<em>The Atlantic Daily</em>: The Truth About the Trump Cluster

Sarah Zhang, a staff writer who covers health, explains:

Remdesivir is an experimental drug that is meant to stop viruses from replicating inside the body. The antiviral drug was originally tested against Ebola without much success, but that did show the drug was safe, which allowed doctors to quickly repurpose it for COVID-19. The FDA authorized emergency use of the drug after trials showed that it can modestly shorten recovery time for hospitalized patients—from 15 to 11 days, in one study—but it’s certainly no miracle cure.

If you’re interested in learning more: The drug is almost identical to a black-market treatment for cats, Sarah reported back in May.

29 days remain until the 2020 presidential election. Here’s today’s essential read:

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (nicknamed the “Trump of the Tropics”) tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year. Here’s what his case tells us about Trump’s.

What to read if you find yourself shouting out news updates across your household:

Julie Beck examines our collective impulse to share breaking news with loved ones—even if it means waking them up in the middle of the night.

Today’s break from the news:

Afraid of bats? The writer Rebecca Giggs explores how we know—and how we learn—what to fear.

Dear Therapist

In her latest column, Lori Gottlieb advises a reader whose boyfriend wants her to destroy a scrapbook from her first marriage:

Why should we not be grateful for past loves, when our past loves were fundamentally good people? … [My new boyfriend] seems to think that if you don’t completely hate your ex, or actively try to forget he ever existed, then you still love him.

Read the rest, and Lori’s response. Every week, she answers questions from readers about their problems, big and small. Write to Lori anytime at dear.therapist@theatlantic.com.

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Caroline Mimbs Nyce is a senior associate editor at The Atlantic.