the country, Axios' Alison Snyder reports. Driving the news: The Ukrainian education ministry urged schools to hold classes remotely last week, out of concern there could be an increase in Russian missile strikes around the one-year mark of the invasion, Reuters reports. What's happening: Bomb shelters, which are required by the government in order for schools to resume classes, are being repurposed as classrooms to create safe spaces for students to learn and socialize. Go deeper.     7. 🇨🇳 China desperate for baby boom A child walks in the Fenghuang Ancient City ahead of Chinese New Year. Photo: Yang Huafeng/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images Less than a decade after China ended its one-child policy, one of its most populous provinces is telling residents to have as many babies as they want, even if they're unmarried, The New York Times' Nicole Hong and Zixu Wang write. Why it matters: China needs a baby boom to combat its rapidly aging population, which shrank last year for the first time since a national famine in the 1960s. The move in Sichuan, home to 84 million people, allows unmarried parents to register children with the government to get benefits and time off — a perk that was previously only available to married parents. There are also national plans to expand access to fertility treatments.     8. 🎥 1 film thing Photo: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Placards representing actors are arranged around a star-studded table for tonight's 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "The Banshees of Inisherin" lead the pack with five nominations each. Why it matters : The SAG Awards are one of the most reliable Oscar bellwethers. Watch live on Netflix's YouTube page at 8 p.m. EST.     A message from TikTok Protecting your teen     Parents can ensure their teen's digital life is safe and secure on TikTok by using the Family Pairing features. Here's how: Family Pairing lets parents link their account to their teen's and adjust content and privacy settings together. Learn more about safety on TikTok.   Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. 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