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Gabby Petito’s apparent homicide is indeed a devastating story, which—as an empathetic human—you’re right to care about. It’s also true that roughly half of missing persons news coverage focuses on white women victims, an overrepresentation that leaves many families—like those of Jocelyn Watt and Daniel Robinson—feeling ignored.

The Truth Behind Missing White Woman Syndrome

One in five teens say Instagram makes them feel worse about themselves, according to leaked documents from the Facebook-owned platform. Senators have called for investigation, concerned by Facebook’s plan to launch “a new Instagram experience for tweens.”

Instagram Research Shows Platform Is Toxic For Teens

Poison control calls have jumped 880% for the “horse dewormer” drug ivermectin. Yes, it’s FDA-approved for humans—to treat parasitic worms. No, it’s not effective against COVID, according to the latest clinical trial data.

Ivermectin is Not a COVID ‘Wonder Drug’

Debilitating headaches. Nausea. Brain damage. The State Department calls them “Unexplained Health Incidents.” Scientists say it looks like targeted “radio frequency attacks” against American diplomats and their families. More than 200 cases over nearly five years, yet U.S. intelligence still can’t say who or what has caused these mysterious illnesses.

The Lingering Mystery of Havana Syndrome

Apple is ready to launch a system to scan iCloud Photos in the U.S. for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Their clever NeuralHash process doesn’t actually view your photos, and should only report “collections of known CSAM images” to law enforcement. But privacy advocates are alarmed that this private company would build any type of government backdoor into users’ encrypted data.

Apple’s Plan to Scan Your Photos

Florida is suffering a surge in COVID hospitalizations, breaking pre-vaccine records. In his pandemic timeline, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has alternately declared victory, vilified Dr. Fauci and rejected masks. As he boasted in June, “We were the leading state fighting against coronavirus lockdowns.”

Governor Desantis's Pandemic Timeline

Roughly 39 million U.S. households receive monthly payments (averaging $423) through the temporarily expanded Child Tax Credit. Set to expire in December, some Democrats — including Sen. Cory Booker — want to make them permanent.

The Expanded 2021 Child Tax Credit

Drug overdoses killed a record 93,331 people in the U.S. in 2020 — more than gun violence and motor vehicles combined. It’s not heroin driving the steep rise in deaths, but a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent: fentanyl.

The Deadly Fentanyl Surge Spreading Across The U.S.

Americans are not hitting the retirement savings benchmarks financial experts recommend — reaching retirement age with roughly half the dollar amount they’ll need. Meanwhile, Social Security is projected to deplete its cash reserves by 2035. Griffin Hammond explains the economic obstacles squeezing American family finances.

The State of American Retirement Is In Jeopardy

No. Despite prominent Republicans declaring the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis “almost a certainty,” U.S. intelligence has remained consistent since the pandemic began: Of two scientifically plausible origin stories for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology is still considered the least probable.

Has the COVID Origin Story Changed?

In 2020, the biggest U.S. companies paid their median CEO $13.4 million, and their median worker $72,556. A ratio of 185-to-1. Senator Bernie Sanders has proposed a tax penalty for any pay ratio above 50-to-1.

Is CEO Pay Too Damn High?

The price of Bitcoin has quadrupled in the last year, driving its electricity consumption upward. Annually, Bitcoin now consumes three times the electricity of Singapore, a third as much as France.

Does Bitcoin Harm the Environment?

To capture those who attacked the U.S. Capitol, the FBI has relied on positive IDs from internet detectives, like Canadian researcher John Scott-Railton.

Using the Internet to Nab the Insurrectionists

President Trump’s legal team and several news networks repeatedly accused them of enabling election fraud. Now this voting software company is lawyering up.

Smartmatic’s Case Against Right-Wing Media

President Trump’s supporters cheer when he calls for the end of this 25-year-old internet law. How did “Section 230” become Trump’s Big Tech catchphrase?

Big Tech’s Section 230 Problem

Americans generate more plastic waste per capita than any people on Earth, with a dismal 8.5% recycling rate.

Why Plastic Recycling Just Isn't Happening

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Catch up on the most important stories of the day with The Recount Daily Newsletter. Each day we bring you a round-up of what's happening in the corridors of power right now, without wasting your time or insulting your intelligence.

The prospect of abolishing the Electoral College is a long shot. Could a group of states collectively override it instead?

How to Bypass the Electoral College

Biden and Trump have each earned higher raw vote totals than we’ve ever seen in a U.S. presidential election. But as a percentage of voting-age population, their turnout doesn't beat historical records.

Are These Vote Totals Truly Historic?

The battle for control of the Senate will be extremely close. Here’s a cheat sheet to track the 14 competitive races—any one of them could tip the balance of power.

Election Night Senate Cheat Sheet

Six core battleground states will likely decide the Electoral College. But the closest three contests – Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania – could be slow to report results.

When Will The Votes Be Counted?

When pundits and politicians cite the 25th Amendment, they’re usually referring to the extraordinary powers granted in Section 4—the only section that’s never been invoked.

The 25th Amendment

Despite what President Trump suggests, in most states, you can’t just show up on Election Day and declare yourself a “Poll Watcher.”

No, You’re Probably Not A “Poll Watcher”

The White House released two photos on Saturday to demonstrate how hard the president is working, while hospitalized. The embedded metadata tells a different story.

EXIF Data Betrays the White House Narrative

President Trump says “everybody” owns stocks. It’s not only wrong. It’s wildly out of touch with household finances in the U.S.

Stocks Are Owned By Everybody