| By Jason Fields (@JasonQFields)
Republican senators John McCain and Marco Rubio face their primary fates tonight, as they fight to retain their seats against opponents with little chance. But while all the numbers point their way, they still face headwinds from a man who they aren’t even running against: Republican nominee Donald Trump. Both men have a tortured relationship with Trump. They both officially support him - seemingly without much enthusiasm - and they’ve both been deeply and personally insulted by him. Trump referred to Rubio as “Little Marco” repeatedly during the presidential primaries, when they faced off. And Trump made fun of McCain for being captured when his plane was brought down during the Vietnam War. What’s really at stake? Nothing much, just control of the U.S. Senate, which Republicans are projected to lose on Nov. 8.
Speaking of elections, the FBI is warning that voter rolls have been hacked in at least two states. The FBI won’t say which, but a source familiar with the case says they’re Arizona and Illinois. That’s not to say that some nefarious power necessarily has the ability to manipulate the results on Election Day. What the hackers seem to have accessed is people’s names, addresses, driver’s license info and party affiliation. But in a year where Donald Trump and others have questioned the legitimacy of the whole voting process and suggested results may be massaged in favor of Hillary Clinton, this can’t help. The FBI isn’t saying who might be behind the electronic intrusion.
Speaking of car wrecks, traffic fatalities were up 7.2 percent in the United States in 2015. That runs counter to five decades of decreases. Cheaper gas, leading to more miles driven may be partly to blame. The last time U.S. traffic fatalities rose at a greater rate was in 1966, when they went up 8.1 percent. That was two years before the federal government required seat belts in cars. Digits of the day 35,092 That’s the number of people who died as a result of automobile accidents in 2015. That’s still down dramatically from the nearly 51,000 deaths in 1966, before seat belts were mandatory.
Around the country - Gene Wilder, beloved for playing Willy Wonka, the mysterious man in the chocolate factory - and even more beloved by some of us for his role in Mel Brooks’ classic “The Producers” - has died at age 83.
Quote of the Day 
- A prison sentence that caused an uproar has led to new legislation in California. Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner was given just six months in prison after being convicted of sexual assaulting an unconscious woman in 2015. The new law, which Governor Jerry Brown would have to sign, would make a longer sentence mandatory.
- Scott Bowman, a former FBI agent, has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing more than $136,000 in drug dealers’ ill-gotten gains and using them to buy cars and plastic surgery for his wife.
Around the world
Tough fight 
Libyan forces ride a military vehicle as they prepare for the next advance against Islamic State holdouts in Sirte, Libya, August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny - Russia’s use of an Iranian airfield to strike anti-Assad militants in Syria ended almost as soon as it began earlier this month. What did we learn from the exercise? That Russian air power has some serious limits.
- You’ve probably never heard of Islam Karimov, but the Uzbek leader’s death is likely to send shockwaves through Central Asia - if he is dead. Karimov’s daughter says he suffered a brain hemorrhage, but is in stable condition. Other outlets aren’t so sure.
Around Wall Street - This has to hurt, even if you’re one of the world’s biggest companies: EU regulators say that Apple owes Ireland $14.5 billion in taxes after ruling that a special scheme to route profits through Ireland was illegal state aid.
- Oreo maker Mondelez International Inc has lost its appetite for Hershey months after offering $23 billion for the company. The trust that controls the maker of sweet, sweet Kisses and Reese’s wasn’t interested in the deal.
- The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal is in trouble, with both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump opposing it. But President Barack Obama will try to convince Asian leaders that he can still deliver the deal when he heads to the region next week.
Today’s reason to live The official movie trailer for “The Producers,” starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel |
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