Axios

The Justice Department is suing Virginia, alleging the state systemically removed potentially ineligible voters from its rolls too close to the November general election, per a complaint filed on Friday.

The big picture: The National Voter Registration Act, which the DOJ argues Virginia violated, is also at the center of similar lawsuits, including another in the state and one filed by the DOJ in Alabama.

Former President Trump used a campaign stop in Aurora, Colorado, on Friday to detail a plan to target undocumented immigrants with gang ties.

The big picture: Trump said he intends to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 if elected to target "every illegal migrant criminal network operating on American soil." He's calling it "Operation Aurora."

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley said former President Trump is "a fascist to the core," according to journalist Bob Woodward's forthcoming book, "War," multiple outlets reported on Friday.

Why it matters: Milley's existing scorn for the GOP presidential nominee has escalated. "He is now the most dangerous person to this country," he told Woodward.

Former President Trump will participate in a town hall hosted by Fox News next week with an audience composed entirely of women, the network announced Friday.

The big picture: The event, which will focus on women's issues, comes as the Republican presidential nominee falls well behind Vice President Kamala Harris among women voters, particularly on abortion rights.

A group of House Democrats in districts hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton is urging tech companies to crack down on misinformation and scams about the storms and recovery efforts, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Lawmakers in both parties have been straining to stem the swarm of hurricane-related misinformation, with one Republican even issuing a fact sheet debunking common conspiracy theories.

Donald Trump's campaign quietly has changed a key part of its messaging operation, tapping Trump 2020 veteran Tim Murtaugh to lead its communications in the final month before the election, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The move reflects the campaign leadership's desire for better coordination of its messaging at a time when Trump has been talking more about policy — while still launching into rambling attacks on Vice President Harris and other Democrats.

Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has become deeply entangled with former President Trump in the homestretch of the presidential election.

Why it matters: The Telsa and SpaceX CEO and X owner's political activism is a hard pivot from originally claiming he wouldn't donate to campaigns to pouring tens of millions of dollars into Trump's campaign and saying he's "f---ed" if Trump loses.

As Florida and other parts of the southeast recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, meteorologists have been contending with an onslaught of conspiracy theories and threats they say are distinct from previous storms.

Why it matters: Officials have repeatedly warned that misinformation around the storms imperil lives and hamper response efforts.

With just weeks to go until the presidential election, the results could come down to a mere 13% of undecided voters, according to a new report released Thursday from Pew Research Center.

Why it matters: The poll results underscore just how tight the race between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will be and how small the faction of voters still up for grabs is.

Republicans spent decades railing against welfare recipients. Now, they're deeply reliant on them to win elections.

Why it matters: The explosion of people getting 25% or more of their income from government aid — and Republican reliance on their votes — vividly explains the rise of former President Trump and the remaking of the Republican Party.

Land acknowledgements — the recognition that Indigenous people were the original inhabitants of American land — have become more common among academics, nonprofits, companies, celebrities and even in social media bios.

Why it matters: The well-meaning attempts to educate non-Indigenous people can fail to reach their desired impact if they aren't paired with more concrete action to support Indigenous communities.

Just six of 12 Pennsylvania swing voters who backed Donald Trump in 2016 but switched to Joe Biden in 2020 said they're all-in for Vice President Kamala Harris in our latest Engagious/Sago focus group.

• Two others said they're going back to Trump, while the remaining four lean toward Harris but reserve the right to change their minds, as they grapple with uncertainty or mixed emotion.

Why it matters: Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, may be the most consequential battleground state in the nation.

Former President Barack Obama on Thursday delivered some of his most pointed remarks yet against GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump during the Democrat's first rally for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Why it matters: Obama acknowledged as he made an impassioned case for Harris in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, where polls indicate the presidential race toss-up margins could be closer than in 2020, "this election's going to be tight."

Former President Barack Obama appealed to Black voters while campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, noting he hadn't seen "the same kind of energy and turnout" in communities "as we saw when I was running."

Why it matters: Recent polls indicate former President Trump is picking up a little more support from Black men than he did in 2020 and that while more Black voters back Harris, she's lagging behind Biden's numbers in the last election.

House Democrats righteously railed against Mike Johnson for hedging on whether a GOP-controlled House would certify a Kamala Harris victory. But some of their senior members are playing a similar game.

Why it matters: Senior Democratic lawmakers are trapped between their deep distrust of Donald Trump and their vigorous denunciations of any election challenges in the years since the Jan. 6 attack.

• Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a former Jan. 6 committee member, told us that if Trump "won a free, fair and honest election, then we would obviously accept it." Asked if he assumes a Trump victory would be free, fair and honest, Raskin said: "I definitely don't assume that."

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is doing his best to distance himself from GOP leaders in tonight's Maryland Senate debate on NBC.

• "I am not a MAGA, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell person," Hogan said while debating Democratic nominee Angela Alsobrooks.

— Hans Nichols

Chuck Schumer's most endangered Democratic Senate candidates are meeting Trump halfway on two big issues he's riding hard: inflation and immigration.

Why it matters: They aren't calling to build the wall or blaming Biden-Harris for skyrocketing prices, but in their paid ads, they agree with Trump's basic diagnosis of the country's ailments.

• The ads are a clear indication that Democrats are worried those issues pose a serious risk to Schumer's majority.

House Democrats railed against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for hedging on whether a GOP-controlled House would certify a Kamala Harris victory. But some of their senior members are playing a similar game.

Why it matters: Those Democrats are trapped between their deep distrust of Donald Trump and their vigorous denunciations of any election challenges in the years since the Jan. 6 attack.