Axios

The Biden administration is "moving full speed ahead" with preparations for its student loan forgiveness plan, Education Secretary Cardona said in a USA Today op-ed published Saturday.

Why it matters: A federal appeals court temporarily blocked the plan on Friday to allow a lawsuit from six Republican states against President Biden, Cardona and the department to play out in court.

President Biden told MSNBC in an interview on Sunday that he hopes voters focus on his "energy level" and not his age if he decides to run for reelection in 2024.

Why it matters: Biden, who will turn 80 next month, said last week it is his "intention" to run again in 2024, but he has not made a formal decision yet. He is the oldest president in history and would be 86 at the end of a second term.

Polling, spending trends and conversations with leading Democratic and Republican strategists suggest it's now very possible House Republicans win back the majority on Nov. 8 with more than 20 House seats — once the upper range of most analysts' projections.

The big picture: Two weeks out from the midterms, evidence points to a re-emerging red wave that could sweep in GOP control of both chambers. In the Senate, Republican officials are now bullish they'll gain at least the one seat necessary to regain the majority.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday that former President Trump is not "man enough to show up" and obey a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.

Driving the news: "I don't think he's man enough to show up. I don't think his lawyers will want him to show up because he has to testify under oath," Pelosi said Sunday during an interview with MSNBC.

At least two people in tactical gear and masks and allegedly armed with weapons were watching over a drop box for mail-in ballots in Mesa, Arizona, on Friday, the Maricopa County Elections Department said Saturday.

Why it matters: At least two voters have filed complaints of voter intimidation to Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) in the past few days, including one claiming "camo clad people" of taking pictures while an early ballot was dropped off outside the Maricopa County election headquarters, according to KNXV-TV, an ABC-affiliated station in Phoenix.

Doctors who've never been involved in politics before are mobilizing to influence the outcome of the midterms, joining battles over abortion and gun violence while confronting health misinformation and anti-science sentiment.

Why it matters: The same public distrust and politicization of science that's fueling physician burnout is drawing some doctors to grassroots political movements. They're being featured in political ads, joining candidates on the stump and, in some cases, even running for office.

A new poll out Sunday underscores voters' enthusiasm surrounding November's election— and the levels of political polarization dividing the nation less than three weeks before the midterms.

Driving the news: Some 80% of Democrats and Republicans believe that the other political party poses a threat that, if not stopped, "will destroy America as we know it," per the NBC News poll.

If Donald Trump becomes the nominee of the Republican Party in the 2024 election, "the party will shatter," Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said Sunday on "Meet the Press."

Driving the news: "The party has either to come back from where we are right now, which is a very dangerous and toxic place, or the party will splinter and there will be a new conservative party that rises," Cheney added.

Former President Trump told supporters at a rally in Robstown, Texas, on Saturday that he "will probably have" to run for president again in 2024.

Why it matters: It's a strong hint of his intentions for 2024 amid speculation he may announce his election plans in November.

President Biden said there is "reason for concern" about the future of America's democracy, but added that "as long as we take seriously the [threats], I don't think the threat can come to fruition."

Driving the news: Biden, speaking during an interview on MSNBC's "The Sunday Show," said that the "soul of our country" is about the "idea that fairness, decency, honesty is baked in to the majority of the American people."

America is on the verge of the first truly parallel universe presidential campaign — where the parties speak to distinct groups of voters, in distinct media ecosystems, pushing distinct realities.

• Why it matters: The days of appearing on the same media channels or even the same debate stage seem over.

Two employees were killed Saturday during a shooting at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, per the Dallas Police Department.

Driving the news: The suspected gunman was in custody and arrested on suspicion of capital murder following an investigation of the shooting, the police department said Saturday.