Axios

A judge Tuesday struck down the proposed new wording for a ballot measure that seeks to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a new agency, the Star Tribune reported.

Why it matters: The move throws the proposed charter amendment into crisis as early voting and absentee voting for November's elections begin Friday.

Senate leaders are planning to hold final votes for the week on Tuesday night so members can fly home early for Yom Kippur, three aides familiar with the talks tell Axios.

Why it matters: Senate Democrats, who returned on Monday from their monthlong recess, are planning to leave town one day before Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) "soft" deadline for the House and Senate committees to finish drafting their portions of the $3.5 trillion infrastructure reconciliation plan.

The four U.S. military branches have set deadlines for when service members need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's announcement last month that the Pentagon is mandating the shot for troops.

Driving the news: The U.S. Army has imposed a Dec. 15 deadline for all active-duty service members and a June 30 deadline for National Guard service members, the Army said in a press release Tuesday.

In the wake of the Capitol riot Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, took covert steps to prevent President Trump from potentially ordering a military strike or launching nuclear weapons, a CNN preview of Bob Woodward and Robert Costa's new book "Peril," reveals.

Driving the news: According to Woodward and Costa, Milley believed the president had gone into "serious mental decline" following the election and was worried he might "go rogue."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, facing a second day of interrogation from Republican lawmakers highly critical of the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Driving the news: The committee's chair, the hawkish New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez, pulled no punches in his opening statement, threatening to subpoena Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other Biden officials who decline to voluntarily appear before the committee.

Senate Democrats on Tuesday introduced a pared-down voting bill — with support from both progressive and centrist wings of the party — aimed at expanding voter access and countering nationwide Republican-led efforts to alter election laws.

Why it matters: The Freedom to Vote Act is the product of negotiations overseen by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and was built from a framework put forward by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), whose vote is crucial to Democratic efforts to advance legislation in the chamber.

One in five Latino households with children in the U.S. had to skip meals during 2020, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

State of play: Latino and Black households were more likely not to have enough to eat during 2020 than they were in 2019, per USDA’s annual Household Food Security report.

The Justice Department on Tuesday announced a statewide investigation into conditions of prisons in Georgia, focusing on violence and abuse among inmates.

Driving the news: The investigation will focus on determining whether prisoners are provided with "reasonable protection from physical harm." It will also look at whether LGBTQ prisoners are protected from sexual abuse by other prisoners and staff.

The Senate Republicans' campaign arm raised $8 million last month, a new record for the group during the August of an off-year, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The National Republican Senatorial Committee saw a spike in donations following criticism of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and amid the rising cases in COVID-19. It's also reporting a record number of new donors, and saw the biggest digital fundraising month so far this cycle.

Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) said at an Axios event Tuesday that the Biden administration has been key to helping Black-owned small businesses through the pandemic.

Why it matters: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated economic inequities minority workers and business owners already faced, widening racial disparities, Axios' Hope King writes.

Derek Chauvin and three other former Minneapolis police officers accused of violating George Floyd's civil rights pleaded not guilty to federal charges on Tuesday, AP reports.

Driving the news: Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J.A. Kueng and Tou Thao were indicted by a federal jury for allegedly violating Floyd's rights when they handcuffed and pinned him face-down on the ground. Floyd's death ignited nationwide protests and calls for police reform.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is taking a bus tour across the Midwest seeking to reassure parents and teachers as safety measures surrounding the pandemic in schools continue to be a political flashpoint.

Why it matters: The Biden administration is grappling with how to maintain in-classroom learning while controlling the spread of COVID-19 in schools. Cases largely involving the Delta variant are surging, and some governors have blocked local districts from mandating masks.

From color TV to medical breakthroughs that led to the birth control pill, Latin America and the Caribbean have had game-changing influences on the world.

Why it matters: Hispanic Heritage Month begins Wednesday and over the next four weeks, the Axios Latino newsletter is highlighting Latinos' contributions to the world, from ancient agricultural practices to more recent innovations in medicine, science and education.

The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that would scale back federal law enforcement agencies' use of chokeholds and "no-knock" search warrants.

Why it matters: The federal policy overhaul comes as the Justice Department pursues investigations of misconduct in police departments across the country.

Emily Claire Hari was sentenced to 53 years in prison for the 2017 bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, the Department of Justice announced Monday.

The big picture: Hari, after a five-week trial ending in December 2020, was convicted on five counts, including damaging property because of its religious character and obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) on Monday activated the state's National Guard to assist with school transportation.

Driving the news: Schools across the country are experiencing a shortage of bus drivers, which has worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 80% of school districts reported having issued finding an adequate number of drivers.

One of the books of the year ... "Wildland," by The New Yorker's Evan Osnos, draws the backstory to America's rage through deep reporting and "thousands of hours of conversations" in three places he lived before D.C.:

• Greenwich, where he grew up ... Clarksburg, W.Va., where he was a young photog for The Exponent Telegram ... and Chicago, where he was a metro reporter for The Tribune before becoming Beijing correspondent.

Former Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton, along with first ladies, governors, mayors and military leaders, will help welcome and support Afghan refugees who fled the country for the United States because of Taliban rule as part of an aid effort being launched Tuesday.

Why it matters: The U.S. evacuated more than 65,000 Afghans during its military withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Biden administration must now process and resettle thousands of families around the country in the coming weeks.

The "Big Lie," a falsehood peddled by Donald Trump that the 2020 election was "stolen," is now being peddled by conservative figures amid other down-ballot elections, most notably, the California recall election.

Why it matters: Now that the precedent has been set, some conservatives will likely use unfounded allegations of election fraud as a basis for undermining all potential election outcomes they don't agree with.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is proposing to kill a regulation the agency finalized earlier this year under the Trump administration that would have required Medicare to pay for any medical device deemed as a "breakthrough" by the FDA.

Driving the news: After receiving public feedback, CMS determined the rule was "not in the best interest of Medicare beneficiaries because the rule may provide coverage without adequate evidence that the breakthrough device would be a reasonable and necessary treatment."

Today's school boundaries in many cities are still linked to a history of housing segregation that goes back to the 1930s, a new study has found.

Why it matters: These boundaries largely determine which schools students will attend, and in many parts of the country they're reinforcing segregation and inequality, despite years of strides.

A majority of Americans — including suburban voters — support vaccine mandates for federal workers as well as private companies, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: The findings, on the heels of President Biden's mandates announcement last week, suggest that while his move was divisive, it may be politically safer than his opponents hope.

New data finds that Americans have a much better understanding of the three branches of government than ever before, likely due to the massive increase of politics in our media diets.

Why it matters: “This knowledge appears to have been purchased at a real cost," said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. "It was a contentious year in which the branches of government were stress-tested.”

President Joe Biden said while campaigning for Gov. Gavin Newsom in California that if the Democrat is ousted in Tuesday's recall election, voters will end up with a "clone of Donald Trump" as governor.

Between the lines: Although Biden never mentioned him by name, conservative talk radio host Larry Elder has emerged as Newsom's biggest threat. Elder in 2019 described Trump's 2016 election win as "God-sent," and state Democrats have sought to imply that a vote for him is a vote for Trumpism.

New York City's Met Gala returned on Monday night, with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Carolyn Maloney among the attendees marking the comeback of the pandemic-delayed, star-studded fashion event with striking political statements.

The big picture: Ocasio-Cortez displayed the slogan "tax the rich" on the back of her white dress by Brother Vellies. Fellow Democratic New York lawmaker Carolyn Maloney wore a gown displaying the purple, white and gold colors of the suffrage movement, with sashes stating "equal rights for women."

U.S.-bound flights carrying Afghans will remain grounded for another week after four cases of measles were diagnosed among recent arrivals.

Why it matters: The process of evacuating and resettling Afghans following the U.S. withdrawal from the country is hitting another roadblock.

Deep-pocketed Democratic groups are defending President Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal with a nationwide six-figure ad campaign, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: While the president hasn't wavered from his decision to remove all U.S. troops, the new TV ads indicate even some of his allies see it as a potential vulnerability amid universal Republican criticism and heavy media scrutiny.

World-renowned Lake Tahoe ski resort announced Monday that it has changed its name to remove a racist and sexist slur from its brand.

Why it matters: "Formerly Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, the more than 70-year-old resort celebrates a rich history as the host of the 1960 Winter Olympics," said Palisades Tahoe, announcing the name change. European colonizers weaponized the term "squaw" as a derogatory slur to denigrate Native American women.

Former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) didn't rule out running for public office again in an interview with Masslive.com Monday.

Flashback: The former "Saturday Night Live" star resigned from the Senate in 2017, after seven women accused him of sexual misconduct and more than 30 of his Democratic Senate colleagues called for his resignation.

What he's saying: "I’m keeping my options open, right now my focus is on doing this [tour] and doing other stuff that is more politically blatant," Franken said.

• "Well, I wanted due process, but I had 36 colleagues and a majority leader who wouldn’t give it to me, so it was impossible. But you do have some regrets. It was a very weird, tough situation at that moment," he continued.
• “I love the Senate. I love the work that I did."

Of note: Franken has returned to comedy and will begin a standup show starting on Sept. 18, per MassLive.

• Prior to running for office, Franken worked for "SNL" for 10 years.

The Biden administration is quietly pressuring India to restart vaccine exports with plans to offer a higher-profile role for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an upcoming COVID-19 global summit in New York if he agrees to release vaccines soon, sources with direct knowledge of the high-level discussions told Axios.

Why it matters: India is the world's biggest vaccine maker. In March, Modi halted exports of the AstraZeneca vaccine — one of the cheapest on the market — because the virus was ravaging his own population.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) is negotiating the size and scope of President Biden’s $3.5 trillion budget plan armed with her own spreadsheets about the costs and tax hikes needed for each program, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: While Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is getting attention for balking at a $3.5 trillion top-line price tag, Sinema's accountant-like focus on the bottom line will be equally important to winning the votes of them and other key Democrats.

A growing group of Black Democrats — mostly men — is stepping up to try to unseat Republican House members in California, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina and Illinois.

Why it matters: Although independent analysts like the Cook Political Report think the members' districts are friendly GOP territory, a Black political group backing the challengers believes the candidates have a chance because of their local ties and the districts' changing demographics.

Even before President Biden formally withdrew his nominee to be the nation's top firearm regulator on Monday, a new conservative opposition research group was ready for a victory lap.

Why it matters: Democrats honed a research operation during the Trump era that effectively opposed some of his top nominees. Two veteran Republican operatives behind the American Accountability Foundation didn't see a comparable apparatus for the GOP, so they set out to create one.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Monday that the Department of Justice will implement new rules for federal monitors charged with overseeing mandated police reforms.

Why it matters: The DOJ is currently pursuing "pattern or practice" investigations into police misconduct at the Phoenix, Louisville and Minneapolis police departments.