FEMA lost track of nearly $257 million worth of supplies — 98% of which was food and water — meant to help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricanes Maria and Irma, the agency's inspector general found in a report published Thursday.
Why it matters: Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 hurricane, was the worst natural disaster to hit the island, and resulted in an estimated 3,000 deaths just two weeks after Hurricane Irma skirted the island and left over 1 million residents without power.
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) said in a statement Thursday that President Trump's executive order that appears to block federal contractors from holding anti-racist programs or diversity training is "ill-conceived and harmful" and asked that it be rescinded.
Why it matters: PhRMA president and CEO Stephen Ubl warned that the order puts "improper bureaucratic hurdles and restrictions on speech" within private companies that have contracts and grants with the federal government, jeopardizing "meaningful dialogue on the values for which this nation stands."
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace in an interview with his network Thursday said President Trump "bears the primary responsibility for what happened" at Tuesday night's debate, which at times turned incomprehensible.
Why it matters: Much of the national discussion after the hectic event has centered on whether Wallace failed to control the candidates, particularly Trump, whose interruptions set the tone for the night.
Joe Biden's presidential campaign plans to broaden its voter outreach, launching on-the-ground canvassing across several battleground states beginning this weekend, a senior Biden official tells Axios.
The state of play: As polls tighten with one month to go before Election Day, the Democratic campaign has decided to visit voters just as President Trump and allied Republican groups have done since at least June, according to AP.
Federal coronavirus aid for airlines expires on Thursday with no renewal in sight, meaning massive layoffs for the industry aren't far behind.
The big picture: Airline workers aren't alone on the unemployment line. Oil companies, tire manufacturers, book publishers and insurers are among those that have announced tens of thousands of layoffs. Federal aid through the CARES Act earlier this year delayed most layoffs — until now.
President Trump suggested Thursday that he'll resist any moves that could cut off candidates' microphones in the next debate if he continues to talk over his opponent and the moderator.
"Why would I allow the Debate Commission to change the rules for the second and third Debates when I easily won last time?" he tweeted.
The big picture: White House and campaign officials insist Trump is still committed to two remaining debates, despite the fallout from Tuesday, including poor reviews and discussions of new guardrails.
Six Republican senators, five of whom are up for re-election in 2020, sided with Democrats on Thursday in a procedural vote to block the Trump administration from supporting a lawsuit that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
Why it matters: The final vote on the motion was 51-43, failing to reach the necessary 60-vote threshold to pass. But the move by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) forced several vulnerable GOP senators to go on the record on whether they support the lawsuit, which could strip protections from pre-existing conditions for millions of Americans.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a proclamation Thursday requiring all mail ballots delivered in person to be dropped off at the one voting clerk's office designated per county for "enhanced ballot security protocol."
Why it matters: The order, effective Friday, closes any satellite offices, where voters would have been able to drop mail-in ballots.
The House is planning to move ahead Thursday with Democrats' revised $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill as 11th-hour negotiations with the White House continue.
The latest: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke by phone at 1 p.m., following a 90-minute meeting on Capitol Hill Wednesday — the first in-person meeting between the two since August, when negotiations stalled. The two plan to speak again later this afternoon, according to a Pelosi aide.
A federal court issued a ruling allowing the U.S. government to seize $5.2 million of royalties and other profits from the publication of Edward Snowden's memoir, "Permanent Record," the Justice Department announced on Thursday.
The big picture: The court's decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by the government against Snowden last year for violating non-disclosure agreements he signed with the CIA and NSA.
The Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, plans to spend $10 million in South Carolina, hoping to boost Sen. Lindsey Graham's re-election campaign as the race has tightened considerably, McClatchy reports.
Why it matters: The campaign has become unexpectedly competitive, with Graham's Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, having a massivefinancial advantage. Harrison was once thought to be a long shot against Graham in the typically Republican state, but the two are now tied 48%-48% according to a recent Quinnipiac poll.
Fox News reporter John Roberts criticized White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday for refusing to provide a "definitive and unambiguous" statement condemning white supremacist groups on behalf of President Trump, arguing that she deflected by only pointing to his past statements.
Why it matters: Roberts pointed out that despite McEnany's insinuation that the media is over-exaggerating the controversy over President Trump telling the far-right Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by" at Tuesday's debate, a number of Trump's Republican allies have urged the president to clarify and unequivocally denounce white supremacy.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany clashed repeatedly with members of the media on Thursday over whether or not President Trump has forcefully condemned white supremacy, at one pointing accusing CNN's Kaitlan Collins of asking a "partisan attack question."
Why it matters: It was one of the most confrontational press conferences yet by a White House press secretary brought in for the express purpose of sparring with a Washington press corps that the president has attacked as "the enemy of the people."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at a press briefing Thursday that President Trump's comments about the far-right Proud Boys and his refusal to commit to accepting the election results at the presidential debate are the kinds of things that keep her up at night.
The big picture: Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress called for Trump to explicitly condemn white supremacist and far-right extremists after his comments sparked outrage. On Wednesday, Trump denied knowing the group and said he has "always denounced any form" of white supremacism.
Former Trump national security adviser H.R. McMaster in an interview with The Atlantic lamented that President Trump would not condemn white supremacy at Tuesday's debate, calling it a "missed opportunity" and affirming that white supremacist groups pose a threat to national security.
Catch up quick: Trump was asked at the first presidential debate to condemn white supremacy, but instead told the far-right group Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by." The president has since partially tried walking back his comments, telling reporters that he doesn't know who the Proud Boys are.
The Trump administration plans to only admit a maximum of 15,000 refugees this fiscal year, the State Department said in a release late Wednesday evening.
Why it matters: This is yet another record-low refugee cap. Before leaving office, President Obama set the refugee limit at 110,000 for fiscal year 2017 — a number Trump has continued to slash throughout his presidency.
A brief new study makes the case that Democrats are curtailing their travel more than Republicans during the pandemic.
Why it matters: Transportation analyst Michael Sivak's report provides another window into the forces that have caused a steep drop in oil demand during the crisis.
Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president on MSNBC Thursday.
Why it matters: McChrystal came under fire in 2010 during the Obama administration after a Rolling Stone article quoted him as mocking some top civilian officials — including Biden. The general apologized to Biden but was ultimately pushed to resign.
President Trumpmade it clear at the debate that he’ll continue to call the results fraudulent — and contest the outcome in key states — no matter how wide the margin. That’ll be amplifiedby a massive amount of disinformation, even though the platforms are trying to curtail it.
Why it matters: Back in 2000, we didn’t know Bush v. Gore was going to happen. We know this is going to happen.
President Trump's refusal to condemn white nationalists during Tuesday night's debate drew a lot of attention — including from the Proud Boys, the far-right group he asked to "stand back and stand by."
Why it matters: The Proud Boys remain relatively small — a Portland rally this past weekend billed as the group's largest-ever gathering drew just a few hundred people. But Trump's failure to condemn extremist groups has been welcomed as an endorsement by a wide constellation of people on the fringes.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The chaotic first presidential debate didn't do much to change some voters' minds here, with several voters who previously supported President Trump deciding to stick with him, even if they were embarrassed by his debate performance.
Why it matters: Most people's minds were made up before Tuesday's debate. But these voters' feelings show how much the pandemic may be hurting Trump in battleground states.
Three words Americans associated most with President Trump's debate performance: Bully, childish and rude. Joe Biden: Weak, presidential and poor. The debate itself: Chaotic, Trump and variations on the word s--t.
The big picture: A new Axios-SurveyMonkey poll shows that while nobody on that stage should feel great about their performance, Trump hurt himself more than his rival with Tuesday night's theatrics in what's been called the worst U.S. presidential debate in history.
NBA star LeBron James' More Than a Vote campaign to increase the number of poll workers in Black electoral districts has recruited 10,000 volunteers since it launched in the summer, the New York Times first reported Wednesday.
Of note: Later Wednesday, James' voting movement received a glowing endorsement from former President Barack Obama, who appeared virtually alongside other NBA greats, including Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Clyde Drexler, and More Than a Vote poll workers during game 1 of the NBA finals between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.
President Trump signed a bill to extend current levels of government funding after funding expired briefly, White House spokesperson Judd Deere confirmed early Thursday.
Why it matters: The move averts a government shutdown before the Nov. 3 election.The Senate on Wednesday passed the legislation to fund the federal government through Dec. 11, by a vote of 84-10.
Two federal judges ruled on Wednesday in favor of plans in Montana and Alabama for mail-in and absentee voting in November's elections.
Driving the news: In Montana, U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen, ruled in favor of the mail-in voting expansion plans of Gov. Steve Bullock (D) to safeguard against COVID-19. In response to claims by the Trump Campaign and the Republican National Committee of widespread voter fraud, he wrote, "The evidence suggests ... this allegation, specifically in Montana, is a fiction."
Nationwide Black Lives Matter protests sparked by George Floyd's killing have put new pressure on states and cities to scale back the force that officers can use on civilians.
Why it matters: Police reforms of this scale have not taken place since the inception of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013, following George Zimmerman's acquittal for shooting Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Wednesday signed collection of policing bills that outlaw the use of chokeholds, allow the state Department of Justice to investigate police shootings and give counties added oversight of sheriff's departments, according to a statement from his office.
Why it matters: The laws add to the wave of reform bills introduced across the U.S. after the May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Newsom also signed bills related to the state's juvenile justice system and legal protections.
The big picture: Parscale was President Trump's campaign manager until July, after which he remained as a senior adviser on digital projects. "I am stepping away from my company and any role in the campaign for the immediate future to focus on my family and get help dealing with the overwhelming stress," Parscale said in a statement to Politico. Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said in an emailed statement to Axios, "We hope for nothing but the best for Brad and his family."
TheNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline(1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free and confidential support for anyone in distress, in addition to prevention and crisis resources. Also available foronline chat.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with Murtaugh's comment.
