100 Million Election Ballots; Halloween Movies For Scaredy-Cats; Springsteen On Finding Hope In Hard Times

Plus, have the risks of reopening schools been exaggerated? by Jill Hudson [The formerly missing panel is titled, There are combustibles in every State, which a spark might set fire to. --Washington, 26 December 1786, Panel 16, 1956.]( Anna-Marie Kellen/The Metropolitan Museum of Art Here are a few stories and podcasts you may have missed. A missing painting by renowned Modernist master Jacob Lawrence is back on public display for the first time in decades. A visitor to the Metropolitan Museum Of Art in New York — where Lawrence's series, Struggle, is currently on view — realized the painting had been [in a neighbor's private collection for years](. This past week, Purdue Pharma reached a $8 billion deal with the Justice Department over Oxycontin sales. Critics say the settlement doesn't hold company executives or members of the Sackler family accountable for their [aggressive marketing of Oxycontin]( which helped fuel the nation's opioid epidemic. Many U.S. colleges have lecture halls named after respected scientists who also promoted racial theories or practices that are now rejected. And increasingly, [their names are being removed](. In the new documentary Francesco, Pope Francis calls for civil union laws for same-sex couples. [Here's the story](. Good Listens [Students attend the first day of school in the small town of Labastida, Spain, on Sept. 8. A recent study found no link between coronavirus spikes and school reopenings in the country.]( Alvaro Barrientos/AP Have the risks of reopening schools been exaggerated? A recent study found no link between coronavirus spikes and school reopenings in the country. [Listen here](. In a year already too full of frightening things, here are some suggestions on Halloween movies that are on the softer side of scary. [Listen here](. Almost two-thirds of Iraq's Christians have left the country since the U.S. invasion in 2003. NPR caught up with some of them in Jordan to talk about their new lives. [Listen here](. [The Postal Service says it has already handled 100 million election ballots this year.]( Elaine Thompson/AP A record volume of election mail has moved through the U.S. Postal Service ahead of Election Day. And while there have been some delays, experts say voting by mail has gone relatively smoothly so far. [Listen here](. The pandemic is driving a major boom in the housing market that's breaking all kinds of records. Sales of homes costing more than $1 million are going gangbusters. [Listen here](. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro spoke to Sarah Smarsh about her new book on an enduring country star, Dolly Parton, titled She Come By it Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs. [Listen here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- NPR Special Series [A truck sits in still water after Hurricane Laura swept through Cameron Parish, La. The hurricane inflicted at least $8 billion in damage to southwest Louisiana when it hit in late August.]( Ryan Kellman/NPR Each year, about 35 million Americans relocate, often to places in danger of flood or wildfire, without ever knowing the perils. This series explains [the risks and the questions]( to ask about them. --------------------------------------------------------------- Profiles Of The Week [Eric Parker of the Real 3%ers Idaho attends a convoy training exercise in western Idaho on Jan. 25. NPR has followed Parker's political evolution as he joins a wave of "patriot movement" figures seeking – and sometimes winning – public office.]( Jim Urquhart for NPR Federal authorities consider Eric Parker a domestic extremist. That hasn't stopped the militia leader known as [the infamous "Bundy ranch sniper"]( from running for the Idaho legislature. Ahead of the release of Letter To You, Bruce Springsteen spoke to Morning Edition about revisiting older material and [finding hope in these unusual times](. At only 25, trap star Lil Baby is one of the most popular musicians alive. NPR's Noel King spoke him about his songwriting process, his experience in the criminal justice system and [what life is like as one of music's biggest stars](. [Joyce Chen and her children, Campbell, 7, Bryn, 12, and Emerson, 10.]( Jessica Phelps for NPR The pandemic is having a devastating effect on Joyce Chen's career. She is one of millions of working moms who have sidelined their work in the pandemic, [stepping back from hard-earned careers]( to take care of the overwhelming needs at home. Five years ago, Pastor Michelle Thomas was looking for a place to build a church in northern Virginia. She had no idea her search would lead her to [a neglected burial ground for enslaved people]( nor that she would bury her 16-year-old son there. --------------------------------------------------------------- Great Podcasts [Fall foliage along Riverfront Drive in Reading, PA.]( MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle / MediaNews Group via Getty Images Why leaves change color during fall and what shorter days and colder temperatures have to do with it. ([Short Wave]( Is President Trump the most racist president in the history of the country? ([Code Switch]( The process of voting: how it was originally designed, who it was intended for, moments in our country's history when we reimagined it altogether and what we're left with today. ([Throughline]( Does Netflix's Rebecca live up to its predecessors? ([Pop Culture Happy Hour]( Attention college students, it's that time of year once again. The Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is open. Here's how to fill it out and why you shouldn't wait. ([Life Kit]( The case against Google. ([The Indicator From Planet Money]( Voter outreach took on an unconventional form Tuesday night when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez streamed her gameplay of the hit game "Among Us" on Twitch. Sam spoke to Wired writer Cecilia D'Anastasio about the streaming platform's potential to reach new voters. ([It's Been A Minute With Same Sanders]( Surprise! There was a lot of policy talk during the final presidential debate. ([The NPR Politics Podcast]( Aaron and Chris Dorr have led seminars on confrontational politics across the country. Their methods are spreading to the anti-vax movement, white nationalists and to far-right activists in Europe. ([No Compromise]( Mac Phipps was a rising star of New Orleans rap when he was convicted of a killing he insists he did not commit. Two decades later, he is still fighting for his freedom and his art. ([Louder Than A Riot]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. 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