Morning Brew - ☕️ Save the date

Good morning class. It's Monday, August 10, which means it's probably time to give those bedsheets a wash. I've got some other important dates to remind you about in today's edition, so get those calendars ready. 

—Alex Hickey 

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Crooked Media

On Nov. 3, 85 days from now, millions of Americans will head to the polls for the only act of civic responsibility more important than allowing people to get off a subway car before you enter. The 2020 election will be one for the history books, particularly for its anticipated surge in mail-in voting. 

More than three-quarters of Americans have options to vote by mail following eligibility changes due to COVID-19. Now, for some audience participation...

• Confirm you're registered to vote.
• Check your state's policy for mail-in voting. 

If everyone requests their mail-in ballot last-minute, your mailman's going to lose a lot of sleep. Apply for yours early to help "flatten the ballot request curve." These are your drop-dead dates: 

Crooked Media

Contrary to recent claims by the president, mail-in voting fraud (or any voting fraud) is extremely rare. But like any voting system, it has its flaws: During the 2020 primaries held through July, NPR found 65,000 ballots were rejected for tardiness. 

• USPS recommends mailing yours at least one week before Election Day, so bookmark Oct. 27 right now. 
• And please, please read the instructions. Failing to postmark or sign the right place can cause your ballot to be tossed out.

Get involved: In-person voting is still happening, but most poll workers are 60+ years old (i.e. more vulnerable to COVID-19). Power the Polls is recruiting 250,000 young and healthy volunteers to help. 

Today, we're digging deeper into...

Brands: Read Kevin Lee's thread on how Oatly became a $2 billion company with some marketing magic. Follow it up with Divinations's Nat Eliason, who questions whether that branding masks dubious health claims.   

Words: How we label people reveals a lot about our values. Some food for thought:

• The Pudding analyzed 2,000 books to create a beautiful visual essay of how authors describe male vs. female bodies.
• The Brew's grammar guru Eliza Carter examines how the Brew, AP, and some disability rights organizations approach language around disability. 
• The National Association of Hispanic Journalists makes a case for why newsrooms should stop labeling people as "minorities."

COVID: The Atlantic's Ed Yong produces arguably the best COVID-19 writing around. His cover story for the magazine's September issue, "How the Pandemic Defeated America," is a must-read to learn what happened these last six months. And his feature on immunology, the complex branch of science where "intuition goes to die," is remarkably light and accessible. 

One little piggy went to market. But when she heard about Thrive Market, she realized the old market she went to totally sucked.

You see, Thrive Market is an online, membership-based marketplace for affordable, healthy home goods. They have everything from organic groceries and non-toxic cleaning supplies to safe supplements and clean beauty products. 

And they deliver it all to your front door!

The little piggy, meanwhile, had thought any market would be fine. But as she surveyed shelves of expensive products that were bad for both her and the environment, she knew she should have signed up for Thrive Market.

Don’t make the little piggy’s mistake and go to just any market.

Choose a FREE gift (up to $22 value) when you sign up for Thrive Market today.

"Levain Bakery New York City" (CC BY 2.0) by wuestenigel

For your belly: No income tax is now the second-best reason to consider relocating to the Lone Star state. Last week, NYC's famous Levain Bakery, which makes chocolate chip cookies so hearty they count as an entire meal, announced its first grocery store deal with Texas chain Central Market. Levain eventually plans on expanding to other stores. 

• While I cross my fingers waiting for a Trader Joe's partnership, this copycat recipe of Levain's chocolate chip walnut cookie is almost as good as the real thing. 
• Don't get me started on the double dark chocolate chip version. 

For your screen: After a three-year hiatus, Chip and Joanna Gaines's hit home renovation show Fixer Upper is returning next year on the upcoming Magnolia Network. To hold myself over, I'm enjoying reruns of the original on HGTV, but you can also browse their designs online and get inspiration for your own home improvement projects. 

• My favorites are this renovation for musician Mike Herrera (just look at that dreamy kitchen) and this modern industrial reno. 

With the world feeling so topsy-turvy, going out and giving back can feel a little harder than it used to. It doesn't need to. 

Good Today is a micro-donation platform that emails you two related charities to choose from each morning. You pick one, and it then coordinates your donation of 25¢, 50¢, or $1. Those price tags might sound like a drop in the bucket…but when you're doing it with tens of thousands of participants each day, it makes a meaningful difference. 

• If you're worried about money getting lost in processing fees, Good Today only charges you monthly or annually for your plan. 
• Employers can also set it up for their businesses and sponsor employee donations each morning (disclaimer: the Brew participates and I can confirm it's a great way to start the day). 

For something more involved, in-person events might be canceled but virtual volunteering opportunities have sprung up aplenty. Consider giving your time to help mentor underserved students in your area or provide virtual companionship for senior citizens living alone. 

Angelika Warmuth/picture alliance via Getty Images

This is the Eibsee, a lake outside of Garmisch-Partenkirchen overlooked by the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain. I used to roadtrip out here every summer as a kid, and I challenge anyone to find me a more idyllic and quaint nook in western Europe than this Bavarian gem. 

That's all for today folks! Enjoy that freshly laundered linen tonight, and see you back here Wednesday.