Axios

House Republicans are set to devote much of their last three weeks in session before the election to targeting Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz with investigations, hearings — and potentially more.

Why it matters: House Republicans have spent the better part of the last two years investigating President Biden, which went to waste in July when he withdrew from the race.

When Vice President Kamala Harris ran for president in 2020, she said plastic straws should be banned. On Thursday, her campaign says that's no longer her position.

Why it matters: Banning plastic straws to protect the environment and marine life is the latest progressive issue on which Harris and her campaign have either declined to comment or changed her position.

The judge overseeing former President Trump's 2020 election subversion case laid out a schedule for the high-stakes case on Thursday.

The big picture: The proceeding is the first since the Supreme Court ruled in July that presidents have immunity for "official acts," leaving it to Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine whether the acts Trump is accused of are "official" or not.

The 14-year-old charged in Wednesday's deadly mass shooting at a Georgia high school told sheriff's deputies last year that he would never threaten to commit such an act, according to a report shared with Axios Thursday.

Why it matters: Colt Gray is accused of using an "AR-platform-style weapon" to kill Apalachee High School students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Christina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39, who was also an assistant football coach, GBI director Chris Hosey previously said. Nine others were injured.

The former president of the Center for the National Interest who was repeatedly named in the Mueller report on Russian interference in the 2016 election was charged with working for a sanctioned Russian television station and laundering the funds.

Why it matters: These charges follow a series of announcements from the Biden administration Wednesday targeting Russian influence schemes, one of which involved another state-owned network allegedly deceiving online commentators with the intent to amplify Kremlin propaganda.

Former President Trump said during an economic speech Thursday that if elected, his administration would create an Elon Musk-inspired government efficiency commission that would audit U.S. agencies.

Why it matters: Rarely does the public see how an idea from an influential business leader makes its way into a campaign platform.

Nearly one-third of the 36.2 million Latinos who are eligible to vote are between the ages of 18 to 29 and form a politically independent voting bloc that candidates will need to turn out come November.

Why it matters: Winning the Latino youth vote could be crucial to political parties far in this year's election and beyond.

Former first lady Melania Trump wants to "clarify the facts" about her life, she said in a Thursday video previewing her first memoir that will be released about a month before the election.

Why it matters: The direct plea to the public is unusual for the wife of former President Trump, as she has stayed largely off the campaign trail during former his current White House bid.

Montana Republican Tim Sheehy leads Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in one of the most critical races of the 2024 election, according to new AARP polling.

Why it matters: Whichever party wins Montana is likely to control the Senate in 2025, as most signs suggest at this point.

A new Trump administration would bring a round of trade wars that reduce GDP growth and raise prices, while a Harris victory would bring a more steady-as-she-goes economic policy, two Wall Street forecasting teams say in new reports.

What they're saying: "The November elections bring the possibility of changes to trade, immigration, and fiscal policy in 2025 that could have implications for inflation, labor force growth, GDP growth, and the fiscal deficit," a team of economists at Goldman Sachs, led by Jan Hatzius, write in a new report.

• Of course, the economy is buffeted by countless forces beyond the president's policies, so these types of projections are far from ironclad.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he wants Vice President Kamala Harris to win the U.S. presidential election in November — not former President Trump.

The big picture: Putin's comments came less than 24 hours after Justice Department officials accused Russia of taking part in an illicit scheme to influence the election with pro-Russian propaganda.

A Russian influence operation used unwitting, prominent right-wing influencers to spread propaganda ahead of the 2024 election, the Justice Department alleged Wednesday.

Why it matters: The influencer scheme is yet another chapter in Russia's long running effort to infiltrate the opinions of American audiences via social media and online manipulation.

President Biden is likely to block Japan's Nippon Steel from buying Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel for $14.9 billion, citing national security concerns.

The intrigue: If Biden pulls the trigger, three big questions emerge:

Harvard and Columbia are considered the worst colleges for free speech in an analysis released on Thursday by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and College Pulse.

Why it matters: These universities, along with other elite institutions, faced criticism in the spring for their responses to pro-Palestinian student protesters.

A 14-year-old Apalachee High School student has been charged with murder after four people died and nine others were injured in a shooting at the Winder, Georgia, school on Wednesday, officials said.

The big picture: Georgia Bureau of Investigation director Chris Hosey identified the suspected shooter as 14-year-old Colt Gray, and said he will be tried as an adult. Investigators believe the suspect used an "AR-platform-style weapon," Hosey said at a Wednesday night news conference.

Key states including Pennsylvania are set to begin early voting this month.

Why it matters: Election day is two months away, but tens of millions of voters won't wait that long.

In a parallel universe, the GOP's years-long efforts to expose alleged corruption by the Biden family would be peaking at the ideal moment:

• With exactly two months to Election Day, Hunter Biden's federal tax trial begins today in California. And in D.C., House Republicans just issued a 291-page report accusing President Biden of impeachable conduct.

Why it matters: Instead, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, Donald Trump's crusade against "Crooked Joe" is collapsing into political irrelevance.

Former President Trump is scaling back his campaigning in three states he was targeting just six weeks ago, a sign of how Kamala Harris' rise in the polls has shifted the dynamics of the presidential race.

Why it matters: Trump's campaign is placing less emphasis on New Hampshire, Minnesota and Virginia. Instead, it's pouring resources into the "Blue Wall" states — Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — that are crucial to both sides' chances of victory.

Vice President Kamala Harris chose a rather obscure part of the federal tax code — the top rate for capital gains — to make her first big move toward the center of the 2024 political conversation.

Why it matters: Harris' call for Americans making $1 million a year to pay a 28% capital gains rate marked a symbolic departure from President Biden, who prefers a higher 39.6% tax.

The Apalachee High School teachers and students killed in the mass shooting were identified by Georgia authorities on Wednesday night.

The big picture: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the victims as 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo and teachers Christina Irimie and Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall.

A vigil for the Apalachee High School shooting victims was attended by dozens of members of the Winder, Georgia, community on Wednesday evening.

The big picture: Candles were lit and balloons were released following prayers at Winder's Jug Tavern Park, about an hour northeast of Atlanta, for victims of the shooting, which killed two teachers and two students and wounded nine other people.

ABC News officially announced on Wednesday the rules for next week's presidential debate after Vice President Harris' campaign agreed to the terms.

Why it matters: The Harris campaign said last week it was still in discussions with the network over whether microphones should be hot or muted — a sticking point the Harris and Trump campaigns had been at odds over.

A Republican-led House committee on Wednesday issued a subpoena of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president.

Why it matters: The maneuver is part of a flurry of new House GOP probes targeting both Walz and his running mate, Vice President Harris.