What You Can and Can’t Drink Once the Giant-Soda Ban Begins Tomorrow

Trump: ‘Get Rid of the Ballots … There Won’t Be a Transfer’ of Power

Trump, once again, did not commit to accepting the election results, and suggested throwing out mail ballots to ensure a “continuation” of power.

8:12 p.m.

electric vehicles

California to Ban Sales of New Gas-Powered Cars in 2035

Governor Newsom’s office estimates the rule will cut the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent.

6:17 p.m.

supreme court

Trump Says Supreme Court Needs 9 Justices for Potential Election Dispute

Meanwhile, Republicans at the state and national level are reportedly gaming out ways to dispute the election.

Most Popular

4:39 p.m.

Republican Report Suggests Hunter Biden, Donald Trump Both Unfit for Office

The one person who comes out of the Ukraine scandal looking good? Joe Biden.

3:59 p.m.

Not exactly hiding his intentions here

Trump tells reporters he wants a replacement for RBG quickly as he believes 2020 election will end up going to SCOTUS: “Yes, I think it’s very important. I think this will end up in the Supreme Court and I think it’s very important that we have nine justices.”

—@Acosta

3:47 p.m.

vision 2020

A Nightmarish End to the 2020 Elections Is Becoming All Too Plausible

Barton Gellman lays out in great detail how Trump might use chaos to steal a second term, or at least create a constitutional crisis.

2:41 p.m.

power

Only One Officer Was Charged in Breonna Taylor’s Killing

By Bridget Read

Brett Hankison has been charged with wanton endangerment, but the other two officers will face no charges.

2:19 p.m.

The message that results might take a while is sinking in

63% of likely voters say they don’t think we will know the winner of the presidential election on election night via new Quinnipiac poll. That includes 64% of Republicans, 64% of Democrats and 60% of independents.

—@ryanstruyk

2:01 p.m.

An aggressive move on fossil fuels from California

Reuters: California will ban the sale of new gasoline powered passenger cars and trucks starting in 2035 in a dramatic move to shift to electric vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday.https://t.co/ll1oSlGLTG

—@Rover829

1:24 p.m.

After months of protests in Louisville and around the country

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Grand jury indicts 1 officer on criminal charges 6 months after Breonna Taylor fatally shot by police in Kentucky.

—@kylegriffin1

1:06 p.m.

Report: Trump, a Giant Racist, Said Jews Are ‘Only in It for Themselves’

The president continues to provide evidence of his massive racism.

12:59 p.m.

This might have something to do with trying to win Florida

Just in: The Trump admin announces US citizens visiting Cuba will no longer be able to buy cigars, rum or stay in Cuban government owned hotels.

—@CNN_Oppmann

11:55 a.m.

Some tense moments between Fauci and Covid downplayer Rand Paul this morning

Fauci aggressively pushes back at Rand Paul’s continued narrative that NYC’s infection rate is < 1% due to herd immunity. Fauci notes that if he thinks 22% of the pop. constitutes herd immunity, “he’s alone”. Fauci instead points to mask wearing & social distancing as factors.

—@biannagolodryga

11:48 a.m.

congress

Stopgap Spending Deal Ends Government Shutdown Threat

Pelosi gave in on farm aid Trump is distributing in exchange for some concessions, relegating spending disputes to a lame-duck session.

10:31 a.m.

covid-19

Johnson & Johnson’s Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Moves to Final Trial Stage

By Benjamin Hart

The company says it could determine whether the dose is effective by the end of this year.

8:24 a.m.

The latest COVID-19 vaccine to enter the final stage of trials is easier to store and administer

The first coronavirus vaccine that aims to protect people with a single shot has entered the final stages of testing in the United States in an international trial that will recruit up to 60,000 participants.

The experimental vaccine being developed by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson is the fourth vaccine to enter the large, Phase 3 trials in the United States that will determine whether they are effective and safe. Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of J&J, predicted that there may be enough data to have results by the end of the year and said the company plans to manufacture 1 billion doses next year.

Three other vaccine candidates have a head start, with U.S. trials that began earlier in the summer, but the vaccine being developed by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, a division of J&J, has several advantages that could make it logistically easier to administer and distribute if it is proved safe and effective.

The company is initially testing a single dose, whereas the other vaccines being tested in the United States require a return visit and second shot three to four weeks after the first one to trigger a protective immune response. The J&J vaccine can also be stored in liquid form at refrigerator temperatures for three months, whereas two of the front-runner candidates must be frozen or kept at ultracold temperatures for long-term storage.

A single-shot coronavirus vaccine from Johnson & Johnson will be tested in 60,000 people

—Washington Post

8:19 a.m.

Trump’s reported disdain for the military moved Cindy McCain from offering kind words about Biden during the DNC to actually endorsing him

Cindy McCain endorsed Democratic nominee Joe Biden for president on Tuesday.

“My husband John lived by a code: country first,” McCain tweeted. “We are Republicans, yes, but Americans foremost. There’s only one candidate in this race who stands up for our values as a nation, and that is @JoeBiden.”

Her announcement came a few hours after Biden said McCain would be endorsing him during a virtual fundraiser. Biden said at the event that the widow of Republican Sen. John McCain decided to support him following a damning report by The Atlantic that said President Donald Trump had called fallen war veterans “suckers.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t say it, but I’m about to go on one of these Zooms with John McCain’s wife, who is, first time ever, is endorsing me because of what he talks about with my son and John’s who are heroes, who served their country, you know he said they’re losers, they’re suckers,” Biden said according to a pool report of the event.

Cindy McCain endorses Biden

—Politico

7:00 a.m.

qanon

QAnon Is Madness. But Believing In It Can Be Rational.

By Eric Levitz

For those who lack the resources to understand or influence political reality, conspiracy theories are more useful than the truth.

Trump Says Reporters Covering Protests Deserve to Be Attacked

“They threw him aside like a bag of popcorn.”

Pentagon Spent Most of Its CARES Act Cash on Jet Parts and Uniforms: Report

coronavirus

Over $400 million in taxpayer money intended to be spent on masks, ventilators, and swabs ultimately went to military equipment.

Pennsylvania Becomes Ground Zero For Election Lawsuits

vision 2020

One key struggle is over a court ruling that determined that “naked ballots” mailed without special envelopes will not be counted in November.

Bloomberg Helps Pay Fines of 32,000 Florida Ex-Felons So They Can Vote

florida

The billionaire helped raise $16 million to pay fees of ex-felons so they can register to vote — despite a GOP-led law that functions as a poll tax.

9/22/2020

The Trump administration has deliberately undermined the census

A new Commerce Dept OIG report concludes:

“I. The decision to accelerate the Census schedule was not made by the Census Bureau.

II. The accelerated schedule increases the risks to obtaining a complete and accurate 2020 Census.”

(This is what a politicized census looks like.)

—@jbendery

Will Distractions Kill COVID-19 Stimulus Talks Until After the Election?

coronavirus stimulus

Now there’s a bitter Supreme Court confirmation fight and a possible government shutdown dividing the parties and distracting their leaders.

Sports Pulled Off a Miracle in 2020. Now What About 2021?

games

By Will Leitch

The pandemic isn’t going anywhere, but leagues can’t afford another season with no fans.

Senate Republicans Approve Trump Court Nominee Sight Unseen

It’s the world’s greatest deliberative body!

New State Polls Show Biden Landslide and Narrow Trump Win Are Both Possible

poll position

Biden’s national lead is steady, but a shift of a few points in either direction could produce a big shift in Electoral votes.

9/22/2020

How COVID-19 could come home for the holidays

New guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the upcoming holiday season warns that hosts and attendees at holiday celebrations will need to take steps to limit the risk of contracting and spreading the novel coronavirus. …

Instead of communal, potluck-style food, hosts can ask attendees to bring their own, the CDC said. Cutting down on shared items by having one person serve, and getting single-use plates and condiments, are also recommended, according to the CDC.

Traditional celebrations like Halloween trick-or-treating, large indoor Día de los Muertos gatherings, crowded Thanksgiving parades and Black Friday shopping sprees could spread the virus and should be avoided, according to the guidance. The CDC recommends alternatives such as virtual Halloween costume contests, holding a small dinner for household members and shopping online.

CDC Recommends Changes to Holiday Celebrations to Curb Virus

—Bloomberg