The DNC Ends; Postmaster General Faces Senate; Paying Off Student Loan Debt

Plus, the intriguing evolutionary history of penguins. by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden delivers his acceptance speech on the fourth night of the Democratic National Convention from the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del.]( Win McNamee/Getty Images Here's what we're following today. More than three decades after his first failed White House campaign, Joe Biden officially accepted the Democratic party’s presidential nomination Thursday night. In his acceptance speech, [Biden outlined challenges facing the U.S.]( that he’d address if elected: the pandemic, the economy, racial injustice and climate change. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is facing questions from a Senate committee about shake ups in the Postal Service that some say could threaten the election. DeJoy has said [he will postpone alterations]( to Postal Service practices until after the November election. Under pressure from the Trump administration to deliver 2020 census results by the end of this year, the U.S. Census Bureau has set a cutoff date for receiving paper forms for the once-a-decade head count. The bureau plans to only process paper census questionnaires [postmarked by Sept. 30]( if they arrive after Oct. 7. President Trump’s former campaign strategist and White House adviser, Steve Bannon, was arrested on fraud charges Thursday. He and three other defendants have been indicted for [allegedly defrauding donors]( in a $25 million border wall fundraising campaign. A federal judge has dismissed President Trump's latest attempt to block a subpoena for his tax records from the district attorney of Manhattan. The prosecutor is examining whether Trump or his organization broke New York laws in connection with hush money payments made to an adult film actress and another woman who said they’d had affairs with him. [The president denies those allegations](. The Susan B. Anthony Museum has rejected President Trump’s pardon this week of the suffragist, who broke the law by casting a ballot in 1872, when women couldn’t vote. The director of the museum, Deborah L. Hughes, suggested that [the best way to honor Anthony]( would be to take a clear stance against voter suppression and to advocate for human rights for all. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listens [Amy Adams stars as linguistics professor Louise Banks in the 2016 movie Arrival, adapted from a Ted Chiang short story.]( Jan Thijs/Paramount The 2016 film Arrival, an adaptation of Ted Chiang's novella "Story of Your Life," captured the imaginations of science fiction fans worldwide. Field linguist Jessica Coon, who consulted on the film, breaks down what the movie gets right — and wrong — about linguistics. [Click here to listen]( to the Short Wave podcast. [King penguins from the King penguin colony in Tierra del Fuego, Chile.]( Aurora Fernández Durán /PNAS We imagine penguins huddling on Antarctic ice, but only two of 18 species of penguins inhabit the frigid conditions. Others live in stifling, hot areas. [Listen to a report]( about what new research tells us about the origins of penguin diversity. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [In addition to large plastic trash, researchers estimate that more than 21 million metric tons of tiny plastic debris are floating below the Atlantic Ocean's surface.]( Michael O'Neill/Science Source - Researchers think there’s [way more plastic]( floating below the Atlantic Ocean's surface than previously thought. - The Kansas City Chiefs will [ban fans from wearing Native American headdresses and face paint]( at games during the upcoming NFL season. The team is also reviewing their pre-game drum ceremony and crowd-participation "Arrowhead Chop," which many find offensive. - Paying off student loans can be a financial nightmare. The system is loaded with confusing payment plan options and bad information that can cost you thousands of dollars. The Life Kit team has [advice on which pitfalls to avoid](. - Airbnb is banning all parties at all of its listings worldwide, citing [the threat of the coronavirus pandemic](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy](