💓 Axios PM: Dating meets data

👋 Happy Monday afternoon. Today's newsletter, edited by Herb Scribner, is 771 words, a 3-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.

🚨 Bulletin: Seattle police arrested a 15-year-old suspect today after a shootout left three dead and four injured at a crowded food festival near the Space Needle yesterday. The teen is being held in juvenile detention.

• Law enforcement officials said they're still looking for a second suspect, but couldn't rule out the possibility that the second suspect was among those killed. Get the latest.

💞 Young single adults have a new matchmaker — data, The Wall Street Journal reports.

• Why it matters: Dating life is increasingly being shaped by apps and AI tools rather than intuition or advice from friends.

💻 How it works: Singles go on dates with people they've met then talk about the date with friends afterward.

• But some are plugging "core values into an app" to "assess compatibility," the Journal reports.

🌹 The spreadsheet or app they use will then evaluate the data to determine if the partners are a good fit.

• One woman told the WSJ she uses an app called Spread to help make dating decisions.

🤖 The big picture: More singles are incorporating AI and data tools into dating decisions, Axios' Megan Morrone writes.

• Match Group, the owner of Tinder and Hinge, surveyed about 1,000 U.S. singles about AI and dating. 64% said that AI helps them create a stronger dating profile, make conversation and plan dates.

🥊 Reality check: This isn't for everyone. Some don't want a partner who's using AI for dating.

• In the Match Group survey, about 20% said they would refuse to date someone who uses an AI companion app.

👀 What we're watching: Hinge founder Justin McLeod has created a new platform called Overtone, an AI-enabled matchmaking service that gets to know its users, then pairs them off.

🖥️ Fun fact: If this sounds familiar, it's because a "Black Mirror" episode has a similar plot.

• Go deeper (gift link) ... Get Axios AI+.

President Trump told Axios' Barak Ravid that he's pausing U.S. strikes on Iran in order to give negotiations another chance. But he stressed that he could order a return to expanded military operations if diplomacy fails.

• "We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action," Trump said in the phone interview.

🎨 The big picture: The current negotiations are focused on a new deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and relaunch talks on a comprehensive nuclear deal.

• Asked how long he's willing to give diplomacy, the president said: "Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all."

👀 What to watch: Trump will meet tomorrow at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

• "I am going to talk to Bibi about the fact that if I weren't president, Iran would have had nuclear weapons by now and Israel would have been destroyed," Trump said.

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75% of Americans share science articles based on the headline alone. That “headline-only” culture shapes how people understand health and science — and it’s a major driver of misinformation.

The full picture is worth a few more minutes.

1. 🔥 Wildfires in France are threatening the famed wine-growing region of Bordeaux and creating hazardous conditions that are fueling new fires. Go deeper.
2. 📈 Gallup's Economic Confidence Index rose to -31 in July, up 14 points from its May low of -45, though Americans remain broadly pessimistic about the economy. Explore the data.
3. 🥞 The Cracker Barrel CEO who led the company through a marketing transformation that sparked a MAGA backlash, Julie Masino, is leaving the company. David Deno — a former CEO of Bloomin' Brands, the owner of Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill — will succeed her on Aug. 10, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports.
4. 🤑 Americans spent $166 billion on sports betting in 2025, which is more than the revenue generated by the American movie, music, book and museum industries combined, turning it into "America's favorite pastime," Fortune reports.

🍿 Pop culture and the entertainment business collided this weekend at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

• Fans packed the halls of the San Diego Convention Center, dressed in cosplay outfits to celebrate their favorite heroes, villains and characters from across pop culture.

🎬 Over the weekend, Marvel Studios announced "Black Panther III," with "Sinners" director Ryan Coogler back at the helm, and "Ghost Rider," starring Ryan Gosling.

• Rick Moranis teased the sequel to "Spaceballs" (simply titled, "Spaceballs: The New One,") and Johnny Depp teased his "A Christmas Carol" adaptation "Ebenezer" — his first major studio film in eight years.

💭 Thought bubble from Herb, a self-professed nerd: Marvel Studios generated the most hype, but the convention's huge attendance showed that nerd culture is alive and well. I'm very excited for the coming year of movies, comics and gaming!

80% of Americans say science misinformation is a major problem. Social media is both the top source of science news and the top source of confusion. That loop is exactly why understanding how science actually works matters more than ever.

Learn more.

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