The Postal Service warns states that mail-in ballots might not be counted in time, Democrats plan an emergency hearing with the Postmaster General, and the first all-virtual Democratic National Convention begins with speakers ranging from John Kasich to AOC. Then voting rights attorney Marc Elias talks to Jon Favreau about his legal fight against Donald Trump’s efforts to sabotage the election.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here.
For a transcript of this episode, please email hey@crooked.com.

Show notes

Make USPS Great Again

• CNN: With slower mail and election concerns, Trump’s postmaster general is in the hot seat
• CNN: Amid criticism, USPS says it will stop removing collection boxes for 90 days
• WaPo: Postal Service will stop removing mailboxes
• VICE: Internal USPS Documents Outline Plans to Hobble Mail Sorting
• CNN: Postal Service removes some mail-sorting machines, sparking concerns ahead of election
• NYT: Postal Crisis Ripples Across Nation as Election Looms
• USA Today: What’s going on with the post office? Here’s what we know
• LA Times: ‘Chaos and confusion’: What is going on at the post office and how could it affect mail voting?
• The Atlantic: Trump Is Hobbling the Mail the Old-Fashioned Way
• NBC News: House Democrats demand Postal Service chief roll back changes ahead of Election Day
• NPR: How Are Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s Changes Affecting Workers?
• NPR: Postal Delays, Errors In Swing States Loom Over Election
• WaPo: Tracing Trump’s Postal Service obsession — from ‘loser’ to ‘scam’ to ‘rigged election’
• NY Mag: Americans Must Defend the Postal Service Like Our Democracy Depends on It
• The Atlantic: What Really Scares Voting Experts About the Postal Service
• WaPo-Opinion: Trump’s attacks on the Postal Service deserve sustained, red-alert coverage from the media
• CNBC: Postal Service chief, under fire, admits ‘unintended consequences’ of his policy overhaul
• NYT: A New Clash Over Mail Voting: The Cost of the Postage
• CNN: Trump administration taking unusual steps to put its stamp on Postal Service ahead of November elections
• WaPo: Trump’s assault on the U.S. Postal Service gives Democrats a new campaign message
• LA Times Op Ed: Column: Trump is so dumb trying to sabotage USPS, Democrats. He’s hurting his own voters
• Business Insider: Trump has dealt seniors, who represent 23% of registered voters, 2 devastating blows in a matter of days
• USPS: U.S. Postal Service Tops List Again as Americans’ Favorite Government Agency
• The Hill: America’s most popular government agency: The Postal Service
• Gallup: Postal Service Still Americans’ Favorite Federal Agency
• WaPo: House accelerates oversight of Postal Service as uproar grows, demanding top officials testify at ‘urgent’ hearing
• CNN: Democrats say they are ramping up USPS investigation and call on top officials to testify
• Reuters: Top Democrats in U.S. Congress call for hearings on mail delays ahead of election
• NYT: Top Democrats Press for Postal Service Officials to Testify 
• CBS News: U.S. Postal Service inspector general is investigating changes at post offices
• CNN: Exclusive: Postal service inspector general reviewing DeJoy’s policy changes and potential ethics conflicts
• Axios: USPS inspector general reviewing policy changes by chief Louis DeJoy
• NBC News: Protesters gather at Postal Service boss’ home amid concerns over mailed ballots delays
• Slate: What Democrats Have to Do to Save the Postal Service in Time for the Election
• CNN: Meadows to Pelosi: ‘If we can agree on postal, let’s do it’ 
• WaPo: House accelerates oversight of Postal Service as uproar grows, demanding top officials testify at ‘urgent’ hearing
• Politico: Trump signals openness to compromise on USPS funding
• Reuters: Trump says he would not veto legislation that included post office funding
• The Hill: Senate leaves until September without coronavirus relief deal

Democratic National Convention Preview

• FiveThirtyEight Polling Average: Who’s ahead in the national polls?
• ABC News: 54% approve of Harris selection, including 1 in 4 Republicans: POLL
• NBC News: Biden remains ahead of Trump nationally on eve of conventions in NBC News/WSJ poll
• Politico: Poll: Harris viewed more favorably than unfavorably
• Politico: Harris pays early dividends for Biden campaign
• CBS News: Democrats happy with Harris pick and Biden holds lead ahead of convention — Battleground Tracker poll
• FiveThirtyEight: Biden’s Pledge To Choose A Woman For VP Was Popular — And So Is Harris
• Politico: Poll: Voters approve Harris VP pick, Biden gets image bounce
• NYT: Kamala Harris Changes the Race While Trump Tells on Himself
• LA Times: Baseless birther attack on Kamala Harris shows how Trump is struggling to define her
• NYT: Trump Encourages Racist Conspiracy Theory About Kamala Harris
• Axios: Trump campaign official pushes baseless Newsweek op-ed claiming Harris may not be VP-eligible
• NYT: Her Voice? Her Name? G.O.P.’s Raw Personal Attacks on Kamala Harris
• NBC News: Republicans fret over Trump team’s reaction to Harris pick
• WaPo: Trump previously donated $6,000 to Kamala D. Harris’s campaigns
• The Guardian: Donald Trump and his campaign launch scattergun attacks on Kamala Harris
• WaPo: What Trump has said about Kamala Harris
• WaPo: Democratic National Convention: What you need to know
• CNN: Large convention bounces are unlikely In 2020
• The Atlantic: The Last Convention
• US News and World Report: No Balloons, No Party: Will Virtual Conventions Change the Campaign?
• FiveThirtyEight: Why Counting On A Convention Bounce This Year Is Risky 
• NBC News: On convention eve, Democrats are apprehensive
• WaPo: Democrats head to convention united against Trump, but expecting conflict once the election is over
• NPR: Biden Faces A Convention Test, To Offer A Vision Beyond Beating Trump
• WaPo: Unconventional Democratic convention will juggle hundreds of live feeds to re-create the feel of a party celebration
• AP: Democrats tested in first party convention of pandemic era
• Mother Jones: Sanders Delegates Caused a “Shitshow” in 2016. Here’s Why That Might Not Happen Again
• NYT: Trump Campaign Makes Huge Digital Ad Buy During Democratic Convention
• Politico: Trump the distracter brings his act to the DNC
• WaPo: Democratic National Convention: What you need to know
• CNN: Stacey Abrams among rising Democratic Party stars to deliver joint keynote address during DNC
• Bloomberg: Stacey Abrams, 16 Rising Stars to Keynote Democratic Meeting
• Daily Beast: DNC Favors Republicans Over Muslim and Latinx Dems, Activists Say
• Forbes: AOC Only Gets 60 Seconds At Democratic Convention To Deliver Pre-Recorded Message
• Politico: Kasich and Sanders to join forces for a night of unity at Democratic convention