Axios

North Carolina authorities confirmed Monday the arrest of a man over alleged threats against Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers responding to Hurricane Helene.

The big picture: FEMA warned last week that a deluge of mis- and disinformation surrounding Hurricane Helene had hampered federal response efforts.

Former President Trump has long stood out in the political field for his willingness to mock his political opponents — but as the 2024 presidential race enters its final weeks, he's increasingly getting a taste of his own medicine.

Why it matters: The Harris campaign has leveraged the power of memes and social media to reach a wider, younger audience and cast Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as funny, relatable, and capable to young voters.

President Biden plans to visit South America and sub-Saharan Africa for the first time as president in his final weeks in office. His overseas trips up to now have largely been limited to Europe, the Middle East and East Asia.

Why it matters: A president's travels reflect their priorities. Biden came into office pledging to reinvigorate NATO and strengthen U.S. alliances in Asia to counter China. His focus on the Middle East has been necessitated by circumstances, from rising oil prices to the war in Gaza.

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant told U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a phone call on Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces is not carrying out a plan proposed by former Israeli generals to seal off aid to northern Gaza, Israeli officials said.

The big picture: Israel closed the main crossings into northern Gaza in the first week of October as it renewed its military offensive. No food and other supplies have been entering the area where there are currently more than 400,000 Palestinians.

Thomas J. Donohue — a booming Beltway voice for business who vastly expanded the clout and wealth of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — died Monday at age 86, the chamber announced.

• Donohue died at home in northern Virginia, surrounded by loved ones, after a brief illness.

Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz, the wife of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, detailed her difficulties with fertility in a Women's Health Magazine piece published Monday.

Why it matters: She rang alarm bells about threats to reproductive rights if former President Trump wins the election, as Vice President Kamala Harris has blamed Trump for making obtaining an abortion a healthcare crisis in the U.S.

More cities are recognizing and celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus Day in the U.S. amid a complicated history of racial tension and lack of acknowledgment.

The big picture: The number of people identifying as Native American or Alaska Native today is the largest in modern history after decades of decline.

Vice President Kamala Harris is spotlighting former President Trump's yet-unfulfilled promise to release his medical records — a historical outlier among presidential candidates.

Why it matters: If he wins, Trump would be the oldest president ever inaugurated. However, his campaign has disclosed far less about his health than the White House has about President Biden's, whose fitness and age Trump repeatedly attacked.

Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been blocking national security spokesperson John Kirby from joining her at the podium at White House press briefings, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: It's the latest twist in the years-long tense relationship between the White House's two senior spokespeople.

In the summer of 2020, the Supreme Court came down with a stunning and historic ruling. It decided, 5-4, that the Muscogee Creek Nation's reservation existed — meaning that it included more than 40% of the state of Oklahoma, including most of the city of Tulsa.

Why it matters: Many Americans would be forgiven for thinking reservations already existed, established by the forced removal of more than 100,000 Native Americans from their lands to relocate out west — a dark part of American history.

First in a series

If former President Trump wins the election, and Republicans keep the House and flip the Senate, the U.S. would witness a dramatic consolidation of new right-wing populist power at scale.

Why it matters: A Washington fully controlled by Trump and his allies would institutionalize the MAGA movement, with massive consequences for governance, civil rights and international relations.

Columbus Day is the federal holiday on the second Monday in October. But what the state holiday is called — Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day or something else — depends on where you live.

Why it matters: Efforts to change the focus of the holiday from celebrating Christopher Columbus to the contributions of Native Americans are ongoing.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) made "operational adjustments" in its Hurricane Helene response in North Carolina following safety concerns, a spokesperson said Sunday.

The big picture: The Ashe County Sheriff's Office in northwestern N.C. said on Facebook Sunday that FEMA had "paused their process" as a precaution while "they are assessing" threats made in other counties in the state.

A man arrested at a security checkpoint near former President Trump's Coachella rally was found with guns and fake press and VIP credentials, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office said Sunday.

The big picture: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said at a Sunday afternoon briefing that his deputies "probably prevented" a "third assassination attempt" on the Republican presidential candidate's life.

Former President Trump said Sunday he'd hire 10,000 more border patrol agents and give them a $10,000 retention and signing bonus if he's re-elected in November.

Why it matters: Trump has made the U.S.-Mexico border a key focus of his 2024 campaign and both he and Vice President Kamala Harris have pledged to impose some of the most restrictive immigration, asylum and border policies in decades, per Axios' Alex Thompson and Stef Kight.