Stranger Than Fiction

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• House Democrats Set Vote on Bill to Bolster USPS “The Democrats’ measure would temporarily ban operational changes and top up funding, as the agency becomes the focus of a battle over mail-in ballots.”

• China’s CDC, Built to Stop Pandemics, Stumbled When It Mattered Most “Local leaders in Wuhan, consumed with domestic politics, did an end run around the Western-educated virologist whose agency was supposed to contain new contagious diseases.”

• University of North Carolina Retreats to Remote Learning After Coronavirus Outbreaks “The university, which recently started classes, reported 135 new infections in the past week, including 130 among students in multiple locations.”

• ‘Leadership matters’: DNC speakers slam virus response under Trump Diverse lineup included Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, John Kasich

• High school students want schools to teach more Black history, include more Black authors “Young people band together to demand change wherever they attend school: at large public systems, elite private schools or small parochial institutions.”

WHAT I’M READING + WATCHING + LISTENING TO

• 🎧 LISTEN: University of North Carolina Retreats to Remote Learning After Coronavirus OutbreaksThe university, which recently started classes, reported 135 new infections in the past week, including 130 among students in multiple locations.

• Residential segregation plays a role in coronavirus disparities, study finds

• U.S. military paid $2 million for injuries and deaths in Afghanistan 

• Two men charged in 2002 killing of Run-DMC legend Jam Master Jay

THE COMMENT

“Beyond offering reassurance, though, there are specific measures states can adopt. First, while encouraging voters to cast their ballots with plenty of time to spare, they also should allow some leeway on when votes must arrive. States should require that all ballots be in the mail by Election Day, but not that they be received by then. Instead, voters should have a grace period to account for any unforeseen mail delays or other logistical issues. Massachusetts will accept ballots received three days after Election Day. Colorado, which conducts nearly all of its balloting by mail, gives ballots eight days after Election Day to arrive. California has expanded its usual three-day grace period to 17 days for this year’s general election. On the other hand, states such as Connecticut and Delaware require ballots to be received by Election Day. Leeway may lead to delay in knowing who has won, which is unfortunate, but failing to count legitimate ballots would be worse.” - Washington Post Editorial Board

THE STRANGEST

• The ancient mystery of “skeleton lake”

THE AV ROOM