In yet another of many recent examples of fever pitch partisanship begetting uncharitable and unseemly behavior as the new normal in partisan discourse, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), the Republican candidate for governor in Florida this year, ran attack ads during Hurricane Michael, breaking an unwritten rule of politics in Florida, where hurricanes are a regular and devastating hazard.

ATLANTA, GA. - Brian Kemp, the Peach State's Republican candidate for governor, also happens to be Georgia's current secretary of state, responsible for overseeing elections and voter registration in Georgia.

Former state Rep. Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor, along with voting rights advocates in the state, allege that Kemp has carried out a systematic campaign of deliberate voter suppression tactics by purging voter rolls and putting 53,000 voter registrations on hold.

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - The Sacramento Bee reported Thursday that US Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Kevin de León will "debate" each other just weeks before the election. Feinstein agreed to the debate after months of demands from her opponent.

Here's the thing: the debate is scheduled for Wednesday, October 17, at noon PT. It will be hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California and will be streamed online.

ROCKVILLE, MD. - Another independent candidate is gaining ground in a top-ticket statewide race in the 2018 midterms. Independent candidate Neal Simon touted the results of a new poll from Gonzales Research & Media Services Thursday that show him up 10 points in Maryland's US Senate race.

The poll results shows Simon at 18% among likely Maryland voters -- while the incumbent US Sen. Ben Cardin has dropped below 50%.

San Diego, CALIF.- Why are voters leaving political parties and becoming independents? A major concern has been the political, and now very personal rancor elevated from both the right and left, fueled and at times encouraged by the two major political parties.

Using the recent confirmation hearings of now Justice Brett Kavanaugh as the backdrop, the following op-ed by Chris Reed, deputy editor of the editorial and opinion section of the San Diego Union-Tribune, provides a bit of insight and analysis about why it's happening.

Universal health care for America?  Yes, now, here’s why and how.

Along with the growing demand for free, basic health care for all Americans, and the absurdity that we are the only well-developed nation in the world without universal health care, we can add the urgency of health risks related to climate change including new disease patterns and surfacing of old viruses and bacteria from melting tundra. For me, universal health care is now a national security mandate.

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is now public enemy #1 as far as many Democrats are concerned.

Collins, a well-known swing vote in the Senate who caucuses with the Republican Party, stated that she believed then Judge Brett Kavanaugh was innocent of sexually assaulting Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, allegations which surfaced before his confirmation hearing.

CALAIS, MAINE - Independent gubernatorial candidate Terry Hayes is currently contending with negative campaigning against her, orchestrated by the Maine Republican Party. But not all Republicans are on board with the party's actions.

State Senator Joyce Maker from Washington County came out Wednesday in defense of Hayes and condemned her own party for resorting to negative campaign tactics.

“I just want to say that Terry Hayes is real and has kept her message positive and has not used negativity against her opponent(s)," said Maker.

In California, Proposition 8 and Proposition 10 are both ranking very high on both Ballotpedia's page views.  Ballotpedia's Sarah Rosier and IVN's Lindsay France take a look at the politics involved with the help of IVN's 2018 Voter Survey. Check out the methodology here.

Last Friday, my sister and I and our partners flew into an overcast Chicago for a family reunion of two dozen cousins and their spouses, children, even an “ex”-uncle. It had been 10 years since the last Cousins Club meeting, which I missed. The oldest was 91 (my dad), the youngest 15 (my cousin’s son).