Axios

Vice President Harris on Tuesday condemned former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance for their "hateful rhetoric" about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, and said they are "spewing lies ... grounded in tropes."

Why it matters: Harris' remarks — during her second nationally televised interview as the Democratic nominee — are her most extensive yet on the unfounded GOP-driven conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants eating pets in the Ohio town.

A Republican-driven conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants eating pets has upended life in a small Ohio town and shined a spotlight on an often-overlooked immigrant community.

Why it matters: After former President Trump amplified the baseless claims at last week's presidential debate, many members of the Haitian American community have reported receiving threats or feeling unsafe.

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with former President Trump on Tuesday to check in after a second apparent assassination attempt against him, she said during an interview with the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia.

Why it matters: The presidential opponents, who only met for the first time this month, rarely speak. The GOP ticket has blamed Democrats for the threat against Trump.

Elon Musk said Tuesday that SpaceX will be filing a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration for "regulatory overreach."

Why it matters: The Musk-led aerospace giant has been knocked by air-safety regulators on multiple occasions, even as it becomes an increasingly prominent player in outer space.

Vice President Kamala Harris' net favorability rating crossed into positive territory today for the first time since July 2021, according to FiveThirtyEight's polling average.

Why it matters: Harris has experienced an image makeover of epic proportions — the kind usually reserved for retired politicians, not a sitting vice president nearly four years into her term.

Russia is now throwing all of its disinformation resources behind operations designed to undermine the Harris-Walz campaign, according to a Microsoft report released Tuesday.

Why it matters: The new report suggest Russia wants to use these operations to influence the outcome of another U.S. presidential election.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) blamed "Democrats and the media" for the second apparent assassination attempt on his running mate, former President Trump during a campaign rally in Sparta, Michigan, on Tuesday.

Why it matters: The GOP presidential ticket has repeatedly blamed Democrats for violence against Trump.

Nearly 100,000 Arizonans who registered to vote over the past 20 years were mistakenly considered to have provided proof of citizenship due to a quirk in the Motor Vehicle Department's system.

Why it matters: Arizona voters who can't provide proof of citizenship are only permitted to vote in federal races under a system created by a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Republican senators are trying to highlight Vice President Harris' shifting policy positions this week as they seek to counter Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) summer of "show votes."

Why it matters: They will force Democrats to block bills on hot political topics like IVF, the border and fracking — drawing attention to some issues where Harris has flip-flopped, Axios has learned.

• First up: Republicans aim to de-fang Schumer's bid to paint Republicans as anti-IVF by pointing to their own plans to boost access to the treatment.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is once again planning a vote on his six-month stopgap spending bill that includes a crackdown on non-citizen voting — even though he still lacks the support to get it passed.

Why it matters: The clock is ticking ahead of a potential Sept. 30 funding lapse, and the vote — as of now planned for Wednesday —could end up being a way for Johnson to move past a proposal hardliners in his party are pushing.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been charged with three felony counts in a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday following an investigation into sex trafficking allegations against the music mogul.

The big picture: Prosecutors charged Combs with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Meta is banning RT and other Russian state media outlets due to "foreign interference activity" after the U.S. accused the organizations of advancing an election interference scheme.

Why it matters: The Justice Department (DOJ) alleged in an indictment earlier this month that employees of the Kremlin-backed outlet spent millions to direct an American company and several right-wing influencers to unwittingly publish Russian propaganda.

If elected Donald Trump says he'd stop taxing overtime pay.

Why it matters: The policy, which would likely require legislation, would certainly incentivize more overtime work. But part of the reasoning behind the federal overtime laws — included in the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act — was to discourage employers from giving workers long hours.

The New York Times reporters who uncovered Donald Trump's tax returns are out with a book Tuesday offering a gripping look at how Trump got rich.

Why it matters: Core to the former president's pitch for office is that he's a successful businessman. Relying on interviews with hundreds of former Trump associates, financial statements, confidential business records and public filings, the book dismantles that notion.

Former President Obama is taking to TikTok today in search of eligible voters who aren't yet registered to pull the lever for Vice President Harris.

Why it matters: Democrats want to press their advantage with young Americans.

Kamala Harris merchandise has been flying off the shelves since the vice president became the Democratic presidential nominee, creating a sudden "Kamala-conomy" in deep-blue D.C.

Why it matters: Some local business owners say the enthusiasm for Harris, a Howard University alum with longstanding local ties, is driving big spikes in sales and boosting their brands.

House Democrats are ramping up public pressure on their Republican colleagues to prove that their professed support for access to fertility services is more than just talk, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Former President Trump has spurred a wave of Democratic efforts to expose GOP divisions on IVF with his proposal to make fertility treatments free and by calling himself a "leader" on the issue.

U.S. students have made up for some pandemic-era learning losses in math and reading — but the recovery has been slow and uneven, especially among students of color, per a new report.

Why it matters: The pandemic exposed deep racial and income inequalities in the nation's public school system, and the uneven recovery is showing few of those inequities have been addressed enough.

Vice President Kamala Harris leapt to a six-point lead over former President Trump in the wake of last week's presidential debate, according to a Morning Consult poll published Tuesday.

Why it matters: Most polls before last Tuesday's debate that saw Harris rattle Trump on a range of topics had the pair locked in a virtual dead heat.

"Nervous" and "scared" — by a longshot — are the most common feelings young people have about the election, according to a poll from American University's Sine Institute and Generation Lab shared exclusively with Axios.

Why it matters: Young voters are a key voting bloc for Vice President Harris' campaign, and she's relying on young women in particular to turn out.

Four years ago, former President Trump seized on expected delays in counting heavily Democratic absentee and mail-in ballots in swing states to fuel false claims that the election was stolen. Experts warn it could happen again in 2024.

Why it matters: In the politically divided states whose 2020 votes received the most attention, some new laws and policies aim to expedite ballot counts — but many rules and timelines will likely be the same.

Jordan Chiles, the U.S. gymnast who was stripped of her Olympic bronze medal at the Paris Games, filed an appeal Monday challenging the decision in the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.

The big picture: The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee filed a letter of support in Chiles' appeal against the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) decision to revoke the medal in the women's gymnastics floor event and award it to Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu, per a statement from her attorneys.

The Trumps are putting their names behind a new crypto project, one promoted Monday night in a meandering two-hour livestream on the social media site X that was remarkably light on detail.

Why it matters: Former president Donald Trump seems to be leveraging attention from his White House run to promote a new business venture — one that by its nature could spark calls of constitutional conflicts.

Former President Trump praised the U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement on Monday for their "fantastic" response to an apparent second assassination attempt against him.

The big picture: In his first detailed account since suspect Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was charged with two gun counts, Trump recounted during an X Spaces discussion how Sunday's events unfolded at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, while he was playing golf with friends including real estate developer Steve Witkoff.

Republicans are going all-in on Ohio this month while Democrats give the Arizona race a major boost in what is expected to be a nail-biter fight for control of the upper chamber.

Why it matters: Senate campaigns are plotting their final bets on what they see as their path to another two years of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) or a new era of GOP leadership and control.

With two weeks until a potential government shutdown, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is losing patience with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), signaling the Senate is prepared to move first.

Why it matters: Schumer knows Johnson is cornered by his own party. But Schumer has members — especially Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) — who can't afford to waste valuable time in D.C.

Senate Republicans have quietly reversed course on trying to rebuke or embarrass the Biden White House, concerned it could help Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stay in power.

Why it matters: House and Senate GOP leaders had been pitting Democrats against Biden with Congressional Review Act votes, which allows Congress to overturn federal government rules and regulations.

Add Secret Service funding to the list of items Congress can't agree on before a potential government shutdown on Oct. 1.

Why it matters: President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer want to boost the Secret Service's budget after two assassination attempts on former President Trump in two months. But Republican leaders aren't convinced money is the problem.