Good morning. It's Wednesday, Sept. 23, and we're covering the Supreme Court fight, tensions in Louisville, Kentucky, and rising COVID-19 cases in the US. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Romney to Support Vote

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said he would support a floor vote on a Supreme Court nominee to replace former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, significantly increasing the likelihood that a replacement will be confirmed before the end of the calendar year. With a 53-47 advantage, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) can afford to lose four votes, with Vice President Mike Pence acting as a tiebreaker. While two—Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME)—have signaled they oppose at least a preelection vote, 47 support a vote, and four have yet to make a public statement (see whip count, $$, WashPo).

Regardless of the election results Nov. 3, Republicans will control the Senate through Jan. 2, 2021, when the current legislative session ends. Romney's decision shifts the conversation to timing—President Trump is set to announce a nominee Saturday, leaving 38 days until the election. The average duration of the confirmation process is around 70 days (see our previous writeup on the process). A confirmation before Nov. 3 would give the court a 6-3 conservative lean ahead of a potential contested election, should it occur. 

Across the Capitol plaza, Ginsburg's casket will be stationed under the Supreme Court portico for public viewing today and tomorrow. 

Louisville Lockdown

Officials in Louisville, Kentucky, declared a state of emergency and restricted access to downtown in anticipation of a decision on whether to charge officers involved in the March shooting of Black resident Breonna Taylor. Attorney General Daniel Cameron has not revealed an announcement timeline—though rumors suggest news is imminent. Cameron himself is the state's first Black attorney general and the first Republican to hold the office since 1944. 

Taylor was killed during a midnight no-knock raid on her apartment, though the main suspect did not live in the unit and her apartment was considered a soft target. Her boyfriend exchanged gunfire with officers, believing them to be intruders, during which Taylor was shot multiple times. The incident became a rallying cry for racial justice protests, with many demanding the arrest of the three officers involved. 

See a fact-check of major claims regarding the incident.

Another Grim Milestone

The US passed 200,000 reported deaths from COVID-19 yesterday, according to Johns Hopkins University data, as the total number of cases in the country neared 7 million. The rolling seven-day average for new cases is above 43,000 (see data), a roughly 10% rise from last week. New reported deaths are averaging around 750 per day, down about 15% since last week, though that figure lags changes in new cases. The US accounts for one-fifth of the world's COVID-19 deaths despite representing just 5% of the global population—though many countries are guilty of underreporting deaths.

The increase in cases comes ahead of what health officials have warned may be a double whammy, with flu cases stressing an overtaxed health system. Experts say the return of college students to campus is helping fuel the rise; more than 3,000 new cases each day have been linked ($$, WSJ) to in-person campus reopenings. 

Explore data by age, race, and sex here.

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TOM BRADY'S FAVORITE SHADES

If the winningest football player in the history of the NFL looked you right in the eye and said you should read this message, would you? Well, we hope so. Just a couple of weeks ago, Tom Brady announced his partnership with our friends at Christopher Cloos Danish eyewear, and launched his very own line of glasses in tandem.

You've gotta check them out. Much like Christopher Cloos' iconic sunglasses, they're sleek, polarized, beautifully designed, and spring-hinged (so they hug—and don't hurt—your face). But the Cloos X Brady collection has its own set of perks, like blue light lenses to protect from screen damage, and construction from biodegradable materials for a focus on sustainability. Every order comes with exclusive packaging, including a six-ring version of Christopher Cloos' logo in a not-so-subtle hat tip to Brady's six Super Bowl rings (which our copywriters couldn't help but mention).

You can't go wrong with any of Christopher Cloos' sunglasses, with stylish frames and quality lenses that will have you questioning ever buying your last pair from a mall kiosk. If you aren't sold yet, just check out their site today. You'll be leaving with your very own competitively priced spring-hinged sunglasses by the end of the day. Grab yours today.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Denver Nuggets top Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of Western Conference Finals; Lakers lead best-of-seven series 2-1 (More) | NBA commissioner Adam Silver says 2020-21 season not likely to start until 2021 (More)

> Tommy DeVito, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and founding member of The Four Seasons, dies of COVID-19 complications at 92 (More)

> Rappers Post Malone (16) and Lil Nas X (13) lead for most nominations at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards (Oct. 14, 8pm ET, NBC) (More) | Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” top Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (More)

Science & Technology

> Tesla holds its Battery Day, with CEO Elon Musk revealing advancements meant to drop the cost of a Model S to $25K (More) | Company value drops $50B on the plan's three-year timeframe (More)

> TikTok says a coordinated raid from dark web users pushed a graphic suicide to go viral on the streaming video platform earlier this month (More) | Global law enforcement agencies make 179 arrests for the sale of illegal goods on dark web marketplaces (More) | What is the dark web? (More)

> Arctic sea ice drops to the second-lowest level observed in four decades of measurements (More) | NASA animations of changes over time (More, w/video) | ... and how sea ice influences the global climate (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by The Ascent

> August US home sales post highest monthly level since December 2006; median home prices up to record $310K (More)

> Nike smashes earnings expectations, as digital sales increase 82%; shares up more than 10% in after-hours trading (More)

> Free stock trading app Robinhood secures additional $460M investment at $11.7B valuation (More)

A credit card that packs up to $1,148 of value? Secure the highest cash back rate on the market that we've come across—with no annual fee to boot. #Ad

Politics & World Affairs

> White House strikes deal with House lawmakers to avoid end-of-month budget standoff with agreement on short term bill that funds government through Dec. 11 (More)

> State GOP to appeal to the Supreme Court a recent decision allowing delayed mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania to count in the Nov. 3 election; will be first test for the court following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (More) | Topics for the Sept. 29 presidential debate released (More)

> President Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping offer dueling prerecorded speeches at United Nations General Assembly; Trump pushes UN to hold China accountable for the pandemic, Xi calls for multilateralism (More) | China to go carbon neutral by 2060 (More)

'ARE YOU A MODEL?'

In partnership with Christopher Cloos

Better get used to hearing that question a whole lot more. If you buy a pair of Christopher Cloos sunglasses, that is.

Their mind-blowing spring hinges can fit any head shape, and the minimalistic, retro frames will have you stealing glances in the mirror all summer long. Plus, you might be thrown a surprise modeling contract on your golden hour strolls down the street. So check out Christopher Cloos frames and the Cloos X Brady collection today.

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ETCETERA

Some good news—child mortality has plunged across the world.

Ranking the year's 50 best startups.

Dissecting 2020's campaign color palettes. 

Banksy's take on Monet's Water Lilies is up for auction.

Mapping US cities with the highest economic output.

In Tasmania, the race is on to save hundreds of beached whales.

Centenarian beats Spanish flu, then COVID-19.

The year that keeps on giving now brings you zombie storms.

Clickbait: Scientists discover not all rats like to be tickled. 

Historybook: American civil rights activist Victoria Woodhull born (1838); Nintendo is founded as a playing card company (1889); Musician Ray Charles is born (1930); RIP psychiatrist Sigmund Freud (1939); Hurricane Jeanne kills more than 3,000 people in Haiti (2004).

"You better live every day like your last because one day you're going to be right."

- Ray Charles

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