Voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota will decide whether to legalize and tax recreational marijuana in November, while Mississippi residents will get to consider legalizing cannabis for medical purposes, according to CNBC and CNN.
Why it matters: Legalization in additional states could be a big opportunity for the marijuana industry, and new tax revenue from potential sales could help states and cities balance budgets hit hard from the coronavirus pandemic.
A federal judge on Saturday threw out an attempt by the Trump campaign and Republican Party to block ballot drop boxes and other voting policies in Pennsylvania.
Why it matters: The ruling represents a blow to the Trump campaign in a battleground state with less than a month before the election.
President Trump held a Saturday rally on the South Lawn of the White House with 300 to 400 attendees — his first public event in nine days.
Why it matters: It was the president's first event since he contracted the coronavirus, featuring conservative activist Candace Owens and the group “Blexit,” which seeks to convince Black voters to join the Republican Party.
President Trump said during a Saturday rally on the South Lawn of the White House that the coronavirus "is going to disappear."
Why it matters: The rally with 300 to 400 attendees was the president's first public event since he contracted the coronavirus, and included conservative activist Candace Owens and the group “Blexit,” which seeks to convince Black voters to join the Republican Party.
Despite Donald Trump's crowd-pleasing campaign pledge to "drain the swamp," his family business discovered a lucrative new revenue stream once he was in office — people who wanted something from the president, the N.Y. Times reports in a 10-byline tour de force for Sunday's paper.
What they found: "An investigation by The Times found over 200 companies, special-interest groups and foreign governments that patronized Mr. Trump’s properties while reaping benefits from him and his administration," the Times wrote.
After years of holding their tongues,a few Republicans have started to separate themselves from President Trump and his possible political collapse, focusing on his carelessness with the virus.
Why it matters: A senior Republican official told me this is less about shaping this election, and more about preparing for the aftermath.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told CNBC on Friday that the GOP could face "a bloodbath of Watergate proportions" on Election Day if voters are feeling "depressed" about the economy and the pandemic.
The state of play: President Trump has sought to use the economy as a pivoting point from the pandemic throughout his re-election campaign. But if that pitch fails, it could spell trouble for Republicans.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Saturday that the Trump administration's new $1.8 trillion coronavirus relief proposal was “one step forward, two steps back," in a letter to her Democratic colleagues.
Why it matters: It's the most recent rejection in ongoing stimulus negotiations throughout the coronavirus pandemic and comes days after President Trump stopped, then restarted talks with House Democrats.
A federal judge blocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's (R) Oct. 1 proclamation restricting voters to one location per county to drop off absentee ballots in the general election, NPR reports.
Why it matters: Abbott said he was attempting to protect election security by reducing the number of places where Texans could drop off mail ballots during early voting. State Democrats accused the governor of trying to suppress the vote by forcing voters to travel further and to more-crowded locations to drop their ballots.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) was released from the hospital on Saturday after a week of treatment for the coronavirus.
The big picture: Christie, 58, appears to have contracted COVID-19 in the White House coronavirus outbreak, which saw positive tests from President Trump and first lady Melania Trump. The former governor tweeted on Oct. 3 that he was checking himself into the hospital per guidance from his doctors.
Mike Pence's performance at the vice presidential debate set conservative media on fire, generating high interaction numbers on favorable coverage of him and critical coverage of Kamala Harris, according to data from NewsWhip provided to Axios.
The big picture: The debate was more notable for its return to civility than for generating strong emotions — but the NewsWhip data shows that the breakout moments saw more traction on the right.
If you're planning to cast your ballot by mail this year rather than voting in person, these are the most common mistakes to avoid so you can ensure your vote is counted.
Why it matters: About 1% of absentee ballots that were cast in the 2016 and 2018 elections were ultimately tossed, according to the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission (EAC). That could translate to hundreds of thousands of uncounted ballots this year — enough to potentially change the outcome of the presidential race.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) refused to take a COVID-19 test as demanded by his Democratic challenger, Jaime Harrison, forcing organizers of Friday's U.S. Senate debate to change the format at the last minute.
Why it matters: If Graham were to test positive for the virus it could delay confirmation hearings on Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
President Trump said he has been off coronavirus medication for at least eight hours, in his first televised event since his hospitalization for treatment of COVID-19.
Why it matters: Trump claimed on Fox News that he went to Walter Reed Medical Center because he felt tired and denied that he received supplemental oxygen because he had trouble breathing. White House physician Sean Conley said last week that the president received oxygen after his oxygen saturation level dropped below 94%.
