axios

U.S. strikes Iran in response to helicopter downing: CENTCOM The U.S. launched strikes against Iran beginning at 5pm Tuesday ET in response to Irans downing of a U.S. helicopter. The big picture: The latest exchange could risk military escalation with Iran even as President Trump is seeking a deal to end the war. A U.S. official said U.S. forces attacked several Iranian air defense and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz.The latest: American forces launched a second round of strikes in Iran, a U.S. official said Tuesday evening.Driving the news: Both crew members of the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by a drone boat and are in stable condition.A U.S. official told Axios that an investigation determined an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether it was intentional.What theyre saying: Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. "must, of necessity, respond" to Mondays downing of the helicopter. He told ABC News that the strikes would be "very powerful."CENTCOM described the strikes as a "proportional response."The other side: Iranian state media said explosions were reported in Hormozgan province, which lies on the Strait of Hormuz, including on Qeshm Island.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trumps threat earlier on Tuesday, saying: "Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk" from accidents or crossfire, and "we prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too." He wrote on X that Irans military "will leave no attack or threat unanswered," adding: "Leave our region if you want to be safe. History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders."Editors note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

U.S. strikes Iran in response to helicopter downing: CENTCOM The U.S. launched strikes against Iran beginning at 5pm Tuesday ET in response to Irans downing of a U.S. helicopter. The big picture: The latest exchange could risk military escalation with Iran even as President Trump is seeking a deal to end the war. A U.S. official said U.S. forces attacked several Iranian air defense and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz.The latest: American forces launched a second round of strikes in Iran, a U.S. official said Tuesday evening.Driving the news: Both crew members of the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by a drone boat and are in stable condition.A U.S. official told Axios that an investigation determined an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether it was intentional.What theyre saying: Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. "must, of necessity, respond" to Mondays downing of the helicopter. He told ABC News that the strikes would be "very powerful."CENTCOM described the strikes as a "proportional response."The other side: Iranian state media said explosions were reported in Hormozgan province, which lies on the Strait of Hormuz, including on Qeshm Island.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trumps threat earlier on Tuesday, saying: "Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk" from accidents or crossfire, and "we prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too." He wrote on X that Irans military "will leave no attack or threat unanswered," adding: "Leave our region if you want to be safe. History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders."Editors note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

U.S. strikes Iran in response to helicopter downing: CENTCOM The U.S. launched strikes against Iran beginning at 5pm ET on Tuesday in response to Irans downing of a U.S. helicopter. The big picture: The latest exchange could risk military escalation with Iran even as President Trump is seeking a deal to end the war. A U.S. official said U.S. forces attacked several Iranian air defense and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz.Driving the news: Both crew members of the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by a drone boat and are in stable condition.A U.S. official told Axios that an investigation determined an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether it was intentional.What theyre saying: Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. "must, of necessity, respond" to Mondays downing of the helicopter. He told ABC News that the strikes would be "very powerful."CENTCOM described the strikes as a "proportional response."The other side: Iranian state media said explosions were reported in Hormozgan province, which lies on the Strait of Hormuz, including on Qeshm Island.The Tasnim News Agency reported that Iran vowed a "decisive response" to the attacks, calling the allegation that it downed the American helicopter a pretense.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trumps threat earlier on Tuesday, saying: "Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk" from accidents or crossfire, and "we prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too." He wrote on X that Irans military "will leave no attack or threat unanswered," adding: "Leave our region if you want to be safe. History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders."Editors note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

U.S. strikes Iran in response to helicopter downing: CENTCOM The U.S. launched strikes against Iran beginning at 5pm ET on Tuesday in response to Irans downing of a U.S. helicopter. The big picture: The latest exchange could risk military escalation with Iran even as President Trump is seeking a deal to end the war. A U.S. official said U.S. forces attacked several Iranian air defense and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz.Driving the news: Both crew members of the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by a drone boat and are in stable condition.A U.S. official told Axios that an investigation determined an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether it was intentional.What theyre saying: Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. "must, of necessity, respond" to Mondays downing of the helicopter. He told ABC News that the strikes would be "very powerful."CENTCOM described the strikes as a "proportional response."The other side: Iranian state media said explosions were reported in Hormozgan province, which lies on the Strait of Hormuz, including on Qeshm Island.The Tasnim News Agency reported that Iran vowed a "decisive response" to the attacks, calling the allegation that it downed the American helicopter a pretense.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trumps threat earlier on Tuesday, saying: "Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk" from accidents or crossfire, and "we prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too." He wrote on X that Irans military "will leave no attack or threat unanswered," adding: "Leave our region if you want to be safe. History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders."Editors note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

U.S. strikes Iran in response to helicopter downing: CENTCOM The U.S. launched strikes against Iran beginning at 5pm ET on Tuesday in response to Irans downing of a U.S. helicopter. The big picture: The latest exchange could risk military escalation with Iran even as President Trump is seeking a deal to end the war. A U.S. official said U.S. forces attacked several Iranian air defense and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz.Driving the news: Both members of the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by a drone boat and are in stable condition.A U.S. official told Axios that an investigation determined an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether that was intentional.What theyre saying: Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. "must, of necessity, respond" to Mondays downing of the helicopter. He told ABC News that the strikes would be "very powerful."CENTCOM described the strikes as "a proportional response."The other side: Iranian state media said explosions were reported in Hormozgan province, which lies on the Strait of Hormuz, including on Qeshm Island.The Tasnim News Agency reported that Iran vowed a "decisive response" to the attacks, calling the allegation that it downed the American helicopter a pretense.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trumps threat earlier on Tuesday, saying: "foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk" from accidents or crossfire, and "we prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too."Editors note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

U.S. strikes Iran in response to helicopter downing: CENTCOM The U.S. launched strikes against Iran beginning at 5pm ET on Tuesday in response to Irans downing of a U.S. helicopter. The big picture: The latest exchange could risk military escalation with Iran even as President Trump is seeking a deal to end the war. A U.S. official said U.S. forces attacked several Iranian air defense and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz.Driving the news: Both members of the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by a drone boat and are in stable condition.A U.S. official told Axios that an investigation determined an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether that was intentional.What theyre saying: Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. "must, of necessity, respond" to Mondays downing of the helicopter. He told ABC News that the strikes would be "very powerful."CENTCOM described the strikes as "a proportional response."The other side: Iranian state media said explosions were reported in Hormozgan province, which lies on the Strait of Hormuz, including on Qeshm Island.The Tasnim News Agency reported that Iran vowed a "decisive response" to the attacks, calling the allegation that it downed the American helicopter a pretense.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trumps threat earlier on Tuesday, saying: "foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk" from accidents or crossfire, and "we prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too."Editors note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

U.S. strikes Iran in response to helicopter downing: CENTCOM The U.S. launched strikes against Iran beginning at 5pm ET on Tuesday in response to Irans downing of a U.S. helicopter. The big picture: The latest exchange could risk military escalation with Iran even as President Trump is seeking a deal to end the war. Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. "must, of necessity, respond" to Mondays downing of the helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.It is not yet clear what the U.S. is targeting. CENTCOM described the strikes as "a proportional response."Iranian state media said explosions were reported in Hormozgan province, which lies on the Strait of Hormuz.Driving the news: Both members of the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by a drone boat and are in stable condition.A U.S. official told Axios the investigation determined that an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash. The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether that was intentional.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trumps threat on X, saying "foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk" from accidents or crossfire, and "we prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too."Editors note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

House Democrats threaten to withhold DCCC dues after partys California faceplant The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is facing behind-the-scenes fury and demands for a course-correction after spending $135,000 on what appears to be a failed effort to boost their favored candidate in a Democratic primary.Why it matters: Some lawmakers are threatening to withhold their dues to the House Democratic campaign arm if it doesnt change its ways."People think the DCCC doesnt care about them other than their dues," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "They have no say where they go, they dont help [safe-seat] incumbents."Said Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.): "It frustrates me and its just deeply disappointing that the DCCC tried to tip the scales in a very competitive Democratic primary."Driving the news: Progressive activist and political science professor Randy Villegas declared victory on Tuesday in the Democratic contest to take on Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) in Californias 22nd district.Villegas edged out Jasmeet Bains — a more moderate California State Assembly member — with the backing of the Congressional Progressive and Hispanic Caucuses. The two ran roughly even in fundraising and endorsements from House Democrats. Bains had support from the center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus. The DCCC opted to support Bains, adding her to its coveted "Red to Blue" program a month before the primary and launching a $135,000 joint ad buy with her campaign in the final weeks of the race."People were pissed" at the DCCCs support for Bains, said former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, whose group, Leaders We Deserve, supported Villegas."You saw the Hispanic Caucus lose their mind when Jasmeet got put on Red to Blue, you saw progressives get incredibly upset too," he told Axios.Said Grijalva: "It motivated me personally, when the DCCC got involved in this race, for me to go out and be as supportive [of Villegas] as I can."What were hearing: "That money definitely could be used for something else and it was weird to me that the DCCC jumped in when so many caucuses had made a different decision," a second House Democrat who spoke anonymously told Axios.The lawmaker said it "wouldve been better to stay out. Im sure that they had some polling that made them make that decision, but its not my favorite of their decisions.""Voters alone are the ones who should decide who the nominee is," said Grijalva.The intrigue: Some House Democrats are also fuming that the dues members are expected to pay to help secure coveted committee assignments are being used against candidates they endorsed.Said Grijalva: "It makes me take a pause, definitely, when Im considering paying my dues that theyre being used against candidates that Im supporting. Thats really frustrating for me.""Im supposed to give you $175,000 of very difficult-to-raise money," the lawmaker told Axios, "and then the money we give to show were a good team player ... you turn around and spend in primaries?"The other side: "Everyone agrees that the stakes could not be higher for November - and as weve said all cycle, the DCCC will do everything possible to win the majority," said DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz."This includes supporting top-tier candidates who are best positioned to flip their districts in November. Strong nominees allow us to expand our battlefield, spread our resources to more races, and deliver Democrats the biggest majority possible." Merz pointed to the half dozen "Red to Blue" candidates who have won the nomination, including CHC-backed Johnny Garcia in Texas and CPC-supported Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, both of whom faced contested primaries.A Democratic operative familiar with the DCCCs "Red to Blue" selection process stressed that Bains was chosen based on analysis that showed her to be the candidate with the strongest chance of winning the seat in November.Whats next: There are "really serious, direct conversations happening" about this practice with DCCC chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the third House Democrat told Axios.The member said frustrated lawmakers are demanding that the DCCC either stop spending in primaries or spend "equally" among House Democrats ideological factions. Villegas backers say that, at the very least, they want Villegas to get the same level of DCCC support Bains had now that he is the Democratic nominee.Said Hogg: "I really, really hope the DCCC practices what they preach and they consolidate around him and work with him to give him the full financial backing he deserves, because he can win this race."The bottom line: "Were all in to flip every seat in the battlefield, including CA-22," said Merz, "where the primary results made clear voters are prepared to fire David Valadao after he gutted health care for nearly 70,000 of his constituents."Editors note: This story has been corrected to note that David Hogg leads the Leaders We Deserve group (not Run for Something.)

House Democrats threaten to withhold DCCC dues after partys California faceplant The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is facing behind-the-scenes fury and demands for a course-correction after spending $135,000 on what appears to be a failed effort to boost their favored candidate in a Democratic primary.Why it matters: Some lawmakers are threatening to withhold their dues to the House Democratic campaign arm if it doesnt change its ways."People think the DCCC doesnt care about them other than their dues," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "They have no say where they go, they dont help [safe-seat] incumbents."Said Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.): "It frustrates me and its just deeply disappointing that the DCCC tried to tip the scales in a very competitive Democratic primary."Driving the news: Progressive activist and political science professor Randy Villegas declared victory on Tuesday in the Democratic contest to take on Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) in Californias 22nd district.Villegas edged out Jasmeet Bains — a more moderate California State Assembly member — with the backing of the Congressional Progressive and Hispanic Caucuses. The two ran roughly even in fundraising and endorsements from House Democrats. Bains had support from the center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus. The DCCC opted to support Bains, adding her to its coveted "Red to Blue" program a month before the primary and launching a $135,000 joint ad buy with her campaign in the final weeks of the race."People were pissed" at the DCCCs support for Bains, said former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, whose group, Leaders We Deserve, supported Villegas."You saw the Hispanic Caucus lose their mind when Jasmeet got put on Red to Blue, you saw progressives get incredibly upset too," he told Axios.Said Grijalva: "It motivated me personally, when the DCCC got involved in this race, for me to go out and be as supportive [of Villegas] as I can."What were hearing: "That money definitely could be used for something else and it was weird to me that the DCCC jumped in when so many caucuses had made a different decision," a second House Democrat who spoke anonymously told Axios.The lawmaker said it "wouldve been better to stay out. Im sure that they had some polling that made them make that decision, but its not my favorite of their decisions.""Voters alone are the ones who should decide who the nominee is," said Grijalva.The intrigue: Some House Democrats are also fuming that the dues members are expected to pay to help secure coveted committee assignments are being used against candidates they endorsed.Said Grijalva: "It makes me take a pause, definitely, when Im considering paying my dues that theyre being used against candidates that Im supporting. Thats really frustrating for me.""Im supposed to give you $175,000 of very difficult-to-raise money," the lawmaker told Axios, "and then the money we give to show were a good team player ... you turn around and spend in primaries?"The other side: "Everyone agrees that the stakes could not be higher for November - and as weve said all cycle, the DCCC will do everything possible to win the majority," said DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz."This includes supporting top-tier candidates who are best positioned to flip their districts in November. Strong nominees allow us to expand our battlefield, spread our resources to more races, and deliver Democrats the biggest majority possible." Merz pointed to the half dozen "Red to Blue" candidates who have won the nomination, including CHC-backed Johnny Garcia in Texas and CPC-supported Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, both of whom faced contested primaries.A Democratic operative familiar with the DCCCs "Red to Blue" selection process stressed that Bains was chosen based on analysis that showed her to be the candidate with the strongest chance of winning the seat in November.Whats next: There are "really serious, direct conversations happening" about this practice with DCCC chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the third House Democrat told Axios.The member said frustrated lawmakers are demanding that the DCCC either stop spending in primaries or spend "equally" among House Democrats ideological factions. Villegas backers say that, at the very least, they want Villegas to get the same level of DCCC support Bains had now that he is the Democratic nominee.Said Hogg: "I really, really hope the DCCC practices what they preach and they consolidate around him and work with him to give him the full financial backing he deserves, because he can win this race."The bottom line: "Were all in to flip every seat in the battlefield, including CA-22," said Merz, "where the primary results made clear voters are prepared to fire David Valadao after he gutted health care for nearly 70,000 of his constituents."Editors note: This story has been corrected to note that David Hogg leads the Leaders We Deserve group (not Run for Something.)

Anthropic and OpenAI spark new race for frontier AI access Frontier AI labs are converging on a new strategy for controlling their most cyber-capable models while still commercializing them: selective access.Why it matters: OpenAIs trusted-access program and a pending program from Anthropic are creating a new power center in cybersecurity where AI companies help decide which defenders can use the most advanced cyber capabilities.For decades, competitive advantage in cybersecurity largely came from talent, data and infrastructure. Now, it also comes from access to models.Driving the news: Anthropic announced Tuesday it will make a version of its Mythos class of models, Fable 5, available to the general public.Fable 5 includes protections that block some high-risk cybersecurity and biology requests and instead route users who ask about those issues to Claude Opus 4.8.At the same time, Anthropic is offering users of its restricted Mythos Preview program an upgrade to its new Mythos 5 model. Dianne Penn, Anthropics head of product management for research and labs, tells Axios the company is being deliberately conservative at launch, meaning some legitimate security work may also get routed away from Fable 5.The intrigue: Anthropic is also working on a formal trusted-access program that would determine who gets access to Mythos 5 and future less restricted models.The company has not provided a timeline for launching the program.Behind the scenes, organizations have spent the last two months lobbying Anthropic for access to Mythos Preview.Last week, the company expanded access to more than 150 companies and governments.The big picture: OpenAI is already using a similar two-tier system.The company has been vetting security researchers and organizations to decide who gets access to models that could help accelerate their cyber defenses.The company rolled out an alternate version of its GPT-5.5 model with fewer guardrails to let those cyber defenders hunt for bugs, study malware and reverse engineer attacks.Between the lines: Its now up to the AI labs to decide who gets access to the cybersecurity industrys most cutting-edge capabilities.Security vendors, researchers and critical infrastructure operators eager to get frontier AI into their products and workflows have been scrambling for access.Reality check: Selective access gives Anthropic and OpenAI the best of both worlds, allowing them to ensure scary hacking capabilities are only in the hands of the good guys — while also finding a way to monetize their increasingly powerful models as they consider entering the public markets. What to watch: Whether trusted-access users begin finding vulnerabilities, conducting research and building products that organizations without access simply cant match.Go deeper: Tapping the powers of Mythos-like models still requires human intervention

House Democrats threaten to withhold DCCC dues after partys California faceplant The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is facing behind-the-scenes fury and demands for a course-correction after spending $135,000 on what appears to be a failed effort to boost their favored candidate in a Democratic primary.Why it matters: Some lawmakers are threatening to withhold their dues to the House Democratic campaign arm if it doesnt change its ways."People think the DCCC doesnt care about them other than their dues," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "They have no say where they go, they dont help [safe-seat] incumbents."Said Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.): "It frustrates me and its just deeply disappointing that the DCCC tried to tip the scales in a very competitive Democratic primary."Driving the news: Progressive activist and political science professor Randy Villegas declared victory on Tuesday in the Democratic contest to take on Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) in Californias 22nd district.Villegas edged out Jasmeet Bains — a more moderate California State Assembly member — with the backing of the Congressional Progressive and Hispanic Caucuses. The two ran roughly even in fundraising and endorsements from House Democrats. Bains had support from the center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus. The DCCC opted to support Bains, adding her to its coveted "Red to Blue" program a month before the primary and launching a $135,000 joint ad buy with her campaign in the final weeks of the race."People were pissed" at the DCCCs support for Bains, said former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, whose group Run for Something supported Villegas."You saw the Hispanic Caucus lose their mind when Jasmeet got put on Red to Blue, you saw progressives get incredibly upset too," he told Axios.Said Grijalva: "It motivated me personally, when the DCCC got involved in this race, for me to go out and be as supportive [of Villegas] as I can."What were hearing: "That money definitely could be used for something else and it was weird to me that the DCCC jumped in when so many caucuses had made a different decision," a second House Democrat who spoke anonymously told Axios.The lawmaker said it "wouldve been better to stay out. Im sure that they had some polling that made them make that decision, but its not my favorite of their decisions.""Voters alone are the ones who should decide who the nominee is," said Grijalva.The intrigue: Some House Democrats are also fuming that the dues members are expected to pay to help secure coveted committee assignments are being used against candidates they endorsed.Said Grijalva: "It makes me take a pause, definitely, when Im considering paying my dues that theyre being used against candidates that Im supporting. Thats really frustrating for me.""Im supposed to give you $175,000 of very difficult-to-raise money," the lawmaker told Axios, "and then the money we give to show were a good team player ... you turn around and spend in primaries?"The other side: "Everyone agrees that the stakes could not be higher for November - and as weve said all cycle, the DCCC will do everything possible to win the majority," said DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz."This includes supporting top-tier candidates who are best positioned to flip their districts in November. Strong nominees allow us to expand our battlefield, spread our resources to more races, and deliver Democrats the biggest majority possible." Merz pointed to the half dozen "Red to Blue" candidates who have won the nomination, including CHC-backed Johnny Garcia in Texas and CPC-supported Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, both of whom faced contested primaries.A Democratic operative familiar with the DCCCs "Red to Blue" selection process stressed that Bains was chosen based on analysis that showed her to be the candidate with the strongest chance of winning the seat in November.Whats next: There are "really serious, direct conversations happening" about this practice with DCCC chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the third House Democrat told Axios.The member said frustrated lawmakers are demanding that the DCCC either stop spending in primaries or spend "equally" among House Democrats ideological factions. Villegas backers say that, at the very least, they want Villegas to get the same level of DCCC support Bains had now that he is the Democratic nominee.Said Hogg: "I really, really hope the DCCC practices what they preach and they consolidate around him and work with him to give him the full financial backing he deserves, because he can win this race."The bottom line: "Were all in to flip every seat in the battlefield, including CA-22," said Merz, "where the primary results made clear voters are prepared to fire David Valadao after he gutted health care for nearly 70,000 of his constituents."

Drone boat rescues U.S. helicopter crew shot down by Iran The crew of a U.S. Apache attack helicopter shot down by Iran was rescued by a drone-boat known as Corsair.Why it matters: It was a first-of-its-kind operation, with incredibly high stakes. It also offers a glimpse at future warfare, in which humans and smart, militarized machinery operate alongside one another.Driving the news: A spokesperson for Central Command, which oversees American military action across the greater Middle East, told Axios the Corsair "picked up" the crew and "transported them to another location on the water," where they were then "hoisted up to a helicopter."Both crew members are in stable condition.President Trump blamed Iran for shooting down the AH-64 Apache, which is made by Boeing, and vowed a military response.The intrigue: Saronic advertises Corsair as autonomous. It was not immediately clear how it maneuvered during the rescue mission.It was operated by the Navys Task Force 59, which was established in 2021 to experiment with unmanned tech and artificial intelligence and fold them into naval operations.Navy leadership has for years advocated for a hybrid fleet, or a mix of manned and unmanned ships.By the numbers: The Corsair, unveiled in October 2024, is 24 feet long. It can travel 1,000 nautical miles, carry 1,000 pounds and hit speeds greater than 35 knots. The Corsair is so much larger than two vessels previously unveiled by Saronic, Spyglass and Cutlass, that the fuel onboard weighs more than the other two boats combined.Follow the money: The Navy in December revealed it had inked a $392 million contract with Saronic for drone-boat production.CEO Dino Mavrookas started his career in the Navy and spent years with SEAL Team Six.Go deeper: Saronic will build 150-foot drone boats at Louisiana shipyardBarak Ravid contributed reporting.

Anthropic and OpenAI spark new race for frontier AI access Frontier AI labs are converging on a new strategy for controlling their most cyber-capable models while still commercializing them: selective access.Why it matters: OpenAIs trusted-access program and a pending program from Anthropic are creating a new power center in cybersecurity where AI companies help decide which defenders can use the most advanced cyber capabilities.For decades, competitive advantage in cybersecurity largely came from talent, data and infrastructure. Now, it also comes from access to models.Driving the news: Anthropic announced Tuesday it will make a version of its Mythos class of models, Fable 5, available to the general public.Fable 5 includes protections that block some high-risk cybersecurity and biology requests and instead route users who ask about those issues to Claude Opus 4.8.At the same time, Anthropic is offering users of its restricted Mythos Preview program an upgrade to its new Mythos 5 model. Dianne Penn, Anthropics head of product management for research and labs, tells Axios the company is being deliberately conservative at launch, meaning some legitimate security work may also get routed away from Fable 5.The intrigue: Anthropic is also working on a formal trusted-access program that would determine who gets access to Mythos 5 and future less restricted models.The company has not provided a timeline for launching the program.Behind the scenes, organizations have spent the last two months lobbying Anthropic for access to Mythos Preview.Last week, the company expanded access to more than 150 companies and governments.The big picture: OpenAI is already using a similar two-tier system.The company has been vetting security researchers and organizations to decide who gets access to models that could help accelerate their cyber defenses.The company rolled out an alternate version of its GPT-5.5 model with fewer guardrails to let those cyber defenders hunt for bugs, study malware and reverse engineer attacks.Between the lines: Its now up to the AI labs to decide who gets access to the cybersecurity industrys most cutting-edge capabilities.Security vendors, researchers and critical infrastructure operators eager to get frontier AI into their products and workflows have been scrambling for access.Reality check: Selective access gives Anthropic and OpenAI the best of both worlds, allowing them to ensure scary hacking capabilities are only in the hands of the good guys — while also finding a way to monetize their increasingly powerful models as they consider entering the public markets. What to watch: Whether trusted-access users begin finding vulnerabilities, conducting research and building products that organizations without access simply cant match.Go deeper: Tapping the powers of Mythos-like models still requires human intervention

House Democrats threaten to withhold DCCC dues after partys California faceplant The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is facing behind-the-scenes fury and demands for a course-correction after spending $135,000 on what appears to be a failed effort to boost their favored candidate in a Democratic primary.Why it matters: Some lawmakers are threatening to withhold their dues to the House Democratic campaign arm if it doesnt change its ways."People think the DCCC doesnt care about them other than their dues," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "They have no say where they go, they dont help [safe-seat] incumbents."Said Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.): "It frustrates me and its just deeply disappointing that the DCCC tried to tip the scales in a very competitive Democratic primary."Driving the news: Progressive activist and political science professor Randy Villegas declared victory on Tuesday in the Democratic contest to take on Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) in Californias 22nd district.Villegas edged out Jasmeet Bains — a more moderate California State Assembly member — with the backing of the Congressional Progressive and Hispanic Caucuses. The two ran roughly even in fundraising and endorsements from House Democrats. Bains had support from the center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus. The DCCC opted to support Bains, adding her to its coveted "Red to Blue" program a month before the primary and launching a $135,000 joint ad buy with her campaign in the final weeks of the race."People were pissed" at the DCCCs support for Bains, said former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, whose group Run for Something supported Villegas."You saw the Hispanic Caucus lose their mind when Jasmeet got put on Red to Blue, you saw progressives get incredibly upset too," he told Axios.Said Grijalva: "It motivated me personally, when the DCCC got involved in this race, for me to go out and be as supportive [of Villegas] as I can."What were hearing: "That money definitely could be used for something else and it was weird to me that the DCCC jumped in when so many caucuses had made a different decision," a second House Democrat who spoke anonymously told Axios.The lawmaker said it "wouldve been better to stay out. Im sure that they had some polling that made them make that decision, but its not my favorite of their decisions.""Voters alone are the ones who should decide who the nominee is," said Grijalva.The intrigue: Some House Democrats are also fuming that the dues members are expected to pay to help secure coveted committee assignments are being used against candidates they endorsed.Said Grijalva: "It makes me take a pause, definitely, when Im considering paying my dues that theyre being used against candidates that Im supporting. Thats really frustrating for me.""Im supposed to give you $175,000 of very difficult-to-raise money," the lawmaker told Axios, "and then the money we give to show were a good team player ... you turn around and spend in primaries?"The other side: "Everyone agrees that the stakes could not be higher for November - and as weve said all cycle, the DCCC will do everything possible to win the majority," said DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz."This includes supporting top-tier candidates who are best positioned to flip their districts in November. Strong nominees allow us to expand our battlefield, spread our resources to more races, and deliver Democrats the biggest majority possible." Merz pointed to the half dozen "Red to Blue" candidates who have won the nomination, including CHC-backed Johnny Garcia in Texas and CPC-supported Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, both of whom faced contested primaries.A Democratic operative familiar with the DCCCs "Red to Blue" selection process stressed that Bains was chosen based on analysis that showed her to be the candidate with the strongest chance of winning the seat in November.Whats next: There are "really serious, direct conversations happening" about this practice with DCCC chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the third House Democrat told Axios.The member said frustrated lawmakers are demanding that the DCCC either stop spending in primaries or spend "equally" among House Democrats ideological factions. Villegas backers say that, at the very least, they want Villegas to get the same level of DCCC support Bains had now that he is the Democratic nominee.Said Hogg: "I really, really hope the DCCC practices what they preach and they consolidate around him and work with him to give him the full financial backing he deserves, because he can win this race."The bottom line: "Were all in to flip every seat in the battlefield, including CA-22," said Merz, "where the primary results made clear voters are prepared to fire David Valadao after he gutted health care for nearly 70,000 of his constituents."

Drone boat rescues U.S. helicopter crew shot down by Iran The crew of a U.S. Apache attack helicopter shot down by Iran was rescued by a drone-boat known as Corsair.Why it matters: It was a first-of-its-kind operation, with incredibly high stakes. It also offers a glimpse at future warfare, in which humans and smart, militarized machinery operate alongside one another.Driving the news: A spokesperson for Central Command, which oversees American military action across the greater Middle East, told Axios the Corsair "picked up" the crew and "transported them to another location on the water," where they were then "hoisted up to a helicopter."Both crew members are in stable condition.President Trump blamed Iran for shooting down the AH-64 Apache, which is made by Boeing, and vowed a military response.The intrigue: Saronic advertises Corsair as autonomous. It was not immediately clear how it maneuvered during the rescue mission.It was operated by the Navys Task Force 59, which was established in 2021 to experiment with unmanned tech and artificial intelligence and fold them into naval operations.Navy leadership has for years advocated for a hybrid fleet, or a mix of manned and unmanned ships.By the numbers: The Corsair, unveiled in October 2024, is 24 feet long. It can travel 1,000 nautical miles, carry 1,000 pounds and hit speeds greater than 35 knots. The Corsair is so much larger than two vessels previously unveiled by Saronic, Spyglass and Cutlass, that the fuel onboard weighs more than the other two boats combined.Follow the money: The Navy in December revealed it had inked a $392 million contract with Saronic for drone-boat production.CEO Dino Mavrookas started his career in the Navy and spent years with SEAL Team Six.Go deeper: Saronic will build 150-foot drone boats at Louisiana shipyardBarak Ravid contributed reporting.

Anthropic and OpenAI spark new race for frontier AI access Frontier AI labs are converging on a new strategy for controlling their most cyber-capable models while still commercializing them: selective access.Why it matters: OpenAIs trusted-access program and a pending program from Anthropic are creating a new power center in cybersecurity where AI companies help decide which defenders can use the most advanced cyber capabilities.For decades, competitive advantage in cybersecurity largely came from talent, data and infrastructure. Now, it also comes from access to models.Driving the news: Anthropic announced Tuesday it will make a version of its Mythos class of models, Fable 5, available to the general public.Fable 5 includes protections that block some high-risk cybersecurity and biology requests and instead route users who ask about those issues to Claude Opus 4.8.At the same time, Anthropic is offering users of its restricted Mythos Preview program an upgrade to its new Mythos 5 model. Dianne Penn, Anthropics head of product management for research and labs, tells Axios the company is being deliberately conservative at launch, meaning some legitimate security work may also get routed away from Fable 5.The intrigue: Anthropic is also working on a formal trusted-access program that would determine who gets access to Mythos 5 and future less restricted models.The company has not provided a timeline for launching the program.Behind the scenes, organizations have spent the last two months lobbying Anthropic for access to Mythos Preview.Last week, the company expanded access to more than 150 companies and governments.The big picture: OpenAI is already using a similar two-tier system.The company has been vetting security researchers and organizations to decide who gets access to models that could help accelerate their cyber defenses.The company rolled out an alternate version of its GPT-5.5 model with fewer guardrails to let those cyber defenders hunt for bugs, study malware and reverse engineer attacks.Between the lines: Its now up to the AI labs to decide who gets access to the cybersecurity industrys most cutting-edge capabilities.Security vendors, researchers and critical infrastructure operators eager to get frontier AI into their products and workflows have been scrambling for access.Reality check: Selective access gives Anthropic and OpenAI the best of both worlds, allowing them to ensure scary hacking capabilities are only in the hands of the good guys — while also finding a way to monetize their increasingly powerful models as they consider entering the public markets. What to watch: Whether trusted-access users begin finding vulnerabilities, conducting research and building products that organizations without access simply cant match.Go deeper: Tapping the powers of Mythos-like models still requires human intervention

House Democrats threaten to withhold DCCC dues after partys California faceplant The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is facing behind-the-scenes fury and demands for a course-correction after spending $135,000 on what appears to be a failed effort to boost their favored candidate in a Democratic primary.Why it matters: Some lawmakers are threatening to withhold their dues to the House Democratic campaign arm if it doesnt change its ways."People think the DCCC doesnt care about them other than their dues," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "They have no say where they go, they dont help [safe-seat] incumbents."Said Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.): "It frustrates me and its just deeply disappointing that the DCCC tried to tip the scales in a very competitive Democratic primary."Driving the news: Progressive activist and political science professor Randy Villegas declared victory on Tuesday in the Democratic contest to take on Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) in Californias 22nd district.Villegas edged out Jasmeet Bains — a more moderate California State Assembly member — with the backing of the Congressional Progressive and Hispanic Caucuses. The two ran roughly even in fundraising and endorsements from House Democrats. Bains had support from the center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus. The DCCC opted to support Bains, adding her to its coveted "Red to Blue" program a month before the primary and launching a $135,000 joint ad buy with her campaign in the final weeks of the race."People were pissed" at the DCCCs support for Bains, said former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, whose group Run for Something supported Villegas."You saw the Hispanic Caucus lose their mind when Jasmeet got put on Red to Blue, you saw progressives get incredibly upset too," he told Axios.Said Grijalva: "It motivated me personally, when the DCCC got involved in this race, for me to go out and be as supportive [of Villegas] as I can."What were hearing: "That money definitely could be used for something else and it was weird to me that the DCCC jumped in when so many caucuses had made a different decision," a second House Democrat who spoke anonymously told Axios.The lawmaker said it "wouldve been better to stay out. Im sure that they had some polling that made them make that decision, but its not my favorite of their decisions.""Voters alone are the ones who should decide who the nominee is," said Grijalva.The intrigue: Some House Democrats are also fuming that the dues members are expected to pay to help secure coveted committee assignments are being used against candidates they endorsed.Said Grijalva: "It makes me take a pause, definitely, when Im considering paying my dues that theyre being used against candidates that Im supporting. Thats really frustrating for me.""Im supposed to give you $175,000 of very difficult-to-raise money," the lawmaker told Axios, "and then the money we give to show were a good team player ... you turn around and spend in primaries?"The other side: "Everyone agrees that the stakes could not be higher for November - and as weve said all cycle, the DCCC will do everything possible to win the majority," said DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz."This includes supporting top-tier candidates who are best positioned to flip their districts in November. Strong nominees allow us to expand our battlefield, spread our resources to more races, and deliver Democrats the biggest majority possible." Merz pointed to the half dozen "Red to Blue" candidates who have won the nomination, including CHC-backed Johnny Garcia in Texas and CPC-supported Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, both of whom faced contested primaries.A Democratic operative familiar with the DCCCs "Red to Blue" selection process stressed that Bains was chosen based on analysis that showed her to be the candidate with the strongest chance of winning the seat in November.Whats next: There are "really serious, direct conversations happening" about this practice with DCCC chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the third House Democrat told Axios.The member said frustrated lawmakers are demanding that the DCCC either stop spending in primaries or spend "equally" among House Democrats ideological factions. Villegas backers say that, at the very least, they want Villegas to get the same level of DCCC support Bains had now that he is the Democratic nominee.Said Hogg: "I really, really hope the DCCC practices what they preach and they consolidate around him and work with him to give him the full financial backing he deserves, because he can win this race."The bottom line: "Were all in to flip every seat in the battlefield, including CA-22," said Merz, "where the primary results made clear voters are prepared to fire David Valadao after he gutted health care for nearly 70,000 of his constituents."

Trump vows response after Iran downs U.S. helicopter President Trump said the U.S. military has determined that Iran shot down the U.S. helicopter that crashed on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz and pledged a military response.Why it matters: The incident took place amid U.S.-Iranian negotiations and just a day after Trump brokered a renewed ceasefire between Iran and Israel. It could ignite a fresh round of escalation.A U.S. official told Axios the investigation determined that an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash. The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether that was intentional.Driving the news: A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache went down near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. As of Tuesday morning U.S. time, officials were still investigating whether Iranian fire brought it down, two American officials and a third source with knowledge tell Axios. Trump later blamed Iran."I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack," Trump wrote on Truth Social.The shootdown came after Israel and Iran exchanged strikes for the first time since the April 8 ceasefire, with Trump urging both sides to show restraint. Zoom in: Both crew members were rescued around 7:30pm ET, about two hours after the helicopter went down off the coast of Oman, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X. They are in stable condition.A source familiar with the incident said there was a dramatic hours-long search before the crew was found. A U.S. Navy drone boat found the crew in the water and carried out the rescue — the first time maritime drones had been used for such a mission, CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told Axios.The drone, made by Saronic, is part of the 5th Fleets Task Force 59, which operates maritime drones, sometimes with AI, Hawkins says.This is a developing story and has been updated throughout.

Drone boat rescues U.S. helicopter crew shot down by Iran The crew of a U.S. Apache attack helicopter shot down by Iran was rescued by a drone-boat known as Corsair.Why it matters: It was a first-of-its-kind operation, with incredibly high stakes. It also offers a glimpse at future warfare, in which humans and smart, militarized machinery operate alongside one another.Driving the news: A spokesperson for Central Command, which oversees American military action across the greater Middle East, told Axios the Corsair "picked up" the crew and "transported them to another location on the water," where they were then "hoisted up to a helicopter."Both crew members are in stable condition.President Trump blamed Iran for shooting down the AH-64 Apache, which is made by Boeing, and vowed a military response.The intrigue: Saronic advertises Corsair as autonomous. It was not immediately clear how it maneuvered during the rescue mission.It was operated by the Navys Task Force 59, which was established in 2021 to experiment with unmanned tech and artificial intelligence and fold them into naval operations.Navy leadership has for years advocated for a hybrid fleet, or a mix of manned and unmanned ships.By the numbers: The Corsair, unveiled in October 2024, is 24 feet long. It can travel 1,000 nautical miles, carry 1,000 pounds and hit speeds greater than 35 knots. The Corsair is so much larger than two vessels previously unveiled by Saronic, Spyglass and Cutlass, that the fuel onboard weighs more than the other two boats combined.Follow the money: The Navy in December revealed it had inked a $392 million contract with Saronic for drone-boat production.CEO Dino Mavrookas started his career in the Navy and spent years with SEAL Team Six.Go deeper: Saronic will build 150-foot drone boats at Louisiana shipyardBarak Ravid contributed reporting.

Anthropic and OpenAI spark new race for frontier AI access Frontier AI labs are converging on a new strategy for controlling their most cyber-capable models while still commercializing them: selective access.Why it matters: OpenAIs trusted-access program and a pending program from Anthropic are creating a new power center in cybersecurity where AI companies help decide which defenders can use the most advanced cyber capabilities.For decades, competitive advantage in cybersecurity largely came from talent, data and infrastructure. Now, it also comes from access to models.Driving the news: Anthropic announced Tuesday it will make a version of its Mythos class of models, Fable 5, available to the general public.Fable 5 includes protections that block some high-risk cybersecurity and biology requests and instead route users who ask about those issues to Claude Opus 4.8.At the same time, Anthropic is offering users of its restricted Mythos Preview program an upgrade to its new Mythos 5 model. Dianne Penn, Anthropics head of product management for research and labs, tells Axios the company is being deliberately conservative at launch, meaning some legitimate security work may also get routed away from Fable 5.The intrigue: Anthropic is also working on a formal trusted-access program that would determine who gets access to Mythos 5 and future less restricted models.The company has not provided a timeline for launching the program.Behind the scenes, organizations have spent the last two months lobbying Anthropic for access to Mythos Preview.Last week, the company expanded access to more than 150 companies and governments.The big picture: OpenAI is already using a similar two-tier system.The company has been vetting security researchers and organizations to decide who gets access to models that could help accelerate their cyber defenses.The company rolled out an alternate version of its GPT-5.5 model with fewer guardrails to let those cyber defenders hunt for bugs, study malware and reverse engineer attacks.Between the lines: Its now up to the AI labs to decide who gets access to the cybersecurity industrys most cutting-edge capabilities.Security vendors, researchers and critical infrastructure operators eager to get frontier AI into their products and workflows have been scrambling for access.Reality check: Selective access gives Anthropic and OpenAI the best of both worlds, allowing them to ensure scary hacking capabilities are only in the hands of the good guys — while also finding a way to monetize their increasingly powerful models as they consider entering the public markets. What to watch: Whether trusted-access users begin finding vulnerabilities, conducting research and building products that organizations without access simply cant match.Go deeper: Tapping the powers of Mythos-like models still requires human intervention

House Democrats threaten to withhold DCCC dues after partys California faceplant The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is facing behind-the-scenes fury and demands for a course-correction after spending $135,000 on what appears to be a failed effort to boost their favored candidate in a Democratic primary.Why it matters: Some lawmakers are threatening to withhold their dues to the House Democratic campaign arm if it doesnt change its ways."People think the DCCC doesnt care about them other than their dues," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "They have no say where they go, they dont help [safe-seat] incumbents."Said Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.): "It frustrates me and its just deeply disappointing that the DCCC tried to tip the scales in a very competitive Democratic primary."Driving the news: Progressive activist and political science professor Randy Villegas declared victory on Tuesday in the Democratic contest to take on Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) in Californias 22nd district.Villegas edged out Jasmeet Bains — a more moderate California State Assembly member — with the backing of the Congressional Progressive and Hispanic Caucuses. The two ran roughly even in fundraising and endorsements from House Democrats. Bains had support from the center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus. The DCCC opted to support Bains, adding her to its coveted "Red to Blue" program a month before the primary and launching a $135,000 joint ad buy with her campaign in the final weeks of the race."People were pissed" at the DCCCs support for Bains, said former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, whose group Run for Something supported Villegas."You saw the Hispanic Caucus lose their mind when Jasmeet got put on Red to Blue, you saw progressives get incredibly upset too," he told Axios.Said Grijalva: "It motivated me personally, when the DCCC got involved in this race, for me to go out and be as supportive [of Villegas] as I can."What were hearing: "That money definitely could be used for something else and it was weird to me that the DCCC jumped in when so many caucuses had made a different decision," a second House Democrat who spoke anonymously told Axios.The lawmaker said it "wouldve been better to stay out. Im sure that they had some polling that made them make that decision, but its not my favorite of their decisions.""Voters alone are the ones who should decide who the nominee is," said Grijalva.The intrigue: Some House Democrats are also fuming that the dues members are expected to pay to help secure coveted committee assignments are being used against candidates they endorsed.Said Grijalva: "It makes me take a pause, definitely, when Im considering paying my dues that theyre being used against candidates that Im supporting. Thats really frustrating for me.""Im supposed to give you $175,000 of very difficult-to-raise money," the lawmaker told Axios, "and then the money we give to show were a good team player ... you turn around and spend in primaries?"The other side: "Everyone agrees that the stakes could not be higher for November - and as weve said all cycle, the DCCC will do everything possible to win the majority," said DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz."This includes supporting top-tier candidates who are best positioned to flip their districts in November. Strong nominees allow us to expand our battlefield, spread our resources to more races, and deliver Democrats the biggest majority possible." Merz pointed to the half dozen "Red to Blue" candidates who have won the nomination, including CHC-backed Johnny Garcia in Texas and CPC-supported Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, both of whom faced contested primaries.A Democratic operative familiar with the DCCCs "Red to Blue" selection process stressed that Bains was chosen based on analysis that showed her to be the candidate with the strongest chance of winning the seat in November.Whats next: There are "really serious, direct conversations happening" about this practice with DCCC chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the third House Democrat told Axios.The member said frustrated lawmakers are demanding that the DCCC either stop spending in primaries or spend "equally" among House Democrats ideological factions. Villegas backers say that, at the very least, they want Villegas to get the same level of DCCC support Bains had now that he is the Democratic nominee.Said Hogg: "I really, really hope the DCCC practices what they preach and they consolidate around him and work with him to give him the full financial backing he deserves, because he can win this race."The bottom line: "Were all in to flip every seat in the battlefield, including CA-22," said Merz, "where the primary results made clear voters are prepared to fire David Valadao after he gutted health care for nearly 70,000 of his constituents."

Trump vows response after Iran downs U.S. helicopter President Trump said the U.S. military has determined that Iran shot down the U.S. helicopter that crashed on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz and pledged a military response.Why it matters: The incident took place amid U.S.-Iranian negotiations and just a day after Trump brokered a renewed ceasefire between Iran and Israel. It could ignite a fresh round of escalation.A U.S. official told Axios the investigation determined that an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash. The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether that was intentional.Driving the news: A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache went down near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. As of Tuesday morning U.S. time, officials were still investigating whether Iranian fire brought it down, two American officials and a third source with knowledge tell Axios. Trump later blamed Iran."I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack," Trump wrote on Truth Social.The shootdown came after Israel and Iran exchanged strikes for the first time since the April 8 ceasefire, with Trump urging both sides to show restraint. Zoom in: Both crew members were rescued around 7:30pm ET, about two hours after the helicopter went down off the coast of Oman, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X. They are in stable condition.A source familiar with the incident said there was a dramatic hours-long search before the crew was found. A U.S. Navy drone boat found the crew in the water and carried out the rescue — the first time maritime drones had been used for such a mission, CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told Axios.The drone, made by Saronic, is part of the 5th Fleets Task Force 59, which operates maritime drones, sometimes with AI, Hawkins says.This is a developing story and has been updated throughout.

Drone boat rescues U.S. helicopter crew shot down by Iran The crew of a U.S. Apache attack helicopter shot down by Iran was rescued by a drone-boat known as Corsair.Why it matters: It was a first-of-its-kind operation, with incredibly high stakes. It also offers a glimpse at future warfare, in which humans and smart, militarized machinery operate alongside one another.Driving the news: A spokesperson for Central Command, which oversees American military action across the greater Middle East, told Axios the Corsair "picked up" the crew and "transported them to another location on the water," where they were then "hoisted up to a helicopter."Both crew members are in stable condition.President Trump blamed Iran for shooting down the AH-64 Apache, which is made by Boeing, and vowed a military response.The intrigue: Saronic advertises Corsair as autonomous. It was not immediately clear how it maneuvered during the rescue mission.It was operated by the Navys Task Force 59, which was established in 2021 to experiment with unmanned tech and artificial intelligence and fold them into naval operations.Navy leadership has for years advocated for a hybrid fleet, or a mix of manned and unmanned ships.By the numbers: The Corsair, unveiled in October 2024, is 24 feet long. It can travel 1,000 nautical miles, carry 1,000 pounds and hit speeds greater than 35 knots. The Corsair is so much larger than two vessels previously unveiled by Saronic, Spyglass and Cutlass, that the fuel onboard weighs more than the other two boats combined.Follow the money: The Navy in December revealed it had inked a $392 million contract with Saronic for drone-boat production.CEO Dino Mavrookas started his career in the Navy and spent years with SEAL Team Six.Go deeper: Saronic will build 150-foot drone boats at Louisiana shipyardBarak Ravid contributed reporting.

Anthropic and OpenAI spark new race for frontier AI access Frontier AI labs are converging on a new strategy for controlling their most cyber-capable models while still commercializing them: selective access.Why it matters: OpenAIs trusted-access program and a pending program from Anthropic are creating a new power center in cybersecurity where AI companies help decide which defenders can use the most advanced cyber capabilities.For decades, competitive advantage in cybersecurity largely came from talent, data and infrastructure. Now, it also comes from access to models.Driving the news: Anthropic announced Tuesday it will make a version of its Mythos class of models, Fable 5, available to the general public.Fable 5 includes protections that block some high-risk cybersecurity and biology requests and instead route users who ask about those issues to Claude Opus 4.8.At the same time, Anthropic is offering users of its restricted Mythos Preview program an upgrade to its new Mythos 5 model. Dianne Penn, Anthropics head of product management for research and labs, tells Axios the company is being deliberately conservative at launch, meaning some legitimate security work may also get routed away from Fable 5.The intrigue: Anthropic is also working on a formal trusted-access program that would determine who gets access to Mythos 5 and future less restricted models.The company has not provided a timeline for launching the program.Behind the scenes, organizations have spent the last two months lobbying Anthropic for access to Mythos Preview.Last week, the company expanded access to more than 150 companies and governments.The big picture: OpenAI is already using a similar two-tier system.The company has been vetting security researchers and organizations to decide who gets access to models that could help accelerate their cyber defenses.The company rolled out an alternate version of its GPT-5.5 model with fewer guardrails to let those cyber defenders hunt for bugs, study malware and reverse engineer attacks.Between the lines: Its now up to the AI labs to decide who gets access to the cybersecurity industrys most cutting-edge capabilities.Security vendors, researchers and critical infrastructure operators eager to get frontier AI into their products and workflows have been scrambling for access.Reality check: Selective access gives Anthropic and OpenAI the best of both worlds, allowing them to ensure scary hacking capabilities are only in the hands of the good guys — while also finding a way to monetize their increasingly powerful models as they consider entering the public markets. What to watch: Whether trusted-access users begin finding vulnerabilities, conducting research and building products that organizations without access simply cant match.Go deeper: Tapping the powers of Mythos-like models still requires human intervention

House Democrats threaten to withhold DCCC dues after partys California faceplant The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is facing behind-the-scenes fury and demands for a course-correction after spending $135,000 on what appears to be a failed effort to boost their favored candidate in a Democratic primary.Why it matters: Some lawmakers are threatening to withhold their dues to the House Democratic campaign arm if it doesnt change its ways."People think the DCCC doesnt care about them other than their dues," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "They have no say where they go, they dont help [safe-seat] incumbents."Said Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.): "It frustrates me and its just deeply disappointing that the DCCC tried to tip the scales in a very competitive Democratic primary."Driving the news: Progressive activist and political science professor Randy Villegas declared victory on Tuesday in the Democratic contest to take on Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) in Californias 22nd district.Villegas edged out Jasmeet Bains — a more moderate California State Assembly member — with the backing of the Congressional Progressive and Hispanic Caucuses. The two ran roughly even in fundraising and endorsements from House Democrats. Bains had support from the center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus. The DCCC opted to support Bains, adding her to its coveted "Red to Blue" program a month before the primary and launching a $135,000 joint ad buy with her campaign in the final weeks of the race."People were pissed" at the DCCCs support for Bains, said former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, whose group Run for Something supported Villegas."You saw the Hispanic Caucus lose their mind when Jasmeet got put on Red to Blue, you saw progressives get incredibly upset too," he told Axios.Said Grijalva: "It motivated me personally, when the DCCC got involved in this race, for me to go out and be as supportive [of Villegas] as I can."What were hearing: "That money definitely could be used for something else and it was weird to me that the DCCC jumped in when so many caucuses had made a different decision," a second House Democrat who spoke anonymously told Axios.The lawmaker said it "wouldve been better to stay out. Im sure that they had some polling that made them make that decision, but its not my favorite of their decisions.""Voters alone are the ones who should decide who the nominee is," said Grijalva.The intrigue: Some House Democrats are also fuming that the dues members are expected to pay to help secure coveted committee assignments are being used against candidates they endorsed.Said Grijalva: "It makes me take a pause, definitely, when Im considering paying my dues that theyre being used against candidates that Im supporting. Thats really frustrating for me.""Im supposed to give you $175,000 of very difficult-to-raise money," the lawmaker told Axios, "and then the money we give to show were a good team player ... you turn around and spend in primaries?"The other side: "Everyone agrees that the stakes could not be higher for November - and as weve said all cycle, the DCCC will do everything possible to win the majority," said DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz."This includes supporting top-tier candidates who are best positioned to flip their districts in November. Strong nominees allow us to expand our battlefield, spread our resources to more races, and deliver Democrats the biggest majority possible." Merz pointed to the half dozen "Red to Blue" candidates who have won the nomination, including CHC-backed Johnny Garcia in Texas and CPC-supported Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, both of whom faced contested primaries.A Democratic operative familiar with the DCCCs "Red to Blue" selection process stressed that Bains was chosen based on analysis that showed her to be the candidate with the strongest chance of winning the seat in November.Whats next: There are "really serious, direct conversations happening" about this practice with DCCC chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the third House Democrat told Axios.The member said frustrated lawmakers are demanding that the DCCC either stop spending in primaries or spend "equally" among House Democrats ideological factions. Villegas backers say that, at the very least, they want Villegas to get the same level of DCCC support Bains had now that he is the Democratic nominee.Said Hogg: "I really, really hope the DCCC practices what they preach and they consolidate around him and work with him to give him the full financial backing he deserves, because he can win this race."The bottom line: "Were all in to flip every seat in the battlefield, including CA-22," said Merz, "where the primary results made clear voters are prepared to fire David Valadao after he gutted health care for nearly 70,000 of his constituents."

Trump vows response after Iran downs U.S. helicopter President Trump said the U.S. military has determined that Iran shot down the U.S. helicopter that crashed on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz and pledged a military response.Why it matters: The incident took place amid U.S.-Iranian negotiations and just a day after Trump brokered a renewed ceasefire between Iran and Israel. It could ignite a fresh round of escalation.A U.S. official told Axios the investigation determined that an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash. The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether that was intentional.Driving the news: A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache went down near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. As of Tuesday morning U.S. time, officials were still investigating whether Iranian fire brought it down, two American officials and a third source with knowledge tell Axios. Trump later blamed Iran."I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack," Trump wrote on Truth Social.The shootdown came after Israel and Iran exchanged strikes for the first time since the April 8 ceasefire, with Trump urging both sides to show restraint. Zoom in: Both crew members were rescued around 7:30pm ET, about two hours after the helicopter went down off the coast of Oman, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X. They are in stable condition.A source familiar with the incident said there was a dramatic hours-long search before the crew was found. A U.S. Navy drone boat found the crew in the water and carried out the rescue — the first time maritime drones had been used for such a mission, CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told Axios.The drone, made by Saronic, is part of the 5th Fleets Task Force 59, which operates maritime drones, sometimes with AI, Hawkins says.This is a developing story and has been updated throughout.

Drone boat rescues U.S. helicopter crew shot down by Iran The crew of a U.S. Apache attack helicopter shot down by Iran was rescued by a drone-boat known as Corsair.Why it matters: It was a first-of-its-kind operation, with incredibly high stakes. It also offers a glimpse at future warfare, in which humans and smart, militarized machinery operate alongside one another.Driving the news: A spokesperson for Central Command, which oversees American military action across the greater Middle East, told Axios the Corsair "picked up" the crew and "transported them to another location on the water," where they were then "hoisted up to a helicopter."Both crew members are in stable condition.President Trump blamed Iran for shooting down the AH-64 Apache, which is made by Boeing, and vowed a military response.The intrigue: Saronic advertises Corsair as autonomous. It was not immediately clear how it maneuvered during the rescue mission.It was operated by the Navys Task Force 59, which was established in 2021 to experiment with unmanned tech and artificial intelligence and fold them into naval operations.Navy leadership has for years advocated for a hybrid fleet, or a mix of manned and unmanned ships.By the numbers: The Corsair, unveiled in October 2024, is 24 feet long. It can travel 1,000 nautical miles, carry 1,000 pounds and hit speeds greater than 35 knots. The Corsair is so much larger than two vessels previously unveiled by Saronic, Spyglass and Cutlass, that the fuel onboard weighs more than the other two boats combined.Follow the money: The Navy in December revealed it had inked a $392 million contract with Saronic for drone-boat production.CEO Dino Mavrookas started his career in the Navy and spent years with SEAL Team Six.Go deeper: Saronic will build 150-foot drone boats at Louisiana shipyardBarak Ravid contributed reporting.

Anthropic and OpenAI spark new race for frontier AI access Frontier AI labs are converging on a new strategy for controlling their most cyber-capable models while still commercializing them: selective access.Why it matters: OpenAIs trusted-access program and a pending program from Anthropic are creating a new power center in cybersecurity where AI companies help decide which defenders can use the most advanced cyber capabilities.For decades, competitive advantage in cybersecurity largely came from talent, data and infrastructure. Now, it also comes from access to models.Driving the news: Anthropic announced Tuesday it will make a version of its Mythos class of models, Fable 5, available to the general public.Fable 5 includes protections that block some high-risk cybersecurity and biology requests and instead route users who ask about those issues to Claude Opus 4.8.At the same time, Anthropic is offering users of its restricted Mythos Preview program an upgrade to its new Mythos 5 model. Dianne Penn, Anthropics head of product management for research and labs, tells Axios the company is being deliberately conservative at launch, meaning some legitimate security work may also get routed away from Fable 5.The intrigue: Anthropic is also working on a formal trusted-access program that would determine who gets access to Mythos 5 and future less restricted models.The company has not provided a timeline for launching the program.Behind the scenes, organizations have spent the last two months lobbying Anthropic for access to Mythos Preview.Last week, the company expanded access to more than 150 companies and governments.The big picture: OpenAI is already using a similar two-tier system.The company has been vetting security researchers and organizations to decide who gets access to models that could help accelerate their cyber defenses.The company rolled out an alternate version of its GPT-5.5 model with fewer guardrails to let those cyber defenders hunt for bugs, study malware and reverse engineer attacks.Between the lines: Its now up to the AI labs to decide who gets access to the cybersecurity industrys most cutting-edge capabilities.Security vendors, researchers and critical infrastructure operators eager to get frontier AI into their products and workflows have been scrambling for access.Reality check: Selective access gives Anthropic and OpenAI the best of both worlds, allowing them to ensure scary hacking capabilities are only in the hands of the good guys — while also finding a way to monetize their increasingly powerful models as they consider entering the public markets. What to watch: Whether trusted-access users begin finding vulnerabilities, conducting research and building products that organizations without access simply cant match.Go deeper: Tapping the powers of Mythos-like models still requires human intervention

House Democrats threaten to withhold DCCC dues after partys California faceplant The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is facing behind-the-scenes fury and demands for a course-correction after spending $135,000 on what appears to be a failed effort to boost their favored candidate in a Democratic primary.Why it matters: Some lawmakers are threatening to withhold their dues to the House Democratic campaign arm if it doesnt change its ways."People think the DCCC doesnt care about them other than their dues," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "They have no say where they go, they dont help [safe-seat] incumbents."Said Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.): "It frustrates me and its just deeply disappointing that the DCCC tried to tip the scales in a very competitive Democratic primary."Driving the news: Progressive activist and political science professor Randy Villegas declared victory on Tuesday in the Democratic contest to take on Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) in Californias 22nd district.Villegas edged out Jasmeet Bains — a more moderate California State Assembly member — with the backing of the Congressional Progressive and Hispanic Caucuses. The two ran roughly even in fundraising and endorsements from House Democrats. Bains had support from the center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus. The DCCC opted to support Bains, adding her to its coveted "Red to Blue" program a month before the primary and launching a $135,000 joint ad buy with her campaign in the final weeks of the race."People were pissed" at the DCCCs support for Bains, said former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, whose group Run for Something supported Villegas."You saw the Hispanic Caucus lose their mind when Jasmeet got put on Red to Blue, you saw progressives get incredibly upset too," he told Axios.Said Grijalva: "It motivated me personally, when the DCCC got involved in this race, for me to go out and be as supportive [of Villegas] as I can."What were hearing: "That money definitely could be used for something else and it was weird to me that the DCCC jumped in when so many caucuses had made a different decision," a second House Democrat who spoke anonymously told Axios.The lawmaker said it "wouldve been better to stay out. Im sure that they had some polling that made them make that decision, but its not my favorite of their decisions.""Voters alone are the ones who should decide who the nominee is," said Grijalva.The intrigue: Some House Democrats are also fuming that the dues members are expected to pay to help secure coveted committee assignments are being used against candidates they endorsed.Said Grijalva: "It makes me take a pause, definitely, when Im considering paying my dues that theyre being used against candidates that Im supporting. Thats really frustrating for me.""Im supposed to give you $175,000 of very difficult-to-raise money," the lawmaker told Axios, "and then the money we give to show were a good team player ... you turn around and spend in primaries?"The other side: "Everyone agrees that the stakes could not be higher for November - and as weve said all cycle, the DCCC will do everything possible to win the majority," said DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz."This includes supporting top-tier candidates who are best positioned to flip their districts in November. Strong nominees allow us to expand our battlefield, spread our resources to more races, and deliver Democrats the biggest majority possible." Merz pointed to the half dozen "Red to Blue" candidates who have won the nomination, including CHC-backed Johnny Garcia in Texas and CPC-supported Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, both of whom faced contested primaries.A Democratic operative familiar with the DCCCs "Red to Blue" selection process stressed that Bains was chosen based on analysis that showed her to be the candidate with the strongest chance of winning the seat in November.Whats next: There are "really serious, direct conversations happening" about this practice with DCCC chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the third House Democrat told Axios.The member said frustrated lawmakers are demanding that the DCCC either stop spending in primaries or spend "equally" among House Democrats ideological factions. Villegas backers say that, at the very least, they want Villegas to get the same level of DCCC support Bains had now that he is the Democratic nominee.Said Hogg: "I really, really hope the DCCC practices what they preach and they consolidate around him and work with him to give him the full financial backing he deserves, because he can win this race."The bottom line: "Were all in to flip every seat in the battlefield, including CA-22," said Merz, "where the primary results made clear voters are prepared to fire David Valadao after he gutted health care for nearly 70,000 of his constituents."

The white-collar jobs contradiction that isnt Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Note: Core white-collar is the sum of employment in financial activities, information, and professional and business services sectors; Chart: Neil Irwin/AxiosThe market for many types of white-collar professional workers is bad. The overall U.S. job market is pretty healthy. There is less of a contradiction here than it might seem.The big picture: These are gloomy times for many office workers — their employers shedding payroll, their livelihoods threatened by AI. But the jobs seemingly under the greatest threat right now amount to a small share of overall employment.Moreover, it isnt historically unusual for major sectors of the economy to shed jobs even as the overall labor market remains healthy.What is unusual is that job losses are occurring in sectors that have usually added to payrolls outside of recessions.State of play: Cumulative employment in financial activities, information and professional and business services peaked in April 2023 and has fallen 2 since then. Employment in all other sectors is up 3.7 in that span.These sectors disproportionately employ college-educated staff with high wages in office settings — economist Gad Levanon calls them "core white-collar employment."They added an average of 49,000 jobs a month in the decade through April 2023, but since then have lost an average of 19,000 jobs a month.That likely reflects a mix of employers concluding they overhired during the COVID-19 pandemic, the streamlining of work processes and some anticipatory cost-cutting to take advantage of AI productivity gains.Between the lines: That may confirm the anecdotes and intuition that these are difficult times for white-collar workers — who, we should note, are overrepresented in both those who produce and consume economic news.But it doesnt reflect the broader reality of the massive U.S. job market.By the numbers: Those core white-collar sectors amount to 34 million jobs, about 22 of the total U.S. employment of 159 million.Far more people work in hospitals, restaurants and schools than in tech companies or consulting firms.As such, its not arithmetically difficult to achieve the situation were seeing now — a low 4.3 unemployment rate, an economy adding 114,000 jobs a month so far this year, historically low levels of claims for jobless benefits — even as professional-class jobs are in decline.Yes, but: That could change if AI causes job opportunities to diminish more rapidly than they have thus far.It also could change if the labor-saving implications of the technology become more obvious outside of the types of jobs that involve moving around words, numbers and code on a screen.The fact that white-collar employment has been falling even in a time of strong GDP growth raises the possibility that it could become a bloodbath whenever the economy next tips into recession.Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Neil Irwin/AxiosFor a historical analog of how employment can be depressed in a major sector even amid an otherwise solid job market, the manufacturing sector in the 2000s tells the story.It shows how reallocation of labor across sectors can happen — and cause pain, even when the overall numbers turn out fine.Flashback: In the 2001 recession, manufacturing employment plunged. It reflected both cyclical factors and more profound pressure on U.S. manufacturing wrought by a deepening trade relationship with China and advances in offshoring.Five years later, the overall job market had rebounded. The unemployment rate averaged 4.6 in 2006, and there were millions more jobs than at the 2000 pre-recession peak.The falloff in manufacturing jobs proved permanent, however. Manufacturing employment was 18 lower in 2006 than in 2000, with 3 million fewer jobs.To this day, factory employment has not come close to returning to its pre-2001 levels. There were only 12.6 million manufacturing jobs in the U.S. as of last month, down from more than 17 million in 2000.Zoom in: By 2006, jobs were abundant in the aggregate, but that didnt mean that the factory workers who lost work in the early 2000s were made whole.An entire set of economic literature around the "China shock" shows that job losses were concentrated in certain sectors and locations, and many who lost work ended up retiring early, becoming indefinitely unemployed, or working in lower-wage jobs.It likely contributed to deeper dysfunctions of post-industrial America, including the opioid epidemic and a rise in "deaths of despair."The bottom line: As America zooms toward an AI-fueled future, keeping the job market healthy in the aggregate is necessary, but not sufficient, to avoid deeper societal problems.