1. Don't look away

In open defiance of state regulations and his own administration's pandemic health guidelines, President Trump yesterday hosted his first indoor rally since June, telling a crowd in Henderson, Nev., that the nation was "making the last turn" in defeating the coronavirus. Relatively few in the crowd wore masks, with one clear exception: those in the stands directly behind Trump, whose images would end up on TV, were mandated to wear face coverings. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, who has limited in-person gatherings in the state to 50 people since May, said Trump was "taking reckless and selfish actions that are putting countless lives in danger here in Nevada."

• — More vote-by-mail lies. During his rambling, 90-minute speech, Trump repeated unsubstantiated claims that mail-in ballots would contribute to widespread voter fraud in November. "The Democrats are trying to rig this election because that's the only way they're going to win," he said to cheers and applause.
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• — Another potential Constitutional crisis. In a presidency that has already seen its share of them, Trump shared his intent to illegally run for president again in 2024. "Fifty-two days from now we're going to win Nevada, and we're gonna win four more years in the White House," he said. "And then after that, we'll negotiate, right? Because we're probably—based on the way we were treated—we are probably entitled to another four after that."
   
• — Mobilizing supporters for violence. Trump, who just a couple days earlier in a Fox News interview, warned ominously, "You will see a backlash the likes of which you haven't seen in many, many years," seemed to encourage his supporters, many of them armed, to take matters into their own hands to stop alleged left-wing violence in cities like Chicago and Portland. —Associated Press

2. Trump Admin distorts COVID-19 data

It wasn't enough for the president to hide the truth about the coronavirus pandemic; he installed lackeys at the Department of Health and Human Services to do the same. Politically appointed communications aides have demanded the right to review and seek changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's weekly scientific reports, in what officials have characterized as an attempt to intimidate the reports' authors and water down their communications to health professionals.

• — The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports are authored by career scientists and serve as the main vehicle for the agency to inform doctors, researchers, and the general public about how COVID-19 is spreading and who is at risk.
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• — Since Michael Caputo, a former Trump campaign official with no medical or scientific background, was installed in April as HHS's new spokesperson, there have been substantial efforts to align the reports with Trump's optimistic statements and claims that fears about the outbreak are overstated, or to stop the reports altogether.
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• — CDC officials have fought back against the most sweeping changes, but have increasingly agreed to allow the political officials to review the reports and, in a few cases, compromised on the wording. —Politico

3. Kurlantzick: China boosts its disinfo campaigns

"Chinese disinformation still seems more simplistic than Russia's. Chinese fake social media accounts spreading disinformation about COVID-19 often appear shoddier than Russian ones and thus easier to expose. Still, some of Beijing's disinformation punches are landing. And as China and Russia increase their cooperation on information and disinformation tools—they are sharing knowledge through exchanges and in other ways—more dangerous messaging almost surely will increase." —Council on Foreign Relations

Ed. Note: Joshua Kurlantzick is senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he is currently focused on China's approach to soft and sharp power, including state-backed media and information efforts.

MORE: Collinson: The triumph of political ideology over fact and truth —CNN

4. Trump's allies go after Mueller's team

Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson are demanding that former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team be investigated over purported violations of federal record-keeping laws. The phones of some members of the Mueller team, which investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election, were wiped of data.

• — Grassley wrote to the Department of Justice and FBI asking if the deletions of data were part of a "widespread intentional effort." Records indicate that there were 27 instances of phones being wiped of data during a DOJ probe of the FBI's Russia investigation.
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• — Homeland Security Committee Chair Johnson requested that DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz investigate the matter and report on whether any wrongdoing occurred.
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• — President Trump and his allies often attack Mueller, his team, and their findings. Trump used this incident as a talking point in his latest campaign speech. He went after one of Mueller's top prosecutors, Andrew Weissmann, saying there "has to be repercussions" for the deletion of data on Weissmann's phone. —CNN

5. The Economist: Will Putin save Lukashenko?

"[Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko] prefers to talk to Vladimir Putin, the president of next-door Russia, who props up his regime. Putin, whose own challenger, Alexei Navalny, has been poisoned by a nerve agent, has endorsed Lukashenko's rigged election and his use of violence. He has warned the West not to meddle in Belarus, which Russia has subsidized for many years and with which it has a common market. At Lukashenko's request, Putin has pledged to support Belarus with his own law-enforcers if necessary. He has also dispatched propagandists to run its airwaves and consultants to manage the crisis." —The Economist

MORE: Massive protests continue in Belarus as demonstrators demand Lukashenko resign —NPR

6. Policing incidents continue to spark protests

The latest site of the numerous racial justice protests that have taken place since the killing of George Floyd nearly four months ago was Lancaster, Pa., last night. Protesters gathered in the streets of the city after an unidentified man was shot and killed by police earlier in the day. The Lancaster Co. District Attorney's Office is currently investigating the shooting, which occurred during a domestic disturbance call. The man was allegedly armed with a knife.

• — Georgia. A Clayton Co. sheriff's deputy was fired for excessive use of force yesterday after videos posted to social media showed him repeatedly striking a Black man who was pinned to the ground. The incident happened on Friday, when the man, a passenger in a car pulled over for a broken taillight, refused to present ID. A criminal investigation is being turned over to the county district attorney's office. —NBC News
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• — New York. Protesters marched for the 12th straight day yesterday, calling for changes in the Rochester Police Department and City Hall over the death of Daniel Prude. Prude suffocated while being restrained by Rochester police officers in March and died a week later. His death was kept under wraps by the city for more than five months and was only revealed when his family came forward Sept. 2 with police body-cam footage. —Democrat & Chronicle
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• — Texas. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo offered the family of Nicolas Chavez a public apology during a vigil for the man on Saturday. Chavez was killed in April, when Houston police officers responding to 911 calls about a man in mental distress fired 21 shots at him. Four officers were fired over the incident, but no charges have yet been filed. The case is expected to be presented to a grand jury. —ABC News

7. Serwer: A moment of reckoning on race

"The conditions in America today do not much resemble those of 1968. In fact, the best analogue to the current moment is the first and most consequential such awakening—in 1868. The story of that awakening offers a guide, and a warning. In the 1860s, the rise of a racist demagogue to the presidency, the valor of Black soldiers and workers, and the stories of outrages against the emancipated in the South stunned white northerners into writing the equality of man into the Constitution. The triumphs and failures of this anti-racist coalition led America to the present moment. It is now up to their successors to fulfill the promises of democracy, to make a more perfect union, to complete the work of Reconstruction." —The Atlantic

MORE: Louisville anxiously awaits Breonna Taylor decision—and whether justice or chaos reigns —USA Today

8. ICYMI: Quick takes from the weekend

If you were too busy with early autumn activities this weekend to check on the news, good for you. Here's a roundup of stories you may have missed...

• — Wildfires continue to ravage California and Oregon, killing more than 30 people and displacing thousands. Firefighters expect another difficult week ahead. Compounding the problem are rumors and conspiracies regarding the source of the fires. Facebook said Saturday it would take down erroneous posts claiming anti-fascist activists have been maliciously sparking wildfires after multiple organizations, including the Douglas Co. Sheriff's Office in Oregon, issued warnings on social media about the false rumors. —NBC News
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• — "Most-favored-nation price." Yesterday, the White House released an executive order that calls for Medicare to test paying the same price for certain expensive prescription drugs that other developed countries do. Other nations typically pay less for medications, in large part because their socialist governments determine the cost—a system that runs counter to Republicans' traditional allegiance to the free market. —CNN
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• — The Taliban and the Afghan government began peace talks in Qatar on Saturday, aimed at shaping a power-sharing government that could end decades of war, if a deal comes to fruition. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. military is on track to completely withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by spring 2021. —Newsweek

9. DN Ed Board: The solution to our problems is in our name

"In a contentious election year, compounded by the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest, each of us as free citizens are responsible for transcending division in order to promote unity. It is also time for citizens to look to community and states to solve problems, lift people, and build bridges of understanding and cooperation. With 244 years in the rearview mirror, it is time for individuals, communities, and the nation to live up to our name—the United States of America." —Deseret News

MORE: Gest & Feliz: Our country is tearing itself apart. Here's one way to bring people together —CNN

10. An American Story: Cards 4 Covid Heroes

Every day, on every news channel, teenage siblings Prabhleen and Mantej Lamba watched the sacrifices of medical workers around the world who risk their physical and mental health on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

• — So in the spirit of the Sikh faith's core principle of "seva," or selfless service, the San Francisco Bay area teens launched an initiative they called "Cards 4 Covid Heroes" to let healthcare workers know how much they're appreciated.
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• — In just two months, they've collected more than 250 thank-you cards from members of the community, mailed to their home in the suburban city of Fremont. Then they've sent them to workers at four hospitals—each along with a $10 VISA gift card.
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• — "During these times of darkness and uncertainty, we just wanted to try to shine some light on the fact that we do have true heroes working on the front lines who are trying their hardest to save people's lives," said Mantej. —Associated Press

The president said on tape he downplayed the pandemic on purpose. That has led to him and others that follow his lead, mocking masks and those who wear them. He has held maskless and non-socially distanced rallies, and that behavior is a model to others.

As an example, do you wear a mask in public? And do you refrain from mocking those who do? This anti-mask rhetoric and behavior by many accounts has led to higher transmission rates and deaths due to COVID-19. Our case and death numbers are Third World-like. Look at Taiwan's numbers, where leadership led on masks, testing, and contact tracing. Taiwan, which has nearly 24 million citizens, has had only 451 cases and seven deaths as of July. Taiwan had a plan in place for years, which involved quarantines, contact tracing, and wide availability of masks, among other things.

Can you imagine what would happen to a CEO who admitted to downplaying a bad financial performance to analysts, the public, and shareholders on an earnings call just so the market would not panic and sell his company's stock? Three words: Enron, Tyco, and Qwest. And that was just money; we are talking about human life in this case. —Ken G., Colorado

The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.