Axios

Vice President Harris' running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz defended his military record on Tuesday, hitting back against GOP attacks and allegations of "stolen valor."

Why it matters: Former President Trump and running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance have accused Walz of abandoning his unit deploying to Iraq and misrepresenting his service record.

President Biden on Tuesday toured cancer research facilities at Tulane University in New Orleans and deemed the developments "incredible."

Why it matters: He announced about $150 million in federal awards during the visit as part of his cancer "moonshot" initiative that aims to cut the cancer death rate in half by 2047.

Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) suffered a "mild ischemic stroke" but is expected to recover, his office said Tuesday.

Why it matters: The 85-year-old, who still serves in Congress as a senior member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, is a Capitol Hill giant.

Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced he will support former President Trump and U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake in this November's election.

Why it matters: The endorsement comes after Ducey, a Republican, spent the end of his governorship fighting with the MAGA wing of his party.

In former President Trump's version of reality, Vice President Kamala Harris' crowds are AI-generated, he's leading in nearly all the "real" polls, and President Biden might reclaim his spot on the ticket at any moment.

Why it matters: None of those things are true. And Trump's advisers and allies worry he's spending so much time in alternative reality that it's undermining his real-world campaign.

Missourians this November will vote on whether to guarantee a right to abortion and effectively reverse the state's post-Roe ban on the procedure.

The big picture: Abortion is on the ballot in at least six other states, with several others pending, as state-level legislative fights over access to reproductive care continue in a post-Roe era.

A small group of Senate Democrats has emerged as key partners and confidants to Vice President Harris and her campaign, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The group includes Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who's atop the list of lawmakers who would be critical governing partners for a Harris administration.

The United Auto Workers union said Tuesday that it filed federal labor charges against former President Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk after the duo's conversation on X veered into talk about workers striking.

Why it matters: The UAW recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 bid, while the union is also aiming to organize Tesla workers.

The Harris campaign has been editing news headlines and descriptions within Google search ads that make it appear as if the Guardian, Reuters, CBS News and other major publishers are on her side, Axios has found.

Why it matters: It's a common practice in the commercial advertising world that doesn't violate Google's policies, but the ads mimic real news results from Search closely enough that they have news outlets caught off guard.

An Ohio police officer was indicted Tuesday on several charges, including murder, in the fatal shooting of Ta'Kiya Young, a pregnant Black woman who was killed in a grocery store parking lot last August.

The big picture: The shooting spurred local protests demanding justice for Young and others killed by law enforcement.

For the first time in months, the Democratic Party has reason for hope in the Rust Belt states known as the "Blue Wall."

Why it matters: Vice President Kamala Harris has closed the gap on former President Trump in the states that have long been key to the party's 2024 strategy, but had been growing out of reach for President Biden.

Democrats will stream their convention next week using vertical video on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, committee staffers told Axios.

Why it matters; The party hopes making the stream available via vertical video apps will draw in younger viewers who get most of their news on their phones.

The MTV Video Music Awards rescheduled its Sept. 10 show after former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed their ABC debate for the same day.

Why it matters: This shift allows younger viewers to tune into the presidential debate at a time when their attention might have been elsewhere.

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are visiting New Orleans on Tuesday to promote his cancer "moonshot," which aims to "end cancer as we know it."

Why it matters: Biden now has about four months instead of four years to cement his health care legacy since he withdrew from running for a second term.

Elon Musk gently tried steering Donald Trump toward acknowledging climate risks and backing some kind of energy transition — and didn't get far.

Why it matters: The Tesla boss has endorsed Trump and has his ear. The pair chatted Monday night for two hours on X in an interview delayed by glitches.

Former President Trump's stewing and Republican anxiety over Vice President Harris' sudden rise in the polls has led to the first break-glass moment of Trump's campaign.

Why it matters: A flurry of moves Monday, aimed at countering Harris' momentum, reflect a new urgency in Trump's campaign.

A House Democrat is introducing legislation that would cleave off the Secret Service's original mission of investigating financial crimes and have the agency focus solely on protecting political leaders, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It is an idea that has been floated for years and has recently received bipartisan support in the aftermath of last month's assassination attempt against former President Trump.

President Biden plans to address the Democratic National Convention on its opening night, touting his partnership with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Why it matters: Biden's speech Monday night in Chicago will amount to a changing of the guard ceremony for Democrats, as the president kicks off a convention that he had intended to close as his party's nominee.

Donald Trump's false charge that his opponent used AI to forge a photo of a crowd of supporters shows yet another dimension of AI's potential to harm democracy.

Why it matters: AI's greatest danger, many experts in the field argue, isn't that it can be used to manufacture falsehoods — but that its very existence makes it so easy to undermine the truth.

Fewer Americans want companies to take a public stand on current events and public policy, new results from a Gallup-Bentley University study reveal.

Why it matters: By taking a stance on political candidates, companies risk taking a hit to their bottom lines.

Former President Trump turned his "conversation" with Elon Musk on Monday night into an extension of a campaign speech, often bulldozing the tech founder's attempts to join the dialogue.

Why it matters: The conversation started on a tough note for Musk with a 40+ minute delay, then featured lots of Trump criticism of President Biden despite his advisers' attempts to get him to focus his attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Members of the House Freedom Caucus are ramping up pressure on GOP leadership to extend the government funding stopgap into next year, but they want voter ID language used as a leverage point.

Why it matters: House GOP leaders don't want a shutdown, and are looking for buy-in from former President Trump on any plan they move forward with, sources familiar told Axios.

A judge ruled Monday that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed New York residency on his nominating petition and that he should not appear on the state's ballot in November.

Why it matters: The ruling, if upheld pending a likely appeal, could lay the groundwork for legal challenges against Kennedy's ballot access in other states.