Unanswered SCOTUS Questions; Massive Voter Turnout; Apple Unveils New iPhone Lineup

Plus, how to sign up for the NPR Student Podcast Challenge: College Edition. by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [The phase 3 trial of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been paused as the company investigates what it says is a study participant's "unexplained illness."]( Cheryl Gerber/AP Here's what we're following today. Two coronavirus studies have been put on pause by drugmakers Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lily as they investigate safety concerns. One is [a trial of an experimental drug]( similar to the one President Trump received. Pharmaceutical giant [Pfizer has received FDA approval]( to enroll adolescents in its COVID-19 vaccine trial. Experts say it's an important step aimed at determining whether a vaccine could be safe and effective in children. The Senate Judiciary Committee begins its third day of hearings in the Supreme Court confirmation process for President Trump's nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Senate [Democrats pressed Barrett]( yesterday on cases where she may or may not recuse herself — including potential cases related to the upcoming election. She declined to address whether she believes President Trump has [the power to pardon himself](. The U.S. Supreme Court has suspended a lower court order that extended the schedule for the 2020 census count. The Census Bureau says it will [stop collecting responses tomorrow](. Delta, the nation's second-largest airline based on the number of passengers flown last year, reports losing $5.4 billion in the third quarter of this year as the travel industry continues to suffer from low demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Add that to the $5.7 billion loss reported in the second quarter and Delta's total losses due to the pandemic rise to [more than $11 billion](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Elections 2020 [An employee of the Philadelphia City Commissioners Office examines ballot envelopes at a satellite election office at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. Local election clerks can't start verifying mailed-in ballots in Pennsylvania until Election Day and in Michigan until the day before.]( Laurence Kesterson/AP The pandemic has accelerated the move toward more mail voting in the U.S., with as many as half of all votes coming through the mail nationwide. Most of the country lets election officials do the arduous process of opening and sorting absentee ballots long before Election Day. But [laws haven’t adjusted as quickly as voting behavior]( in a number of swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. With just three weeks left in the presidential race, Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Trump are heavily courting senior citizens, [a crucial voting bloc]( that has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. More than $1 billion has now been spent on TV ads for the 2020 presidential election in just 13 states. [Almost $900 million]( of that money has been spent in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Arizona — all states where Biden has a big spending advantage. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listen Jackie Ferrentino for NPR Your technology is tracking you. What can a regular person who has no special technical skills do to protect themselves? NPR’s Laurel Wamsley talked to the experts about how to better protect your info. [Click here to listen]( or [read the story](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Special Announcement NPR The NPR Student Podcast Challenge, which has drawn more than 75,000 students around the country into the world of audio storytelling, is back! It's our third year, so we decided to go big or go home by adding college students to the mix. College students, it’s your turn to create a podcast — about anything! — and compete for a chance to have your work appear on NPR. [Click here]( to learn everything you need to know. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [Apple CEO Tim Cook announces the launch of the iPhone 12, which is the first iPhone enabled to harness the power of the 5G network.]( Apple - Apple's new iPhone 12 will be its first smartphone with 5G-enabled technology. It has a [smaller, smoother design]( and a "ceramic shield" to help protect the glass cover from breaks and cracks. [Wired Magazine reports]( that Apple will not include a power charger or earbuds with the iPhone 12, citing environmental reasons. - Princeton University has agreed to pay nearly $1 million in back pay to female full professors but [did not admit liability]( in the Labor Department's investigation. - Spike Lee's new film for HBO, David Byrne's American Utopia, captures a live performance of the former Talking Heads frontman’s acclaimed Broadway show. NPR’s John Powers calls it [a rousing blend of song, dance and revival meeting](. - This weekend, teams across NPR (virtually) took home eight Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association. [Click here]( to listen to their stories. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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! 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