Out d'Coup | Trump Has COVID; WI Coronavirus Spike; Amy Coney Barrett; Katie Porter Rocks; Systemic Voter Suppression; PA Spotlight Email Release; MIT Fusion; Mars Lakes; Free Will Brewing

Trump’s got COVID. Trump announced that both he and Melania also tested positive for the coronavirus...like in the 1 am hour. The announcement comes on the heels of Trump’s close advisors, Hope Hicks, testing positive. And, yes, and they’ve all been traveling maskless around the country.

That’s good news for Wisconsin. Trump had planned rallies in Wisconsin this weekend. Wisconsin has seen cases spike over the past couple of weeks. The state is third in the nation when it comes to increased rates of coronavirus. Those rallies are canceled. 

Sources told Maggie Haberman of the New York Times that Trump was lethargic at a fundraiser at his Bedminster, NJ golf club on Thursday. About 100 people attended that fundraiser. Can you say hot spot?

What that hell was that on Tuesday night? 

As expected, Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. At stake: Roe v. Wade; the Affordable Care Act; collective bargaining rights; climate action; and so much more. 

Katie Porter tore up a Big Pharma exec with her White Board of Truth. 

The British Channel 4 News got a hold of a massive election database that they say Trump’s 2016 campaign used to suppress turnout of 3.5 million black voters in swing states through targeted Facebook ads.  

Texas Governor limits ballot drop-off locations to one per county. Good thing Texas is such a small state. 

MIT researchers are telling the world that they are pretty convinced that they have a fusion reactor that should actually work. An MIT spinoff company, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, will begin construction on its “SPARC” compact fusion reactor in the spring and is expected to take several years. If the reactor actually works, it could be a gamechanger when it comes to a transition off fossil fuels. We shall see. 

PA Spotlight published a huge cache of emails from Lebanon County lawmakers and county officials highlighting their conspiracy to go against Governor Tom Wolf’s COVID response in May and June.  Legislators mentioned in these emails that they gathered support by Wellspan - a regional medical system - and Cornwall Manor, a local senior living facility.  

PA Republicans push to set up a committee to investigate the November elections - elections that haven’t taken place yet if you're keeping track. The proposed “select committee on election integrity” would have wide-ranging powers that would include the power to subpoena election officials and Postal workers while voting is in process. 

PA House session canceled as yet another coronavirus-denying Republican lawmaker, Rep. Paul Schemel from Franklin County, tests positive for coronavirus. 

Pennsylvania is now in the national spotlight. Shall we review?

In Tuesday’s presidential debate, Trump tells the nation that “bad things happen in Philly.” Trump claimed that poll watchers were being blocked from observing the first day of in-person early voting in the city. The only problem? No polling places were open. 

Trump sent representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate mail-in military and overseas ballot issues in Wilkes-Barre. The Republican-controlled board of elections hired an outside contractor to deal with mail-in ballots and requests for mail-in ballots. The confusion caused by Trump’s lawsuit against mail-in ballots led to a mishandling of ballots that Trump used to claim fraud. 

Italian scientists say they have found three large saltwater lakes under the surface of Mars near the Red Planet’s south pole. The discovery came from an analysis of radar data from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft. The analysis also confirmed the presence of a large fourth lake first noticed in 2018.

Free Will releases: 

• Tallest - Hazy Double IPA brewed with locally grown raw wheat from Two Particular Acres. Hopped extensively with Amarillo, Sultana, and Triumph. Notes of juicy honeydew, pineapple, and candied orange overtop a pillowy soft body. 8.5% ABV⁣
• Freshie is back.  - Fresh Hopped IPA brewed with whole-cone Tahoma and Triple Pearl from GEMS Farm and local Deer Creek Malthouse malt. 6.6% ABV⁣
• Order online for pick up or have your order shipped to any PA address. Free shipping on orders over $85. https://freewillbrewing.store