The Interior Department on Monday finalized plans to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, a pivotal — but hardly the final — step in a decades-long battle over the ecologically sensitive region thought to hold huge oil deposits.
The big picture: Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign said he would look to prevent drilling if elected. "His plan released last year made clear that he will permanently protect ANWR and other areas impacted by President Trump's attacks on federal lands and waters," the campaign said.
The Trump campaign announced it had started selling face masks on Monday, saying President Trump "urges all patriotic Americans to wear a face cover when they are unable to socially distance."
Why it matters: Trump initially refused to wear face masks and called them a "double-edged sword." He also appeared to mock presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for wearing a face mask in public in May.
Mary Trump, the president's niece, will speak on Aug. 25 at a fundraiser for the Lincoln Project, a group founded by Republicans who oppose President Trump's re-election, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Mary has become more politically active following the publication of her best-selling tell-all about her uncle, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man." She has previously said she will do "everything in my power" to ensure Joe Biden is elected over the president.
Miles Taylor, the former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff under President Trump, endorsed Joe Biden for president in a video funded by Republican Voters Against Trump.
Why it matters: Taylor's blistering criticism of Trump adds to the chorus of former top administration officials who have spoken out against the president after leaving office — most notably former national security adviser John Bolton and former Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Nearly all of the major network news giants are launching new voter initiatives ahead of the 2020 election.
Why it matters: Media companies have a long history of using their wide reach to promote voting efforts in the U.S. But ahead of this year's historic election, they are doubling down on those efforts to ensure that changes to voting procedures due to the pandemic don't dissuade voters from taking part.
Axios brings you a first clip from "Rise Up," a video that'll be shown during tonight's opening session of the mostly virtual Democratic National Convention (9 to 11 ET).
Why it matters: Tonight's convention themeis "We the People," and the video is meant to juxtapose images from President Trump's America with people rising above hate and division.
Within the next week, House Democrats plan to vote on $25 billion in new funding for the U.S. Postal Service and hold an "urgent" Oversight and Reform Committee hearing at which Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is expected to testify.
Axios Re:Cap digs into the future of USPS and how it will impact this November's election with Oversight and Reform Committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.).
The top Democrat and Republican on the House Armed Services Committee issued a statement on Monday warning President Trump that pardoning whistleblower Edward Snowden would be a "serious mistake" that could undermine U.S. national security.
The big picture: A number of top Republicans, including House GOP Conference chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), have spoken out after Trump said at a news conference on Saturday that he's going to take a "very good look" at pardoning Snowden, who faces criminal charges for leaking a massive trove classified documents in 2013 about U.S. government surveillance programs.
Former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, Quibi CEO Meg Whitman and former New York Rep. Susan Molinari are joining former Ohio Gov. John Kasich in speaking at opening night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday.
Why it matters: The four Republicanswill deliver speeches under the theme, "We the People Putting Country Over Party," according to the DNC's announcement.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has agreed to a request from top Democrats to testify at an "urgent" hearing before the House Oversight Committee next Monday about changes to the U.S. Postal Service.
Why it matters: Democrats have been raising alarms about widespread disruptions to the Postal Service, which some allege President Trump is attempting to undermine ahead of an election that will see a record number of mail-in ballots. DeJoy is a wealthy businessman and longtime Republican fundraiser.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Monday she will extend the chamber's remote voting period until Oct. 2 due to the public health emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: The designated period, which began on May 20, marks the first time members of Congress have been allowed to vote remotely. The rules provide that a member can have another member vote on their behalf.
The House of Representatives will be called back from August recess on Saturday to consider legislation related to the U.S. Postal Service, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) confirmed on Monday.
Why it matters: Democratic lawmakers say they have been inundated with complaints about policy changes by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that are disrupting the USPS ahead of an election that will see a record number of mail-in ballots. DeJoy is a former fundraiser for President Trump, who defended him this weekend.
Dealmakers always pay attention to presidential elections, but in 2020 they're no longer claiming that the outcome won't significantly affect transactions.
Between the lines: This isn't to say that one candidate is better or worse for dealmakers, or for particular industries. It's to say that the winner won't be a passive bystander, particularly as the wall between regulated and non-regulated industries has decayed.
The Cook Political Report on Monday moved its forecast of South Carolina's Senate race, which features Lindsey Graham (R) seeking re-election, from "likely Republican" to "lean Republican."
The state of play: The race has tightened asJaime Harrison, Graham's Democratic challenger, has proven himself to be a fundraising contender amid a favorable electoral climate for Democrats, driven by the coronavirus pandemic and a renewed focus on racial justice, per an analysis by Cook's Senate editor Jessica Taylor.
The oil industry is facing an immense amount of uncertainty, even for a sector that bobs along in the currents of global markets and geopolitics despite its enormous power.
The big picture: As Democrats hold their convention this week, seeking a boost for Joe Biden heading into the heart of the 2020 campaign, the election is unfolding against another huge source of uncertainty for the industry: the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic is forcing both parties to do what they should have attempted years ago: Blow up the crusty, old formula for political conventions.
Driving the news. We'll see how it plays starting tonight, when the Democratic Party kicks off the start of a highly condensed, mostly virtual,four-day show choreographed for the social-mobile era.
America’s understanding about identity often centers on Black or white — but Kamala Harris' nomination as Joe Biden’s pick for vice president could help change that.
Why it matters: Harris, as both the first Black woman and the first of Indian descent to be nominated for vice president, embodies the far more layered and complicated reality of this increasingly diverse country.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) addressed a baseless conspiracy theory pushed by a Trump campaign official and others claiming she may be ineligible for the vice presidency because both her parents weren't naturalized citizens at her birth.
What she's saying: "They're going to engage in lies, they're going to engage in deception, they’re going to engage in an attempt to distract from the real issues that are impacting the American people," the California-born presumptive Democratic presidential nominee told The Grio in an interview published Sunday.
President Trump closed the gap on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's lead among registered voters in a CNN poll published Sunday evening. And across 15 battleground states, Biden leads by 49 to 48 points ahead over Trump.
Why it matters: CNN's last poll showed Biden with a 14-point lead over the president in June — prompting Trump's re-election campaign to demand the network apologize. In the latest poll, conducted by SSRS, 50% of 1,108 people surveyed said they'd vote for Biden, compared to 46% who plan to back Trump. But 54% disapprove of the job Trump is doing.
On the next episode of "Axios on HBO," Axios Political Reporter Alexi McCammond interviews former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, who reveals how he'd change the DNC and how presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden can win Texas.
Catch the full interview on Monday, August 17 at 11:15 p.m. ET/PT on all HBO platforms.
