The war against mail-in voting

THE BIG STORY

Trump is waging a multistate, multi-million dollar legal battle against mail-in voting during the pandemic

45 days before the presidential election, President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are spending millions to wage a state-by-state legal battle against mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic.

Their efforts are not limited only to suing state officials, but also intervening in cases where they aren't a party, to limit how Americans can vote from home.

We've identified at least 11 cases where the Trump campaign has asked judges for permission to intervene to defend state and local policies — policies that voting rights advocates argue will make it harder for people to safely vote during the pandemic.

That's on top of more than half a dozen lawsuits the campaign has filed with the Republican National Committee contesting efforts by Democratic governors and other state and local officials to expand mail-in voting.

Theo Wargo / Getty Images

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

Two pharma companies released their coronavirus vaccine blueprints in a bid to regain public trust

There's no coronavirus vaccine on the horizon yet, but public trust in the vaccine pipeline is fading.

In response, two leading pharmaceutical companies released their trial plans for the first time on Thursday. Those details — first published by Moderna, then by Pfizer — provide some clarity about a process that many scientists and Democrats fear is being rushed by the Trump administration ahead of the November election.

This week, President Trump challenged CDC Director Robert Redfield's estimate that a vaccine rollout could happen by summer 2021. The president suggested a shot could be available as early as October.

The documents from Moderna and Pfizer reveal that that projection is far too optimistic.

SNAPSHOTS

The West Coast fires have killed young children and devastated their families. Here are their stories. Reporters Tasneem Nashrulla and Julia Reinstein wrote about the grieving families who have lost young children to the relentless flames.

Democrats are taking their case against Trump to Black newspapers in battleground states. The Democratic National Committee's new advertising push is part of a concerted effort to ensure Black voters turn out in large numbers in states that could sway the presidential race.

Jerry Harris from Netflix's Cheer has been arrested on child pornography charges. Two twin boys have accused the Cheer star in a lawsuit of soliciting sex and nude pictures from them.

If your savings were depleted during the pandemic, we want to hear from you. Years of careful financial planning might not mean much right now. BuzzFeed News wants to hear from you.

PARENTING WEEK 2020

Two stories about parenting in the pandemic

All week, we've been running stories about parenting in 2020, and how parents are juggling work, safety, and parenting. Two stories for you to read:

"I barely have anything left to give": What it's like parenting kids with autism during the pandemic. Caroline Haskins reported on how for parents of kids with autism, the unique challenges presented by the isolation of the coronavirus pandemic have sometimes been overwhelming.

The impossible choice of sending a 3-year-old back to daycare now. I wrote this one — it's about our decision to send our daughter back to daycare two months ago, and grappling with the question: Was I sending her back because it was the right thing for me or the right thing for her?

TAKE A BREATHER

Take some time for yourself with these longreads

Emily Ratajkowski, Chris Evans, and the nude photo double standard. Lauren Strapagiel zooms out and pulls the threads together, writing about how the public reactions to Emily Ratajkowski's nudes and Paris Hilton's leaked tape versus Chris Evans' social media exposure reveal how deeply ingrained misogyny still is.

I don't want kids, but the pandemic has made me miss them a lot. Contributor Anna Holmes reflects on how a long-planned move to California during the pandemic meant she had to leave her favorite kid pals behind: "My face distorted with despair not just because of the exploding pandemic but because I realized I might never get to see some of my best friends grow up."

The Index of Self-Destructive Acts is BuzzFeed Book Club's October pick. Read an excerpt right here.

Drag your heart up to the starting line,

Elamin

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📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.

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