1 big thing

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium in Wyoming on Friday that inflation remains too high. He added that the central bank is prepared to raise interest rates further in the coming months.

The big picture: Mortgage rates are already at a two-decade high and so far this year has had a record number of media layoffs. Why does this strong economy feel so weak in some areas?

Guests: Axios' Neil Irwin and Ina Fried.

Credits: Axios Today was produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, Fonda Mwangi, Robin Linn and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can send questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

Former President Donald Trump turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail on Thursday evening. Trump was booked on 13 state felony charges for his interference in the 2020 election.

The big picture: All this is happening on the backdrop of the 2024 presidential election. Even though former President Trump wasn't at the first GOP primary debate on Wednesday night, he certainly dominated the conversation. We take a look the state of play for the GOP presidential nominees.

• Plus, the rise of right-wing pop music.

Guests: Axios' Erin Doherty and The Atlanta-Journal Constitution's Tamar Hallerman.

Credits: Axios Today was produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, Fonda Mwangi, Robin Linn, Lydia McMullen-Laird and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can send questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a private plane that crashed north of Moscow on Wednesday, killing all 10 passengers according to Russian authorities.

The big picture: In June, Prigozhin led a rebellion against the Russian military leadership. It was seen as the biggest challenge to President Vladimir Putin's rule since he came to power more than two decades ago. We take a deeper look at the plane crash and what it means for Russian forces.

Guests: Axios' Miriam Kramer and Maria Curi; The Washington Post's Missy Ryan.

Credits: Axios Today was produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, Fonda Mwangi, Robin Linn, Lydia McMullen-Laird and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can send questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

The first Republican presidential primary debate is Wednesday night in Milwaukee. Fox News is moderating the event and eight candidates will hit the stage at 9 p.m. ET. But, former president Trump isn't one of them.

The big picture: Trump said on his Truth Social on Sunday he will "not be doing the debates." Which begs the question – do debates even matter anymore? We take a deeper look at the answer to that question.

Guests: Axios' David Lindsey, Analis Bailey and Andrew Keatts.

Credits: Axios Today was produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, Fonda Mwangi, Robin Linn and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can send questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

At least 100 million Americans have some sort of medical debt. But, the group with the highest rates of medical debt might surprise you.

The big picture: Nearly 1 in 4 middle-class Americans, people who earn $50,000-$100,000 a year, have unpaid medical bills, according to a new report from the think tank Third Way. We take a look at why middle-class Americans have the highest rates of medical debt.

Guests: Axios' Tina Reed and Stephen Totilo.

Credits: Axios Today was produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, Fonda Mwangi and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can send questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

The school year is once again beginning without enough teachers. Turnover rates are high and fewer young people want to go into the profession.

The big picture: According to research from the Kansas State University's College of Education, there are more than 30,000 teacher vacancies in the US, and more than 160,000 jobs that are filled by teachers who aren't qualified. Axios' Erica Pandey shares what states and districts are doing to try to solve this persistent problem.

Guests: Axios' Erica Pandey, Andrew Freedman, and Emily Peck.

Credits: Axios Today was produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can send questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

A coup in Niger and its violent aftermath has Western powers including the US scrambling to keep an anti-terrorism presence in the region, and the turmoil is also affecting China's relationship with the West African nation. As one of the largest investors in Niger, China has put billions into its oil sector, for one.

But across the continent in Tanzania, China's role looks different. There, the Chinese communist party's first overseas training institute is teaching its up-and-coming African leaders Beijing's approach to governing. It's part of China's plan to create an authoritarian-friendly political bloc in Africa.

Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian went to Tanzania as part of the investigative series China's Shadow Empire, funded by the Pulitzer Center.

Guests: Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian.

Credits: This special episode of Axios Today was produced by Lydia McMullen-Laird, Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can send questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

This week saw former President Trump's fourth indictment, this time in Fulton County, Georgia. And for this racketeering indictment Trump's tweets are coming back to haunt him.

The big picture: Just as things are heating up for the 2024 election cycle, the former president has five trials scheduled between now and May. We take a look at why these indictments seem to be happening all at once and what to expect from the upcoming GOP debate.

Guests: Axios' Zachary Basu and Marina Franco.

Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, Fonda Mwangi, Lydia McMullen-Laird and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can send questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

At least 106 people are confirmed dead and an estimated 1,300 are still missing, a week after Hawaii's deadly wildfires which almost completely razed the town of Lahaina on Maui. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said earlier this week that there will be no survivors left.

The big picture: Officials are still recovering and identifying human remains. And teams involved in recovery efforts for 9/11 and the devastating 2018 Camp Fire in California are on the ground aiding in the search.

Guests: Axios' Javier David and USC Davis' Dr. Richard John Bold

Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, Fonda Mwangi, Lydia McMullen-Laird and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

Illinois is the first state in the country to pass legislation to protect child social media influencers. The new law ensures children under 16 featured in online videos and platforms are compensated for their work.

The big picture: Most social media platforms don't allow children to have an account until they are 13. But, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram are flooded with pages, run by adults, gaining income by using young kids in their content. We take a look at how Illinois' law could change things around the country.