Axios

Seattle's City Council voted unanimously on Monday to decriminalize psilocybin and other naturally occurring psychedelics, Bloomberg reports.

Why it matters: The city's move comes amid a broader discussion regarding the medical application of psychedelic drugs and their potential applications for treating a range of mental and behavioral health disorders.

The Justice Department has launched a new initiative to target government contractors and federal grant recipients that fail to report cybersecurity breaches, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco announced Wednesday.

Why it matters: Cybersecurity has become an increasingly urgent concern amid the growth of cybercrime groups, foreign adversaries' cyber-espionage capabilities and multiple U.S. government hacks.

The Los Angeles City Council approved a new ordinance that will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter indoor venues, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Why it matters: The ordinance would require people to be fully vaccinated to enter indoor public spaces including restaurants, bars, gyms and sports arenas. It is one of the nation’s strictest mandates as vaccination rates have stagnated and cases persist in Los Angeles.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is offering Democrats a deal that could help the country avoid defaulting on its debt.

Driving the news: The proposal includes two options, which McConnell laid out in a statement on Wednesday: allowing Democrats to fast-track the suspension of the debt limit using the partisan budget reconciliation process, or raise the limit to a specified figure through December.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) doubled down on his opposition to changing the filibuster rules on Wednesday as President Biden floated a rule change as a way to raise the debt ceiling.

Why it matters: If Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling by Oct. 18, it would have devastating consequences for the national and global economy. Republicans have refused to help Democrats lift the debt limit.

Congress "missed an opportunity" to include autonomous vehicle (AV) regulations in the infrastructure bill, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the top Republican on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, said at an Axios event Wednesday.

Why it matters: Though widespread adoption of AV technology is still years away, members of Congress have made long-shot efforts to get ahead of self-driving vehicles and regulate them for cybersecurity, safety and other standards, but no strict federal standards have been put in place.

The Biden administration will spend an additional $1 billion on rapid at-home COVID-19 tests, a White House official confirmed Wednesday.

Why it matters: Despite vaccination efforts, public health officials have said rapid home tests will be essential for businesses, homes and schools to get back on track to normalcy.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will travel to Washington next week for talks with senior Biden administration officials on Iran, Lapid’s office said.

• Lapid is expected to meet with Secretary of State Tony Blinken, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Vice President Kamala Harris between Oct. 12-14.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Wednesday that it will issue a rule that seeks to prevent evictions from public housing for nonpayment of rent.

Driving the news: The Supreme Court in August blocked President Biden's moratorium, allowing for evictions to continue during the coronavirus pandemic.

Five former Secretaries of Defense — who served under both Republican and Democratic presidents — pressed congressional leadership in a letter Wednesday to raise the debt ceiling in order to "avoid catastrophic consequences" for the military and weaken America's position in the world.

Why it matters: If Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling by October 18th, Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen warned that the U.S. would default on its loans for the first time in history, which would have devastating consequences for the national and global economy.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), a noted friend in Congress of the cryptocurrency industry, introduced a new bill Tuesday that aims to provide a framework for nascent digital token networks.

State of play: The bill would allow the networks to fundraise before they’re sufficiently decentralized — without being at risk of violating securities laws.

The Department of Education announced Wednesday that it would temporarily relax rules governing a student loan forgiveness program, making it easier for service members, teachers, nurses and other public servants to qualify for debt relief.

Why it matters: In total, the department estimates that its overhaul of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program will bring over 550,000 borrowers closer to debt forgiveness.

President Biden's Cabinet and senior staff are fanning out to make his case that human infrastructure — as well as hard infrastructure — are needed to grow the economy for the middle class:

• Vice President Harris travels to New Jersey on Friday.
• Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm talks to Marie Claire and will hold an Instagram Live conversation with young Latino leaders.
• Education Secretary Miguel Cardona travels to the Rio Grande Valley.
• HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge tours a revitalized community in Michigan.
• Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg makes virtual remarks in Chicago.

President Biden told reporters Tuesday evening that he discussed Taiwan with China's President Xi Jinping in their phone call last month.

Why it matters: Beijing's growing aggression toward Taipei is drawing fresh concerns of a war in the region. Asked by a reporter Tuesday for comment on the provocation, Biden said he had "spoken with Xi about Taiwan," per a pool report. "We agree, we will abide by the Taiwan agreement," Biden said.

Some 1,400 Kellogg Company workers went on strike at all of the company's U.S. cereal plants Tuesday.

The big picture: The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union said in a statement it's seeking a "fair contract" for workers in negotiations with the company after the previous one expired at midnight Monday.

President Biden told reporters Tuesday night that it's a "real possibility" Senate Democrats could change the chamber's filibuster rules to overcome Republican obstruction to raising the debt ceiling, per a pool report.

Why it matters: Overhauling the rules could help Democrats "stave off a potential, calamitous default roughly two weeks before a critical fiscal deadline," the Washington Post notes.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to his own platform to reject claims made by a former employee in testimony before Congress on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen urged Congress earlier Tuesday to regulate the tech giant, accusing Facebook of putting profit before user well-being.

The head of a New York City police union has resigned after FBI agents raided his home and the group's offices, per multiple reports.

The latest: Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins resigned at the request of the union's board, according to a letter sent to members and obtained by several news outlets.

Democratic groups are flooding the airwaves — and outspending conservative organizations — to support President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, according to data compiled by AdImpact.

The big picture: Liberal and conservative groups have spent a combined $56 million on TV and digital advertising since Sept. 1. The liberals' goal: convincing lawmakers to back the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package aimed at combating climate change and expanding the social safety net.

In the days before the Pandora Papers exposed details of his foreign real estate holdings, King Abdullah II of Jordan retained a white-shoe law firm from the U.S. with an eye toward potential defamation claims, records show.

Why it matters: The records provide a glimpse into how some of the world's most powerful people have braced for fallout from a massive media investigation. It's exposed the ways the ultra-wealthy manage — and, in some cases, conceal — their substantial assets.

President Biden knows his administration messed up with French President Emmanuel Macron and is scrambling to make amends, three sources familiar with the internal deliberations told Axios.

Why it matters: The White House's secret deal with Australia last month left the French feeling betrayed and blindsided, and furious about the loss of a $60 billion submarine contract. Secretary of State Tony Blinken visited Macron on Tuesday; national security adviser Jake Sullivan is on his way to Paris too.

Donald Trump's post-office online engagement is hitting new lows, according to exclusive data from SocialFlow provided to Axios. It helps explain why the former president recently asked a federal judge to have Twitter restore his signature account.

Why it matters: Trump has tried press releases styled as tweets, launched his own "platform" and held campaign-style rallies, yet the numbers suggest his social media megaphone has no true replacement.

A Missouri man with intellectual disabilities was executed Tuesday for killing three people during a 1994 robbery at a convenience store, per the New York Times.

Why it matters: Pope Francis, lawmakers and activists called for Ernest Lee Johnson's life to be spared because of his low IQ showing he had the intellectual capacity of a child.