View in browser   PRESENTED BY THE BOEING COMPANY   Axios PM By Mike Allen · Jan 04, 2024 👋 Happy Thursday! Today's PM — edited by Noah Bressner — is 494 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for the copy edit.      1 big thing: Hate crime horror Data: Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Chart: Axios Visuals Most of the nation's 10 largest cities saw major surges in hate crimes last year, increases that averaged 11% to a record 2,173 cases, Axios' Russell Contreras writes from a new preliminary report. Why it matters: The third straight year of spikes came as the Israel-Hamas war sparked jumps in antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes in the last months of 2023. The U.S. was on course to end 2023 with one of the largest annual drops in homicides on record. But hate crimes continue to rise. Hate crimes are typically defined as violence stemming from victims' race, color, sexuality, religion or national origin. 🔎 Zoom in: Houston saw 85 hate crimes in 2023 — a 193% increase from the year before, according to an Axios review of a draft report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. That was the largest percentage spike of the nation's 10 largest cities last year. San Diego (47%), Chicago (43%) and Los Angeles (13%) hit records dating back to the early 1990s when national hate crimes data collection began. Keep reading.         2. 👀 Scoop: Conservative buyers eye Messenger Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   A group of conservative media operators met with The Messenger founder Jimmy Finkelstein at Mar-a-Lago to discuss acquiring a majority stake in his digital news outlet, two sources familiar with the conversation told Axios' Sara Fischer. Why it matters: The proposal — $30 million for a 51% position — could provide The Messenger with a much-needed lifeline but would require Finkelstein to give up control. The Messenger, which launched with $50 million in funding, brought in less than $5 million in top-line revenue last year and isn't profitable, according to a source familiar. Sources told Axios that Finkelstein said he would consider the offer but nothing was finalized. Keep reading ... Get Axios Media Trends.         A MESSAGE FROM THE BOEING COMPANY Proud to partner with veterans     The pursuit is in all of us, including veterans who discover a new purpose with Boeing. We offer pathways for veterans to use the experience gained during their service to drive aerospace innovation forward. Together, we pursue the next horizon.     3. Catch me up Data: Gallup. Chart: Axios Visuals None of the federal government's top figures have earned a job approval above 50%, Axios' Shauneen Miranda writes. A 17-year-old high school student shot and killed a middle school student and injured five others in Perry, Iowa — a small town about 40 minutes northwest of Des Moines, Axios' Linh Ta writes. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in Iran that killed more than 80 people who had gathered for a ceremony honoring a commander killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020. More from Axios' Barak Ravid.         4. ⚡ Epstein traffic crashes sites Screenshot: X A traffic boost to major websites hosting the newly unsealed court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein led to long outages yesterday, Axios' Emma Loop writes. Why it matters: The monumental traffic surge underscores the widespread public interest in Epstein and his network of wealthy associates. Interest in the documents overloaded sites such as PACER, the federal court system's document repository; DocumentCloud, a site that journalists use to store documents; and CourtListener, which provides free access to court records. Keep reading.         A MESSAGE FROM THE BOEING COMPANY Achieving sustainable aerospace together     Together with our industry partners, Boeing is defining a sustainable future of flight to meet aviation’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 with a near-term focus on sustainable aviation fuels. We innovate for a better tomorrow.