| THE BIG STORY
Top US intelligence officials say Iran and Russia used voter registration records to spread disinformation
“We have already seen Iran sending spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest, and damage President Trump.” That’s what Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe told reporters in a news conference.
Ratcliffe said foreign actors in Iran and Russia have exploited public US voter registration records to spread disinformation and undermine confidence in the 2020 election. Worth noting here: Voter registration databases are publicly available by request, and in some states can be downloaded directly from their websites.
The director told reporters that officials believed Iran was also distributing a video that suggested people could cast fraudulent ballots from overseas, adding that the footage and its claims were not true.
“These actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries,” Ratcliffe added. “Even if the adversaries pursue further attempts to intimidate or attempt to undermine voter confidence, know that our election systems are resilient and you can be confident your votes are secure.”
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe arrives to a closed-door briefing on election security in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer / Getty Images STAYING ON TOP OF THIS Barack Obama is the face of the Democrats’ closing get-out-the-vote push
Democrats are blitzing five key states with ads prominently featuring Barack Obama, as part of a final push for Joe Biden.
The former president is anchoring a seven-figure advertising blitz by the Democrats, with his image in ads on 25 local news websites across Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
On Wednesday, Obama railed against Trump’s coronavirus response in his first campaign trail speech. At a drive-in rally in Philadelphia, the former president told the crowd Trump has done nothing but “completely screw this up.”
Barack Obama speaks at a drive-in rally for Joe Biden in Philadelphia, Oct. 21. Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images SNAPSHOTS Pope Francis said he supports civil unions for same-sex couples. “Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family,” the pope said. “They’re children of God and have a right to a family.” A member of a Catholic LGBTQ organization told us it could be “an international game changer.”
A cop involved in Breonna Taylor’s killing said she’d be alive if police barged in sooner. That’s “outrageous,” experts said. Police experts told us that Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly's response was “mind-boggling” and didn't make sense.
A man left a note outside a Biden supporter’s home threatening to kill the former VP. Authorities said James Dale Reed of Maryland has been charged with threatening the lives of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, after he allegedly left a frightening letter on a neighbor's doorstep in the middle of the night.
“The Unicorn”: How one man successfully gained asylum in Trump’s America. As part of our Hopes Week, we write about Francisco, who fled Honduras, was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in Mexico, and fought the US immigration system without a lawyer. Is his story one of hope, or luck?
Doulas are using the internet to warn each other about people pretending to be pregnant. Birth fetishists are trying to trick doulas into engaging with them — but doulas are fighting back.
JOINING FORCES She couldn’t afford her rent and had nowhere to turn. That’s when she joined a tenant union.
In September, Tiana McGuire checked her mailbox and saw she received notice that she owed three months’ worth of rent — a total of $3,050 — and had two weeks to pay. She saw, too, that her neighbors had received similar notices.
Across the country, millions of out-of-work renters like McGuire are unable to pay rent and are amassing an increasingly insurmountable debt. A recent study by national housing experts suggested 30–40 million renters are at risk of being evicted in August. And like McGuire, many don’t know where to turn for help.
Well, for McGuire, the help came two days after the letter arrived. But not from the government officials. Not from authorities who could potentially stop illegal evictions. It came from her neighbors.
This is the story of how tenants are turning to each for help in difficult times, forming tenant unions to inform each other of rights and push back against attempts to undermine those rights.
ANTICIPATING ADELE Adele shared a backstage photo of herself preparing for SNL and fans are wondering if she’ll announce a new album on the show Folks, Adele hive ready on stand-by. The troops are at attention, awaiting instructions. It’s been five years since she last released an album.
This week, the singer is hosting Saturday Night Live, and speculation is high that she’ll also be announcing a brand new album. Adele shared a snap of herself in SNL prep mode, and in the comments, all anyone could talk about is: where’s the album at, Adele????
I hope you start today brimming with belief in your boundless strength, Elamin P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide). 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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