Axios

Over 700 national security and military officials endorsed Kamala Harris for president Sunday in a letter that said the vice president "defends America's democratic ideals" while former President Trump "endangers" them.

The big picture: The latest boost for Harris' campaign comes days after more than 100 Republican national security leaders endorsed the Democratic presidential nominee for president, including nine staffers who served in the Trump White House.

After two weeks of self-inflicted agony, Speaker Mike Johnson has caved on a funding stopgap. Next comes the actual hard part, just in time for Christmas.

• The House will vote this week on a 3-month spending stopgap bill that's "very narrow" and "bare-bones," the speaker announced today.
• The next big deadline will be Dec. 20.

Why it matters: Johnson says this week's Plan B will "prevent the Senate from jamming us" with new spending. But the same problems will be here in December, setting up House Republicans for a date at the jam factory.

Johnson's Plan B includes another $230 million in Secret Service funding, which would be given under the condition the agency cooperates with the congressional task force.

• It also provides around $20 billion to top off FEMA's disaster relief fund.

Look for Republicans to try to pass this bill on Wednesday via regular order.

• When that quickly fails (see problem #1 above), they'll need Democrats to help it reach the 2/3 majority to pass under suspension.

Here's a triple-threat of quotes that stick with you, from a new set of weekend profiles about the Montana Senate race.

1. "They were the party of the people that took showers at the end of the day, not the beginning of the day ... That's changed," former Democratic state lawmaker Brad Hamlett told the N.Y. Times on why his party has declined in relevance in Montana.
2. "Oh, I wanted to slap Trump," likely Trump voter Bernadetta WanglerBailey told the Wall Street Journal after the former president insulted Sen. Jon Tester's (D-Mont.) weight.

Above is the chart that Johnson and Mitch McConnell really don't want to see — a Harris campaign that's rolling up cash, paired with Trump fundraising that's sputtering to the finish line.

• Why it matters: We told you earlier this month that Senate Republicans are on edge over Harris' fundraising spilling over to tough Senate seats. That's a bigger threat than ever.

The bottom line: This fundraising reality will pressure GOP leader candidates John Thune, Rick Scott and John Cornyn to inject more money into Senate races down the stretch.

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, North Carolina's Republican nominee for governor, announced a major staffing shakeup Sunday, days after CNN reported that he had called himself a "black NAZI" on an online porn forum.

The big picture: Robinson, who denies making comments outlined in the CNN investigation, announced in a statement that his top adviser Conrad Pogorzelski; Chris Rodriguez, campaign manager; Heather Whillier, finance director; and Jason Rizk, deputy campaign manager, "have stepped down from their roles with the campaign."

House Republicans on Sunday unveiled a three-month stopgap spending bill — with plans to vote on the measure on Wednesday as the clock ticks down to a Sept. 30 deadline avert a government shutdown.

Why it matters: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was forced to shift gears to a more-bipartisan plan after the failure of his initial proposal — a six-month stopgap that included a crackdown on non-citizen voting that President Trump is pushing.

Election day is on the fast-approaching horizon — and recent polls are showing Vice President Kamala Harris gaining ground. With under seven weeks to go until the polls close, party surrogates are searching for any boost that could decide the swing states battle.

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, September 22.

Former President Donald Trump said in an interview aired Sunday that he doesn't think he will run again in 2028 if he loses the presidency in November.

Why it matters: Trump has been the face of the Republican Party for the past three election cycles.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) described the scandal-embroiled North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson as the "new dream candidate" to run against.

Why it matters: North Carolina has not flipped blue since 2008. But former President Trump's campaign is concerned that the streak of scandals and incendiary rhetoric from the Republican nominee for governor could hurt Trump's prospects in the key swing state.

More real people are turning to fake ones for conversation online.

• Why it matters: It's weird, but a sad sign of our times. Many people find bots smarter and more empathetic than humans — especially given the toxic, trashing-talking world of social media.

A new app, SocialAI, lets you create a private social network populated exclusively by chatbots. You choose your bot companions — cheerleaders, fans, trolls, "brutally honest," haters, "doomers," Axios' Megan Morrone reports.

• The free app looks like X or Threads. You post what's on your mind, and your bots immediately respond.

To lots of reviewers and early adopters, that sounds like a recipe for a personal echo chamber or a flattery machine.

Over the last 24 hours, Hezbollah has dramatically expanded the range of its attacks against Israel in response to a series of deadly attacks last week. Israel conducted airstrikes in retaliation.

• Hezbollah fired medium-range rockets — the longest-range rockets launched in nearly a year of war — toward Haifa, which is far further from the Israel-Lebanon border than the targets of the group's previous attacks.

Mike has learned that both Vice President Harris and former President Trump are considering "60 Minutes" interviews that would air back-to-back on Oct. 7 as a campaign grand finale.

• Why it matters: With Trump ruling out a second debate with Harris, the CBS News juggernaut — which remains the nation's top-rated news show, drawing 11 million viewers last week for its 57th-season premiere — would give the campaigns one last mass audience, 29 days before Election Day.

As summer turns to fall, the first freeze — the first day temperatures reach 32°F or below — can come as soon as late September for the cities in the North or at higher elevations, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports.

• Zoom in: The map above is built with data from the nonprofit climate research group Climate Central and is based on the average date of the first fall freeze between 1991 and 2020.

Denver's average first freeze during that period came on Oct. 4, while New Orleans' didn't arrive til Dec. 22.

Former President Trump defined his political brand and paved his path to the White House in 2016 with big, raucous rallies. But he's hitting the trail much less frequently this time around, Axios' Dave Lawler writes.

• By the numbers: Trump held 72 rallies between June and September of 2016. He's held 24 in that period this year, with another on the calendar for tomorrow.

🔎 Breaking it down: People in Trump's camp give three primary reasons he's hitting the road less this time, Axios' Sophia Cai reports:

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Former President Trump took the stage in North Carolina yesterday but didn't mention the man who's complicating his efforts in this swing state: Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, Axios' Sophia Cai reports.

• Why it matters: Trump's rally in North Carolina came two days after an explosive CNN report about Robinson calling himself a "black Nazi" on a porn message board raised concerns that Robinson — the Republican running for governor — could be a drag on Trump in this must-win state.

President Biden is going global with his cancer "moonshot" program. He joined the leaders of the other Quad countries — Australia, India and Japan — to announce a combined effort to target cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific, where rates of it are especially high.

• Why it matters: Cervical cancer is preventable with a vaccine and curable if caught early, but it's still the fourth most common type of cancer among women worldwide.

The Quad's push will include promoting human papillomavirus vaccination, increasing access to screenings, and expanding care, The White House notes.

Opening tomorrow: A new interactive White House experience — located a block away from the actual Executive Mansion — uses tech to create an immersive experience so visitors feel like they're actually walking through 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Axios D.C.'s Mimi Montgomery writes.

👀 The People's House, as the experience from the White House Historical Association is called, includes:

1. A full-scale replica of the Oval Office, where visitors can sit behind the Resolute Desk for selfies.

Vice President Harris and former President Trump are both considering "60 Minutes" interviews that would air back-to-back on Oct. 7 as a campaign grand finale, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: With Trump ruling out a second debate with Harris, the CBS News juggernaut — which remains the nation's top-rated news show, drawing 11 million viewers last week for its 57th-season premiere — would give the campaigns one last mass audience, 29 days before Election Day.

Vice President Kamala Harris accepted an invitation from CNN Saturday to debate former President Trump in an Oct. 23 face-off and challenged her opponent to another showdown before Election Day.

Why it matters: At a rally Saturday, the former president contended it's "too late" for another debate, noting, "Voting has already started"— but the Harris campaign has been pushing for another debate since the first one was held on Sept. 10.

Former President Trump first defined his political brand and paved his path to the White House with big, raucous rallies — but he's hitting the trail much less frequently this time around.

By the numbers: Trump held 72 rallies between June and September of 2016. He's held 24 in that period this year, with another on the calendar for Monday.

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Former President Trump leaned into attacking Democrats on immigration here Saturday — and avoided mentioning the man who's complicating Trump's efforts in this swing state: North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.

Why it matters: Trump's rally here came two days after an explosive CNN report about Robinson calling himself a "black Nazi" on a porn message board raised concerns that Robinson — the Republican running for governor — could be a drag on Trump in this must-win state.