Axios

The Jan 6. select committee investigating the deadly Capitol riot has subpoenaed four aides to former President Trump for testimony and documents.

Why it matters: Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former communications official Dan Scavino, former Defense Department official Kash Patel and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon were all in touch "with the White House on or in the days leading up to the January 6th insurrection," the committee said in a release.

Abortion providers on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review their legal challenge to the Texas abortion ban on an expedited basis because of the "great harm the ban is causing."

Why it matters: The case is currently tied up in lower courts, but the law has already wrought damage in the 23 days since it was enacted, abortion-rights advocates say.

A former Louisiana State Police trooper was charged Thursday with a civil rights violation for beating a Black motorist 18 times with a flashlight, according to the Associated Press.

Why it matters: Former state trooper Jacob Brown's indictment is the first criminal case to come out of federal investigations into attacks in which state troopers and their bosses concealed incidents of misconduct, according to the AP.

One person was killed and 14 others were injured Thursday in a shooting at a Kroger grocery store in Collierville, Tenn., near Memphis, the town's spokesperson Jennifer Casey said, per CNN.

What they're saying: "I've been involved in [police work] for 34 years and I have never seen anything like [this]," Police Chief Dale Lane said at a press conference.

The Department of Education on Thursday reimbursed about $148,000 to a Florida school district that was penalized for mandating masks for in-person learning.

Why it matters: The award is the first under the administration's Project to Support America's Families and Educators grant program. Florida had withheld funds from Alachua County in August, after it defied Gov. Ron DeSantis' order banning mask mandates in schools.

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer and former director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought sued President Biden on Thursday over their ouster from the Board of Visitors to the U.S. Naval Academy.

Why it matters: The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., by the conservative group America First Legal, claims Biden "has no statutory authority to terminate Mr. Spicer’s and Mr. Vought’s appointments to the Board."

The New York City Council approved a sweeping legislative package on Thursday that aimed at improving pay and working conditions for delivery drivers working for app-based food delivery services.

Why it matters: The new protections put New York at the forefront of regulating the massive food delivery industry dominated by companies such as Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats, the New York Times noted.

The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday temporarily suspended the use of horse patrol in Del Rio, Texas a DHS spokesperson confirmed.

Why it matters: The suspension comes after images showing border patrol agents reportedly whipping at and charging their horses at migrants surfaced earlier in the week, prompting widespread criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the crisis at the border.

The House voted Thursday to approve $1 billion in funding to Israel's Iron Dome defense system via a stand-alone bill, days after the provision was removed from a short-term government funding bill because of backlash from progressive lawmakers.

State of play: Several progressive members had threatened to vote against the short-term funding bill, which also includes language to raise the debt ceiling. The clash surrounding the measure underscored the deep divisions in the Democratic Party over Israel.

New Federal Election Commission filings show that Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) paid rent and utility bills for the restaurant she owns with campaign funds in violation of federal campaign finance law, the Denver Post reports.

Why it matters: The FEC last month asked Boebert's campaign about the suspected use of $6,650 in campaign funds for her personal expenses and threatened to take legal action.

Strict punishments such as hand amputations and executions will return in Afghanistan, one of the Taliban's founders said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Why it matters: Despite attempting to project a new image, the Taliban remain committed to a hard-line, conservative ideology, including harsh ruling tactics.

The world will have to spend four trillion dollars a year to solve the climate crisis, Tom Steyer, the billionaire founder of Farallon Capital, said at an Axios virtual event on Thursday, but private businesses will play a crucial role.

Why it matters: Steyer's comments come two weeks after the billionaire launched Galvanize, a climate tech investment platform that will back companies from the seed-stage through private equity and project finance.

The ongoing Boy Scouts of America's bankruptcy case could now leave thousands of religious groups open to lawsuits, the AP reports.

Why it matters: The Boy Scouts struck an $850 million settlement in July, which would ultimately bar further sexual abuse lawsuits against it and its local councils. However, the settlement did not extend protections to the more than 40,000 organizations that had ties to the Boy Scouts.

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority is ramping up enforcement of its mask requirement on public transit, saying that riders who refuse to wear a mask risk getting fined $50, the agency said Wednesday.

The big picture: The tighter enforcement of the mask mandate, effective Thursday, comes more than one year after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an order requiring all New York commuters to wear a mask or risk a $50 fine.

The select committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol riot will likely use the Department of Justice to enforce subpoenas for testimony from former Trump officials, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a select committee member, told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast in Washington, D.C., Thursday.

Why it matters: House committees struggled to force members of the Trump administration to comply with subpoenas — most notably former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn.

German health authorities announced Wednesday that the country's state governments would no longer help companies pay for the salaries of unvaccinated workers who have to quarantine, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: The announcement comes after a national drive failed to produce a significant increase in vaccinations. About 63% of Germany's population is fully vaccinated, according to data from John Hopkins University.

Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis testified on Wednesday during Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes' criminal trial, saying that he was misled to believe the company had developed a technology that could scan health issues with drops of blood, AP reports.

State of play: Prosecutors presented Mattis' testimony to support their allegations that Holmes lied to investors about having a business relationship with the Pentagon, per the Wall Street Journal.

Incidents involving unruly passengers on commercial flights dropped nearly 50% since regulators implemented fines in January, but the rate remains more than twice as high as at the end of 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday.

Driving the news: As of Sept. 21, there have been 4,385 reported unruly passenger incidents this year, including 3,199 mask-related incidents, per FAA data.

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday he's hopeful the majority-conservative Supreme Court secured during the Trump administration will overturn abortion rights in the United States, according to AP.

Why it matters: Pence made the comments at a biennial forum held in Budapest by conservative leaders concerned about changes in demographics, family values, fertility rates and illegal immigration into Western countries.

The special envoy for Haiti on Wednesday resigned from his position, writing in his resignation letter obtained by PBS that he "will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees."

Why it matters: Ambassador Daniel Foote's resignation comes amid heightened anger over the treatment of Haitian migrants and asylum-seekers living in a temporary encampment in Del Rio, Texas — especially after images surfaced of Border Patrol agents whipping at the migrants from horseback.

A Florida lawmaker introduced a bill Wednesday modeled after Texas' new law prohibiting abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, or roughly six weeks — before many people know they are pregnant.

Why it matters: Similar bills introduced to the Florida legislature have failed, but that was before the Supreme Court declined to block Texas' law, which is the most restrictive abortion law to be enforced since the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, according to AP.

Citing moves on Afghanistan and the border, two N.Y. Times items compare President Biden to the predecessor he defeated:

A news story — "Biden Pushes Deterrent Border Policy After Promising 'Humane' Approach" — notes this week's images of the border roundup "could have come straight from former President Donald J. Trump’s immigration playbook."

In a week of headwinds for President Biden's biggest plans, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield armed House Democrats with new data for making his "Scranton vs. Park Ave." case back home.

Between the lines: Bedingfield spoke to the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), where co-chair Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan said: "[G]overning is message."

Thousands of green cards are about to go to waste, leaving Google, Microsoft and other tech companies fuming — and pushing the Biden administration to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Why it matters: Tech workers have waited years for green cards that will grant them permanent legal status in the U.S. — but because of pandemic-related processing delays, they will have to wait even longer.

No one wants to test the strength of the debt ceiling. The current Treasury secretary, backed up by many of her predecessors, says that it's so rock-solid that running into it will be catastrophic.

Why it matters: The brinkmanship we're currently seeing over the debt ceiling is the kind of dance that no sane person would perform on the edge of a real cliff. One possible explanation is that the cliff isn't quite as vertiginous as politicians are being warned it is.

If the FBI data released next week shows what's expected — that 2020 saw the highest single-year spike in U.S. murders in at least six decades — experts say the sudden job losses, fears and other jolts to society at the start of COVID-19 will likely have been the overwhelming drivers.

Why it matters: Many Democrats already feared that rising crime could hurt their party in the 2022 midterms.

Afghanistan's health system is "on the brink of collapse" due to international funding cuts since the Taliban took over the country, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday.

The big picture: Nine of Afghanistan's 37 COVID-19 hospitals have closed and "all aspects" of the country's pandemic response have declined, including testing and vaccination, per a statement from WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus following his visit to the capital, Kabul, where he met with Taliban leaders.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was released from a Chicago rehabilitation hospital on Wednesday after receiving treatment for Parkinson's disease following a breakthrough COVID-19 case, per CBS News.

The big picture: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab had treated the civil rights leader for occupational and physical therapy after Jackson was transferred on Aug. 27 following a week in a hospital with COVID-19. Both he and his wife, Jacqueline Jackson, were hospitalized with the virus in August.

The Biden administration is looking for a private contractor to oversee a migrant detention facility at the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, according to a recent government listing.

Yes, but: A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in an email on Wednesday night that the DHS "is not and will not send Haitian nationals being encountered at the southwest border to the Migrant Operations Center (MOC) in Guantanamo Bay." 

President Biden ramped up the pressure on his fellow Democrats Wednesday, calling a series of lawmakers to the White House in the hope of ending infighting and getting them in line.

Why it matters: Divisions within the party are threatening to derail Biden's top priorities. After several weeks of letting negotiations play out, the president is finally asserting his power to ensure his own party doesn't block his agenda.

Stacey Abrams this week launched an ambitious national tour that will stretch across months and many swing states ahead of the 2022 midterms — and potentially elevate her standing in the Democratic Party in the process.

Driving the news: Abrams kicked off the tour Tuesday in San Antonio, where she told one local journalist "unequivocally, yes" she'd like to run for president one day. She was in Milwaukee on Wednesday night and will appear in Detroit on Thursday.

A new census analysis shows the Hispanic or Latino population in the U.S. grew by 23% during the past decade — but some metro areas saw a population boom three or more times that rate.

Why it matters: It's Hispanic Heritage Month. The national population is changing, and the rapidly growing and more dispersed Latino populations come with important implications for U.S. politics.

House Democrats discussed with President Biden on Wednesday a plan to exempt billions of dollars of new climate spending from his requirement that his $3.5 trillion "soft" infrastructure plan be offset with additional revenue.

Why it matters: The accounting proposal — a version of "dynamic scoring" — would dramatically lower the amount of taxes Democrats would need to raise while creating wiggle room to increase the ultimate size of the package.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed two laws that aim to protect the privacy of people seeking reproductive health care and enforce new safeguards against harassment of patients and providers.

Why it matters: The move comes in the wake of Texas' new abortion law, which bars abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and incentivizes people to sue individuals who help a pregnant person violate the ban.