Axios

Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday refuted claims that her work as a prosecutor in California led "thousands of Black men" to be jailed for weed use during an interview in Detroit with radio host Charlamagne Tha God. She then vowed to work on decriminalizing the drug if elected president.

Why it matters: Charlamagne is especially popular with Black male audiences, making his show, "The Breakfast Club," a frequent stop for presidential hopefuls who are seeking to earn votes in this important bloc.

Georgia county election officials can't delay or decline to certify election results based on suspicions of fraud, error or abuse, a judge ruled Monday, just weeks before the November election.

Why it matters: The decision is a blow to conservatives' efforts in the battleground state to create a framework that election deniers could use to delay the certification of the upcoming presidential election results.

A super PAC closely linked to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is putting money into defending former House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.) for the first time this election cycle.

Why it matters: Polls suggest the race is highly competitive, and a PAC tied to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has already put millions into supporting Perry's Democratic opponent, Janelle Stelson.

Former President Trump said Tuesday that there was a "peaceful transfer of power" after the 2020 election, downplaying the violence that ensued on Jan. 6, 2021, when an angry mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Why it matters: The former president, speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago, did not directly say whether he would commit to a peaceful transition of power ahead of next month's presidential election.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) — an ally of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — hit back at conservatives' demands for a new brand of leadership once McConnell steps down in a letter to colleagues Tuesday morning.

Why it matters: The leader race between Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is heating up, with the general election three weeks away.

• Some conservative senators are hoping to leverage a tight race for big changes in how the chamber operates.

Former President Trump resorted to having songs played for over half an hour at his Pennsylvania town hall after two separate medical emergencies interrupted the event, which was cut short on Monday night.

The big picture: Trump's campaign hailed the impromptu concert hosted by the GOP presidential nominee who's known for sometimes unorthodox improvisation as "very special," while Vice President Kamala Harris early on Tuesday reposted her team's X post saying he "appears lost, confused" with the comment: "Hope he's okay."

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says she still hasn't spoken to President Biden since urging him to drop out of the 2024 race, and some of his allies "haven't forgiven" her for pressuring him about the decision.

Why it matters: Pelosi was among the top Democrats who called for Biden to end his presidential campaign, despite Biden's insistence at the time that he stay in the race.

Former President Trump is saying that to carry out mass deportations he'd employ a 226-year-old law that was previously used to detain "enemy aliens" in times of war.

Why it matters: The use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in the 21st century could result in the unfair detention of lawful immigrants and their U.S.-born children, especially at a time when the outcome of a legal challenge is uncertain under the conservative-majority Supreme Court.

House Democrats who served in the military are pushing back hard on a group of their Republican colleagues suing for tighter restrictions on overseas ballots, including from service members stationed abroad.

Why it matters: Former President Trump and his allies have seized on overseas voting rules as part of a sprawling effort to sow doubt about election procedures in key states.

The survivors and families of victims of the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, last year are taking legal action against the federal government and army over purported negligence in the case.

Why it matters: The plaintiffs' decision to serve legal notices could open the doors to more than 100 individual lawsuits, NBC News reported.

Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz on Monday denounced as "un-American" former President Trump's recent claim that he'd use the military against "the enemy from within."

Why it matters: Walz's remarks are yet another example of the Harris campaign's increased willingness to attack Trump directly, as polls show the race is in a dead heat with only three weeks left to Election Day.

The Biden administration sent a letter to Israeli leaders on Monday demanding Israel take steps within 30 days to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza or risk the supply of U.S. weapons to Israel being affected, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Axios.

The big picture: Israel is highly dependent on U.S. military aid as it fights a war on several fronts and has been under intense scrutiny as warnings emerge again about the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza.

The Associated Press will have more than 5,000 people working on election night, a new record in the company's 178-year history of calling elections, executive editor Julie Pace told Axios.

Why it matters: Thousands of newsrooms in the U.S. and globally rely on AP's data to cover the elections. Ahead of 2024, the not-for-profit news cooperative faces new challenges related to trust and misinformation.

The Senate Leadership Fund is dumping another $10.5 million in Michigan to bolster former Rep. Mike Rogers in his bid for Senate, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: All signs are pointing to the state becoming one of the most competitive in the battle to control both the Senate and the White House. If Michigan flips, Democrats will face a much steeper path to victory.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny predicted that he would die in prison — almost two years before his death in a remote Arctic penal colony, according to excerpts of his posthumous memoir published by The New Yorker.

Why it matters: The book — called "Patriot" and out next Tuesday — acts as Navalny's "final letter to the world," publisher Penguin Random House said.

Two Trump rally shooting survivors said they still face health issues after being critically injured in the first assassination attempt on the former president, per an interview which aired Monday.

The big picture: Jim Copenhaver and David Dutch told NBC News in their first interview since the July 13 shooting they believe there was "negligence" in the U.S. Secret Service's security protocols at former President Trump's Butler, Pennsylvania, rally.

Second in a series

If Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election and Democrats flip the House and keep the Senate, the U.S. would witness a powerful resurgence of progressive policymaking across virtually every sector.

Why it matters: A fully Democrat-controlled Washington would protect President Biden's legacy of vast domestic spending programs, including green-energy projects, and existing U.S. foreign policy.

The Senate Majority PAC (SMP) raised $119 million in the third quarter, leaving it with $109 million at the beginning of this month to try to keep Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in power, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Both parties are flooding the airwaves in the campaign's closing weeks. The massive number from SMP, which is closely affiliated with Schumer (D-N.Y.), ensures that Democrats will have plenty to spend on ads as they seek to keep Republicans from winning control of the Senate.

The percentage of Americans who say they have a great deal or a fair amount of trust in the mass media has fallen to a record low, according to a new Gallup survey.

Why it matters: Media trust had started to rebound following the 2016 election, but those gains have been wiped out amid growing political partisanship.

Canada and India expelled top diplomats from each other's countries as a standoff between the two governments over the murder of a prominent Sikh community leader intensified on Monday.

The big picture: Officials in Canada say there's credible evidence linking Indian government officials to the shooting death on Canadian soil of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in June last year. Indian officials deny any wrongdoing.

Former President Trump is facing more calls to release his medical records after 238 doctors and other medical professionals joined Vice President Kamala Harris in calling on him to be "transparent" about his health.

Why it matters: The 78-year-old Republican presidential nominee would be the oldest president in U.S. history by the end of his term if he were to win November's election but, unlike 59-year-old Harris, he has yet to publicly release updated medical records.

Former President Trump accused Fox News on Monday of "constantly polluting the airwaves with unopposed" representatives of Vice President Kamala Harris after the network announced it's airing a sit-down interview with his Democratic presidential rival.

Why it matters: Harris and Trump will make dueling appearances on Fox News Wednesday with less than three weeks to go until Election Day.