Good morning, and welcome to Monday. It’s Halloween and a week and a day until the election, and that means it’s also the last day for an October surprise. Of course, with the way the campaign has gone maybe we should expect a November surprise or two. Here’s the Digest.
1. It’s crunch time, and if you live in a neighborhood where there’s a competitive race you probably got a knock on the door over the weekend and may get more this week. They’re not trick-or-treaters. Instead they’re part of a well-organized get-out-the-vote effort that knows who you’re likely to cast your ballot for. (MPR News)
2. Candidates for Congress in Minnesota’s 2nd and 3rd Districts debated for the final time on KSTP-TV Sunday evening. The races in the two suburban districts have been hard-fought, with lots of TV ads from the candidates and from outside spending groups. Taxes, health care and national security were some of the issues covered in the debates. (Star Tribune)
3. Last night the FBI got a warrant to search the new cache of emails that could be related to Hillary Clinton’s private server. FBI agents knew about the additional emails on Anthony Weiner’s computer in early October, but only told Comey about it last Thursday. It’s not clear why they didn’t tell Comey sooner. Comey’s letter to congressional leaders Friday said the bureau could not yet assess whether or not the emails are significant, and Clinton aide Huma Abedin reportedly said she didn’t know how her emails got on her estranged husband’s computer. It’s not clear whether the FBI can finish looking at them by Election Day. (Washington Post)
4. Hillary Clinton’s campaign pushed back hard against FBI Director Comey over the weekend. Some former top officials in the Justice Department also faulted the FBI director for going public so close to the election. Clinton’s running mate Sen. Tim Kaine ramped up the criticism of Comey Sunday, saying his decision to release the letter so close to Election Day was “extremely puzzling,” and Kaine called again for the FBI to release more information. (ABC News)
5. Donald Trump called Clinton’s email server the “biggest political scandal since Watergate.” He alleged that the newly found emails may include some of those that Clinton previously deleted. Clearly the email discovery has given his campaign a new jolt of energy, and his backers are hoping it will attract some voters who are still not yet on board, including some Republicans. (NBC News)
