MICHAEL CAPUTO. HHS spokesman taking leave of absence after promoting conspiracy theories in Facebook Live video. BACKGROUND…
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. First presidential endorsement ever: “Scientific American has never endorsed a presidential candidate in its 175-year history. This year we are compelled to do so. We do not do this lightly. The evidence and the science show that Donald Trump has badly damaged the U.S. and its people—because he rejects evidence and science. The most devastating example is his dishonest and inept response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which cost more than 190,000 Americans their lives by the middle of September.”
PATAGONIA. Fashion label features political message on tag. “It's particularly prescient with the US presidential election just weeks away, and many think that it's Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard's way of getting his views across. A statement on the brand's website emphasises its investment in the election result and the impact it will have on environmental policy.”
$20 to $50 MILLION. GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson plans to shell out for Trump. “Adelson's team has recently been in touch with GOP officials close to Trump about where best to deploy the cash, according to one person with knowledge of the situation.”
DELAWARE. QAnon nutjob wins U.S. Senate primary… “In a double-digit victory, Lauren Witzke won the Republican primary election for Delaware's U.S. Senate seat last night, defeating opponent James DeMartino, who was backed by the state Republican Party. Witzke will be facing Democratic Sen. Chris Coons in the general election this November.”
DELAWARE. Transgender activist wins state senate primary. 2016:
HAZARDOUS. Jared Kushner's tenants sue: “A group of tenants filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing Kushner Companies of illegally collecting rent and creating dangerous living conditions by failing to maintain working fire sprinkler systems in four New York City apartment buildings.”
MIKE PENCE. On getting a vaccine: “I wouldn't hesitate…”
BILLY PORTER. On Pose‘s Emmy-snubbed trans actors, his masculinity, Black Lives Matter, and Trump: “[If Trump gets a second term] America is done… Remember, Rome fell. Rome fell, motherf-ker! Don't get cocky.”
ROGUE HORSE OF THE DAY. Chris Hemsworth doing the weather forecast.
SNL. Saturday Night Live is about to return – here's who is back…
INDIA. Government opposes same-sex marriage petition in court: “The court is hearing a PIL filed by four members of the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and others) community — Abhijit Iyer Mitra, a security and foreign policy commentator, Gopi Shankar M, a Tamil Nadu-based intersex activist who contested the 2016 assembly elections, Giti Thadani, founding member of the Sakhi collective journal of contemporary and historical lesbian life in India, and G. Oorvasi, transgender activist. The submission made by Mehta, one of the central government's top lawyers, seeks to challenge the petitioners' contention that the Hindu Marriage Act doesn't distinguish between heterosexual and homosexual marriage since it doesn't describe marriage as a union between man and woman, but only ‘two Hindus'.”
‘REFRESHINGLY DEMOCRATIC'. Trump championed mail-in voting in 2000 New York Times op-ed: “The Reform Party was my chosen vehicle because its nomination process does not involve a long string of early primaries, but instead culminates in one national primary conducted by mail and e-mail in August,” Trump wrote.
MICHAEL COHEN. On Trump's greatest fear regarding releasing his taxes: “His biggest fear is, if that tax return was released, there's a whole slew of accountants and forensic accountants that will rip through it and he will end up with a massive tax bill, penalties, fines, and possibly even tax fraud.”
WISCONSIN. Man finds tinfoil-wrapped brain on the beach…
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. Janelle Monáe “Turntables”.
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY 2. Future Islands – “Moonlight”
HUMP DAY HOTTIE. Javier Bellanato.
