CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 37,017,746 and the nation’s death toll stands at 623,321, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 28 days, there have been 2,842,967 new cases and 13,884 deaths… The Pentagon has announced plans to send up to five medical assistance teams to combat COVID-19 inside the U.S. According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, the teams will include about 20 medical personnel, including doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists. The first medical assistance team will be deployed to Lafayette, Louisiana.
TALIBAN PROMISE SAFE PASSAGE… White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said yesterday that the Taliban has committed to providing a “safe passage” for civilians looking to flee Afghanistan. According to Sullivan, the military is in discussions with the Taliban about getting civilians to the Kabul airport safely. Meanwhile, at a press conference yesterday, a Taliban spokesman vowed that the extremist Muslim group would not harbor terrorism and will support women’s rights.
SENATE PANEL TO PROBE AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL… Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has announced he will seek a “full accounting” of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. “Congress was told repeatedly that the Afghan Defense and Security Forces were up to the task,” Menendez said in announcing his plans yesterday. “The American and Afghan people clearly have not been told the truth.” Menendez says a hearing will center on “the Trump administration’s flawed negotiations with Taliban, and the Biden administration’s flawed execution of the U.S. withdrawal.”
KENOSHA LAWSUIT… The father of a man fatally shot by teenager Kyle Rittenhouse during racial justice protests in Wisconsin last August is suing the city of Kenosha and local law enforcement, claiming that Kenosha and its local law enforcement departments “deputized” and “conspired” with armed individuals. The complaint alleges that the defendants “did not treat Rittenhouse or any of the other armed individuals patrolling the streets as a threat to the safety of themselves or the citizens they were sworn to protect.” Rittenhouse, then 17, shot and killed Anthony Huber, 26, on August 25, 2020, after a chase. Rittenhouse has maintained that he was acting out of self defense.
RACIAL DISPARITY IN HEALTH SPENDING… An analysis published yesterday by JAMA found that the U.S. spends about 15 percent more on healthcare services for White people than for communities of color. Data found that of the roughly $2.4 trillion spent on healthcare for six common diseases in 2016, 72 percent was allocated for White people, with 11 percent spent on Black and Hispanic people. Hispanics account for just over 19 percent of the national population, while Blacks make up nearly 19 percent.
ENTERTAINMENT
‘SPENCER’ GETS PREMIERE DATE… An upcoming film about Princess Diana has been given a November 5 release date. “Spencer,” which stars Kristen Stewart, will have its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and screen at the Toronto International Film Festival net month. The story takes place over a holiday weekend in the early 1990s when Diana decided to leave her marriage to Prince Charles, played by Jack Farthing.
JOHNNY DEPP CAN PROCEED WITH LAWSUIT… A judge in Virginia is allowing Johnny Depp to move forward with his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard. The 58-year-old Depp is suing the 35-year-old Heard for accusing him of domestic violence amid their 2016 split. A supplemental plea Heard’s lawyers filed to dismiss the case after Depp lost his U.K. libel lawsuit against British tabloid The Sun was denied.
SPORTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Chi. Cubs 2 – CINCINNATI 1… Kyle Hendricks limited the Reds to a run on three hits over six innings. Ian Happ’s solo homer in the top of the sixth inning proved to be the difference.
Atlanta 2 – MIAMI 0… Six pitchers combined on a four-hitter as the Braves clipped the Marlins. Jorge Soler singled home Abraham Almonte to break a scoreless tie in the top of the eighth inning. Austin Riley homered in the ninth.
Milwaukee 2 – ST. LOUIS 0… Corbin Burnes (8-4) pitched two-hit ball over six innings and three relievers completed the shutout of the Cardinals. Kolten Wong and Omar Narvaez slugged run-scoring doubles for the Brewers.
COLORADO 7 – San Diego 3… Charlie Blackmon opened the scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning and added a two-run homer in the Rockies’ win over the Padres. C.J. Cron also went deep. German Marquez (11-9) allowed three runs on five hits over 6-1/3 innings. He helped himself offensively by driving in two runs with a double and a single.
ARIZONA 3 – Philadelphia 2… Josh VanMeter’s tie-breaking two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning powered the Diamondbacks past the Phillies. Josh Rojas went 3-for-4 with an RBI double.
SAN FRANCISCO 3 – N.Y. Mets 2… Tommy La Stella homered with a runner aboard in the bottom of the first inning and Eva Longoria’s solo shot in the seventh proved decisive as the Giants held off the Mets. Logan Webb (7-3) gave up two runs on seven hits over 7-1/3 innings.
L.A. DODGERS 4 – Pittsburgh 3… Matt Beaty delivered a tie-breaking two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning and the Dodgers hung on to edge the Pirates. AJ Pollock singled home two runs in the third.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. YANKEES 5 – Boston 3 (7 innings)… The Yankees came up with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead for good in the opener of a doubleheader. Andrew Velazquez and Luke Voit stroked two-run singles.
N.Y. YANKEES 2 – Boston 0 (7 innings)… Solo homers by Luke Voit and Giancarlo Stanton provided all the offense the Yankees needed in completing a sweep of the twinbill. Three pitchers combined on a five-hitter.
L.A. Angels 8 – DETROIT 2… Joe Adell unloaded a tie-breaking grand slam to spark a six-run top of the ninth inning for the Angels. Kurt Suzuki also went deep.
TAMPA BAY 10 – Baltimore 0… Three pitchers combined to blank the Orioles on three hits and got plenty of support in the Rays’ romp. Nelson Cruz homered twice and knocked in five runs. Mike Zunino added a two-run shot.
Seattle 3 – TEXAS 1… Tyler Anderson (6-8) allowed just a run n three hits over six innings and the Mariners topped the Rangers. Mitch Haniger lifted a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning to score Cal Raleigh with a go-ahead run. Luis Torrens homered in the ninth.
KANSAS CITY 3 – Houston 1… Daniel Lynch (3-3) held the Astros to a run on four hits over seven innings in outdueling counterpart Franmil Valdez (8-4). Hanser Alberto’s two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning proved decisive.
Cleveland 3 – MINNESOTA 1… Eli Morgan (2-5) pitched three-hit ball over six scoreless innings as the Indians downed the Twins. Daniel Johnson homered with a runner aboard.
CHI. WHITE SOX 9 – Oakland 0… Reynaldo Lopez (2-0) limited the Athletics to one hits over five innings and got help from two relievers in the shutout. Jake Lamb and Jose Abreu hit three-run homers.
INTERLEAGUE
WASHINGTON 12 – Toronto 6… The Nationals took control with a six-run bottom of the third inning and needed a four-run eighth to put away the Blue Jays. Yadiel Hernandez homered and lined a two-run single. Riley Adams also went deep.
TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
the Chi. Cubs (TBA) are at Cincinnati (Tyler Mahle, 10-3)…
Colorado (Austin Gomber, 9-7) hosts San Diego (Blake Snell, 6-4)…
the N.Y. Mets (Tylor Megill, 1-2) are at San Francisco (Anthony DeSclafani, 11-5)…
Miami (Jesus Luzardo, 2-1) hosts Atlanta (Charlie Morton, 11-4)…
Milwaukee (Freddy Peralta, 9-3) is at St. Louis (Jack Flaherty, 9-1)…
Arizona (TBA) hosts Philadelphia (Ranger Suarez, 5-3)…
Pittsburgh (JT Brubaker, 4-12) is at the L.A. Dodgers (TBA)
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland (Zach Plesac, 7-4) is at Minnesota (TBA)…
the N.Y. Yankees (Andrew Heaney, 7-8) host Boston (Nick Pivetta, 9-5)…
the L.A. Angels (Shohei Ohtani, 7-1) are at Detroit (Tarik Skubal, 8-10)…
Tampa Bay (Shane McClanahan, 7-4) hosts Baltimore (Spenser Watkins, 2-4)…
Seattle (Marco Gonzales, 4-5) is at Texas (Mike Foltynewicz, 2-11)…
Kansas City (Brady Singer, 3-8) hosts Houston (Zack Greinke, 11-3)…
Oakland (Cole Irvin, 8-11) is at the Chi. White Sox (Lance Lynn, 10-3)
INTERLEAGUE
Toronto (Jose Berrios, 8-6) is at Washington (Josiah Gray, 0-1)
Bob Sarber 