Messing with the census, undermining the election, and guest Juliette Kayyem on competent crisis response. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Alex Thompson for Politico: “Trump’s Campaign Knocks on a Million Doors a Week. Biden’s Knocks on Zero.” Ben Smith for the New York Times: “How the Media Could Get the Election Story Wrong” Franklin Foer for the Atlantic: “Putin Is Well on His Way to Stealing the Next Election” Alice Miranda Ollstein for Politico: “Lawmakers Demand Explanation for Cutting Federal Funding to States for National Guard Deployments” Juliette Kayyem for The Atlantic: “Reopening Schools Was Just an Afterthought” Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: John: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson  Emily: Deep Cover: The Drug Wars David: This Week in Virology, “Episode 640: Test Often, Fast Turnaround, with Michael Mina”; Elian Peltier for The New York Times: “3 Men Marooned in the Pacific Are Rescued After Writing SOS in the Sand” Listener Carol Palmer, @AgnetaAnderso: Larry Kanter for Medium “Inside the Company Trying to Solve the Global Bicycle Shortage” Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John talk about missing their work friends. You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)   The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices