The key facts

  • Democrat James Talarico debunked rumors of a psychiatric clinic in Ohio — he had the flu; the rumors were spread by Ken Paxton and Elon Musk
  • A Republican committee spent more than $25,000 on ads in Portland, Oregon instead of Portland, Maine; the agency returned the money
  • The Trump administration is sending $500 checks to nearly a million Americans and announced $90 payments to more than 20 million seniors; the legality of the $5,000 'dividend' raises questions

Rumors of Talarico's hospitalization

Democratic Senate candidate in Texas James Talarico debunked rumors that he had secretly been in a psychiatric clinic in Ohio, calling it 'the craziest thing I have ever heard.' According to him, he had the flu, which caused him to miss about a week of campaign events. Conspiracy theories on social media, posted by prominent right-wing users, claimed that the 37-year-old candidate was receiving treatment due to a mental health crisis. These posts were amplified by his Republican opponent Ken Paxton and billionaire Elon Musk. The clinic confirmed that the candidate had never been there. Talarico noted that he participated in events via video link and attended a concert in Dallas. 'A good reminder that you can't believe everything you read on the internet,' he said. The race in the Republican stronghold is neck and neck.

Ad in the wrong Portland

A Republican committee spent more than $25,000 on advertising against a Democratic candidate — in the wrong state. The ad aired in Portland, Oregon, not Portland, Maine. The ad agency admitted the mistake and returned the money. The campaign of Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson took advantage of the situation: his press secretary joked in a comment to The New York Times that the Republican opponent Susan Collins and her allies 'are so out of touch with Maine that they apparently can't find it on a map.'

Payments to voters before the election

In the weeks before the midterm elections, Donald Trump is trying to respond to voters' concerns about the cost of living by handing out money. In addition to the promised $5,000 'dividend' to every voter in the event of a Republican victory — a measure whose legality and funding, according to AFP, are at best dubious — his administration began sending $500 checks to nearly a million Americans. The sum is presented as reimbursement for Obamacare health insurance costs, which, according to Trump, were too high under Joe Biden. Payments of $90 to more than 20 million seniors were also announced to compensate for Medicare premiums. 'If you want to BUY votes in the midterms, maybe start by not taking away everyone's health care,' said Democratic Senator Ron Wyden.

Letters with suspicious substances

Authorities are investigating a series of letters with suspicious substances sent to the offices of members of Congress and election bodies in several states, US media report. This week, election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma were evacuated due to packages with white powder. According to CBS News, on Friday six staffers of Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres in New York came into contact with white powder in a letter; the substance was deemed harmless. The mailing resembles incidents from past elections, when letters with white powder arrived at election offices, and in some cases with traces of fentanyl, a potentially lethal opioid.