Your Monday Evening Briefing |
Good evening. Here’s the latest. |
 | | Erin Schaff/The New York Times |
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1. Democrats open their first-ever virtual convention tonight. |
The lineup of speakers is eclectic, and deliberately so: Mr. Biden has been seeking to run as a candidate of national unity, and the opening night of his convention will show a diverse slate of backers. New national surveys show that Mr. Biden maintains a significant if slightly diminished lead over President Trump as he heads into the convention. |
The Democratic National Convention will air from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Thursday. We will have live updates here. Join our politics reporters at 8:30 p.m. tonight for live analysis at nytimes.com. |
 | | Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA, via Shutterstock |
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2. The battle over voting by mail goes to the courts. |
The suit — on behalf of 17 plaintiffs from California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, Wisconsin and New York — asks the court to declare that Mr. Trump and Mr. DeJoy have violated voters’ rights by cutting the Postal Service and to order the administration to ensure that U.S.P.S. is adequately funded. |
With a war on the Postal Service, racist attacks and new conspiracy theories, Mr. Trump is pushing all the boundaries at once, writes our chief White House correspondent. |
 | | Jeremy M. Lange for The New York Times |
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3. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill became the first big university to cancel in-person learning after classes had begun because of an outbreak of coronavirus cases. |
One week into the semester, officials said 177 students had been isolated after virus testing as of Monday, and an additional 349 students were in quarantine because of possible exposure. The university said all undergraduate classes will move online starting Wednesday. |
And from the front lines of the pandemic, doctors say they are fighting not just the virus, but increasingly a scourge of misinformation about the disease that is hurting patients. |
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 | | Mason Trinca for The New York Times |
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4. Meet the “rage moms” mobilizing for elections. |
As millions of American families face an uncertain start to the school year, the anger of women who find themselves expected to be teacher, caregiver, employee and parent is fueling a political uprising. |
“There’s nobody giving us solutions,” said Kim Lopez, a part-time financial assistant and mother of three in Glendale, Ariz., who is still unsure what her children’s schooling will look like this year. “It’s as if they don’t care what happens to families.” Above, the “Wall of Moms” protesting in Portland, Ore., last month. |
One poll in June showed mothers with children in the home were twice as likely as fathers to report participating in a protest. Democrats are hoping the rage moms will push them to victory in November. |
 | | Christopher Miller for The New York Times |
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5. The Trump administration has finalized a plan to open an Alaska wildlife refuge to drilling. |
The Interior Department said it would start preparing to auction off leases to companies interested in drilling inside the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain, which is believed to sit atop enough oil to fill billions of barrels but is prized by environmentalists for its pristine landscapes and wildlife. Above, caribou at the wildlife refuge. |
The decision overturns five decades of protections for the largest remaining stretch of wilderness in the U.S. The administration’s push has been backed by Republicans in Congress and lawmakers in Alaska, who say that drilling could provide jobs and revenue for the state. Drilling opponents are expected to file lawsuits to try to delay or block the leasing plan. |
Also on the climate front, California finalized a legal settlement with four automakers — Ford, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen — that binds them to to follow the state’s stricter tailpipe emissions rules. |
 | | Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press |
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6. Most unemployed Americans doubt they will return to their jobs. |
Nearly six in 10 Americans who are out of work say they do not expect to return to their old jobs, according to a survey The Times commissioned from the online research platform SurveyMonkey. That’s up from five in 10 who said the same a month ago. |
The growing pessimism comes as hiring has slowed and other measures of economic activity have lost momentum. |
 | | Yauhen Yerchak/EPA, via Shutterstock |
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7. Paramilitary police in Belarus are burning their uniforms. |
At least a dozen officers have posted resignation letters on Instagram, along with photos of their identification cards and badges. Several Interior Ministry officers have published videos in which they throw away and burn their uniforms. |
Such acts of defiance had been unheard-of in Belarus, which has been shaken by nine days of protests against President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who this month claimed victory in elections many see as fraudulent. Above, the huge turnout at demonstrations in Minsk on Sunday. |
In power for more than 25 years, Mr. Lukashenko was greeted by chants of “Go Away!” when he arrived at a tractor factory outside Minsk earlier today — another sign that his base of support is slipping. Mr. Lukashenko has called on President Vladimir Putin of Russia for help. |
 | | Illustration by Tracy Ma/The New York Times |
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8. Lavish parties, with virus tests at the door. |
Some of the most sought-after summer party invitations are coming with a special requirement: a rapid or real-time test for the coronavirus. Hosts are hiring doctors to screen guests before they attend their gatherings. Event companies are offering rapid testing as a service to clients alongside catering and music. |
While most of the country waits seven to 14 days for coronavirus test results, a privileged few have access to these tests, which provide answers in under 30 minutes. The rapid tests aren’t totally reliable, according to New York City health officials, and additional testing is usually required to confirm a result. |
 | | Andrew Mangum for The New York Times |
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9. What’s your tween doing? Probably playing Roblox. |
The online gaming site has been around for more than a decade but has become wildly popular since March as people have been urged to stay at home. Roblox says about three-quarters of American children ages 9 to 12 are now playing on the site. Above, Garvey Mortley, 12, a Roblox enthusiast, with her mother outside of her home in Bethesda, Maryland. |
Inside Roblox, gamers create avatars and explore tropical islands, haunted castles and bustling towns. The site’s popularity has meant boom times for developers — who are mostly teenagers, college students and young adults operating solo or with small teams — since they get a cut of the money that children are spending on their games. |
And, for younger viewers, our critic has reviewed these 11 animated series that serve up rich depictions of Black families that don’t fall into stereotypes. |
 | | via Lang’s Auction |
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10. And finally, check your house for antique rods. |
For example: the Giant Haskell Minnow, above, a large hammered copper lure with a flexible tail that wiggles in the water. Patented in 1859, it’s considered a masterpiece of craftsmanship. |
In 2003, one of those was sold at auction for $101,200, setting a record at the time for antique fishing gear. The amount shocked collectors and sellers, and brought new buzz to the market that continues to this day. |
Hope your evening is full of discoveries. |
Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. |
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