A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
It Just Gets Worse
The San Francisco police told NBC News on Sunday that law enforcement had discovered zip ties at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) home on Friday when they were investigating the scene of the horrific assault on Pelosi’s 82-year-old husband, Paul Pelosi.
- They also found duct tape, according to CNN and ABC News.
- The alleged attacker, David DePape, faces charges of attempted murder, elder abuse, burglary, and other crimes connected to the attack, according to San Francisco Police Chief William Scott.
- DePape, who had regularly posted far-right conspiracy theories online, allegedly targeted Pelosi’s home specifically to find the House speaker, shouting “Where’s Nancy?” when he broke into the house. The California Democrat wasn’t home at the time.
- Pelosi’s son, Paul Pelosi Jr., signaled on Saturday that his father was still on track for a full recovery, telling reporters “So far, so good.” Paul Pelosi is recovering in the hospital after surgery for a skull fracture from the assault.
Halloween Tragedy In South Korea
At least 153 people were killed in South Korea over the weekend during a stampede at an outdoor Halloween celebration in Seoul.
Death Toll Climbs In India Bridge Collapse
At least 130 people have been confirmed dead in India after a bridge collapsed over a river in the city of Mobi in the western region of the country.
Kemp And Abrams Square Off In Final Debate
Georgia had its second and final debate last night in the gubernatorial race between incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and his old 2018 rival, voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams (D).
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “In final debate, Kemp won’t say whether he’d sign new abortion limits”
- CNN: “Five takeaways from the second Georgia gubernatorial debate”
- USA Today: “In second debate, Georgia candidates Kemp and Abrams argue over abortion, gun control”
- The New York Times: “4 Takeaways From the Last Kemp-Abrams Debate Before Election Day”
SCOTUS To Start Hearing Affirmative Action Arguments
Get ready for the very likely possibility that the Supreme Court, with its conservative supermajority, will deal a blow to affirmative action soon. On Monday, the high court will begin to hear oral arguments in two affirmative action cases centered on the college admission processes at Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Trump & Co. Have 3 Court Cases In NYC This Week
The ex-president’s attorneys have a busy week ahead of them in the concrete jungle where courts are made of, there’s nothing you can’t sue (alright, that clumsy…whatever I’m trying to do with that Alicia Keys song only really applies to two out of three of the cases).
Anyway, Trump and/or his business are going to court in New York City for the following cases:
- New York Attorney General Letitia James’ (D) $250 million tax fraud civil lawsuit against Trump, his three eldest children, and the Trump Organization
- The Manhattan district attorney’s tax fraud criminal case against the Trump Organization
- A group of protesters’ 2015 lawsuit against Trump, his 2016 presidential campaign, and the Trump Organization alleging that the then-candidate sicced his security team on them to violently crack down on their protest against his racist comments outside Trump Tower.
Key Analyses: The Price Elon Musk’s Paying For Going ‘Goblin Mode’
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, fresh off completing his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter, posted an unhinged conspiracy theory about the attack on Paul Pelosi on Sunday that he later deleted after critics pointed out that the article he was sharing about it came from a right-wing fake news site.
Thoughts on the general self-ownery of Musk’s Twitter purchase in general:
“Welcome to hell, Elon” – Nilay Patel at the Verge
So you can make all the promises about “free speech” you want, but the dull reality is that you still have to ban a bunch of legal speech if you want to make money. And when you start doing that, your creepy new right-wing fanboys are going to viciously turn on you, just like they turn on every other social network that realizes the same essential truth.
“By Buying Twitter, Elon Musk Has Created His Own Hilarious Nightmare” – Jon Schwarz at the Intercept
Bolsonaro Ousted By Lula Da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s former left-wing president aiming for a comeback, triumphed over far-right Jair Bolsonaro in the country’s presidential election yesterday.
- It was a narrow victory for da Silva, even though he won the most votes in Brazilian history: The ex-president won 50.9% to Bolsonaro’s 49.10%, according to Brazilian officials.
- The next question is: Will Bolsonaro, having spent months sowing doubt about the legitimacy of the election a la Trump, accept his defeat?
Must Read
“How one small-town lawyer faced down the plans of election skeptics” – The Washington Post
Happy Halloween! Y’all Are Getting Spooky Cats!
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FiRsT!
“The ex-president’s attorneys have a busy week ahead of them…”
Wasn’t paying close attention and thought this was a lead in to a report on SCOTUS.
So, Bolsonaro lost and Lula will be Presidente do Brasil, if he can get the autocrat to step down. That’s an October miracle. Now we need a November miracle here in the US.
Just in case anyone on the right would now claim that it “proves” kinky sex or anything (which they will). As a practitioner of such, there is no sane kinky person who would use zip ties. They can cause damage to skin and might even cause permanent damage. Use leather restraints or soft rope - never too tight especially with respect to wrists.
Lula is probably going to have to cobble together a private army to extract Bolsonaro from the Presidential palace.