12:30 REPORT

Monday, October 5 | By Elliott Davis and Steff Danielle Thomas

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It’s Monday. And your 12:30 Report authors ask that you please refrain from searching for us on Venmo.

In today's issue:

Supreme Court term begins with a bang
Trump-Cotton feud escalates
Midterms just 30 days away
Plague fears mount

Programming note: Hello! We are Elliott Davis and Steff Danielle Thomas filling in for Cate. Please send your tips, comments and story ideas to edavis@thehill.com or sthomas@thehill.com.

⛽ SUPREME COURT

Supreme Court term kicks off:

The Associated Press | J. Scott Applewhite

The Supreme Court’s new term is officially underway, after oral arguments began Monday morning in a major climate case that pits state and local governments against fossil fuel companies over the costs of climate change.

Boulder, Colo., sued ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy Inc. years ago, accusing the two energy giants of deceiving people over the harms of fossil fuels and costing the city money as a result.

💬Follow today’s live blog.

Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from the case last week with no explanation. But the associate justice has otherwise spoken up in some rare media appearances in recent days.

On Sunday, Alito told Fox News that he tries not to pay too much attention to President Trump’s praise of him, and he added that he hopes his colleagues do the same when the shoe is on the other foot.

The president told Time magazine in an interview last week that he regrets nominating conservative Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, saying they vote against him “too often” in Supreme Court orders and rulings. Trump, however, frequently commends Alito, recently referring to him and Justice Clarence Thomas as “legends.”

The Supreme Court’s term is starting on shaky ground with Trump, as its docket has been filling up with cases that are key to the president’s agenda amid his criticisms of several justices, The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld and Sophie Brams report.

In the same “Fox News Sunday” interview, Alito said he has an “opinion” on who leaked the draft opinion of justices overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, but he declined to elaborate. He also told CBS News last week that he considered retirement at the end of the court’s last term.

➤ JUSTICES PASS ON OTHER CASES:

In other news tied to the high court Monday, the justices declined to take up cases about a school ban on shirts emblazoned with a slogan mocking former President Biden, an appeal from the convicted NXIVM sex cult leader and an attempt by the 2015 Charleston, S.C., church massacre shooter to disqualify his trial judge.

⏱️ ON CAPITOL HILL

Cotton silent after Trump posts cell number:

Apparently mum’s the word for Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who has not directly addressed the fact that Trump posted the lawmaker’s cellphone number on Truth Social over the weekend as part of the president’s push for Congress to pass a bill making daylight saving time permanent.

Cotton has remained steadfast in his opposition to the legislation, due at least in part to its potential impact on Arkansans.

But if he has a problem with Trump putting him on blast, he hasn’t said so publicly yet. In response to a request for comment, Cotton’s office referred The Hill to the lawmaker’s broader statement on the bill.

A Venmo account linked to the number Trump posted was reportedly flooded with payment requests over the weekend. Reports also indicated that attempts to call the cell were met with a notice that the number had been disconnected.

Another GOP senator’s take: Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) addressed Trump posting Cotton’s cell number in an interview with NBC News’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

It would be a disservice to paraphrase the quote, so here you go: “The president, as we know, can be sometimes — he exists loudly. He can be tempestuous. He can go from zero to a‑‑hole in about three seconds.”

Lawmakers hit the trail:

With both chambers of Congress on recess until after the midterm elections, lawmakers are hitting the campaign trail this week with just a month until Election Day.

In the latest edition of This Week on the Hill for Insiders, Sudiksha Kochi lays out the debates and campaign stops to watch for.

Trump and Vice President Vance have also spent weeks rallying voters in support of vulnerable Republican candidates. Today, they will continue the campaign blitz with events in Nebraska and Alaska.

🦠 OTHER NEWS:

Plague fears spread beyond Russia:

The Trump administration is closely monitoring a possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia after a 28-year-old laboratory worker died from a mysterious illness.

All eyes on Siberia: The State Department told NewsNation, The Hill’s partner network, that it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies to track the situation.

“We are aware of reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia,” an official said, cautioning that many details remain unconfirmed.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted to reporters on Monday that while the administration is keeping tabs on the situation, it has not “caused an alarm.”

At the center: A young woman working at an institute in Siberia that researches plague and other infectious diseases. Russian authorities say she died from pneumonia of unknown origin and have not confirmed whether the plague was responsible.

Around 200 people are reportedly under medical observation, while Russia’s top health watchdog traveled to the region.

Particularly nasty strain: Pneumonic plague is the most serious form of the disease and can spread from person to person through infectious droplets, according to the CDC. Without treatment, it can be fatal, though the disease is treatable with commonly available antibiotics.

The catch: Russian officials say tests have not detected microorganisms associated with the woman’s work. Her cause of death remains unclear, and no broader outbreak has been confirmed.

➤ COVID-ERA HEALTH OFFICIAL WEIGHS IN:

Former White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx called the researcher’s death “particularly concerning,” raising the possibility that a lab accident could be behind the case.

Birx also pointed to reports that the woman traveled after a possible exposure, warning she “potentially could have exposed many people” because pneumonic plague can spread through respiratory droplets.

“So, a lot of concerns and a lot of reasons for the Russians to be transparent,” the doctor added.

➤ QUICK HITS:

— 📺 Karoline Leavitt is heading to Fox News. Trump’s former White House press secretary will join the network as a contributor beginning Nov. 1, months after leaving the administration to spend more time with her family.

— 🏛️ Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) died over the weekend at 84. Hastert led the House from 1999 to 2007 before his legacy was overshadowed by sexual abuse allegations and a conviction on financial crimes related to hush-money payments.

— 🩺 Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) and 16 Senate Democrats are pressing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for answers over his overhaul of an influential preventive health panel, raising concerns about its independence and demanding answers by Oct. 15.

— 🏀🏈 The affordability crunch is hitting the sports world, with fans paying more to attend games — and even to watch from the couch. Rising ticket prices, pricey streaming subscriptions and taxpayer-funded stadium fights are adding to frustrations as the midterms approach. Insiders can read more here from The Hill’s Dominick Mastrangelo.

— 🪖 Senate Republicans are raising concerns over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s move to slash the military’s senior ranks by 20 percent, with some saying they were blindsided by the decision and questioning whether politics played a role.

➤ MORE READS:

The New York Times: Mayors Are Filming Videos, Zohran Mamdani-Style, With Varying Degrees of Cringe

Politico: Sam Altman hits AI industry over political spending

The Washington Post: What the science of memory tells us about sexual assault cases

The Wall Street Journal: Spanish Leader Calls for Elections, Riding Wave of Anger Over Housing Costs

🗓️ COMING UP

The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Washington and Nebraska. (All times EDT)

12:30 p.m.: Trump has a policy meeting.

7 p.m.: The president gives remarks at a campaign rally in Grand Island, Neb., alongside Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.).

TONIGHT: Vance campaigns in Fairbanks, Alaska, with incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R).

🐝 INTERNET BUZZ

☺️ Celebrate: Today is National Do Something Nice Day! Dare to pay for the coffee of the person behind you at the cafe, send an encouraging text to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while or let a car or two merge in on your way home.

📄 New details: The woman at the center of the Cornell gang rape case told school investigators she “felt like bait” during the alleged assault, according to records reviewed by The Associated Press.