Good morning. It's Friday, Sept. 4, and one of the strangest summers in memory is coming to an end. We'll be off for Labor Day—see you Tuesday! Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Facebook Preps for Nov. 3

Facebook announced yesterday it will stop accepting new political ads in the week before the November election, in an attempt to blunt the spread of misinformation across the platform. The company also said it would remove content claiming voters will contract the coronavirus if they vote in person, and flag posts by any candidate claiming premature victory. Some criticized the policies as too narrow.

The latter move stems from concerns that a high volume of mail-in ballots may delay the outcome of the Nov. 3 election by days, or even weeks. While voting by mail is not uncommon—almost 25% of ballots, or more than 33 million, were cast by mail in 2016—the practice varies widely by state. A number of states saw a significant increase in mail-in ballots during primaries, with some results delayed for weeks. Democratic voters prefer voting by mail in 2020 by a 3-to-1 margin over Republican voters, according to survey data.

There are 60 days until Nov. 3, but the election technically gets underway today, as North Carolina becomes the first state (see list) to send out its absentee ballots. Check out poll averages from battleground states here.

West Coast to Roast

A potentially record-breaking heat wave ($$, LAT) is set to roll into California, bringing dangerous wildfire conditions across a region that has already seen 1.5 million acres burned since mid-August. Temperatures are expected to be 15 to 25 degrees above normal, with some spots forecast to pass 115 degrees. Much of the greater Los Angeles area is expected to set record highs, while farther north, temperatures will near 110 degrees in the Sacramento Valley. See the state's current fire map here. 

The looming heat prompted utility operators to issue a flex alert, imploring residents to conserve power to avoid rolling blackouts. A surge in air conditioning usage last month prompted the state's first blackouts since 2001. Officials have also said the situation is exacerbated by the state's rapid shift to solar power (without adequate power storage options), which has limited their ability to meet peak demand.

The conditions are expected to persist through Labor Day weekend.  

Jobless Claims, Stocks Both Fall

An estimated 881,000 Americans filed for initial unemployment claims last week, beating analysts estimates of 950,000. While still above the pre-pandemic record of 695,000 set in 1982, the report marks the second time in four weeks the figure has fallen below 1 million (historical data). Continuing claims—a better proxy for current unemployment—fell to near 13.3 million. Counting gig economy and self-employed workers, not covered under traditional unemployment, the number grows to 29 million—an increase of 2 million from the previous week. Core unemployment is expected to fall to 9.8% in today's August job report.

Despite the news, the market—swamped by a fall in tech stocks—saw its worst day since June. The Dow fell 874 points (-3%) followed by the S&P 500 (-3.5%), while the tech-heavy Nasdaq tumbled almost 600 points (-5%). The biggest losers by market value on the day were Apple (-7.1%), Amazon (-5.5%), and Facebook (-5.1%).

Despite the pandemic-induced economic crisis, markets have soared to record highs over the summer.

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PROTECT YOURSELF, PROTECT OTHERS

At this point, we've all left the house our fair share: to the grocery store, school, office, or even airport. And no matter how careful you are about germs, it seems those small moments of panic when we touch dirty surfaces are just unavoidable. But no need to stress those moments anymore, because Cuver has you—sigh—covered.

Cuver started off with antimicrobial, machine-washable face masks that are affordable (as low as $1.49) and ship quickly. But they definitely didn't stop there. Today, you can head to their site to grab the Cuver Zen Kit for a collection of your PPE necessities. Two face masks, protective gloves, a 50ML hand sanitizer, wet wipes, hand soap sheets, and a handy little info sheet on how to stay safe from COVID-19. And best of all, with every order Cuver donates a mask to front line workers and gives 10% of proceeds to organizations feeding those in need.

In fact, Cuver has already donated over 85,000 masks to clinics and hospitals across the country. So check them out today and grab a Zen Kit to help keep both yourself and others safe.

Please support our sponsors!

IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Tiz the Law, the 3-year-old Thoroughbred winner of the Belmont Stakes, is heavy favorite at Saturday’s 146th Kentucky Derby (NBC, 7pm ET) (More)

> Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is near-unanimous winner of NBA Rookie of the Year (More) | NBA conference semifinals continue this weekend; see full schedule and playoff bracket (More)

> Live-action remake of “Mulan” released today on Disney Plus for $30; film will be free to subscribers Dec. 4 (More) | “The Batman” pauses production due to star Robert Pattinson’s positive COVID-19 test (More)

Science & Technology

> International commission concludes performing the gene-editing CRISPR technique in embryos to fix genetic errors is still too risky, not ready for clinical implementation (More) | Report follows 2018 bombshell that a rogue Chinese scientist had performed the procedure (More)

> New wool-like material capable of dynamically changing shape, remembering previous orientations developed; applications include smart textiles, medical applications, and more (More)

> New study reveals full size of Megalodons, the prehistoric relatives of great white sharks; analysis provides insight into the physiology of ancient, large-scale marine creatures (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by INBOUND2020

> Department of Justice is preparing to file antitrust charges against Alphabet (Google) as early as September, sources say; probe began last June to review the company’s search business among other divisions (More)

> General Motors and Honda to partner in North America; experts say the partnership will save both companies billions of dollars (More)

> Electronic cigarette marker Juul plans to lay off up to half of employees as regulators crack down on vaping (More)

Reserve your FREE ticket to INBOUND2020—a global, interactive, digital experience Sept. 22-23. It features industry thought leaders, networking opportunities, and educational sessions. Oh, and speakers like Van Jones, Bob Iger, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen are on the lineup. Set your OOO message and register now. #Ad

Politics & World Affairs

> Suspect in Portland, Oregon, shooting killed as federal investigators tried to apprehend him 120 miles north of the city; Michael Forest Reinoehl, a self-described antifa supporter, killed a member of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer during protests Saturday (More)

> House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-12) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tentatively agree to a short-term funding bill to keep the government open; the continuing resolution would need to be passed by Oct. 1 (More)

> Seven police officers in Rochester, New York, suspended in March death of Daniel Prude; video of Prude, who died while being restrained by police after exhibiting erratic behavior, surfaced this week (More) | See background on case (More)

IN-DEPTH

The Bradykinin Hypothesis

Elemental/Medium | Thomas Smith. A supercomputer analyzed SARS-CoV-2—and an interesting new theory on how the virus impacts the body emerged. (Read)

Do Campaigns Even Matter?

Science | David Nickerson, Todd Rogers. A rigorous look at election outcomes suggests what campaigns say and do matter less—possibly much less—than you think. (Read)

It Started in Victoria

Capital Daily | Jen Gerson. Wild conspiracy theories are nothing new—waves of moral panic sweep the western world every few years. That includes the 1980s Satanic Panic, which infected powerful institutions and destroyed thousands of families. (Read)

The $8 Million Heist

Smithsonian | Travis McDade. The inside story of how millions of dollars worth of precious maps, antique books, and more were stolen from Pittsburgh's Carnegie Library over 25 years. (Read)

A LITTLE BIT OF ZEN

In partnership with Cuver

Grab a Cuver Zen Kit for peace of mind this year. It's full of useful PPE resources, like face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, hand soap sheets, and information on COVID-19 safety. Starting at $9.99 per kit—and with the promise of speedy shipping—you'll be ready to feel safer, sooner.

You can also sleep a little easier knowing the good that Cuver is doing—for every purchase, they donate a mask to the front line, and give 10% of proceeds to those in need. Check out Cuver today!

Please support our sponsors!

ETCETERA

A neurotoxicologist explains Novichok.

Explore the world's first-ever Sounds of the Forest map.

Neighborhoods are the new corporate campuses. 

Thomas Keller's French Laundry launches an $850-per-plate dinner.

Montreal is now home to the world's largest rooftop greenhouse.

Brought back from extinction, this turtle is always smiling. ($$, NYT)

Short film turns major highways into a dizzying animation.

When you love hedgehogs but are terrible at baking cakes.

Clickbait: 2020's most important issue—boneless chicken wings. (w/video)

Historybook: Edmond Halley observes Halley’s comet for first time (1682); HBD Beyoncé (1981); Google is founded (1998); Crocodile Hunter host Steve Irwin killed by a stingray (2006); RIP comedian Joan Rivers (2014).

"I succeeded by saying what everyone else is thinking."

- Joan Rivers

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Why 1440? The printing press was invented in the year 1440, spreading knowledge to the masses and changing the course of history. Guess what else? There are 1,440 minutes in a day and every one is precious. That’s why we scour hundreds of sources every day to provide a concise, comprehensive, and objective view of what's happening in the world. Reader feedback is a gift—shoot us a note at [email protected].

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