CDC broadens definition of who’s at risk of getting coronavirus
The updated guidance defines a “close contact” as anyone who spends at least 15 minutes within six feet of an infected individual over a 24-hour period.
Today's Liberal News
Why the U.S. doesn’t have an at-home coronavirus test yet
Concerns about the tests’ reliability, how consumers might react to their results and how public health departments will track them have slowed development.
DOJ announces $8B-plus settlement with OxyContin maker
The settlement with the opioid manufacturer comes less than two weeks before Election Day.
How coronavirus is reshaping America’s job market
About 1 in 3 people were either working in a different job in September than they were in February or were unemployed, researchers say.
How the Pandemic Is Worsening America’s Racial Gaps
Covid isn’t just disproportionately killing people of color; it’s sticking them in a feedback loop that exacerbates economic and racial inequity, says Chicago economist Damon Jones.
Federal deficit triples to $3.1T, Treasury data shows
Government spending exceeded more than $6.5 trillion in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, up from $4.4 trillion in fiscal 2019.
Hard-hit small businesses face long winter without lifeline
Some 60 percent of all U.S. businesses that have closed during the pandemic have not reopened.
Muslims in Trump Country: “Natours Grocery” Tells Story of Palestinian American Family in Virginia
As the presidential race enters its final full week, we speak with filmmaker Nadine Natour about “Natours Grocery,” her new documentary short that tells the story of her Palestinian American family living in Trump’s America. Natour’s immigrant parents own a store in the highly conservative town of Appomattox, Virginia, which voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump in 2016.
Rudy Giuliani Flips Out On Live TV As Fox Interview Goes Off The Rails
Trump’s personal attorney ranted and screamed at Fox Business host Kennedy for asking about the provenance of his Hunter Biden smears.
U.S. Early Voting Tops 70 Million, Continuing Historic Pace
The tally shows a record-breaking pace that could lead to the highest voter turnout in percentage terms in more than a century.
Tuesday Night Owls: GOTV, breathe deep, and try not to grind your molars this final voting week
Night Owls, a themed open thread, appears at Daily Kos seven days a week
William Rivers Pitt at Truthout writes—Get Ready for the Longest Days of Our Lives:
At long last, it stands before us: the Last Week, the longest week, 40 miles of bad road between what we don’t know and what we will find out once the 2020 election deal goes down. Every second drops with the bone-cracking slowness of a cat’s long, insouciant yawn.
Oh, Honestly, Let Kim Kardashian Go on Her Extremely Humble Private-Island Vacation
Didn’t she mention she did this humbly?
Trump hasn’t protected pre-existing conditions, and he can’t do it in the future without the ACA
I sure have missed Barack Obama. As much as I’ve come to appreciate the talents and charms of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, it is great to see the 44th president out there again talking to voters, and even having some fun, for example, slamming Trump’s heretofore unknown Chinese bank account. The “Beijing Barry” line was epic.
House Democrats call on UN to probe ‘clear pattern of alleged human rights violations’ by ICE, CBP
Leading House Democrats have called on the United Nations (U.N.
Mass exodus at health department could make COVID-19 winter even worse
The Department of Health and Human Services has nearly turned into a ghost town, Politico’s Dan Diamond reports, quoting a number of HHS staff who are discouraged, disheartened, and looking for the exits. It’s not just the incessant infighting between heavyweights Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services head Seema Verma. It’s not just month eight of a pandemic they’ve completely botched.
Nightmare before Halloween: COVID-19 is increasing, it’s worse than you think, but maybe some hope?
Not giving a damn about the lives of individual Americans is Donald Trump’s real superpower. Being a sociopath who lacks all empathy and is incapable of seeing anything beyond how events affect his own bank account and TV Q may not seem like it would be a political advantage, but it allows Trump to get past all those barriers that hold many public figures back.
Trump To Women: ‘We’re Getting Your Husbands Back To Work’
The 1950s called. They want their line back.
The Atlantic Daily: The Pandemic Recession Is Wildly Uneven
Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.SHUTTERSTOCK / THE ATLANTICStimulus talks remain in a months-long stall, but one segment of America seems to be doing just fine in the meantime: the wealthy.
Barack Obama Slams Jared Kushner’s Racist Remarks: ‘Who Are These Folks?’
The former president ripped Trump’s son-in-law at a rally for Joe Biden: “His son-in-law says Black folks have to want to be successful.
The Mail Is Slowing Down in the Worst Possible Places
Just in time for the election, USPS’ problems are back.
There’s Something Very Strange About How I Climax
It seems to be the opposite of what the experts say.
White House Declares Pandemic Over As It Cites Renowned Scientist Ivanka Trump
The president’s daughter, of course, has no training or background as a scientific expert.
Winners of the 2020 Epson International Pano Awards
The top-scoring panoramic photos entered in the 11th Epson International Pano Awards have just been announced. The contest is meant to showcase the best work of panoramic photographers around the world. Organizers reported that they received 5,859 entries from 1,452 photographers in 96 countries this year, competing for the top spots in five categories, for several special awards, and for some of the cash prizes offered.
The Victims of Trump’s Family Separation Policy Will Not Be Fine
A study of Jewish children split from their families during the Holocaust suggests that separation’s damage is deep and long-lasting.
Trump Has Justified Breaking One of America’s Most Sacred Norms
In the 240 years since America’s founding, no former president has been indicted for criminal conduct. This isn’t because they were angels—far from it. And it isn’t because post-term indictment is not legally allowed. Instead, it is because Americans don’t like the idea of criminalizing politics.
On TV, Having Wealth Means You Get to Suffer Beautifully
Is any capitalist endeavor more menacing than the control of nature itself? The conquest of occupied lands, the rerouting of rivers, the hoarding of purified air—the American elite has always maintained itself in part by manipulating the environment. The wealthy characters on The Undoing, a new HBO miniseries set in New York City that premiered Sunday, can’t harness the East River. They don’t set about planting flags in Central Park or claiming Fifth Avenue.
The Weekly Planet: The Secret Political Power of Fossil Fuels
Every Tuesday morning, our lead climate reporter brings you the big ideas, expert analysis, and vital guidance that will help you flourish on a changing planet.
CreditPlease watch the first 60 seconds of the new Hummer EV ad, okay? (Yes, that is LeBron James doing the opening voice-over.)Now, to a lot of people—including, perhaps, some readers of this newsletter—a Hummer EV may seem like the last thing we need. But that instinct, I think, misses the context.
“Movements Are Not Just About Protests”: BLM Co-Founder Alicia Garza on How to Build & Wield Power
In her new book, “The Purpose of Power,” Black Lives Matter co-creator Alicia Garza lays out how people can build power and effect change. “Movements are not just about protests,” she says. “Movements are absolutely about how we get more power into the hands of more people.