Axios

Former President Trump on Thursday expressed solidarity with people facing prosecution in connection to the Capitol insurrection.

Why it matters: The statement was issued ahead of Saturday's rally to protest the treatment of Capitol rioters. Over 600 known federal defendants face charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

A grand jury has returned an indictment against Michael Sussmann, a lawyer whose firm represented the 2016 Clinton campaign, for lying to the FBI about not representing "any client" when he presented them with allegations about a secret Trump Organization back-channel to a Russian bank.

Why it matters: It's the second criminal charge stemming from special counsel John Durham's review of possible misconduct by the intelligence community and prosecutors who investigated the 2016 Trump campaign's ties to Russia.

The Treasury Department announced new sanctions Thursday against five al-Qaeda operatives accused of providing financial and travel assistance to the organization.

The big picture: The men are accused of providing various forms of support to al-Qaeda while residing in Turkey.

Some swing voters say they're deeply disappointed with the execution of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Yes, but: They don't believe former President Trump would have handled it better than President Biden, and the issue is far less important to them than getting the pandemic under control.

Nicki Minaj questioned the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine this week on Twitter, prompting an offer from the White House for a call with a doctor to discuss the safety of the vaccine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Thursday.

Driving the news: Minaj on Monday wrote on Twitter that she would not attend the Met Gala because she had not received the COVID vaccine, which was a requirement to attend the event.

A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a public health order that fast-tracked deportations of migrant families at the southern border.

Why it matters: President Biden has faced significant backlash for retaining the Trump-era policy, which was implemented as a COVID containment measure. The expulsions deny adult migrants and families the chance for asylum.

Former President Obama threw his support behind Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, saying he's "an effective leader and strong voice for democratic values" just days before the country's closely contested snap election.

Driving the news: Trudeau officially called for an early national election in August in the hopes of securing a parliamentary majority to help push through his progressive agenda.

Multiple congressional offices will be closed Friday amid security precautions ahead of Saturday's rally in support of jailed Jan. 6 rioters, aides who have been instructed to work remotely tell Axios.

Why it matters: As the U.S. Capitol faces its first large-scale security test since the deadly attack, House and Senate offices are taking precautionary measures to protect staff as well as lawmakers.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Thursday that the State Department is partnering with Welcome.US, an aid group helping to welcome and support Afghan refugees who fled their country for the U.S.

Why it matters: The partnership is part of the Biden administration's Operation Allies Welcome, which involves the processing and resettlement of the more than 65,000 Afghans evacuated during the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pleaded not guilty on Thursday to violating the civil rights of a teenager in a 2017 case that involved a restraint similar to the one used in the murder of George Floyd, AP reports.

The big picture: Chauvin was found guilty in April for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death and was sentenced to 22.5 years.

Four days after the 9/11 attacks, a white man who allegedly said he wanted to go “shoot some towel-heads” attacked Balbir Singh Sodhi as Sodhi was planting flowers in front of the gas station he owned.

Why it matters: Balbir's death marked the first deadly post-9/11 hate crime and kicked off what would become a rising stream of hate incidents against Muslims, Arabs and South Asians. Twenty years later, on the anniversary of his death, community leaders, lawmakers and advocates gathered to honor his life and legacy.

Emmy award-winning journalist Julio Vaqueiro will become the new anchor of "Noticias Telemundo," the network's daily Spanish-language evening newscast, Noticias Telemundo announced Thursday.

The big picture: Vaqueiro replaces José Díaz-Balart, who is returning to MSNBC later this month to host a new show as NBC seeks to add more diverse voices to its English-language news programs.

A next-generation 911 would allow the nation's 6,000 911 centers to accept texts, videos and photos.

The big picture: U.S. emergency communications have remained stubbornly analog, but Congress is about to take another run at dragging 911 into the digital age.

In East Room remarks Thursday afternoon on leveling the economic playing field, President Biden will argue that his Build Back Better plan will "deal everyone in."

What to watch: A White House official tells me that Biden will argue that the nation has reached an inflection point — whether or not to perpetuate an economy where the wealthiest taxpayers and biggest corporations play by a set of rules they’ve written for themselves.

The Biden administration notified governors and mayors on Wednesday of the number of Afghan evacuees their state is expected to receive in the coming weeks, two senior administration officials told Axios.

Why it matters: Although their exact immigration pathway is still unclear, an initial group of 37,000 Afghans will soon be headed to states across the country after many faced harrowing journeys from Afghanistan.

China's D.C. embassy said Thursday in response to a new security pact between the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia that the countries should "shake off their Cold-War mentality and ideological prejudice," per the Australian Associated Press.

Why it matters: The AUKUS partnership is a warning to China's government as the Biden administration moves to counter Beijing in the Indo-Pacific. It's also raised the ire of the French government, after the countries revealed the U.S. and U.K. would help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

Los Angeles County will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry to indoor drinking establishments including bars, nightclubs, wineries and breweries next month, officials announced Wednesday.

The big picture: Customers and employees in the nation's most populous county will have to show proof at such drinking venues that they've had at least one vaccine dose from Oct. 7 and both by Nov. 4. It's not mandatory at restaurants but is encouraged, per an L.A. County Public Health statement.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) formally authorized on Wednesday an official investigation into alleged crimes against humanity during Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

Why it matters: Tens of thousands of people may have been killed in police drug operations in the Philippines since 2016, a United Nations report found last year.

California Democrats announced plans Wednesday to change the state's recall election rules, a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom defeated a Republican-backed effort to remove him.

Why it matters: The Democratic governor received 63.9% of the vote to stave off the challenge. State Democratic Assemblymember Marc Berman, who's helping lead the drive to overhaul the process, said in a statement that "a small minority of voters" shouldn't be able "to initiate a costly recall that wastes $276 million."

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would award Congressional Gold Medals to 13 U.S. service members killed in last month's bombing at Kabul's international airport.

Why it matters: The deadliest day involving American troops in Afghanistan in more than a decade occurred four days before the full U.S. military withdrawal from the country.

Colorado's Jared Polis (D) married his partner, Marlon Reis, on Wednesday, becoming the first sitting governor to have a same-sex wedding.

The big picture: Polis became the first openly gay man elected governor in November 2018, four years after the state legalized same-sex marriage.

Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are one of the fastest-growing populations, yet data collection on the community at the federal and state levels remains "virtually nonexistent," according to a new study published in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law.

Why it matters: In 1997, the Office of Management and Budget mandated the disaggregation of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander data from the broader "Asian" category. Yet two decades later, over 30% of federal data sources fail to provide disaggregated NHPI data, a gap that's more pressing than ever due to the pandemic, researchers say.

Congress is fast approaching its deadline to raise the debt ceiling or risk defaulting on the nation's debt, and, as of now, there's no serious plan to stave off what many members are calling the worst-case scenario.

Why it matters: The U.S. has never defaulted on its debt. If Congress doesn't take "extraordinary measures" to finance the government, it would "likely cause irreparable damage to the U.S. economy and global financial markets," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned last week.

The Biden administration is aggressively defending its plan to invest $80 billion in the IRS to bring in an estimated $700 billion in new revenue, a memo obtained by Axios shows.

Why it matters: President Biden and his team view tax enforcement as one of the most politically palatable ways to help pay for their new spending plans, from universal preschool to free community college — especially in light of Republican criticism.

Mike Pence is positioning himself for a 2024 presidential run by aiming to raise a whopping $18 million this year, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: While polls show Donald Trump as an early Republican favorite, his former vice president also has been making moves to be a candidate. His group, Advancing American Freedom, is shaping up as a vehicle for testing the waters and building the infrastructure needed for a White House bid.

President Biden came into office with a plan for dealing with China that sounded great in theory but's failing in practice.

Why it matters: The idea was to confront China aggressively on a range of issues — from trade abuses to human rights — while working cooperatively on areas of mutual interest, including climate change. A new plan to help Australia acquire nuclear submarines makes that both-ways approach even less realistic.