1. On Wednesday, the Secret Service announced that it had intercepted explosives sent to the homes of former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Time Warner Center in Manhattan was also evacuated on Wednesday after an explosive device was discovered in a mailroom at the offices of CNN, while former CIA Director John Brennan and Congresswomen Deborah Wasserman Schultz and Maxine Waters received similar deliveries. On Thursday, police sources told NBC affiliate New York 4 that Robert De Niro’s New York City restaurant, Tribeca Grill, was also sent a package with a suspicious device. The Secret Service has launched an investigation “to determine the source of the packages and identify those responsible.” (NBCNewYork)
2. The Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 World Series lead. Pitching ace David Price had another strong performance, allowing just two runs in six innings, while J.D. Martinez singled in two go-ahead runs in the fifth inning, which was all the Red Sox needed for the win. The two teams are now heading to Los Angeles for Game 3, and will square off on Friday. (ESPN)
3. More than 300 people, most of them members of Portland’s transgender community, gathered in Monument Square Wednesday night to protest a proposed Trump administration policy to define a person’s gender as that listed on their birth certificate. When news of the proposal was leaked this week by the New York Times, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender leaders across the nation reacted with anger because the measure, if enacted, would deny federal recognition and civil rights protections to transgender Americans. (Press Herald)
4. Casco Bay Lines wants to start the second phase of an expansion project begun almost a decade ago. The public ferry company plans to add a second floor to the terminal on Commercial Street, extend the ferry pier, repair the pier structure and improve pedestrian and traffic circulation. Passenger, vehicle and freight volume has grown year over year and the small terminal needs to reconfigure to stay efficient, said Casco Bay Lines General Manager Hank Berg. If the project gets city approval, Casco Bay Lines intends to start construction this winter, Berg said. (Press Herald)
5. McDonald’s will offer its first new breakfast sandwich in five years starting November 1. CNN reports that Triple Breakfast Stacks are modified version of the Egg McMuffin and will include two slices of American cheese, two sausage patties, bacon, and an egg. The artery-clogging sandwich is available on a McMuffin, biscuit, or McGriddles cakes. McDonald’s said in a statement that the triple stacks were inspired by customers requesting bigger breakfast sandwiches and placing customized orders for them. (CNN)
