Today in one sentence: The Springfield City School District has received 36 shooting and bomb threats since Trump and JD Vance falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants were eating pets; at least 111 former Republican national security officials endorsed Kamala Harris, calling Trump "unfit to serve again as president"; the Georgia Election Integrity Coalition – a group of officials and election deniers – is reportedly planning to call the results of November’s election into question before a single vote is cast; the FBI is investigating suspicious packages containing “an unknown substance” sent to elections officials in more than 16 states; the Teamsters won’t endorse a presidential candidate for the first time since 1996; the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a percentage point and projected two more cuts before the end of the year; U.S. will face a shortage of six million workers by 2032; and 54% of Americans said they support the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, including 86% of Republicans, 58% of independents, and 25% of Democrats.

1/ The Springfield City School District has received 36 shooting and bomb threats since Trump and JD Vance falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants were eating pets, forcing local schools to move classes online and cancel on-campus events. Despite no verifiable evidence or credible reports support the claims, Vance, nevertheless, defended his baseless comments, saying that “the media has a responsibility to fact-check” stories – not him. (The Guardian / Politico / Wall Street Journal / Axios)

2/ At least 111 former Republican national security officials endorsed Kamala Harris, calling Trump “unfit to serve again as president.” In a letter to the public, the Republicans conclude that Trump cannot be trusted “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic […] and bear true faith and allegiance to the same. They add that Trump “promoted daily chaos in government, praised our enemies and undermined our allies, politicized the military and disparaged our veterans, prioritized his personal interest above American interests and betrayed our values, democracy and this country’s founding documents.” Together, they condemned Trump’s “dangerous qualities,” including his “unusual affinity” for dictators like Putin and “contempt for the norms of decent, ethical and lawful behavior.” (New York Times)

3/ The Georgia Election Integrity Coalition – a group of officials and election deniers – is reportedly planning to call the results of November’s election into question before a single vote is cast. Emails obtained as a result of a public records request sent to David Hancock, an election denier and member of the Gwinnett county board of elections, reveal the behind-the-scenes effort to enact denier-based policies and portray the coming election as beset with fraud. Separately, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger sent a letter to the State Election Board, criticizing “the absurdity of the board’s actions” to vote on more than a dozen new election rules and procedures so late in the process. The proposed package of election rules require that a polling place’s manager and two witnesses hand-count the paper ballots in every ballot box, hand counting of absentee ballots, requiring the public posting of all registered voters, and expanding access for poll watchers. Last month, the board approved a new rule requiring a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying state elections. The measure allows local officials to refuse or delay certification of a county’s election results. (The Guardian / New York Times / NPR / Rolling Stone)

4/ The FBI is investigating suspicious packages containing “an unknown substance” sent to elections officials in more than 16 states. None of the mail has been deemed hazardous – and in one case, the substance was flour – but the scare forced evacuations in some locations. (ABC News / Associated Press)

5/ The Teamsters won’t endorse a presidential candidate for the first time since 1996 following an internal, electronic poll found that 59.6% of members supported a Trump endorsement, while 34% supported a Harris endorsement. The union endorsed Biden in 2020, who became the first sitting president in history to walk a picket line, in addition to awarding $36 billion in federal funds to save the pensions of more than 350,000 Teamster truck drivers – the largest rescue package for a pension plan in U.S. history. (New York Times / Politico / NPR / Washington Post / ABC News / Axios / CNBC)

6/ The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a percentage point and projected two more cuts before the end of the year. It’s the first rate cut in four years, and brings the Fed’s benchmark rate to a range between 4.75%-5% from between 5.25 and 5.5%. The Fed said the decision reflected “greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2%” and that the central bank “judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance.” (Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / CNBC / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News)

7/ The U.S. will face a shortage of six million workers by 2032 due, in part, to mismatches between workers and jobs, and the decline in workforce participation among men. According to the study, without increased immigration, working-age people will start to disappear from the labor force, leaving the U.S. unable to sustain its workforce with U.S.-born workers. (Bloomberg)

poll/ 54% of Americans said they support the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, including 86% of Republicans, 58% of independents, and 25% of Democrats. (Scripps News)

  • 📅 The WTFJHT Calendar: Now until then.

  • 💰 Sept. 30: Government funding deadline.
    📺 Oct. 1: CBS vice presidential debate.
    📆 Oct. 6: Last day to register to vote in some states.
    ⛔️ Oct. 14: Indigenous Peoples’ Day – No WTFJHT.
    🗳️ Nov. 5: Election Day.
    ⚖️ Nov. 26: Trump is sentenced.
  • ✅ Get election ready: Register to vote, update your address, or request an absentee ballot at Vote.org, TurboVote.org, RocktheVote.org, or VoteFromAbroad.org.

  • 📈 Election Polling Tracker

  • Harris +4.0 points (New York Times)
    Harris +3.3 points (538)
    Harris +3.1 points (Nate Silver)
    Harris +4.5 points (The Economist)
    Harris +2.0 points (RealClearPolitics)
    Harris +9.1 points (Election Betting Odds)

  • 🔮 Election Forecast Tracker

  • Harris wins 63 times out of 100. Trump wins 37 times out of 100. (538)
    Trump wins 52 times out of 100. Harris wins 48 times out of 100. (Nate Silver)
    Harris wins 60 times out of 100. Trump wins 40 times out of 100. (The Economist)
Four years ago today: Day 1338: "You need a test."
Five years ago today: Day 972: Dastardly.
Six years ago today: Day 607: A great gentleman.