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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday claimed that she was set up by a San Francisco hair salon in a now-viral incident her Republican adversaries used to portray her as a hypocrite on pandemic precautions. Speaking at a news conference on education in her home district, the California Democrat declined to apologize for visiting the salon in spite of city regulations prohibiting indoor salon service. (Choi and Forgey, 9/2)

“I take responsibility for trusting the word of the neighborhood salon that I’ve been to over the years many times when they said, ‘We’re able to accommodate people one person at a time.’ ”It wasn’t clear just how Fox News obtained the security camera footage from eSalon on Union Street, showing Nancy Pelosi without a mask on, walking inside the salon, fresh from a shampoo, a man with a mask behind her who appears to be the stylist. But on Wednesday evening, Pelosi’s hair stylist accused the owner of the salon of having it in for Pelosi. (9/2)

A San Francisco cosmetologist who works at the salon that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited earlier this week attempted Wednesday to distance himself from the salon's owner, Erica Kious. In a statement issued by his lawyer, hair stylist Jonathan DeNardo appeared to agree with Pelosi's accusation that her appointment at eSalon on Monday was "a set-up" designed to embarrass the Democrat for allegedly ignoring coronavirus rules, according to reports. (Aaro, 9/3)

Sen. Joni Ernst suggested that the coronavirus death count may be inflated to make health care providers more money.The Republican from Iowa said during a campaign stop Monday in Black Hawk County that she’s “so skeptical” of the death toll, The Courier reported.“These health care providers and others are reimbursed at a higher rate if COVID is tied to it, so what do you think they’re doing?” Ernst said. (Lin, 9/2)