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Election 2020

The 45th President

How Trump abandoned his vow to ‘drain the swamp’

A Washington Post review found that the president has largely failed to fulfill the pledges he made in 2016 to curtail the influence of lobbyists and special interests in Washington.

By Josh Dawsey, Rosalind S. Helderman and David A. Fahrenthold

Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, tests positive for the coronavirus

Short has traveled extensively with the vice president and has been in close contact with him. Pence tested negative for the coronavirus Saturday.

By Philip Rucker and Josh Dawsey

Trump told donors it would be ‘very tough’ for GOP to hold Senate

By Josh Dawsey and Rachael Bade

Biden, Trump sharpen messages with stops in battleground states

By Amy B Wang and Colby Itkowitz

Hunter Tomlinson slides his ballot into a drop box at the Washington Terrace City Hall in Utah's Weber County. (Kim Raff for The Post)

Fearful calls flood election offices as Trump attacks mail-in voting, threatening participation in GOP strongholds

In Utah, which has voted by mail for years, officials were busy responding to outlandish claims traceable to right-wing punditry and the president’s Twitter feed.

By Isaac Stanley-Becker and Tony Romm

Long lines in New York and California, showing strong turnout among early voters

After a bruising campaign, Biden emerges more popular as he closes in on job he has wanted for decades

By Matt Viser

With no hard proof, Biden blames Russia for data release

Trump bets on a replay of 2016 election’s final weeks, but he faces a changed landscape

By Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey

Trump campaign flouted agreement to follow health guidelines at rally, documents show

Officials stress security of election systems after U.S. reveals new Iranian and Russian efforts

By Amy Gardner, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Elise Viebeck

Police brace for potential Election Day unrest in a year when ‘everything is uncertain’

By Mark Berman

GUIDE TO THE ELECTION

What you need to know about the 2020 race

Opinions

The U.S. is secretly helping the Taliban fight ISIS in Afghanistan

Opinion by Wesley Morgan

Psychiatrists know what’s wrong with my uncle. Let them tell voters.

Opinion by Mary L. Trump

Trump’s message to Black voters: Vote for me. (But really, don’t vote.)

Opinion by Theodore R. Johnson and Leah Wright Rigueur

African Americans who sat out 2016 explain why they’re voting this year

Opinion by Washington Post Staff

Instead of fighting systemic racism, France wants to ‘reform Islam’

Opinion by James McAuley

Trump’s America in 2024

Opinion by the Editorial Board

Coronavirus

Mary Jo Copeland at Sharing & Caring Hands, the food kitchen and charity organization that she founded and runs in Minneapolis. (Jenn Ackerman for The Post)

Voices from the Pandemic

Mary Jo Copeland talks about choosing decency over anxiety and fear: "If you see something that needs to be changed, try changing it. If you see somebody who needs help, help them. People act like that’s saintly, but shouldn’t it be basic? Why isn’t it basic?"

As told to Eli Saslow

In Russia, sick people often treat themselves. That’s not helping in the coronavirus fight.

Cases in the country are spiking sharply. One reason may be a long-held suspicion of doctors, partly a hangover from Soviet times when hospitals were free but forbidding places.

By Robyn Dixon

Home tests could help in the fight against the virus. So where are they?

By William Wan

Covid-19 surge in Belgium leads to shortage of doctors, teachers, police

By Quentin Ariès and Michael Birnbaum

Guide to the Pandemic

Places with highest daily reported cases per capitaSeven-day average of daily new reported cases per 100,000 residents

Road to Recovery

In Connecticut, high school football was canceled. A private league launched in its place.

By Roman Stubbs

Diners weigh the ethics, risks and responsibilities of eating inside restaurants

By Tim Carman

Ovens, dishwashers and washing machines are breaking down like never before. But there’s nobody to fix them.

By Soo Youn

Your Life at Home

In the hills of western Pennsylvania, a skeptical New Yorker gives glamping a try

By Sylvie Bigar

What those studies on mouthwash and coronaviruses actually mean

By Allyson Chiu

An expatriate family returns to a 14-day quarantine in Jordan

By Amanda Orr

Full coverage and resources

Asked and answered: What to know about coronavirus

FAQ: What to know about masks and covid-19

Sign up to get our Coronavirus Updates newsletter

A mom’s fight to save a Black, mentally ill boy in a time of a pandemic and rising racial unrest

By Hannah Dreier

Rays storm back to beat Dodgers in roller-coaster Game 4, even World Series at two games apiece

Tampa Bay came back from several deficits against Los Angeles, winning on Brett Phillips’s single in the bottom of the ninth — a sequence that involved two Dodgers misplays and scored two Rays runs.

By Dave Sheinin and Scott Allen41 minutes ago

Lee Kun-hee1942-2020

Builder of global tech giant Samsung dies at 78

Under Lee’s three decades of leadership, Samsung Electronics transformed from a small television maker into the world’s biggest producer of smartphones, electronic displays and memory chips.

By Min Joo Kim49 minutes ago

SNL mocks the final presidential debate — and, of course, Rudy Giuliani’s ‘Borat’ incident

“Saturday Night Live” had plenty to say about Trump and Biden in the final presidential debate, as well as Rudy Giuliani's cameo in the new “Borat” movie.

By Emily Yahr28 minutes ago

Can He Do That?Podcast

How 2020 races across the country lay the groundwork for a president’s influence

Add to:Apple Podcasts,Google Podcasts,Stitcher

Don’t Miss

To appreciate the ‘Masterworks’ of Paul Thomas Anderson, here are 5 essential movies of his to watch

By Charles Arrowsmith

Perspective

A vast web of people not considered educators still help with tough assignments

By Jay Mathews

He’s a former QAnon believer. He doesn’t want to tell his story, but thinks it might help.

By Travis M. Andrews

Trump’s historic assault on the civil service was four years in the making

By Lisa Rein, Josh Dawsey and Toluse Olorunnipa

Trending

Drea Cornejo, Daron Taylor/The Washington Post

What you need to know about coronavirus and the flu

The potential winter surge of coronavirus infections could coincide with another major public health event: the seasonal flu. Here's what you need to know.

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Politics

(Kate Dehler)

The LilyPerspective

‘Truly thrilling’: 15 women recount their first voting experiences

Actresses, activists, artists, authors and academics share the stories behind the first time they voted.

By Shannon Carlin

The TakeAnalysis

Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin still hold the keys to 2020

By Dan Balz

Sen. Murkowski says she will vote to confirm Barrett to the Supreme Court

By Colby Itkowitz

Barrett’s evasiveness alarms LGBTQ advocates who fear Supreme Court may roll back protections

The nominee refused to say at confirmation hearing whether the landmark same-sex marriage case was properly decided. But a pending case could make views more transparent.

By Robert Barnes

Native voters struggle as more states rely on mail-in voting

Many states’ plans for mail-in ballots overlooked people in isolated areas of reservations with limited transportation, Native American rights advocates say.

By Teresa Tomassoni

Voters’ GuideQ&A

What readers are asking about the election

National polling average

Biden is leading (+9) the national polling average.

Biden

52%

Trump

43%

Average of national polls since Oct. 12 that meet Washington Post standards for transparency and quality. Includes polls by Economist-YouGov, NBC-WSJ, PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist, SurveyMonkey-Tableau and Quinnipiac University.

How the average works

World

Venezuelan opposition figure Leopoldo López flees to Colombia

López slipped across the border into Colombia on Saturday, political allies said, after more than a year inside the Spanish Embassy in Caracas.

By Ana Herrero

Police cracking down on Thailand’s landmark protests aren’t sure what side they are on

There’s a growing disaffection inside the Royal Thai Police with the institutions that have long dominated politics in the kingdom. Over the past week, several police officers have been photographed raising the three-finger salute, a symbol of resistance and solidarity that the young demonstrators borrowed from the Hunger Games series.

By Shibani Mahtani

Ethiopia accuses Trump of ‘incitement of war’ over remarks that Egypt will ‘blow up’ disputed Nile dam

By Miriam Berger

Anti-drug alliance tested after U.S. arrest of former Mexican defense chief

By Kevin Sieff, Mary Beth Sheridan and Missy Ryan

National

(Reuters)

Deadly Colorado wildfire tears through Rocky Mountain National Park, threatens Estes Park

Colorado's second-largest wildfire on record is expanding Saturday before an expected snowstorm.

By Andrew Freedman and Hannah Knowles

California’s devastating wildfire season may get even worse this weekend

Northern California faces what could be its biggest offshore wind event of the season, prompting power cuts to nearly 1 million.

By Andrew Freedman

Arrest data contradicts Trump suggestions that Floyd protesters were mostly out-of-towners committing felonies

A Washington Post review of data on more than 2,600 people detained in 15 cities finds a mostly young, diverse group of people who demonstrated close to home and were charged largely with nonviolent misdemeanors.

By Meryl Kornfield, Austin R. Ramsey, Jacob Wallace, Christopher Casey and Verónica Del Valle

Security company that sought ex-Special Forces to guard Minnesota polls agrees to stay out of state, AG says

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison warned that a plan by Atlas Aegis to send former military personnel to polling sites in the state would amount to voter intimidation.

By Derek Hawkins

Analysis

How many coronavirus deaths are truly attributable to Trump?

It's a tricky question to answer. But it's likely fewer than Joe Biden is saying.

By Philip Bump

D.C., Md. & Va.

Black moderates in D.C. fear loss of power with younger, Whiter electorate

An at-large council race exposes clashing agendas and divisions.

By Fenit Nirappil, Michael Brice-Saddler, Julie Zauzmer and John D. Harden

Meet the Va. candidates running for the U.S. House

By Meagan Flynn

Two-year-old Ezechiel Nguemezi died after falling out of a window at his family’s Takoma Park apartment on Oct. 11. (Montgomery County Renters Alliance)

Perspective

A toddler’s death reveals a Maryland community’s divide and brings people on both sides of it together

In the days since Ezechiel Nguemezi died, a series of events has left strangers knowing his name and forced them to see one of the most unfair aspects of the pandemic: Many financially struggling families are experiencing layers of loss.

By Theresa Vargas

‘It’s time to unite’: Prince George’s County neighbors start rent strike against living conditions

By Kyle Swenson and Samantha Schmidt

‘Revolutionary’ criminal sentencing change passes in Virginia

By Rachel Weiner and Laura Vozzella

Zoo’s panda marks ninth week, can’t yet walk, but can crawl, zoo says

By Martin Weil

Capital Weather Gang

PM Update: Big temperature drop overnight. Raw and cool conditions Sunday.

Gusty winds overnight usher in some much cooler (and wetter) weather on Sunday.

By Greg Porter

Known coronavirus deaths and cases

Going Out Guide

Say hello to NiHao, yet another prize Chinese restaurant from the Chang family

At Peter Chang’s NiHao in Baltimore, chef Pichet Ong shows his facility with savory dishes, too.

By Tom Sietsema

With scenic views of leaves, covered bridges and lighthouses, these road trips show the best of fall

Hop in your car and head toward Sperryville, Frederick and Southern Maryland.

By Fritz Hahn

The best things to do — virtually and in person — while quarantined in the D.C. area

Virtual film festivals, trivia nights, concerts and poetry slams offer an escape for everyone staying at home.

By Going Out Guide Staff

Real Estate

1905 house in Alexandria, Va., has ‘great bones,’ a dash of intrigue

Mortgage rates fall to yet another historic low

Scaled-down living: Tiny houses make an impact in today’s market

The Washington Post Magazine

Humans pay close attention to books and one another. (Illustration by Craig Cutler for The Post)

The meaning of a college literature class — during a pandemic and always

English departments are increasingly under pressure to justify their existence. But have the eternal lessons of great books ever mattered more?

By Carlo Rotella

The risks and rewards of the covid career makeover

By Jennifer Miller

Long before post offices became political flash points, this artist was photographing them

By Mikaela Lefrak

Stop wiping down groceries and focus on bigger risks, say experts on coronavirus transmission

By Elizabeth Chang

Perspective

I’m not a doctor, but I play one at home

By Gene Weingarten

Review

Say hello to NiHao, yet another prize Chinese restaurant from the Chang family

At Peter Chang’s NiHao in Baltimore, chef Pichet Ong shows his facility with savory dishes, too.

By Tom Sietsema

Date Lab

‘We’re going to have so much in common!’ she thought

He hoped The Post would expose him “to a different sort of dating pool.”

Weekend Business

Color of MoneyPerspective

Being Black lowers the value of my home: The legacy of redlining

By Michelle Singletary

Road to Recovery

Appliances are breaking down like never before. But there’s nobody to fix them.

By Soo Youn

Wealthy investors are exploiting land-conservation tax breaks, and the Senate is taking notice

By Haisten Willis

Perspective

Lucky enough to have a pension? The Fed’s low interest rates mean it may no longer guarantee a secure retirement.

By Allan Sloan

Health & Science

Medical Mysteries

Stomach pain was ruining her life. Then a scan provided a life-changing clue.

By Sandra G. Boodman

‘This is not a Miss America contest’: Sexism in science, research is challenged

By Erin Blakemore

Tuberculosis is a major worldwide threat and the pandemic could make it worse, World Health Organization says

By Erin Blakemore

J. Michael Lane1936–2020

Epidemiologist who helped conquer smallpox dies at 84

By Emily Langer

Sports

The stands at Camp Randall Stadium are empty during the first half of the Wisconsin-Illinois game on Oct. 23. (AP)

There was Big Ten football in Wisconsin, but the streets weren’t jumping as usual

As the resuscitated Big Ten season arrived, a stadium that usually holds 80,321 held zero in a college town filled with emptiness.

By Chuck Culpepper

Analysis

College football winners and losers: Indiana stuns Penn State

By Patrick Stevens

Analysis

Tom Brady got his way on Antonio Brown. Now it’s on Brady to make it work.

By Mark Maske

UFC star Nurmagomedov announces retirement after choking out Justin Gaethje

Undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov capped one of the preeminent careers in the sport with a submission victory in one of the most anticipated matches in UFC history.

By Gene Wang

Kendall Fuller, tied for NFL lead in interceptions, is thriving no matter where he plays

The fifth-year defensive back can play on the boundary, in the nickel or at safety. But for the former Good Counsel and Virginia Tech star, corner is where the picks are.

By Nicki Jhabvala