Axios

Barack Obama on Tuesday issued his annual list of books and music he and Michelle Obama are listening to this summer.

The big picture: It's become an annual tradition for the former president to share his favorite reads and songs with fans on social media.

Former President Trump never gave an order to deploy 10,000 troops deployed to protect the Capitol on Jan. 6, former acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller testified in a video released by the Jan. 6 select committee on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Trump previously said he requested up to 20,000 National Guard troops ahead of Jan. 6 because he had a feeling "the crowd was going to be very large." Miller's testimony contradicts that claim.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that a 10-year-old transgender girl in Indiana can rejoin her softball team as the courts consider the state's trans athlete ban.

Why it matters: Earlier this year Indiana, became the eighth state to ban trans girls from participating on sports teams that align with their gender identity. Though the decision only applies to the plaintiff, named A.M. in the lawsuit, it could set a precedent.

Attorney General Merrick Garland did not rule out the possibility of prosecuting former President Trump over the Jan. 6 Capitol attack in a Tuesday interview with NBC News' Lester Holt.

Why it matters: The Justice Department is facing pressure to act after multiple members of the Jan. 6 committee said they believe there is evidence Trump committed crimes and he should be investigated.

A supporter of former President Trump who assaulted police officers during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 was sentenced to more than five years in prison, one of the longest Jan. 6 sentences handed down yet, Politico reports.

The big picture: Mark Ponder was caught on camera repeatedly swinging and striking at police officers with a long pole, according to the FBI affidavit in his case. After it broke, he found another pole that was even longer and again beat officers with it.

Four people in Wisconsin with disabilities have filed a lawsuit challenging the state Supreme Court's recent ruling that deemed absentee voter drop boxes illegal.

Why it matters: The lawsuit underscores broader concerns by voters with disabilities who fear increased hurdles to voting in light of new ballot restrictions.

The percentage of Latina state lawmakers nationwide has skyrocketed from low single digits to more than 40% of all Hispanic state legislators, according to the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators tells Russell.

Why it matters: The growth reflects Latinas' emerging political power — and those are positions that could lead to bigger political office.

President Biden completed his five-day course of Paxlovid, a coronavirus treatment medication, and his COVID-19 symptoms are "almost completely resolved," his physician wrote in a letter on Tuesday.

What they're saying: "His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear," wrote his physician Kevin O'Connor.

The Senate voted 64-32 Tuesday to advance a roughly $280 billion package to boost funding for domestic chip production, a priority for the Biden administration and companies like Intel and IBM.

Why it matters: The bill is meant to entice companies to expand chip manufacturing in the U.S., reducing the risk of the supply chain disruptions that hampered production of everything from cars to appliances and helping the U.S. compete overseas, particularly with China.

Former President Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit has been "worth billions of dollars" for Saudi Arabia.

The big picture: LIV Golf has been a subject of controversy as critics allege that Saudi Arabia is looking to boost its global image by funding the tour.

Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who until recently was detained in a Russian prison, said that the White House is "not doing enough" to bring home WNBA star Brittney Griner and American businessman Paul Whelan.

Driving the news: Reed's comments come a day after Ned Price, spokesperson for the State Department, said that it is an "absolute priority" of the administration to get Griner and Whelan out of Russia.

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday laid out his "Freedom Agenda," a set of policy recommendations he's proposing for Republicans if they take back the majority.

Why it matters: Pence's recommendations come as he is ramping up his travel ahead of a likely 2024 presidential run — and hours before former President Trump returns to D.C. for the first time since his presidency ended.

Ted Olson, who was solicitor general under President George W. Bush, and former Republican National Committee chair Ken Mehlman made the case in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece for codifying same-sex marriage.

Driving the news: "The Respect for Marriage Act has already been approved by a strong bipartisan majority in the House, and it should now be promptly passed by the Senate and sent to the president," they write in the opinion piece, titled "Congress Should Codify Same-Sex Marriage."

An Atlanta federal judge denied Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.)'s effort to avoid giving subpoenaed testimony before the Fulton County district attorney's special purpose grand jury focused on the 2020 election.

Driving the news: Judge Leigh Martin May said during a Monday hearing that she would not quash Hice's subpoena. But she asked lawyers to agree to a process for him to refuse to answer specific questions based on legislative privilege protections.

The versatile Jonathan Lemire — Politico's White House bureau chief and host of MSNBC's "Way Too Early" — is out Tuesday with "The Big Lie," his new book that includes this account of President Trump's disastrous press conference with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in 2018:

Fiona Hill, the senior Russia expert on the National Security Council, who was sitting one row in front of me, later told me that she considered doing something, anything — including faking a heart attack — to disrupt the proceedings and get Trump to stop talking.

This fall, Colorado voters will once again carry the burden of answering major questions about the state's future.

What's happening: At least seven questions are confirmed for the November ballot. A handful of others — involving education, wine sales and more — could also qualify before the Aug. 8 deadline.

Marc Short, who was a top aide to former Vice President Mike Pence during the Trump administration, confirmed Monday that he has testified before a federal grand jury investigating the U.S. Capitol riot.

Why it matters: Pence's former chief of staff is the highest-profile Trump administration official known to have testified in the Department of Justice's criminal investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

The principal of the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school where 19 students and two teachers were killed by a gunman, was suspended with pay Monday, her attorney confirmed.

What they're saying: San Antonio-based attorney Ricardo Cedillo said in an emailed statement that Robb Elementary School principal Mandy Gutierrez had been "placed on administrative leave with pay today by Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District superintendent Hal Harrell." He declined to comment further.

Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) was one of 157 Republicans who voted against codifying the right to same-sex marriage last week. Three days later, he attended the wedding of his son, who is gay.

Driving the news: Thompson's press secretary Maddison Stone said in an email to Axios that he and his wife "were thrilled to attend and celebrate their son’s marriage on Friday night as he began this new chapter in his life."

The green group Climate Power plans to seize on this week's earnings reports from major oil and gas companies to blame them for high gas prices.

Why it matters: The $3 million ad campaign, encompassing broadcast TV, digital and billboards, is another indication that President Biden's allies know gas prices will be a key factor in the midterm elections.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is facing a fresh wave of criticism over a speech he delivered criticizing migration from outside of Europe and insisting Hungarians "do not want to become peoples of mixed-race."

Why it matters: The far-right leader has become a darling of the U.S. conservative movement and will be a featured speaker at next month's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, along with former President Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other Republican politicians.

National Democrats are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to boost a far-right, Trump-endorsed conspiracy theorist in one of the most closely watched House races in the country — further endangering one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump.

Driving the news: A new TV ad from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee portrays Republican John Gibbs as the true pro-Trump conservative in his effort to unseat Republican Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) — aligning with Gibbs' own campaign messaging.

President Biden has a new headache: He can't avoid the debate over whether the U.S. is in a recession, but if he dwells on it, he may hasten the very slowdown he's desperate to avoid.

Why it matters: In economics, psychology matters. If the country and consumers believe we're in a recession — even if we technically aren't — the economy will eventually slow down, turning Biden's inflation problem into a potential stagflation nightmare.