Syrians began voting Tuesday in a farcical election almost certain to hand President Bashar al-Assad another seven-year term. Government forces provided heavy security at more than 9,000 polling stations in government-controlled areas. State employees said they had been told they had to vote or face interrogation. Opposition groups urged Syrians to boycott the "blood election," and rebels said anyone not staying home was a legitimate military target.
But in perhaps the most telling example of the election's illegitimacy, North Korea joined Zimbabwe, Russia, and Iran to monitor the voting. Per The New York Times:
While Mr. Assad’s international opponents have branded the election a farce, election observers were on hand Tuesday from North Korea — a country even less tolerant of dissent than Syria — as well as from Mr. Assad’s allies Iran and Russia, along with Brazil, Zimbabwe and others. [The New York Times] Harold Maass
Michael Bloomberg is presumably running for president.
The billionaire and former New York City mayor announced earlier this year that he wasn't running for president, and he hasn't said anything to indicate he's changed his mind. And yet his filing with the Federal Election Commission as a 2020 candidate and, now, a $19 million ad buy across the U.S., suggests a reversal is imminent.
Bloomberg has been scooping TV ads across the U.S., spending at least $19 million in more than 25 markets as of Friday afternoon, CNBC reports. They include massive buys in California, Massachusetts, Colorado, and other states that come after the first four contests on the 2020 primary schedule. The biggest hits come in Los Angeles and Chicago, where he's spent more than $700,000, and there's also a large buy in the Florida market that includes President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
Bloomberg missed the deadline to file for the New Hampshire primary, and these ad purchases seem to solidify that he's going to skip the early primary and caucus states altogether. The ads will run from Nov. 25–Dec. 3, and are just a fraction of the $100 million digital campaign Bloomberg is said to embark on in his middleground run for president. Kathryn Krawczyk
About 80 percent of adolescents around the globe are getting less than the recommended 60 minutes of exercise, according to the World Health Organization's first-ever global study of physical activity among kids ages 11 to 17.
The study found that girls were less active than boys worldwide, with the biggest gender gaps in the United States and Ireland. It also mentioned that many sports in the United States seem designed to attract boys more than girls. In a press release on Friday, author Dr. Regina Guthold of WHO, pushed for "urgent policy action" to particularly "promote and retain girls' participation in physical activity."
Leisure activities today tend to be "more sedentary and screen-based rather than being outdoor exercise, sport or play," Dr. Juana Willumsen, a WHO expert on physical activity, told CNBC.
But the WHO's study asserts that there is no compromise when it comes to health. "Four in every five adolescents do not experience the enjoyment and social, physical, and mental health benefits of regular physical activity," Fiona Bull, co-author of the study told Reuters, and urged policymakers worldwide to "act now for the health of this and future young generations." Ramisa Rob
You know the drill!
It's Friday, which means Jane Fonda is protesting climate change in Washington, D.C. This week's "Fire Drill Friday" features appearances by actresses Diane Lane and Piper Perabo, as well as The Good Place actor Manny Jacinto and model Amber Valletta, per The Hollywood Reporter. Lane, Perabo, and Valletta were arrested after they reportedly blocked traffic in front of the Supreme Court, but Fonda avoided being detained this week.
The woman who started it all has been playing it cool in recent weeks, as another jail stay could be lengthy due to Fonda's first four arrests. Organizers fear she could face up to 90 days if she's arrested again, Deadline reports, which would render her unable to participate in the scene-stealing protests. Fonda previously spent one night in jail, which she said involved some one-on-one time with cockroaches.
The protests have drawn numerous A-listers thus far, and Fonda has teased that there are more big names to come. But any Hollywood stars looking to grab a slice of the climate change spotlight should book their flights to D.C. soon — Fonda has to be back in Los Angeles come January to film Grace and Frankie. Marianne Dodson
That one's gotta hurt.
On Friday, former Vice President Joe Biden announced that he'd earned the endorsement of Oliver Davis Jr., a black community leader in Indiana. The endorsement got some heavy play for someone who's not even close to a national political figure — but all makes sense considering Davis is from Pete Buttigieg's hometown.
Davis is the vice president of the common council in South Bend, Indiana, where Buttigieg is mayor. In fact, Davis even ran for mayor earlier this year after Buttigieg declined to run, but couldn't beat the 4,447 votes that Buttigieg's chief of staff earned to clinch the Democratic nomination. Still, Davis is one of the longest-serving members of the city's common council, and focused on Biden's long tenure in his endorsement. "In times like these, when the political winds are fiercely blowing across our country, it's important for us to have an experienced leader who has been through the diverse storms of life to guide our country," he said.
It's hard not to read that as a shot at Buttigieg, who is 40 years Biden's junior and has faced major criticism over his lack of political and life experience and dismal showing among black voters. And if that weren't enough of a blow, Biden was sure to point out that Davis "joins two other African American elected officials from Indiana" in backing Biden as well. Kathryn Krawczyk