Postmaster General Says ‘No, I Will Not’ Put Mail Sorting Machines Back

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.

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What Would A Biden-Harris Administration Look Like?

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.

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Chaos And Confusion: The President, The Postal Service, And Voting By Mail

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.

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Can College And COVID Co-Exist?

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.

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Why Are Testing Rates Going Down?

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.

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The 2020 Census Could Be The Least Accurate Ever — And It’s Ending A Month Early

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.

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Congress Is Stuck On Coronavirus Aid. What’s President Trump Doing?

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.

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