FiveThirtyEight’s top stories this week

A [FiveThirtyEight]( email [Popular This Week] Sunday, July 26, 2020 [1. How To Make Indoor Air Safer]( [GettyImages-593449213-4×3]( If you’re waiting for a break from bad news about COVID, don’t hold your breath — or, actually, do hold your breath. [Read more]( [2. Every Decision Is A Risk. Every Risk Is A Decision.]( [People have drinks and dine at the outdoor patio at La Boheme in West Hollywood as coronavirus surges]( It has been a summer of compromises, a season of bending the rules. If I wear a mask and I keep my distance, I can go for a walk with a friend. Hand sanitizer is a bulwark that allows my kids to play on an otherwise empty jungle gym. I believe the backyard has magical properties that will, probably, make it just safe enough to see people and talk to them. In the sun and fresh breeze, we give each other air hugs from six-ish feet away. [Read more]( [3. How Can A Senator Vote With Trump Most Of The Time And Still Be A Moderate?]( [Secretary Mnuchin Testifies In Senate Hearing On CARES Act Implementation]( A number of GOP senators — especially those from states that backed Hillary Clinton in 2016 — are in competitive reelection fights in 2020, including Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado and Susan Collins of Maine. In their campaign pitches, these senators have been presenting themselves as moderates worthy of representing moderate states, using words and phrases like “bipartisan,” “building consensus” and “both sides of the aisle.” [Read more]( [4. Yes, Biden Has A Big Lead, But It’s Probably Not 15 Points]( [POLLING-UPDATE-0716-4×3]( A bombshell poll from Quinnipiac University sent the political world into a tizzy on Wednesday when it showed Joe Biden leading President Trump 52 percent to 37 percent nationally. While it’s been well documented for a while now that Biden is solidly ahead of Trump in the polls, could the Democrat really be up by 15 points?! [Read more]( [5. Republicans And Democrats See COVID-19 Very Differently. Is That Making People Sick?]( [POLITICS-SICK-4×3]( Graphics by Anna Wiederkehr [Read more]( [6. Economists Think Congress Should Keep Paying Unemployed Workers $600 A Week — Or Even More]( [ECON-SURVEY_0526-4×3]( Graphics by Jasmine Mithani [Read more]( [7. Americans Increasingly Dislike How Republican Governors Are Handling The Coronavirus Outbreak]( [0717_POLLA-4×3]( Welcome to Pollapalooza, our weekly polling roundup. [Read more]( [8. If Republicans Are Ever Going To Turn On Trump, This Might Be The Moment]( [President Trump Holds A Press Briefing At The White House]( While the past few days have felt unprecedented in almost all respects, they’ve been familiar in at least one way: President Trump has once again done something widely viewed as outrageous. In this case, his administration had law enforcement officials clear a path for Trump to visit a nearby church, leading to protesters being tear gassed outside the White House. [Read more]( [9. Who’s Who In The NBA Bubble: The Teams Just Along For The Ride]( [NBA-TIERS-4×3]( Assuming nothing goes awry between now and then, professional basketball will return to our television screens soon. The WNBA is set to begin its season on July 25, while the NBA — the league whose abrupt shutdown set off a cascade of matching shutdowns in other sports — will restart its own season on July 30 at Walt Disney World. [Read more]( [10. Want A COVID-19 Test? It’s Much Easier To Get In Wealthier, Whiter Neighborhoods]( [TESTING-ACCESS-4×3]( Graphics by Ryan Best [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly Listen [Play]( [Politics Podcast: There Aren’t Secret Trump Voters]( [FiveThirtyEight] [View in browser]( [ABC News]( [Unsubscribe]( Our mailing address: FiveThirtyEight, 47 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023.