Bolton’s Claims Of Chaos; New COVID Concerns In Sunbelt States; Is NASCAR Driven By Hate?

Plus, remembering front-line workers we’ve lost to coronavirus. by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [California Sen. Kamala Harris topped a recent national poll asking respondents for their preferred Joe Biden running mate.]( Jonathan Ernst/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Here's what we're following today. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has already declared he’ll choose a woman as his vice presidential running mate and California Sen. Kamala Harris is the current front-runner. Many Democrats believe she has more political and governing credibility than any other potential picks, save perhaps Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. [Here’s a primer on Harris’ history and political positions](. In his forthcoming memoir, former national security advisor John Bolton questions President Trump's competence and accuses the president of focusing almost exclusively on his own reelection. During a recent interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, Bolton says [his book is “about how not to be president.]( NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace — the only Black driver in the top stock car racing circuit — led a successful charge to remove the Confederate flag from all of the racing series' events. On Sunday, a noose was discovered hanging in his team stall at the Talladega Superspeedway. The race was postponed to Monday because of rain and would have been [the first test of NASCAR's ban on the Confederate flag](. At least 20 states are registering an uptick in coronavirus cases, including spikes in Florida, Texas and Arizona, where President Trump is headed Tuesday. The White House is downplaying the president’s comments at his Saturday campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., where he said [he urged his team to “slow down the testing,]( adding, “When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases.” The White House later said he was being "[tongue in cheek]( Democrats are demanding probes into the firing of Geoffrey Berman, the federal prosecutor who is investigating people close to President Trump. On Saturday, Attorney General William Barr announced that on his recommendation, [President Trump had made the decision to fire Berman](. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told CNN he believes Barr should be impeached, but that trying to get that through the Republican-controlled Senate would be futile. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listens [A bald eagle flies off with its kill.]( Courtesy of White Oak Pastures In a growing trend, dozens of aging dams are being removed from U.S. rivers every year, and wildlife populations are exploding as a result. In Maine, this has meant the return of millions of migratory fish, plus bald eagles and other birds who eat them. East Coast rivers have been dammed for hundreds of years and many people have never seen a large river system in its natural state. ([Listen here]( or [read the story]( The U.S. has lost more than 119,000 people since the coronavirus started sickening Americans five months ago. We pause to remember some of the people on the front lines of the pandemic who died after contracting the disease. [Click here to listen to and read their stories](. The New Yorker is one of this country's most influential literary magazines, but artist Liz Montague felt something was missing in the cartoons — a point of view like hers. So she wrote to the editor, and now she's believed to be the first Black female cartoonist to have her work featured in the magazine. At 24 years old, Montague is also one of the youngest. NPR's Michel Martin spoke to her about the role of a cartoonist during a time of social protest. ([Listen here]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Picture Show [Anglebert Maurice Kakuja, 29, a Sapeur, or Congolese dandy, shows off his fashion sense while wearing a homemade mask in the eastern Congolese city of Bukavu. Sapeurs take their name from the acronym for their group: Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes.]( Raissa Karama Rwizibuka In the Democratic Republic of Congo, citizens are required by law to wear masks in public, but many are choosing materials like banana leaves or wearing their masks backwards as a form of protest. Mask enforcement is making people uneasy in a country that has [a dark history of police brutality](. Violators receive a stiff fine — the equivalent of $2.50 to $3 — for not obeying. The average per person income in the Congo is less than $2 a day. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [Tom Petty posed in New York in 1976.]( Richard E. Aaron/Redferns - The family of late rock singer, Tom Petty, sent [a cease-and-desist letter]( to the Trump campaign, after it played Petty’s hit “I Won’t Back Down” at Saturday’s rally in Tulsa. - The Grateful Dead has launched a deodorant. It’s handmade and vegan, and the fragrances have names like Skull & Roses and Sunshine. ([Listen here]( - Clark Atlanta University and alumna Pinky Cole are teaming up to offer [full scholarships to Rayshard Brooks' four children]( who range in age from 1 to 13 years old. — Suzette Lohmeyer contributed to this report. --------------------------------------------------------------- Follow [The New Normal]( on Instagram! What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [dailynewsletter@npr.org](mailto:dailynewsletter@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. 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