Russell Contreras

America's fastest-growing religious group is also one of the hardest — and costliest — to reach: the "nones."Why it matters: Religiously unaffiliated Americans now make up a large and growing share...

America's classic neighborhood watch programs are fading as AI-powered apps turn neighborhoods into digital watch zones.Why it matters: The automation of neighborhood safety with tools like Amazon'...

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates; Chart: Russell Contreras/AxiosThe demographic landscape of the U.S. is undergoing a dramatic outward shift as growth shifts from cities ...

The post-2024 narrative that Latino voters shifted right is facing its first real stress test — including in districts Republicans thought were safely red.Why it matters: The biggest immediate test...

Pope Leo XIV is expected to sign his first encyclical as soon as Friday, positioning artificial intelligence as the defining moral and labor challenge of a new industrial revolution.Why it matters:...

More older Americans are falling into poverty in suburbs built for middle-class stability.Why it matters: Suburbs lack the transit, housing and services that help cushion poverty in cities, leaving...

Fewer Americans want to become pastors, accelerating a leadership vacuum inside one of the country's oldest civic institutions.Why it matters: As the pastor role becomes lower-paid, higher-risk and...

Data: Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA); Chart: Russell Contreras/AxiosViolent crime fell sharply across the largest U.S. cities in early 2026, extending a nationwide decline that began after ...

President Trump's own voters overwhelmingly rejected his social media post depicting himself as Jesus — a rare break in today's tribal politics, a new poll finds.Why it matters: The backlash unders...

Data: Anti-Defamation League annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents; Chart: Russell Contreras/AxiosPhysical assaults against Jewish people in the U.S. last year reached the highest levels since 1979...

A generational and structural shift is decoupling Black identity from Democratic Party loyalty, transforming a once-reliable voting bloc into a cohort of "political free agents" that the GOP is uni...

Artificial intelligence is wiping out some entry-level work that trains the next generation of elite lawyers.Why it matters: Big Law's entire business model depends on armies of junior associates l...

Asian Americans report higher levels of anxiety than any other racial group in the U.S., a new survey finds.Why it matters: As Washington hardens its policies on immigration, citizenship and its re...

The Supreme Court just narrowed a landmark voting law for a nation that has never been more diverse — or more divided over who gets political power.Why it matters: The latest ruling lands in a more...

America is becoming more multiracial, but its data systems are still thinking in black and white. Why it matters: Outdated measurement systems are shaping how elections are analyzed, health risks a...

The Vatican is racing to build digital defenses for the artificial intelligence era — and quietly positioning itself as a global referee of what's real.Why it matters: The Holy See is moving faster...

Escalating tensions between Pope Leo XIV and President Trump may hinge on something unusually simple: the pope doesn't need a translator.The big picture: Leo's native-level English removes a long-s...

Data: Gallup; Chart: Axios VisualsNew polling shows an uptick in religious fervor among young men, even as overall U.S. levels remain near historic lows. Why it matters: Gen Z still has the highes...

Pope Leo XIV and President Trump are escalating a high-stakes clash over immigration and the Iran war, exposing a rare and widening divide between the Vatican and the White House.Why it matters: Th...

Data: FBI/Brian Levin; Chart: Russell Contreras/AxiosAnti-Latino and anti-Sikh hate crimes in the U.S. soared to new records in 2025, even as overall hate crimes declined, according to preliminary ...