It’s Monday, Oct. 7, and the election is less than a month away. 😬 Coming up in today’s newsletter: 

• Today is the one-year mark of the Israel-Hamas war.  
• Colleges are bracing for demonstrations on the anniversary of the war in Gaza. 
• Harris is hitting several nontraditional media stops in the campaign’s final stretch. 
• Elon Musk’s wild appearance at a Trump rally this weekend has inspired memes. 

I’m Liz Crisp, filling in for Cate with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-staging.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.  

©  AP

Presidential candidates Vice President Harris and former President Trump will each speak at remembrance ceremonies today to mark the solemn anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre of hundreds of Israelis. 

Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, will plant a memorial tree on the grounds of the vice president’s residence, according to a White House official. It will be a pomegranate tree, which represents hope and righteousness in Judaism. 

Meanwhile, Trump plans to speak at a gathering at his golf course near Miami alongside Jewish community leaders. 

“The event will also remember the victims of antisemitic violence that has continued to afflict communities worldwide since that tragic day,” the Trump campaign said in a statement. 

The anniversary comes less than a month until Election Day and as conflict continues to escalate in the Middle East, prompting heightened focus on foreign policy. 

Colleges across the country are bracing for anti-war demonstrations like those that rocked campuses earlier this year. 

Oct. 7 anniversary: 26 moments that defined a devastating year

It’s the first day of the Supreme Court’s new term, and the judges have already issued decisions on several cases:

🔹 Abortion

“The Supreme Court decided not to hear arguments in a case involving Texas that could have provided an answer about whether a state abortion ban conflicts with a federal emergency care law,” The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel reports. 

“The Texas case centers on the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires federally funded hospitals to provide stabilizing care to emergency room patients no matter their ability to pay.”  

The Biden administration invoked EMTALA after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, saying that “state laws or mandates that employ a more restrictive definition of an emergency medical condition are preempted by the federal statute.” Texas sued the administration, arguing that the law was not properly applied and that the administration failed to follow the appropriate rulemaking process. Both a lower court and the Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit (considered the most conservative in the country) ruled in favor of Texas. 

🔹 Education

Case 1: “The Supreme Court won’t revive a lawsuit from parents in Michigan and Virginia who sued Attorney General Merrick Garland after he directed federal authorities to address threats against school board members and educators at public schools nationwide.” Read more here from The Hill’s Ella Lee. 

 
Case 2: “The Supreme Court will not weigh whether Michigan’s ban on public dollars for private schools can stand, allowing a decades-old amendment to the state’s constitution to remain intact.” Read more here from The Hill’s Ella Lee. 

🔹 Media

“The Supreme Court will not revive a Georgia Republican’s far-fetched lawsuit against Fox News accusing the conservative news company of racketeering and conspiring to elect his opponent in a 2022 bid for Congress.” Read more here from The Hill’s Ella Lee. 

 🔹 Finance

“The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a challenge to San Francisco’s ‘Sunlight on Dark Money’ disclosure law, which would have tested the limits of disclosure and free speech in campaign finance.” Read more here from The Hill’s Taylor Giorno. 

🔹 Social Media

“The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a challenge by social platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to court rulings that forced the platform to turn over data on former President Trump’s account to special counsel Jack Smith.” Read more here from The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld. 

🔹 Voting Rights

“The Supreme Court decided Monday that it won’t take up a case to restore a lawsuit by Pennsylvania Republicans that challenged executive actions expanding voting access on the basis that only state legislatures can regulate federal elections.” Read more here from The Hill’s Ella Lee. 

Vice President Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) have set out on a media blitz — largely with nontraditional outlets, in the final weeks to election day. 

Harris’s interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast dropped Sunday (keep reading for tidbits from that). She’s also slated for interviews with shock jock Howard Stern, the ladies of “The View” and with late night television host Stephen Colbert this week. A taped interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” will air tonight, and Walz will be on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” 

Harris has faced scrutiny for not taking on more media appearances since assuming the top of the ticket after President Biden ended his reelection bid in July. 

MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell said on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” that Harris needs to have more of a media presence because she is not being seen as a “heavyweight” contender in the race. 

“She’s got such a big problem with men … big problem. But also the business world, they don’t think she’s serious,” Mitchell said. “They don’t think she’s a heavyweight.” 

In a clip shared during CBS’s “Face The Nation” on Sunday, Harris addressed the ongoing Middle East conflict and seemed to throw a little bit of shade at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

“I think, with all due respect, the better question is, do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people? And the answer to that question is ‘yes,’” she replied when asked whether Netanyahu can be considered a “close ally” of the United States. 

Critics have accused the Israeli leader of stymieing de-escalation efforts for his political gain, and some Democrats have said they suspect he’s trying to sway the U.S. presidential election to former President Trump‘s favor. 

Walz, meanwhile, ventured onto Fox News on Sunday to defend the campaign on the Gaza war and abortion rights issues. He said false claims about late-term abortion have become “a distraction.” 

“I have been clear. The restoration of Roe versus Wade is what we’re asking,” Walz said. “This puts the decision with the woman in her health care providers.” 

He also addressed the time he “misspoke” in regard to his military career, experience in China and fertility treatments that helped him and his wife have children. 

Background: “Call Her Daddy” is one of the top podcasts in the country, reaching millions of loyal listeners with a focus on young women, who call themselves the “Daddy Gang.” Host Alex Cooper has snagged interviews with A-listers like Miley Cyrus, Gwyneth Paltrow and Paris Hilton. Harris’s interview was recorded Tuesday. 

Highlights from Harris’s “Call Her Daddy” interview: 

🔹  The vice president responded to a recent dig from Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), who said Harris has no one to keep her “humble” because she has no biological children. 

“I don’t think she understands that there are a whole lot of women out here who, one, are not aspiring to be humble,” Harris said. “Family comes in many forms, and I think that increasingly, all of us understand that this is not the 1950s anymore. Families come in all shapes or forms, and they are family nonetheless.” 

🔹 Harris elaborated on her support for abortion rights and why she thinks voters should support access, even if they personally oppose abortion. 

“You don’t have to abandon your faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that government shouldn’t be telling her what to do. If she chooses, she’ll talk to her priest, her pastor, her rabbi or imam, but not the government telling you what to do,” she said. “And that’s what’s so outrageous about it, is a bunch of these guys up in these state capitals are writing these decisions because they somehow have decided that they’re in a better position to tell you what’s in your best interest than you are to know what’s in your own best interest.” 

🔹 Harris discussed how she feels about the current state of the race against Trump. 

“You know, there’s this old adage: There are only two ways to run — without an opponent or scared … so there you go,” Harris said. “The only thing that matters is really just spending as much time as I can, as much time as I possibly can, meeting with people and talking with them about the stakes and their future.” 

Tidbit: Cooper said she also invited Trump onto her show, but he declined.  

©  AP

Another Category 4 hurricane is headed toward Florida, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene decimated parts of the Southeast. 

Hurricane Milton, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend and has rapidly turned into a Category 4 storm, is expected to make landfall by the middle of the week, with the most likely path hitting Tampa on Wednesday evening. 

What makes a storm a Category 4?: Wind speed. Storms with wind speeds between 130 and 156 mph are considered Category 4.  
 
Milton’s speed is at 150 mph, just below the threshold of a Category 5 storm.  

Milton would be the 13th named hurricane this season, which extends through the end of November. Forecasters have predicted we’ll see up to 25 (!) named storms this year, a higher than usual amount. 

 
Hurricane Helene: Much of the Southeast is still reeling and recovering from Hurricane Helene, which caused widespread damage. The death toll has topped 230 people across six states. 

Biden administration officials and others have sought to combat misinformation that has been spread about the recovery efforts, including by former President Trump and his allies. 

🥤 It’s National Frappe Day! The frothy, iced coffee drink is a favorite of many Americans, resembling a coffee milkshake with many varieties available, and it’s in the 70s still here in D.C., so a refreshingly cool drink can be a treat. The foodie influencers at Tasting Table ranked the 30 Best Starbucks Frappuccinos last year, including pumpkin spice, caramel brulee, matcha crème and other “secret menu” creations, if you are looking for inspiration to celebrate wherever you go. 

🤸‍♂️ More than a hint of Musk: Elon Musk took a starring role during Trump’s return Butler, Pa., rally over the weekend, and the tech billionaire’s appearance generated a lot of online fodder. 

📝 Lobby list: Know a great lobbyist in D.C.? The Hill is seeking nominations for its annual Top Lobbyists list. 

🏈️ Important sports update: Taylor Swift returns to her football era tonight when the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs take on my New Orleans Saints. Her beau, star Chiefs player Travis Kelce, confirmed this weekend that the songstress will be at Arrowhead Stadium, after skipping two away games.

The House and Senate are out. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington. All times Eastern. (all times Eastern)

• 1:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. 
• 1:45 p.m.: Biden receives a briefing on hurricanes Helene and Milton. 
• 4 p.m.: Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff mark the Oct. 7 anniversary with a tree planting ceremony at the veep’s residence at the Naval Observatory. 
• 6 p.m.: Former President Trump speaks at an Oct. 7 remembrance event in Miami. 
• 8 p.m.: Harris’s “60 Minutes” interview airs on CBS. 
• 11 p.m.: Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appears on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC. 
• Coming up: Biden will head to key battleground states Wisconsin and Pennsylvania on Tuesday to tout the Biden-Harris administration’s economic efforts and campaign for Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) in his reelection bid. 

Check out this adorably wobbly half-day-old calf. 🐮