National

Raymond Dearie's appointment as special master to review records the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago was a positive development for former President Trump, whose lawyers recommended him. But their call for the low-profile New York judge was befuddling given Dearie has no apparent connection or loyalty to Trump.

Driving the news: Two sources with direct knowledge of the closely held deliberations now tell Axios what Trump's legal team was thinking:

Lawyers and advisers to the former president believe Dearie's role on the secretive court that approved controversial warrants used to surveil former Trump campaign aide Carter Page in 2016 and 2017 made Dearie a deep skeptic of the FBI.

The two sources were granted anonymity because they were describing sensitive discussions within the Trump team.

Details: Dearie's seven years on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, including during the Page case, is a matter of public record and has been reported. But it has not been previously reported that this experience drove the Trump team's thinking in requesting him.

Dearie could not be reached for comment. He has not made any public comments — that Axios is aware of — to suggest that the Trump team's thinking is more than a hope or a theory. And, he will be reviewing the documents themselves for privilege, not reviewing representations about the documents by the FBI.

A representative for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York — the court on which Dearie has served since 1986 — did not respond to questions about whether Trump team's understanding of Dearie's view of the FBI matches his actual view.

Taylor Budowich, a spokesperson for Trump, did not respond to a request for comment.

Why it matters: As special master, Dearie will vet more than 11,000 documents seized from Mar-a-Lago for both attorney-client privilege and executive privilege to determine if any material was improperly swept up in the search.

His appointment could, at a minimum, delay the Justice Department's investigation into the former president. The department has argued that such a delay could harm U.S. national security because of the sensitive nature of the highly classified documents Trump improperly kept at Mar-a-Lago.

Flashback: The Justice Department's investigation into Russian election interference in the 2016 presidential election and connections to the Trump campaign involved a flawed process.

Dearie, 78, served for seven years on the FISC. He was one of the judges who signed off on FISA warrants to surveil Page.

Two of the four approved warrants were later declared invalid after a DOJ Inspector General report found a series of misstatements and omissions in the FBI's applications to get the warrants.

A former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, pleaded guilty in 2020 to altering an email submitted as part of the surveillance application — a felony charge. 

The FISA process typically is not adversarial in real time because people who do not know they are under surveillance cannot push back against FBI claims in court.

Judges historically have appeared to give the FBI significant deference in these cases. But the Page saga showed how that trust could be misplaced.

Trump's lawyers are betting that has made Dearie more skeptical of the FBI than an average judge — in a way that endures beyond the Page case.

Between the lines: Trump has a history of demanding loyalists in key roles, which made his team's suggestion of Dearie as special master a puzzle to many legal observers.

Dearie, whom former President Reagan appointed to the federal bench in 1986, is widely respected in the legal community and has a reputation as an "exemplary jurist" and a straight-shooter.

Since the announcement, Dearie has even received praise from Trump enemies. Andrew Weissmann, a former lead prosecutor in the Russia investigation who appeared before Dearie early in his career, told the New York Times that Dearie was "a fair-minded, smart judge who has a ton of common sense..."

Dearie's bipartisan high esteem worked to Trump's benefit. U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee in the Southern District of Florida, did not face pressure to reject Dearie as she would have with a recommendation of someone seen as a Trump loyalist.

Dearie was not on the Justice Department's list of recommended special masters, but the DOJ accepted the recommendation from Trump's team due to his "previous federal judicial experience and engagement in relevant areas of law."

Since 2011, Dearie has been on "senior active" status, meaning he has a reduced caseload but continues to preside over cases, as his court calendar suggests.

Two days after Trump made his request for a special master, Dearie told Law.com he would move to inactive status.

Two weeks later, Trump's lawyers submitted Dearie's name to DOJ as one of two recommendations for the role. It is not clear whether or how those developments are connected.

What's next: Cannon said Dearie will need to complete his review of materials by Nov. 30 — a timeline closer to the Trump team's suggestion than to DOJ's proposed deadline of Oct. 17.

The Nov. 30 deadline could shift subject to Dearie's own proposals. Cannon also asked Dearie to submit interim reports and recommendations on documents before his entire review is complete.

In granting the request for special master, Cannon also temporarily barred law enforcement agencies from accessing the material for their investigation of Trump's handling of the documents until the special master review is complete. 

After Cannon rejected DOJ's request to allow investigators to continue reviewing classified documents, the DOJ asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to issue a partial stay of Cannon's order.

Scoop: Team Trump sees special master as deep FBI skeptic

Judge Raymond Dearie's involvement with the Carter Page case is known. But advisers have not previously said it drove their thinking in requesting him.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on September 14, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in September 2022. Photo: Joe Raedle via Getty Images.

Donald Trump

Politics & Policy

After Democrats' surge in political momentum over the summer, signs indicate the midterm environment is tilting back in the GOP's direction.

Why it matters: Republicans aren't likely to ride a historic red wave to power. But they're well-positioned to comfortably win back the House, and are on surer footing than just weeks ago to net the one seat necessary to capture a narrow Senate majority.

What we're watching: Inflation isn't slowing down, according to this month's Consumer Price Index. Biden's celebration of the Inflation Reduction Act occurred on a day when the stock market plunged over 1,200 points, prompting ridicule from Republicans who see inflation as their top campaign issue.

Biden's student loan forgiveness plan is opposed by many Democrats, especially those in swing states and districts. The president didn't even mention it in his Philadelphia speech this month touting his accomplishments. A New York Times/Siena poll released Friday showed 49% of respondents favor the cancellation of up to $20,000 in student debt.

Republicans hold momentum in several key Senate races, most notably in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia. GOP nominee in Pennsylvania Mehmet Oz is pressuring John Fetterman to debate (the Democrat agreed to one on Oct. 25) amid questions about Fetterman's health. Republicans are portraying Democrats as soft on crime in all these races, forcing challengers on the defensive.

By the numbers: RealClearPolitics polling averages in Georgia and Nevada now show the Democratic senators tied or trailing their GOP challengers. That's a precarious position for any incumbent to be in at this point.

Marquette Law School released polling in Wisconsin suggesting that the GOP's ad blitz painting Democrat Mandela Barnes as soft on crime is working — with Sen. Ron Johnson closing a seven-point deficit from last month. 

But, but, but: Beyond running as the opposition, Republicans are still struggling to advance a winning message for their party. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) 15-week federal abortion ban bill was introduced the same day as last week's ugly inflation reading, keeping the focus on the GOP's unpopular support for abortion restrictions and undermining the message that abortion policy should be left to the states.

Graham's proposal divided Republicans and has no chance of passing through Congress.

Reality check: The elevation of weak Senate candidates is the biggest political challenge for Republicans in the home stretch.

In New Hampshire, Republicans nominated a candidate — retired Gen. Don Bolduc — who's seen as too extreme to defeat Sen. Maggie Hassan in the purple swing state. An Emerson College poll conducted after the primary showed Hassan leading Bolduc by 11 points, 51%-40%. (Since winning the primary, Bolduc has moderated his views, rejecting Graham's 15-week abortion measure and accepting the legitimacy of the 2020 election results.)

In Arizona, Blake Masters is still viewed warily by Republican officials and is being badly outspent by Sen. Mark Kelly. Masters trails Kelly by 3.3 points in the RCP polling average.

And in Ohio, polls still show Democrat Tim Ryan narrowly ahead of Republican J.D. Vance, even as outside money starts to flow in for the first-time GOP candidate. Republicans still expect Vance to prevail in the Trump-friendly state, but his campaign is underachieving.

Be smart: Control of the Senate will likely come down to three races: Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. The party that wins two of those three is poised to hold a narrow 51-seat Senate majority.

Democrats' midterm reality check

Republicans are well-positioned to win back the House and are on surer footing in the Senate.

Illustration of a magic 8-ball that reads, "Check yourself."

Democrats

Midterm Elections 2022

The entirety of Puerto Rico lost power Sunday as Hurricane Fiona, a Category 1 storm,  bears down on the island, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi announced.

Driving the news: As of 2pm ET,  PowerOutage.US showed no active electricity for the 1.4 million customers on the island that the service tracks.

Puerto Rico's power grid. Image: PowerOutage.us

What they're saying: "Emergency incidents are being reported as a result of #HurricaneFiona," Pierluisi said in a tweet, which was translated from Spanish to English via Google Translate.

"LUMA Energy and the Electric Power Authority report that due to the effect of the hurricane, the electrical system is currently out of service. The protocols have been activated according to the plans established to deal with this situation. Both LUMA and PREPA personnel are active and ready to respond to the situation once conditions allow."

"Rivers out of their banks are also reported in different regions of Puerto Rico. We emphasize that everyone's safety is the priority right now."

"NMEAD personnel are actively responding to those emergencies in which the lives of citizens are in imminent danger."

"We are coordinating with the NMEAD and other agencies, and we will continue to keep our clients informed," LUMA Energy tweeted Sunday. "Due to the magnitude and scope of the outage, as well as the effects of Hurricane Fiona, full power restoration could take several days."

Details: The island was placed under a hurricane warning Saturday morning.

Hurricane Fiona threatens to dump more than two feet of rain in Puerto Rico, which prompted the National Hurricane Center to issue a warning about "catastrophic" flooding, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.

Puerto Rico's current blackout followed hours of worsening power outages across the island, including during a briefing from Pierluisi on Sunday about the storm. As he spoke to reporters, the lights went out. 

Storm-force winds extended as far as 140 miles from Fiona’s center as it nears Puerto Rico’s south coast, AP reports.

Context: The blackout comes two days before the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico’s power grid in September 2017 and left residents without electricity for months. 

Hurricane Maria is the deadliest natural disaster for U.S. territory in 100 years, NBC reports.

Zoom out: President Biden approved an emergency declaration in Puerto Rico, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to supplement the response efforts.

Puerto Rico loses power across entire island as Hurricane Fiona nears

The blackout comes two days before the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico’s power grid in September 2017.

Satellite image of Hurricane Fiona prior to making landfall in southwest Puerto Rico. Photo: CIRA/RAMMB

extreme weather

Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

President Biden offered condolences Sunday on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, saying her loss "leaves a giant hole."

Driving the news: "I think what she gave is a sense of, maybe above all, the notion of service," Biden said after signing the book of condolences. "There’s something within our capacity to do that can make things — not just the world better, but your neighborhood better, your household better, your workplace better. And that, that’s what she communicated to me."

The president reflected upon meeting the queen when he visited Windsor Castle last summer, saying she was "the same in person" as her image: "decent, honorable and all about service."

He said she reminded him of his own mother: "She had that look like, “Are you OK? Anything I can do for you? What do you need?” And then also, “Make sure you do what you’re supposed to do.”  

What's next: The president and first lady attended a reception with King Charles and other international leaders on Sunday and will attend the state funeral on Monday.

Thousands have turned out to visit the Queen as she lies in state. The line reached five miles on Friday and visitors had to be turned away. 

Biden remembers Queen Elizabeth as "decent, honorable and all about service"

The president reflected upon meeting the queen when he visited Windsor Castle last summer.

President Biden, accompanied by the first lady Jill Biden, signs a book of condolences at Lancaster House in London on Sept. 18. Photo: Jonathan Hordle-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Joe Biden

Former President Clinton said on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" that he believes the Democratic Party can retain both the House and the Senate in the upcoming midterm elections.

Driving the news: The former president added, however, that the GOP may try to scare swing voters toward the extreme as Election Day approaches.

What he's saying: "We could hold both these houses," Clinton said. "But we have to say the right things." 

"And we have to note the Republicans always close well. Why? Because they find some new way to scare the living daylights out of swing voters about something," he continued. 

Clinton went on to say that in 2021, they made critical race theory "sound worse than smallpox" even though it wasn’t being taught in any public schools in America. "But they didn’t care. They just scare people," he said.

The big picture: Clinton said both political parties have gone more ideological, and "somehow psychically intolerant," pulling more people toward the extremes. 

But, he said, there are still people really trying to think and understand what’s going on.

Bill Clinton: Democrats can keep control of Congress in midterms

The former president said, however, that the GOP will try to scare swing voters as Election Day approaches.

Former President Clinton appears on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" on Sept 18.

Bill Clinton

States with at least one statewide GOP candidate who is a 2020 election denier

Data: Associated Press; Chart: Axios Visuals

Amid his legal peril, former President Trump emerges from the midterm primary season with two trophies that show the extent to which he has reshaped the Republican Party in his image — and toward his obsessions.

Driving the news: In 24 states, across the map, Republicans are fielding 2020 presidential election deniers as November standard-bearers for statewide office — governor, secretary of state or attorney general. These candidates —  nearly 1 in 3 GOP statewide candidates, according to AP — backed Trump's push to overturn the election or spread lies about results.

In the 26 notable GOP primaries in which Trump made an endorsement, he went 21-5, according to a "Final Primary Report Card" by David Wasserman of The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. 

Why it matters: The implications for democracy in general, and the 2024 election in particular, are profound.

If Trump has foot soldiers administering elections in '24 battleground states, he'd have a distinct advantage in the general election, regardless of his Democratic opponent.

Between the lines: In the 26 Democratic primaries with an endorsement by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, those progressives went just 15-11, Wasserman found.

Reality check: Some Republicans are what Axios' Josh Kraushaar calls "pretenders" — they raised questions about the election to win the primary, but aren't hardcore denialists. 

Some have scrapped that talk since winning the nomination. For instance, Don Bolduc, running for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, quickly abandoned stolen-election claims.

Most of the hardcore denialists are likely to lose in November, Kraushaar reports. A big exception is Kari Lake for Arizona governor.

These nominees' underdog status underscores the fact that GOP voters have gone MAGA — but fringe views don't sell outside the party's primaries. 

Zoom in: The election-denial midterm caucus extends to congressional races. 

Of 552 total Republican nominees, 201 (36%) fully denied the legitimacy of the 2020 election, FiveThirtyEight found. 61 more raised questions, bringing the percentage to 47% — roughly half.

The bottom line: 60% of U.S. voters will have an election denier on the ballot in November, per FiveThirtyEight.

Trump's 2024 triumph

In 24 states, Republicans are fielding 2020 presidential election deniers as November standard-bearers for statewide office.

2024 presidential election

Lawyers representing around 30 immigrants recently flown to Martha's Vineyard from Texas asked the Massachusetts attorney general and the federal government in letters Saturday to open criminal investigations into what they described as a "political stunt."

Why it matters: The lawyers said their clients "were induced to board airplanes and cross state lines under false pretenses," including promises of working opportunities, schooling for their children and immigration assistance, by people working with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

Nearly 50 Venezuelan migrants in total were dropped off in Martha’s Vineyard, a Massachusetts island, and have since been relocated to Joint Base Cape Cod, which had vacant housing and access to social services.

Thirty of those immigrants are being represented by attorneys from Lawyers for Civil Rights, a Boston-based organization that provides free legal support for communities of color and immigrants across Massachusetts.

What they're saying: "It was only when the flight was in mid-air that they were informed they would be flown to Martha’s Vineyard, rather than to Boston as many had been told," Lawyers for Civil Rights said in the letters to Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and Rachael Rollins, U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

"Once the planes landed, those who had induced our clients to travel under these false pretenses disappeared, leaving our clients to learn that the offers of assistance had all been a ruse to exploit them for political purposes," the organization added. 

Rollins told the Boston Globe on Friday that her office is looking at "any and all legal action that we might be able to take" in response to the flights.

DeSantis took credit for organizing the flights and promised to continue relocating more migrants to predominantly Democrat-run cities.

"If you have folks that are inclined to think Florida is a good place, our message to them is we are not a sanctuary state, and it's better to be able to go to a sanctuary jurisdiction and, yes, we will help facilitate that transport for you to be able to go to greener pastures," he said at an event Thursday.

Massachusetts isn't officially a sanctuary state but has eight cities that identify as sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants — the nearest from Martha’s Vineyard being Boston, which is around 100 miles north, according to NBC Boston.

The big picture: DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) have so far transported over 10,000 migrants to Democratic-led cities, such as New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., to protest the Biden administration's border policies, which they claim are too lax.

Cabinet heads and White House officials met Friday morning to in part discuss "litigation options" to respond to the governors transporting unauthorized immigrants and asylum seekers to other parts of the country, Axios' Stef Kight reports.

Go deeper: Border Dem slams "soulless" DeSantis over Martha's Vineyard stunt

Boston

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Axios Boston

Lawyers for Martha's Vineyard migrants urge Feds to open criminal probe

The lawyers said their clients "were induced to board airplanes and cross state lines under false pretenses."

Rafael Eduardo, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, hugging another immigrant outside of Saint Andrews Episcopal Church on Martha's Vineyard on Sept. 15.

Rafael Eduardo, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, hugs another immigrant outside of St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Martha's Vineyard on Sept. 15. Photo: Dominic Chavez for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Immigration

Bloomberg Philanthropies has launched an interactive database around racial wealth disparities aimed at increasing Black wealth accumulation.

Why it matters: Two years into a national reckoning following the death of George Floyd, banks and cities are experimenting with programs to expand homeownership among people of color. The new database could provide important information for such initiatives. 

Driving the news: Bloomberg Philanthropies' Greenwood Initiative announced Thursday its creation of the Black Wealth Data Center.  

The project, incubated by the Washington, D.C.-based Prosperity Now, takes existing federal and public data and places it in a user-friendly format.

Organizers say they want to help policymakers with investment decisions using historic and present-day data about racial wealth disparities.

The big picture: The database is the latest project by Bloomberg Philanthropies' Greenwood Initiative, a national program focusing on accelerating the pace of wealth accumulation for Black families.

Named after Tulsa's Greenwood District, which destroyed during the 1921 massacre, the initiative wants to address systemic underinvestment in Black communities. 

By the numbers:  From 2011 to 2019, the percentage of Black adults with a Bachelor's degree increased by 30%, yet in the same period, the average net worth for Black families headed by a college grad decreased by 4%, according to the Black Wealth Data Center.  

In recent years, unemployment among Black adults decreased by nearly 20%. Yet, the Black unemployment rate is still the highest compared to all groups, even among people with a Bachelor's degree or higher.

Education loans make up more than half (53%) of the debt Black Americans carry, as compared to 29% for Latinos and 26% for white residents.

What they're saying: "We want to empower those individuals, those organizations (who) are committed to increasing racial wealth equity," Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies' Greenwood Initiative, told Axios.

 "We're hoping that the data will show where there are assets within Black communities."

"Local data disaggregated by race is one of the hugest gaps in the country."

A little more than four in 10 (45%) Black Americans, 48% of Hispanic Americans, and 61% of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders owned a home in the second quarter of 2022, compared to 75% of white Americans, per the Census Bureau.

Zoom out: The origins of the racial homeownership gap lie with the actions of the federal government and the private sector. Through redlining, they worked in concert to exclude majority Black neighborhoods from mortgage lending.

Black buyers couldn't get the federally backed mortgages that helped launch so many Americans into the middle class, setting them on a path to providing generational wealth.

The practice was outlawed in 1968, but its legacy still haunts the housing market.

The intrigue: Bank of America recently announced "zero down payment" loans for first-time homebuyers in predominately Black and Hispanic neighborhoods who specification income requirements.

Two other banks, JPMorgan Chase and TD Bank, offer similar programs. If they were adopted widely in both the public and private sector, programs like these could truly make a dent in the racial homeownership gap — but so far they haven't been.

Bloomberg Philanthropies unveils racial wealth gap database

The project aims to inform efforts to close the wealth gap.

1960s African American family stands before their new home under construction while father holds plans. 

African American family in front of their new home under construction in 1968. Photo: H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images

Wealth

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

A new documentary examines how the U.S. military in the 1960s prepared police for unrest in cities by using a fictional town and soldiers as actors. 

The big picture: "Riotsville, U.S.A.," released Friday in selected theaters, shows the origins of the militarization of police amid demands by poor communities of color to end police brutality -- demands that continue today. 

The film only uses archive footage from the military, newscasts, and police from the era. 

Filmmakers used those to piece together a story of how police departments in the U.S. came to use military tactics, mainly against Black and Latino residents, for decades — immediately after the civil rights movement.  

Details: In the late 1960s, the U.S. Army built fake towns, known as "riotsvilles,"  on its bases to stage and film the military response to riots.

Soldiers posed as white rioters instigated by Black agitators (also played by plain-clothes soldiers) as the military and police used tear gas and ferocious force to quell the staged unrest.

The Amy filmed the performances for training and for officials to analyze strategies.

What they're saying: "At some points, it seems like a joke. And then in other points, there's real violence. There are people being arrested and shoved into a tank," film director Sierra Pettengill told Axios.

Pettengill said she was stuck that the footage appeared to show trainees really beating up Black soldiers, who were acting out a part. 

Then news footage of actual riots showed how that training became a reality.

Between the lines: Just two years ago the killing of George Floyd, the nation still is grappling over policing, systemic racism, and poverty. 

Pettengill says the film reminds us that these issues have not been resolved. 

"I felt like I'm in Alice in Wonderland. We're hearing the same thing over and over again." 

"I also find that I hope that by showing how a system gets built...we can start to imagine how to unbuild it."

Film shows origins of police response to 1960s riots

The military built fake towns to stake fake riots.

A scene from RIOTSVILLE, USA, a film about  a fictional town built by the U.S. military to train police on riot control.

A scene from the documentary, Riotsville, U.S.A. Photo: Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. 

Police

A scene from the documentary, Riotsville, U.S.A. 

Tropical Storm Fiona is expected to become a hurricane and could dump as much as 20 inches of rain on Puerto Rico beginning Saturday, the National Hurricane Center warned. 

Driving the news: The meteorological agency issued a hurricane warning for the U.S. territory, where the impending flooding and high winds could imperil the island's power grid, which is still recovering from 2017's Hurricane Maria.

Catch up fast: Fiona has already dumped 17 inches of rain on the island of Guadeloupe and brought significant flooding to some eastern Caribbean islands. 

As of Saturday morning, the tropical storm was located about 130 miles southeast of St. Croix and was moving west. It’s on pace to pass near or over Puerto Rico on Sunday night. 

A Saturday afternoon updated from the NHC revealed no significant chances in the forecast for Puerto Rico, though the agency stressed the likelihood of "life threatening" flooding occurring as a result of the storm. The NHC also said the storm is expected to be a hurricane when it makes landfall sometime on Sunday.

 Data: National Hurricane Center; Map: Jared Whalen/Axios 

Threat level: Forecasters are calling for 12 to 16 inches to fall in Puerto Rico with the potential for as many as 20 inches, particularly across eastern and southern swaths of the island. 

A hurricane watch is in effect for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano westward to Cabo Caucedo and its northern coast, from Cabo Engano westward to Puerto Plata. The island nation is forecast to get four to eight inches of rain, with up to a foot possible along its eastern coast. 

The U.S. Virgin Islands, also under a hurricane watch as of Saturday morning, are expected to receive four to six inches, with as much as 10 inches of rain possible.

The deluge could produce flash and urban flooding, as well as mudslides along higher terrain, particularly in southern and eastern Puerto Rico and the eastern Dominican Republic. On the nearby island of Guadeloupe, 19.85 inches of rain has fallen since Fiona arrived. 

Our thought bubble: From Axios’ Andrew Freedman: The National Hurricane Center raised the possibility of faster intensification prior to the storm’s arrival in Puerto Rico on Sunday, so it’s possible the storm could hit as a stronger Category 1 or even a Category 2 storm, depending on its development.

Once the storm emerges over the southwestern Atlantic, it is likely to further intensify, and appears destined to curve out to sea, away from the East Coast. However, the ultimate track is still subject to considerable uncertainty, so the East Coast from Florida to the Carolinas in particular should keep a close watch.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional forecast information from the National Hurricane Center. 

Tropical Storm Fiona prompts hurricane warning for Puerto Rico

The impending flooding and high winds could imperil the island's fragile power grid.

Sunday's top stories

Scoop: Team Trump sees special master as deep FBI skeptic

Democrats' midterm reality check

Puerto Rico loses power across entire island as Hurricane Fiona nears

Biden remembers Queen Elizabeth as "decent, honorable and all about service"

Bill Clinton: Democrats can keep control of Congress in midterms

Trump's 2024 triumph

Lawyers for Martha's Vineyard migrants urge Feds to open criminal probe

Bloomberg Philanthropies unveils racial wealth gap database

Film shows origins of police response to 1960s riots

Tropical Storm Fiona prompts hurricane warning for Puerto Rico

Biden: Putin using nuclear weapons would see "consequential” U.S. response

In photos: Queen Elizabeth II's grandchildren hold vigil for late monarch

Axios Climate Truths: New health crisis

Yeshiva University suspends activities after SCOTUS ruling on LGBTQ club

Newsom challenges DeSantis to debate after migrants sent to Massachusetts

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slams Republicans for "trafficking" migrants

DeSantis: Florida will keep relocating migrants with state funds

The war for your teeth

DOJ seeks to block parts of judge’s ruling on documents seized at Mar-a-Lago

Biden met with families of Griner and Whelan at White House