Axios

Several Latinos made history during the midterm elections across the U.S.

Driving the news: Among them are Delia Ramirez (D), a Guatemalan American state legislator whose election makes her Illinois' first Latina member of Congress, as well as California's House candidate Robert Garcia (D), who will be the first out LGBTQ immigrant in Congress as a gay man from Peru.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) announced at a closed-door conference lunch on Tuesday that he plans to challenge Mitch McConnell for Senate GOP leader, multiple people have told Axios.

Why it matters: The announcement came as Senate Republicans were meeting to examine their underwhelming performance in the midterm elections, during which they failed to gain enough seats to take back a majority in the chamber.

Three weeks out from the U.S. Senate runoff election in Georgia, a legal fight has broken out over the state's early voting schedule, leaving some counties in limbo.

Driving the news: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.)'s campaign and national and state Democratic groups filed suit in Fulton County Superior Court Tuesday, challenging the secretary of state's interpretation that counties cannot hold early voting on Saturday, Nov. 26.

House Republicans on Tuesday voted 188-31 by secret ballot to nominate House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for speaker of the House, according to three sources in the room.

Why it matters: With Republicans on track to retake the House majority, the vote means McCarthy has cleared a major hurdle on his still-tenuous path to becoming speaker in the new Congress. But he still fell far short of the 218 votes he needs on the House floor come January.

A judge in Georgia on Tuesday struck down key provisions of the state's six-week abortion ban, calling the ban unconstitutional.

The latest: The state of Georgia filed an appeal to the state Supreme Court shortly after the law was overturned.

A judge in New York has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Mary Trump against her uncle, former President Trump, that accused him and other family members of having "swindled" her out of an inheritance worth millions.

Why it matters: The judge's ruling Monday is a victory for the former president amid a litany of legal issues, and comes as Trump is expected to announce another run for president.

Walmart announced on Tuesday that it had reached a $3.1 billion settlement framework to resolve all lawsuits lodged against it by local, state and tribal governments over the sale of powerful opioids at its pharmacies.

Why it matters: The deal makes Walmart the latest retail giant to cut such an agreement. Earlier this month CVS Health and Walgreens, the two largest drugstore chains in the U.S., agreed to pay about $5 billion each to settle opioid-related lawsuits.

With midterm results still coming in, Latino candidates — mostly Democrats — are expected to make record gains in state legislatures across the U.S., including Iowa and Vermont, where census data shows the Latino population has boomed since 2010.

Why it matters: Latinos have been the fastest-growing eligible voter group since at least 2018, according to the Pew Research Center.

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, whose re-election last week handed Democrats control of the Senate, tells Axios that constant outreach to Latino voters in Nevada is one of the reasons for her win.

Why it matters: Cortez Masto — the first and only Latina U.S. senator — narrowly beat Republican Adam Laxalt.

Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) announced Tuesday he will challenge Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin for his Senate seat in 2024.

Why it matters: Days after being reelected to the House, Mooney has kicked off the 2024 election cycle by issuing a challenge to Manchin.

A handful of prominent Republicans are publicly blaming Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for the party's failure to take back control of the Senate after major losses in Nevada, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.

Why it matters: A civil war has erupted within the GOP over its underwhelming performance in the 2022 midterms, and it could lead to changes in the party's congressional and national leadership teams.

Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of hedge fund Citadel, called former President Trump a "three-time loser" during remarks at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Griffin is a Republican megadonor who, earlier this month, said he would be supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) if he decides to run for president in 2024.

Prosecutors said they'd seek a life sentence for Ethan Crumbley, the 16-year-old who pleaded guilty to killing four fellow students in a Michigan school shooting in November 2021.

The big picture: First-degree murder brings an automatic life sentence. But lawyers for teenagers can raise mental health concerns in order to get shorter sentences in some cases, per AP.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie received huge applause at an annual meeting of Republican governors Tuesday morning after blaming former President Trump for GOP failures in the last three elections, according to three sources in the room and a fourth person familiar with the speech.

Why it matters: The chorus of Republican office-holders calling for the GOP to move on from Trump is growing louder, driving the party to the brink of civil war just as the former president prepares to announce his 2024 comeback bid.

Josh Raffel — a key White House aide under President Trump — was named head of external affairs by Standard Industries, a privately-held industrial company with 20,000+ employees in 80 countries.

Why it matters: Raffel is one of the best-known communicators on the Hollywood-New York-D.C. axis, with deep experience in all three media capitals.

Editor's note: Former President Trump has formally entered the 2024 presidential race.

Former President Trump put himself in a box when he declared on election eve that he would make a "very big announcement" on Nov. 15.

Why it matters: The midterms were a disaster for Republicans and for Trump personally. But because of his pre-midterms promise, Trump felt compelled to barrel ahead with declaring his 2024 presidential campaign on the promised date.

For the first time since the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, there are signs former President Trump's core GOP support may be softening — among grassroots conservatives who stood with him through thick and thin.

Driving the news: The conservative Club for Growth, a one-time Trump ally, released polling Monday showing Trump trailing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by double-digits in four early primary states.

The House Freedom Caucus is preparing to challenge Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday in a preliminary vote on the path to House speaker — though even McCarthy's critics acknowledge the effort will likely fail.

Why it matters: The true goal is to demonstrate that McCarthy doesn't have the numbers he needs to ultimately be elected speaker unless he makes concessions to bring his party's right flank on board.

Dozens of Congressional candidates — most of them Democrats — received campaign contributions or indirect financial support from Sam Bankman-Fried, the crypto tycoon whose company collapsed last week.

The big picture: It's unclear where Bankman-Fried's money came from. Forensic accountants and bankruptcy courts are on the case, but it could take months to untangle FTX's web of comingled funds.

BALI, Indonesia — The G20 summit opened on Tuesday, with the Russian military's war on Ukraine dominating discussions and dividing leaders.

The big picture: The U.S. and European countries have made the war their top focus at the summit. But countries outside of the rich Group of 7 weren't on the same page, leading to profound and perhaps insurmountable differences over the goals for the summit.

BALI, Indonesia — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky told the G20 leaders summit in Indonesia on Tuesday the liberation of Kherson from Russian forces marked a turning point in the war, according to an English translation of the speech obtained by Axios.

The big picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the G20, leaving his deputy, Russian minister of foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov to respond to Zelensky's address. Putin's absence in Bali could give Zelensky a stronger footing to plead his case despite only giving a virtual address.

Criminal charges are “not forthcoming” against Rudy Giuliani related to an investigation of his Ukraine lobbying dealings, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Driving the news: Prosecutors said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken Monday that the grand jury investigation that led to search warrants and the seizure of Giuliani’s electronic devices has concluded.

Katie Hobbs has won the Arizona governor’s race against Trump-backed Republican Kari Lake, AP reported, and will become the first Democrat to win the post since 2006.

Why it matters: Secretary of State Hobbs' win comes as a further rebuke to former President Trump, whose endorsed candidates lost in vital races for governor and control of Congress, as well as her Republican opponent’s prioritization of false claims about the 2020 election.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) will testify in the Fulton County probe into former President Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Kemp is the highest profile Georgia official to be subpoenaed to testify before the district attorney's special grand jury, which conclude with criminal charges against Trump if they find he violated state law by seeking to overturn the election, per Axios' Emma Hurt.

Two network news veterans and key players from the Lincoln Project are teaming up to launch a "pro-democracy" media company on the same day that former President Trump is expected to announce his 2024 bid.

Why it matters: The founders of the new website, Resolute Square, say they aim to counter the right-wing media ecosystem — and be a home to people who reject political extremism and the GOP.

A coalition of more than a dozen powerful conservative groups is pressing lawmakers to delay consideration of any additional aid to Ukraine until the new Congress is sworn in next year, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It's an early indication of the pressure Republicans are expected to face from some of their most influential grassroots allies to use a House majority as a bulwark against the flow of American aid money to Ukraine.

A Republican civil war is erupting at virtually every level of the party, triggered by an underwhelming midterm performance that threatens to destabilize the ranks of Senate, House and national GOP leadership.

Why it matters: This is only the beginning. Election disappointments always lead to recriminations, but the feuds now roiling the GOP run far deeper than conventional policy disagreements. And with an entrenched leader like former President Trump planning his comeback announcement Tuesday, there’s little chance for peace talks.

Former President Trump has failed to comply with a subpoena issued by the Jan. 6 select committee investigating the U.S. Capitol riot, the panel said Monday.

The big picture: The panel had issued a subpoena requiring Trump to begin testifying on Nov. 14. Trump filed a lawsuit on Friday to counter the subpoena.