Axios

The families of some of the 19 children killed in the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting challenged Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on his opposition to tougher gun laws Friday, per AP.

The big picture: Following the deadliest school shooting in the state's history, the topic of gun control is likely to be at the forefront of the upcoming midterm elections, in which Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke is closing in on Abbott with just over one month before Texans head to the polls.

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to be deposed on Oct. 19 in the defamation lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll, an author who has alleged he raped her in the mid-1990s, according to a letter from her attorney filed in federal court Friday.

The big picture: Trump's team sought to put the defamation case on hold earlier this week as a court determines the ongoing question of whether the U.S. government could take his place as defendant since he was president when he labeled Carroll a liar following her public accusation, the Guardian reports.

Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) is being tapped to serve as the next chair of the House Committee on Ethics to replace Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), who resigned on Friday.

Why it matters: The development, first reported by Axios, is a boost to Wild, a frontline Democrat whose district in the Philadelphia suburbs is rated "lean Republican" by Cook Political Report, in the final stretch of the campaign.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak requested and received the resignation of the state's Department of Corrections director on Friday over a prison escape earlier this week.

Why it matters: The medium-security prisoner's escape went unnoticed by state corrections officials for four days until he was recaptured at a transit center in Las Vegas on Wednesday based on a tip, according to ABC News.

The Biden administration announced new sanctions on Russia for its purported annexation of regions of Ukraine.

Why it matters: The sanctions come in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin laying claim to four regions in Ukraine, which Russia only partly controls. The Kremlin helped stage referendums that most western governments labeled a "sham."

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman reports in her book — "Confidence Man," out Tuesday — that former President Trump had threatened internally to go after her phone records to expose leakers.

Driving the news: "Trump, angry about my published stories, would bellow that he wanted administration officials to obtain my phone records and identify my sources," Haberman writes.

The Justice Department announced Thursday a new initiative aimed at to combating hate crimes in the Western District of New York, where a white gunman shot and killed 10 people in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo earlier this year.

Driving the news: The United Against Hate initiative will "directly connect" federal, state and local law enforcement with marginalized communities in a bid to foster trust, strengthen coordination and encourage hate crime reporting.

With the midterms fast approaching and lawmakers set to skip town for all of October, Congress is setting aside a lengthy list of major legislative fights for after Nov. 8.

Why it matters: The prospect of Republicans winning one or both chambers of Congress threatens to leave Democrats with a short runway to pass bills codifying marriage equality, banning lawmakers from trading stocks and preventing a Jan. 6 redux.

When asked if it was wrong for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to send undocumented migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) deflected at an Axios Latino-Telemundo event Thursday, saying: “We should go to the root of the problem, which is that the Biden administration is not doing its job.”

Driving the news: Earlier this month, DeSantis sent two planes of undocumented migrants to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, as part of an escalation between Republican governors and President Biden over his immigration policies.

A federal judge on Thursday denied an Indiana lawyer's request to pause the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan as part of a lawsuit filed against the Department of Education earlier this week.

Why it matters: The Education Department currently faces multiple lawsuits over the forgiveness plan, with seven Republican-led states filing suits on Thursday.

Recovery efforts are underway in Florida in the aftermath of devastating Hurricane Ian, which continued to move northeast as a tropical storm across the state Thursday on its way to the Carolinas.

Driving the news: More than 2.6 million in the state were without power Thursday after Ian brought strong winds, "life-threatening, catastrophic" flooding, and storm surges as high as 12 feet in some areas.

Seven Republican-led states have filed lawsuits against President Biden, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and the Department of Education over the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan.

Why it matters: It's the second lawsuit filed against the Department of Education this week as part of attempts to block the plan, which would alleviate some of the debt burden of 43 million Americans but has drawn opposition from Republicans and Democrats in battleground states.

Conservative activist Ginni Thomas was cooperative during her closed-door interview Thursday with the Jan. 6 committee, according to the panel's chair and Thomas' lawyer.

Why it matters: Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas who was in touch with key Trump advisors about schemes to overturn the 2020 election, was one of the committee’s last outstanding threads in its more than yearlong investigation.

Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Thursday that former President Trump no longer has to submit a sworn statement about the accuracy of the FBI's inventory on items seized from Mar-a-Lago, as the deadline to do so from the special master loomed.

Why it matters: Cannon sided with Trump's legal team, which objected to special master Raymond Dearie's request he back up his claims, at least until he has had a chance to review the records. Trump has claimed, without evidence, that the FBI planted evidence at the property during the August search.

Sen. Maggie Hassan's (D-N.H.) campaign manager is warning donors and supporters that it may be in more trouble than polling suggests, disputing the idea GOP challenger Don Bolduc can easily be defeated, according to a copy of an email sent to donors, obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: The email, sent Wednesday night, represents a late effort by Hassan's campaign to light a fire under donors and undercuts the narrative that Bolduc's extremist reputation paired with the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade, will deliver Hassan an automatic win.

The Biden administration launched its new Chief Diversity Officers Executive Council (CDOEC) on Thursday to help implement strategy for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) across the federal government.

Why it matters: Biden campaigned on the promise to bolster diversity and equity across the American economy, but two years into his presidency the federal government continues to face challenges with hiring, retaining and elevating people of color.

Social issues and views about discrimination divide Latinos based on party identification and country of origin, according to a new survey on Hispanics.

Driving the news: The Pew Research Center's latest National Survey of Latinos, released Thursday, shows wide polarization ahead of the 2022 midterms.

Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), an unusual bipartisan pairing, are introducing a bill to mandate the Biden administration develop a strategy to try to secure Taiwan's inclusion in the UN body overseeing civil aviation.

Why it matters: The legislation, to be introduced Thursday, is the latest in mounting congressional efforts to raise Taiwan‘s status and protection from China’s threats.

The White House announced Thursday the first U.S. national strategy for cooperation with Pacific island countries to boost the Biden administration's ties with the region "as a priority of its foreign policy."

Driving the news: "The United States recognizes that geography links the Pacific's future to our own: U.S. prosperity and security depend on the Pacific region remaining free and open," the White House said.

A group dedicated to "increasing the political power of Democratic moms" is bringing together celebrities and lawmakers to mobilize voters across battleground states between now and November.

Driving the news: Vote Mama PAC is starting a new advocacy partner group called Vote Mama Lobby to help boost the more than 150 candidates they've endorsed across 31 states in contests ranging from the U.S. Senate to school boards, organizers tell Axios. They've set a goal of engaging at least 100,000 mom voters.

A Myanmar military court sentenced the country's ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and her former adviser, Australian economist Sean Turnell, each to three years in prison on Thursday, per AP.

Details: Suu Kyi and Turnell, who was previously an associate professor in economics at Sydney's Macquarie University, were sentenced under a secrets law, a Myanmar military official told AP.

The Jan. 6 select committee is eyeing an October date for a public hearing that was postponed due to Hurricane Ian, members of the panel said Wednesday.

Why it matters: The hearing, which was initially scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, is set to be the panel's last and is expected to fill in details about the findings they've already put out.

GOP leaders, congressional aides and business groups are preparing for a potential "nightmare scenario" next year if House Republicans take back the majority: a debt limit showdown reminiscent of the near-crisis in 2011.

Why it matters: There are serious question marks — and underlying anxiety — surrounding what type of leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will be if elected as House speaker. How he handles a debt limit showdown will be a crucial test of his leadership abilities for which key stakeholders are already privately planning.