'Residual tenure of loan can be extended by 2 yrs'

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Black Lives Matter: 'I refuse to let a slaver take my name away'

When the statue of Edward Colston was pulled down in Bristol during the UK's Black Lives Matter protests, it had special resonance for one man thousands of miles away.

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The Atlantic Daily: Four Perspectives on the American Outbreak

Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.

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The fight to contain this pandemic is playing out on many fronts. To name just a few: Some researchers are working on vaccines, others on testing. Meanwhile, contact tracers attempt to suppress outbreaks before they begin. And, of course, there’s you, wearing your mask and taking other precautions.

We’ll be discussing recent developments on these fronts today. Read on for four updates, one from each arena, courtesy of our reporters.

VACCINES

1. Vaccine researchers face a shortage of monkeys for animal testing.

Our staff writer Sarah Zhang—who offered a sobering vaccine reality check in July—reports that there’s both elevated demand for monkeys and a huge drop in supply from China.

TESTING

2. A new era of coronavirus testing is about to begin.

Last week, the FDA authorized a new kind of test, which “holds the tantalizing promise of a pre-vaccine way out of the quagmire,” Alexis C. Madrigal notes.

CONTACT TRACING

3. Contract tracing still isn’t working in the U.S.

It’s the most American COVID-19 failure yet, Olga Khazan argues. She cites three reasons for the lag: There are too many cases. Testing takes too long. And many Americans fear or distrust the government.

MASKS

4. Pulling aside your mask to talk is counterproductive.

In fact, consider not talking at all: Derek Thompson points out that silence in public spaces could actually be an effective antiviral strategy.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP / GETTY

The day in news, in three sentences:

(1) Donald Trump is in Kenosha, Wisconsin, “determinedly forcing the national conversation back to the topic on which he fares worst.” (2) Joe Kennedy faces a tough Democratic primary in Massachusetts, raising the question of why he ran against Senator Ed Markey in the first place. (3) It’s the 25th anniversary of Hillary Clinton’s women’s-rights speech in Beijing; read her reflection on the unfinished business of gender equality.

One question, answered: Last week, the CDC narrowed its guidance on who should be tested for COVID-19, to exclude those who aren't showing any symptoms of the virus.

I asked Robinson Meyer, who’s covered testing extensively: Why is the change controversial?

Because it makes no sense, given the evidence. We know two important facts about COVID-19: First, people can, and regularly do, spread the virus before they show symptoms. Second, at least 20 percent of people who have COVID-19 never show symptoms, but they’re still able to spread the virus.

In other words, asymptomatic people are major drivers of coronavirus spread. Yet the new CDC guidelines recommend against testing those people, even if they have been definitively exposed to the virus. And if you can’t test them, you can’t quarantine them for a positive result.

This guidance runs counter to virtually every other plan for how to reopen the United States, all of which call for significantly expanding testing among asymptomatic Americans. And experts such as Harold Varmus, a former director of the National Institutes of Health, now assert that it’s time to start ignoring CDC advice on testing.

What to read if … you’re a music nerd:

Katy Perry's Teenage Dream, born a decade ago this summer, now feels like a relic from a very different era of pop. Read Spencer Kornhaber on just how much the genre has shifted away from the cheery escapism of the 2010s.

Your evening read:

Bill and Ted are back, perhaps at the perfect moment. The writer Devin Gordon spoke to the stars and creators of the franchise’s latest installment. (Yes, that includes newsletter favorite Keanu Reeves.)

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Indiana Congressman introduces bill to ban protest 'thugs' from receiving unemployment aid

U.S. Rep. Jim Banks introduced a bill that would ban people from receiving unemployment aid if convicted of a federal offense related to protests.

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Ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin requested dismissal of murder charges in George Floyd killing

In a new court filing, Chauvin's attorney explained that Minneapolis officer "acted according to MPD policy, his training, and within his duties."

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Russian opposition activist hospitalised after attack outside his home

A 22-year-old Russian opposition activist has been hospitalised after what supporters said was a vicious attack by two men outside his house in Moscow. Yegor Zhukov, who came to prominence last year when he was arrested and tried over opposition protests, posted pictures of his bruised and bloody face to social media following the attack. He was taken to hospital for an MRI scan which showed he had “fortunately managed to avoid serious injuries or internal bleeding,” a spokesman said. The activist “remained calm and even joked about what happened,” his team said in a social media post, adding that he was allowed home following tests.

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FDA commissioner says he's open to issuing COVID-19 vaccine before human trials are over

In an interview with the Financial Times published Sunday, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said that he is willing to issue an emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine prior to the conclusion of human trials.Hahn said this could be done because "the benefit outweighs the risk in a public health emergency," and claimed he would not give in to President Trump or other politicians who have asserted that there will be a vaccine available before the end of the year. "This is going to be a science, medicine, data decision," Hahn told the Financial Times. "This is not going to be a political decision."Public health experts quickly pushed back on the idea of fast-tracking a vaccine out of the normal testing guidelines. Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, tweeted that it would be unethical to administer the vaccine before it is proven safe and effective. "We absolutely cannot tolerate or accept an emergency authorization for any COVID-19 vaccine without reliable safety and efficacy data from Phase 3 clinical trials," Rasmussen said, adding that this would put "huge numbers of people at risk for massive potential harm" and deal "a catastrophic blow to public confidence in both vaccines and the regulatory mechanisms in place."More stories from theweek.com Data firm predicts election 'chaos' as Trump seems to win in a landslide before losing as more votes are counted Pandemic adviser with no epidemiology background reportedly pushes White House to adopt herd immunity strategy This Massachusetts primary is everything wrong with the Democratic Party

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