Texas Gov. Greg Abbott won't consider pardons for low-level marijuana offenders despite President Biden's call for governors to do so, according to KUT Austin.
Why it matters: President Biden announced last Thursday that he will pardon all previous federal offenses of simple marijuana possession, which would remove a barrier that has blocked some people from employment, housing or educational opportunities.
Russia's Defense Ministry named a new commander to lead its forces in Ukraine — marking the country's third senior military personnel change within a week, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: General Sergei Surovikin has long had a reputation for corruption and brutality, military analysts told the New York Times.
Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee in the Georgia Senate race, said in a new interview with NBC News that he did not know about an ex-girlfriend's alleged abortion until a reporter asked him about it.
The big picture: Walker — who says he opposes abortion, with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the mother's life — previously denied allegations that he paid for a former girlfriend's abortion, Axios reported.
A federal judge in Phoenix has opened the door for the Jan. 6 select committee to receive the phone records of Arizona Republican Party leader Kelli Ward.
Why it matters: The judge rejected Ward's claims that her First Amendment rights would be challenged if investigators uncovered who she spoke with when trying to challenge the 2020 presidential election results.
More National Guard soldiers are leaving each month than those coming in with an overall net loss in the last year, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: Staffing challenges are at a 20-year-low and if left unchecked might result in readiness issues within the next year or two, Army National Guard chief of staff Maj. Gen. Rich Baldwin told the AP.
The Biden administration's top border official says that relocating migrants from the southern border to other parts of the U.S. is enticing other migrants to come after they hear about these programs.
Driving the news: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus told the Los Angeles Times in an interview that politicians have been lodging complaints about "pull factors" like jobs and benefits being impacted, which only attracts more migrants.
The Georgia prosecutor investigating whether or not former President Trump and others tried to interfere in the 2020 presidential election is seeking testimony from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, AP reports.
The Uvalde, Texas, school district said Friday it has suspended its entire police force in the latest fallout from the Robb Elementary School shooting earlier this year.
The big picture: The decision comes after 19 students and two teachers died in the mass shooting. The aftermath of the incident was marred by controversy due to the decisions and statements made by local officials and law enforcement.
The United States did not have any new intel about Russia and nuclear weapons before President Biden's stark "Armageddon" warning, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday.
The big picture: Biden warned Thursday that the U.S. faces the highest chance of "Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis" after Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a veiled nuclear threat last month.
Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is continuing her powerhouse fundraising. She pulled in $36.3 million between her campaign and PAC over the last three months.
Why it matters: Abrams raised nearly $8 million more than her Republican opponent Gov. Brian Kemp as they head into the final weeks of their rematch election.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) declared a state of emergency on Friday to respond to migrants arriving in the city on buses primarily from Texas.
Why it matters: Adams said at least 17,000 asylum seekers have been bused to New York City from other parts of the country since April and claimed that many of the people didn't know where they were going when they boarded the buses.
The U.S. economy added 263,000 payrolls in September, while the unemployment rate fell from 3.7% to 3.5% — a half-century low, the government said on Friday.
Why it matters: Monthly job gains have slowed from the breakneck pace that defined the pandemic recovery. But the labor market so far remains on solid footing and companies still have strong demand for workers.
President Joe Biden announced Thursday he will pardon everyone convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law — and he’s urging governors to do the same. More than 6,500 people were convicted of simple possession between 1992 and 2021 under federal law, and thousands more under District of Columbia code. It’s a big move by Biden a month ahead of the midterms — what does it mean for messaging for Democrats and Republicans?
Plus, a devastating attack rocks Thailand.
And, the U.S. imposes more sanctions on Iran as protests continue.
Guests: Axios’ Josh Kraushaar and Mike Allen.
Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, Lydia McMullen-Laird, Fonda Mwangi and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.
Innovations in artificial intelligence are making it faster and cheaper for political campaigns to identify, turn out and extract money from voters.
The big picture: Consultants for both major parties are hoovering up voter data to hone advanced fundraising and persuasion tactics. These data tools are especially useful in down-ballot local races.
President Biden warned Thursday that the Russian invasion of Ukraine invites the highest nuclear "prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis."
Why it matters:Kremlin officials hinted at using nuclear weapons ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin signing laws Wednesday claiming the annexation of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk into Russia, vowing to defend the Ukrainian regions as Russian territory.
A Michigan man involved in a plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) in 2020 was sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday, federal prosecutors announced.
The big picture: Kaleb Franks, 28, of Waterford, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, had faced up to life in prison. But his sentence was reduced due to such factors as testifying at two federal trials, per a Department of Justice statement.
With just about a month to Election Day, both parties are pouring tens of millions of dollars into last-ditch efforts to consolidate control over state governments, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Major national fights are shaped at the state level, where legislatures have huge influence over issues like election administration and abortion policy.
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