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Mitch McConnell is facing a frontal assault from emboldened pro-Trump Republicans eager to unseat him as the Senate’s GOP leader.

Why it matters: The Kentuckian has long been viewed as the most powerful Republican in Congress, a figure many in the party have feared turning into an enemy. His endurance has allowed him to reshape the Supreme Court and dictate much of the national political agenda for over a decade.

The House on Tuesday evening unanimously voted to pass a bill that would ban all imports from the Chinese region of Xinjiang unless the U.S. government determines that the products were not made with forced labor.

Driving the news: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) reached a compromise agreement earlier on Tuesday on the final legislative text of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

1. Health: U.S. COVID death toll tops 800,000 — COVID may qualify as disability under ADA, EEOC says — Fighting COVID misinformation with cartoons.
2. Vaccines: Millions of America's seniors are vulnerable to Omicron — NFL requires coaches and some staff get COVID vaccine boosters.
3. States: Colorado governor says COVID "medical emergency" is over — Supreme Court declines to block NY's COVID vaccine mandate for health care workers
4. World: COVID vaccine passports boost uptake in countries with lower coverage, study finds — U.K. raises COVID alert following surge in Omicron cases — Africa may not hit 70% vaccination target until late 2024, WHO warns.
5. Variant tracker: Where different strains are spreading.

The recorded number of coronavirus deaths in the United States surpassed 800,000 on Tuesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Why it matters: The figure comes amid fear that the newly-discovered Omicron variant, which was detected in the U.S. earlier this month, may drive up cases further. The U.S. went from 700,000 deaths to 800,000 in just over two months.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that former President Trump cannot shield his tax returns from congressional Democrats.

Why it matters: Trump's tax returns are the subject of an inquiry by the House Committee on Ways and Means. He has fought the release to the panel for over two years.

Companies are rushing to build for a metaverse — even as consumers are still trying to understand the concept.

Driving the news: Nike just acquired RTFKT, a developer of digital goods, including virtual sneakers and NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Meanwhile, Applebee’s is launching a new NFT every Monday this month, following White Castle’s move into crypto.

Senate Democrats on Tuesday voted 50-49 to raise the debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion, which will extend it beyond the 2022 midterms.

Why it matters: This is the largest debt ceiling increase in recent history. The bill is now headed to the House, which will pass the measure a day before Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's Dec. 15 deadline to deal with the debt limit or risk a potential default.

At least 36 tornadoes touched down in more than six states Friday into Saturday, as a powerful storm system moved across the Central and southern U.S., the National Weather Service has concluded. Those numbers will fluctuate, and are likely to increase, in coming days, the agency cautioned.

The big picture: The outbreak left at least 88 dead, dozens injured and caused billions in damage. NWS survey teams continue to assess damage to assign intensity ratings to individual tornadoes, and several have turned out to be on the high end of the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine (D) announced Tuesday that he has filed a lawsuit against the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers over the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

Why it matters: Racine said the lawsuit is the first to be filed "by a state or municipal government to hold accountable the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers and more than 30 of their leaders and members for conspiring to terrorize the District of Columbia and for unlawfully interfering with our country’s peaceful transition of power."

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) told "Axios on HBO" that the Republican Party must "step away from cult worship" and not hand over the organization to just one person.

The big picture: Clyburn said the fate of the country lies not only on Democrats attempting to pass sweeping voting reform and other major legislation, but also on Republicans and independents: "It's high time that we ... think about what's best for this country. If you want to think about what's best for one person, you are teetering on one-person rule. That's an autocracy."

A groundbreaking report finds that businesses in the U.S. could lose more than 3.1 million days of operation next year due to increasing flood risks from human-caused global warming. This total may grow to 4 million days by 2051, the report predicts, warning of ripple effects throughout local economies.

The big picture: Previous reports had looked at residential and critical infrastructure exposure. This is the first detailed report examining commercial real estate's increasing vulnerability.

COVID is affecting the sports world in ways not seen since before the vaccine became widely available.

Why it matters: These recent disruptions may portend a fifth wave of the pandemic, spurred on by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Peloton's new parody ad is getting lots of attention, helping to offset a brief crisis tied to the debut of HBO's "Sex and the City" sequel Thursday.

Why it matters: The quick turnaround of its new ad helped give Peloton's stock a small boost Monday, following a weekend of bad headlines.

Former top Tesla engineer Peter Rawlinson — now CEO of rival Lucid Motors — tells "Axios on HBO" that Elon Musk is guilty of “historical revisionism” for downplaying Rawlinson's role in developing the Tesla Model S.

Why it matters: The rivalry between the two companies is intense. Tesla has dominated the global market for electric vehicles for a decade. But Lucid's debut model, with an unprecedented 520-mile driving range, represents a real threat.

The space industry's tremendous year of huge investments, major human launches and hundreds of satellites sent to space also laid bare just how far the sector has to go before it fully matures.

Why it matters: Years like 2021 help bolster predictions the space industry could be worth more than $1 trillion by 2040.

Half of Americans say it should be illegal for companies to deny service or employment to the unvaccinated, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: This carries real political risk for Democrats as President Biden's mandates on federal workers and large employers meet legal challenges across the country and Republicans use try to use the implementation of mandates as a wedge issue.

New data from South Africa and Europe hint that Omicron cases are poised to explode in the U.S., where the vast majority of the population isn't well protected against infection.

Driving the news: A new analysis by South Africa's largest private insurer paints a picture of Omicron's clinical risk: Two doses of Pfizer's vaccine appear to be significantly less effective against severe disease with Omicron than previous variants.

Vox Media, which houses sites like Vox.com, Eater and SB Nation, has signed a deal to acquire Group Nine Media, the digital company home to brands like NowThis, The Dodo, PopSugar, Thrillist and Seeker, the company said Monday.

Why it matters: The merger will create a digital media behemoth. Both companies have acquired major digital franchises in the past year to bolster their scale ahead of the combination.

Democratic Senate candidates across the board are campaigning on a message to reform the filibuster as they seek to increase their party's majority next year.

Why it matters: Candidates have traditionally run by telling voters what policies they'll enact in office. Now, they're highlighting the tool they want to use to pass such things as voting rights legislation, a minimum wage increase and abortion access safeguards.

Both parties are ramping up fundraising for secretary of state races, which in just a couple of years have gone from obscure down-ballot contests to high-profile races that could reshape American democracy.

Why it matters: Secretaries of state are many states' chief election administrators, making them crucial to efforts to alter election rules. Former President Trump is working to game the rules in his favor — and Democrats are trying to impede him.

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection unanimously approved a resolution Monday to recommend that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena.

Why it matters: The committee's focus on the former White House chief of staff brings them one step closer to the former president. Texts read aloud during the briefing hearing showed Donald Trump Jr. pleading with Meadows to have his father urge an end to the Capitol assault.

Libya’s Dec. 24 presidential election is now all but certain to be postponed due to a dispute over who can run, raising fears that a period of relative calm will soon come to an end.

Why it matters: Many feared that a rushed, winner-take-all election in the deeply divided country would spark renewed conflict. A delay carries risks of its own.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to travel to Israel next week for discussions on Iran as negotiations continue in Vienna on a possible return to the 2015 nuclear deal, three senior Israeli officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: The Israeli government is concerned that the Biden administration could opt for a “less for less” deal if the path back to the original agreement remains stuck. Israeli officials claim such a deal will give Iran sanctions relief without rolling back its nuclear program.