Axios

X on Thursday suspended independent journalist Ken Klippenstein's account after Klippenstein shared Sen. JD Vance's vetting document from the alleged Iranian hack of Donald Trump's campaign.

The big picture: The 271-page document includes research on Vance that the Trump campaign compiled to vet him as a potential running mate.

Former President Trump said Thursday that he is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, one day after Vice President Harris met with the Ukrainian president.

Why it matters: Trump's announcement — during a press conference at Trump Tower in New York — also comes one day after the former president accused Zelensky of making "little, nasty aspersions" toward him.

Former first lady Melania Trump pointed to "the opposition party" and the media as fostering the threats that led to two assassination attempts against former President Trump, in her first interview in more than two years.

The big picture: Melania Trump has largely stayed away from the campaign trail during her husband's 2024 White House bid.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was charged with bribery and fraud in an indictment unsealed Thursday following a months-long federal investigation into whether his campaign illegally conspired with Turkish entities to collect foreign donations.

Why it matters: Adams is the first NYC mayor to face criminal charges while serving in office.

Former President Trump is promoting a new watch collection with watches selling for as much as $100,000 each.

Why it matters: The GOP presidential nominee has promoted the sale of everything from $59.99 Bibles, $299 sneakers and $99 "Victory47" cologne in recent months.

Ecuadorians are the least likely in the world to feel safe in their country, according to new polling data from Gallup.

Why it matters: Ecuador's long-time status as one of the safest nations in Latin America and the Caribbean is no more as the nation has been hit by the same systemic violence as nearby countries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday walked back from a private understanding with the Biden administration and distanced himself from the proposal for 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon presented by the U.S., France and other allies.

Why it matters: U.S. officials said Netanyahu and his close confidants were directly involved in the formulation of the temporary ceasefire.

Vice President Harris' campaign is launching a digital ad on Thursday trying to tie former President Trump to embattled North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) over their past statements on contraception.

Why it matters: It's the Harris campaign's second paid ad that links Trump to the down-ballot candidate after an explosive CNN report unveiled that Robinson called himself a "Black Nazi" and made other incendiary comments on a porn message board.

Vice President Kamala Harris offered some clarity to what her anti-price gouging proposal means, in an 82-page economic policy paper that her 2024 campaign released Wednesday.

Why it matters: The Democratic presidential nominee had been vague on what her promised crackdown on price gouging would look like, leading to wild speculation about "communist" price controls.

Rudy Giuliani, ex-lawyer to former President Trump, lost his license to practice law in the nation's capital Thursday.

Why it matters: The former mayor of New York City and close ally to the former president has been hit with a slew of legal and disciplinary actions related to his role in the alleged scheme to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Even before news broke of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' indictment, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was already signaling to allies that he was preparing to run for mayor, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Why it matters: From a star in Democratic politics to a disgraced governor pushed to resign amid a sexual harassment scandal, Cuomo's dramatic rise and fall could soon have another chapter.

The push to electrify urban taxi and rideshare fleets has created a new issue: not enough charging infrastructure in cities like New York and San Francisco.

Why it matters: While government funding is directed primarily to highway charging spots, dense urban centers stand to benefit the most from the shift to electric cars, trucks and buses — provided they have a place to charge.

Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to visit the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Friday as her campaign attempts to show she is the best-prepared candidate to tackle the simmering issue of immigration.

Why it matters: Harris has faced relentless attacks from former President Trump and Republicans who claim she's ill-equipped to handle what they've called a crisis at the southern border.

A new campaign is betting that people who rent their homes instead of owning them can swing the election toward Vice President Kamala Harris.

Why it matters: More than 45 million Americans rent their house or apartment, yet renters are significantly less likely to vote than homeowners.

Americans' top concern around misinformation right now — more than foreign government interference or AI — is politicians spreading it to manipulate their supporters, according to a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.

Why it matters: The election is 40 days away and nobody trusts or believes anything.

In 2019, then-Sen. Kamala Harris pledged as president to eliminate Senate filibuster rules to pass a multi-trillion dollar Green New Deal to transform U.S. energy and climate policy.

• Now, Harris' campaign declined to say if she would push for such a reform if she is president.

Why it matters: Harris has left a lot of question marks about what she'd do as president and her policy priorities since she entered the campaign on July 21.

Russia and Iran are close partners in Ukraine and in the Middle East, but they're intervening on opposite sides in the U.S. election.

Why it matters: An emerging axis of U.S. adversaries and rivals, including China and North Korea, has moved closer together on a number of fronts in recent years — but not when it comes to partisan U.S. politics.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal charges, the New York Times first reported Wednesday.

The latest: Adams said in a video address to New Yorkers that was shared with outlets including Axios it's "now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes" and if so, they'd be "entirely false, based on lies."

Axios is back with an interview series on top leaders from business and beyond who discuss lessons on life and leadership.

Last month I interviewed Sherrie Westin, 66, the new CEO of Sesame Workshop — the nonprofit behind "Sesame Street," TV's longest-running children's show. It's been on air since 1969.

The U.S., France and key allies issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling on Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a 21-day ceasefire during which negotiations could take place on a diplomatic solution to the crisis on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

Why it matters: The statement — released after 10 days of intense fighting that has killed more than 700 people in Lebanon — is aimed at stopping the escalation and particularly at preventing a possible Israeli ground invasion of southern Lebanon to push Hezbollah militants away from the border.

For the second cycle in a row, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has ensured his incumbents will have plenty of time to campaign for their re-election.

Why it matters: Running as incumbent has plenty of advantages. Being stuck in Washington in the days before the election isn't one of them.

House Democrats are pushing back hard against House Republicans' harsh scrutiny of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to a munitions plant in Pennsylvania earlier this week.

Why it matters: The trip has touched off a House Oversight Committee investigation and even a call from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for Zelensky to fire his ambassador to the U.S. for organizing the trip.