Axios

More than 60 House Democrats have signed on to a letter urging House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to "immediately" call Congress back into session to pass funding addressing Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Why it matters: The Democrats fear the intense storm season will strain emergency agencies' budgets to their breaking point before lawmakers' scheduled return to Washington next month.

This year, Latinos could swing a presidential election and help determine which party controls Congress as the population and electorate grow.

Through the lens: For Hispanic Heritage Month, which began on Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15, Axios is looking through the history of Latinos in the U.S. via images that cover politics, culture and sports to show how this moment has been building.

Online threats against Americans of South Asian descent surged since the presidential tickets solidified with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Black and Indian descent, as the Democratic nominee and Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, whose wife Usha Vance is Indian American, per a new report.

Why it matters: Research has shown a correlation between hate online and offline, said Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Manjusha Kulkarni, who pointed to past studies that show 43% of South Asian adults experienced a hate act in 2023 because of their race, ethnicity or nationality.

Recent revelations about former President Trump's personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin have raised questions about whether Trump violated U.S. law.

Why it matters: With just weeks to go before the presidential election, the reports from journalist Bob Woodward's new book "War" have raised fresh questions about Trump's ties with leaders of one of the U.S.' greatest geopolitical adversaries.

Republicans are planning to spend heavily to promote a clip of Vice President Harris saying on ABC's "The View" that there's "not a thing" she would have done differently over the past four years than President Biden.

Why it matters: Republicans see Biden's record on immigration and the economy as Harris' top vulnerability, and are eager to undercut the vice president's image as the candidate of "change."

The Kremlin on Wednesday confirmed a report that former President Trump sent Russian President Vladimir Putin COVID-19 testing equipment during the height of the pandemic.

Why it matters: The Trump campaign categorically denied new revelations in journalist Bob Woodward's book "War," which renewed scrutiny of the relationship between Putin and the Republican presidential nominee.

John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, whose work helped build the foundation for the artificial intelligence revolution in the way we live and work, won the Nobel Prize in physics.

Why it matters: Their breakthroughs have shown "a completely new way for us to use computers to aid and to guide us to tackle many of the challenges our society face," the Nobel committee said in its announcement Tuesday.

At our most polarized time in living memory, the two parties have never been more unified on ideas.

Why it matters: Vice President Harris and former President Trump have vastly different worldviews — but actually disagree a helluva lot more about style than substance if you take them at their word.

Vice President Kamala Harris' call to create a Medicare benefit for long-term home care is calculated to resonate with middle-aged and older adults caught between supporting their children and caring for elderly parents.

Why it matters: The idea, outlined on Tuesday, could be particularly popular in swing states like Michigan and Georgia, where AARP polling shows about one-third of older voters act as caregivers for family members.

Donald Trump plans to visit Aurora, Colorado, on Friday — not because his team thinks he can win Colorado, but because he wants another backdrop for his apocalyptic tale of an America overrun by undocumented immigrants.

Why it matters: Despite being criticized for his misleading and false attacks on immigrants, Trump and his campaign see it as an effective strategy to blame immigration and border security problems on President Biden and Vice President Harris.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says that Vice President Kamala Harris doesn't support programs for undocumented immigrants to qualify for government health care, free tuition at state universities and driver's licenses — a shift from her past positions.

• Asked whether Harris had changed her mind or if Walz — her running mate — had misspoken during a Sunday interview, Harris' campaign didn't respond.

Why it matters: Since entering the presidential race in July, Harris has backed away from or declined to comment about several of her progressive positions from the past — particularly on immigration.

The Department of Justice is weighing proposing sanctions against Google that could include a breakup of the tech giant following a landmark case that found the company had illegally abused its search monopoly.

The big picture: The DOJ made the suggestion in a court filing late Tuesday that said "Google's unlawful conduct persisted for over a decade and involved a number of selfreinforcing tactics ... Unwinding that illegal behavior and achieving the goals of an effective antitrust remedy takes time."

Vice President Kamala Harris criticized Republican presidential rival former President Trump for his relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during an interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert on Tuesday.

The big picture: Harris became angry as she noted journalist Bob Woodward reports in his upcoming book "War" that Trump sent rare COVID test machines to Putin early in the pandemic, per an excerpt from her interview on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" that was shared with reporters ahead of airing Tuesday night.

President Biden is expected to hold a crucial phone call on Wednesday morning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel's plans to strike Iran, three U.S. officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: The call would be the first between Biden and Netanyahu in two tense months, and come as Israel considers major attacks that could significantly escalate its regional war.

The warning signs are flashing for Democratic candidates in three of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's most important states for playing defense.

Why it matters: The Rust Belt toss-ups of Michigan, Ohio and — as of today — Wisconsin could make the difference between a tiny GOP Senate majority next year or their biggest advantage since 2016.

• Schumer has strong incumbents in Wisconsin and Ohio. Both benefited from last running in 2018 when Donald Trump's name was off the ballot, but his presidency drove Democratic turnout.

Schumer's Senate Democrats are accusing Senate Republicans of illegally financing their campaign ads.

• The FEC will decide this week if one GOP strategy can keep going, with a vote expected Thursday.

Why it matters: Democrats have been crushing the GOP in fundraising, forcing Republicans to get creative with campaign finance laws.

• People who closely follow the commission tell Axios the expectation is for the vote to split along party lines — a 3-3 decision, clearing the way for the GOP to continue.

Senate Democrats are accusing Senate Republicans of illegally financing their campaign ads.

Why it matters: Democrats have been crushing the GOP in fundraising, forcing Republicans to get creative with campaign finance laws.

The warning signs are flashing for Democratic candidates in three of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's most important states for playing defense.

Why it matters: The Rust Belt toss-ups of Michigan, Ohio and — as of Tuesday — Wisconsin could make the difference between a tiny GOP Senate majority next year or their biggest advantage since 2016.