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The president has left the building

Ashley Shaffer   | Paste BN

One way to go viral: Hold an event in which everyone around you doesn't wear a mask and spreads COVID-19. A better way to go viral: Ride a skateboard to the soundtrack of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” while swigging on a bottle of Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry juice. 

It's Ashley, kicking off your week with the news you need to know.

But first, 👁 have a problem: Increased screen time during the pandemic is sending more people to the eye doctor.  

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Trump returns to White House after COVID-19 hospitalization

President Donald Trump returned to the White House on Monday, three days after he arrived at Walter Reed hospital with coronavirus symptoms alarming enough that doctors administered oxygen and several rounds of aggressive treatment. Trump tweeted earlier that he was feeling "better than I did 20 years ago." "Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life," the president said in comments that drew criticism with the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 over 200,000. 

Trump's COVID-19 announcement sent Washington and the rest of the country into fresh turmoil a month before the election. Nearly 20 people – including White House officials and reporters – have tested positive since then. Many attended Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination ceremony (what some are calling the potential "super spreader" event) a little over a week ago at the White House Rose Garden, where few people wore masks.

Another hurricane? Tropical Storm Delta is heading for the Gulf Coast

Newly formed Tropical Storm Delta could make landfall as a hurricane in the northern Gulf Coast later this week, forecasters warn. The National Hurricane Center upgraded the tropical depression to Tropical Storm Delta on Monday. The storm, which was 135 miles south of Jamaica early Monday, is on track to reach the Gulf Coast as a hurricane around Friday. If it makes landfall, it would be the 10th named storm to hit the U.S. in a single season, which would be an all-time record. The increased storm activity follows Tropical Storm Gamma, which killed at least six people after coming ashore in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula over the weekend.

What everyone’s talking about

Gay men have taken over the Proud Boys hashtag on Twitter 

Gay men are taking over the #ProudBoys hashtag on Twitter. The far-right group the “Proud Boys” was catapulted into the spotlight at the presidential debate last week when Trump dodged a chance to condemn the "western chauvinist” men's group that the Southern Poverty Law Center says is a hate group. But on social media, many men in the LGBTQ community began sharing photos of themselves and their partners to counter the group's rhetoric. "What if gay guys took pictures of themselves making out with each other or doing very gay things, then tagged themselves with #ProudBoys," "Star Trek" actor George Takei tweeted.

Countdown to Election Day: 29 days

With less than a month to go until Election Day, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's lead over President Trump grew slightly in one of the first national polls conducted since the president announced he tested positive for COVID-19. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found Biden ahead of Trump by 10 percentage points (51%-41%) among likely voters, a 1-point jump from a poll on Sept. 30. Trump's COVID-19 infection raised doubts that the candidates would be able to hold their second presidential debate as scheduled, with 59% of Americans saying the debate should be postponed until Trump has recovered. 

In other important election news, it's the last day to register to vote in these states: 

  • Arkansas
  • Arizona
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii (allows same day registration on Election Day)  
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Ohio
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee 
  • Texas

👉 Double check to make sure you're registered here! 👈

Real quick 

We binge-watched 15 hours of speeches by Trump's Supreme Court nominee so you don't have to

The debate surrounding Judge Amy Coney Barrett's potential appointment to the Supreme Court has focused largely on the fate of abortion rights. But her judicial philosophy could significantly affect other major issues that could come before the Supreme Court. While no one can predict how justices will ultimately rule once they have a seat on the nation's highest court, their past records offer a meaningful window into how they interpret the law. In more than 100 speeches and events since 2010, Barrett provided occasional hints about how she could rule on major issues, such as the Affordable Care Act, Roe v. Wade and challenges to the presidential election. She also revealed details about her upbringing, her family life with seven children and her personal tastes. Here's what we learned.

A break from the news

This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.

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