The coronavirus has killed nearly 200,000 people in America — far more than in any other country, according to Johns Hopkins University. And experts are predicting a new spike of cases this fall. It's not clear exactly how many of the dead are health care workers, who remain especially vulnerable to the virus. Dr. Claire Rezba has been tracking and documenting their deaths on Twitter. Christopher Friese with the University of Michigan School of Nursing explains how we all feel the effects of a health care system whose workers are stretched to the brink.NPR science correspondent Richard Harris reports on a crucial advancements health care workers have made that mean ICU patients are more likely to survive now than they were at the outset of the pandemic. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There have been so many tropical storms this year that the National Hurricane Center has already made it through the alphabet to name the storms. The last storm name started with "W" (there are no X, Y or Z names). Now, storms will be named using the Greek alphabet. In the last five years, the United States has lost $500 billion because of climate driven weather disasters, including storms and fires. That estimate by the federal government doesn't even include the storms that have hit the Southern coasts in 2020.Hurricanes and wildfires are getting more destructive. And with a world that's getting hotter, NPR's Rebecca Hersher and Nathan Rott report that the costs of these disasters will continue to go up. The change to energy sources with smaller carbon footprints comes with its own risks, too. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf went to Japan to visit the Fukushima region — the site of a nuclear disaster in 2011. Now, people there are working to make the region completely powered by renewables by 2040.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] can see more of Kat Lonsdorf's reporting from Fukushima here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

During the 2000 Presidential election season, it took 36 days and a Supreme Court decision before George W. Bush became the 43rd president of the United States.Before that final Supreme Court decision, there was a five-week battle over the ballots, the rules, the laws and the courts. The amount of litigation and lawyers involved has been called "unprecedented." But what was unprecedented two decades ago looks quaint in 2020.This year campaigns and political parties have staffed up their legal war rooms, making this election season one of the most litigated ever. A lot of the on-going lawsuits are due to coronavirus-related election issues, with at least 248 nationwide.Three of the lawyers preparing for this election season take us from where they were on election night in 2000 to the work they're doing now. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] thanks to Sam Gringlas and Courtney Dorning for reporting featured in this episode.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police in March. Her killing in Louisville, Ky., was part of the fuel for the nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism this spring and summer. On Tuesday, an announcement came that the city of Louisville had reached a $12 million settlement in a civil lawsuit brought against it. But Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, says this is only the beginning when it comes to getting full justice. There are on-going state and federal investigations, but still no criminal charges against any of the officers involved. Before she became the face of a movement, Taylor was a daughter, a niece and a treasured friend. Ahead of what would have been Taylor's 27th birthday, NPR's Ari Shapiro went to Louisville to speak with her family and friends about how they remember Taylor. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] thanks to Becky Sullivan, Sam Gringlas, Sarah Handel, Jason Fuller and Ari Shapiro for the reporting featured in this episode.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Wildfires in Western states aren't slowing down and conspiracy theories about who started them are only making things harder for responders. Conrad Wilson from Oregon Public Broadcasting reports on how claims of Antifa arsonists have clogged up the phone lines for 911 dispatchers in some Oregon towns. And NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Nick Clegg, Facebook's Vice President of Global Affairs and Communication, about the company's decision to remove some misinformation about the fires — and their broader attempts to stop the spread of misinformation online.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

If President Trump knew how contagious and potentially deadly the coronavirus was back in February, why didn't he express that to the American public? That's the question Trump has been facing since last week, when a recording of him expressing a desire to "play down" the virus went public. The audio came from interviews with Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward that he conducted for his latest book, Rage. In an interview with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly, Woodward comes to the conclusion that the president failed to protect the country from the virus and is "the wrong man for the job."Listen to more of the Bob Woodward interview.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

More than 3 million acres have burned in California this wildfire season. The previous record in a single season was 1.7 million, two years ago. Towns are being decimated across California, Oregon and Washington — and firefighting resources are maxed out, as NPR's Kirk Siegler reports from Boise, Idaho. In California, NPR's Lauren Sommer reports on an effort to fight fire with fire — something some Native American tribes have been doing for a long time.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As trials continue for a coronavirus vaccine, some of the world's biggest drug companies have come together in an unusual way. This week, nine drugmakers released a joint statement pledging to not submit a coronavirus vaccine to the Food and Drug Administration unless it's shown to be safe and effective in large clinical trials. NPR's Sydney Lupkin reports that the statement comes as a commitment to science, at a time when some Americans have expressed concern that the trials are being rushed.Part of this concern comes from those who feel politics are influencing the processes vaccines must go through. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have told states a potential vaccine may be ready for distribution as soon as late October — right before Election Day. But when speaking with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser to Operation Warp Speed, said there is a "very low chance" a vaccine will be ready by then. While some Americans are skeptical about a coronavirus vaccine, it doesn't seem like many of those people work on Wall Street. Each time a new vaccine trial phase is announced or a new scientific hurdle is cleared, drug company stock goes up. NPR's Tom Dreisbach reported that executives at one company took advantage of those rising stock prices.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Youth voter turnout exceeded expectations in 2018 and may do so again in 2020. Generation Z — those born after 1996 — is the most pro-government and anti-Trump generation, according to the Pew Research Center. But Democrats can't count on those voters to be automatic allies. Gen Z voters in the LA area spoke with NPR host Ailsa Chang ahead of November's election. They discussed today's Democratic party, and why they will — and won't — be voting for Joe Biden.While Gen Z Democrats are split on Biden, young Republicans are deciding whether they will support President Trump. NPR political reporter Juana Summers spoke to young Republicans about their choices and the future of the GOP.Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, told NPR that young voters are more concerned with issues and values than with identity and branding. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

With Labor Day weekend gone, summer is unofficially over — and millions of children head back to school this week, many virtually. Two teachers — Rosie Reid in California and Lynette Stant in Arizona — share how things are going in their schools so far. Many states have decided to allow high school football to go forward, even if kids are not in school. NPR's Tom Goldman reports that one coach in Alabama is demanding a coronavirus testing program for his players. Students who are not in school are not just missing out on in-person education. Many are missing free or reduced-cost meals. NPR's Cory Turner reports on how some school districts are trying to feed students when they're not in school. And for many parents who can't work at home, no school means a need for child care. But a recent study suggests millions of child care centers may not reopen after the pandemic, as Kavitha Cardoza with member station WAMU reports. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

California set a new record high this week for the most acres burned in a single wildfire season. In an average season, 300,000 acres burn. This year more than 2 million acres have been scorched — and the season isn't over yet. Some communities have taken actions to prevent fires from spreading, but as NPR's Nathan Rott and Lauren Sommer report, those efforts may not be enough.Fire itself isn't the only threat to people. NPR's daily science podcast Short Wave looked into the science of wildfire smoke and how far-reaching it can be. Listen on Apple or Spotify. Reporter Erika Mahoney from member station KAZU has more on dual threats facing farmworkers: wildfire smoke and COVID-19. As these fires have been burning, other regions across the country have also faced extreme weather. Hurricane forecasters are watching multiple storm systems in the Atlantic that could develop into tropical storms in what has already been an extremely busy hurricane season. NPR's Rebecca Hersher, Nathan Rott, and Lauren Sommer on the growing threat of extreme weather due to climate change. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, told NPR today that keeping people in their houses and 'connected to the economy' will cost money now, but pay dividends later. But the White House and Congress have been unable to agree on a deal for additional economic relief, millions of people are still unemployed, and many states now have no eviction protection. The Trump administration issued an eviction ban through the CDC this week. NPR's Chris Arnold and Selena Simmons-Duffin reported on the CDC's temporary halt on evictions and the legal issues that will likely follow. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As the Northern Hemisphere prepares for a flu season with COVID-19, there are lessons to be learned from the south. Countries like Australia and Argentina made it through the middle of winter with very few cases of the flu. That could be thanks to social distancing measures in place to fight the coronavirus. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce reported on flu in the southern hemisphere and the possibility that it could mix with the coronavirus. NPR's Tamara Keith and Geoff Brumfiel take a look at President Trump's new health advisor, Dr. Scott Atlas. He has no background in infectious diseases and his ideas are worrying scientists who do. Mary Louise Kelly spoke with Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser for the coronavirus vaccine development program, Operation Warp Speed, about the status of vaccines in the U.S. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump has stoked tensions and repeatedly failed to condemn acts of violence from racially — and ethnically — motivated attackers, says Elizabeth Neumann, former assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security. Neumann left her job in April and is now speaking publicly about her experience in the administration. She told NPR's Steve Inskeep why she no longer supports the president — and how his rhetoric has fueled unrest in Kenosha, Wis., and elsewhere across the country. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's September and millions of kids are going back to school this month. Millions more already have. And while some students are beginning the new year in physical classrooms, many are still learning in online classrooms that schools transitioned to when the pandemic began in March. Remote learning isn't easy for anyone, but it's especially challenging for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other learning disabilities. NPR's Jon Hamilton reports on the challenges facing these students and their parents, who are often required to become educators to make it work.Not all parents have the privilege of being able to help their children with remote learning though. Many students also face the challenge of logging on for school without reliable Internet. NPR's Anya Kamenetz and WWNO's Aubri Juhasz report on "learning hubs" that offer free child care and additional learning resources — but only for a lucky few.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Chadwick Boseman had raw talent, world-class training and the will to defy Hollywood gatekeepers. As a college student at Howard University, he had a helping hand from Denzel Washington. Boseman often spoke about the impact of that contribution and how it helped him chart his own path.Boseman died on Friday after battling colon cancer for four years. He was 43. Today, we look at what his success reveals about race in America — and in Hollywood.Jamil Smith, a senior writer at Rolling Stone, profiled Boseman for Time Magazine in 2018. Smith says even before the premiere of Black Panther, Boseman seemed to know what the film would mean for pop culture and how its success could reshape Hollywood.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

From therapeutics to testing to vaccine development, public health experts are increasingly worried the Trump administration is letting politics guide public health decisions. NPR's Richard Harris reports on a quiet change to testing guidelines made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week. NPR's Joe Palca explains what protections exist to insulate the vaccine development process from political influence. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Professional athletes from several leagues said they would not play scheduled games Wednesday night in response to events in Kenosha, Wis.Basketball, baseball, tennis and soccer players announced in the last 24 hours that they would not play scheduled games. These decisions come after Jacob Blake, a Black father was shot by police in Kenosha on Sunday. NPR spoke to the lawyer representing Blake's family, who said earlier this week that Blake is paralyzed from the waist down.Ahead of the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, NPR's Cheryl Corley reports on an upcoming march for racial justice.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Donald Trump told the Republican National Convention: "The crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon — and I mean very soon — come to an end." That was in 2016. Today the president and his party are reprising a similar pitch to voters, as police shootings and the protests that follow them continue. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe reports on how the president's 'law and order' message has changed over time. And Evan Osnos of The New Yorker explains why some white voters are still sticking with the GOP. He wrote about that in his recent piece, "How Greenwich Republicans Learned To Love Trump."Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The FBI has called it a potential domestic terror threat. The President says he doesn't know much. Now, congressional candidates who've signaled support for the internet hoax 'QAnon' are on the ballot this November. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Louis DeJoy testified in front of the House Oversight Committee today. He denied ordering the removal of mail sorting machines, but also said he would not put them back into operation. NPR's Kirk Siegler reports on how the recent slowdown in mail service is hurting Americans in rural areas — people who helped elect President Trump. NPR's Planet Money tells the story of how the USPS got so strapped for cash in the first place. Listen to their full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For the first time in modern history, a major political party convention was not about the optics, the crowds, or arena-sized production value. The Democratic National Convention, held virtually, was less about the medium and more about the message. NPR spoke to three Democratic voters to hear what they thought. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Former President Barack Obama reportedly changed the speaking order during Wednesday night's Democratic National Convention so that he would speak before Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, symbolizing a passing of the torch from one political generation to another. So what would a Biden-Harris administration look like?NPR's Susan Davis explains that while Biden would inherit new problems caused by the pandemic, he'll also face long-standing issues with Congress. And NPR's Carrie Johnson explores what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have said about the possibility of a Biden administration Department of Justice prosecuting President Trump — if he's voted out of office. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For months President Trump has tried to suggest voting by mail is not reliable, while 'absentee' voting is. There's no difference. NPR's Pam Fessler reports some states are trying to make the process easier by tweaking the deadline by which ballots must be postmarked. And reporter Frank Morris explains what's happening to hundreds of mail sorting machines that have been taken out of service at postal locations around the country. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill welcomed students back to campus, only to cancel all in-person classes a week later. Can any college campus really open while the virus is still so widespread? NPR's Elissa Nadworny reports on what it looks like to try, from The University Of Georgia. And NPR's Sequoia Carrillo reports on how U.S. military academies are making it work. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Testing is down 40% in two of the hardest-hit states — Texas and Florida. Ashish Jha of Harvard's Global Health Institute explains what might be going on. NPR's Alison Aubrey describes a new COVID-19 test developed by Yale University that works with saliva. And NPR's Kirk Sielger reports on a school district in Idaho that's preparing to reopen — and possibly close right back down again. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Census Bureau has said it needs more time to complete their count of every person living in the country. But the Trump administration is ending the effort a month earlier than planned. Census experts worry it could lead to an undercount of historically under-represented groups. Find more coverage of the census from NPR's Hansi Lo Wang, or follow him on Twitter. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Democrats and Republicans have been unable to agree on a new coronavirus aid package. The president has his own plan — a handful of executive orders that would delay the federal payroll tax and provide a smaller amount of federal unemployment benefits than existed before. But those efforts would not help millions of Americans who've been out of work for months. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

No major political party has ever put a woman of color on a presidential ticket. Until now, when Senator Kamala Harris — a former district attorney and state attorney general — is meeting a moment of national reckoning with the role of law enforcement in American life. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

More Americans are expected to vote by mail this year than ever before. But President Trump has called the U.S. Postal Service "a joke," and now a major GOP donor runs the organization. A USPS employee tells NPR's Noel King that changes from the new Postmaster General are making her job harder.And NPR's Pam Fessler reports that secure drop boxes for ballots could help some states rely less on the mail.If you want to hear NPR's latest coverage on Joe Biden's pick for Vice President, Senator Kamala Harris, the NPR Politics Podcast will have a new episode on Tuesday evening — listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. NPR's Up First will have more Wednesday morning — also on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A school district in Georgia learned firsthand last week that the virus is almost impossible to contain — especially without masks and social distancing. A new effort in New York City encourages travelers to self-isolate when they get into town. And public health workers in Texas and California explain that the size of the outbreak makes contact tracing a huge challenge. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The app doesn't seem to collect any more data than other social media platforms. But the Trump administration argues that data could fall into the hands of the Chinese government. NPR's Bobby Allyn reported on TikTok's role in the racial justice movement. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

States are scrambling to replace older poll workers with younger ones. The two major political parties will hold their conventions mostly online. And in one big battleground state, the pandemic is shifting the political geography. NPR's latest battleground state map is here. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

First New York, then the Sun Belt. Now, new states like Illinois and Mississippi are urging residents to wear masks and take the virus more seriously. Bars remain one of the most dangerous places to be during the pandemic. Reporter Will Stone explains why, from Seattle.While Michigan and New York saw similar spikes in cases near the beginning of the pandemic, New York has flattened the curve. Michigan hasn't. Reporters Kate Wells and Fred Mogul discuss what lessons can be learned from the disparity. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After rising for weeks, the rate of daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has started to level off. But now, just as we saw in the spring, the country is facing a spike in deaths. In the new issue of The Atlantic, two stories share the cover. One, by Ed Yong, is about the pandemic. The other, by Ibram Kendi, is about racism in America. Both ask the same question: how did it come to this? Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Millions of students are getting ready to head back to school. Some already have. NPR's Anya Kamentez reports on what happens when positive cases crop up — as they inevitably will.School nurses understand the challenges of returning to school safely better than just about anyone. But NPR's Clare Lombardo reports somenurses have no input in the process. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Rosa Brooks, law professor at Georgetown University, recently helped organize an experiment to game out what might happen if the winner on election night isn't immediately clear. She explains what she found. And NPR's Sally Herships reports on cuts at the postal service — and concerns they're politically motivated. Garrett Graff wrote about how election day could go off the rails for Politico Magazine.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The spread of the virus exceeds our capacity to test, contact trace, and isolate those who test positive. Some public health experts say the only option that remains is a second shutdown. NPR's Rob Stein reports on what that would look like. Derek Thompson, writer and editor at The Atlantic, says there's another part of our virus strategy we may need to rethink. He calls it 'hygiene theater.' Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google faced questions today from a House subcommittee. Some lawmakers believe those companies have too much economic and political power. Former Facebook policy executive Dipayan Ghosh agrees. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

John Lewis, the civil rights icon and late congressman from Georgia who represented Atlanta for more than three decades, spent his life fighting for equal voting rights in America. Myrna Perez, Director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, explains why his work remains unfinished. Lewis spoke to 'Fresh Air' in 2009. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This morning in Savannah, Georgia, the first volunteer was injected in a phase-three vaccine trial administered by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health. Dr Anthony Fauci hopes that up to 15,000 volunteers will be in place by the end of the week. (Tens of thousands more will be needed for additional vaccine trials.) It will take months to learn if the vaccine produces an effective immune response. Scientists who've studied antibody reactions in coronavirus patients have reason to be optimistic, at least in the short-term. And Dr Elke Webber, psychology professor at Princeton University, explains why the pandemic may be getting too big to wrap our heads around. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

More than 25 million Americans have been receiving expanded federal unemployment benefits — $600 a week. Those benefits disappear in days.Congress is unlikely to agree on new package before the end of next week. And temporary moratoriums on evictions are coming to an end in many places around the country. NPR's Noel King spoke with Matt Desmond, founder of Princeton University's Eviction Lab, about what could happen if Congress doesn't provide more help, and why so many American families were already in trouble before the pandemic.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Monument Avenue is a large, tree-lined street in Richmond, Virginia that used to have several confederate statues and monuments. In the wake of protests against racism and police brutality, the city has removed most of them. But a monument of Robert E. Lee still stands — for now. Even before the statues started coming down, WVTF's Mallory Noe-Payne reports that Richmond residents began reclaiming the space where it stands. And historian Julian Hayter tells NPR's Scott Simon there's a way for confederate statues to tell a different story. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Up to 70% of vote this November could be cast by mail. But not all states will allow it. And a recent NPR survey found that 65,000 absentee or mail-in ballots have been rejected this year for being late.NPR's Mary Louise Kelly visited a county in Pennsylvania to see what challenges lay ahead for election night in a critical swing state. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Dr. Anthony Fauci tells NPR he's glad the President is promoting masks, and hopes more frequent White House briefings will be a source of clear and concise public health messaging. Experimental coronavirus vaccines are headed for large-scale tests on tens of thousands of people. Multiple companies are preparing to begin those tests, a major hurdle in vaccine development. We know masks keep us from infecting others with the virus. Now, scientists believe they can also help protect the people wearing them.And NPR's Nurith Aizenmann reports that face coverings are one of the surest ways for cities and states to avoid returning to full lockdown measures and could potentially save 40,000 American lives. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In Portland, Oregon, federal agents have been using violent force against protesters. Some protesters have been arrested by officers in unmarked vehicles. Governor Kate Brown has asked the Department of Homeland Security to step aside, while President Trump threatened to dispatch federal officers to more cities.NPR's Mara Liasson reports Trump was hoping to campaign on a thriving economy and a swift end to the pandemic. Surging cases have forced him to change his message — and given Joe Biden an opening. Ongoing coverage of the Portland protests and police response from our colleagues at Oregon Public Broadcasting.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The United States had 71,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. Back in June, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he wouldn't be surprised to see 100,00 cases per day. That grim prediction is getting closer to reality. While the economy is in a recession and tens of millions of people have lost jobs, some big banks are enjoying huge profits. Three unemployed workers from different parts of the country share what options they have once the federal CARES Act benefits expire at the end of July. Indivar Dutta-Gupta, co-executive director of Georgetown University's Center on Poverty and Inequality, told NPR that the expiration of CARES Act benefits will not only hurt those workers relying on them — but the economy as a whole. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Until now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has collected important information about COVID-19 hospitalizations and equipment from around the country. The Trump Administration now says hospitals must stop reporting that data to the CDC and instead send information to a different federal database.Meanwhile, four states have agreed to share driver's license records to help the Trump administration produce citizenship data. NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reports this data could be used for redrawing voting districts. And some imported surgical masks are turning out to be defective. Sellers of the masks are touting FDA certificates but those certificates are useless.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy