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On Friday morning, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the first woman and Jewish person to lie in state at the US Capitol.⁠ ⁠ Lying in state is historically an honor awarded to American officials, judges, and military leaders. In 2005, civil rights leader Rosa Parks became the first woman to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, a similarly prestigious form of recognition.⁠ ⁠ President Trump plans to announce his nominee to replace this Saturday, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the Senate will move ahead with a vote on whoever President Donald Trump nominates, despite Republicans having argued in 2016 that filling a Supreme Court seat in an election year is undemocratic. To stay up to date with news about the newly vacant seat, go to the link in bio.

Six months into the US response to the pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci remains one of the most visible and steadfast defenders of science in an increasingly politicized environment. The director of @niaid spoke with Vox and Today, Explained host Sean @rameswaram on Thursday about calling out Sen. Rand Paul at a Wednesday Senate hearing; his projections for when may be ready to distribute; his concerns about public mistrust in the vaccine approval process; and telling political appointees at the @cdcgov to “take a walk.” “We are at war with a virus. We are not at war with each other,” Fauci told Rameswaram. When asked what one thing he’d change if he could wave a magic wand tomorrow over the US to improve the trajectory of this pandemic, Fauci said: “a spirit of pulling together.” Listen to Today, Explained wherever you get your podcasts to hear their full conversation.

Thousands of protesters marched in cities across the US on Wednesday night with one message: Justice has not been delivered for Breonna Taylor.⁣ ⁣ Protesters were galvanized by Wednesday’s grand jury announcement. Former police officer Brett Hankison was indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for threatening the lives of Taylor’s neighbors when he fired bullets that went through Taylor’s apartment into theirs. The two other officers who fired shots into the apartment that night — Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and detective Myles Cosgrove — were not indicted. And no one was charged specifically for Taylor’s killing.⁣ ⁣ In Louisville, protesters didn’t let barricades, a curfew, officers in riot gear, or the presence of the National Guard deter them from pouring out into the streets to say Breonna Taylor’s name. Similar protests erupted nationwide, including in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York, Seattle, DC, and Portland. Many have pointed out that Black women killed by police don’t often receive as much attention, or justice, in matters of police violence.⁣ ⁣ The full story on the protests, and the larger fight for justice for Black lives, can be found at the link in bio.

Americans spend billions of dollars each year on pampering their pets. There are laws to protect them from harm and to punish those who inflict it on them. And yet, pigs and chickens are routinely abused on farms, as we cut off their beaks or tails without anesthesia, and cram them into cages. Why do we treat the animals we eat in ways we would never, ever treat our pets?⁠ ⁠ In this episode of the Future Perfect podcast, a neuroscientist who studies animal behavior and intelligence explains this paradox on our plates. She makes it clear that pigs — and even chickens — are intelligent, emotional beings worthy of our moral consideration, and helps us understand why people don’t consider them morally worthy. You can hear the full episode by searching “Future Perfect” wherever you like to listen to podcasts. ⁠

After nearly 200 days since the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, a Jefferson County grand jury announced on Wednesday that it would indict one officer in the shooting death of the 26-year-old EMT.⁠ ⁠ Former Louisville Metro police officer Brett Hankison was indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, which by Kentucky law means he consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk. The two other officers who fired shots that night — Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove — were not indicted.⁠ ⁠ During the investigation into the shooting of Taylor, the Louisville Metro Police Department terminated Hankison because it found he “displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he “wantonly and blindly” fired 10 rounds into Taylor’s apartment, according to his termination letter. Mattingly and Cosgrove were placed on administrative reassignment.⁠ ⁠ Ahead of the announcement, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer instituted a 72-hour curfew beginning Wednesday at 9 pm, while Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Robert J. Schroeder announced a state of emergency for the police force on Tuesday in anticipation of protests and riots. The police also restricted access to downtown Louisville beginning on Tuesday, according to the Courier-Journal. The Kentucky National Guard was activated on Wednesday afternoon.⁠ ⁠ For more details on this court decision and the national reaction to Breonna Taylor’s killing, visit the link in bio.

It hardly needs to be said, but this is not an ordinary US year.⁣ ⁣ Between the coronavirus pandemic, Postal Service crisis, ongoing voter suppression tactics such as voter ID laws, and tons of misinformation from both the current president and foreign interference — well, there’s a lot of noise surrounding the November election that can be confusing and discouraging. ⁣ ⁣ But that’s all the more reason to make sure you this fall. There are bound to be some glitches or snafus on Election Day, as there are every year. Your ballot might take longer to arrive in the mail, you might have to wait longer than usual at the polling location, and poll workers might not be as speedy as you’d hope. But casting your ballot is what makes America’s democracy more representative of the country as a whole.⁣ ⁣ On this , check if you’re registered to vote by visiting either vote.org or the top of @instagram’s homepage, and for more information about how to prepare for this year’s election, follow the link in bio.

200,000 Americans are now confirmed dead from Covid-19, according to the most authoritative public databases — a larger loss of life than many public health experts thought possible in the spring.⁣⁣ ⁣ What’s worse still is that this number is probably an undercount of the actual number of deaths, as some deaths that are likely coronavirus-related are not being counted as such due to America’s inadequate testing.⁣⁣ ⁣ Since February 6, the day of the first confirmed Covid-19 death in the US, more Americans have died of this disease than died in most of the wars America has fought over its history combined. Six months into the crisis, the US has by far the most confirmed pandemic deaths in the world (50,000 more than the second-hardest-hit country, Brazil), and even adjusting for deaths as a share of the country’s population, America has one of the highest fatality rates anywhere.⁣⁣ ⁣ “I expected that this would be challenging, but I didn’t expect how desensitized we as a country would become to over 1,000 Americans dying a day,” said Natalie Dean, a biostatistics professor at the University of Florida. “The goalposts keep moving, and what once seemed unimaginable is now a daily reality.”

Your contribution to the matters, and there’s still time to fill it out.⁣ ⁣ Mandated by the Constitution, every person in America and its five territories — Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands — is supposed to be counted in the US . But data shows that people of color, children, seniors, undocumented immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ folks, Native people in tribal areas, the homeless, and low-income people are among the least likely to be counted accurately in the census.⁣ ⁣ This undercounting of vulnerable populations is a major problem, since census results shape which areas of the country get more public funding and political representation for the next 10 years. Getting as many people as possible to fill out the census is essential to having a fairer, more accurate distribution of America’s resources and political power.⁣ ⁣ As of Monday, September 21, census counting is scheduled to end at the end of the month. However, federal courts are currently weighing whether to allow the deadline to be extended to October 31, so the final date for completing the census could be moved. For more information on how to make sure you’re counted in the census, follow the link in our bio.

Russia interfered with the 2016 US election — and it's been meddling with American democracy ever since. Here’s how:⁣ ⁣ Last week, FBI Director Christopher Wray said that “we have seen very active — very active — efforts by the Russians to influence our in 2020,” and those efforts are focused on denigrating Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. The Kremlin is also using pro-Russian Ukrainians to try to spread misleading information about Biden, some of which has been amplified by President Trump and his allies. Russian government hackers have targeted at least 200 groups tied to US elections, according to a recent report from Microsoft. By churning out an onslaught of disinformation about US , Russia is preying on America’s partisan divides and growing distrust in expertise to create election chaos.⁣ ⁣ The chaos has a point, writes Vox reporter Jen Kirby. It increases disillusionment in American democracy, boosting the sense that the system is rigged and isn’t serving the people. This makes the US government a less effective actor at home and abroad, and leaves Americans vulnerable and distrustful of US institutions.⁣ ⁣ For a full recap of how Russia sowed disinformation in 2016, and how the country is interfering in this year’s presidential election, visit the link in bio.

The massive blast that rocked on August 4, 2020 — which may have been one of the largest accidental explosions in history — was “just one more catastrophe to an already perfect storm,” says @carnegiemiddleeast director Maha Yahya.⁣ ⁣ has been on the brink of systemic and economic collapse for years now, and for many, the explosion was the final straw. How did the country reach this point? Discontent and instability took root decades ago during Lebanon’s 15-year civil war. Over the years, the country’s downslide culminated with government leaders using public money for personal gain, a prime minister who vanished unexpectedly, and a bank system deteriorating from the inside out.⁣ ⁣ Watch the full video above to get the full historical context behind the Beirut explosion and Lebanon’s ongoing civil unrest. This video is the latest in our series, which traces how international stories unfold and transform a region’s everyday life. For our full catalog of Atlas videos, visit youtube.com/Vox

The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had a reputation for her powerful mastery of language, which, throughout her life, would influence the values of top government leaders and everyday Americans time and time again. Swipe to see a collection of some of her most memorable quotes.⁣ ⁣ Ginsburg’s most iconic lines span a wide range of circumstances; painstakingly crafted sentences in her Supreme Court dissents have gone just as viral as her more informal comments in interviews about gender equality in America. This combination of sharp legal prose and unfussy candor is one of the many things that made Ginsburg one of America’s most beloved public intellectuals. Optimistic, level-headed, and relentlessly, passionately committed to equal rights, Ginsburg — and her powerful remarks — continue to inspire even after her death.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday at the age of 87, spent 27 years on the Supreme Court, casting key votes on issues from same-sex marriage to gender discrimination. But she made her mark on American history decades before she joined the bench.⁣ ⁣ Born in Brooklyn in 1933, Ginsburg went on to graduate from Columbia Law School and become a professor at Rutgers University Law School. From there, she volunteered at the ACLU, where she wrote the plaintiff’s brief in Reed v. Reed, which established that the equal protection clause could be used to challenge gender discrimination.⁣ ⁣ As a civil procedure lawyer and eventual Supreme Court justice, she had a profound cultural impact in addition to a legal one, writing arguments (mostly dissents) in such a way that her ideas could influence the country as a whole, from Congress to advocacy groups to ordinary voters. She often faced gender discrimination earlier in her career, but she nevertheless fought tirelessly throughout her life to establish women’s equality under the law so that other women wouldn’t have to encounter the same obstacles.⁣ ⁣ The legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is embedded into the US rule of law. Her commitment to helping other women enjoy the kind of flourishing life she lived made her a role model for a generation of Americans who have seen the advances of the feminist movement, but who also understand how much remains to be done.