Could Iran Meddle in November? | Quibi Quickly Quits

Multiple foreign governments have gotten their hands on American voter registration data, some of which is publicly available, and may be using it to meddle in the Nov. 3 election, according to U.S. officials. Recent threatening emails sent to Democratic voters from a server owned by the far-right Proud Boys were actually the work of Iranian hackers, they say. And while Russia remains a force for chaos in the election, officials believe Iran — which is thought to oppose President Donald Trump’s reelection — is also seeking to undermine voter confidence in the balloting process.

Sources: WSJ (sub), NYT, Washington Post

2. Vaccine Trial Participant Dies After Receiving Placebo

AstraZeneca won’t be pausing its late-stage vaccine trials in Brazil despite the death of a 28-year-old volunteer — who was in a control group that didn’t receive the inoculation — from COVID-19. The virus is surging around the world, with Spain and France both topping 1 million reported cases even as they’ve stepped up prevention measures. Meanwhile, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar laid out a concrete timeline for a vaccine, predicting one will be available by the end of the year and that all Americans who want it could be inoculated by April.

Sources: Washington Post, Euronews, USA Today

3. Nigeria Promises ‘Justice’ for Protesters After Shootings

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo took to Twitter to comfort the nation, promising to “get justice” for the people reportedly shot yesterday while protesting police brutality at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos. Amnesty International accused Nigerian security forces of killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens more, though the military dismissed that as “fake news” and the country’s police minister said soldiers were not instructed to shoot demonstrators. The African Union and the U.K. have both condemned the violence against protesters, who are now demanding sweeping governmental reforms.

Sources: BBC, AP, Washington Post

4. TikTok Cracks Down on QAnon, White Supremacy

The popular video-sharing app has changed its user guidelines to guard even more strictly against conspiracy theories and hate speech spreading via its platform, following a ban earlier this week on posts and users supporting baseless conspiracy theory QAnon. Meanwhile, a new survey found that more than a third of Americans are at least somewhat supportive of QAnon’s thesis that elite citizens are guilty of widespread child trafficking. One in 10 voters described themselves as at least “soft” adherents to QAnon, which has inspired violence among supporters despite a total lack of evidence for its claims.

Sources: FT (sub), NYT, Axios

5. Also Important …

Pope Francis has voiced his support for same-sex civil unions. Former President Barack Obama made his first 2020 campaign appearance to back his former VP, Joe Biden. And South Korea is trying to increase flu vaccinations this year — but several deaths are fueling populist skepticism of the effort.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt loves you — and everyone. The 500 Days of Summer actor talks to Carlos about his new Netflix movie and why the '60s feel relevant today. Raised by activist parents, he says "the left is in my blood." Watch the full episode to find out JGL’s definition of true patriotism!

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Well, they did promise short-form content. The video service premised on the appeal of “quick bites” has now become one of the shortest-lived streaming platforms ever, despite raising $1.75 billion and winning two Emmys earlier this year. One app-tracking report estimated that Quibi lost 90 percent of subscribers once their free trial periods ran out. The app’s mobile-first approach emphasized the ability to watch while away from a TV — but with much of the world stuck at home due to COVID-19, users have gravitated toward more traditional streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix.

Sources: The Verge, AP

2. Why Are Nationalist Leaders Embracing War Criminals?

As they hit home law-and-order messages, powerful nationalist leaders from Saudi Arabia to India to the U.S. have also taken to pardoning and celebrating those convicted of war crimes, OZY reports. For some leaders, it helps to shore up a constructed tough-guy image. It makes it clear that whatever atrocities were committed, they were committed against people the leader — and his target voting demographic — don’t care about that much. And for a domestic audience that the leader needs to stay in power, “nationalism, masculinity and violence are all tied up together.”

Source: OZY

3. NASA Teases Big Lunar News

Our guess: That’s no moon. The U.S. space agency says it’ll share an “exciting new discovery” from its Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy involving the moon, though it provided few details beyond that. Many have speculated that it’s related to the Artemis Program, the 2024 mission to put humans back on the moon as an exploratory stepping stone toward a manned Mars mission. Still, it can’t be all that urgent — NASA won’t actually drop the announcement until Monday, leaving us all plenty of time to speculate about what they’ve found.

Sources: CNET, The Cut

4. Giuliani’s Behavior in Borat Film Questioned

“I was tucking in my shirt.” That’s how President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani has excused footage of himself lying down on a hotel bed and apparently reaching into his pants while flirting with an actress he believes to be a reporter for a far-right news site. The former mayor now says he believes the footage — part of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’sBorat Subsequent Moviefilm, which will be released Friday — is retaliation for Giuliani delivering a controversial story about Joe Biden’s son Hunter to the New York Post.

Sources: Yahoo, The Guardian

5. Tokyo Olympics Showcase Anti-Virus Measures

Let the games begin … please? With this year’s postponed Summer Olympics scheduled for July 2021, organizers are working overtime to convince sponsors and broadcasters the games will actually go ahead, showcasing testing and detection technology that could keep the event from spreading COVID-19. Athletes who test positive will likely be excluded altogether. Meanwhile, it’s not just the 2020 Olympics that have been disrupted: Figure skaters say their pre-Olympic season ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games has already been thrown into chaos, with a reduced competition schedule and uncertainty over the upcoming world championships in March.

Sources: AP, WTOP

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