BY THE NUMBERS: Vice President Kamala Harris now has a clear lead in some of the polls following Tuesday night’s presidential debate. 

  Reuters and Morning Consult have Harris leading Donald Trump by five points. The pro-Trump New York Post gives Harris a three point lead. Data for Progress, a progressive political organization, has Harris up by four points.

  Rasmussen Reports, which typically skews Republican, says Trump leads 49 to 47 percent.

BROADCAST NEWS: The US, Canada, and Britain yesterday placed sanctions on Russia’s global television network, RT, accusing the organization of acting as an arm of that country’s intelligence agencies. The sanctions are intended to cut off international financing for RT’S disinformation operations around the world.

  The action comes after the Justice Department indicted two RT employees accusing them of funneling at least $9.7 million to a video-streaming site in Tennessee with the intent of pushing Kremlin propaganda and undermining American elections.

  Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that RT carries out covert operations in the US and several other countries at the direction of Russian intelligence officials reporting to the Kremlin. “Today, we’re exposing how Russia deploys similar tactics around the world,” Blinken said. “Russian weaponization of disinformation to subvert and polarize free and open societies extends to every part of the world.”

  Blinken urged US allies to treat RT as an intelligence operation. The US claims Russia is trying to bolster the Donald Trump presidential campaign because the former president has said this country is spending too much money to help Ukraine’s defense.

PAPAL POLITICS: Pope Francis stepped into the American political fray advising Catholic voters to choose the “lesser of two evils” between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris because “both are against life.” He condemned Harris for supporting abortion rights, and Trump for being anti-immigrant. 

  Speaking on the plane returning from Southeast Asia and Oceana he said, “Sending migrants away, not allowing them to grow, not letting them have life is something wrong; it is cruelty.” He also said, “Sending a child away from the womb of the mother is murder because there is life. And we must speak clearly about these things.”

  He did not speak clearly about who he believes Catholics should vote for. Pressed by a reporter Francis said, “Which is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman? I don’t know. Each person must think and decide according to his or her own conscience.”

CATS AND DOGS: Donald Trump is still spreading the debunked story that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are stealing people’s domestic pets and serving them up for dinner. Trump said it in Tuesday night’s presidential debate and has backed it up on the campaign trail saying the Haitians were “destroying their way of life” … life for non-Haitians in Springfield.

  Springfield attracted many Haitian immigrants who are in the country legally for its lower cost of living and work opportunities.

  The Haitian Times, a newspaper for Haitian interests, reports that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are feeling threatened. The paper reports on one woman who said her cars have been vandalized twice in the middle of the night. She woke up one morning to broken windows and another to acid thrown on the vehicle. “I’m going to have to move because this area is no longer good for me,” the woman told the paper. “I can’t even leave my house to go to Walmart. I’m anxious and scared.”

  Bomb threats have caused the closure of City Hall, schools, and a motor vehicle office.

  A community activist identified only as “S.P.” told the Haitian Times that frightened Haitian immigrants have been calling her. “People are very afraid for their lives,” S.P. is quoted as saying, “Many families are starting to think of leaving Springfield after last night (the debate) and some kids aren’t even going to school because of fear of being attacked.”

  Now, a woman in Springfield whose unverified Facebook post may have started the whole thing says she regrets it.

  But speaking in California, Trump dodged a question about the Springfield situation saying, “No, the real threat is what’s happening at our border. Because you have thousands of people being killed by illegal migrants coming in and also dying.” 

HARD KNOCKS: NFL veterans and commentators are calling on Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to retire following his frightening concussion in Monday night’s game against Buffalo.

  Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Piece, a former NFL player, said during a news conference yesterday, “I’d tell him to retire. It’s not worth it. … He’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”

  Tagovailoa, 26, missed time on the field following concussions in 2022. Under NFL concussion protocols, only the doctors can decide when a player returns.

   Mohammed Elamir, a doctor at a leading brain health clinic, told The Washington Post by email: “I’ve seen so many different brain injuries cause irreparable damage. A professional athlete makes their livelihood knowing the risks associated with their sport. However, it’s important to advise of the risks associated with repeated concussions, not just for now but for the rest of their life. Because of this I would strongly recommend he consider retiring.”

THE SPIN RACK: The Boar’s head meat company said it will indefinitely shut down its Virginia deli meat plant that it is the source of a listeria outbreak that has killed nine people and made people sick in 18 states. They’ve traced the problem to their liverwurst and say they will permanently stop making it. — Yosemite National Park’s historic Wawona Hotel is closing indefinitely for what the park service says is a comprehensive assessment. The hotel is 168 years old.

BELOW THE FOLD: The concert ended in Boston last night when Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell punched guitarist Dave Navarro and was dragged off the stage by crew members. Some concert-goers thought it was a gag until the rest of the band said goodnight.

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