Axios

Vice President Kamala Harris blamed former President Trump for making abortion a health care crisis in the U.S., saying Friday that Americans across the political spectrum support reproductive rights.

Why it matters: Abortion has been a winning issue for Democrats since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, with abortion rights scoring large victories at the ballot in red states like Ohio and Kansas. Harris, the Biden administration's point person on the issue, has made it a defining topic of her campaign.

Early in-person voting began Friday in Virginia, Minnesota and South Dakota.

The big picture: Ballots cast in the three states mark the opening of the 2024 general election — with all eyes on the highly consequential faceoff between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump.

The first 2024 presidential votes were cast today — but the rules of the road are still changing before our eyes.

🗓️ Early voting began today in Virginia, Minnesota and South Dakota.

• At the same time, local officials in critical battlegrounds are making or contemplating major changes that could slow vote-counting, and even change the candidates' paths to victory.

🌽 The intrigue: Former President Trump is pressuring Nebraska's legislature to change how it allocates its electoral votes — a move that most likely would give him one extra vote in the Electoral College.

The Secret Service and local law enforcement often were not on the same page during the July 13 rally where a would-be assassin fired at former President Trump, the agency said today.

• In a summary of its internal investigation into the assassination attempt, the Secret Service said those communications breakdowns — both before and during the rally — are the reason the attacker was able to get close enough to fire at Trump.

1. 🇱🇧 Israeli said it killed top Hezbollah military commanders in an airstrike today near Beirut. Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least 12 people were killed and dozens more were wounded. Go deeper.
2. ☢️ Three Mile Island — the nuclear plant that experienced a partial meltdown in 1979 — may soon come back online to power Microsoft data centers. Go deeper.
3. 🦾 OpenAI is raising $6.5 billion — the largest venture capital round of all time. Go deeper.

One of the most consequential — and fun — seasons in the WNBA's history is now in the books. And it lived up to the hype.

• A'ja Wilson, who may be the unanimous choice for the league's MVP, set new records for the most points (1,021), rebounds (451) and blocks (98) in a single season. No one else has ever held all three records at the same time.
• Caitlin Clark set a record for most assists in a season, and became the first WNBA rookie ever to notch a triple-double. (She had two, actually.) Putting together her average scoring, rebounding and assists per game, she's one of the best rookies the league has ever seen.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised more than $19.1 million in August with $44 million on hand — nearly matching their Democratic counterpart, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Republican leaders raised alarm about Democrats' fundraising lead and the impact of down-ballot transfers from the Harris-Walz campaign. GOP senators then committed millions of dollars.

Faither leaders, led by Rev. William Barber of the Repairers of the Breach, are coming to Springfield, Ohio, amid threats of violence stemming from Donald Trump spreading baseless conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants.

Why it matters: Faith leaders say they will stand in solidarity with the Haitian community on Sunday, ahead of Trump's planned visit to the same city.

• Haitians in Springfield have experienced threats and intimidation while the city grapples with widespread bomb threats that have forced the closure of schools and city buildings.

Georgia's election board approved a rule on Friday that will require counties to hand count ballots in November's presidential election.

Why it matters: The process, passed in a 3-2 vote live-streamed on YouTube, could delay the battleground state's election results or sow confusion.

For months, Nebraska and Maine have engaged in a standoff over possible changes to their electoral college votes, but a missed deadline in Maine means Nebraska Republicans can toss an extra electoral vote to Trump without fear of retaliation from Maine Democrats.

Why it matters: Nebraska and Maine are the only two states that don't use a winner-take-all system to award their electoral delegates, but Nebraska has inched toward scrapping that in a move that would give Trump one more electoral college vote in what's expected to be a tight race.

Secret Service personnel will face disciplinary action over their failure to secure the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally site where a would-be assassin opened fire on former President Trump, Acting Director Ronald Rowe said during a Friday news briefing.

Why it matters: The Secret Service has been under bipartisan scrutiny after two apparent attempts on Trump's life this election.

Former President Trump's latest inflammatory remarks about Jewish voters have Republicans in Congress again trying to perform a careful balancing act.

Why it matters: It is a dynamic with which GOP lawmakers will have to familiarize themselves if Trump is elected president in November.

Former President Trump is now free to sell shares in the parent company of Truth Social, as a stock lockup provision expired after Thursday's market close, although last week he pledged that he wouldn't.

Catch up quick: Trump and some other insiders had been prohibited from selling for six months after Truth Social's parent company went public via a blank-check company.

Thought experiment: Do you feel at least slightly more anxious today than six months ago? Do you feel at least slightly more skeptical that what you're reading is real and true than six months ago?

Why it matters: Join the club. We've been asking people that as we travel the country. Almost everyone nods — regardless of age, region or education. Here's why: This election combines the worst of 2016 with the worst of 2020.

President Biden will summon his Cabinet Friday for the first time in eleven months and direct them to speed up their efforts to implement his agenda.

Why it matters: Time is running out on Biden's presidency. There's no guarantee that Vice President Harris will replace him.

Former President Trump's campaign is alarmed by the idea that North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's political baggage and incendiary rhetoric will be a drag on Trump's prospects in the crucial swing state on Election Day, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: North Carolina is a must-win for Trump: A poor showing in the state, which has voted Republican in 10 of the last 11 presidential contests, could signify a losing night for Trump on Nov. 5.

From bulletproof glass to panic buttons, jurisdictions across the U.S. are taking unprecedented steps to protect election workers and ballots amid concerns about voter intimidation, fraud and even violence at the polls.

Why it matters: The moves are stark reminders of how Donald Trump's allegations of rigged elections have undermined some Americans' trust and made election officials — many of them volunteers — the focus of suspicion and threats.

Former President Trump said at a D.C. event on combating antisemitism that "any Jewish person" who votes for Vice President Kamala Harris "should have their head examined."

The big picture: Trump received a warm reception at the "Fighting Antisemitism in America" event, but he was accused outside of the summit of "dangerous antisemitism" for saying "if I don't win this election," then "the Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss."

New York Magazine Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi is on leave after an alleged "romantic" relationship with former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Oliver Darcy's Status newsletter reported on Thursday.

The big picture: The magazine said in an online statement that Nuzzi "acknowledged" to editors "that she had engaged in a personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign while she was reporting on the campaign, a violation of the magazine's standards around conflicts of interest and disclosures."

Untrusted vendor equipment is embedded in our critical telecommunications networks nationwide, potentially giving backdoor access to sensitive data in the U.S.

Further funding the FCC's "rip-and-replace" program can help address this potential threat.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is not ruling out kicking certain House Republicans off of committees if Democrats retake the House majority.

Why it matters: It's something the Democratic leader hinted at after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) appointed Reps. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) to the House Intelligence Committee.

Vice President Kamala Harris joined host Oprah Winfrey at a star-studded campaign event in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on Thursday, which was live-streamed across multiple platforms.

Why it matters: Harris campaign advisers saw the "Unite for America" event that was aimed at getting people to register to vote as a huge opportunity to reach a broad cross-section of persuadable voters.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) called Teamsters president Sean O'Brien Wednesday for a friendly check in ahead of the historic announcement that the union would refrain from endorsing either presidential candidate.

• It was a far cry from challenging each other to a fight mid-hearing.

Why it matters: Former President Trump helped heal the relationship: A few months after the clip of Mullin daring O'Brien to "stand your butt up" went viral, former President Trump intervened — encouraging Mullin to settle their differences as the GOP woos the union vote.

A super PAC closely tied to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is pouring money into two Republican-held House districts that former President Trump won in 2020, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It's the latest sign that House Democrats are bullish about their chances of unseating GOP incumbents with Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has one last power play to try to keep his majority: The hundreds of millions of dollars he has spent the last two years raising.

Why it matters: Schumer's super PAC will spend over $159 million in Montana, Ohio and Pennsylvania through election day, blanketing the airwaves in those states to help his most vulnerable members.

The end to the shutdown drama is in sight. The end to House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) political headaches is not.

Why it matters: This caps 10 excruciating days for Johnson. At each step, he's insisted the inevitable wasn't inevitable. No one bought it.