Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) offered her endorsement Tuesday to Marie Newman, who is challenging conservative-leaning Illinois Democrat Rep. Dan Lipinski.
Why it matters: This is the lawmaker's first endorsement of the 2020 cycle. Ocasio-Cortez was elected in 2018 after successfully challenging incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), who was the fourth-highest Democrat in Congress. Her backing "could turn out progressives and turn off centrists in the suburban Chicago district," writes the Chicago Sun Times.
Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski refused to answer questions from the House Judiciary Committee that involved conversations with President Trump not referenced in the Mueller report, dealing a blow to Democrats hoping for new revelations in what the committee has labeled its first "impeachment hearing."
2020 candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren has surged 6% since July in a new WSJ/NBC poll of 506 Democratic primary voters, breaking out from the rest of the field to secure her spot in 2nd place (25%) behind former Vice President Joe Biden (31%).
The big picture: Despite polling behind Biden in the overall horserace, Warren led the pack when voters were asked which candidates they feel "enthusiastic" about. The poll shows her enthusiasm figures have grown from 20% in March to 35% in September, while Biden has dropped from 33% to 23%. On Monday night, Warren drew her largest campaign rally crowd of the 2020 cycle when over 20,000 people came out to New York City's Washington Square Park.
Unrecorded archaeological sites within Arizona’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument could be destroyed by President Trump's border wall construction, according to a newly public National Park Service report obtained by the Washington Post.
The big picture: Customs and Border Patrol plans to finish construction through the Arizona International Biosphere Reserve by January, according to the report. Construction began on Aug. 29. The Trump administration told Axios in August it expects to build 450 miles of wall by the end of 2020 — but was unable to say when it would add its 1st mile of new wall to a border area without pre-existing barriers.
President Trump told reporters Tuesday his top 5 candidates to replace former national security adviser John Bolton, after saying last week that he was considering 15 candidates for the position.
Why it matters: The U.S., either on a diplomatic or military level, is currently engaged in conflicts with Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and Afghanistan. Trump has thus far in his term had 3 national security advisers, a crucial position that heads up the White House National Security Council.
The Pentagon is preparing to release a report on the perpetrator of the attacks against Saudi Arabian oil facilities by Thursday, a U.S. defense official told Bloomberg.
Rep. Paul Cook (R-Calif.) will retire at the end of his term in 2020 and announce a run for a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The big picture: Cook is the 18th Republican overall to retire from the House during this term, but it's worth noting that his district remains distinctly tilted toward the GOP despite Democratic investment in the area. Cook was re-elected with more than 62% of the vote in 2018, and President Trump beat Mitt Romney's performance in the district during the 2016 presidential election.
The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday scheduled a hearing for Sept. 23 titled, "Presidential Corruption: Emoluments and Profiting off the Presidency."
The big picture: The hearing is part of the committee's efforts to broaden its impeachment investigation of President Trump to include allegations of corruption that extend beyond the contents of the Mueller report. Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced in August that the committee would specifically investigate Trump's proposal to host the 2020 G7 summit at the Trump National Doral resort in Miami, arguing that the president's"personal financial interests are clearly shaping decisions about official U.S. government activities."
Security officials and social media giants are warning that new countries, specifically Iran and China, could pose a misinformation threat to U.S. elections in 2020 similar to Russia's interference in 2016.
Why it matters: As President Trump faces off with Iran and China on the international stage, there is growing fear they could try to influence the next U.S. election right under his nose.
