Axios PM: Pope breaks new ground — Purdue plea — Charlie Brown's new home

1 big thing: Pope Francis breaks new ground | Wednesday, October 21, 2020

View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Oct 21, 2020 Good afternoon: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 538 words, a 2-minute read. 🤳 I'll be going live on the Axios Instagram account with Axios Today podcast host Niala Boodhoo at 5 p.m. ET today to answer questions about the 2020 election ahead of the final debate. Watch.     1 big thing: Pope Francis breaks new ground Pope Francis during a weekly general audience today at the Vatican. Photo: Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images   In a new documentary called "Francesco," Pope Francis gave his clearest endorsement yet for same-sex civil unions: "What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered." Why it matters: This is the leader of the Catholic Church putting what appears to be his moral backing behind a more progressive approach to the LGBTQ community. Francis reportedly endorsed such unions in 2010, when he was a cardinal in Argentina — which was considering legalizing same-sex marriage. Francis opposes same-sex marriage, as well as same-sex couples adopting children. Filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky "said he began working with the Vatican to produce a film on Pope Francis in 2018, and was given unprecedented access to Pope Francis until filming completed in June," reports Catholic News Agency. A Vatican spokesperson told the N.Y. Times that he wouldn't comment until he had seen the film. In the documentary, Francis said LGBTQ people were included in his approach to pastoral care: "Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They're children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it." The film includes a "story of the pontiff encouraging two Italian men in a same-sex relationship to raise their children in their parish church, which, one of the men said, was greatly beneficial to his children," CNA reports. "He didn't mention what was his opinion on my family. Probably he's following the doctrine on this point," the man said. The big picture: "Francis had already drastically shifted the tone of the church on questions related to homosexuality, but he has done little on policy and not changed doctrine," notes N.Y. Times Rome bureau chief Jason Horowitz. "Whether the new remarks will have any bearing on policy is another matter, especially in a church that sees its future growth in African, South American and Asian countries that are less tolerant of homosexuality."     2. Pic du jour Photo: Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images The Eiffel Tower lit up at night in Paris, which has once again become a major coronavirus hot spot in Europe. The city and surrounding region are under curfew to try to control the spread.     A message from Facebook We support updated internet regulations     At Facebook, we continue to take steps to improve our platforms such as tripling our safety and security teams, building privacy tools, and more. Updated internet regulations will set standards for addressing today's toughest challenges. Read why we support updated internet regulations.     3. Catch up quick A sign outside the venue of the second presidential debate, Nashville, Tenn. Photo: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky   Purdue Pharma has agreed to plead guilty to three federal criminal charges and close the company as part of an $8.3 billion settlement over OxyContin. Go deeper. San Francisco public schools plan to stay virtual through the end of the calendar year, citing a lack of coronavirus testing capacity. Go deeper. New York recorded its highest daily coronavirus case count since May. Go deeper. Senate Democrats blocked a vote on Republicans' $500 billion targeted COVID-19 relief bill. Go deeper. Quibi founder Jeffrey Katzenberg is calling investors to say he's shutting down the short-form video service, the Wall Street Journal reports. 🎧 Axios Re:Cap talks with Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), chair of the subcommittee on antitrust, about Google, the DOJ's lawsuit and Congress' next move. Listen here.     4. 1 fun thing: How to find Charlie Brown Snoopy and Linus van Pelt at the 2018 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Photo: Noam Galai/FilmMagic   Don't be surprised if your usual "Charlie Brown" special plans look a little different this year. "The Peanuts gang and their annual holiday specials have left broadcast television for their new home, Apple TV+," the L.A. Times reports. Apple+ subscribers get to see it first, but the following Charlie Brown specials stream for free during the following windows: Halloween, Oct. 30–Nov. 1 Thanksgiving, Nov. 25–27 Christmas, Dec. 11–13     A message from Facebook We support updated internet regulations     We support new regulations that hold companies, including Facebook, accountable on issues including: Combating foreign election interference. Protecting people's privacy. Enabling safe and easy data transfer between platforms. Read why we support updated internet regulations.     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: