COVID case counts are climbing. Trump continues holding rallies.

[View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter]( October 20, 2020 Yesterday, thousands of unmasked spectators crowded together in Tucson and Prescott, Arizona, to listen to President Trump tell them that the coronavirus is no big deal. “People are pandemic’d out,” he said. “That’s why it’s so great what your governor has done. He’s opened up your state." Trump then bragged about his supposed immunity to the virus and said he could "jump into this audience and kiss every man and woman." People may be pandemic'd out, but the pandemic doesn't care. Coronavirus cases are [on the rise]( across the country, and hot spots have cropped up in Kansas and the Dakotas. Meanwhile, most scientists say the United States is [unlikely to reach herd immunity]( anytime soon. And while Trump may have survived COVID, not everyone is so lucky. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—the same agency that couldn't make up its mind about whether the virus is [airborne](—conceded on Tuesday that [285,000 more people died]( in the United States between February 1 and September 16 than would have in a typical year. The increased mortality isn't affecting only the elderly, as Trump would have you think; the excess death rate among 25- to 44-year-olds was 26.5 percent over previous years. Not every one of these deaths was a direct result of the coronavirus: Some people died of other causes at home because they were afraid to go to the hospital, or because hospitals were so overwhelmed with COVID cases that they couldn't get the care they needed. Regardless, the country continues to battle a major public health crisis while its president stands at a podium, cracking jokes. —Abigail Weinberg Thank you to the some 3,200 readers who have pitched in during our [fall fundraising drive](: You've helped us raise about $142,000 of our $350,000 goal. Please join your fellow readers and [support our nonprofit journalism]( to help us raise the final $208,000 by October 31. [ACLU]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [“It’s Going to Be Hell”: How Pennsylvania Is on Track for Election Chaos]( The swing state's little-tested mail ballot system could help Trump wreak havoc. BY AJ VICENS [Trending] [Progressives tell Biden: Appointees must be diverse and free of corporate ties]( BY KARA VOGHT [The Supreme Court just hinted that we might be facing a Bush v. Gore redux]( BY ARI BERMAN [The GOP's former top election lawyer says Trump has reached a new low]( BY AJ VICENS [The cycle of punitive justice starts in schools. Eric Butler is showing kids and teachers how to break it.]( BY ADAM HOCHSCHILD [ACLU]( [Food] [Special Feature]( [Did Trump Just Cut Guest Farmworker Wages by as Much as 50 Percent?]( A surprise move by the agriculture department may have done just that. BY TOM PHILPOTT [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( [Recharge] SOME GOOD NEWS, FOR ONCE [Just 2 Weeks Out From the Election, But Assistive Technology for Voters With Disabilities Is Growing]( As we enter the final stretch of fireworks before the election, a reader points me to a stark statistic about ballot access, but also an encouraging effort to improve turnout: Just [40 percent]( of polling locations accommodated voters with disabilities in 2016, up (though not enough) from 16 percent in 2000, and people with disabilities turn out at lower rates than the general population, largely due to accessibility. The good news is that mobilization is accelerating, not just with hashtags but with assistive technology like the Brink Election Guide, a new accessibility app that tells you when, where, and what methods are available to vote. I don’t endorse apps or products, but the reader who tipped me to it is heartened by what she calls “the broader effort it represents to actually bring me and voters like me into greater participation in elections.” She’d spotted it in a story yesterday by Catie Cheshire on the National Center on Disability and Journalism’s website, and I do endorse great articles. Cheshire’s is one; give it a [close read]( for a fuller view of who and what are at stake in the next two weeks. She dives into the history of human rights through designers who “want the disability community to be a prominent voting bloc.” More than 60 million US adults live with disabilities. Whether that’s you or someone in your household or not, let me know your experience with ballot access at recharge@motherjones.com. If you want to be quoted (with or without your name), say the word. Also! Let me know where you stand on people-first or identity-first descriptions: “people with disabilities” or “disabled people” as defaults. —Daniel King Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755