The third wave of the novel coronavirus in the United States is officially worse than the last two. / TIME

 

"If we took aggressive steps right now, we could potentially forestall the worst of it, but we're not going to do that." The US is close to having “exponential spread” in some areas. / CNN

 

Kashgar, China, recently had a coronavirus outbreak. Within two days, 4.5 million people were tested. / The Washington Post

 

A study finds that antibodies against the coronavirus declined rapidly in the British population during the summer. / Reuters

 

The Department of Health and Human Services halts its $250 million ad campaign about the virus, scrapping a special vaccine deal for Santa Claus performers. / The Wall Street Journal

 

HHS, assailed by pandemic-linked pressures, is seeing a “mass exodus” of employees. / POLITICO

 

Related: “How Trump Became the Pro-Infection Candidate.” / The New Yorker

 

Election officials report finding handwritten thank you notes included with mail-in ballots. / The Washington Post

 

The mayor of a tiny Russian village was running unopposed, so he nominated the city hall's cleaning lady as his opponent. She won. / The New York Times

 

Trump intends to fire the heads of the FBI, CIA, and the Pentagon if he wins re-election. / Axios

 

Just over one month after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Senate votes almost entirely along party lines to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett. / Vox

 

Dahlia Lithwick: This is what it feels like to live under minority rule (the powerlessness is the point). / Slate

 

Interviews with 11 women—including Kamala Harris, Ilhan Omar, and Condoleezza Rice—about "the privileges and pressures that come with being a political 'first.'" / Harper’s Bazaar

 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater presents a tribute to Rep. John Lewis. / The Root

 

Among the leading purveyors of right-wing misinformation? The obscure Chinese spiritual movement Falun Gong. / The New York Times

 

Protesters in Nigeria want Beyoncé to be a little more like Rihanna. / BBC News

 

Honduras is the fiftieth country to sign an international treaty banning nuclear weapons. Not included in the 50: China, Russia, the US. / The Guardian

 

An excerpt from President Obama’s new memoir. / The New Yorker

 

Driven by strong winds, a pair of fires sweep through Los Angeles, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate. / The Los Angeles Times

 

During the pandemic, demand is high for appliance repair workers. The few schools that train them are booked solid. / The Washington Post

 

See also: Profiles of caretakers of Britain's small islands. / The New York Times

 

The iPhone 12 Pro is so expensive in India that you can fly to Dubai to buy it, return, and still save money. / India Today

 

"The pictures do not tell the full story." A mysterious 3D home tour in Kentucky is the best accidental video game of 2020. / AV Club

 

RIP, Jerry Jeff Walker. / The Morning News