Apple News Today

Robert Draper writes for Texas Monthly that while it seems likely President Trump will win Texas, trends are pointing toward the state becoming more and more politically competitive. The Texas Tribune reports that Biden has struggled to win over Latino voters, who would be a key demographic in any chance he has turning Texas blue. And a CNN political analyst breaks down why Republican dominance in the state has weakened.  The Washington Post explains why either presidential candidate could win Georgia this year. Daily Beast reporter Pilar Melendez has the story of the criminal sex cult NXIVM and the yearslong legal battle that resulted in its founder, Keith Raniere, being sentenced to 120 years in prison. The Los Angeles Times has a write-up of the Dodgers’ championship win in Game 6 of the World Series. The L.A. Times also explains why the victory was bittersweet, with veteran star Justin Turner benched after receiving a positive COVID-19 test.

On Monday night, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5–3 decision that Wisconsin mail-in ballots postmarked by November 3 but received after Election Day cannot be counted. The Guardian has the story. The Washington Post and NBC offer overviews of the court’s recent election-related decisions. Vox explains how the recent ruling on Pennsylvania mail-in ballots may only be a temporary victory for Democrats and voting-rights advocates. Nina Totenberg writes for NPR about the court’s decision to side with Alabama state officials and allow a ban on curbside voting to stand. The Washington Post reports on the court’s order that South Carolina mail-in ballots must have a witness signature, and some of the confusion that resulted from this ruling. Mark Joseph Stern writes for Slate about how Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation could have drastic implications for how states run their elections.

The New Yorker looks at the value of polling ahead of the election, and why lots of people are getting a sense of déjà vu after 2016’s blunders. Plus, Reuters speaks with Americans who don’t typically vote about why they’re coming off the sidelines this year. And the Washington Post profiles one family’s struggle amid a pandemic and racial unrest to save a Black 11-year-old boy with a mental illness.  Finally, the Daily Beast has the details on how entomologists took on the murder hornets.

Apple News has a collection of the best coverage of the debate. Vox breaks down 14 crucial states that provide a path to victory for either presidential candidate. And FiveThirtyEight has an interactive map highlighting all the different combinations of states that could push each camp over the finish line.

The Washington Post reports on reported Iranian and Russian plots to interfere ithe presidential election. And Wired profiles one of the leading architects of the U.S. cyberwar strategy. The Wall Street Journal has an explainer on Nigeria’s protests against police brutality. And Bloomberg reports that the governor of Lagos ordered a 24-hour curfew on Tuesday, enforced by anti-riot police. Vox explains what little is known about people who experience the effects of COVID-19 months after infection. And doctors with long-term symptoms of the disease tell the Wall Street Journal the experience has changed their perspective on medical care. CNN has the story of a 94-year-old woman who got her son to drive her 300 miles each way to make sure she could vote.

A new court filing from the ACLU and the Department of Justice reveals that 545 children separated from their families due to the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy have yet to be reunited with their parents. NBC News has the story. And KQED examines the efforts to track down parents in Mexico and Central America. Time looks into Sweden’s strategy to address the coronavirus pandemic and says it should not be considered a model for other countries. And Kaiser Health News has the facts on herd immunity. The Times of London explores why Africa seems to have fared better during the pandemic than many experts predicted. And Karen Attiah, global opinions editor for the Washington Post, writes about specific African countries’ effective responses to stop the virus from spreading. The Guardian reviews a new documentary that examines the long history of U.S. government investigations into unexplained UFO sightings. 

The Wall Street Journal reports on a rise in websites that look like local media but have partisan aims and connections to political operatives and donors. And Vox has a guide to help verify whether information you’re seeing online is coming from a reputable source. Vox breaks down the marijuana legalization measures that are on the ballot in five states this election.  Reuters is out with a special report that reveals that more than 7,500 people died in jails in the United States between 2008 and 2019, and most never saw their day in court. As the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers kick off the World Series, the Wall Street Journal explains how Tampa Bay has the chance to pick up three championships this year.The Wall Street Journal reports on a rise in websites that look like local media but have partisan aims and connections to political operatives and donors. And Vox has a guide to help verify whether information you’re seeing online is coming from a reputable source. Vox breaks down the marijuana legalization measures that are on the ballot in five states this election.  Reuters is out with a special report that reveals that more than 7,500 people died in jails in the United States between 2008 and 2019, and most never saw their day in court. As the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers kick off the World Series, the Wall Street Journal explains how Tampa Bay has the chance to pick up three championships this year.

As the U.S. prepares for another wave of the coronavirus, Politico looks at which states responded well to the first wave — and what the rest of the country can learn from their actions.    Analysis by Georgia Public Broadcasting and ProPublica sheds light on long lines at voting locations in Georgia: As voter registration has gone up in the state, the number of polling places has dropped.   For the New Yorker, Masha Gessen interviews Russian anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny about his recovery after being poisoned and nearly dying.   The Washington Post has a story about a man diagnosed with terminal cancer who cast his ballot on the first day of early voting in Michigan, before dying a few days later.

Last night, Donald Trump and Joe Biden competed for airtime in a pair of dueling town hall debates. Apple News Spotlight has a roundup of coverage. The Washington Post looks at the record levels of early voting seen in this election cycle. And BuzzFeed News says the long lines seen at polling places this week don’t necessarily suggest voter suppression, but rather voter enthusiasm. ProPublica goes behind the scenes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and reveals how politics has undermined trust in the agency, even among the people who work there. CNN profiles the rapid rise of Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand. Three years ago, at the age of 37, Ardern became the youngest woman ever elected to the role. Now she is on the verge of winning a second term. Scientific American breaks down one astronomer’s math that there’s a 50/50 chance we are living in a simulation.

The Atlantic calls Amy Coney Barrett a “luminary” of the conservative legal movement and traces her rise to the Federalist Society, which has had a major influence on federal judge selection during Republican administrations. Stat and BuzzFeed provide some context to two recently paused COVID-19-related clinical trials — and explain why these pauses indicate the system is working.  The Washington Post‘s Voices From the Pandemic series features the story of Tony Green, who thought COVID-19 was overblown until he got sick and lost a close family member to the virus. CNN explains why voters are often not allowed to wear clothes that contain political messaging when they go to the polls.