Pence Channels Trump in VP Debate | Chauvin Makes Bail

Though a markedly less-chaotic exchange than the presidential debate, the discussion between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris was marked by Pence’s repeated interruptions, to which Harris sharply responded “Mr. Vice President, I am speaking.” In the first and only vice-presidential debate, Harris attacked the Trump administration’s record on the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed 210,000 Americans — even as President Donald Trump, recently hospitalized by the virus, edged back into the spotlight with a video calling the illness “a blessing from God” and the experimental Regeneron treatment drug a “cure” for COVID-19.

Sources: Reuters, Washington Post, FT (sub)

2. Officer Behind George Floyd's Death Released on $1M Bail

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on George Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, allegedly causing his death and sparking worldwide protests against police brutality and racism, posted a $1 million bond yesterday. He’ll still have to stay in Minnesota, avoid contact with the Floyd family and surrender any licenses for firearms until his trial on second- and third-degree murder charges, which is set for March 2021. Meanwhile, activists in California are suing the city of San Francisco for allegedly illegally tapping into a network of surveillance cameras to keep track of those protesting against Floyd’s death in May and June.

Sources: NYT, Reuters, SF Chronicle

3. Europe Bands Together on Russian Sanctions Over Poisoning

The U.K., France and Germany have all joined forces to threaten sanctions on individuals responsible for the alleged poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who collapsed on a flight in August and has made a recovery in a Berlin hospital. Independent investigators confirmed this week that Novichok nerve agent, a poison commonly used by the Kremlin, was present in Navalny’s tests. Proposed sanctions include not just Russian officials, but also those involved in the development of the nerve agent. Navalny, who’s up and moving again after weeks in a coma, says he intends to return to Russia.

Sources: Washington Post, BBC

4. After Nixing COVID-19 Aid Package, Trump Pushes Limited Bills

When President Trump brought an abrupt end to negotiations over a large COVID-19 stimulus package this week, he may have set himself up to be blamed for the economic fallout. While the discussions were already precarious, with Republicans and Democrats disagreeing about the appropriate size of the package, Trump’s unilateral and public move could also endanger the electoral chances of vulnerable GOP legislators like Sen. Susan Collins, who called it a “huge mistake.” Now Trump’s demanding a series of limited bills to bail out individual industries like airlines, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speculated was a sign of remorse, noting his “erratic behavior.”

Sources: WSJ (sub), FT (sub), NYT

5. Also Important …

The internet’s most buzzed about moment from the vice-presidential debate: when a fly landed on Mike Pence’s head. Two ISIS militants from a group known by hostages as the “Beatles” have been charged in U.S. court with involvement in the murder of American citizens. And an appeals court has ruled that President Trump must turn over his tax returns to a New York state prosecutor — in a case that’s expected to advance to the Supreme Court.

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Watch This: Today on The Carlos Watson Show, meet the brains behind Barack Obama's foreign policy: former U.N. ambassador Susan Rice. She and Carlos dive deep on international politics, talking about what could happen with China, Russia and President Trump's "numerous Benghazis.” What does she think Trump got absolutely right? Tune in to find out.

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Heist makes waste. A calligraphy scroll written by Mao Zedong himself, one of several treasures stolen from a collector’s Hong Kong apartment last month, was thought to be worth about $300 million. The good news is that investigators have found it. The bad news is that the buyer, who got it for about $65, thought it was fake and cut it in half to make it easier to store. He’s now been arrested, along with two others thought to be connected to the burglary. Six other scrolls and 24,000 valuable stamps have yet to be recovered.

Source: SCMP, AP

2. Facebook to Ban Political Ads Post-Election

With friends like these, who needs advertising? Facebook says it’ll temporarily ban political ads after voting closes on Nov. 3, reacting to widespread worries that people will try to sow confusion over U.S. election results. The company had previously banned ads that made false claims about electoral victory. Still, many point out that ads aren’t the only way information spreads on Facebook and that posts blurring the facts will still be allowed. Meanwhile, OZY’s polls (and other national polls) have found a significant bump for Democrat Joe Biden in recent days, which could see him through to Nov. 3.

Source: The Verge, Recode, OZY

3. Study Finds Preserved Brain Cells in Vesuvius Victim

They’re seeking a piece of his mind. The remains of a young man killed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius almost 2000 years ago were discovered in the 1960s at the archaeological site of Herculaneum, near Pompeii. Lava had vaporized his soft tissues and turned his brain to black glass. But within that glass are preserved neuronal structures, according to a study recently published in the peer-reviewed U.S. science journal PLOS ONE. These brain cells, scientists hope, could offer vital information to millions of modern-day Neapolitans still living within eruption distance of the volcano.

Sources: Phys.org, Tribune News Service

4. ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel Shuts Down Production

They, uh, couldn’t find a way. The latest iteration of the dinosaur action franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion, has been filming since July after a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. At that time it went through a reported 27,000 COVID-19 tests of cast and crew, costing about $3 million. Some tests recently came up positive and so filming will now take a two-week pause with just three weeks left on the production schedule. The long-awaited film, which includes originalJurassic Park stars Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum, also just saw its release date delayed until June 2022.

Sources: THR, Deadline, The Wrap

5. Ukraine’s National Football Team Turns to Retiree for Help

Only his attitude is positive. After three goalkeepers tested positive for COVID-19, Ukraine’s team has tapped an unlikely source: retired player Oleksandr Shovkovskiy. Currently serving as assistant to the team’s head coach after his 2016 retirement, the 45-year-old was recruited as emergency backup for the team’s last healthy goalkeeper during a friendly game with France last night — which France won 7-1. Meanwhile, South America’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers kick off today despite concerns about players contracting the coronavirus from each other or while traveling.

Sources: The Guardian, Goal.com, ESPN