Axios

In a statement addressing their decision to boycott their NBA playoff game on Wednesday evening, the Milwaukee Bucks called on the police officers involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake to be held accountable and for the Wisconsin State Legislature to reconvene to pass "meaningful" reform.

Why it matters: The Bucks' historic decision to sit out a playoff game in protest of Blake's shooting in Kenosha prompted the NBA to postpone all games scheduled for Wednesday night, sending reverberations throughout the sports world.

House Homeland Security chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) sent a letter to the Office of Special Counsel Wednesday urging an ethics investigation into acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf after he participated in a naturalization ceremony aired at the Republican National Convention.

Why it matters: Thompson alleges that Wolf violated the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity but does not apply to the president or vice president. The Office of Special Counsel is the independent agency that enforces the Hatch Act.

A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that a Virginia school board's transgender bathroom ban is unconstitutional — a win for transgender rights proponents, AP reports.

Context: Gavin Grimm sued Gloucester County School Board after he was told to use private restrooms or bathrooms that did not match his gender identity while at school.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Wednesday called for "an uproar from Democrat media" after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly advised presidential candidate Joe Biden to not concede the election "under any circumstances."

What she's saying: During an Axios virtual event, McDaniel said: "I think there should be an uproar from the Democrat media that attacks Donald Trump anytime he says anything about mail-in voting. If I had said that the president shouldn't accept the results of an election, it would be wall to wall coverage."

U.S. intelligence officials told reporters on a call Wednesday that they have seen no evidence that foreign powers are working to undermine mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election, AP reports.

Why it matters: The briefing from officials at multiple federal agencies undercuts claims made by President Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr that mail-in voting is susceptible to coordinated fraud, including by foreign actors seeking to interfere in the election.

Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris said Wednesday they have spoken with the family of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot at least seven times in the back by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The big picture: Protests have erupted across the country as Blake remains in the hospital paralyzed from the waist down. Two people were shot and killed during clashes in Kenosha overnight, resulting in the arrest of a 17-year-old male. President Trump said Wednesday that Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) will allow "federal assistance" to help quell the violence.

President Trump tweeted on Wednesday that Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) will allow "federal assistance" to help quell days of protests in Kenosha over the police shooting of a Black man, which have escalated and left two people dead and one injured.

The state of play: “I can confirm the governor spoke with Mark Meadows this morning," a spokesperson for Evers said in a statement Wednesday. "The federal government is planning to assist in facilitating conversations with other state partners and provide FBI support to our state response."

Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, was arrested in Antioch, Illinois, on Wednesday and charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting deaths of two people during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The state of play: Kenosha faced a third night of protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, who was left paralyzed after the incident on Sunday. Rittenhouse was allegedly part of an armed group who said they were protecting private property amid the protests.

Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, whose brother, Alexander, served as a key witness during President Trump's impeachment, filed a complaint last week with the Pentagon's inspector general suggesting he was retaliated against for disclosing potential ethics violations by senior White House officials, his lawyers confirmed on Wednesday.

The state of play: Vindman, like his brother, is a decorated Iraq War veteran and served at the National Security Council as a senior lawyer and ethics official. They were dismissed simultaneously in February, though top military leaders, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper, claim they were not politically targeted.

The Republican Party "needs to stop ceding ground on issues that are important issues to my generation" in order to evolve and attract more young people, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) said Wednesday during an Axios virtual event, "News Shapers: America's Road Ahead."

What he's saying: "I think the environment is one of them...Sea level rise, which is something we are seeing in our city and the environmental impacts we are seeing in our city, have a huge economic impact. And so you know I think the Republican Party shouldn't abandon an issue like...."

The Senate Intelligence Committee detailed shocking new revelations about the 2016 Trump campaign's dealings with Russia in the landmark final volume of its report on the matter, but it missed an opportunity to recommend cybersecurity fixes for today’s campaigns and parties — perhaps by design.

Why it matters: The DNC and RNC could be considered a type of “critical infrastructure,” because without them and the presidential and congressional fundraising they facilitate, U.S. politics as we know it wouldn’t exist. But because they fall outside the government’s protective cybersecurity remit, they are also uniquely vulnerable to outside threats.

RNC week: Axios co-founder Mike Allen hosted a conversation on the future of the Republican party featuring Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

Secretary Carson discussed 'Opportunity Zones' and economic development that is happening despite the coronavirus pandemic. Citing a new Council of Economic Advisers report, he says $75 billion dollars have come into qualified opportunity funds, leading to a decrease in poverty by 11%, and an increase in property values by 1.1%.

• On the success of these programs: "These are the kinds of things that are win-win situations."

Mayor Suarez talked about how the Republican Party can expand with younger voters, saying leadership needs to "stop ceding ground on issues that are important issues to my generation."

• On environmental issues: "The sea level is rising, which is something that we're seeing in our city. It has...a huge economic impact. I think the Republican Party shouldn't abandon an issue like that, they should integrate it."
• On immigration: "Miami is a microcosm of what the United States looks like and will look like over the course of the next few decades. I think we should embrace the fact that we are a country of immigrants. That's something that should strengthen us."

Ronna McDaniel discussed the RNC's virtual programming and the party's messaging going into the November election.

• On the immediate impact of the RNC: "[CSPAN] has had several voters call in and say: I'm switching, I'm going from Democrat to Republican because of this convention, because we're humanizing the policies we're connecting with the American people."
• The effectiveness of focusing on individuals: "When that door knockers...are able to connect with a voter on a personal level and bypass the noise, that's how you change votes. And I think that's going to be critical heading into Election Day."

Thank you Bank of America for sponsoring this event.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Wednesday downplayed concerns that Republican National Convention events staged at the White House potentially violated the Hatch Act during a Politico virtual event.

Why it matters: The Hatch Act prevents executive branch employees from engaging in partisan political activity, though it does not apply to the president and vice president. Previous administrations have avoided hosting campaign-style events at the White House in order to separate politics from governing.

The uproar over the FDA's authorization for the use of convalescent plasma in coronavirus patients is only partially about convalescent plasma. It's also about a vaccine that doesn't exist yet, and trust in the FDA's eventual stamp of approval.

The state of play: The FDA has been forced to defend itself on both fronts.

It feels like August of 2016 all over again. Polls show Donald Trump losing big. Pundits proclaim he can't win. Reporters sneer at Trump voters on Twitter and cable. 

Why it matters: There are several signs that should give the Trump-is-toast self-assured pause.

Authorities said two people have died after gunfire erupted in Kenosha as demonstrators protested the police shooting of Jacob Blake, who was left paralyzed, per the New York Times.

Details: At least three people were shot Tuesday evening, and authorities are searching for the suspect, the Washington Post notes. There was a standoff between an armed group who said they were protecting property, as several buildings burned and law enforcement used tear gas on protesters during three nights of unrest.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) marked Women's Equality Day Wednesday with a Washington Post op-ed calling for further voting rights protections ahead of this November's elections.

Why it matters: The first woman of color to be a vice presidential nominee made the call for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to pass on the day that honors the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which gave women aged 21 and older the right to vote in the U.S. (though in practice many women of color still could not.)

Jerry Falwell Jr. confirmed to the Washington Post Wednesday that he'll receive $10.5 million from Liberty University after resigning following a Reuters story alleging that he and his wife had a years-long intimate relationship with business partner Giancarlo Granda.

What he's saying: Falwell told WashPost Liberty's board was "gracious not to challenge" his severance package of $2.5 million over the next two years, during which he can't work for a rival institution, and a further $8 million in retirement, per his 2019 contract.

First Lady Melania Trump said, "Donald will not rest until he has done all he can to take care of everyone," at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday from the recently renovated Rose Garden that she helped design.

What she's saying: To an audience of about 50 people, including President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, the first lady noted, "It is in times like this that we will look back and tell our grandchildren that through kindness and compassion, strength and determination, we were able to restore the promise of our future."

Many of the 2020 Republican National Convention's speakers have gone after the media, blaming outlets for targeting Trump supporters and bias against conservatives in its reporting.

Why it matters: The many mentions of the media at the RNC illustrate that media bias remains an important theme that party leaders believe will resonate with their conservative base ahead of November's election.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during his speech at the Republican National Convention Tuesday evening that he believes President Trump "has led bold initiatives in nearly every corner of the world" that have kept the U.S. safe.

The big picture: Pompeo's decision to deliver his speech from Jerusalem breaks from the precedent of America's top diplomats staying out of partisan battles — which has spurred an investigation for a possible violation of the Hatch Act.

The president's son Eric Trump tore into Democrats Tuesday evening, saying the party believes "America is the source of the world's problems" during his GOP Convention speech.

Details: "As a result, they believe the only path forward is to erase history and forget the past. They want to destroy the monuments of our forefathers ... They want to disrespect our National Anthem by taking a knee, while our armed forces lay down their lives every day to protect our freedom," he said.

Tiffany Trump insisted in her Republican National Convention speech Tuesday night that the president's "Make America Great Again" catchphrase was not just a slogan, and that he has challenged "the establishment" throughout his first term.

What she's saying: "My father is the only person to challenge the establishment," President Trump's youngest daughter said. "The entrenched bureaucracy. Big Pharma and media monopolies. To ensure that Americans' constitutional freedoms are upheld, and that justice and truth prevail."

Sen. Rand Paul spoke on the second night of the Republican National Convention, saying he is "proud" of the job President Trump has done during his first term.

Details: "I don’t always agree with him. But our occasional policy differences are far outweighed by our significant agreements. But more important than simple agreement is accomplishment. President Trump gets things done," Paul said.

Abby Johnson, a prominent anti-abortion activist, used her address at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday to advocate for the movement, saying: "Planned Parenthood abortion facilities are strategically located in minority neighborhoods."

Details: "I was awarded Planned Parenthood’s Employee of the Year award and invited to their annual gala where they present the Margaret Sanger Award, named for their founder ... And every year Planned Parenthood celebrates its racist roots by presenting the Margaret Sanger award," she said.

Mary Ann Mendoza, who was scheduled to address the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, was pulled from the program hours before it began after she retweeted an anti-Semitic rant on Twitter, which has since been deleted.

Why it matters: Mendoza urged her more than 40,000 Twitter followers to investigate an alleged Jewish plot to enslave the world, linking to a thread of tweets from a QAnon conspiracy theorist, The Daily Beast first reported.

President Trump pardoned Jon Ponder, a convicted bank robber turned activist, ahead of Ponder's Tuesday night appearance at the Republican National Convention.

What they're saying: In a pre-recorded clip, Trump said, "He has created one of the most successful reentry programs, Hope For Prisoners, in Las Vegas. Hope for Prisoners is a movement that began as a dream, in a tiny prison cell, and is now making a difference in the lives of thousands, truly bringing hope that there is an opportunity and a community that is waiting and willing to offer them a second chance," per Fox.