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Mail-in voting is a new norm. Is the US Postal Service up to the job?Election officials have raised concerns about the U.S. Postal Service’s ability to deliver mail-in voting ballots by state deadlines. The Postal Service says it’s taking “extraordinary measures” to ensure successful operations.
First LookThree weeks from the election, a Georgia judge reverses new voting rulesA Georgia judge deemed seven Republican-backed changes to the election code illegal, unconstitutional, and too last-minute to implement effectively. The State Election Board said the rules were aimed at countering potential voter fraud.
Abortion to IVF: Where Harris and Trump stand on reproductive issuesThere’s a big blue-red gap in voter intensity on abortion, heading into the first presidential vote since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
First LookHow the pandemic slowed the march toward equal payBetween 2022 and 2023, the gender wage gap between men and women working full-time widened for the first time in 20 years. For Black women and Asian women, the gap widened, for Hispanic women, it narrowed, and for white women, it stayed the same.
How AI deepfakes test voter confidence and election integrityVoters worldwide are contending with a new challenge this year: AI fraud. Now it’s America’s turn. An explainer on how bad it is, and who’s doing it.
First LookThe hurricanes drained FEMA funds. Now small business grants are running out, too.A federal agency is running out of money for loans to businesses and homeowners rebuilding after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Congress can approve more funds, but it won’t be back in session until after the November presidential election.
States get bolder about banning legacy admissions. What does that mean for equity?In legislatures and on college campuses across the U.S., the issue of legacy admissions is heating up. California is the latest state to ban the practice – adding more fuel to a nationwide debate about how to create an even playing field for applicants.
The ExplainerHow are targeted killings different from assassinations – and are they legal?Israel has carried out dozens of targeted strikes to take out senior operatives in Hezbollah and Hamas. Other countries have carried out similar enemy strikes in the past decade. We look at the legal basis for such killings.
First LookLilly Ledbetter fought for equal pay at the highest levels and launched a worker movementLilly Ledbetter, who passed away Oct. 12, catalyzed key equal pay and wage discrimination legislation. President Barack Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which gave workers the right to sue for equal pay for equal work.
First LookThey survived nuclear weapons. Now they’ve won a Nobel peace Prize for trying to end them.The Japanese group Nihon Hidankyo won the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 11 for pushing for denuclearization. The U.N. Secretary General praised the survivors of the U.S. atomic bombings, saying, “nuclear weapons remain a clear and present danger to humanity.”
The ExplainerTrump hammers on ‘migrant crime.’ The reality: It’s not rampant, but a real concern.Donald Trump highlights “migrant crime” on the campaign trail, in Colorado and beyond. We explain recent high-profile criminal cases and how researchers assess immigrant crime rates.
Swing states scramble to keep elections on track in hurricanes’ wakeIn key battlegrounds North Carolina and Georgia, officials are racing to make voting accessible despite Hurricane Helene’s disruption. Florida will require similar efforts after Hurricane Milton.
After hurricanes, FEMA confronts a different kind of flood: MisinformationNatural disasters often spark rumors and lies. But officials have been stunned by the volume of online misinformation around Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
First LookAfghan man arrested by FBI for allegedly planning to attack crowds on Election DayThe FBI has arrested two people who officials say were planning an attack on Election Day. The Justice Department claims that Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi of Oklahoma City, inspired by the Islamic State, had been planning to buy weapons and ammunition.
First LookTiktok lawsuit: Endless scrolling, face filters, instant gratification harms kidsThe lawsuits, filed Oct. 8, resemble how states previously organized against the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. “They’ve chosen profit over the health and safety, well-being and future of our children,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
On Ohio ballot, a retired justice’s crusade to make politics competitive againVoters will decide whether Ohio becomes one of the few states where an independent citizens commission, rather than politicians, draws district maps.
First LookFlorida residents brace for massive Hurricane MiltonTampa Bay hasn’t been in the direct path of a major hurricane in over a century, but Hurricane Milton may change that. Hurricane scientists say Tampa Bay is “the city to worry about most” due to high vulnerability to flooding from climate change.
Trump vs. Harris? In Florida, abortion is the biggest question on the ballot.After Roe v. Wade was overturned, ballot measures for abortion rights have won voter approval and fueled Democratic turnout. Now Florida will test the long-term strength of this political backlash.
On the plane with Harris – but is she really opening up to the press?Our reporter traveled with Kamala Harris as she barnstormed two must-win states and began a media blitz, including with “60 minutes,” “Call Her Daddy,” and Howard Stern.
First LookColorado judge receives threats after sentencing election denier official to prisonA Colorado county courthouse has stepped up security after threats were made against staff and a judge who sentenced former county clerk Tina Peters to prison in a data breach scheme tied to denial of 2020 election results.
