A growing number of lawmakers is calling for Congress to cut its October recess short following an Iranian missile attack against Israel on Tuesday.
Why it matters: It builds on bipartisan calls from senators and House members in states affected by Hurricane Helene who said Monday that Congress should reconvene sooner than scheduled.
Former President Trump turned down a "60 Minutes" offer of back-to-back conversations with both presidential nominees, with his campaign saying he didn't want interruptions for fact checks.
Why it matters: With Trump saying it's "too late" for another debate with Harris, the show could have been a final chance for both candidates to reach a mass audience, 29 days before Election Day.
The bags of money pouring in from crypto types to Bernie Moreno's Ohio Senate bid will eventually make the race look more like the top of the ticket, where fellow Republican Donald Trump is polling much stronger in the Buckeye State, Moreno says.
Why it matters: Ohio represents one of Republicans' best chances to flip a Democratically held seat, and the race is on track to be the nation's most expensive congressional contest this cycle.
Former President Trump claimed in a court filing Tuesday that special counsel Jack Smith is trying to release new evidence and witness testimony in his federal Jan. 6 case just as early voting for the 2024 election begins.
The big picture: Trump has made this argument before in the same case, accusing Smith of trying to influence the outcome of the presidential election.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said he "plead guilty to journalism" in his first public appearance on Tuesday since being freed from a high-security U.K. prison.
Why it matters: Assange expressed concern before human rights officials from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and alleged heightened censorship and retaliation since his arrest for one of the biggest leaks of classified information in U.S. history.
Some Democratic lawmakers are quietly concerned that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz may underperform in his vice presidential debate against Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) on Tuesday night.
Why it matters: Vice President Kamala Harris set high expectations after what was widely perceived as a blowout debate performance against former President Trump last month.
The son and daughter-in-law of the late Martin Luther King Jr. have spearheaded efforts to create a national Black-Latino coalition similar to one the civil rights leader sought to launch before his assassination.
Why it matters: Martin Luther King III and his wife, Arndrea Waters King, tell Axios now is the right time to start a new "Black-Brown coalition" as income inequality grows and voting rights are under attack.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams' attorney accused the federal government of leaking sensitive case information in the year leading up to the embattled mayor's indictment.
Why it matters: Adams' attorney, Alex Spiro, asked a judge in a Tuesday court filing to investigate the leaks, which he argued nullified Adams' ability to receive a fair trial.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened its first-ever probe into one of the deadliest race massacres in the nation's history more than a century later.
The big picture: A commission, historians, lawyers, and others have investigated the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, but the DOJ never has, leaving Black victims and later their descendants with little acknowledgment from the federal government or compensation for generations of trauma.
As thousands of dockworkers from major ports spanning Maine to Texas walk off the job to strike, consumers could feel the effects when they shop.
Why it matters: A protracted contract battle between the International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance could strain supply chains ahead of the holiday shopping blitz just as slowing inflation had consumers weighing spending more.
Mexico on Tuesday is inaugurating its first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist who is facing surging violence, a major constitutional reform and maintaining a key relationship with the U.S.
Why it matters: Mexico is the U.S.' top trading partner — $807 billion worth of goods were exchanged both ways last year — and it's been a critical ally in stemming migration to the U.S.
It's time for perhaps one last round of debate bingo, as vice presidential candidates Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) face off in their first major showdown on a nationally broadcasted stage.
The big picture: While both candidates have been hitting the campaign trail hard since their respective debuts as VP hopefuls this summer, voters will have a rare chance to see them meet face to face. And of course, there will be memes.
North Carolina, one of the most important battlegrounds in the race for president, is at the center of the destruction from Hurricane Helene.
Why it matters: Beyond the physical and emotional toll of the storm, Helene suddenly has created massive hurdles for voters and election officials just 35 days before the Nov. 5 election.
Driving the news: Trump began the day on Truth Social, posting unsubstantiated claims that Biden's administration and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) were "going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas" affected by Helene.
Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign is declining to say whether she would push to close private prisons as president — a pledge she has made since she was running for a Senate seat in 2016.
Why it matters: Harris is backing away from several liberal positions she previously framed as moral imperatives as she tries to defeat Donald Trump.
Jimmy Carter, the oldest surviving and longest-living U.S. president, set a new record on Tuesday.
The big picture: Oct. 1 marks his 100th birthday — making Carter the first president to reach triple digits, and a series of events celebrating the feat are planned in his home state of Georgia.
A 72-year-old U.S. citizen pleaded guilty in a Moscow court to mercenary charges related to fighting for Ukraine against Russia, Russian state media reported Monday.
The big picture: Stephen James Hubbard is the first American facing such charges during Putin's war on Ukraine, per The Guardian.
A burst of $8 million in new super PAC ad spending is lighting up America's quietest toss-up Senate race, Axios has exclusively learned.
Why it matters: Ohio and Montana have gotten the attention this year, butMichigan's Senate race is one of only two toss-ups left with Ohio in the Cook Political Report ratings. Montana's Senate race is now rated lean Republican.
