Axios

Republicans are divided in their approach to defend President Trump in the impeachment inquiry, AP reports.

What's happening: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has privately advised his colleagues to say as little about impeachment as possible. Last month, he held a meeting on the Senate's trial rules of procedure. Meanwhile, House Republicans have taken a bolder stance.

The Trump administration proposed increasing fees on Friday for those seeking asylum in the U.S., as well as for some Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applicants.

What's happening: If enacted, the proposal would increase the cost to apply for U.S. citizenship. As part of a crackdown on low-income immigrants, the Trump administration has also proposed penalizing those who use or are likely to use public benefits like food stamps or housing assistance.

House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) rebuffed the proposal for Hunter Biden to testify in public impeachment inquiry hearings beginning next week, but says he is reviewing the other witnesses House Republicans requested in a letter on Saturday morning.

Why it matters: Current ranking member Rep. Devin Nunes claims House Democrats have failed to treat Trump with "fairness" in the impeachment process thus far by directing witnesses not to answer questions from Republican committee members and by withholding transcripts.

Nearly three years after President Trump took office, the first section of his promised southern border wall has been installed about a mile north of the Rio Grande, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: The government is scrambling to complete 500 miles of wall by the end of next year, per the Times. However, several roadblocks have cropped up along the way, with House Democrats trying to block funding and private landowners fighting the government in court.

President Trump is denying a report that he has had discussions with Mark Burnett, the producer of his former show, "The Apprentice," about returning to television.

• "Fake News is reporting that I am talking to Mark Burnett about doing a big show, perhaps The Apprentice, after the presidency, which I would assume they mean in 5 years. This is not true, never had such a conversation, don’t even have time to think about it. False reporting!"

Tom Steyer's Iowa political director, Pat Murphy, has resigned after allegedly offering campaign contributions to Iowa politicians if they agreed to endorse the billionaire candidate, ABC News reports. Murphy has denied the claims.

Why it matters: Undisclosed payments in exchange for endorsements would violate campaign finance laws. There is no record of any Iowans accepting funds from Steyer’s campaign in such a deal, and his press secretary has denied knowledge of the offer.

President Trump's lawyers intend to petition the U.S. Supreme Court by Nov. 14 to review a lower court ruling requiring the president to turn over eight years of his tax returns to a state grand jury, according to a letter written Friday.

Why it matters: This case would mark the first time the Supreme Court makes a decision on Trump's legal argument — that he is immune from criminal investigation while in office — and could "produce a major statement on the limits of presidential power," the New York Times reports.

Kash Patel, a senior National Security Council official accused of running a secret backchannel to President Trump on Ukraine matters, has categorically denied ever discussing Ukraine with the president.

What he's saying: "A number of media outlets have falsely reported that, as senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council, I have communicated with President Trump regarding Ukraine," Patel told Axios on Friday night. "At no time have I ever communicated with the president on any matters involving Ukraine.

Michael Bloomberg officially filed paperwork on Friday to enter the 2020 presidential primary in Alabama, though remains undecided on whether he will ultimately run, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: The billionaire and well-connected moderate could pose a "grave and instantaneous threat" to Joe Biden, who is struggling to fundraise and has faced questions about his sharpness, per the Times.

2020 Democratic candidate and billionaire Tom Steyer challenged incoming contender Michael Bloomberg on Friday to support a wealth tax or leave the 2020 race.

The big picture: Bloomberg told Axios he will "spend whatever it takes to defeat Donald Trump." Steyer, also a billionaire, has spent more than any other Democratic candidate to self-fund his campaign — allowing him to meet the increasingly strict qualifications for presidential debates.

Republicans formally made Rep. Jim Jordan a member of the House Intelligence Committee on Friday, a move that will allow him lead the party's defense of President Trump during public impeachment hearings next week.

Why it matters: Privately, GOP members have said they think Jordan — one of Trump's fiercest allies — is a stronger defender of the party and the president on impeachment than the current ranking member, Rep. Devin Nunes.

Donald Trump Jr. wrote that visiting the Arlington National Cemetery in 2017 made him think of his family's "sacrifices" in his new book, "Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us."

What he's saying: The historic cemetery, which memorializes hundreds of thousands of American troops, veterans and their families, reminded Trump Jr. "of all the attacks we’d already suffered as a family, and about all the sacrifices we’d have to make to help my father succeed."

The Ukraine whistleblower's lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter to White House counsel Pat Cipollone on Thursday, saying President Trump's rhetoric puts his client and the intelligence community in danger.

Why it matters: Trump and his allies have called on the whistleblower to come forward and some, including Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., have publicly stated the whistleblower's alleged identity, which has been promoted among right-wing media.

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions' announcement that he attempt to reclaim his Alabama Senate seat in 2020 is driving a wedge among Republicans.

The big picture: The congressional GOP's unity has been continually tested during the Trump administration, but maintaining a united front has become more important than ever for the party as it angles to flip the House and hang onto the Senate in 2020.

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney failed to comply Friday with a subpoena ordering his testimony before the House committees investigating President Trump and Ukraine, according to a House official working on the impeachment inquiry.

Where it stands: Mulvaney's outside counsel said that he "had been directed by the White House not to comply with the duly authorized subpoena and asserted 'absolute immunity,'" per the official.

New polling of four battleground states shows the Green New Deal concept is highly popular, while calls to ban hydraulic fracturing could create political headwinds.

The big picture: Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have embraced both ideas, while Joe Biden has not called for a fracking ban.

Ivanka Trump told the AP Friday that the Ukraine whistleblower's identity is "not particularly relevant" to the ongoing impeachment inquiry against President Trump.

Why it matters: The statement from the president's daughter and adviser is in stark contrast to both her father, who has called on the whistleblower to come forward, and her brother, Donald Trump Jr., who earlier this week tweeted the alleged name of the whistleblower that has been circulating among right-wing media outlets.

House Democrats head into next week's public stage of the impeachment inquiry armed with closed-door testimony from witnesses who mostly corroborated each other — and the whistleblower.

Why it matters: Democrats said this week they have no intention of pursuing subpoenas for former national security adviser John Bolton or his deputy, signaling they already believe they have enough evidence to proceed without hearing from White House witnesses who have refused to cooperate.

Mike Bloomberg is jumping into the Democratic presidential race because he believes that Joe Biden is fading, opening the moderate lane next to Elizabeth Warren, sources close to the former New York mayor tell Axios.

Why it matters: "Mike will spend whatever it takes to defeat Donald Trump," a Bloomberg source said. "The nation is about to see a very different campaign than we’ve ever seen before."

The book "A Warning" by the anonymous author of an infamous New York Times op-ed outlining White House opposition to President Trump fails to recreate many scenes in "vivid detail," the Washington Post reports ahead of its release.

The big picture: The 259-page book, obtained by the Post, only characterizes the author as "a senior official in the Trump administration." The text describes the Trump as a "danger to the nation," but shies away from providing specific details to protect the author's identity.

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Thursday that he will challenge Alabama Sen. Doug Jones in 2020 for Sessions' previously held Senate seat.

The big picture: Sessions' launch comes exactly one year to the day after he submitted his resignation at the request of President Trump. Sessions, who held the Senate seat from 1997-2017, is entering a crowded primary, as several Republican candidates vie to turn the Alabama seat red again.

The Ukrainian president's staff planned for him to announce investigations into the Bidens and the origins of the Russia probe in a Sept. 13 interview with CNN host Fareed Zakaria, the New York Times reports.

Driving the news: The Trump administration gave Ukraine military aid it had previously withheld two days before the scheduled interview, per the Times. Two U.S. senators reportedly told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in September that only President Trump "could unlock" the $400 million in military aid and "time was running out."