Morning Reads for Separation of Church and State Day (October 28)

Good morning! It’s Separation of Church and State Day, which commemorates the 1963 Supreme Court decision in Abington School District v. Schempp, the law that declared that school-sponsored Bible readings were unconstitutional.

It’s also National Chocolate Day, and yes, I’m well aware I buried the lede. Thrillist has a list of free and cheap chocolate deals, and some (incorrect) soul has tried to rank chocolate candy in honor of the day. Plain M&Ms are on the list, though, and they’re an abomination.

Oh, hey, did you know it’s only 6 days until the election? Well, if not, someone will text you shortly to remind you, so let’s get to the news!

Pat Conroy

• Vice President Biden was in Warm Springs and Atlanta yesterday to campaign. His speech at the Little White House called for “healing” and “restoration.” (Alternate link.)
• Governor Kemp was the speaker at a pro-Trump rally near the Vice President’s event.
• Outside spending on GA-6 and GA-7 has now topped $25 million. (Alternate link.)
• The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling that found Sumter County’s school board districts violated the Voting Rights Act. (Alternate link.)
• Georgia COVID cases rose almost 20% in the past week.
• A VB 10,000 crane has arrived to begin chopping up the cargo ship that capsized off the Georgia coast in September.
• A new James Brown mural has been unveiled in Augusta. (Alternate link.)
• Jeff Foxworthy’s Johns Creek mansion is for sale now that he and his wife are empty nesters. They plan to move to a smaller home nearby.

Alice Walker

• The L.A. Dodgers won the World Series last night. (Alternate link.)
• Protests continue in Philadelphia over the shooting of Walter Wallace, Jr. (Alternate link.)
• With a 46% surge in COVID patients being admitted for care, U.S. hospitals are straining to treat them. (Alternate link.)
• New polls show Biden up significantly in Wisconsin and slightly in Michigan.
• The Commerce Department is about to release record-setting economic growth data, but they mask a deeply-troubled economy.
• Here’s a look at the economy in 10 charts under President Trump as compared to his five immediate predecessors.
• A Wall Street Journal analysis has found that President Trump’s steel tariffs have not revived the industry. (Alternate link.)
• A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health has found that some COVID survivors’ immune systems turn on their bodies, leading to chronic issues like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. (Alternate link.)
• Wyoming officials are using dark money funneled through the Energy Policy Network to stop coal plants from closing in other states.
• Hundreds of Trump supporters in Omaha were stranded miles from their vehicles in freezing temperatures last night after a rally. (Alternate link.)

Flannery O’Connor

• A man in the Bronx fell into a 12-foot sink hole while waiting for a bus.