Axios

Videos on TikTok criticizing President Biden took off during the first presidential debate, but former President Trump wasn't spared either.

Why it matters: If you look at how the coverage of Thursday's debate did on social media, nobody won. It's another sign of the lack of enthusiasm young Americans have for both party's candidates.

House Republicans are looking to capitalize on President Biden's disastrous debate performance with legislation further highlighting what they say is the former president's clear cognitive decline.

Why it matters: Multiple legislative avenues are being floated by rank-and-file members – with no clear consensus on what route GOP leadership may take.

The Supreme Court today fired a shot heard round the business world, overturning its 40-year-old "Chevron deference" doctrine.

Why it matters: Federal agencies just lost a lot of leeway in how they can craft regulation from existing laws.

State of play: The Supreme Court's landmark 6-3 ruling was decided along ideological lines.

• It marks another major victory for conservatives, who for decades have sought to limit the federal government's ability to regulate businesses.

The background: Under Chevron deference, courts would defer to federal agencies to interpret the laws they are charged with implementing, provided their reading is reasonable — even if it's not the only way the law can be interpreted.

President Biden's performance during Thursday's presidential debate gave former President Trump a fresh spin on familiar criticism during his first post-debate appearance on Friday.

Why it matters: Biden acknowledged that his debate skills had diminished and referenced his age in a post-debate appearance of his own but not before whispers of "doom" and worry among House Democrats had already spread.

President Biden today acknowledged his poor performance in last night's debate — and tried to calm Democrats' panic with a comparatively high-energy rally and a plug from former President Obama.

• "I don't speak as smoothly as I used to," Biden said at a rally in North Carolina. "I don't debate as well as I used to."

🚨 Biden's halting, stammering performance forced Democrats' once-hushed fears about November into the open.

The Supreme Court today narrowed one of the charges prosecutors have relied on in Jan. 6 cases — including the case against former President Trump.

• The charge — obstructing an official proceeding — has typically been used for white-collar crimes like evidence tampering, but the Justice Department argued the Jan. 6 riot was an effort to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election, and therefore fit the bill.

1. 📺 Roughly 48 million people watched last night's debate — a significant decline from the last two election cycles. Go deeper.
2. ⚖️ The Supreme Court allowed cities to criminalize behaviors associated with being unhoused, like sleeping or camping on public property or in parks. Go deeper.
3. 📚 The Uvalde school district's former police chief and a former officer were indicted on child endangerment charges. They're the first people to be charged over the response to the 2022 shooting in which 19 children and two teachers were killed. Go deeper.

One of Teddy Roosevelt's prized possessions — a pocket watch given to him by his sister — is now back on display at his former home on Long Island.

• The watch was stolen 36 years ago, and its whereabouts were unknown until it turned up in an auction last year.

President Biden tried quell concerns about his shaky debate performance in Atlanta last night with a fiery appearance North Carolina rally this afternoon — and a plea for sympathy from former President Obama.

Why it matters: It's part of an emerging survival strategy by Biden's team to show his supporters — including senior Democrats who came away from the debate doubting Biden's viability as a candidate — that the president has the stamina and strength to defeat former President Trump.

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon's request that it intervene in his 4-month prison sentence.

Why it matters: Bannon must now report to prison to serve a four-month sentence by July 1 for defying a congressional subpoena related to the Jan. 6 attack.

Two giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, have safely arrived at San Diego Zoo.

Why it matters: The iconic bears, who've gained celebrity status, are the first to come to the U.S. in 21 years, marking a renewed panda diplomacy between China and Washington, D.C.

President Biden delivered an impassioned campaign speech on Friday after his widely criticized debate performance, acknowledging his debate skills have waned and he's "not a young man."

Why it matters: Biden's energized remarks in Raleigh, North Carolina were a sharp contrast to his showdown with former President Trump a night earlier, which ignited panic among Democrats.

Purported claims, racist slights and personal confrontation were passed over by both moderators and some viewers of Thursday's presidential debate.

Why it matters: Bizarre moments took the back burner as reactions focused on disconcertment over President Biden's performance and former President Trump's lies.

As Democrats shuffled gloomily into House votes on Friday, they conceded publicly what has only been said in hushed tones thus far: President Biden's debate performance has led to deep concerns about November.

Why it matters: There has been private, theoretical discussion about Biden being replaced on the ticket, according to several lawmakers — though that decision would be messy and is ultimately the president's to make.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing government officials to speak to social media companies about content moderation doesn't come soon enough to help stop the spread of political disinformation before the November election.

Why it matters: Disinformation campaigns targeting the 2024 U.S. elections are expected to reach further and outnumber what's been seen in past elections, experts warn.

Blockchains make everything into a market, making it easy to place bets on almost anything, and last night the bets turned decisively further against President Biden.

Why it matters: When people express their opinions in these markets, they do it with money on the line, which, in theory, should give their opinions a different kind of weight.

It was not just shocked Democrats — President Biden's debate performance Thursday attracted international consternation and dismay.

Why it matters: The debate sowed fresh pessimism for Biden beating former President Trump in November, which carries wide-reaching consequences for many U.S. allies.

Uvalde school district's former police chief failed to identify an active shooting and slowed law enforcement's response to a gunman who was "hunting" victims, according to an indictment unsealed Friday, the AP reported.

The big picture: The fired former chief Pedro "Pete" Arredondo and former school police officer Adrian Gonzales were the first people to be charged on Thursday over the response to the shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers in May 2022.

The Supreme Court sided with a small, southern Oregon town in a 6-3 ruling Friday, saying it has the authority to enforce ordinances that criminalize behaviors associated with being unhoused — like sleeping or camping on public property or parks — even when no shelter is available.

Why it matters: The decision effectively gives the OK to other metropolitan areas struggling with rising homelessness to enact similar restrictive laws targeting outdoor camping.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled on Friday that a ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy will take effect in three weeks.

Why it matters: The court ruled 4-3 to reverse a temporary injunction that had blocked the six-week ban's enforcement. The panel ordered a lower court "to dissolve the temporary injunction and continue with further proceedings."

The Supreme Court on Friday made it more difficult to prosecute some Jan. 6 rioters, and may have weakened the Justice Department's case against former President Trump in the process.

The big picture: The court narrowed one specific charge that the Justice Department has relied on in more than 300 Jan. 6 cases, including Trump's.

The Supreme Court on Friday curtailed the executive branch's ability to interpret laws it's charged with implementing, giving the judiciary more say in what federal agencies can do.

Why it matters: The landmark 6-3 ruling along ideological lines overturns the court's 40-year-old "Chevron deference" doctrine. It could make it harder for executive agencies to tackle a wide array of policy areas, including environmental and health regulations and labor and employment laws.

President Biden's faltering debate performance Thursday night has worried Democrats openly discussing whether the president needs to step aside for a younger candidate while elated Republicans gloat over his stumbles.

Why it matters: Democrats have several high-profile candidates who could step in, but no party in modern U.S. history has ever tried to forcibly replace its presidential nominee.

The debate that's panicking Democrats over President Biden's lack of energy was also very low on energy and climate policy.

Why it matters: Biden didn't use the election's biggest stage to stitch "clean" energy infrastructure into his economic appeals throughout the night.

If the Securities and Exchange Commission wants to fine a fraudster, they'll likely need to take it to the courts, per a U.S. Supreme Court ruling issued yesterday.

Why it matters: The ruling could slow the agency's roll, making it more costly and time-consuming to pursue individuals for violating securities law.

Latinos accounted for more than 70% of the overall growth of the U.S. population between 2022 and 2023 — driven mainly by high Hispanic birth rates, Axios' Russell Contreras writes from new census estimates.

• Why it matters: The explosive growth confirms what many demographers have been predicting. The U.S. is becoming less white and more Latino and Asian American as the nation gets closer to the 250th anniversary of its founding.

Keep reading.

President Biden's debate performance triggered a meltdown of epic proportions Thursday night, uniting Democrats of all stripes — optimists and bedwetters — in a state of unprecedented panic.

Why it matters: On the biggest stage in politics — with a rule set and date specifically requested by the Biden campaign — the 81-year-old president poured gasoline on Democrats' worst fears about his age and capacity to lead.

ATLANTA — Voters, Democrats very much included, have consistently worried that 81-year-old Joe Biden is too old for the job. Last night, Biden showed why.

Why it matters: Just minutes into Thursday night's presidential debate, panic consumed the Democratic Party as it became clear that its presumptive nominee was off his game — by a lot.

House Republicans are taking a post-debate victory lap, arguing Thursday's face off demonstrated Joe Biden is "not fit to be president."

Why it matters: What multiple GOP lawmakers are describing as a "bloodbath" could become an electoral boon for the party as they rush to fundraise off Trump's performance.

President Biden's shaky debate performance against former President Trump is being met with shock and dismay from his Democratic allies in Congress.

Why it matters: Even as the debate was still ongoing Thursday, some House Democrats expressed fears of a wipeout for their party further down the ballot.

President Biden's answers during the first debate of the 2024 election were sputtering and rambling at times, with allies immediately expressing grave concerns about the impact on his race against Donald Trump.

The big picture: Trump's repeated falsehoods, and his unwillingness to say whether he'd accept the results of the 2024 election, will also make headlines. But Biden set the tone with a subdued start and struggled at times to make coherent arguments.

Vice President Kamala Harris said that President Biden had a "slow start" during the first presidential debate but a "strong finish." She delivered an impassioned defense of the president after his shaky performance.

Why it matters: Harris argued that Biden's 90-minute debate performance should not overshadow his "three and a half years of performance," as she sought to pivot to what's at stake in November.

President Biden's dismal debate performance is once again raising the question of whether Democrats will try to replace him on the ticket.

Why it matters: Such a move would be difficult, divisive, and require Biden himself deciding to drop from the race.

All undecided voters in a U.S. swing states focus group hosted by pollster Frank Luntz said President Biden should be replaced as the Democratic nominee after watching his first presidential debate against former President Trump.

Why it matters: The 2024 presidential election will be decided by roughly 6% of voters in key swing states.

Former President Donald Trump attacked President Biden during Thursday's presidential debate and claimed Biden isn't allowing Israel to eliminate Hamas.

Why it matters: Trump's attack echoed growing criticism Biden has faced in recent weeks from Israel's supporters over his decision to withhold a weapons shipment and his support of calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The format of Thursday's presidential debate allowed former President Trump to spew falsehoods without real-time fact-checking, and arguably made matters worse for President Biden as his rambling answers went on uninterrupted.

Why it matters: CNN's debate may be remembered as a turning point in the 2024 election, with Biden's fitness to serve another four years now being openly questioned even by some allies.

Former President Trump repeatedly refused to unequivocally commit to accepting the results of the 2024 presidential election during the first debate.

Why it matters: Trump and some of his allies have repeatedly dodged questions about accepting the election results, raising concerns of political violence after the November election.

The first mention of former President Trump's legal troubles following his conviction last month in his New York hush money case came about halfway through the debate, with President Biden calling him a "convicted felon."

Why it matters: It ushered in one of the most fiery exchanges of the debate, with Trump quickly trying to pivot by bringing up Biden's son Hunter Biden,who was convicted earlier this month in his federal gun trial.

From the economy to insulin to childcare to abortion, former President Trump repeatedly turned the conversation to the border during Thursday's debate — centering an issue that has proven to be one of President Biden's most vulnerable.

Why it matters: Historic levels of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border have become one of the top issues this election cycle.

President Biden and former President Trump faced each other for their historic first televised 2024 presidential debate.

The big picture: CNN was hosting the debate — the first in U.S. history between a sitting and former president that was notable for Biden's initial stumbles and Trump's falsehoods, per Axios' Erin Doherty, Thomas Wheatley and Kristal Dixon.

Former President Trump said during the first 2024 presidential debate that he will not restrict access to abortion drugs if elected.

Why it matters: The comment comes as the president and other Republicans have retreated from their party's once-widespread support for federal abortion restrictions — now a major political liability for them in the post-Roe era.

President Biden and former President Trump will face off Thursday in the first presidential debate of 2024 — the first in U.S. history between a sitting and former president.

The big picture: CNN is hosting the debate, which for the first time in more than three decades isn't organized by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.

The first presidential debate of 2024 has arrived with President Biden and former President Trump facing off for the first time since 2020.

The big picture: There are many ways to watch and stream and stream the all-important debate hosted by CNN, which begins at 9pm ET (6pm PT). One option is to watch right here: