Dose Of News Useful Today

Wednesday, August 5th

How Sweet It Is

Good morning. Know what goes well with coffee? A DONUT.

This is a roundabout way to say our ambassador page is now fixed, and you can share the DONUT with anyone who needs some sweet, sweet news. Thanks for all of your patience.

Daily Sprinkle

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

-Jimmy Dean

How Does Mail-In Voting Work?

Several states are expanding access to mail-in voting in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today we'll dive into the absentee voting process.

Some quick context…
In the 2018 midterms, ~25% of voters voted by mail. Similarly, in the 2016 general election, nearly 25% of people cast their votes by mail.

How does mail-in voting work?
Thirty-four states and D.C. now allow registered voters to request an absentee ballot in the weeks before an election, while another 11 eased their previous absentee ballot restrictions for primary elections taking place this year due to COVID-19. Here's how the mail-in voting process works:

In most states, voters can request an absentee ballot by writing, calling, or going online.
Local election authorities then send the ballots to the voters' home addresses, along with two envelopes (to keep the vote choice private and enclose the sealed ballot). Voters send their signed, completed ballot back to the local election office.
Once the mailed ballots are received, election authorities verify the voter's name and confirm the address matches the registry. States count the mail ballots on election day and add the results to the in-person votes.

What's next?
Mail-in voting is currently the preferred method by law in five states (CO, UT, OR, HI, & WA), where every voter is automatically sent a ballot. Other states are changing their voting procedures amid COVID-19 - you can track any changes to mail-in ballot procedures in your state here.

While one 2018 Stanford University study found that mail-in ballots grant no partisan advantage, both sides have clashed over concerns of electoral fraud and difficulty tallying the increased amount of mail-in votes.

So...what are people saying?

Voting by Mail Is Crucial for Democracy

LEFT CENTER → NYT (No $) (Opinion)

Trump's Warnings About Voting by Mail Mix Reasonable Concerns With Fanciful Conspiracy Theories

RIGHT CENTER → Reason (Opinion)

Colorado is a testament to the safety of mail-in voting

LEFT → CNN (Opinion)

In 2020 election, if states can't prove they can handle voting by mail, don't try it now

RIGHT → FOX News (Opinion)

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COVID-19 Snapshot

Check your state’s ICU bed capacity.
Major virus news: Novavax released promising results from two preliminary studies involving its vaccine candidate, which induced the proper immune response in both monkeys and a small group of human volunteers.

Trump Signs Great American Outdoors Act

President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law on Tuesday. The bipartisan legislation sets aside ~$900M annually for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which helps secure land for trails and parks. The bill also provides up to $1.9B each year for the next five years to address a maintenance backlog at national parks.

LEFT CENTER → NYT (No $)	RIGHT CENTER → WSJ (No $)

Massive Explosion In Lebanon

On Tuesday, an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon killed at least 78 people and injured more than 4,000. The blast originated from a warehouse where the Lebanese government said it had stored 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive compound. Prime Minister Hassan Diab later announced that Wednesday would be a national day of mourning.

More: View a bystander video of the devastating incident.


NEUTRAL → Associated Press	NEUTRAL → Reuters

Isaias Update: At least two people were killed in a tornado spawned by the storm - which was downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm - in Bertie County, NC. Two others were killed by falling trees due to the wind in Maryland and NYC. View live updates here.

Worth Noting: Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS) defeated his opponent, Kris Kobach, in Tuesday’s Senate primary. He will face off against incumbent Sen. Barbara Bollier (D-KS), a longtime moderate Republican who switched parties in 2018.

Bonus: President Trump joined Axios’s Jonathan Swan for a sit-down interview. Watch it here.

Driving Off Into The Sunset

Ford’s CEO and President Jim Hackett will retire effective Oct. 1, the company announced on Tuesday. Hackett will be replaced by Jim Fairley, who was promoted to COO earlier this year. Ford’s share price fell ~40% during Hackett’s three-year tenure as CEO.

The House Of Mouse

Disney reported Q2 earnings after market close on Tuesday. The company operated at a net loss of $4.72B for the quarter, mainly due to charges related to its earlier acquisition of 21st Century Fox. On the earnings call, CEO Bob Chapek said the company currently has more than 60M Disney+ subscribers.

More: Disney also announced its blockbuster feature “Mulan” will be available for $29.99 on Disney+ starting Sept. 4.

Can I Have Yo’ Number?

The FTC has accused Twitter of using users’ phone numbers and emails to make targeted ads between 2013 and 2019, the company disclosed in an SEC filing Tuesday. Twitter estimates that the FTC’s formal complaint could cost the company between $150M and $250M. In October, Twitter said it had “unintentionally” used some email addresses and phone numbers for advertising, even though they were provided for account security (like two-factor authentication).

More: The European Commission has launched an investigation into Google’s potential $2.1B acquisition of Fitbit to ensure that Google cannot “distort competition” in the online advertising market by using data collected through the wearable devices.

Worth Noting: The DOJ is reportedly seeking up to $18.1B in damages from Purdue Pharmaceutical stemming from its role in helping to fuel the nationwide opioid crisis.

COVID Roundup: BP reported a $17.7B loss in Q2 and cut its dividend; Virgin Atlantic Airways filed for bankruptcy in the U.S.; Beyond Meat reported a nearly 200% increase in U.S. grocery sales during Q2.

Making Moves

When Dr. Ali Thompson, a veterinarian from Bradenton, FL, brought home a pit bull named Bunny earlier this summer, the seven-month-old dog could not move a single muscle. The pup had been delivered to the vet by her owner after contracting tetanus, a bacterial infection that causes painful muscle contractions and can sometimes be fatal.

For three weeks, Dr. Ali provided around-the-clock care to Bunny, administering medications, liquid meals, and intensive physical therapy as the canine slowly regained complete motor function. Bunny’s remarkable recovery was captured in a heartwarming viral video, which shows her journey from stiff statue to playful pup.

Old School

Giuseppe Paterno of Sicily, Italy, loved books as a child. Growing up in poverty, he received only basic schooling before the Great Depression hit. Giuseppe’s learning was later interrupted by World War II, after which he left his education behind as he began his career and started a family.

This week, at 96 years old, Giuseppe became Italy’s oldest university graduate, receiving his undergraduate degree in history and philosophy from the University of Palermo. The lifelong learner, who was undeterred by the technological obstacles presented by the pandemic, wrote all of his academic papers on a typewriter he received as a retirement present back in 1984.

Hoop Dreams

Although they love to play basketball, brothers Darius and Kobe of Calgary, Canada, cannot afford a proper basketball hoop. Coming from a family of eight children where money is tight, the boys mow lawns around their neighborhood just to afford birthday and Christmas gifts for their single mother. Thus, when they want to shoot hoops, the pre-teen boys enlist their sister to act as a net, holding her arms in a loop.

After witnessing the hard-working Darius and Kobe play makeshift basketball games in their driveway, members of the Calgary community gathered to surprise the Wolter family with a brand-new basketball net. The Wolters, who were stunned by the random act of kindness, also received basketball jerseys and shoes from their kindhearted neighbors.

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🚘 A Time To Fly… late last month, New Hampshire became the first state to legalize flying cars on public roads after it passed the “Jetson Bill” into law (though all four wheels have to be on the ground - for now).

💉 Age Of Enlightenment… Korean scientists have discovered an anti-aging enzyme that, when activated, extended the lifespan of roundworms - raising the prospect of an anti-aging treatment for humans.

🥩 Meet The New Meat… this month, U.S. consumers will be able to try cultivated meat (lab-grown from cells instead of animals) for the first time ever. Get yours at one of two San Francisco Bay-area restaurants.

🏝️ Don’t Worry, Wilson… three men were rescued from a tiny island in the Pacific on Sunday after their giant handwritten ‘SOS’ sign was spotted by rescuers flying overhead.