Postal Service warns 46 states their voters could be disenfranchised by delayed mail-in ballots  —  Anticipating an avalanche of absentee ballots, the U.S. Postal Service recently sent detailed letters to 46 states and D.C. warning that it cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail …

Senate committee sought investigation of Bannon, raised concerns about Trump family testimony  —  The Senate Intelligence Committee sent a bipartisan letter to the Justice Department asking federal prosecutors to investigate Steve Bannon, a former Trump confidante, for potentially lying …

NYC police union endorses Trump, who claims Biden would ‘gut every single police department in America’  —  Trump used the endorsement speech to attack Biden, Harris, de Blasio and Warren  —  A New York City law enforcement union, the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) …

Why Trump's birtherism attack on Harris is killing the Republican Party  —  (CNN)On Thursday, President Donald Trump was asked about a false report that California Sen. Kamala Harris might not be eligible to be vice president.  —  Rather than dismiss them out of hand, he said this:

The White Supremacist “Scholars” Pushing the Kamala Harris Birther Lie  —  Sen. Kamala Harris is a citizen of the United States who is eligible to serve as vice president.  This is not an argument but a statement of fact, because children born in the U.S. to immigrant parents receive birthright citizenship under the Constitution.

Dear White Vegans, Stop Appropriating Food  —  Veganism is going through its own racial reckoning that's a long time coming, considering white vegan influencers have appropriated traditional foods forever.  —  Anya Zoledziowski  —  When Afia Amoako became a vegan five years ago …

Establishment of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force  —  On Aug. 4, 2020, Deputy Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist approved the establishment of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force (UAPTF).  The Department of the Navy, under the cognizance of the Office of the Under Secretary …

Drug-Dealing, White Supremacist Stripper Sentenced for Obstruction of Justice  —  TEXARKANA, Texas - A 28-year-old Dallas, Texas, man has been sentenced for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox today.  —  On March 6, 2020 …

How Jennifer O'Malley Dillon transformed Joe Biden's campaign  —  When Jennifer O'Malley Dillon was brought in to take over the Joe Biden campaign operation five months ago, she barely knew a soul there — and that included the candidate himself.  —  If that wasn't a big enough adjustment …

Ex-F.B.I. Lawyer Expected to Plead Guilty in Review of Russia Inquiry  —  Prosecutors did not reveal any evidence of the kind of broad anti-Trump conspiracy among law enforcement officials that the president has long alleged.  —  WASHINGTON — A former F.B.I. lawyer intends to plead guilty …

ICE Guards “Systematically” Sexually Assault Detainees in an El Paso Detention Center, Lawyers Say  —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.  —  This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune …

Coronavirus Live Updates: Firm Helping Run Federal Database Refuses Senators' Questions  —  People who recover from the virus have a three-month window of safety, C.D.C. guidance shows.  As tax revenues plummet, states face an estimated $555 billion budget gap over the next two years.

A Black Marxist Scholar Wanted to Talk About Race.  It Ignited a Fury.  —  The cancellation of a speech reflects an intense debate on the left: Is racism the primary problem in America today, or the outgrowth of a system that oppresses all poor people?  —  Adolph Reed is a son of the segregated South …

Two sites that amplify hoaxes given special treatment at Trump's briefings despite restrictions  —  The White House press corps just got a little more Trump-friendly, thanks to a bit of maneuvering by the White House itself.  —  Representatives of the Gateway Pundit and Epoch Times …

HHS chief information officer abruptly resigns  —  HHS' chief information officer, José Arrieta, resigned unexpectedly Friday.  —  Arrieta told senior leaders that he would stay on for up to a month to help with the transition, said two individuals with knowledge of his plans.

I grew up with anti-Semitism in the UAE.  Peace with Israel is a dream come true.  —  Never in a million years did I believe there would be a deal in my lifetime where an Arab Gulf state would recognize the Jewish state.  Watching the news this week of Israel and the United Arab Emirates …

The Hill Publishes Campaign Ads Disguised as ‘Op-Eds’  —  The Hill is known for its high-metabolism national political coverage, wonky Washington D.C. reporting, but also for a sprawling opinion section that often serves as a landing pad for campaign staffers passing off what are effectively ads as op-eds.

Mitt Romney slams politicians attacking mail-in voting  —  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Sen. Mitt Romney said Friday that politicians attacking the vote by mail system are threatening global democracy but stopped short of criticizing President Donald Trump, who has been openly against an expected surge of mail-in ballots.

No Bathroom Relief in Sight for Thousands Living on the Streets  —  Jared Mitchell waited several minutes in line to use a bathroom in Penn Station only to be told he was not allowed inside.  —  Amtrak workers close the bathrooms — a lifeline for people like 24-year-old Mitchell who live on the streets …

‘The President Was Not Encouraging’: What Obama Really Thought About Biden  —  Behind the friendship was a more complicated relationship, which now drives the former vice president to prove his partner wrong.  —  The way Joe Biden explained it on the campaign trail in Iowa …

A Connecticut Congressional candidate was arrested on domestic violence charges just days ago — but GOP insiders knew of the allegations against him for months  —  The arrest of Connecticut Congressional candidate Thomas Gilmer on the eve of this week's Republican primary threw the race into disarray.

An inland hurricane tore through Iowa.  You probably didn't hear about it.  —  On Monday, Iowa was leveled by what amounted to a level-two hurricane.  But you wouldn't know that from reading, listening to or watching the news.  —  While the storm did garner some coverage, mostly via wire stories …

Workers Join Belarus Protests, as Leader's Base Turns Against Him  —  Demonstrators at a huge state-run factory in the capital gave an ultimatum: Unless a fair election is held, they will strike, in a new test of President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko's rule.  —  MINSK, Belarus …

Top DHS officials Wolf and Cuccinelli are not legally eligible to serve in their current roles, congressional watchdog agency finds  —  The appointments of the top two officials at the Department of Homeland Security violated federal law, the Government Accountability Office said on Friday.

Americans Must Defend the Postal Service Like Our Democracy Depends on It  —  The post office was the midwife of America's democracy, and the first triumph of its federal state.  —  By facilitating communication between every far-flung, culturally disparate settlement within the early republic …

Note From Elie: The Lunacy of the McGahn Saga Says It All  —  A weekly Note from Elie is part of the CAFE Brief.  An audio recording of the note is part of the CAFE Insider membership.  Please enjoy Elie reading this week's note, “The Lunacy of the McGahn Saga Says It All” and read his note in your inbox every Friday.

HBO Max Adds “Proper Social Context” Intro to ‘Blazing Saddles’  —  The disclaimer is similar to the one the streamer added before ‘Gone With the Wind.’  —  Blazing Saddles is currently streaming on HBO Max, along with a new introduction that automatically plays before the Mel Brooks classic begins.