Midwest nice
Plus: Bad Bunny calls out Puerto Rico’s incumbent party
Hi, I’m Hunter and welcome to Whig, my new newsletter about politics and pop culture. Subscribe for more:
Tuesday’s vice presidential debate was quite a change from the presidential debate, a “healthy conversation” as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) put it. He and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) found areas of consensus, like the need for a strong response to Hurricane Helene and the importance of bringing outsourced manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.
“I think there's a lot of agreement,” Walz said near the debate’s end, but the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 was one issue “that we are miles apart on. This was a threat to our democracy in a way that we had not seen.” Vance wouldn’t answer when Walz asked whether Trump lost in 2020, but Vance inadvertently did show his hand earlier in the night when he said Vice President Kamala Harris ought to address middle-class concerns “not when asking for a promotion, but in the job the American people gave her three and a half years ago.”
Even the commercials felt a bit Kumbaya, with Diet Mountain Dew, a favorite soda of both would-be Veeps, advertising before the debate, plus a spot from Johnsonville promoting sausage to unify a divided nation. Oftentimes the best thing a running mate can do is no harm. The fact advertisers found the match-up brand safe suggests Vance and Walz are doing their jobs, and both men saw a bump in their favorable ratings among viewers after the debate. — Hunter
Biden to North Carolina to survey hurricane damage:
President Joe Biden traveled today to North Carolina for a briefing this afternoon with the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh and an aerial tour of Ashville, N.C., to survey damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Harris today visited Georgia to survey damage and attend a briefing there.
“It’s my plan to travel to Georgia and Florida as soon as possible after that,” Biden said during a video conference with Gov. Roy Cooper (D) Tuesday. Biden criticized former President Donald Trump’s false claim Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) couldn’t get ahold of him saying, “He’s lying.” Kemp indeed said he spoke with Biden on Sunday.
Trump faces new evidence in election interference case:
In a new court filing unsealed today, special counsel Jack Smith accused Trump of ignoring the advice of then-Vice President Mike Pence and others and resorting to crime after losing the election in 2020. The scope of the filing was narrowed after the Supreme Court’s ruling on executive immunity in July.
“When the defendant lost the 2020 presidential election, he resorted to crimes to try to stay in office,” attorneys wrote in the filing.
Harris to sit for 60 Minutes interview, Trump to skip:
For more than 50 years, CBS News’ 60 Minutes has invited Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to an interview before Election Day, and the show said Tuesday that while Harris will appear for an Oct. 7 special, Trump has pulled out.
“Our election special will broadcast the Harris interview on Monday as planned,” 60 Minutes said in a statement. “Our original invitation to former President Donald Trump to be interviewed on 60 Minutes stands.”
Trump’s most recent interview with the show was in 2020 when he walked out on host Lesley Stahl in the middle of the interview. Trump said during a news conference Tuesday, “they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology.”
FLOTUS in Mexico:
First Lady Jill Biden was at the inauguration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Tuesday, leading a U.S. delegation that included U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif), and Tucson, Ariz. Mayor Regina Romero.
Dr. Biden spoke at a conference at the U.S. embassy in Mexico City Monday and said that the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene would spare “no resources to help areas in need. Please keep those families and the first responders in your prayers.”
She also attended a dinner with Sheinbaum at the Museum of Mexico City, and was at her swearing in at Palacio Legislativo de San Lázaro, Mexico’s legislative building, as well as a luncheon hosted by former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Yes, Walz was wearing a friendship bracelet during the debate:
Walz subtly showed his Swiftie pride Tuesday, wearing a friendship bracelet during the debate. Walz name checked Taylor Swift when he touted the broad coalition Harris is building, saying it reaches “from [Sen.] Bernie Sanders to [former Vice President] Dick Cheney to Taylor Swift and a whole bunch of folks in between there.”
“They don't all agree on everything, but they are truly optimistic people,” Walz said. “They believe in a positive future of this country. And one where our politics can be better than it is.”
Michelle stuns in custom Versace jumpsuit:
Former First Lady Michelle Obama attended the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s 2024 Albie Awards in New York City wearing a sharp custom Versace jumpsuit with safety pins on the lapel. The jewelry is from David Yurman and shoes by Jimmy Choo, according to stylist Meredith Koop, who styled the look.
The awards are named for South African Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs, who fought against apartheid, and they were held last Thursday at the New York Public Library by George and Amal Clooney’s foundation. Also in attendance was Cate Blanchett, Doja Cat, Donatella Versace, Jon Stewart, and others.
Obama presented the Justice for Women Award to Memory Banda, a young woman from Malawi who fought against child marriage in her country and led an effort to pass a constitutional amendment banning child marriage in Malawi. “This extraordinary young woman shows us all the power there is in raising our voices,” Obama wrote on social media.
Melania is already a bestseller:
Former First Lady Melania Trump’s self-titled memoir is set to drop in one week, and last week it hit No.1 on Amazon’s Best Sellers in Books list on the strength of its pre-order sales. Trump celebrated the news by posting a portrait on social media and writing “#1 MELANIA melaniatrump.com.”
Melania has reached No. 1 on other Amazon charts for “Memoirs,” “US Presidents,” and “Political Leader Biographies,” according to Fox News. Meanwhile, the No. 1 book on The New York Times’ bestseller list this week is from another former FLOTUS, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Something Lost, Something Gained.
Hillary Clinton warns of “October surprise”:
It’s October again, and Clinton says beware of surprises. “I anticipate something will happen in October, as it always does,” Clinton told PBS. “There will be concerted efforts to distort and pervert Kamala Harris, who she is, what she stands for, what's she's done.”
Citing her own experience facing conspiracy theories during the 2016 campaign, Clinton said, “this is dangerous stuff. It starts online often on the dark web. It migrates. It’s picked up by the pro-Trump media. It’s then reported on by everybody else, which makes sure it has about 100 percent coverage, and people believe it.”
Jimmy Carter turns 100:
Former President Jimmy Carter became the first U.S. president to turn 100 Tuesday. “Not everybody gets 100 years on this earth, and when somebody does, and when they use that time to do so much good for so many people, it’s worth celebrating,” his son Jason Carter said.
Carter’s big day was celebrated at the White House with a golden “100” in the yard, while former President George W. Bush wished Carter a happy birthday and said he’s had a “heck of a life” in a social media video.
Fun fact: Carter, a former peanut farmer and Georgia governor who won the Bicentennial presidential election of 1976 with a media-savvy campaign that emphasized honesty and integrity in the aftermath of Richard Nixon’s resignation, has been alive for 40% of U.S. history.
🇮🇱 🇮🇷 Iran launches missile attack on Israel for killing of Hezbollah leader, general. The attack comes after Israeli ground forces entered southern Lebanon to attack the militant group Hezbollah. [CNBC]
✂️ Fed Chair Jerome Powell: “Growing confidence” inflation cooling, more rate cuts possible. Powell said that two further rate cuts are possible if the economy continues to perform as expected, though they are likely to not be as aggressive as the half-percent cut the Fed made two weeks ago. [USA Today]
🚢 U.S. port workers union backed by White House in strike. A strike by 45,000 dockworkers halting shipments at U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports entered its second day on Wednesday with no negotiations currently scheduled between the two sides. [Reuters]
🛰️ NASA’s Webb telescope detects traces of carbon dioxide on the surface of Pluto’s largest moon. Previous research, including a flyby from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft in 2015, revealed that the moon’s surface was coated by water ice, but scientists couldn’t sense chemicals lurking at certain infrared wavelengths until the Webb telescope came around to fill in the gaps. [Associated Press]
Sabrina Carpenter has stamina and staying power on the Hot 100:
As Shaboozey spends a 12th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” the longest reigning No. 1 hit of the year, Sabrina Carpenter is setting chart records of her own. This week Carpenter becomes the first woman in chart history to land three songs in the Hot 100’s top 10 for five consecutive weeks, with “Espresso” at No. 3, “Please Please Please” at No. 8, and “Taste” at No. 9.
Ariana Grande did a live EP of Eternal Sunshine songs:
Ariana Grande’s excellent Eternal Sunshine got yet another slightly deluxe rerelease this with a new version of the album that includes seven new live versions of songs including the No. 1 hits “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)” (by the way, if you’re in the mood for even more live Ariana vocals, please do stream her live performance of “Positions” for Vevo in which she looped her vocals a la Imogen Heap; it’s better than the studio version IMO).
Grande and her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo are on the cover of the Vanity Fair’s November issue photographed by Norman Jean Roy. In the story, the pair says they made a conscientious decision to not foster any rivalries that their Wicked roles have been rumored to engender in the past. “I’m so grateful for it because we kind of looked at this and we said, ‘Oh, that’s not an option. That’s not going to happen to us,’” Grande said.
Charli XCX is teasing Brat remixes with billboards around the country:
Brat green billboards and signage have popped up around the U.S. teasing the forthcoming Charli XCX remix album. The billboards feature the names of artists who hail from the cities where the billboards were placed, including Bon Iver in Minneapolis, Tinashe in Pasadena, Calif., and Robyn, Yung Lean, and Bladee in Stockholm. *books flight to New Orleans* *rents car* *drives 90 minutes to Kentwood, La., to look for evidence of Britney Spears billboards*
Bad Bunny calls out Puerto Rico’s incumbent party:
In a new billboard campaign in his native Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny is calling a vote for the U.S. territory’s New Progressive Party, or PNP, a vote for corruption. Images of billboards the rapper shared on social media say “To vote for PNP is to vote for corruption,” “Who votes for PNP doesn’t love Puerto Rico,” and “Voting for PNP is voting for LUMA,” a private energy company.
PNP is a pro-statehood party and it’s held the governor’s mansion in the U.S. territory since 2017. Bad Bunny has become increasingly vocal about their poor response to Hurricane Maria, which hit the island that year.
How Beyoncé’s collab with Levi’s happened:
Kenny Mitchell, the chief marketing officer at Levi Strauss & Co., told The New York Times he and his team reached out to Beyoncé after she released the song “Levii’s Jeans” on Cowboy Carter to see if they could work together. “Once that album came out, it was obviously a moment where we said, ‘Hey, maybe we can start to have some conversations about whether a deeper partnership makes sense,’” Mitchell said. The result was their new campaign and an ad that modernizes their 1985 ad “Laundrette” at a time when the denim brand is seeking to boost its share of female customers from a third to half.
Netflix sees cancellations rise after founder backs Harris:
After Netflix cofounder and chairman Reed Hastings endorsed Harris for president in July and donated $7 million to a pro-Harris super PAC, the streamer saw cancellations reach 2.8%, which is higher than any month since February when it ended its basic subscription tier. The spike lasted just a few days, according to Bloomberg.
Saturday Night Live sees highest season premiere in four years:
Some 5.3 million viewers tuned in Saturday for the season 50 premiere of SNL. That’s the highest viewership for a season premiere since 2020, which you might recall was the last time we had a presidential election.
Maya Rudolph opened the show playing Harris promising to end the dramala if elected, with Andy Samberg as Emhoff, Jim Gaffigan as Walz, Dana Carvey as Biden, James Austin Johnson as Trump, and Bowen Yang as Walz.
Thanks for reading! See you next time. ⭐