Good Monday morning. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,848 words ... 7 mins. Thanks to Noah Bressner for orchestrating. Copy edited by Bryan McBournie.
Situational awareness: The 50501 movement says it mobilized 4 million people for 900+ anti-Trump events in about 850 cities on Saturday for a Day of Community Solidarity. Next up: "May 1: May Day Strong." Go deeper.
- Newest resistance hero: Mild-mannered Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is suddenly in his party's spotlight after traveling to El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Ábrego García, who was wrongly deported. Keep reading.
Francis reshaped papacy
Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square in 2014, the first full year of his papacy. Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at age 88, less than 24 hours after greeting Easter faithful in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.
- Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, pushed the Catholic Church to the left — satisfying Catholics seeking modernization but dismaying traditionalists, Axios' Sareen Habeshian and Avery Lotz write.
The Vatican said in a statement that Francis died on Monday morning at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta.
- "At 7:35 this morning [1:35 a.m. ET], the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church," said Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, in the announcement.
The leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics was released from the hospital on March 23 after being treated for double pneumonia. He had been admitted with bronchitis symptoms five weeks earlier.
- The pope met briefly with Vice President Vance at the Vatican on Easter Sunday. Vance tweeted at 4:45 a.m. ET: "My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I'll always remember him for the ... homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul."
Pope Francis rides on the Popemobile at the Vatican yesterday. Photo: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
Francis was elected in March 2013 and was tasked with cleaning up a scandal-ridden Vatican.
- In recent years, he expressed support for the LGBTQ community and for same-sex civil unions, which the church has traditionally marginalized.
- Francis pushed for years to improve the gender balance in the Roman Catholic Church, increasing the number of women working at the Vatican, including those in leadership positions.
The pope urged nations to welcome and safeguard immigrants, and called for action to combat climate change.
- He recently spoke against the Trump administration's mass deportations, urging followers of his faith "not to give in to narratives that discriminate" against migrants and refugees.
- In an interview last year, he characterized climate change as "a road to death" denied by "foolish people."
Pope Francis delivers his Urbi Et Orbi ("to the city [of Rome] and to the world") message from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square in Vatican City yesterday. Photo: Vatican Media via Getty Images
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he took the name Francis when he became pope.
- He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, making him the first pope from the Americas and the first from outside Europe since the 8th century.
- Francis was also the first pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuit order.
What's next: The College of Cardinals, composed of senior Vatican administrators and worldwide diocese leaders, will elect a new pope.
- They typically meet within 15 to 20 days after the pope's death to choose his successor by secret ballot.
Obituary ... Championed progressive causes ... World leaders' tributes ... Key moments ... Life in photos.
- Rites and rituals: Francis' funeral and burial.
Inside AOC's surge
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) speaks to a "Fighting Oligarchy" rally at Folsom Lake College in Sacramento County, Calif., last week. Photo: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Democrats are scrambling for a new identity. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is racing to fill that vacuum with a party rooted in Sen. Bernie Sanders' left-wing populism, Axios' Alex Thompson writes.
- Why it matters: Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is drawing tens of thousands of people to her rallies with Sanders — even in red states. She's breaking her own fundraising records, and surging in early polling of potential 2028 presidential candidates.
It feels to many top Democrats like she's grabbing Sanders' torch as a progressive leader — and that he's intentionally passing it to her. The two kindred spirits deny it.
- Her rise comes as the Democratic Party base is increasingly agitated by the party's inability to push back against the Trump administration's sweeping agenda — and is searching for a champion to fight back.
The big picture: Ocasio-Cortez has been cheered like a political rock star over the past two weeks as she and Sanders (I-Vt.) barnstorm the country with mega-rallies for a "Fighting Oligarchy" tour.
- She and Sanders have mobilized large crowds in conservative states, including Utah, Idaho and Montana. Thousands in Salt Lake City chanted "AOC! AOC! AOC!" as she left the stage.
By the numbers: Ocasio-Cortez, 35, already has a national brand separate from the 83-year-old Sanders, thanks in part to a massive social media following.
- A YouGov poll released last week found Ocasio-Cortez had a +61 approval rating among Democrats — the highest of any Democrat polled who hasn't run for president or vice president.
Zoom in: Some Democrats and former Sanders aides see the Vermont senator implicitly positioning Ocasio-Cortez as a successor to continue the movement he helped build over two presidential campaigns.
- Sanders, not known for his personal warmth, has shown rare affection for Ocasio-Cortez — even jokingly referring to her as "my daughter" at their rally in Salt Lake City last week.
- Other progressives, including Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), also joined the pair in Los Angeles. But it was Ocasio-Cortez who had equal billing with Sanders.
Reality check: Some Democratic strategists worry about Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez becoming the faces of the party.
- They believe the party went too far to the left during Trump's first term and is in danger of doing so again.
Turmoil engulfs Pentagon
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a ceremony to present the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy to the Navy football team in the East Room last week. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is battling major upheaval inside the Pentagon — including a new report on his use of Signal, and the defection of a one-time close ally.
- Why it matters: Hegseth — tested in battle, but never atop government before this — needs to quickly stabilize one of the world's most consequential buildings and bureaucracies.
Zoom in: In under a week, Hegseth's top leadership team has been overtaken by backstabbing reminiscent of President Trump's first term, Axios' Noah Bressner and Rebecca Falconer write.
- Former top Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot — who left the department last week — wrote in a Politico opinion piece last night: "The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon — and it's becoming a real problem for the administration." (Ullyot says he resigned. A DOD official says Ullyot was pushed out.)
A N.Y. Times report last night revealed Hegseth "shared detailed information about forthcoming strikes in Yemen on March 15 in a private Signal group chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer." The Pentagon says: "There was no classified information in any Signal chat."
- Three top officials — Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll and Darin Selnick — were fired after being placed on leave during an apparent internal investigation into "unauthorized disclosures of national security information."
Hegseth's chief of staff, Joe Kasper, left his job for another role at the Defense Department.
The intrigue: The three fired officials hit back at Hegseth's team Saturday, saying in a statement on X: "Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door."
- "At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of 'leaks' to begin with."
Charlie Kirk — the influential MAGA podcaster, who has Trump's ear — tweeted last night: "Pete must stay."
A message from Bank of America
A Northeast comeback?In 2024, the South and West lead economic growth, while the Northeast lagged behind.
Looking ahead: With rising wages and high-incomers returning, could a comeback be on the horizon?
Discover the latest labor market trends in Bank of America Institute’s regional roundup.
4.
Mapped: Where feds work
Data: Office of Personnel Management. Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios
Federal workers are largely concentrated in and around our nation's capital — no surprise! — but also have strong showings in some Mountain West states, plus Alaska and Hawai'i, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes.
- Why it matters: Some states may be more vulnerable than others as the second Trump administration works to significantly trim the federal workforce.
By the numbers: D.C. has the most federal civilian workers per 100,000 residents — followed by Maryland, Hawai'i and Virginia, according to the latest OPM data, which predate President Trump's federal jobs cuts.
- Connecticut, New Jersey and New York have the fewest.
Go deeper: Kansas City's DOGE pain.
5.
Fewer people moving to Florida
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Domestic migration to Florida has taken a big hit, Axios Tampa's Yacob Reyes writes from a Redfin report.
- Why it matters: People once saw Florida as a cheaper alternative to New York City and the Bay Area. But that gap has narrowed.
The big picture: Hurricanes, skyrocketing insurance premiums and steep HOA fees have made out-of-staters think twice about the Sunshine State.
- More companies now require employees to go into the office, which means fewer people can relocate, and some who moved during the pandemic have had to leave.
By the numbers: Tampa Bay had the biggest slowdown in domestic migration of the 50 most populous U.S. metros last year, according to the report.
- Three other Florida cities — Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale — were among the top 10 metro areas where net domestic migration tanked the most in 2024.
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6.
New data: Top 10 airports
Image: Airports Council International
Here are the world's 10 busiest airports by total 2024 passengers, according to new Airports Council International (ACI) data:
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Dubai, UAE (DXB)
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
- Tokyo (HND)
- London Heathrow (LHR)
- Denver (DEN)
- Istanbul, Turkey (IST)
- Chicago O'Hare (ORD)
- New Delhi, India (DEL)
- Shanghai, China (PVG)
Boston reassures visiting marathoners
Workers paint the starting line for the 129th Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, Mass., last week. Photo: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The 30,000+ runners in today's Boston Marathon include entrants from 128 countries, despite slumping U.S. tourism numbers amid tariff anger and border fears, AP reports.
- Why it matters: The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest and most prestigious annual 26.2-mile race. It's staged on the Massachusetts holiday of Patriots' Day — commemorating the battles of Lexington and Concord, which sparked the American Revolution 250 years ago.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu insisted Friday that international runners and other international visitors remain welcome. She said there's no evidence marathon travel has fallen off in the face of increased border scrutiny.
- "Regardless of what's happening at other levels, and particularly now at the federal level, in Boston we welcome everyone," Wu said at a public-safety briefing near the finish line. "We seek to be a home for everyone."
The 129th edition of the race is full — with thousands turned away, and no indication that those registered are staying home, Boston Athletic Association CEO Jack Fleming said.
- Paula Roberts-Banks, a writer and photographer from Rosseau, Ontario, who has run Boston 12 times, wrote in Canadian Running magazine that she earned a coveted bib for this year's race — but decided not to run because she has "soured" on the U.S.: "It feels like a breakup."
1 fun thing: Double meteor shower
The Lyrids meteor shower seen over Germany in 2020. Photo: Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Be on the lookout for shooting stars and fireballs this week: Two meteor showers will overlap through Saturday, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes.
- The Lyrids meteor shower peaks tonight into tomorrow.
The other shower — the Eta Aquarids — started Saturday and is active until late May.
- Go deeper: Tips to spot shooting stars.
A message from Bank of America
The Northeast races aheadRising wages, employment growth and return-to-office mandates are shaping the Northeast region’s economic recovery.
Okay, but: Is that enough for the region to catch up to growth seen in the South and West?
Find how these regions stack up in Bank of America Institute’s latest trend report.
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