NBC News:  “The Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized Pfizer-BioNTech’s lower-dose Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, making it available to 28 million children in the United States.  The FDA’s move comes several days after its advisory committee voted 17-0, with one abstention, in favor of recommending the vaccine for children. The committee concluded that the benefits of vaccination outweigh its risks.”

A group of apparent white nationalists wearing the wardrobe de rigueur of the people who rioted in Charlottesville in 2017–khaki pants, white shirts and baseball caps and carrying tiki torches–greeted the campaign bus of Republican Virginia gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin Friday when he made a rare campaign appearance in the college town, WVIR NBC-29 in Charlottesville reported.

Unwilling to acknowledge the support of white nationalists for him, Youngkin claimed the people were part of opponent Terry McAuliffe’s operation.  “I think they work for Terry McAuliffe, and I’m sure he sent them,” Youngkin said. “They’ll do anything to win, and he’s doing anything to win, and so he’s paying people to show up and act silly at our rallies.”  McAuliffe denies any connection to the people.

This will be a fun talking point in swing states and even inner cities during midterms. Really looking forward to that. Thanks Democrats for really letting American know just how much you hate them.

P.S. Has anyone seen BLM’s commentary on this? I’m really curious. https://t.co/Ceo9YkjI2C

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 29, 2021

NAACP:  “Today, the NAACP sent a letter to every professional sports players’ association in the country, urging its free agents to reconsider signing contracts in Texas. This unprecedented move comes as Texas Governor Greg Abbott approved new political maps that dilute the political power of communities of color.

“Signed by NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson and NAACP Texas President Gary Bledsoe, the letter was delivered to the National Football League Players Association, Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association, National Basketball Players Association, Major League Baseball Players Association, and National Hockey League Players’ Association. The letter calls on athletes to consider not only their influential platforms as professional athletes, but as parents and role models for our children and those in their personal lives.

“‘As we watch an incomprehensible assault on basic human rights unfold in Texas, we are simultaneously witnessing a threat to constitutional guarantees for women, children and marginalized communities,’ write the authors. ‘Over the past few months, legislators in Texas have passed archaic policies, disguised as laws, that directly violate privacy rights and a woman’s freedom to choose, restrict access to free and fair elections for Black and brown voters, and increase the risk of contracting coronavirus. If you are a woman, avoid Texas. If you are Black, avoid Texas. If you want to lower your chances of dying from coronavirus, avoid Texas.  When all else fails, we must look within and answer the call to protect the basic human rights and democratic values which are fundamental to this country’ said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP. ‘Professional athletes serve as some of our country’s greatest role models and we need them to join us to fight for democracy.’

WXYZ: “As promised, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday vetoed Republican-sponsored legislation that would have toughened in-person voter identification rules and required people to include additional information such as their driver’s license number on absentee ballot applications. The governor said the bills would disproportionately hurt minority voters who are more likely to lack access to a photo ID on Election Day than white voters.”

“‘Voting restrictions that produce such a racially disparate impact must never become law in this state,’ she wrote to lawmakers. A GOP-affiliated ballot committee is circulating petitions that would enable the Republican-controlled Legislature to still enact a similar initiative next year regardless of Whitmer’s opposition. The legislation also would have prohibited the secretary of state and clerks from mailing absentee ballot applications unless voters request them and banned private donations to help administer elections. In Michigan, voters who go to a polling place without a photo ID can cast a regular ballot if they sign an affidavit. More than 11,400 did so in the November 2020 presidential election. Under the legislation, they would get a provisional ballot and have to verify their identity with the local clerk within six days of an election for their vote to count.”

Manchin will go down as an embarrassment to West Virginia: Ron Klain Is Making a Fool of Joe Manchin https://t.co/BYl5ZyO52E

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) October 29, 2021

Washington Post:  “A House panel is launching an investigation into online telemedicine businesses on allegations of pushing ineffective and potentially dangerous coronavirus treatments, according to letters made public Friday.

“According a letter signed by Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, the telemedicine provider SpeakWithAnMD.com has collected millions in fees from prescribing such treatments as the animal parasite drug ivermectin and the malaria medication hydroxychloroquine for the coronavirus, even though neither is authorized for that use by the Food and Drug Administration. He said many of the consultations were arranged through referrals from a separate business called America’s Frontline Doctors, which also received a letter.

“Lawmakers contend that the companies’ respective founders ― Jerome Corsi, a conservative author who has promoted political conspiracy theories, and noted hydroxychloroquine proponent Simone Gold ― are endangering American lives while profiting from a crisis.  ‘I am deeply concerned that SpeakWithAnMD.com is profiting from the provision of questionable treatments and dangerous prescriptions, which may be putting American lives at risk and setting back our nation’s efforts to end the pandemic,’ Clyburn wrote to Corsi, the SpeakWithAnMD.com founder.  The committee requested detailed records from both businesses, including ownership documents and details about their doctors training and qualifications. It also has asked the Federal Trade Commission to get involved.”

Politico:  “The United States on Friday hit Iran with a fresh set of sanctions as President Joe Biden prepares for a key weekend meeting with European leaders to discuss the possible resumption of nuclear talks with the Islamic Republic.  The Treasury Department announced the new penalties against two senior members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and two affiliated companies for supplying lethal drones and related material to insurgent groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Ethiopia.

“Although the sanctions are unrelated to Iran’s atomic program, the Biden administration has said it wants to build on a potential agreement to revive the languishing 2015 nuclear deal to include Iranian support for such groups and curtail its ballistic missile development.  Iran has yet to commit to a date to return to the nuclear talks in Vienna but has signaled it will do so next week with a target of late November for resuming the negotiations. The U.S. and others have expressed skepticism about Iranian intentions, and Biden is set to meet the leaders of Britain, France and Germany on Saturday in Rome to plot strategy on Iran.

“The Vienna negotiations halted in June ahead of Iran’s election that brought hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi to power. The talks, which do not directly involve the U.S. because President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018, have languished since despite the stated intentions of both Washington and Tehran to return to compliance with the agreement.  Friday’s sanctions block any assets that those targeted may have in U.S. jurisdictions, bar Americans from transactions with them and, perhaps more importantly, also subject foreign people and firms that do business with them to potential penalties.  The two targeted Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, Brig. Gen. Saeed Aghajani and Brig. Gen. Abdollah Mehrabi, oversee the Guard’s drone activities, including support for unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, attacks by proxies on commercial vessels, Saudi oil facilities and U.S. and allied interests throughout the Middle East, according to Treasury.”

“Among COVID-19–like illness hospitalizations among adults aged ≥18 years whose previous infection or vaccination occurred 90–179 days earlier, the adjusted odds of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 among unvaccinated adults with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection were 5.49-fold higher than the odds among fully vaccinated recipients of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine who had no previous documented infection (95% confidence interval = 2.75–10.99)” says the CDC’s new report.

“Former President Donald Trump’s new TRUTH social network is in violation of the software license it’s built on and must get in compliance, the holder of the license demanded this week. The company that holds the software license for the open source code sent TRUTH Social, the Trump-founded venture, a letter demanding compliance with its software license, Mastodon CEO Eugen Rochko said in a statement. Rochko told TPM last week that he believed an early version of Trump’s network was using open-source software that he developed, called Mastodon, without abiding by the terms of the license that make it available to use.”

“Rochko said in the statement that though he would ‘prefer if people so antithetical to our values did not use and benefit from our labour,’ the reality of open-source, free software means that “you give up the possibility of choosing who can and cannot use it from the get-go. “So in a practical sense the only issue we can take with something like Truth Social is if they don’t even comply with the free software license we release our work under,” Rochko said. The letter, sent on Tuesday, triggers a 30-day response period for Trump to comply with the terms of the license. The Mastodon license mandates that people who use the code for their own projects – including TRUTH Social – make a copy of the altered software publicly available. TRUTH Social does not appear to have done that. The company did not immediately reply to TPM’s inquiry regarding how it planned on responding to the letter” – Talking Points Memo.

Associated Press:  “President Joe Biden said Pope Francis told him he should continue to receive Communion, as the world’s two most prominent Roman Catholics ran overtime in highly personal discussions on climate change, poverty and the coronavirus pandemic that also touched on the loss of president’s adult son and jokes about aging well.

“Biden’s support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage has has put him at odds with many U.S. bishops, some of whom have suggested he should be denied Communion.  Biden said abortion did not come up in the meeting at the Vatican. ‘We just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving Communion,’ Biden said.

“Video released by the Vatican showed several warm, relaxed moments between Francis and Biden as they repeatedly shook hands and smiled. Francis often sports a dour look, especially in official photos, but he seemed in good spirits Friday. The private meeting lasted about 75 minutes, according to the Vatican, more than double the normal length of an audience with the pontiff.  The pair sat across from one another at a desk in the papal library, accompanied by a translator. They then proceeded to an exchange of gifts and a broader meeting including the first lady and top officials. The lengthy session put Biden more than an hour behind schedule.”

“Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue isn’t running for governor – at least not yet – but he’s dusting off the campaign machinery, making sure it’s lubricated. Eight people, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential matters, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Perdue has been calling donors and other allies, floating the idea of making a run at the Governor’s Mansion – even though that would mean competing against a fellow Republican, Gov. Brian Kemp. Some of the eight described the former senator as ‘conflicted,’ but others said he appears ready to launch a bid. One Perdue ally said Democrat Stacey Abrams – who lost to Kemp in a tight race in 2018 and is apparently planning a rematch in 2022 – could play a key role in the former senator’s final decision.”

“That person said Perdue would only run if he felt Kemp – who has been censured by some Republicans at the county and district level following his refusal to illegally overturn President Donald Trump’s defeat in Georgia in last year’s election – was so politically damaged that he couldn’t defeat Abrams in November. If Perdue did choose to run, the expectation is that he would quickly win Trump’s endorsement. While speaking at a September rally in Perry, the former president encouraged Perdue to run. Perdue’s allies have leaked word that he has met with Trump, including during a recent two-day visit to Florida. Trump’s allies also recently leaked polls that show Perdue would be in a strong position if he chose to enter the race” – Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Baltimore Sun:  “Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby on Friday released a ‘do not call list’ that names 91 former and current city police officers whom she says can’t be trusted to testify truthfully in court.  Mosby’s long-awaited list identifies officers whom prosecutors say have been convicted of crimes of dishonesty or abused their authority and therefore shouldn’t be called to testify at trial. In a statement, Mosby said she has faith in the majority of Baltimore police, but when officers are convicted of crimes it compromises the work of her prosecutors.

“’In order to restore trust and strengthen confidence in law enforcement, we must preserve the integrity of the justice system by being transparent and accountable to the communities we serve,’ she said.  Public defenders, activist lawyers and news reporters have sought the list ever since Mosby told a crowd two years ago that her office tracks these cops.  About 25 of the officers listed are currently employed with the Baltimore Police Department, according to prosecutors. Twenty-four of the 91 officers have pending criminal cases in the city, Baltimore, Anne Arundel or Harford Counties.

“Mosby released the names two weeks after the Maryland Court of Special Appeals found her reasons wrong to withhold the list from a nonprofit group of activist lawyers. Defense attorneys want the lists to fight cases in which these officers made an arrest or had a hand in an investigation.  The list has familiar names to those who track police misconduct in Baltimore from members of the corrupt Gun Trace Task Force to other officers who’ve been accused of assault, planting evidence or lying. The list also names officers accused of crimes off-duty, including driving while under the influence and possessing child pornography.”

Looking forward to the next chapter! pic.twitter.com/SvdFCVtrlE

— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@AdamKinzinger) October 29, 2021

“Wages and salaries jumped in the three months ending in September by the most on records that date back 20 years as companies are forced to offer higher pay to fill a near-record number of available jobs. Pay increased 1.5% in the third quarter, the Labor Department said Friday. That’s up sharply from 0.9% in the previous quarter. The value of benefits rose 0.9% in the July-September quarter, more than double the preceding three months” the AP reports.

“The figures demonstrate that workers are gaining greater leverage in the job market and are able to command higher pay, more benefits, and other perks like flexible work hours. With more jobs available than there are unemployed people, government data shows, businesses have been forced to work harder to attract staff. Millions of Americans are responding to rising wages by quitting their jobs for better-paying positions. In August, nearly 3% of American workers quit their jobs, a record high. A higher number of quits also means companies have to raise pay to keep their employees. In the year ending in September, wages and salaries soared 4.2%, also a record gain.”

Bridge Michigan: “Michigan State Police launched a criminal investigation Thursday after election equipment at the center of a voting tabulator conspiracy theory went missing this week in a rural, conservative community. Adams Township Clerk Stephanie Scott, a Republican whose social media has included QAnon memes, had refused to allow a vendor to conduct routine maintenance on a Hart Intercivic Inc. voting machine. Hillsdale County Clerk Marney Kast, a fellow Republican who the state tasked with running the local election instead of Scott, told Bridge Michigan her office attempted to retrieve the Adams Township equipment earlier this week but was unable to locate the tablet, which she described as the ‘brains’ of the machine.”

“‘I don’t know where it’s at or if it’s been tampered with,’ Kast said. Scott, the Adams Township clerk, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday from Bridge. In a rare move, the Michigan Bureau of Elections this week stripped Scott of her election administration authority, accusing the first-term clerk of refusing to fulfill her “legal responsibilities” and spreading misinformation about the tabulators used in Hillsdale County. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office, which oversees the elections bureau, declined comment on the missing election equipment Thursday morning. A spokesperson for the first-term Democrat cited a ‘pending criminal investigation’ but did not provide any additional details or respond to a request for a copy of any recent communications with Scott. Michigan State Police ‘are investigating at the request of the SOS,’ spokesperson Lori Dougovito confirmed Thursday evening.”

AFP: “As world leaders flock to Rome for the G20 summit, US President Joe Biden met Pope Francis Friday at the start of a trip aimed at reasserting US international credentials. Shortly before leaving Washington, the president unveiled an ‘historic’ blueprint for remaking America’s economy, but it remains to be seen if he can persuade lawmakers to back it. After weeks of internal party feuding, and with his personal ratings slumping, Biden had hoped to arrive at twin summits in Europe this week – the G20 and UN climate talks in Glasgow – with the deal in hand.”

“The 78-year-old sees himself as the spokesman for democracy in the face of authoritarian regimes, notably China – although Xi Jinping, like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, is not attending the G20 in person. The president opened the trip on a more intimate note. After landing overnight, he arrived at the Vatican just before lunch for a meeting with Pope Francis, the head of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics. The presidential convoy carrying Biden and his wife Jill swept through St Peter’s Square before winding its way to the Apostolic Palace, where a line of guards and Vatican dignitaries awaited the US guests.”

“After Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) was indicted last week for lying to the FBI over foreign donations to his campaign, authorities took the rare step Thursday of trying to prevent the nine-term Republican from tampering with witnesses or handling evidence without supervision. The order, handed down by Judge Stanley Blumenfield in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, also reveals that the government is pursuing multiple related investigations involving other ‘public officials.’ In the ruling, Blumenfield sided with the prosecution’s concerns that Fortenberry cannot be trusted to handle evidence about cooperating witnesses. The order prohibits Fortenberry from taking notes or ‘memorializing’ the evidence, and even requires his lawyers to ensure he is ‘never left alone with any Cooperator Materials.'”

“‘Defendant may not take any Cooperator Materials out of the room in which defendant is meeting with the Defense Team. At no time, under no circumstance, will any Cooperator Materials be left in the possession, custody, or control of defendant, regardless of defendant’s custody status. Because these materials could be used to identify the confidential informants or cooperating witnesses, the Court finds that the unauthorized dissemination or distribution of the materials may compromise the ability of such persons to participate effectively in future investigations in an undercover capacity and/or may expose him/her to potential safety risks'” – Daily Beast.

Associated Press:  “Nearly five years after Joe Arpaio was voted out as sheriff of Arizona’s most populous county, taxpayers are covering one of the last major bills from the thousands of lawsuits the lawman’s headline-grabbing tactics inspired. Officials in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, agreed last week to pay $3.1 million to cover the county’s portion of a settlement with a restaurant owner who alleged Arpaio defamed him and violated his rights when raiding his businesses.

“The payout takes to $100 million the attorney fees, settlements and other costs the county has paid from lawsuits stemming from Arpaio’s six terms over things such as jail deaths, failed investigations of the sheriff’s political enemies and immigration raids of businesses. That doesn’t include the separate $178 million and counting taxpayers have shelled out in a 2007 racial profiling case stemming from Arpaio’s signature traffic patrols targeting immigrants, though about 75% of that spending has occurred during his successor’s watch as he works to comply with court-ordered overhauls of the sheriff’s office.

“Michael Manning, an attorney who won settlements over deaths in Arpaio’s jails and on behalf of county employees investigated by the sheriff, said it was shameful that voters kept re-electing Arpaio as his legal bills piled up. ‘They just didn’t care as long as they got the entertainment value,’ Manning said. ‘And it just went on and on.'”

Queried by Fox Host (and woman who donned her Eva Braun costume before Halloween) Laura Ingraham, Trump White House advisor (and person who never had to wear a scary costume) Stephen Miller claimed the reported $450,000 per person settlement the federal government is offering victims of the Trump Administration’s family separation border policy is a “collusive settlement” because the federal government *obviously* conspired with the “illegal immigrants” to create the grounds of a lawsuit.