Axios

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, raised concern Wednesday over former President Trump's delay in entering into agreements with the Biden administration over the presidential transition process.

Why it matters: The Trump transition team's handling of the process is unorthodox compared to past candidates and underscores the GOP nominee's distrust of the Biden administration and tendency to shirk democratic tradition.

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to make her closing argument of the 2024 presidential campaign during a speech next Tuesday on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., per her campaign.

Why it matters: Speaking from the same location that former President Trump spoke on Jan. 6, 2021, before a violent mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, the VP in her final pitch will seek to contrast her vision for the White House with Trump's, presenting him as a threat to the republic.

Vice President Kamala Harris called former President Trump "increasingly unhinged and unstable" on Wednesday, warning voters two weeks before the election of his desire for "unchecked power."

The big picture: Harris' comments come after the New York Times published a report a day earlier with John Kelly's allegation that the former president on multiple occasions praised Adolf Hitler and said the Nazi leader "did some good things."

A handful of powerful megadonors have played an outsized role in shaping the 2024 presidential race through mammoth donations toward their favored candidates.

Why it matters: The amount of money being injected into 2024 races means this election cycle is poised to become the most expensive federal election ever, according to a new analysis released by the research group OpenSecrets last week.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz took aim at SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at a campaign stop Tuesday, blasting him as a "dips--t."

Why it matters: Walz shirked his "Minnesota nice" demeanor to scorch the billionaire who is helping bankroll former President Trump's campaign.

Twenty-three Nobel prize-winning economists are backing the economic policies of Vice President Kamala Harris in a letter released Wednesday, warning that former President Trump's economic policies would increase national debt and lead to higher prices.

Why it matters: With the economy a top priority for voters in the 2024 election, the signees backing Harris' policies are a boost for the Democratic nominee with less than two weeks until Election Day.

Vice President Kamala Harris hopes her new ad targeting former President Trump will help net undecided Latino voters as it spotlights former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, who was injured defending the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Why it matters: A record 36.2 million U.S. Latinos are eligible to vote this year, and many live in key swing states, making them a crucial part of the electorate.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) slapped American Airlines with a record-setting $50 million fine on Wednesday for violating laws meant to protect passengers with disabilities.

The big picture: American Airlines was one of the worst performers among U.S. airlines in wheelchair and scooter mishandling claims and the rate of mishandling claims, the DOT said in a release announcing the penalty for violations between 2019 and 2023.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. has evidence that North Korean troops are in Russia.

Why it matters: Austin's comments are the first official acknowledgment from the U.S. about the recent deployments to Russia, a significant development that Ukraine and South Korea previously warned about.

A series of "Behind the Curtain" columns by Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen will help you get ready for the radically different Washington environments that businesses will face depending on the election's outcome.

• Why it matters: Whether one party runs the table or we wind up with divided government, expect cultural wars that are stoked by the election's winners and losers, are fueled by the media, then seep into the workplace.

Two of America's biggest business titans — Bill Gates and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon — are secretly supporting Vice President Kamala Harris, the N.Y. Times reported yesterday in separate stories.

Why it matters: Former President Trump has threatened retribution against Democratic donors and political opponents.

Tucker Carlson will stump with former President Trump in the swing state of Georgia on Wednesday evening, and tells Axios he hopes to make at least one more joint appearance before Election Day.

Why it matters: Carlson — widely criticized for giving oxygen to false claims about COVID vaccines, the Holocaust and more — remains popular and influential with the MAGA base, 18 months after Fox News canceled his show.

A group of 13 Philadelphia-area health systems is ending the inclusion of race in screening algorithms that help make clinical decisions for lung, kidney and OB-GYN care, saying they incorporate outdated assumptions about biological differences between races.

Why it matters: It's part of an intensifying push to root out systemic biases in clinical tools as AI models take on a bigger role in diagnosis and treatment.

After weathering the pandemic, purging their rolls and coping with inflationary pressures, state Medicaid offices see more upheaval on the horizon, including a presidential election that could bring enormous changes to the safety-net program.

The big picture: A KFF survey of state Medicaid directors released Wednesday paints a picture of a health program serving nearly 73 million Americans that's beset by budgetary shortfalls and higher demand for behavioral health and long-term care.

In the closing days of what he says is his last campaign, Donald Trump has launched a strategy combining splashy, attention-getting stunts with dark, apocalyptic messaging.

Why it matters: It's a scaled-up version of a familiar Trump routine — stay in the news, be provocative, deflect.

Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to retain the White House for the Democrats at a time when voters all over the world are throwing out their incumbents.

Why it matters: Harris could be swept out in the same tide of inflation-fueled economic angst that has doomed incumbents elsewhere. Or she could be saved by the relative buoyancy of the Biden-era U.S. economy — the envy of the world.

Fernando Valenzuela, a Mexican-born lefthanded pitcher who led the Dodgers to a World Series win over the New York Yankees and forever transformed the team's fanbase, died Tuesday. He was 63.

Driving the news: The Los Angeles Dodgers announced his death online, days after he stepped away from his duties as a Spanish-language broadcaster for the team with an undisclosed illness.

The Trump campaign accused the U.K.'s ruling Labour Party in a complaint to the Federal Elections Commission of "blatant foreign interference" in the U.S. presidential election.

The big picture: There's no evidence that the party has donated to the Harris campaign, but the complaint says those "searching for foreign interference in our elections need to look no further" than a Labour aide's social media post saying "nearly 100" current and former staffers were heading to battleground states.

Former President Trump has on multiple occasions praised Adolf Hitler, alleged John Kelly, his longest-serving White House chief of staff, to the New York Times.

The big picture: In a series of audio interviews with the NYT, Kelly raised concerns that Trump would rule like a dictator if elected next month, said he believes the GOP presidential nominee meets the definition of a fascist and claimed that he does not have an understanding of history or the Constitution.

Vice President Harris suggested during an interview with NBC News on Tuesday that she would not offer "concessions" on protecting access to abortion if she's elected.

Why it matters: Harris has made protecting access to reproductive rights a central tenet of her bid for the White House — and her campaign continues to see the issue of abortion as one of its strongest issues in the final stretch.

Senate Democrats are resting their long-shot hopes of keeping a majority on abortion rights, with the issue dominating their closing arguments two weeks from Election Day.

Why it matters: Democrats are blaming deeply unpopular abortion bans in Texas and Florida on the senators they need to defeat next month: Ted Cruz and Rick Scott.

Super PACs tied to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) are paring back their plans to spend in some of their long-shot targets as Election Day draws near.

Why it matters: Both leaders would love to pad their potential majorities and avoid the nightmares of a narrow vote margin — but they appear to be coming to grips with the unrealistic prospect of a landslide in either direction.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is ruling out a deal with Democrats to keep his speakership next year.

• "I've never once spoken to any Democrat about voting for me for Speaker, and I have no intention of doing that now," Johnson told Axios.

Why it matters: This avoids an internal revolt but leaves him needing a best-case election result to avoid former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's nightmare from two years ago.