Here we go again

At a hastily convened press conference last night, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and other intelligence officials announced that Russia and Iran have taken actions to try to compromise the U.S. election and have obtained some voter registration data. Ratcliffe said Iran had also distributed video content implying people could cast fraudulent ballots. The information in the video is not true, Ratcliffe emphasized, adding that Americans can be assured the election is secure. Wray also sought to reassure the public, saying Americans "should be confident that your vote counts." —CBS News

• — "Our adversaries abroad seek to sow chaos." Just before Ratcliffe's event, Sens. Marco Rubio and Mark Warner, the acting chair and vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, released a joint statement saying that foreign actors are seeking to "undermine voters' belief in our democratic institutions, including the election systems and infrastructure that we rely on to record and properly report expressions of the voters' will." They added, "We urge every American—including members of the media—to be cautious about believing or spreading unverified, sensational claims related to votes and voting." —Defense One
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• — Spam from Iran. Officials also accused Iran of targeting voters with faked but threatening emails demanding they vote for Donald Trump. Democrats in several states reported receiving emails claiming to be from the pro-Trump group the Proud Boys, but evidence had mounted that they in fact were the work of Iranian operatives. Wray said, "When we see indications of foreign interference or federal election crimes, we're going to aggressively investigate and work with our partners to quickly take appropriate action."
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• — Is Wray's job in jeopardy? Maybe. And Attorney General Bill Barr's might be too. Trump and his advisers have reportedly discussed firing Wray after Election Day—a scenario that also could imperil Barr's tenure. The conversations stem from the president's disappointment that Wray in particular, but Barr as well, have not boosted his re-election hopes by declaring that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden, or other Biden associates are under investigation. —The Washington Post

ACB clears committee without Democrats

Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans powered past a Democratic boycott today to advance the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Democratic senators refused to show up in protest of the GOP's rush to install President Trump's nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Never has the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. A final confirmation vote with the full chamber is expected on Monday.

• — All 12 Republicans on the panel voted in favor of Barrett, while the committee's Democratic members displayed posters at their desks of Americans they say have benefited from the Affordable Care Act now being challenged in court.
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• — With Republicans currently holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, the 48-year-old federal judge is almost certain to be confirmed, locking in a 6-3 conservative majority for the foreseeable future. That could open a new era of rulings on abortion access, same-sex marriage, and potentially the results of the upcoming election.
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• — "Big day for America," Trump tweeted after the vote. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer disagreed, accusing Senate Republicans of "conducting the most rushed, most partisan, and the least legitimate nomination to the Supreme Court in our nation's history." He added, "Democrats will not lend a single ounce of legitimacy to this sham vote." —Associated Press

Brennan Center: Our democracy will hold

"No doubt, [President Trump] is aiming to undermine confidence in the election. But it's time to see the president's remarks for what they are: so far, empty threats and bluffs. There are safeguards in place throughout the American election system to ensure no president can steal an election or cling to power if voters choose to relieve him of his duties. The only way President Trump stays in the White House if Americans vote him out is if we stand by and let it happen." —Brennan Center for Justice

'All you hear is COVID, COVID, COVID...'

Donald Trump is tired of hearing about the coronavirus pandemic. As the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 222,000 today, and new cases ticked higher in what public health officials are calling another surge of the virus, Trump falsely claimed at a campaign rally in North Carolina that the virus is disappearing, and criticized the media for its coverage of the crisis. "All you hear is COVID," Trump said, repeating the word 11 times. "That's all they put on, because they want to scare the hell out of everyone." The U.S. leads the world in cases, with 8.3 million, and deaths, with about a fifth of the global tally of fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University. —MarketWatch

• — Independent watchdog launches probe. The Government Accountability Office is investigating whether Trump Administration officials improperly interfered with the coronavirus response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. The probe follows reports that political appointees sought to steer the science agencies' policies and communications to match Trump's efforts to minimize the pandemic. —Politico
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• — Republicans defend Fauci. Several GOP senators have stepped forward in defense of Dr. Anthony Fauci this week, after a string of attacks in recent days from Trump, who has called the government's top infectious-disease expert "a disaster." As polls indicate warning signs for both Trump and down-ballot Republicans in the upcoming election, more Republicans have felt emboldened to criticize the president publicly on his pandemic mismanagement and other issues. Finally. —Axios
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• — Time's running out. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin reported more progress on a potential $2 trillion pandemic aid agreement, but have signaled it might not pass until after the election. Even if the two sides strike a deal before Nov. 3, the legislation would face little hope of quickly becoming law, thanks to a tight calendar and hardened opposition in the GOP-controlled Senate. —The Wall Street Journal

WaPo Ed Board: Let's call it what it was—kidnapping

"Some federal prosecutors along the border balked at bringing charges against migrant parents whose children would automatically be removed from their care. But at Justice, top officials washed their hands of ethical responsibility regarding the children's welfare. 'I just don't see that as a [Justice Department] equity,' Rod Rosenstein, then-deputy attorney general, told the inspector general. In a sense, Rosenstein was right: The job of protecting blameless children from emotional trauma is not a government 'equity'; it is a human obligation. It is basic human decency, which was lacking in all the senior officials who helped implement this unspeakably callous policy." —The Washington Post

MORE: Trump Administration alters and downplays human rights abuses in reports —The Guardian

Around the world

Hoping for a foreign policy accomplishment in the last 12 days before the election, the Trump Administration says it is on the verge of an arms-control deal with Russia. If it comes to fruition, the deal would freeze the number of nuclear warheads on each side and extend the 2011 New START agreement—which cuts long-range arms and is due to expire in February—for a year. Stay tuned. —The Wall Street Journal

• — Malaysia. A youth movement is shaking up politics in Malaysia. Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, who at age 25 became the youngest-ever Malaysian politician appointed to a Cabinet post and helped secure the passage of a constitutional amendment to lower the voting age, is building a new political party. Syed Saddiq's party, the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance—or MUDA, which means "young" in Malay—aims to capitalize on widespread frustration with winner-take-all politics and galvanize the country's youth into a potent political force. —World Politics Review
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• — Nigeria. Following a night of violence on Tuesday that sparked global outrage, the Nigerian city of Lagos descended into chaos yesterday, after protests against police brutality turned bloody. Multiple demonstrators were shot and killed by soldiers at Lekki toll gate and another site. Nigerians have called for President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation directly about the attacks, as the deployment of troops should have been approved by him, as commander-in-chief. —CNN
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• — Sudan. Sudan is virtually bankrupt and on the verge of collapse. Protests brought down ex-president Omar al-Bashir's regime last year, and there is genuine fear among officials that frustration among the Sudanese people could lead to widespread demonstrations again. But the transitional government got a much-needed boost this week when, after 27 years, the U.S. removed it from the list of states that sponsor terrorism. —Axios

DiResta: QAnon's election role

"[T]he machine that moves information through the far-right ecosystem is preparing its audience for the very real chance that Trump will lose. Its goal is simple—to preemptively delegitimize any outcome but a clear victory by the incumbent. QAnon, whose adherents have deep ties to countless other large communities, has become a linchpin in that ecosystem, and the absurdity of its claims in no way reduces its political influence." —Renée DiResta in The Atlantic

Ed. Note: Renée DiResta is the research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory. She investigates the spread of malign narratives across social networks, and assists policymakers in understanding and responding to the problem.

MORE: Farhad Manjoo: I spoke to a scholar of conspiracy theories, and I'm scared for us —The New York Times

Signs of comic relief

An Austin, Tx., restaurant that's famous for its hilarious signs has been pulling out all the stops to keep people's spirits up during the coronavirus pandemic. Tex-mex restaurant El Arroyo, which started making comic signs in the early 1980s, decided that it was time to put even more effort into bringing comic relief to others when COVID-19 began shuttering bars and restaurants back in the spring.

• — The funny signs wisecrack about all sorts of relatable pandemic problems, from social isolation to homeschooling the kids to gaining the dreaded "corona 15," extra pounds packed on from a lack of activity.
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• — Two early signs declared, "I just realized my trash goes out more than me," and "When this virus is over, I still want some of y'all to stay away from me." More recent signs teased, "I never imagined I'd go to the bank teller with a mask on and ask for money," and "I need to practice some social distancing from the fridge."
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• — "The signs bring a lot of laughter," said Laura Schulte, social media manger for the eatery. Indeed. And laughter is a necessity for getting through 2020. —Good News Network

The ad from the two men running for governor of Utah brought me to tears. This is truly what we're missing in our country right now: open ears, respect, and a rational discussion of issues. Can you imagine if our presidential candidates communicated like this? Reminds me of John McCain's town hall where he responds to a woman who doubted Barack Obama's legitimacy. McCain responds with care and tells her how Obama was a good family man.

My political journey has led me to be mostly progressive, but I have followed Evan McMullin and Mindy Finn since their presidential run. I respect them so very much. My best friend is a conservative who voted for them. I remember watching an interview of Mr. McMullin's in 2016 with (I believe) a group of Black Republicans. I was so impressed by his answers.

I deleted Twitter the other day after just being fed up with Trump's angry tweets and the cynicism found on the platform. I wanted to say thank you for being a trusted news source for me that (even though I'm not a conservative) I can rely on. —Eden S., Washington

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.