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Democrats Fear Stein Could Play Spoiler

Your unbiased daily news brief

Author

James Kratch
October 16, 2024

Good Wednesday morning. There used to be a lot more swing states. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

  • New Mexico: Migrant deaths

  • Israel: Iran pledge

  • Georgia: Certification ruling

  • Walgreens: Store closings

  • Taylor Swift: Book reveal

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Seeing green

Democrats and their allies are vigorously attacking a rival presidential candidate with weeks to go before Election Day -- just not necessarily the one you expected.

  • The news: Green Party candidate Jill Stein is feeling plenty of heat. The Democratic National Committee has launched a television ad lambasting her and other third-party candidates amid fears she could steal votes from Vice President Kamala Harris and aid former President Donald Trump. A Generation Z advocacy group has also started a TikTok-based campaign against her, alleging Stein is a "scammer."

  • Catch up: Stein is a far-left activist mounting her third presidential bid; she was also the Green Party's candidate in 2012 and 2016. Some Democrats blamed her for Trump's win over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the latter election. She has been accused of being pro-Russia and has frequently criticized Israel.

  • Big picture: Stein is only polling at about 1% nationally, but she will be on the ballot in six of seven battleground states (she is not in play for Nevada). Democrats fear her presence (and that of Dr. Cornel West, running as an independent) could endanger Harris' electoral chances, especially in the critical Midwestern states. Worth noting: While Stein’s pro-Palestinian views could be a factor with Michigan’s large Arab community, former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presence on the ballot there could negate any potential Trump boost in the state.

2) War machine

President Joe Biden's Administration has invoked the Defense Production Act to address the nation's sudden intravenous fluids shortage.

  • The issue: Hurricane Helene significantly damaged the Marion, North Carolina, factory of Baxter International, the leading supplier of IV fluids to hospitals. The location supplied about 60% of the nation's IV bags before it was shuttereddue to storm damage.

  • The impact: U.S. hospitals were already facing an IV shortage. The damage to the Baxter facility has only exacerbated the issue. The scarcity has forced some hospitals to postpone surgeries and other procedures, which has spurred the federal government to take action.

  • Big picture: The White House will not necessarily mandate other businesses make IV fluids as a result of the order. Butthe move will grant the authority to use federal power to expedite the cleanup and restoration of the North Carolina plant so Baxter can reach its goal of returning to 100% production capacity by the end of the year. The Food and Drug Administration has also greenlit IV fluid imports from other plants worldwide.

3) Correcting the record

The Pentagon granted over 800 retroactive honorable discharges for service members impacted by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

  • Catch up: The policy, which was in effect from 1994-2011, prohibited discrimination or harassment of non-heterosexual members of the U.S. military. But it also barred openly gay, bisexual or lesbian members from serving in the military. Former President Bill Clinton established the policy; it continued through former President George W. Bush's administration and into former President Barack Obama's before he repealed it.

  • The impact: Over 13K service members were separated from the military due to the policy. About 2K of those kicked out received less than fully honorable discharges. Most impacted veterans filed successful appeals after the policy was rescinded, but not all did. Discharge status can impact the benefits available to veterans, among other potential consequences.

  • Big picture: The Department of Defense began a review of the remaining cases last year and did not require further appeals by veterans. The Pentagon said that 96% of the veterans separated under DADT who served long enough to receive a merit-based characterization now have an honorable discharge.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

  • Migrant deaths in New Mexico near the U.S.-Mexico border have skyrocketed in the last two years. Officials said 108 bodies of presumed migrants were found in the first eight months of 2024, almost matching the 2023 total of 113 and a 1,100% increase from 2020 (More)

  • Survivors and victims' families of last year's mass shooting in Maine will sue the U.S. Army for negligence. Robert Card, a reservist, killed 18 people and wounded 13 in two separate incidents before killing himself; the Army is accused of failing to adequately address his mental health issues (More)

  • One in five U.S. adults feel lonely on a daily basis, according to a Gallup survey. It is the highest percentage in two years, but is better than the 25% poll number from 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic; there are no pre-pandemic statistics (More)

World News

  • Israel has reportedly told the U.S. it will not target Iranian oil or nuclear facilities in its planned retaliatory attacks. The White House has threatened to restrict military aid if the humanitarian crisis in Gaza does not improve within the next 30 days (More | More)

  • Taiwan will receive access to low-orbit satellite internet within weeks to safeguard against a Chinese attack. Beijing sent over 150 jets around the island nation during recent military drills; the U.S. blasted the provocation and has launched exercises with the Philippines in the South China Sea (More | More)

  • A NATO airbase in Hungary will reportedly be expanded to hold nuclear-capable fighter jets. Spain said it seized 13 tons of banned chemicals, including possible chemical weapons precursors, that a crime ring was allegedly trying to deliver to Russia while evading sanctions (More | More)

Campaign News

  • A Georgia judge ruled state election officials must certify results by a deadline set by law and cannot exclude any group of votes, even if error or fraud is suspected. A lawsuit backed by a group tied to former President Trump tried to assert officials have full discretion to reject certification (More)

  • Former Presidents Clinton and Obama will campaign with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The men will have their first joint event in North Carolina tomorrow and will hit the key swing states during the home stretch to Election Day (More)

  • North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson filed a $50M defamation lawsuit against CNN. The controversial gubernatorial candidate claims the network's report involving alleged inflammatory comments he made on a pornographic website is a smear campaign (More)

Business & Markets

  • Major indexes closed lower yesterday. Boeing's share price was up over 2% following news the aerospace giant has lined up $35B in funds amid a factory worker strike (Dow -0.75%, Nasdaq -1.01, S&P 500 -0.76 | More)

  • Walgreens will close 1.2K locations nationally over the next three years, firming up plans announced in June. About 500 stores will close during the current fiscal year; the pharmacy chain has about 8.5K U.S. locations currently (More)

  • Lufthansa was hit with a record-setting $4M fine by the Department of Justice. The German-owned commercial airline allegedly discriminated against Jewish passengers in a 2022 incident regarding face coverings; the company will pay the penalty but denies the charge (More)

Entertainment & Sports

  • Taylor Swift is coming for Black Friday. The pop star announced she will release an Eras Tour book exclusive to Target on Nov. 29; the retail chain will also carry The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology CDs and vinyl records starting that same day (More)

  • Reigning national champion South Carolina is No. 1 in The Associated Press women's basketball preseason Top 25. No. 2 UConn and No. 3 USC also received first-place votes; Texas and UCLA round out the top-5 in that order (More)

  • Thomas Tuchel will take over England's men's soccer national team. The German manager previously led Premier League club Chelsea to a Champions League title; he has also won domestic league crowns with Bayern Munich and Paris St. Germain (More)

Quick Hitters

  • Feel Good: A 12-year-old girl in Utah sketched out her ideal playground after concluding the one in her hometown was geared toward older kids and may exclude her younger siblings. City officials then took her ideas and made them a reality.

  • Take Note: If you have to sneeze, go ahead and sneeze. Holding one in could keep germs out of the air, but that may also lead to injury.

  • Go Deep: Ninety-nine percent of the world's digital communications rely on undersea cables. Meet the gals and guys who keep them running and help prevent global meltdowns.

  • Hot Topic: Free meals at public schools have become a divisive issue during this election cycle. Here is a closer look at the economics at play.

  • Life Hack: If you are genuinely "just looking," here are two phrases that professional salespeople say will get you the peace and privacy you want while shopping.

The 2000s are farther away than it seems.

Looking Ahead …

Next year's Superman reboot will feature the big-screen debut of Krypto, the Man of Steel's superpowered dog. Director James Gunn made the announcement yesterday in conjunction with Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.

Question of the Day — Wednesday Trivia

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