Good morning. It's Wednesday, Sept. 2, and we're covering an amazing new use for honeybee venom. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

NYC Schools Delayed

New York City public schools will delay the start of classes by 11 days to implement more effective health and safety measures against the coronavirus. Union officials, representing roughly 133,000 teachers across the nation's largest school district, had signaled they would hold a strike authorization vote if a deal was not reached yesterday. Among other provisions, random COVID-19 testing for both students and staff will be carried out. 

New York City is one of the few large cities to offer in-person instruction to begin the year, with most students attending twice per week under current plans. See how school reopening policies vary from state to state here. 

The issue of how to safely reopen schools has been complicated by questions of the virus's spread in young children. Early data suggested children were less susceptible, while recent studies show children may play a significant role in transmission (while exhibiting fewer symptoms). New data also show cases in children and teenagers rising faster than the general population, which may be partly due to increased testing. 

Separately, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine released a draft report on how to prioritize vaccine distribution by risk factors. In the race for a vaccine, AstraZeneca's drug candidate has become the third to reach Phase 3 testing in the US. 

The US has reported 6.07 million total cases as of this morning, with 184,689 deaths. See rolling averages for both here and here. 

Kennedy Loses in Massachusetts

In one of the most closely watched primaries to date, incumbent Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) beat Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D, MA-4) in the race to retain his US Senate seat. Markey, who cowrote the Green New Deal, is favored to win the general election in heavily Democratic Massachusetts.  

The outcome seemed unlikely last fall. Part of one of the country's most famous political families and grandson of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the 39-year-old lawmaker held a double-digit lead over 74-year-old Markey early in the race. Observers say Kennedy—despite a surprise endorsement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-12)—failed to define why he was running to oust Markey, though he may have believed it would be easier than an open race in 2026 should Markey retire. For his part, Markey outflanked Kennedy with young voters, riding an endorsement from progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, NY-14).

Trump Travels to Kenosha

President Trump traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin, yesterday—a city gripped by protests and violence since the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake. The visit—which included a meeting with law enforcement and a tour of damage from recent rioting—was met with both praise and concern, with some officials worried the trip would exacerbate tensions. Blake's family held a separate gathering to coincide with the visit; the president did not meet with Blake or his family, but did announce at least $4M in federal aid to help businesses rebuild. Protests were calm overnight. 

Wisconsin has become an early focal point in the 2020 election, with the president hoping his message of restoring law and order will resonate with voters in the key swing state. With 10 electoral votes, the state voted Democrat in seven straight presidential elections before Trump won by 0.7% in 2016—a victory that was one of the key upsets in the race.

See current poll averages in the state here.

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SLEEP EASY

Knock knock. Who's there? It's your new mattress.

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Head on over to Casper today. They have a 100-night risk-free trial period, so if you don't sleep like a baby they'll give you your money back. And for a limited time, you can take part in their Labor Day sale—take 15% off mattress orders and 10% off everything else with code COMFORT15 (valid until Sept. 7). Sleep easy tonight.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> The 77th Venice Film Festival begins today with a socially distanced red carpet (More) | Here’s the full lineup of films (More)

> Erick Morillo, influential DJ and producer best known for “I Like to Move It,” found dead at 49; Morillo was arrested in August on sexual assault charges (More)

> President Trump speaks with the Big Ten commissioner about possibly reversing decision to postpone college football season; other major conferences to start as early as Sept. 10 (More)

Science & Technology

Brought to you by Hims

> Honeybee venom shown to kill two aggressive subtypes of breast cancer cells, while leaving normal cells unchanged; the specific anticancer compound is known as melittin (More) | See paper here (More)

> Facebook announces research project to study its influence on the 2020 electoral process as it unfolds (More) | Company takes down Russian influence campaign targeting left-wing voters (More) | Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan donate $300M for election infrastructure (More)

> Prototype electronic skin can react to the sensation of pain similar to real skin; advance will help develop more lifelike prosthetics and robotics (More)

Hair thinning? Learn how Finasteride works to treat hair loss. Try Hims now, and if you aren't satisfied within 90 days they'll refund you in full. Start your free visit here. #Ad

Business & Markets

> US stock markets up (S&P 500 +0.8%, Dow +0.8%, Nasdaq +1.4%) as tech stocks continue to rally and manufacturing activity increases (More) | US manufacturing activity increases higher than expected amid third consecutive month of growth (More)

> More than 50 Black former franchisees are suing fast food giant McDonald’s for racial discrimination, alleging they were denied equal opportunities as white franchisees (More)

> House subcommittee report states thousands of Paycheck Protection Program loans worth billions of dollars may have been fraudulent (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> US appeals court grants temporary hold in the handover of President Trump's tax documents to Manhattan prosecutors (More) | Administration issues wide-ranging eviction ban under CDC authority to prevent the spread of a communicable disease; order would allow tenants to defer lease payments through the end of the year (More)

> Kaing Guek Eav, chief security officer of the Khmer Rouge regime involved in the torture and killing of 16,000 Cambodians, dies in jail at age 77 (More) | More on the regime's 1970s reign of terror (More)

> Trial begins in 2015 mass shooting at Charlie Hebdo offices in France; 14 people are accused of being involved in the attack on the Paris magazine that left a dozen dead (More)

RISK-FREE ZZZs

In partnership with Casper

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Casper offers a 100-night risk-free trial for all of their mattresses. If you want to return, they'll pick it up, repack it, and try to donate it to people in need. Combine the trial with a 10-year limited warranty, and you'll sleep well for the decade to come. Enjoy 15% off mattress orders and 10% off everything else until Sept. 7 during their Labor Day sale—just use code COMFORT15 and shop today.

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ETCETERA

Science says being a jerk doesn't pay off.

Find out when the leaves in your neck of the woods will change colors.

Owls, hummingbirds, and more in the best bird photos of the year.

Colon cancer rates among young people are on the rise.

How to see this week's full corn moon.

Japan's flying car takes its first test flight.

McDonald's says its burgers do, in fact, decompose. ($$, Bloomberg)

John Oliver ratchets up his feud with a Danbury, Connecticut, sewage plant.

Clickbait: Pilot reports seeing a man in a jetpack near LAX.

Historybook: US Treasury Department is founded (1789); Japan surrenders, ending World War II (1945); Astronaut and teacher Christa McAuliffe born (1948); HBD Keanu Reeves (1964); Vietnamese president and revolutionary Ho Chi Minh dies (1969).

"May your future be limited only by your dreams."

- Christa McAuliffe

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