Today in one sentence: The Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to block enforcement of a restrictive Texas abortion law while a legal challenge moves forward; a Capitol Police officer was indicted on obstruction of justice charges in connection to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection; the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol will move to hold Stephen Bannon in criminal contempt for not complying with its subpoena; Biden’s commission studying potential reforms to Supreme Court warned that there are “considerable” risks to expanding the number of justices; and a judge in New York ordered Trump to sit for a videotaped deposition.

1/ The Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to block enforcement of a restrictive Texas abortion law while a legal challenge moves forward. The law, which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy and empowers private citizens to sue anyone who “aids or abets” in the procedure, took effect Sept. 1 after the Supreme Court refused to grant an emergency request to stop it. The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the court’s three liberal members in dissent. The Justice Department then sued the state of Texas after the court declined to block the law. Last week, a federal judge temporarily suspended enforcement of the abortion ban, saying he would “not sanction one more day of this offensive deprivation of such an important right.” The law, however, was allowed to go back into effect after the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the law to remain in place during ongoing litigation between Texas and the federal government. (New York Times / Politico / Washington Post / CNBC / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)

2/ A Capitol Police officer was indicted on obstruction of justice charges in connection to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Prosecutors allege a day after the riot, Michael Riley sent a private message on Facebook to a rioter and encouraged him to delete incriminating selfies and videos about being in the Capitol. Riley instructed the person to “Get off of social media” and to “Take down the part about being in the building they are currently investigating and everyone who was in the building is going to charged. Just looking out!” Riley also expressed support for the rioter’s political views, saying “im a capitol police officer who agrees with your political stance.” (CNN / Politico)

3/ The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol will move to hold Stephen Bannon in criminal contempt for not complying with its subpoena. Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson accused Bannon of “hiding behind the former President’s insufficient, blanket, and vague statements regarding privileges he has purported to invoke. We reject his position entirely.” The panel will vote Tuesday to recommend criminal charges, sending the recommendation to the full House. If certified, Attorney General Merrick Garland would decide whether to criminally prosecute Bannon for failing to comply with the congressional subpoena. (Associated Press / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN)

4/ Biden’s commission studying potential reforms to Supreme Court warned that there are “considerable” risks to expanding the number of justices, according to the group’s preliminary “discussion materials.” The bipartisan commission agreed that Congress has the legal power to expand the court, but expansion efforts could hurt the court’s “long-term legitimacy or otherwise undermine its role in our legal system.” The group did not, however, that there is widespread support for term limits. The group is expected to present a final report to Biden by mid-November. (Washington Post / The Hill / NBC News / CNN / CNBC / Bloomberg)

5/ The U.S. will reopen its border to fully vaccinated foreign travelers on Nov. 8. The new policy will will require foreign national travelers from 33 countries to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and show proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken three days prior to boarding an airplane. The policy applies to both those traveling by plane and over land from Canada and Mexico. (Politico / New York Times / CBS News / NBC News)

6/ An independent FDA advisory panel voted unanimously to recommend authorizing booster shots of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine for people 18 years or older, at least two months after the first dose. The FDA will now consider the committee’s advice and the CDC’s advisory group will then be asked to consider it. The FDA panel voted yesterday to recommend authorizing Moderna booster shots. (Politico / New York Times / CNN / ABC News)

7/ A judge in New York ordered Trump to sit for a videotaped deposition as part of a civil lawsuit connected to a 2015 rally where protesters say Trump’s security guards assaulted them. A group of Mexican protesters said they were assaulted during a rally outside Trump Tower in Sept. 2015 over the then-candidate’s comments that Mexican immigrants were criminals and rapists. The lawsuit named Trump, his campaign, his former head of security Keith Schiller, and others. Trump’s deposition is scheduled for Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. at the Trump Tower in Manhattan. (ABC News / Business Insider / The Hill)

Two years ago today: Day 999: An abomination.
Three years ago today: Day 634: Who cares.