Center for American Progress
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InProgress: A Weekly reCAP
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Social Media's Threat to the Election Process

It may take days or weeks after Election Day to count the votes, declare winners in hotly contested races, and certify the results for the U.S. 2020 general election. If you've visited Facebook and Twitter in the past couple of weeks, you've likely seen messages about the election along with resources for voters. This is a great way for these and other platforms to use their reach in support of a free and fair election process.

On the flipside, the reach of social media platforms can also be exploited to create chaos. Malicious actors may use the waiting period before results are final to spread false information. Candidates might use confusion about the postelection timeline or process to inaccurately claim victory. Aggrieved groups may seek to organize disruption of recounts or the Electoral College process. They may attempt to use social media platforms to sow confusion, stoke conflict, and further baseless attempts to delegitimize the election.

That's why it's important that once all votes have been cast, social media platforms' priorities shift from voter engagement to affirming democratic legitimacy and protecting public safety. This will require platforms to quickly remove content that baselessly attempts to delegitimize the election, stop disinformation about election results from going viral, and prevent their platforms from being used to facilitate threats of violence.

A new issue brief <[link removed]> from CAP's Technology Policy team offers substantive recommendations for interventions that social media companies should begin implementing immediately to prepare for the postelection period, from election night through the certified winners of the election assuming office.

Here's what the experts advise ? <[link removed]>

Related reading: Fighting Coronavirus Misinformation and Disinformation on Social Media <[link removed]>

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Share on Instagram: The Need for Supreme Court Term Limits

Longer Supreme Court terms have led to an increasingly political confirmation process and a court out of touch with the general public.

But you already knew that.

Read more on the need for term limits ? <[link removed]>

Share this on Instagram ? <[link removed]>

Related reading: Trump's Ideological Judges Have Led To Politicized Courts <[link removed]>

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In the Spotlight: Rural America and the Coronavirus Crisis

Throughout the coronavirus crisis, the Center for American Progress has highlighted the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural communities, from warning <[link removed]> about the conditions that made rural communities especially vulnerable to spread, to showing <[link removed]> how rural communities of color are disproportionately harmed, to illustrating <[link removed]> the effects on households and small businesses in rural communities.

With the country well into fall without additional federal relief, it is time to check in on rural areas again. A new CAP issue brief <[link removed]> provides an update on the pandemic in rural counties, focusing on the spread of the virus and its impact on rural economies.

While rural communities of color continue to experience the worst of the outbreak, now other rural communities-most notably in the upper Midwest and Great Plains regions-are experiencing severe outbreaks, with the trends going in the wrong direction. More than half of all rural counties are considered red zones, an untenable situation for any community if it is to sustain a vibrant and healthy economy. It is imperative that the nation and its leaders combat this public health crisis with the collective seriousness it requires and that the concerns of rural communities remain central to the conversations and actions on the pandemic.

Read more ? <[link removed]>

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Major Stories This Week

In the Wake of Trump Rallies <[link removed]>
A new analysis by CAP finds that about half of the president's 22 campaign rallies held between June and September were followed by a county-level increase in COVID-19 cases, suggesting the events may have led to community spread.

Rigging an Already Unfair Tax Code <[link removed]>
Instead of genuine tax reform that would ensure that large corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share, the Trump administration's tax policies cut rates and carved out new loopholes for the wealthy to exploit.

A Refugee Program for the 21st Century <[link removed]>
When the United States is ready to reprioritize refugee resettlement and restore its reputation as a welcoming nation, it should aim to modernize the program and make it more resilient than ever before.

Child Care During the Pandemic and Beyond <[link removed]>
America's child care system simply does not work for the majority of families who rely on it. It needs significant public investment to survive the coronavirus crisis and meet the needs of families in the future.

The Trump Administration Treats Seniors as Expendable <[link removed]>
By failing to act on the coronavirus and pursuing a strategy that treats seniors' lives as collateral damage, as well as refusing to enact meaningful drug pricing relief, the Trump administration has placed seniors' well-being at the bottom of its priority list.

Trump's USDA Perpetuates the Agency's History of Racism <[link removed]>
In this final entry of a three-part series on the consequences of the Trump administration's appointment of Sonny Perdue as secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, CAP examines the future of programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under his leadership.

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