Axios PM: Last-minute voting audible — Putin mandates masks — Gen X reboot

1 big thing: Democrats sound alarm on mail-in votes | Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Morgan Stanley   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Oct 27, 2020 Good afternoon: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 494 words, a 2-minute read. Situational awareness: California, Washington state, Oregon and Nevada are teaming up to review any approved COVID vaccine before distributing it for public use. Jon Stewart signed a deal with Apple TV+ for an "original current affairs series." "Keith Raniere, the Nxivm cult leader, was sentenced to life in prison after his victims gave wrenching testimony about how he sexually abused them." (N.Y. Times)     1 big thing: Democrats sound alarm on mail-in votes Two women take a selfie at a rally in Duluth, Georgia. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/AFP/Getty Images   Democrats are calling a last-minute audible on mail-in voting after last night's Supreme Court ruling on Wisconsin. Wisconsin Democrats and the Democratic attorney general of Michigan are urging voters to return absentee ballots to election clerks' offices or drop boxes, notes Axios' Shawna Chen. They are warning that the USPS may not be able to deliver ballots by the Election Day deadline. Why it matters: Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was part of a 5-3 majority against allowing Wisconsin to count mail-in ballots that arrive up to six days after Election Day (but were postmarked by Election Day). All ballots must now be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. "Under the U.S. Constitution, the state courts do not have a blank check to rewrite state election laws for federal elections," Kavanaugh wrote. The big picture: More than 66 million people have already voted — roughly 2/3 by mail — putting "this year's election on pace for a historic rate of participation not seen since the early 1900s," the WashPost reports. Early voting as a share of the total 2016 vote, per the N.Y. Times: Texas: 82% North Carolina: 67% Georgia: 66% Florida: 63% Arizona: 60% Wisconsin: 45% Michigan: 43% Minnesota: 40% Ohio: 39% Pennsylvania: 28% The bottom line: "[T]urnout has surged ... in cities and rural America, in battlegrounds ... and in unexpected places that have not had competitive races in years," WashPost reports. "Election Day will feel substantially different from those in past years, with a smaller, more Republican turnout." Supporters listen as President Trump campaigns in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images     2. Online ads: Biden steady, Trump fluctuates Data: Bully Pulpit Interactive; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios The bottom line: President Trump's Facebook ad messaging has fluctuated dramatically in conjunction with the news cycle throughout his campaign, while former VP Joe Biden's messaging has been much more consistent, report Axios' Sara Fischer and Alayna Treene.     A message from Morgan Stanley Climate risk in stock portfolios     An increasing number of asset owners cite the need to address climate change in their portfolios as a leading priority, but they often feel ill-equipped to meet the challenge. One compelling strategy may at the same time offer the advantage of simplicity. Learn more.     3. Catch up quick Russia instituted a nationwide mask mandate, as the nation tries to combat a second spike of COVID-19 cases. Go deeper. Airbnb picked Nasdaq for its IPO. Former President Barack Obama joked that Trump is "jealous of COVID's media coverage." Go deeper. COVID-related startup funding is on the rise, focused on both testing and pharma. Go deeper.     4. 1 screen thing: "Saved by the Bell" grows up Photo: Peacock Gen X/older millennial nostalgia ... The trailer for Peacock's streaming sitcom, "Saved by the Bell" (premiering Nov. 25) hooks fans of the "late-1980s/early-1990s Saturday morning series with callbacks such as A.C. Slater (Mario Lopez) calling Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley Lauren) 'Mama,'" Variety reports. He also spins a chair around so he can sit backward. But it also shows "the truly new storyline for this incarnation of the show: Governor Zack Morris (yes, really) closes a number of underfunded high schools, leaving its students to be absorbed by those in more affluent areas, namely Bayside High School," per Variety. "His son Mac (Mitchell Hoog) and Jessie's son Jamie (Belmont Cameli) attend Bayside, as does the rich and popular Lexi (Josie Totah), while Slater is working there as the gym teacher." See the trailer.     A message from Morgan Stanley Climate risk in stock portfolios     An increasing number of asset owners cite the need to address climate change in their portfolios as a leading priority, but they often feel ill-equipped to meet the challenge. One compelling strategy may at the same time offer the advantage of simplicity. Learn more.     Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: