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JD Vance says he will continue to "create stories" which threaten the lives of his own constituents

(NPR) Sen. JD Vance stood by his false claim that Haitian migrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio — an unsupported story that former President Donald Trump has also echoed on the debate stage and on social media. During a Sunday interview on CNN, the Ohio senator and Republican vice presidential nominee said his evidence for this claim was "the first-hand accounts of my constituents." He then went on to defend the dissemination of this false story. “The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes," Sen. Vance said. "If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."

Third Day of Bomb Threats Inspired by Trump Lies Sends Springfield Hospitals Into Lockdown

(Salon) Two hospitals in Springfield, Ohio went into lockdown on Saturday morning, as bomb threats plagued the town for a third day. Officials at Kettering Health Springfield and Mercy Health’s Springfield Regional Medical Center placed the two healthcare facilities on lockdown after they became aware of bomb threats made early on Saturday morning, prompting a search of the premises before they could re-open. Bomb threats shuttered schools and government buildings, including City Hall and DMV offices, on Thursday and Friday, with evacuations and closures disrupting town life.

House Democrats Expand Battleground

(Political Wire) “House Democrats’ largest super PAC is adding to its already massive fall ad campaign, including targeting three new Republican incumbents as it tries to capitalize on a surge of enthusiasm surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise,” Politico reports.

Democrats put up $25 million to reach voters in 10 states in fierce fight for Senate majority

(AP) Trying to defend their narrow Senate majority with a challenging slate of contests on Republican-leaning turf, Democrats are pumping $25 million into expanded voter outreach across 10 states. The new spending from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, first shared with The Associated Press, comes less than two months until the Nov. 5 election and as Democrats are benefiting from a fundraising surge since President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid in July and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party standard-bearer.

Monday carTOONS

50 Days Until Election Day! Election Calendar, Activists' Lists, and Donation Links (updated daily)

ALERT! Less than 3 weeks until states begin closing voter registration – so let’s go out and register voters! Early Voting begins TODAY in Pennsylvania! Other states soon to follow! Check the calendar below to see when early voting begins in your state! Also – if anything is done by mail, be sure to mail things in WELL IN ADVANCE. Remember, we’re still dealing with DeJoy’s postal system! I'll be updating this list daily until General Election Day, including links and other info.

Democratic enthusiasm hasn't been measured at this level since 2008

(Gallup) The Aug. 1-20 poll also finds 79% of Americans saying they have given “quite a lot” of thought to the election, surpassing the previous August high of 74% in 2008. Given that more Americans typically pay attention to the election closer to Election Day than do in August, 2024 is poised to establish a new high in election thought at the conclusion of the campaign. Currently, the 84% from 2004 is the highest Gallup has measured immediately before Election Day.

The GOP House won't govern. Send it to the backbenches in November.

(LA Times) Lucky for the Republicans who run the House, few Americans are paying attention to their antics of late, given the focus on the presidential race. Here’s what they’re up to: busily exemplifying the definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. “Led” by Speaker “MAGA Mike” Johnson, Republicans yet again are threatening by their actions to shut down the government.

Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother's Death Was Preventable.

(ProPublica) In her final hours, Amber Nicole Thurman suffered from a grave infection that her suburban Atlanta hospital was well-equipped to treat. She’d taken abortion pills and encountered a rare complication; she had not expelled all of the fetal tissue from her body. She showed up at Piedmont Henry Hospital in need of a routine procedure to clear it from her uterus, called a dilation and curettage, or D&C. But just that summer, her state had made performing the procedure a felony, with few exceptions. Any doctor who violated the new Georgia law could be prosecuted and face up to a decade in prison.

The Attack on the Legitimacy of the 2024 Presidential Election Has Begun

(Popular Info) Trump's efforts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2024 election are nothing new. He did the same thing in advance of the 2020 election. The difference is that, this time, he has the public support of wealthy tech billionaires. Appearing on the All In podcast, billionaire investor Peter Theil asserted that if the presidential election "is going to be close," then "I'm pretty sure [Vice President] Kamala [Harris] will win because they will cheat." Theil claimed, without any evidence, that Democrats will "steal the ballots" to assure a Harris victory.