Good morning. It's Thursday, Oct. 8, and we're making room in our lobby for our new Tyrannosaurus display. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Civil Discourse

Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) faced off—but separated by plexiglass—in the only vice presidential debate of the election. The meeting was low-key and largely civil, with the candidates focusing on the administration's response to the pandemic. In one of the more testy exchanges, both accused each other of playing politics with a potential COVID-19 vaccine; Harris said she did not trust the administration's word, and would only listen to experts, on vaccine safety, while Pence accused the Biden campaign of undermining public confidence in a future vaccine. They also covered healthcare, taxes, and the Supreme Court—watch highlights here.

The second presidential debate appears to be proceeding as planned, despite President Trump's recent COVID-19 diagnosis. The date, Oct. 15, is about two weeks from his positive diagnosis—his doctor said yesterday Trump had been symptom-free for 24 hours.

ISIS 'Beatles' Charged

Two British-born Islamic State militants face eight federal charges for the torturing and beheading of American hostages in Syria. Part of a group nicknamed the “Beatles” by their captives because of their British accents, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey are two of four men accused of torturing and beheading American citizens overseas.

The pair have been linked to the kidnapping and killing of aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller and journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff in 2014. The latter two beheadings raised significant public awareness of the brutality of ISIS ($$, NYT) after their graphic recordings were uploaded to the internet. 

They previously had been in military custody in Iraq and made their first appearance yesterday afternoon at a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. US officials are not seeking the death penalty; the possibility was taken off the table in a bid to get the United Kingdom, who has no death penalty, to transfer evidence.

Stan the T. Rex Sells

The nearly complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex sold at auction yesterday for almost $32M, devouring the previous record bid for a fossil. Known as Stan, the 67-million-year-old specimen was discovered in 1987 outside of the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota, and is 70% complete—the fifth most complete T. rex fossil ever recovered. The 188 bones also reveal a number of battle scars, including a chilling skull puncture, possibly caused by another Tyrannosaur.

Originally expected to go for between $6M and $8M, a bidding war allowed Stan to smash the $8.4M set in 1997 by Sue, a T. rex who ultimately landed at Chicago's Field Museum. Stan's new owner was not immediately revealed. See Stan's remarkably in-depth auction page here.

Separately, read why some have criticized the private fossil trade.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Howard Stern and SiriusXM near deal for contract extension for Stern worth $120M a year; SiriusXM stock up 4.6% on the news (More)

> Mario Molina, winner of 1995 Nobel Prize for Chemistry and the first Mexican scientist to win the Nobel, dies at 77 (More) | The 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature announced this morning at 7am ET (More)

> Saturday Night Live cancels country singer Morgan Wallen’s upcoming performance after Wallen violated coronavirus protocols (More) | New England Patriots cancel practice after star defensive player Stephon Gilmore tests positive for COVID-19 (More)

Science & Technology

> Eli Lilly says its monoclonal antibody treatments are effective in fighting COVID-19 symptoms in mild and moderate cases, will seek FDA approval (More) | See video explainer on how the approach works (Watch)

> Electric shocks to the tongue, combined with audio stimulation, shown to eliminate tinnitus in patients for up to a year (More) | Where persistent ringing of the ears comes from (More)

> Genetic sequencing of individual skin cells reveals broad array of DNA changes, providing insight on how melanoma forms before the emergence of cancerous cells (More)

Business & Markets

> US stock markets surge (S&P 500 +1.7%, Dow +1.9%, Nasdaq +1.9%) as investor optimism around pandemic stimulus grows (More)

> Sources say Purdue Pharma nearing agreement to plead guilty to criminal charges for role in opioid crisis (More)

> Ruby Tuesday files Chapter 11 bankruptcy; will close 185 of approximately 400 restaurants (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Hurricane Delta expected to make landfall along the Louisiana Gulf Coast tomorrow as a Category 2 or 3 storm; system knocked out power to more than 260,000 homes along the Yucatan Peninsula (More)

> Minnesota officer Derek Chauvin, charged in the killing of George Floyd, released from jail after posting conditional $1M bond (More)

> Federal appeals court rejects bid by President Trump to block Manhattan prosecutors from accessing eight years of tax records; case likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court (More)

IN-DEPTH

Face Masks: What We Know

Nature | Lynne Peeples. At a high level, months of research show face masks help protect against both spreading and contracting the coronavirus—but not 100%. And the variety of mask types and environments in which they are worn has created plenty of legitimate confusion over their efficacy. (Read)

The Island That Humans Can't Conquer

Hakai Magazine | Sarah Gilman. Halfway to Siberia, alone in the Bering Sea, Alaska's St. Matthew Island is one of the most remote places in the US. Many have visited over the years, but none have stayed for long. (Read)

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ETCETERA

Meet the appropriately named winner of Fat Bear Week.

The best of the year's way-too-close photography.

TikTok is the new Instagram.

From our partners: This brand offers jewelry that you’ll live in, love always, and layer every day. Shop now. #Ad

Frequent travelers rank the world's best hotels.

Visualizing a century's worth of companies in the Dow Jones.

NASA unveils its newest moonwalking suit.

What being a cat- or dog-person says about you.

Ambien knocks a man out of a vegetative state.

Clickbait: "Frickin' racoons, man!" (w/video)

Historybook: RIP American politician John Hancock (1793); HBD civil rights leader Jesse Jackson (1941); HBD actress Sigourney Weaver (1949); "Cats" debuts on Broadway (1982); Office of Homeland Security is created in wake of 9/11 attacks (2001).

"People like to put you into a box. I'm afraid I don't sit in a box."

- Andrew Lloyd Webber, musical composer of "Cats"

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