Coronavirus deaths in the US are at their highest level in two months, topping 1,000 for four consecutive days. / The Washington Post

One way South Korea has been able to quash the coronavirus: Contract tracers working in a society willing to sacrifice privacy for the greater good. / Bloomberg

North Korea state media claims a defector who has returned from South Korea is the country's first suspected case of COVID-19. / BBC

A searchable database offers an unprecedented view into civilian complaints of abuse by NYPD officers. / ProPublica

"We’re dedicating this season to Breonna Taylor." Instead of kneeling when the national anthem played at a WNBA season opener, both teams walked out. / BuzzFeed News

Major League Baseball is now underway, but those fake fans are going to take some getting used to. / The Verge

The Sinclair Broadcast Group has postponed its local-news segment about a conspiracy theory claiming Dr. Fauci created the coronavirus. / CNN

Days after the US ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, China revokes the license for the US consulate in Chengdu. / CNN

See also: "Dozens of protesters from the Falun Gong religious group protested outside the consulate [in Houston], declaring a victory of sorts over the closure." / KTRK

Republicans have finalized the next coronavirus stimulus bill. The White House says it will include another round of $1,200 payments and will lengthen the federal eviction moratorium. / CNBC

Last month, Georgia's new election systems proved disastrous. As November approaches, those problems are still largely unresolved. / The New York Times

See also: "Every month of this year has brought new evidence that voting in 2020 hasn’t been going very well." / POLITICO

It's not clear whether the state polls that show Biden leading are more accurate than they were in 2016. / The Atlantic

“Things have gotten better since 1876, right?” An FAQ on what happens if Trump refuses to accept the results of the election. / GEN

The Trump campaign is arguing with phone carriers that a third-party screening tool blocking its text messages amounts to suppressing political speech. / The Verge

The Reagan Foundation has requested Trump and the RNC stop using the former president's image for fundraising efforts, including a set of coins featuring Trump and Reagan. / Slate

California's Prop. 65 has become a cash cow for litigators, with little money reaching the state agency responsible for protecting consumers from toxic exposure. / The Los Angeles Times

An experimental test can detect blood signatures of certain types of cancers up to four years before symptoms appear. / Scientific American

Worldwide seismic noise caused by human activity has fallen by as much as 50% during the pandemic. / VICE 20/20