Millions of internet users worldwide were stunned to see the lack of Disqus comment threads appear on their favorite websites Tuesday, forcing them to reckon with the dreaded prospect of having to do actual work or, failing that, maintain their homes, do laundry, or comment on Facebook instead, among other pursuits. As the terrifying outage stretched into its brutal seventh minute, National Zero staff contemplated playing Minecraft or even tackling other neglected chores such as taking out the trash or cleaning sneaker soles with an old toothbrush.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told The Atlantic’s Craig Melvin the company expects the FDA to approve its Coronavirus vaccine shots for “between 2 and 5 [years old]… before the end of the year'”

“Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has degrees from Harvard Law and Yale, thinks it might be a ‘good sign’ fewer men are attending college compared to women. DeSantis, addressing the International Boatbuilders Exhibition in Tampa, suggested men aren’t going to college as much as women because they are shunning traditional higher education for trades. ‘There was actually an article in the Wall Street Journal recently about, you know, ‘decline in college for men’, or something,’ DeSantis continued, deepening his voice briefly for comic effect to introduce the article highlighting that three in five college students are now women, with men feeling ‘lost.’ ‘I guess there was a decline in the number of men, the percentage of men going to college or whatever. And they acted like this was a bad thing. And honestly, like, you know, to me, I think that is probably a good sign.'”

“‘Because I think people are looking at this and they’re acknowledging, you know, some of these universities are not giving you very much for your money. You’re not necessarily going to get ahead in that.’ DeSantis said people were choosing to ‘pursue some of these high-demand areas where you’re going to be able to do very well with basically no debt,’ before jumping back to soften his comments. ‘If you want to do the college, I’m not saying don’t,’ DeSantis advised. ‘It is very, very good for a lot of people. But certainly it’s not the right thing for everyone'” Florida Politics reports.

There’s a lot going on here. On the surface, it’s DeSantis telling an industry group whose workforce staffs itself via apprenticeships and not college education, and taking a very ass-backwards route to say the available pool of potential tradesmen is expanding. Of course the much more obvious implication is that the Republican Party would effectively cease to exist if all white male American voters were college-educated, so their future lies with discouraging their base from getting a degree. Then there’s also Ron probably thinking of the young Conservative studs who do go to college not having as much competition for sorority girls if there’s a 1.5-to-1 chick-to-rooster ratio. Meanwhile more boat builders means more boats, and more boats means more MAGA Parades!

“A strict new abortion law kicked off a huge national backlash. Thousands of Haitian migrants seeking asylum prompted mass deportations and scrutiny on Border Patrol policy. State officials announced four new reviews of the 2020 vote. And that was just in September – and just in Texas. The massive, Republican-controlled state has dominated the national political spotlight this year, driving increasingly conservative policies into the heart of big debates over everything from voting to public health initiatives, critical race theory and more. These legislative moves have positioned Texas as a counterweight to Democratic-dominated Washington – and a leader charting the potential course of the Republican Party nationally.”

“This year, the state was one of the first to reverse mask mandates and block local Covid-19 vaccine requirements. In the summer, Democratic state lawmakers fled Texas for a month to delay GOP voting legislation, which passed shortly after they returned. Laws that allowed carrying a gun without a permit, penalized reducing police budgets in large cities and limited discussion of systemic racism in classrooms went into effect on Sept. 1. And other times, big events in Texas took center stage: A massive winter storm exposed the state’s weak energy infrastructure in February, and Texas’ southern border has been at the front of this month’s national news. Even for a big state, Texas has seen an outsized amount of political attention as conservatives try to break new ground, expanding on decades of GOP control and a national political environment that tilts toward Republicans. Two more key trends are also behind the attention-grabbing policy drive: The Republican governor is preparing to face primary challengers in his 2022 reelection race and potential presidential run, while conflicts are mushrooming between diverse, liberal cities and the GOP-dominated state government – mirroring the same tensions in national politics” – Politico.

Forbes: “One of former President Donald Trump’s loyal bureaucrats landed a new job as an executive coach, positioning her to share her leadership approach with C-suite officers and entrepreneurs worldwide. Emily Murphy, former head of the General Services Administration under Trump, joined leadership consultancy CEO Coaching International as a partner and coach, according to a press release. The company claims it works in 40 countries and 50 industries.”

“Founding partner Mark Moses praised Murphy’s ‘extraordinary experience’ and ‘impressive background and expertise.’ That experience includes helping enable Trump’s Big Lie by refusing to authorize the Biden transition team and denying it access to government resources until three weeks after the election was called. GSA also oversees the lease to the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C., which has a revenue-sharing clause with taxpayers. In this role, Murphy, repeatedly refused to provide unredacted financial information to a House committee with oversight – even defying a House subpoena. One of her subordinates also testified that under Murphy, GSA hadn’t independently audited the hotel’s financial statements, meaning the government was just taking the Trump Organization at its word.”

Whether you love them or have never even met them, this National Good Neighbor Day, break the ice with a refreshing Dew and a note to let your neighbor know how you feel.

Post a photo of your note, a Dew, and #DewGoodNeighbor, we might end up featuring yours on our feed! pic.twitter.com/sVe14pNG8i

— Mountain Dew® (@MountainDew) September 28, 2021

“Russia reported its highest Covid-19 death toll in a single day on Tuesday with 852 coronavirus-related deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, according to the country’s coronavirus response center. The previous all-time high was recorded four days ago, on September 24, when 828 deaths were registered. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the country’s regions had seen an increase in cases while speaking to journalists on Tuesday. The head of Russia’s public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, said last week it was hard to determine when cases would slow, with less than 50 million Russians having received a first dose of a vaccine.”

“‘We have, let us say, 110-115 million adults. Of them, some 47 million have received one dose. This is less than a half [of Russia’s adult population] … so we have no grounds to say today that [infections] will stop,’ state news agency TASS quoted Popova as saying. Russia is one of the countries worst affected by the pandemic, reporting the seventh highest number of cases globally, according to John Hopkins University data. It is currently battling a devastating third wave of infections. In total, it has registered 7,464,708 cases across the country, while the total number of coronavirus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic now stands at 205,531, according to official figures. Russia has developed several Covid-19 vaccines, but it is struggling with persistently low vaccination rates – a problem caused by high levels of hesitancy among its population. Just over a quarter of Russians have received the shot, compared to more than a half in the United States and two thirds in the United Kingdom, according Our World in Data” – CNN.

Vox: “For decades, the Christian-right foot soldiers who form the backbone of the Republican Party have regularly and enthusiastically showed up for legislative battles over religious freedom and reproductive and LGBTQ rights. On September 1, they scored one of their biggest victories yet: the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and deputizes private citizens to report anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion. Six days later, religious conservatives celebrated another critical legislative victory, one that signaled a new frontier in their movement. In the east Texas city of Tyler, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Election Integrity Protection Act of 2021, passed in late August after Democrats fled the state in a futile effort to stop it. The new law severely restricts voting access in Texas, with the biggest impact on voters of color; Abbott hailed it as a ‘good paradigm for other states to follow.'”

“The Christian right’s ability to mobilize its own voters has long made it one of the most potent forces in American politics. But this year, evangelical leaders have embraced a new strategy, one with direct roots in the outcome of the 2020 election: Religious activists have taken up the cause of ‘election integrity,’ pushing bills to crack down on voter fraud, even though no evidence of widespread fraud in US elections exists. In the process, they’ve helped restrict ballot access for millions of Americans – the most regressive wave of voting measures since the Jim Crow era – and drawn a direct connection between their new cause and their core religious beliefs. The goal is to protect the gains made by the Christian right during Donald Trump’s presidency, especially in the federal courts, and to restore the White House and Congress to Republican control.”

An Illinois man won the Quad City Marathon over the weekend after a race guide on a bicycle directed the two leaders, who were far in front of the pack, down a wrong road and took them out of contention, the Associated Press reports.

Elijah Mwangangi Saolo and Luke Kibet were leading the mass of runners by a significant margin when a bicyclist who was leading them through the course missed a turn and led the two runners down an incorrect path about halfway through the race.  Tyler Pence, the head track and cross-country coach at the University of Illinois-Springfield, was able to take the top spot and grab the $3,000 top prize due to the blunder.

“At that intersection where that incident happened, the course was well-marked,” race director Joe Moreno said. “The signage is well-displayed. The volunteers are there. And the fourth element is those elite runners have a meeting the day before to get familiar with the course.”

During her nine month stint as White House Press Secretary, she never held a press briefing.  She made few media appearances, with the bulk of her interviews occuring on the friendly confines of Fox News.  But now, with a book coming on the market, Stephanie Grisham says, “I should have spoken up more.”

According to the New York Times, Grisham now laments not speaking out about the harassment her boss, Donald Trump, submitted his staff to, including sexual comments about a young female member on Grisham’s communications staff whom Trump demanded be present whenever he made public statements at the White House.  He liked looking at her rear end, and frequently would call her to his cabin on Air Force One just to ogle her.

After porn star Stormy Daniels described Trump’s penis as short and mushroom-shaped, Trump called Grisham to defend the size of his organ.  “Uh, yes sir,” Grisham claimed she replied.  Grisham also describes a specific White House staffer–her ex-boyfriend who is unnamed in the book but known to be current Republican House candidate Max Miller–whose job it was to play songs from musicals to calm Trump; Trump referred to him as “The Music Man.”

Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a “disaster emergency” declaration late Monday night prompted by the expected loss of 10,000 health care workers who refused to get the coronavirus vaccine by the deadline set by the governor, the Washington Post reports.

The executive order allows health care workers from other states to more easily get temporary authorization to work in New York so they can fill spots vacated by people who have left their jobs rather than comply with the state’s vaccine mandate.  “I hereby do declare a Statewide disaster emergency for the entire state of New York,” she wrote in the order. The order also said “there is an immediate and critical need to supplement staffing.”

Data show that about 85,000 health care workers in New York, out of a total pool of 450,000, are not yet vaccinated; that’s about 16% of the category.  The data do not differentiate between those refusing to get the vaccine and those who have religious or medical exemptions. 

“Former President Donald J. Trump has lost an effort to enforce a nondisclosure agreement against Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former White House aide and a star on ‘The Apprentice’ who wrote a tell-all book about serving in his administration. The decision in the case, which Trump’s campaign filed in August 2018 with the American Arbitration Association in New York, comes as the former president is enmeshed in a number of investigations and legal cases related to his private company. ‘Donald has used this type of vexatious litigation to intimidate, harass and bully for years,’ Manigault Newman said in a statement. ‘Finally the bully has met his match!’ The decision, dated on Friday and handed down on Monday, calls for her to collect legal fees from the Trump campaign. Trump’s campaign filed the case shortly after Manigault Newman published her book, ‘Unhinged.’ It claimed that she violated a nondisclosure agreement she had signed during the 2016 campaign stipulating that she would not reveal private or confidential info about his family, business or personal life.”

“The book paints a picture of an out-of-control president who is in a state of mental decline and is prone to racist and misogynistic behavior. Manigault Newman’s book also casts the former president’s daughter Ivanka Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in a negative light. When Trump advisers tried to cast doubt on Manigault Newman’s accounts, she released audio recordings that backed up several of her claiIn a statement on Tuesday morning, Trump said nothing about the arbitration case, and instead attacked Manigault Newman in personal terThe media- and image-obsessed Trump has for years used nondisclosure agreements as a way to prevent staff members from speaking about him publicly, and to deter them from making disparaging comments or writing books like Manigault Newman’s” – New York Times.

Politico: “Donald Trump’s letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott demanding he pursue an ‘audit’ of the 2020 election set off a ‘mad dash’ in the governor’s office as aides sought to figure out just how serious the former president was, according to two sources familiar with the situation. In the letter, Trump called on Abbott to hold a ‘Forensic Audit of the 2020 Election’ and pass HB 16, a bill recently filed in the Third Special Session of the Texas legislature, which would allow for an Arizona-style ‘audit’ of the presidential election. Behind the scenes, the Texas governor’s office was caught off guard by Trump, whose letter made no mention of ‘audits’ already underway.”

“There had not been contact between Trump and Abbott ahead of the release, and Abbott’s office was uncertain if they could meet Trump’s demands to pass HB16 without complicating the legislative agenda. One Texas political aide familiar with how the process played out said, ‘The secretary of state‘s decision to call for audits in the four largest counties in Texas was predicated on Trump’s statement mentioning Gov. Abbott.’ ‘There was a mad dash to determine if Trump was actually being serious with his statement and it was decided this was the best route to take without blowing up the special session,’ the aide said. The scramble among Abbott’s team to placate the president illustrated the degree to which Trump and his election conspiracies continue to set the rules of engagement for virtually all other GOP elected officials.”

I accept that nomination. https://t.co/OVSMlpfRAn

— Paul Gosar (@DrPaulGosar) September 28, 2021

Mark Jacob, former Chicago Tribune editor:  “I used to edit Page 1 stories for the Chicago Tribune, including many from Washington. In this thread, I explain why the media (including me) have been unintentionally complicit in the rise of fascism that threatens our democracy. … Mainstream media have long tried to treat Republicans and Democrats equally. Some, like me, thought that was the way to be fair. In fact, it was the way to be lazy and not have to sort out the facts. Just quote a Democrat and quote a Republican and you’re done. … When I edited political stories, I went so far as to count the quotes from Republicans and Democrats, thinking an equal number would make us fairer. I didn’t think I was helping either party. I thought I was helping the readers. I was wrong. …

North Carolina-based Novant Health, operator of fifteen medical centers and with more than 35,000 employees, fired more than 175 staff Monday for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine, WLOS ABC-13 Asheville reports.

Last week, Novant announced they had suspended 375 employees for failing to comply with the vaccine mandate, and those staffers had until Friday to get vaccinated or provide evidence of a medical or religious exemption, or face termination.  Nearly 200 employees got their first dose vaccine last week.

Novant has more than 99% of its employees have complied with the vaccine mandate, although a company spokesperson declined to say how many sought religious or health exemptions.

New York Times: “In July, as wildfires tore through the American West, President Biden met with the region’s governors to find better ways to battle the flames. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California requested use of military satellites that are designed to warn of missile attacks, calling the orbital fleet ‘a game changer’ for spotting and fighting wildfires. Mr. Biden promised to help. ‘When this meeting is over,’ he said, ‘I’ll be on the phone with the Department of Defense.’ His call wasn’t the first – or the 50th. The issue of using secret military gear to aid civilian firefighters arose 35 years ago. It grew as the White House, the CIA, the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies sought to establish a national system that warned of undetected wildfires and menacing flare-ups.”

“The Pentagon allowed tests and a short-lived prototype. But the arrangements were never permanent. The military, eager to safeguard its prerogatives and orbital fleets, was always glad to shut the pipeline down. As a result, officials like Governor Newsom now have to lobby for emergency access. But record-setting fires are likely to grow worse and pose grave new dangers that warrant an urgent response, according to proponents of deeper cooperation between officials who combat wildfires and those managing the military spacecraft. The nation can no longer afford endless turf wars and bureaucratic foot-dragging. It’s a matter, they say, of public safety. The parts of the United States destroyed each year by wildfires have more than doubled over two decades. And California’s fires have recently grown rapidly in size. Deaths and diseases are linked not only to flames but also toxic smoke. Even so, proponents of using defense satellites note, the military has no established program to issue firefighting alerts to local, state and federal authorities”

Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Monday a bill that orders every county election commission to mail all registered voters in their jurisdiction a ballot during each election, making permanent a mail-in voting system that was created to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, the Sacramento Bee reports.

The bill also maintains a seven-day window after the election day in which mail-in ballots can be received if they’re postmarked by election day.  That measure was also put in place to accommodate people impacted by the pandemic during the 2020 election, in which more than 70% of eligible Californians voted.

“As states across our country continue to enact undemocratic voter suppression laws, California is increasing voter access, expanding voting options and bolstering elections integrity and transparency,” Newsom said in a statement. “Last year we took unprecedented steps to ensure all voters had the opportunity to cast a ballot during the pandemic and today we are making those measures permanent after record-breaking participation in the 2020 presidential election.”

“The three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan issued a brief order late in the day that lifted a block of the mandate that a single appeals judge had put in place on Friday. After an adverse ruling from a Brooklyn judge, a group of teachers had brought the case to the appeals court, which assigned a three-judge panel to hear oral arguments Wednesday. But the court issued its order Monday after written arguments were submitted by both sides” – CNBC.