Axios

Cindy McCain recorded a video message for Tuesday's Democratic National Convention, paying tribute to an "unlikely friendship" forged between former Vice President Joe Biden and her late husband, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

Why it matters: Cindy McCain, who describes herself as a "Reagan conservative, a little more liberal on some social issues," is the latest Republican to lend her voice to the Democratic convention, after four conservatives including former Ohio Gov. John Kasich spoke Monday.

Tuesday's primaries in Florida and Wyoming could bring more diversity to the GOP ticket with competitive races that may topple an incumbent, elevate a woman to the upper chamber and result in the nomination of a Black Republican to the House.

The big picture: The races are some of the final nominating contests in this election cycle. 2020 has seen a surge in progressive candidates winning out against moderate Democrats, and Republican anomalies, such as QAnon backers, becoming increasingly common.

• (6/26) Biden's interactions numbers dwarf the field
• (7/2) Bernie's plan to cancel $1.6 trillion in student debt wins debate week
• (7/10) The might of right-wing media
• (7/16) Readers tune out 2020 race — lowest interactions since January
• (7/24) Democrats winning immigration messaging fight
• (7/30) Dominant storyline for each candidate
• (8/7) Guns surge to top of national conversation
• (8/13) Biden pummeled for his gaffes
• (8/30) Warren dodging attacks, winning praise
• (9/8) Biden bombarded with bad headlines
• (9/18) Beto finds a winning line
• (9/24) Biden gets a lift as Dems target Trump over Ukraine
• (10/27) The Warren-Sanders turning point
• (11/2) Trump rules social media, crushes 2020 Democrats
• (11/20) What's behind Pete Buttigieg's Iowa rise
• (11/30) Michael Bloomberg is off to an attention-grabbing start
• (12/11) Tulsi Gabbard is the 2020 field's lightning rod
• (12/19) Guns surpass immigration as biggest non-impeachment issue
• (1/11) Iran strike boosts Sanders' anti-war stature
• (1/18) Sanders-Warren battle upstaged by viral right-wing media
• (2/1) Sanders snatches attention lead from Biden ahead of Iowa
• (2/20) Bloomberg finally upends the national conversation, but no match for Bernie
• (2/26) Sanders hits new stratosphere of online interest
• (3/3) Bernie miles ahead of Democratic field in online attention
• (3/11) Biden quadruples engagement, overtakes Bernie
• (7/8) Trump left without news to rally around
• (7/25) Biden succeeding in making it about Trump
• (8/7) Right-wing media defanged as anti-Biden storylines disintegrate
• (8/18) Kamala selection adds surge of enthusiasm into Biden ticket
• (9/11) We're numb to the coronavirus
• (9/20) RBG's death changes the conversation
• (10/2) Trump's Proud Boys moment dominated debate conversation
• (10/10) The Pence-Harris debate was a big hit on the right
• (10/24) Hunter Biden saga dominates online debate

Andrew Weissmann, one of the lead prosecutors on special counsel Robert Mueller's team and the architect of the case against Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, said there is "definitely new information" in the final volume of the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on 2016 Russian interference released Tuesday.

Why it matters: It underscores the degree to which the 996-page report goes further than the Mueller investigation in some of its findings, as well as the explosive nature of some of the revelations about Manafort and other top Trump campaign officials.

House Foreign Affairs Chair Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday that multiple staff-level briefings were cancelled this week, and accused Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of trying to “thwart” oversight efforts.

Why it matters: The House is investigating the dismissal of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick, who, in June, testified that he was conducting two investigations involving Pompeo before being fired. The secretary of state has said that Linick’s firing was not an act of retaliation because Pompeo wasn't aware he was being investigated over allegations of staff misuse.

Joe Biden and Tom Hanks held a virtual fundraiser together on Tuesday — collecting  $750,000 in 24 hours, per the campaign — that marks the first of a three-part fundraising series they're calling "Grassroots Fest."

Why it matters: The Biden campaign continues to rake in cash, even before debating President Trump in September. 

The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday released the fifth and final volume of its report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, which details "counterintelligence threats and vulnerabilities."

Why it matters: The bipartisan, 966-page report goes further than the Mueller report in showing the extent of Russia's connections to members of the Trump campaign, and how the Kremlin was able to take advantage of the transition team's inexperience to gain access to sensitive information.

Prior to the pandemic, America’s leading public health crisis was the overuse and abuse of opioids. And opioids haven’t gone away just because the coronavirus arrived. In fact, the situation may have gotten worse.

Axios Re:Cap digs into the next phase of litigation against prescription opioids makers, which states and cities estimate has cost over $600 billion since 2007.

Former President Bill Clinton will use his five-minute address at the virtual Democratic National Convention to take a scalpel to President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus and the economy, repeatedly attacking him by name, a source familiar with the speech tells Axios.

Why it matters: As a former president, Clinton has sanded down his private criticism of Trump in public. But tonight, he’ll dispense with the “one-president-at-a-time” protocol that precludes direct and sustained criticism by a predecessor.

Roughly 18.7 million people watched the first night of the Democratic National Convention on television from the primary speech hours of 10:00 p.m. through 11:15pm EST on Monday night, according to Nielsen ratings.

Why it matters: That's down more than 28% from the number of TV viewers for the first night of the 2016 DNC. The virtual nature of this year's event likely pushed some viewers away. The ratings drop could also reflect the migration of traditional television viewers to digital streaming platforms and social media over the past four years.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in a statement on Tuesday that he would halt operational changes and cost-cutting to the U.S. Postal Service until after the 2020 election to "avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail."

Why it matters: Widespread delays and backlogs had prompted allegations from Democratic lawmakers that DeJoy and President Trump were attempting to undermine the Postal Service ahead of an election that will see a record number of mail-in ballots.

Joe Biden defeating President Trump in Texas would be a "seismic" event that would "once and for all end the Trump presidency and Trumpism in America," former presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke predicted at an Axios digital event on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Recent polls indicate that Trump and Biden are currently in a dead heat in the state, traditionally a Republican stronghold, suggesting that Texas may be a presidential swing state come November. But O'Rourke warned that the Biden campaign is not doing enough to court Texas voters.

Young people interested in public office should "go out and have a career" before they enter politics, Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) said at an Axios virtual event on "Gen Z and the future of politics" on Tuesday.

What they're saying: "The reason I've been able to be effective is that I've had a decade in national security, cyber security. So, I was able to take that experience and bring it to Congress, and that's why a lot of my legislation that I've passed has been on national security," Hurd told Axios' Margaret Talev.

CNN's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday clashed with MyPillow CEO Michael Lindell, a Trump supporter, for promoting oleandrin, an unproven therapeutic treatment for the coronavirus.

Why it matters: Lindell and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson both have financial stakes in the company that develops oleandrin and would profit if the treatment is sold widely. It's part of a pattern in which entrepreneurs, often without rigorous vetting, push unproven products to Trump — knowing their sales pitches might catch his eye, Axios's Jonathan Swan writes.

DNC week: On Tuesday August 18, Axios politics and White House editor Margaret Talev hosted a conversation on how Gen Z is engaging with politics, featuring Beto O'Rourke, Rep. Will Hurd and 2018 Texas Boys State participant René Otero.

René Otero spoke about his experience in Texas Boys State and views on the current state of politics and the potential Gen Z turnout for the 2020 election.

• On the influence politicians' conduct has on the public: “It is through our current politicians that we learn our conduct [and] the way politics should function…The individual politician has the responsibility to be a beacon of decency and a delegate to the people.”
• On Gen Z turnout for the fall election: "I don't think that this election is going to have the turnout that we expect it does if we don't make the active effort to ensure that those in isolated communities can vote."

Rep. Will Hurd discussed his path to public office and highlighted how his professional career has impacted the type of legislation he's helped to write and sponsor.

• His advice to members of Gen Z: "Being elected office should be something you should aspire to...But the other piece of advice I would give young folks is to go out and have a career before you get into politics."
• On bipartisanship: "It's not easy trying to to to show a middle way. But it's doable. And in the end, people care about results. And that's what I found. That's why people are frustrated right now — because they're not seeing it."

Beto O'Rourke spoke about Texas' essential role in the upcoming election and how young people lead the way on essential social issues.

• How Texas has the potential to impact the fall election: "I strongly believe that if Texas [awards its Electoral College votes to the Democratic nominee] the impact on American politics will be seismic. It will once and for all end the Trump presidency and Trump-ism in America."
• On the power of young people in politics: "Young voter turnout was up 500% in early voting in Texas over the last midterm election. You name an issue, whether it is reproductive choice, climate change, access to health care, fighting back against this pandemic — young people are on the front lines, forcing the conversations and the necessary change that needs to follow."

Axios co-founder and CEO Jim VandeHei hosted a View from the Top segment with
Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, the filmmakers of the documentary Boys State, who discussed the filmmaking process and what they learned about politics and the experience of boyhood in America.

• "One moment where...our heroic character, is asked by a young man: "What's the purpose of a politician?" And he says: "To serve others and not yourself." It's a very simple answer, but it's very profound to and something we think we can all remind ourselves of...There is a desire, even in our hyper-polarized country, to work together to find common ground."

Thank you Apple Original Films & A24 for sponsoring this event.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told "Axios on HBO" that he ended a program targeting reporters after a story in The Washington Post.

• "I got on the phone that night trying to understand what it is — not every story is accurate. So I wanted to understand the facts from my from the staff. ... As I dug more and more into it, I saw little to no intelligence value of what was being done. So that that evening I stopped that program, turned it over to the [Inspector General], and then we're moving forward."

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) wants to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit to help ease the economic burden the coronavirus pandemic has caused.

The big picture: A member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Moore said at an Axios virtual event on Tuesday that she wants the tax credit to reach "people who make $15 or $16 an hour and still can't make ends meet."

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is scheduled to give his first testimony on recent changes to the U.S. Postal Service to the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security Committee on Friday, the Washington Post first reported.

Why it matters: It will be DeJoy's first opportunity to answer questions since lawmakers began raising alarms about widespread disruptions to the Postal Service, which some Democrats allege President Trump is attempting to undermine ahead of an election that will see a record number of mail-in ballots.

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, who oversaw some of the state's earliest all-mail elections, gave "Axios on HBO" an inside look at how it works as states prepare for record levels of vote-by-mail returns ahead of November.

Why it matters: "Election officials know that democracy is really resting in our hands," said Wyman, "and we have to inspire confidence in our harshest critics, whether they are in the living room or in the White House."

In the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, Axios political reporter Alexi McCammond is traveling to different swing states across the country to talk to Romney/Clinton and Obama/Trump voters. Here's what she's found:

• Wisconsin swing voters tire of Trump (03/18/19)
• Wisconsin swing voters know AOC better than most 2020 Democrats (03/21/19)
• Democrats' 2 big ideas aren't breaking through in Wisconsin (03/24/19)
• Ohio swing voters view Beto as Trump's biggest young threat (04/17/19)
• What America's swing voters think about climate change and energy (05/13/19)
• Trump supporters like liberal proposals but still love Trump (05/13/19)
• Pennsylvania swing voters aren't ditching Trump in 2020 (06/10/19)
• Trump's immigration edge (07/15/19)
• It's still the economy, stupid (07/19/19)
• Minnesota swing voters want stronger gun control (08/07/19)
• Trump's vulnerabilities with Minnesota swing voters (08/12/19)
• Focus group women like Warrens policies more than her (09/23/19)
• These Ohio swing voters are outraged over impeachment (10/14/19)
• Not a hoax or an emergency: What swing voters think of climate change (10/21/19)
• These Obama/Trump voters are just Trump voters now (12/16/19)
• Pennsylvania swing voters stand with Trump on Iran (01/10/20)
• Pennsylvania swing voters unhappy with McConnell's impeachment comments (01/13/20)
• What some Florida swing voters think of Bloomberg (02/24/2020)
• These swing voters don't like Trump’s environmental rollbacks (02/24/2020)
• Minnesota swing voters view coronavirus as a financial issue (03/14/2020)
• Minnesota swing voters balk at Trump's Easter deadline (03/28/2020)
• Ohio swing voters want Trump to act more like a governor (04/25/2020)
• Why the coronavirus is keeping some Iowans with Trump (05/15/2020)
• Pennsylvania swing voters look to shake-up for stability (06/22/2020)
• Michigan swing voters question Biden's ability to lead (07/27/2020)
• Wisconsin swing voters feel overlooked by Biden (09/03/2020)
• Ohio swing voters unhappy but unmoved by debate (10/01/2020)
• Michigan swing voters think Harris will act as president (10/09/2020)
• Florida swing voters desperate for an end to the race (11/05/2020)

Go deeper: Axios' full 2020 election coverage

The coronavirus pandemic has been devastating for working women, but one prominent women's policy expert says it could provide a new opportunity to create the kinds of social supports they should have had all along.

Driving the news: In an interview with "Axios on HBO," Nicole Mason, president and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, said the pandemic has created a "she-cession" — a loss of jobs that has disproportionately affected women and highlighted the gaps in the safety net for working families.

DNC week: On Tuesday August 18, Axios Cities author Kim Hart and politics and White House editor Margaret Talev hosted a conversation on Milwaukee's economic recovery amidst the coronavirus, featuring Rep. Gwen Moore, 5 Lakes Institute Executive Director Kathleen Gallagher and Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy.

Kathleen Gallagher discussed regional economic development around Milwaukee and how to reverse the brain drain from the Midwest to the coasts.

• On how to keep local talent in the Midwest: "A lot of people on the coasts come from the Midwest. We supply a lot of the brains that keep the coast running, and a lot of the materials. So what we need to do is coalesce that more here [in the Midwest] and figure out how have more...disruptive commercialization."

Mark Murphy highlighted the relationship between the Green Bay Packers and their local community and discussed Titletown Tech, a startup incubator partnership between the Packers and Microsoft.

• On how The Packers work to economically support the local community: "[The Packers] don't have a wealthy, deep pocketed owner...the local community owns a team. And so for us, a high priority is, number one, making sure the team stays in Green Bay, but also making sure that Green Bay can support an NFL team."
• On his hopes for the startup world in Green Bay: "Our hope is that we find the next Google...and have a company that really takes off and really helps the local Green Bay.

Rep. Gwen Moore discussed how broadband inequity disproportionately impacts Black and Latinx students and the needed investment in infrastructure to reinvigorate the local economy.

• "The yellow bus of today is broadband and in Wisconsin about 6% of the population does not have broadband, and if you look at the Black community, it's twice that."
• "We can't go back to ignoring our need to rebuild our infrastructure...Some sort of infrastructure program where the jobs can't be shifted overseas is precisely the kind of initiative that would help bail Milwaukeeans out of the economic doldrums that we're experiencing."

Thank you Microsoft for sponsoring this event.

Last night's historic debut of the virtual Democratic National Convention gave Americans a taste of what politics looks like without the big crowds.

Why it matters: Without the glamour of a convention stage, many of the speeches felt flat. The major exception was Michelle Obama's speech, which stood out as the most compelling fifteen minutes of the night by far.

The decadeslong fight over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is nowhere near over, despite the Interior Department taking a big step Monday toward allowing development.

Catch up quick: The Interior Department issued a final plan — called a record of decision (ROD) — to allow exploration in the refuge's 1.6-million-acre coastal plain.

President Trump on Tuesday posthumously pardoned suffragist Susan B. Anthony, who was arrested in 1872 for illegally voting, at an event with First Lady Melania Trump to commemorate the 19th amendment.

The big picture: Trump made the announcement on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women age 21 and over the right to vote in the U.S. However, many women of color were still unable to vote at the time due to restrictive state and local laws.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) is writing a book that reflects on his time mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic in New York, which was the global epicenter of the virus earlier this spring, AP reports.

Why it matters: Cuomo's daily coronavirus press briefings gained a national audience. He often juxtaposed the Trump administration's updates and set the tone for governors nationwide. New York has now leveled its case numbers and begun steadily reopening.

President Trump in a tweet Tuesday had a retort for former Department of Homeland Security official Miles Taylor, who endorsed Joe Biden Monday.

The state of play: Trump said he's "never heard of" the former DHS chief of staff, who served in his administration until 2019. Taylor on Monday released a blistering video funded by Republican Voters Against Trump, saying what he had seen while serving in the Trump administration was "terrifying."

President Trump tweeted Tuesday morning what appeared to be a response to Michelle Obama's address during the first night of the Democratic National Convention.

Driving the news: Michelle Obama said Monday night that from coronavirus deaths to the economy to foreign alliances and racial justice, Trump has sewn "chaos, division and a total and utter lack of empathy."

On opening night of their awkward but stirring virtual convention, Democrats prioritized racial justice along with the pandemic and the recession.

Why it matters: On issues, Joe Biden's widest margin over President Trump in a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll is race relations — a 24 point spread.

The addition of Kamala Harris to the Democratic ticket provided Joe Biden with the biggest surge of online enthusiasm he's seen in the entire campaign, according to data from NewsWhip provided exclusively to Axios.

Why it matters: While Biden has been getting much of his momentum from voters who are opposed to President Trump, rather than excited about him, Harris could stir other voters looking for reasons to turn out.

President Trump's re-election campaign launched its most brutal ad of the 2020 election overnight, suggesting Joe Biden has experienced severe mental decline over the past four years.

Driving the news: The digital ad, "What happened to Joe Biden," is timed to overlap with the Democratic National Convention and launches the Trump campaign's four-day takeover of the YouTube masthead.

Democrats are significantly more concerned than Republicans about the safety of in-person voting and traditional door-to-door campaigning amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: Joe Biden’s campaign, and Democrats nationwide, are eager to press the case that President Trump has mishandled the pandemic — but the pandemic is also causing Democratic voters to turn away from the tools and traditions that typically form the backbone of a successful campaign.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Monday preventing the Trump administration from enforcing a new regulation that would rescind Obama-era health care protections for transgender people.

Why it matters: The Department of Health and Human Services' rule reversing protections established under the Affordable Care Act was due to take effect on Tuesday.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) spoke out Monday evening after state Sen. Louise Lucas was charged with damaging a Confederate monument during a Portsmouth protest.

Why it matters: The veteran Black senator's charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument "in excess of $1,000" over the protest come as dozens of Confederate symbols are being removed, relocated or renamed across the U.S. in response to anti-racism protests in the wake of George Floyd's death in May.

Former 2020 presidential candidate Julián Castro told "Axios on HBO" that Democrats could win the presidency in November but lose support with Latino voters, which could "benefit the Republicans in the years to come."

Driving the news: The Democratic National Convention, happening this week, has been criticized by some for featuring too few Latino speakers. Castro, the only Latino presidential candidate this cycle, was not asked to be one of the featured, solo speakers.

In this episode of "Axios on HBO," Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf discusses domestic terrorism, protests in Portland, systemic racism and much more with Mike Allen.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf told "Axios on HBO" that there’s “absolutely not” any systemic racism in American policing, the latest white, male Trump administration official to dismiss persistent racism in the United States.

Why it matters: Recent polling shows a narrow plurality of Americans believe systemic racism is real and requires action, while data consistently shows how Black and Hispanic people suffer from built-in biases and systemic obstacles. This is becoming one of the major fault lines in American politics.

Michelle Obama said Monday night that from coronavirus deaths to the economy to foreign alliances and racial justice, President Trump has sewn "chaos, division and a total and utter lack of empathy."

The big picture: The former first lady is one of the most popular and motivating figures across the ideological range of the Democratic Party, and is one of the most powerful voices for turning out women and voters of color. Her speech was recorded. While she reprised her 2016 mantra — "When they go low, we go high" — Obama was direct in her criticism of Trump.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Monday night he will "work with progressives, moderates, and yes, with conservatives, to preserve this nation" while appealing to voters during the Democratic National Convention.

The big picture: Sanders may be the best positioned to turn out progressives and young voters who see Biden as too much a part of the establishment or the old guard.

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), in a clear appeal to Republicans and moderates on the fence, said those who are worried Joe Biden "may turn sharp left and leave them behind" shouldn't be.

The big picture: Kasich and three fellow Republicans, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, Quibi CEO Meg Whitman and former New York Rep. Susan Molinari, were delivering speeches at the convention under the theme, "We the People Putting Country Over Party."

Kristin Urquiza spoke during the Democratic National Convention Monday evening about losing her father to the coronavirus, saying his "only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump."

What she's saying: "After five agonizing days, he died alone in the ICU with a nurse holding his hand," Urquiza said. "My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump and for that, he paid with his life."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at the Democratic National Convention Monday evening that the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. is a "man-made threat by our own negligence."

The big picture: The New York governor has drawn national attention for a take-charge approach to the coronavirus that contrasted with Trump's, mixing an unapologetic, pragmatic, action-oriented approach with emotionality. He has the potential to reach centrist voters and male voters.

Mike Bloomberg, former New York City mayor, pledged $60 million to help House Democrats try and strengthen their majority in November, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: The billionaire's pledge nearly matches what he contributed to help Democrats flip the House in 2018. Bloomberg has deep pockets that allowed him to finance his own presidential campaign earlier this year.

Former President Barack Obama posted online Monday his summer playlist for 2020, featuring artists like Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and others who are set to perform at the Democratic National Convention this week.

The big picture: Obama releasing a summer playlist on social media has become an annual tradition. He's also known for sharing his favorite reads via social media.

Go deeper: Democrats announce full list of convention speakers