Axios

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a lower court's ruling that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name must stay on Michigan and Wisconsin presidential ballots, despite Kennedy's departure from the race.

Why it matters: Kennedy had pushed to withdraw his name from the ballot to avoid taking votes away from former President Trump in the two battleground states.

Senate Republicans' vote for their next leader is set for Nov. 13, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The race between Sens. John Thune, John Cornyn and Rick Scott is the first competitive GOP leader race in nearly 18 years.

Judge Aileen Cannon rejected a call on Tuesday to recuse herself in the case against the suspect accused in former President Trump's second assassination attempt.

Why it matters: Cannon said Trump's praise of her rulings and speculation that he'd promote her if reelected president weren't grounds for her recusal. Her impartiality in Trump cases has previously been questioned.

The man convicted of assaulting and attempting to kidnap the husband of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole in a state trial.

The big picture: David DePape earlier this year received a 30-year prison sentence in his federal case.

As Election Day nears, several critical decisions over challenges to swing-state mail-in voting laws have been handed down across the country.

Why it matters: While mail-in and absentee voting have become popular alternatives to in-person, Election Day voting, nontraditional voting methods have been the target of partisan legal challenges and election misinformation.

A comedian's bigoted joke at former President Trump's Madison Square Garden rally comparing Puerto Rico to "a floating island of garbage" risks alienating a significant voting bloc across crucial swing states in the election's closing days.

The big picture: Over 5 million people identifying as Puerto Rican live in the United States — including significant populations in highly contested Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin.

Joe Rogan will interview Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) on Wednesday, a Vance spokesperson told Axios on Tuesday.

Why it matters: With less than a week to the election, Vance's interview could follow the momentum of former President Trump's, which reached tens of millions in days.

More than 50 million Americans have already voted a week ahead of Election Day, according to the University of Florida's early-vote tracker.

Why it matters: As both candidates hit the trail for one last week of campaigning, a whole lot of votes have already been cast.

A federal judge on Tuesday tossed out a lawsuit from six GOP lawmakers in Pennsylvania seeking to block overseas voting.

The big picture: Republicans in other battleground states like North Carolina and Michigan have filed similar suits challenging the validity of ballots cast abroad as part of a larger GOP effort to sow doubt about election results in case former President Trump loses.

A subdued former President Trump said Tuesday his Madison Square Garden rally that was filled with vulgar speeches was really a MAGA "love fest."

Driving the news: Trump's effort to recast the Sunday rally in which several speakers delivered racist, sexist remarks came after he railed against Vice President Harris and other Democrats while repeating a barrage of false claims about election fraud, immigration, the economy and foreign policy.

Wells Fargo fused cooking with financial literacy in classes held last week in New York City's historic East Harlem, also known as El Barrio.

Why it matters: The latest financial outreach comes as U.S. Latino buying power has grown to $3.6 trillion, but reports show many Latinos lack retirement accounts and other financial assets needed to build wealth.

The average value of houses owned by U.S. Latinos is the closest it has ever been to that of homes owned by white non-Hispanics, per a new report.

Why it matters: Homeownership is one of the biggest contributors to wealth-building for Latinos, yet homes owned by Latinos and other people of color have traditionally had lower values.

Six states and Washington, D.C., have referendums on Election Day to end closed primary systems, opening the door for independent voters to engage more in the political process.

Why it matters: Polls show Latino voters ages 18-29 lean left, but nearly one-third identify as independents. Closed primaries mean they can't vote until the general election.

Salt Typhoon, the recently uncovered Chinese hacking group, used its access in U.S. telecommunications networks to target former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance and associates of Vice President Kamala Harris, according to recent reports.

The big picture: Beijing has become more brazen in its attacks on the U.S. government and the country's infrastructure.

Fox News' historic Arizona election call in 2020 wasn't premature, the network's longtime decision desk head Arnon Mishkin told Axios. But heading into this year's election, Fox News is doing more to ensure the public understands how, why and when it calls certain races.

Why it matters: Fox News' decision desk isn't responsible for distributing results to thousands of newsrooms globally like the Associated Press, Edison Research or Decision Desk HQ do, but its coverage is expected to be the most watched of any major network on election night.

Local TV stations are experiencing an advertising windfall this election cycle, thanks to a record amount of U.S. political ad spend.

Why it matters: Despite an influx of new ways to reach voters online, local broadcast is still the top place campaigns spend their ad dollars, due to its effectiveness for voter persuasion and buying efficiency.

Former President Trump said Tuesday that he didn't know the comedian who cracked several bigoted jokes at his Madison Square Garden rally over the weekend.

Why it matters: Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's controversial remarks have drawn bipartisan backlash, and Trump frequently claims not to know people in his orbit when they become political liabilities.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump each have asked voters to consider their economic records. To use the past as prologue.

• But it's impossible to do so impartially, because the COVID-19 pandemic created a stack of financial dominoes that disordered the data.

The blockchain industry is pouring millions into ads boosting its favored candidates ... ads that don't actually mention bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies at all.

Why it matters: A review of ads paid for by Fairshake and its affiliated PACs showed the spots address a rage of issues — from border security to the cost of insulin — but, by avoiding crypto altogether, voters have little visibility into the degree to which the industry has an opinion about their next elected representative.

Barbara Bush, former President George W. Bush's daughter, hit the campaign trail in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania for Vice President Kamala Harris, per People magazine.

Why it matters: Bush hails from Republican royalty — but her parents have no plans to weigh in on the 2024 race with just days to go until Nov. 5.

The Index of Consumer Sentiment has been meaningfully lower since the spring because of a change in survey methodology, finds a new analysis.

Why it matters: One of the most closely watched measures of consumer sentiment — aka the vibes — would seem a little less terrible if not for this change.

Ex-Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon was released from federal prison early Tuesday morning, just one week before Election Day.

Why it matters: With his "War Room" podcast, the MAGA media firebrand has built one of the right's most powerful platforms. His release allows him to return to the microphone for the 2024 campaign's climactic final week.

Vice President Kamala Harris will use an optimistic "closing argument address" on the grassy Ellipse, with the White House as backdrop, at 7:30pm ET tonight to send a visual, rhetorical and tonal message about the kind of president she'd be.

Why it matters: With voters still saying they want to know Harris better, her aim is to help them visualize her in the Oval Office, a top adviser tells Axios.

Donald Trump's surrogates, allies and foot soldiers appear supremely confident he'll be re-elected president next week, projecting an air of inevitability inconsistent with what polls portray as a coin-flip election.

• A longtime member of Trump's inner circle told Axios: "We've never had data that looks this good."

Why it matters: Trump could win, potentially in a landslide. So could Vice President Harris. And yet the MAGA universe largely refuses to entertain the latter outcome — priming Trump's base for mass distrust, disbelief and denial of a second straight election loss.

Donald Trump's much-hyped rally in New York has become an own goal that's weighing on his campaign as it tries to sprint to next week's election.

Driving the news: Republicans on Monday tried to stop the fallout from the racist, sexist and vulgar rhetoric by several rally speakers, including a comedian who called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage."

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) said Monday he doesn't believe Trump rally comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's racist joke about Puerto Rico will stop people voting for the Republican presidential ticket.

Why it matters: Hinchcliffe's likening of Puerto Rico to a "floating island of garbage" at former President Trump's N.Y. rally Sunday drew widespread criticism, including from Republican lawmakers, and the GOP presidential nominee's representatives said it "does not reflect" his views nor those of the campaign.

"Bob's Burgers" actor Jay James Johnston was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison on Monday for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot, the Department of Justice announced.

The big picture: The 56-year-old Los Angeles actor and comedian, who voiced the Jimmy Pesto character in the hit show, pleaded guilty in July to a felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos defended his decision to end his paper's decades-long tradition of endorsing presidential candidates in an op-ed on Monday.

Why it matters: Three of WaPo's 10-member editorial board announced they're stepping down in response to the billionaire Amazon founder's decision, which he reached after the board had drafted an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Republicans have spent $82 million in the last few months to slam Democratic lawmakers and candidates over support for transgender athletes and gender-affirming care for kids.

Why it matters: Senate races are an epicenter of the fight over trans rights.

Anti-Trump Republicans are going beyond trying to take down former President Trump and are effectively working to deny their party control of Congress.

Why it matters: It puts them in direct conflict with their onetime colleague, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), as he tries to build a GOP majority through support for numerous right-wing candidates in key races.

Three of the Washington Post's 10-person editorial board have announced they're stepping down after owner Jeff Bezos blocked the endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, the newspaper confirmed on Monday.

The big picture: The paper sparked an outcry after it announced last week it would break from a decades-long tradition of endorsing presidential candidates.