A high-quality STEM toy engages your child's imagination in open-ended play, teaches them useful STEM concepts, and is fun enough to keep your youngster coming back.
I like Learning Resources' Botley the Coding Robot because it's easy enough for my 5-year-old to use without my help, builds a basic understanding of coding, and is screen-free.
Though it's among the most affordable STEM robots on the market, Botley has impressive functionality and is durable enough to stand up to abuse.
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As a parent, my constant struggle is trying to find activities for my sons that keep them engaged and provide some educational value. The activity gets bonus points if it doesn't involve vegging out in front of a screen. Fortunately, it appears toymakers have heard the call of my people and are introducing more sophisticated STEM toys that teach kids science, tech, engineering, and mathematics concepts while they have fun. Learning Resources' Botley the Coding Robot is a good example of this.
Botley is a cute robot that teaches the basics of coding to children as young as 5 years old. Yet, it also grows with your child offering advanced if/then coding logic as they sharpen their skills. If/then logic is the foundation of the coding that computer programmers and other professionals use. Botley introduces children to this logic using a remote control to make the robot move through the obstacle course, follow lines, and more.
I had the opportunity to test Botley with my 5-year-old son, Bucky. Here are our experiences with it.
What is in the box
There are a few Botley sets available. We tested the Botley Coding Set, which comes with the robot, the remote programmer, 42 coding cards, detachable arms, six double-sided tiles for setting up courses, and 27 obstacle-building pieces, including sticks, cubes, cones, and balls that you can decorate with the included stickers.
Learning Resources also sent us the 40-piece Activity Set add-on that has a swinging hammer, a rotating gate, a ramp, two balls, a cup, a large domino, a medium domino, 30 small dominos, and nine challenges.
The setup was effortless. Botley comes with easy-to-follow directions. Before we could start playing, I had to hunt down 5 AAA batteries and a Phillips screwdriver to provide the robot and the remote programmer with power. I had the robot ready to go within 10 minutes of opening the box.
Botley has basic coding functions, such as going forward, backward, left, and right. Plus, it has object avoidance functions. You can program Botley to perform a certain function if it detects an object — the if/then logic that's key to computer programing.
The directions clearly explain the different features of Botley, so don't worry if you don't have coding experience. I read the instructions to Bucky since he is just starting to learn how to read. For a few minutes, we enjoyed a combination of him mashing on the keys of the programmer haphazardly and me guiding him in more controlled, directed coding. We continued in this way for about half an hour initially with him picking up some of the skills. I then turned him loose to play however he saw fit with his loose grasp on what each button did.
Bucky doesn't have the focus yet to create elaborate coding sequences. But almost immediately, he could get Botley to spin around in circles and go forward and backward. He also liked the line-following feature and set up obstacles along the course he created. Bucky was the most focused when he created obstacle courses.
What makes it stand out
One of the best features of Botley the Coding Robot is it's completely screen-free. Your child programs the robot using the basic remote programmer which has easy-to-understand icons on the button. The use of icons instead of words is perfect for pre-literate youngsters.
When I evaluate STEM toys, I pay close attention to how often Bucky comes back to play with it over time. Botley was in the middle of the pack when it came to "replay value." In the two months we tested it, he came back to it maybe a half dozen times. He is especially drawn to the robot when his screen time for the day runs out.
I like toys that Bucky can play with on his own without my help. And Botley is one of those toys. He'll come to me with questions, but for the most part, he remains entertained without me, usually in 30-minute sessions. He likes setting up Rube Goldberg-like courses with the dominos, hammer, balls, slide, and rotating gate.
Bucky tends to be hard on his toys. Despite my best efforts, he plays with Botley on the table, and inevitably, he causes the robot to fall off and crash on our hardwood floor. So far, I haven't noticed any damage. Botley feels durable.
I had a hard time getting Botley to follow the black lines I drew. I used a nice thick, chisel-tip Sharpie on white poster board, but it still wouldn't recognize the lines. I was bummed because I thought it would be fun for the robot to follow the "Bucky" I'd spelled out in cursive. At least it worked flawlessly on the included boards printed with black lines.
One of my biggest pet peeves as a consumer is when items that require batteries don't come with any. Botley didn't come with batteries. However, at this price point, it's understandable. Plus, it allowed me to use rechargeable batteries, which are better for the earth than the single-use batteries that usually come with toys.
The bottom line
These drawbacks are relatively minor and are easy to overlook with the cost-effective price tag. Overall, I am a big fan of Botley, and I look forward to Bucky maturing and getting more out of it.
Should you buy it?
If you have a youngster whom you'd like to nurture a love of the STEM disciplines, Botley the Coding Robot is an excellent place to start. It teaches the basics of coding, problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical thinking. Plus, it draws kids away from the allure of screens, a constant battle for today's parents. And at this price point, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better STEM robot.
What model should you get?
If you're on a tight budget, then the barebones Botley Coding Set might be your best bet at $41.50. However, I strongly recommend spending the extra $13.49 to get the Botley Activity Set or the extra $13.80 for the Accessory Set. Bucky had a lot of fun using the props from both of the sets to create courses. You might be able to skip the accessories if your child is particularly resourceful, but Bucky only seemed interested in building obstacle courses with pieces from the sets.
What are your alternatives?
I've lost count of how many STEM toys I've tested with Bucky. But I do know Botley the Coding Robot is the most accessible for pre-K and kindergarten-aged kids, and it's the best I've seen at this price range. However, if Botley doesn't sound appealing, consider these options:
Wonder Workshop Cue Coding Robot ($199): Bucky keeps coming back to Cue, though it's more geared toward kids 10 and up, and therefore, he's only experiencing a fraction of what it has to offer. Cue will chat with your child, send them on missions to test math and logic skills, teach them coding, and more. The biggest negatives are the price and you have to use a mobile device with it. Read my full review here.
littleBits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit ($55): We enjoy littleBits because they feature electronic building blocks that work with other kits, such as the Avengers Hero Inventor Kit, which we also had fun testing. The Droid Kit involves physically building the droid, including adding decals, then controlling it using the iPhone or Android app. My 15-year-old even had a ball playing with it. You can read my full review here.
Beasts of Balance Game ($50): So, this isn't a robot, and I'm not even sure I'd classify it as STEM, but it is affordable and fun for the whole family. The goal of the game is to stack as many pieces onto the "Plinth" as you can without it falling over. The pieces represent animals and the resources they need, and you can crossbreed animals to create new, hilariously named creatures. Our whole family loves this one, and it's even fun to play on your own. Read my full review.
I still strongly recommend going with Botley the Coding Robot, especially if you are shopping for a young one with little or no coding experience. It's sure to engage and educate them.
Pros: Offers screen-free open-ended play, affordable, easy enough for a 5-year-old to understand, several fun accessories available, provides more benefits as your child matures
Cons: Doesn't come with batteries, had trouble following the black lines I drew
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified a dubious claim from Russian intelligence sources alleging that former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton "approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal" against then-Republican candidate Donald Trump and his ties to Russia.
Ratcliffe said in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham that the US intelligence community "does not know the accuracy" of the allegation "or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication."
The DNI's move raised questions about why the nation's spy chief declassified information that had not been corroborated and which he himself admitted may be false or exaggerated.
Ratcliffe's decision to release disparaging information about Clinton also mirrors Moscow's ongoing disinformation campaign against the former secretary of state.
John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence, declassified dubious information from a "Russian intelligence analysis" in 2016 alleging that then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton "approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal" against then-Republican candidate Donald Trump "by tying him to Putin and the Russians' hacking of the Democratic National Committee."
Ratcliffe divulged the information in a letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and one of Trump's staunchest congressional allies.
However, the letter said the US intelligence community "does not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication."
Ratcliffe's move raised immediate questions about why the country's top intelligence official declassified information that the US could not corroborate, and which Ratcliffe himself acknowledged could be false or exaggerated.
Moreover, as several observers pointed out, Ratcliffe's decision to release disparaging information about Clinton from Russian intelligence sources appears to mirror Moscow's ongoing disinformation campaign against the former secretary of state.
The president and his allies have also amplified the claim over the last several years, alleging without evidence that the Clinton campaign colluded with the Ukrainian government to cook up a Trump-Russia conspiracy and sabotage his campaign. US intelligence officials have seen no evidence supporting the claim, and a bipartisan report by the Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee concluded the same.
The intelligence community also determined in early 2017 that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government and intelligence agencies to wage an elaborate and extensive campaign to interfere in the 2016 general election. Putin's main goal was to damage Clinton and propel Trump to the Oval Office, according to the US's assessment.
Nick Merrill, a spokesperson for Clinton, described the allegations Ratcliffe's letter laid out as "baseless bullshit" in a text message to Politico.
Frank Montoya, a recently retired FBI special agent, told Business Insider in a text message that the allegation Ratcliffe publicized "sounds like more Russian disinformation" meant to protect the "Russian intel effort to undermine our sovereignty. This is how Russia (like the Soviet Union before it) does disinformation ops."
"What's more, this is old news, meaning the IC has had years to corroborate it and hasn't been able to do that," he added. Montoya said the DNI's decision was particularly striking given that when he served in Congress, he and other Republicans railed against the release of uncorroborated information connected to the so-called Steele dossier, an unverified collection of memos by a former British intelligence officer alleging collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
"Ratcliffe is serving up political chum to the President's allies on-demand, seeming to disregard whether it's A) accurate or B) in service of a foreign disinformation campaign," Ned Price, the former senior director of the National Security Council under President Barack Obama, wrote on Twitter.
"This is Russian disinformation," Rachel Cohen, spokesperson for Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, tweeted. "Laundered by the Director Of National Intelligence and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This is extraordinary."
Ratcliffe's letter also said that John Brennan, the CIA director at the time of the July 2016 "Russian intelligence analysis," briefed Obama and other senior officials on the information.
In September 2016, the letter said, US intelligence officials "forwarded an investigative referral" to then-FBI Director James Comey and then-Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok. The referral was about Clinton's "approval of a plan concerning" Trump "and Russian hackers hampering US elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server."
Ratcliffe's letter said that Attorney General William Barr, who Trump tapped to run the Justice Department last year, "has advised that the disclosure of this information will not interfere with ongoing Department of Justice investigations."
Trump fired Comey in May 2017 after he confirmed the existence of the FBI's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. And the bureau fired Strzok after it surfaced that he exchanged anti-Trump text messages with Lisa Page, who was an FBI lawyer at the time. Comey is set to testify before Graham's committee on Wednesday.
Ratcliffe was confirmed as DNI earlier this year after Trump ousted Joseph Maguire, the former acting DNI after he authorized an official to brief Congress on Russia's ongoing interference in the 2020 election.
Ratcliffe was previously a congressman from Texas and one of Trump's biggest attack dogs on Capitol Hill. He made headlines last year when he berated the former special counsel Robert Mueller during the latter's testimony to the House Judiciary Committee about the Russia probe.
Trump initially nominated Ratcliffe as DNI shortly after that hearing in July 2019, but Ratcliffe withdrew from consideration after it surfaced that he inflated his resume and misled the public about his role in overseeing anti-terrorism efforts at the US attorney's office for the Eastern District of Texas. Trump nominated him a second time earlier this year, and he was confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate in May.
SpaceX released a video on Tuesday that chronicles its Demo-2 mission, the first crewed flight of its Crew Dragon spaceship. The mission carried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to and from the International Space Station, and it went remarkably smoothly – an outcome that felt somewhat out-of-keeping with this turbulent year on Earth.
"We hope it brings a little bit of brightness to a pretty tough 2020," Hurley says at the end of the video.
The never-before-broadcast footage shows Behnken and Hurley driving to the launch site at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. After giving thumbs-ups to onlookers, the two astronauts board the Crew Dragon.
"Three...two...one...ignition, liftoff," Mission Control says. Then SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket ignites.
Once they enter space, Behnken does a backflip as a stuffed sequined dinosaur floats around the capsule. "Tremor the Apatosaurus" was the latest in a long line of stuffed animals that astronauts have brought into space as zero-gravity indicators; when the toys start to float, observers know the ship has entered microgravity.
The video also shows the moments after Crew Dragon docked with the space station, when the astronauts met up with the members of Expedition 63. The montage ends with their return to Earth: A small white capsule shrieks through the atmosphere, then its parachutes deploy, slowing it to a gentle splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
You can watch the full video below:
SpaceX is learning from Demo-2 to make its next mission smoother
As test missions go, Demo-2 was remarkably hassle-free.
Astronaut Bob Behnken pushes aside a plush dinosaur toy floating around the cabin of the Crew Dragon as it reaches low-Earth orbit, May 30, 2020.
NASA TV
Still, the mission wasn't without snags. For instance, once the Crew Dragon landed, its thrusters began emitting toxic fumes. Throngs of boats carrying tourists and onlookers also ignored commands to keep their distance.
These problems serve as learning opportunities for NASA and SpaceX as they prepare for the next crewed mission in their partnership, Crew-1. That's scheduled to launch at 2:40 a.m. ET on October 31.
From top left: Shannon Walker, Soichi Noguchi, Victor Glover, and Michael Hopkins pose with SpaceX founder Elon Musk and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
Jim Bridenstine/NASA
That crew includes NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Mike Hopkins, and Victor Glover, as well as Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi. Hopkins is slated to be the mission's commander, Glover the pilot, and Walker and Noguchi mission specialists.
The Demo-2 astronauts have already offered some words of wisdom for that group. Hopkins said Hurley warned him about the shocking speed of re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.
"His comment about entry was, 'It happens fast,'" Hopkins said in a press briefing on Tuesday. "From the time the de-orbit sequence starts, the entry sequence starts, to when you touch down is very fast."
"For me, that means I need to make sure that we, as a crew, are ready for it," Hopkins added. "When things happen fast, you need to be anticipating."
But minor issues and surprises aside, NASA and SpaceX officials are mostly hoping for a repeat of Demo-2's success later this fall.
"It will be a great mission if Crew-1 goes exactly the same way," Kathy Lueders, NASA's head of human spaceflight, said during the Tuesday briefing. "I'm counting on a beautiful mission."
Through October 14, Prime members can take $50 off their first annual Premium Plus membership and get a yearlong subscription for just $100. Typically, Audible members get one credit every month, but as a part of this deal Amazon will throw in 12 credits upfront that can be redeemed for any book in their catalog.
These audiobooks will never disappear from your permanent collection, so you're free to revisit them whenever you need to. And, if you don't love a title, you can easily swap it for another.
If you want to continue your Premium Plus subscription, you'll need to pay the $150 per subsequent year, but you can also just cancel your subscription at any time. Alternatively, you can go with the more affordable option: Audible Plus. This tier comes with access to the Audible Plus catalog for $8 a month, but lacks the one book credit every month that's good for any title and the discounts.
What started with a first reported death from coronavirus in Wuhan on January 11, has, in less than a year, become a tragedy of global proportions.
And as the official death toll ticks over the 1 million mark, we're still asking how some of those lives could have been saved, and how we can prevent more loss and suffering.
But how accurate are the statistics?
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard receives data from 188 countries and territories on deaths attributable to coronavirus. But some countries are not represented at all, and there's inconsistency among those who do keep a tally.
Researchers with EuroMOMO, a European organization that tracks mortality data across the continent, have noticed the same trend.
"In a pandemic, especially in a new disease, you don't have a proper testing available," Lasse Vestergaard, EuroMomo project coordinator, told Business Insider Today. "Many infected cases will not be tested and therefore not confirmed. The counting of reported deaths is a key set of data — you know for sure these are confirmed cases of COVID. However, that does not necessarily give the full picture."
"It doesn't get all cases. That 1 million had been reached a little while ago already."
Undetected cases can skew the data, for example, by making the virus appear more deadly in one country than another.
Similarly, some victims may die from COVID-19 without ever reaching a hospital or being tested.
These numbers all feed into a country's mortality rate — the relationship between deaths and cases, or deaths per head of population.
Experts say we could get a clearer picture if every country was like Belgium, hailed as the most accurate and honest in the world at reporting its COVID-19 deaths. The country has been unafraid to feature high in the mortality ranking by counting suspected coronavirus deaths alongside confirmed ones.
Gravediggers bury a coronavirus disease victim in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Reuters
Meanwhile, Bolivia is one country where critics say the toll from COVID-19 is much higher than official figures suggest.
"According to John Hopkins University, Bolivia ranks fifth for the number of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, with 65 deaths for every 100,000 (people)," Bolivian public policy analyst Andres Uzin said. "If we take into account the 20,186 excess deaths in Bolivia caused by the COVID pandemic, that figure would be 174 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. That would easily take us to first place in the world."
Indonesia is also accused of underreporting. Gravediggers in Jakarta say the number of people they are burying has increased three or four times.
"Usually, we bury around 10 people every day," gravedigger Junaedi Bin Hakim said. "But for the last few days, when we handle COVID-19 burials, it has reached an average of 30 per day. And last Thursday, there were around 40 cases in one day."
It's for this reason that many prefer to count "excess deaths" rather than reported COVID-19 deaths to get at a more accurate tally.
EuroMOMO, the European mortality monitoring unit based in Copenhagen, Denmark, does just that. The project analyzes reported deaths alongside historical data for the 24 European countries in its network.
Researchers take a country's overall mortality statistics, including those from COVID-19, and "compare it to what we would expect at this time of the year," Vestergaard said.
"That difference is what we define as the excess, and which is lastly attributable to COVID-19," he said. "So I think the 1 million is an underestimation. We're not sure exactly how much more, but perhaps about 20% to 30% higher than the official number."
If we're having trouble counting how many people have died, can we predict the path the virus will take?
Youyang Gu set out to do that in the spring, designing his own forecasting software, covid19-projections.com, from his New York apartment. His computer models take Johns Hopkins data and run them through an AI simulator to get a glimpse of the future in 71 different countries around the world.
"We're currently forecasting about 200,000 additional deaths through November 1. And so that's about close to around 5,000 a day just for those 70 countries," Gu said.
Were it possible to factor in all countries of the world, both reported and projected deaths would of course be far higher.
So as the official tally of deaths from coronavirus passes 1 million, we can be sure of very little except that in reality, that number was passed some time ago — and that we may never know the full scale of the global tragedy.
"It really depends from country to country in terms of the true death toll but I think it's safe to say that the true death toll is going to be significantly higher than what is currently reported being reported right now," Gu said.
Courtesy of Tina Sfondeles; Lawrence Jackson Photography; Courtesy of Darren Samuelsohn; Samantha Lee/Business Insider
The 2020 presidential campaign is nearing an end, and the historic moments keep on coming.
Insider's new DC bureau, launched in April, has been tracking developments with exclusive journalism every step of the way.
Bureau Chief Darren Samuelsohn hosted a webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to preview the closing weeks of the White House race with political beat reporters Tom LoBianco and Tina Sfondeles.
They talked about the presidential debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the fight to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat on the Supreme Court and the ever-present prospect that one or more October surprises are likely to cause more chaos in an already chaotic campaign.
Campaign 2020 is headed into the home stretch and it's still anyone's guess how this historic race for the White House will end.
That's where Insider's new Washington DC bureau comes into the picture. Approaching the half-year mark, our eight-person team is cranking out exclusive stories about the battle between President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden.
On Tuesday, Bureau Chief Darren Samuelsohn led a discussion with political correspondents Tom LoBianco and Tina Sfondeles to break down what they'll be on the lookout for as the calendar ticks down toward November 3.
They preview the three presidential debates, the political implications surrounding Trump's push to quickly seat a replacement for the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court and the prospect that an October surprise (or three) will add even more wrinkles to an already unprecedented campaign.
Voters wait to cast ballots during the presidential primary election in Wisconsin, April 7, 2020.
REUTERS/Daniel Acker
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is debating whether to purge 130,000 voters from its rolls.
Conservatives in the state argued that voters who were identified as potentially having relocated should be removed from the voter registration database.
The state elections commission wanted to wait until after the general election before removing anyone.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court weighed Tuesday whether to go along with conservatives who argue that 130,000 voters should be removed from the rolls in the hotly contested presidential battleground state, while the Democratic attorney general defended not purging them.
The Wisconsin case is one of several lawsuits across the country, many in battleground states, that seek to purge voters from registration rolls. It is being closely watched because President Donald Trump won the swing state by fewer than 23,000 votes in 2016. However, the lawsuit was unlikely to be resolved by the state Supreme Court before the Nov. 3 election just five weeks away.
Justices on the court controlled 4-3 by conservatives gave little indication during the hour-long oral arguments how they were leaning.
The Wisconsin case hinges on whether voters who were identified as potentially having moved should be removed from the voter registration database. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative law firm, argued that the state elections commission broke the law when it did not remove voters from the rolls who did not respond within 30 days to a mailing last year indicating they had been identified as someone who potentially moved.
The commission wanted to wait until after the presidential election before removing anyone because of inaccuracies found while previously attempting to identify voters who may have moved.
Because voters who moved were concentrated in more Democratic areas of the state, liberals argued that the lawsuit was meant to lower turnout on their side. Republicans countered that it was about reducing the likelihood of voter fraud and making sure that people who moved are not able to vote from their previous addresses.
A circuit court judge ruled last year that the voters must be removed immediately, but a state appeals court overturned that in February.
Many of the questions from justices on Tuesday revolved around whether it was the duty of the state elections commission, or local election clerks, to remove voters from the rolls. Justice Brian Hagedorn, part of the court's conservative majority who has sometimes sided with liberals, questioned whether the state elections commission had the legal authority to remove anyone from the registration list.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul maintained that the elections commission was under no duty to treat as reliable the information it received about voters who may have moved. Kaul said the commission's only responsibility under the multi-state Electronic Registration Information Center agreement was to notify flagged voters that they may need to update their address.
Rick Esenberg, attorney for the conservative group that brought the lawsuit, argued that state law clearly gives the elections commission the responsibility to maintain the voter list. When presented with the information about those who had moved, the commission had a duty to remove those who did not respond to the mailing, Esenberg said.
No voters have been deactivated while the yearlong legal fight continues. Even if a voter has their registration deactivated, they can register again later or on Election Day when they show up at the polls. Absentee voting is underway in Wisconsin with more than 308,000 ballots returned already.
The lawsuit is just one of several voting-related challenges across the country, many of them in battleground states.
On Sunday, a federal appeals court temporarily put on hold a ruling that would expand the time that absentee ballots can be counted in Wisconsin. And on Monday, a judge in Georgia dismissed a similar voter purge lawsuit filed by two voters in Fulton County, which includes Atlanta. The lawsuit sought to force election officials to hold hearings that could have resulted in 14,000 voters being removed from the county's voter rolls before the November general election.
In Pennsylvania, a federal lawsuit filed by the conservative group Judicial Watch alleges that up to 800,000 registered voters should be classified as "inactive" and removed. That case is on hold until after the election. Judicial Watch also sued in North Carolina, saying not enough has been done to periodically remove inactive or permanently moved voters in that state.
And in Michigan, a Republican activist sued in federal court to remove ineligible voters from 16 counties with "abnormally high" registration levels. The state recently sought to dismiss the lawsuit, saying the plaintiff had no standing to sue and, even if he did, federal law prohibits the systemic removal of ineligible voters within 90 days of the election. That case is pending.
Removals or proposed removals, especially this close to an election, can be confusing and intimidating for voters and frequently aren't based on reliable information, said John Powers, an attorney with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, which has been fighting those efforts.
"You're scaring people and kicking eligible voters off the rolls, all of which undermines confidence in elections at time when that's the last thing we need," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta; David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Bryan Anderson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
Palantir climbed as much as 14% in its first day of public-market trading following a direct listing.
The data-mining company began trading under the ticker PLTR on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday afternoon. Shares opened at $10, roughly 38% above the $7.25 reference price set by the exchange on Tuesday. The subsequent increase from the opening price marked a 14% increase.
The opening trade set a valuation of roughly $17 billion, lagging behind the company's 2015 private-market valuation of $20 billion. The increase pushed Palantir's market capitalization as high as $18.8 billion.
Palantir is the latest company to enter the public market through a direct listing over a traditional initial public offering. Direct listings allow shareholders to trade stock with new investors without the company selling new shares. While Palantir didn't raise any capital through the debut, it didn't dilute its stock's value by increasing the number of shares outstanding.
Spotify and Slack have helped to popularize direct listings in recent years. Asana, a workplace-software firm, also used the method on Wednesday and jumped in its first day of trading.
Palantir has roughly 1.6 billion shares outstanding, 1.2 billion of which are Class A tradable shares. Palantir traded at $11.24 per share as of 1:50 p.m. ET.
Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:
Donald Trump and Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University on September 29, 2020. Chris Wallace moderates.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
During Tuesday's debate, President Donald Trump kept interrupting former Vice President Joe Biden, something remarked upon by moderator Chris Wallace.
'Well, frankly you've been doing more interrupting,' Wallace said to Trump at one point.
The rule-breaking is nothing new for Trump, but it was apparently unprecedented in a debate, as widely commented on by cable news throughout the post-mortem. (Aside from, of course, the 2016 debates.)
White-collar rule-breaking going unpunished has become a persistent feature of American capitalism in the 2000s, as famously captured by the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, when no CEOs faced prosecution.
Tuesday night's presidential debate is already historic for the immediate and widespread criticism it inspired. CNN's Dana Bash instantly called it a "s---show" while Jake Tapper called it a "hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck."
But even those strongly worded criticisms don't get to what was so outrageous about the occasion: One of the participants, the incumbent President Donald Trump, simply wouldn't follow the rules.
At one point, moderator Chris Wallace said he was "appealing" to Trump to allow former Vice President Joe Biden to speak with fewer interruptions. When Trump protested, Wallace said, "Well, frankly you've been doing more interrupting."
Later, after Trump continued to speak during Biden's allotted two-minute response time, Wallace noted that Trump's staff had agreed that he wouldn't do exactly that, and asked, "Why don't you observe what your campaign agreed to as a ground rule?"
It was to no avail, leading to Bash and Tapper's appalled post-mortem.
The saddest thing isn't that Trump's refusal to follow the rules is anything new. He has been a historic breaker of both norms and laws throughout his tenure, with sometimes deadly effects, such as the camps his administration set up along the US-Mexico border or his refusal to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic as recommended by his own health officials. The saddest thing is that rule-breaking going unpunished has been a feature of Trump's class of elites for decades now.
Flouting and toothlessness
Former FBI Director James Comey was such a famous stickler for rule-following that he arguably swung the 2016 election by releasing an "October surprise" letter to congress on Hillary Clinton's email habits. While technically wrong for a secretary of state to house emails on a private server, many members of the Trump White House have been reported to do exactly the same thing, with no kind of similar uproar attached. But Comey saw the culture of rule-breaking as dangerous long before that.
In 2002, when he was the US attorney in Manhattan, Comey warned young Dept. of Justice lawyers not to join the "chickens--- club," as reported by Jesse Eisinger's book of the same name. Comey was referring to DOJ lawyers' reluctance to bring cases against the rich and powerful that were closer to toss-ups than sure winners.
Former FBI Director James Comey speaks to members of the media after testifying on Capitol Hill on Dec. 7, 2018.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
That same year, the DOJ brought charges against 32 individuals associated with massive fraud at Enron, a corporate scandal so famous it inspired a legendary business book, "The Smartest Guys in the Room," and cast a shadow over the early presidency of George W. Bush, given the close ties to the administration of Chairman Ken Lay (dubbed "Kenny Boy" by Bush at the time). The Enron case may have been the highwater mark for the old DOJ custom of aggressively pursuing white-collar wrongdoing — the FBI reports convictions for 22 people, including nearly the entire executive team from the time of the scandal.
Comey's warning went unheeded afterward, as white-collar cases essentially fell from half their levels in previous decades to just 10% of the DOJ caseload from 2012 to 2015. Famously, Barack Obama's DOJ did not prosecute any Wall Street CEOs for their involvement in the subprime mortgage crisis that led to the Great Recession.
We now know, thanks to last weekend's New York Times report on Trump's tax records, that the aftermath of the Great Recession also saw The Trump Organization rack up massive losses and adopt aggressive accounting practices. Would Trump have been a white-collar case pursued by the erstwhile "chickens--- club" currently helmed by Attorney General William Barr? We'll never know.
Instead, to quote Dana Bash, it's a "s---show."
The alternative
It's stunning how much the fundamental reforms that would help the debate would also help against the extremes of contemporary capitalism.
Namely: Naming and enforcing rules, but also changing structures.
As you may have yelled at your TV or into social media, the moderator definitely needs a mute button, or some sort of legitimate penalty — like, say, reduced airtime — for those who break the rules. You can't lean on decorum, defer to power, and assume that the rulebreaker will be called by their conscience.
You need an empowered regulator, like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, for one. Debates, like markets, need regulation.
The first stirrings of controversy emerged for Disney's live-action remake of "Mulan" more than a year ago, when the film's lead actress, Liu Yifei, shared a post on the Chinese social media app Weibo that praised the Hong Kong police.
The territory's massive pro-democracy protests were in full swing at the time, and opposition to the security forces' brutal tactics had become one of the demonstrators' central organizing principles. Liu's post quickly went viral, and the hashtag #BoycottMulan trended in response.
Disney was not the only business to draw criticism over the Hong Kong protest movement. Last fall brought boycotts and PR trouble for the NBA, which pressured Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey into apologizing for a tweet supporting the Hong Kong protesters; for the gaming company Blizzard Entertainment, which booted a player from one of its competitions for reciting a pro-Hong Kong slogan during an event; and for Nike, which pulled a line of sneakers from Chinese stores after the shoes' designer drew criticism in China for social media posts supporting the protesters.
As these corporate controversies unfolded, Disney's then-CEO, Bob Iger, refrained from saying anything about Hong Kong. When asked about tension between American multinationals and China at a public forum last October, he said that "caution is imperative," because of how "complicated" it was.
He would speak out on other issues, he claimed, when the company's business interests were served by doing so. Iger mentioned how he called out President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change. "If people can't breathe the air, they're not going to theme parks."
Riot police disperse pro-democracy demonstrators at a singing protest at Mong Kok in Hong Kong, June 12, 2020.
Reuters
Cultural genocide, it seems, does not qualify as a danger to Disney's business interests. When "Mulan" was released online earlier this month, viewers noticed that Disney had filmed part of it in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, in northwestern China, and thanked local propaganda departments and government agencies in the closing credits of the film.
One of them, the Turpan Municipal Bureau of Public Security, has been sanctioned by the US Commerce Department for its involvement in the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of Turkic ethnic minorities, particularly Uighur Muslims, at least 1 million of whom have been detained in internment camps for what China calls "reeducation."
Uighurs have reportedly been subjected to various other forms of abuse, including forced sterilization, organ harvesting and disappearances. Critics immediately lambasted Disney for helping Beijing whitewash its atrocities by offering it a connection to a globally beloved, family-friendly brand, and #BoycottMulan trended once again.
Why would Disney move forward with "Mulan" despite the evident PR risks? The company was intent on using the film to win over Chinese viewers, and may have hoped that the reaction from Western critics would be limited. Like many international brands, Disney "likes riding the middle, because that's where the money is," as Carmenita Higginbotham, a prominent scholar of Disney at the University of Virginia, told The Washington Post in 2018.
The film industry in China does present a massive opportunity for Western producers: China's box office income has increased 35-fold in just 15 years, to $9.7 billion, according to The Economist, nearly rivaling the United States. But there is no guarantee that big-budget foreign films will succeed.
"Mulan" drew in only $23 million in its debut weekend in China, a disappointing figure for a movie that cost $200 million to produce. And the controversy over the film's production location illustrates the difficulty Disney will face in continuing its apparent strategy of corporate neutrality.
Liu Yifei in "Mulan."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Pressure is mounting from all sides: from consumers, from activists, and from the Chinese and US governments. Since the early 2000s, China has imposed increasingly strict rules on foreign companies, a protectionist move aimed at strengthening homegrown firms, as Zach Montague explained in a 2018 in-depth article for WPR.
For Hollywood, this has meant navigating piles of red tape and capitulating to censorship in order to survive in China, which only allows a limited number of foreign films to be screened in the country and threatens them with disadvantageous release dates.
Aspects of their production, including script and casting choices, must be approved by Chinese authorities. The censorship and revision of Hollywood films is part of a Chinese effort to imbue "America's soft power with Chinese characteristics," as The Economist put it.
In response, US lawmakers and government officials have more openly and aggressively criticized American businesses for their supposed deference to the Chinese government. In August last year, Trump caused a panic when he posted a tweet that "hereby order[ed]" American companies to withdraw from China, saying later that he planned to use the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to do so. He has not yet invoked this law against an American company, though it was invoked in his recent executive order to ban the Chinese app TikTok, but debate around the issue has escalated.
In a speech in July, Attorney General William Barr accused American companies, and Hollywood and Disney in particular, of "kowtowing" to China, suggesting that doing business with China could even implicate them under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires individuals or entities working on behalf of another government to register with the Justice Department.
Mary Lovely, an economist at Syracuse University, told The Washington Post that Barr's speech "seem[ed] designed to show the world that the US will interpret every action of multinational firms operating in China through a lens of bilateral hostility."
Although some believe this rhetoric to be nothing but bluster from Trump and other Republicans ahead of a heated November election, American businesses with interests in China are watching the developments closely.
Companies will no doubt continue to try to strike a delicate balance between maximizing their bottom lines and avoiding backlash back home. But as pressure mounts on multiple fronts — and as human rights conditions worsen there — it may become more difficult to justify the many costs of doing business in China.
Prachi Vidwans is an associate editor at World Politics Review.
NYSE Chief Operating Officer Stacey Cunningham, the New York Stock Exchange's (NYSE) first female president, poses on the floor of the NYSE in New York, U.S., May 22, 2018.
REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
The New York Stock Exchange saw record IPO activity this month, and president Stacey Cunningham expects the offering spree to charge forward.
"October is on track to look exactly the same" as the offering-heavy September, she said in a Wednesday interview with Bloomberg TV.
Companies are also tapping the market in increasingly diverse ways. Palantir and Asana began trading publicly on Wednesday after completing direct listings, which allow shares to hit the market without a company issuing new stock.
Special-purpose acquisition companies offer another avenue to public trading. The blank-check firms raise cash in IPOs with the intention of merging with a private company and making the combined entity public.
In all, at least 159 companies have gone public in the third quarter of 2020, according to Bloomberg data. Just 62 debuts took place in the same period last year.
The New York Stock Exchange is closing out a record month for initial public offerings. The exchange's president expects the hot streak to extend through the fall.
Wednesday saw the exchange host two IPOs, two direct listings, and two special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, listings, according to Stacey Cunningham, president of NYSE. The flurry of market debuts signals a rebound in funding markets' health, and the president expects the bounce-back to drive similar activity next month.
"September has been the busiest month of the New York Stock Exchange for IPOs in our history, and October is on track to look exactly the same," Cunningham said in a Wednesday interview with Bloomberg TV.
The rosy outlook comes as companies tap alternative methods for entering the market. Palantir and Asana both began trading on Wednesday after the firms completed direct listings, which involve companies going public without issuing new shares. Shares of both companies rocketed higher in the afternoon.
Other firms are making their public trading debuts through SPAC offerings. The so-called blank-check companies raise cash in IPOs with the intention of merging with a private company. Once the two businesses combine, the single entity's shares start trading in the public market.
The number of SPAC mergers in 2020 has nearly doubled from the year prior, according to SPACInsider.com. Nearly $44 billion has been raised through such deals in the year-to-date compared to the $13.6 billion raised by SPACs in 2019.
The wider range of public-market avenues creates new opportunities for cash-strapped companies to bolster their balance sheets. Firms are taking advantage of the openings, too. At least 159 companies have gone public in the third quarter, according to Bloomberg data, compared to the 62 debuts seen in the same period last year.
"We're seeing a lot of companies looking to tap the public markets as their uncertain about what the future might bring based on the pandemic, based on economic conditions," Cunningham said.
Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:
A woman on her laptop appears to be stressed during the coronavirus pandemic on May 30, 2020 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The woman is not associated with the story.
Robin Utrecht/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
A survey of some 40,000 employees by McKinsey and Co. and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s nonprofit Lean In found that 1 out of every 4 working women is considering leaving the workforce or scaling back their hours.
Women cite struggling with childcare and household duties as a major concern.
While 51% of employers communicate the importance of avoiding burnout, only 37% have changed their performance review process amid the pandemic.
In order to prevent a mass exodus of women in the workforce, managers should give employees more time off, increase flexible hours, and reassess performance goals and metrics set before the pandemic.
One out of every 4 working women is considering leaving the workforce or scaling back their careers because of the pandemic, according to a survey of over 40,000 professionals by McKinsey and Co. and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's nonprofit Lean In.
It's the first time in the six years the study has been conducted that women report intending to leave their jobs at higher rates than men.
Women cite having to be "always on" and cite juggling childcare and household duties with work as major concerns. More than 70% of fathers think they are splitting household labor equally with their partner during the pandemic — but only 44% of mothers say the same, the report found.
It makes sense. In most households with children, both parents work, Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2018 and 2019 show. Even so, mothers still take on the majority of childcare responsibilities. Research has indicated that mothers perform about 60% of childcare. That equates to about 7.2 hours per week for fathers compared with 13.7 hours (almost double) for mothers. This was before the pandemic forced hundreds of thousands of childcare centers to close ... many for good.
"We are still expected to meet, if not exceed, all of our targets. The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't affected anything as far as what we're required to get done," one Latina worker with a 1-year-old child said in the report.
While 51% of employers communicate the importance of avoiding burnout, only 37% have changed their performance review process during the pandemic.
That's a problem for women, who feel significantly less comfortable than men talking to their managers about personal problems, for fear of being judged or being negatively impacted in their careers, per the report.
Black and Latina women face even more struggles
Having to balance work and childcare/household responsibilities has taken a particularly onerous toll on Black and Latina women, who already face greater disadvantages in the workforce and are often paid less than their white counterparts.
Latina mothers are 1.6 times more likely than white mothers to be responsible for all childcare and housework, and Black mothers are twice as likely to be handling all of this for their families.
Some 13% of Black women say the loss of a loved one has been a top issue recently and 7% of Latinas say the same, compared to 4% of white women and 4% for all men, per the report.
In addition to the pandemic, Black women are dealing with the reality of heightened racial violence against Black people. And they're not feeling supported at work.
Fewer than one in three Black women report that their manager has checked in on them in light of the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. And Black women continue to be far less likely than white colleagues to say they have strong allies at work, per the report.
While 31% of men report feeling exhausted, 40% of Black women report feeling the same.
What managers can do
So what can managers do to support women, especially women of color, who are struggling to get by?
Authors of the report suggest managers give employees more time off, make hours more flexible, and consider adjusting goals and metrics used in performance reviews.
"Given the shift to remote work and the heightened challenges employees are coping with in their personal lives, performance criteria set before Covid-19 may no longer be appropriate," the report reads.
"Bringing criteria into line with what employees can reasonably achieve may help to prevent burnout and anxiety — and this may ultimately lead to better performance and higher productivity."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission asking for the agency to investigate the data-mining company Palantir ahead of its stock-market debut, which it made on Wednesday.
Among the congresswoman's concerns is Palantir's longtime penchant for secrecy, which she wrote could hurt future investors.
Other concerns listed are its domestic and foreign contracts, including with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, law-enforcement agencies, and foreign governments that "may present human rights risks."
Palantir, a famed Silicon Valley startup founded in 2003, has a reputation for being secretive and has come under scrutiny recently ahead of its direct listing.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote a letter to the US Securities and Exchange Commission in mid-September asking the agency to investigate the secretive data firm Palantir as the company gained attention with its stock-exchange plans.
In the letter, the congresswoman listed several concerns pertaining to the Peter Thiel-founded Silicon Valley startup. But her primary grievance was the startup's failure to fully disclose information regarding its business practices, omissions that could lead to material risks for future investors and national security issues as it begins trading, the letter said.
According to Ocasio-Cortez, one such partial omission was the funding it received from In-Q-Tel, the CIA's venture-capital arm. A 2009 shareholder report from Palantir revealed that In-Q-Tel held a 10% share in Palantir, but the firm's 2020 S-1 filing did not say whether that investment was still in play or how many Palantir shares In-Q-Tel held. Palantir is listed as one of In-Q-Tel's portfolio companies on the venture group's website.
Palantir's contracts with foreign governments were also cited, some of which involve governments "known to engage in corrupt practices and human rights violations," such as Qatar, Ocasio-Cortez wrote in the letter.
Palantir's domestic contracts have also drawn criticism. Its contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement came under scrutiny from 15 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who questioned whether Palantir was sharing people's health data with ICE. Data privacy was another concern in Ocasio-Cortez's letter to the SEC.
Palantir has denied that it shares data between the different federal agencies. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services has also denied that the data was being shared.
Ocasio-Cortez also said there was a lack of transparency regarding Palantir's board member Alexander Moore and its corporate-governance oversight concerning a personal $25.9 million loan made by cofounder Stephen Cohen. The congresswoman also questioned the firm's motive behind identifying as an "emerging growth company," a move that she said allowed it to withhold certain information from its S-1 filing. Palantir did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
The letter is another example of the public's scrutiny of Palantir as the company makes an anticipated debut on the stock market. The startup was founded in 2003 and has cemented itself in Silicon Valley fame for achieving the coveted unicorn status, or Valley speak for privately held companies that are valued over $1 billion. But Palantir's controversial cofounder Peter Thiel and its lack of transparency have also led to heightened attention on the firm.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend hand washing as one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from communicable diseases, but if that's not an option, using hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is a good alternative.
Here are the most effective hand sanitizers including Purell, Equate, and Pharma C — they all meet the CDC and US Food & Drug Administration's guidelines.
We interviewed Tania Elliott, MD, who specializes in infectious diseases related to allergies and immunology for internal medicine at NYU Langone Health, on how to use hand sanitizer correctly.
Due to the novel coronavirus, many hand sanitizers are often sold out or appearing at prices well above market retail, so we'll continue to update this guide with in-stock purchase links. We're also testing more products that are readily available for a larger update to this guide.
Commonly touched surfaces like door handles, shopping carts, phones, faucets, remote controls, light switches, electronics, and more harbor billions of potentially harmful microbes. This can be amplified during cold and flu season and viral outbreaks, making clean hands even more essential.
To help remove microbes that can make you sick, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend washing your hands with soap and water several times a day, especially after using the bathroom, before eating or preparing food, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose for at least 20 seconds. Make sure to lather your hands well, including the back of your hands, between fingers, and underneath nails.
All of the products in this article meet the CDC's and FDA's guidelines and recommendations and do not contain methanol or 1-proponal, which are toxic to humans and have been found in certain formulas.
However, as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues, there have been product shortages and price gouging on hand sanitizer and wipes, among many other items. We've personally seen availability come in and out and prices being more reasonable, and manufacturers are working to stabilize and increase production, so we expect to see things trend back to normal.
We'll continue to do our best to keep this guide updated with in-stock purchase links, and have kept all links in the story in case products become available. We suggest signing up for email alerts when items come back in stock online.
Prices and links are accurate as of 9/30/20. We added links to other hand sanitizers that meet CDC guidelines for effective alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and warnings about toxic ingredients and misleading advertising per the FDA. This guide was also medically reviewed Aimee Desrosiers, PA-C, MS, MPH, a practicing infectious diseases physician assistant in Washington, DC.
Purell, a leading brand in hand sanitizing products, is used in many hospitals and medical clinics. This Purell gel formulation contains 70% ethyl alcohol as well as aloe, vitamin E, and other moisturizers to prevent excessive drying of the skin on our hands.
It meets the CDC's recommended level of alcohol to kill germs and is 99.9% effective in killing the contagious microbes when used correctly. The formula is free of parabens, phthalates, and preservatives that can cause skin irritation.
I have sensitive skin and find that it does not cause excessive drying or result in itching or redness after use.
According to the price-tracking site CamelCamelCamel, a 4-pack of 8-ounce pump bottles on Amazon cost a little under $7 in August 2017 and $23 at the end of February 2020 if the order was fulfilled by Amazon. But due to news of the novel coronavirus, items fulfilled by Amazon have sold out and the prices for products fulfilled by third-party sellers have gone up significantly — the highest price as of March 11 for this item was $120, while the price at the end of February was already $60.
Stock is low at many online stores, including Office Depot where it's currently sold out. Walmart was selling a 3-pack for a little under $13, which is more expensive than expected but not outrageously so. Staples was selling an eco-friendly version at a little under $9 for one 8-ounce pump bottle, which is considerably more expensive than usual. You can sign up for email alerts when items are back in stock at all three sites.
Pros: Contains 70% ethyl alcohol, 99.9% effective in killing germs, contains moisturizing ingredients, light aloe scent, available in a pump bottle
Cons: More expensive than other sanitizers
The best hand sanitizing wipes
Walmart
Pharma C Alcohol Wipes are large enough to thoroughly sanitize your hands with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
If you have ever had a flu shot, your arm was wiped down with a small alcohol wipe to remove bacteria from your skin. Pharma C Alcohol Wipes are a larger version that can sanitize your hands.
Measuring around 5.5 x 7 inches, the woven wipe is saturated with a 70% isopropyl alcohol and purified water solution. Presented in a canister with a pop-up lid, the wipes will stay moist if the lid is closed tightly.
I feel confident when using these wipes that my hands are as germ-free as they can be. The big downside is that alcohol alone with no other buffers can be very drying to skin.
The price has gone up significantly and stock comes in and out at. Both the one 40-count canister and the 6-pack option are currently sold out on Walmart, though you can find it on Amazon through a third party — which we don't recommend. According to the price tracker CamelCamelCamel, the price for one 40-count canister was around $15 via third-party at the end of February, and the 6-pack was around $45 from third-party sellers at the end of February.
At Walmart, the usual price for this looks to be around $20, which is more expensive than what we found on Amazon but also one of the more reputable sites that sell these wipes.
Pros: Wipes contain 70% isopropyl alcohol, resealable canister, can potentially be used to wipe down certain electronics
Cons: Very drying to the skin, strong alcohol odor
The best non-alcohol sanitizer wipes
Office Depot
While not as effective as an alcohol-based sanitizer, Purell Hand Sanitizing Wipes can help kill germs while still being gentle enough to use on your face.
If alcohol-based sanitizers are too harsh and drying, Purell Sanitizing Wipes can help kill common germs until you can get to a sink for handwashing.
I have a two-year-old grandson and he loves to share every germ he picks up as he explores the world. It just isn't always convenient to wash his hands after he touches every surface in every store or play area, and alcohol-based wipes or gels can be rough on his skin. That's why I keep a resealable pack of Purell wipes with us to clean his hands and face until we can do a more thorough job with soap and water later.
The wipes measure 6 x 7-inch and have been tested by dermatologists. They contain moisturizers but no dyes, parabens, phthalates, or alcohol so they won't wreck delicate skin. The solution instead contains benzalkonium chloride, an antimicrobial which according to the CDC may have less reliable activity against certain bacteria and viruses than alcohol-based products.
It was previously under $5 for one tub of wipes on Office Depot, so the current $10 price is definitely higher than normal. It's currently out of stock for delivery on Office Depot as well as most other online stores, including Amazon, and was limited to two cans of wipes per person.
Previously, we saw the wipes online at Target and there was a bulk option at Staples though inventory was already unavailable as of March 12. If you're looking to buy and split among your family or friends, and stock comes back in, buying in bulk seems like a good option when possible.
Pros: Antimicrobial, no harsh ingredients, the package is resealable
If you need a hand sanitizer that won't dry out hands, Highmark Advanced Hand Sanitizer, Aloe is a perfect choice. The large 32-ounce pump bottle makes it convenient to accommodate lots of germy and sensitive or dry hands.
Highmark is an effective hand sanitizer with 65% ethyl alcohol, but the addition of aloe and vitamin E helps keep hands soft and moisturized. The aloe also leaves behind a light, fresh scent.
The $8 price sounds normal for this product especially when it's such a large bottle, but it's no longer available online at the time of updating. You may find it in Office Depot or Office Max stores as Highmark is made exclusively for those retailers.
When the item comes back in stock online, shoppers will be limited to ordering four bottles each.
Walmart is a great place to save money on bulk household supplies, and its in-house brand of hand sanitizer, Equate Hand Sanitizer with Aloe, is a great budget buy. Made with 62% ethyl alcohol, moisturizing aloe, and vitamin E, it meets the requirements of an effective hand sanitizer outlined by the CDC while still preventing excessively dry skin.
The downside is that the large 60-ounce bottle is a squeeze bottle, not a pump, so it's not as convenient as the Highmark and can be hard for kids and mature hands to pick up and use effectively.
At a little under $4 for a 32-ounce bottle, and under $6 for a 60-ounce, and under $8 for two, this doesn't seem to be marked up. Online inventory is currently unavailable at the time of updating, but you might be able to find this in stores since it's Walmart's in-house brand.
You might have luck checking the site or even your nearest Walmart every so often too. We have seen availability online, but the items seem to sell out within minutes so you'll want to sign up for e-mail alerts.
There are no current limits to how much shoppers can purchase if inventory becomes available online, though we've seen physical stores limit shoppers to prevent them from hoarding.
Many companies have started developing hand sanitizers in response to the novel coronavirus to meet a public health need. We have not tested all of these to help keep inventory available to shoppers, but they meet the CDC and FDA guidelines and recommendations for effective alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% isopropyl or ethyl alcohol.
All of these are in stock as of publishing time, but if any are unavailable, know that brands are working to keep up with demand so we expect them to come back in stock soon.
It's also essential to use hand sanitizer correctly. Use at least a quarter-sized dollop of the sanitizer or enough to completely cover your hands each time. Rub it in for about 20 seconds until your hands are dry — don't wipe it off. If your hands are dirty, greasy, or heavily soiled, sanitizer alone will not be effective.
Dr. Tania Elliott, who specializes in infectious diseases related to allergies and immunology for internal medicine at NYU Langone Health, suggests wiping your hands off with a paper towel or rinsing with water if that's available before doing a double application of hand sanitizer. This helps it penetrate the grime so the sanitizer can be effective.
Warnings about hand sanitizer safety and deceiving advertising
The US Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers about hand sanitizers that contain methanol. According to the FDA, methanol is not acceptable for use in hand sanitizers because it's toxic to humans. Methanol poisoning can cause serious side effects when absorbed through the skin and can cause blindness or death when swallowed.
The FDA has also added hand sanitizers that have been contaminated with 1-propanol to the list. Like methanol, it's not acceptable in hand sanitizer and also toxic to humans. Read the full list of brands to avoid here.
According to the FDA, hand sanitizer is being packaged to look like food and drinks, and to include flavors, which can deceive shoppers into accidentally ingesting them. Hand sanitizers can be toxic if ingested and we do not advise that anyone ingest hand sanitizer.
Washing your hands with soap and water is the single best way to prevent the spread of viral illnesses like colds and the flu, and it's the best way to keep bacteria from entering your body. Plain soap is fine — according to the FDA, there is no data to prove that antibacterial soaps are more effective than regular soaps. Here are the best hand soaps.
With the rise of infection from cold and flu viruses, protecting your family is more crucial than ever. While there isn't just one product that will easily disinfect everything in your home, we've put together the best disinfecting cleaners for everything from clothes to counters and athletic gear. Here are the best disinfecting cleaners.
If you want your favorite cookware, cutlery, dishes, and other kitchen items to last, your best bet is to hand wash them. Here are the best dish soaps.
Fox News host Sandra Smith and White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah on Wednesday.
Fox News
The White House is making no effort to spin or clear up President Donald Trump's comments on the Proud Boys during Tuesday night's debate.
In an interview on Fox News, White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah was pressed by host Sandra Smith on what Trump meant by "stand by."
"I don't think that there's anything to clarify," Farah said.
Shortly after Trump said, "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by," the far-right extremist group began using the remark as a recruiting tool.
Later in the day, Trump said, "I don't know who the Proud Boys are." He added that he wanted them "to stand down and let law enforcement do their work."
Despite substantial blowback and calls from Republicans for President Donald Trump to clear up his comments on the Proud Boys hate group during Tuesday night's debate, the White House had nothing to add about his comments.
Fox News host Sandra Smith pressed White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah on the issue Wednesday.
"The president saying, 'Proud Boys, stand back and stand by' — does the White House or the president want to clarify or explain what he meant by that?" Smith asked. "Because they're celebrating it, the group."
"I don't think there's anything to clarify," Farah replied. "He's told them to stand back."
She added: "This president has surged federal resources when violent crime warrants it in cities. He is leading. He doesn't need any sort of vigilantism."
Farah then pivoted to blaming Democrats and the left for violence in cities by not accepting the president's calls for federal law enforcement to go in and use more force than local officials.
"What we've called for is Democrat mayors and Democrat governors to call up the resources we're prepared to make available," she said.
Meanwhile, Kate Bedingfield, the communications director for former Vice President Joe Biden, told a Daily Beast reporter that Trump squandered "multiple opportunities to say he disowns white supremacy."
"We're very, very far apart on a deal," McConnell told reporters on Capitol Hill.
The Kentucky senator earlier in the day had assailed the Democratic proposal, saying it was not a serious attempt to bring Senate Republicans back to the negotiating table.
"The latest bill from the speaker is no more serious than any of their political stunts going back months," McConnell said on the Senate floor, adding, "If they continue to refuse to get serious, then American families will continue to hurt."
Pressure has mounted on lawmakers to strike a deal before they adjourn next week until after the election. Millions of Americans are out of work and struggling to afford food and rent. And many economists are urging Congress to authorize additional spending to keep individuals and businesses afloat.
Democrats initially set the stage for a Wednesday evening vote on their spending package. But they pushed it back until Thursday in hope of allowing more time for a last-minute agreement with the White House, CNN reported. It's unlikely the Democratic plan would become law given staunch Republican opposition.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met for 90 minutes on Wednesday to discuss a compromise on a coronavirus relief package.
Pelosi said in a statement after the meeting that while some areas needed "further clarification," talks would continue. Meanwhile, Mnuchin expressed optimism and told reporters there had been "a lot of progress over the last few days," per Capitol Hill pool reports.
"We still don't have an agreement, but we have more work to do," he said. "And we're going to see where we end up."
Earlier in the day, Mnuchin characterized the counteroffer as a $1.5 trillion relief plan comparable to one put forward by a bipartisan group of lawmakers earlier this month.
If a last-minute deal is reached between Democrats and the White House, its unclear whether Republicans in the Senate would support a deal that would likely carry a price tag that's $1.5 trillion or above.
House Democrats on Monday unveiled their plan, a slimmer version of a $3.4 trillion economic aid package they approved in May but Republicans swiftly rejected at the time.
Measures include restoring the $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit until January, sending another round of $1,200 direct payments to taxpayers, and providing additional federal aid to states and small businesses.
Senate Republicans rolled out a $1 trillion stimulus plan in late July. But it failed to draw significant support among GOP senators, many of whom opposed government spending that would add to the federal debt. Another $650 billion GOP proposal was blocked by Democrats earlier this month, who dismissed it as inadequate.
Both parties remain apart on numerous issues, including federal unemployment benefits, state aid, liability protections for businesses, and overall spending levels.
The private-equity giant is becoming even more like Warren Buffett with its longer investing timeframe.
Silver Lake has invested billions of dollars in Twitter, Airbnb, Expedia, and other businesses during the pandemic, similar to how Buffett handed cash to the likes of Goldman Sachs and General Electric during the 2008 financial crisis.
The firm has also emulated Buffett by lending money at lofty interest rates and securing equity warrants.
Silver Lake pulled from Warren Buffett's playbook when it injected cash into ailing companies during the coronavirus crash this year. The private-equity giant is emulating the famed investor once again with the launch of a 25-year investment strategy.
Abu Dhabi's sovereign-wealth fund, Mubadala, is acquiring a sub-5% stake in Silver Lake and contributing $2 billion to the new fund, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Silver Lake, which manages more than $60 billion in total assets, has a quarter of a century to employ Mubadala's cash and realize any gains — more than double the usual 10-year timeframe for private-equity funds, The Journal said.
Buffett, the billionaire CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has championed long-term investing for decades and held stocks such as Coca-Cola for more than 30 years. "Our favorite holding period is forever," Buffett wrote in his 1988 shareholder letter.
Silver Lake hasn't just adopted a Buffett-esque investment horizon, it has also taken up his mantle as the go-to investor in tough times.
It previously specialized in leveraged buyouts of companies such as Dell, Skype, and Broadcom. However, when the pandemic crippled the global economy earlier this year, it plowed billions into Twitter, Airbnb, Expedia, Alphabet-owned Waymo, and Indian telecoms group Reliance Jio.
Buffett played a similar role during the 2008 financial crisis, when he supplied critical funding to Goldman Sachs, General Electric, and other struggling but fundamentally sound companies.
However, the Berkshire boss took cover when markets tanked earlier this year, focusing on riding out the stor,m instead of taking risks. The Federal Reserve also rushed to provide liquidity to markets, and cash-rich rivals lined up to offer cheaper financing than Berkshire.
Silver Lake co-chief Egon Durban stepped into the breach instead of Buffett, identifying technology businesses in temporary trouble and bailing them out on lucrative terms for the firm.
For example, Silver Lake co-loaned $1 billion to Airbnb at an interest rate of over 10%, the Financial Times reported. It also received warrants it can exercise to purchase equity in the home-sharing platform at a $18 billion valuation — a fraction of Airbnb's $31 billion price tag in 2017.
Buffett dished out similar loans at hefty interest rates and secured stock warrants during the financial crisis. Indeed, the US government modeled its recent airline bailouts on the investor's deals in that era.
The pair have rarely crossed paths, as Buffett has historically avoided technology companies, especially those with sky-high valuations and no profits. However, Berkshire's recent bet on Snowflake's IPO suggests that could change soon enough.
Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya called the debate an "utter shambolic dumpster fire," and said that markets will go up regardless of who wins the presidency.
Palihapitiya said that the Federal Reserve and US Treasury spending will have more of an impact on the next four years of the country than who wins the presidency.
"Irrespective of whether the Democrats or Republicans are in office, if you're trying to generate returns, you need to be long. And you will probably get rewarded," the Social Capital CEO said.
Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya said markets will go up regardless of who wins the presidency and called Tuesday's presidential debate an "utter shambolic dumpster fire" during the CNBC Institutional Investor Delivering Alpha Conference on Wednesday.
"I think the markets are going higher," Palihapitiya said. "The markets are going higher because the presidency and impact from the presidency is being divorced from the economic future and prosperity of America."
The Social Capital CEO said that the Federal Reserve and the US Treasury "acting in lockstep" and "printing trillions of dollars" will have more of an impact on what the next four years look like than the outcome of the election.
"You have rates at zero, you have absolutely no growth, and so you're going to fuel asset price inflation," he added. "Irrespective of whether the Democrats or the Republicans are in office, if you're trying to generate returns, you need to be long. And you will probably get rewarded."
Palihapitiya is one of several market watchers who has said this week the stock market will go up after the election regardless of which party wins the presidency
He added: "The stock market said this is a do-no-harm election at this point."
The billionaire investor told CNBC he has donated $1 million to the Democrats.
A sleeping bag not only acts as your bed in the backcountry but it's also a shield against cold weather, and the right one makes any camping or backpacking trip that much more enjoyable.
The best sleeping bags provide enough warmth when needed, a comfortable place to rest while camping or backpacking, and are made of either down or synthetic insulation.
Our top pick, the REI Co-op Magma 30ºF, offers an excellent weight-to-warmth ratio and packs down small enough for easy transport, be it in the back of a car or stuffed at the bottom of your backpack.
Whether you're camping in your backyard or trekking across the Himalaya, your sleeping bag might be the most important piece of gear in your kit. A proper sleeping bag keeps you comfortable throughout the night, ensuring you get a good night's sleep. Conversely, the wrong sleeping bag leaves you feeling tired and miserable, which makes for a long next day on the trail.
Because of their importance to not only your well-being but to the success of any camping trip, picking out the right sleeping bag is vital. Since many of the best options aren't exactly cheap, it's important to not go through much trial-and-error. To help, we did much of the legwork (i.e. many nights of real-life testing) for you. But before we get into our recommendations, there are a few things to keep in mind before buying.
How to shop for a sleeping bag
When it comes to selecting a sleeping bag, there are a number of factors to consider, including weight, size, and temperature rating. Most sleeping bags come in different sizes to accommodate different people. Generally speaking, those sizes are small, medium, and large, and most manufacturers charge different prices based on size.
For instance, if you're taller, there's a good chance you'd pay more for a tall-specific bag. Larger sleeping bags also tend to weigh a bit more, although in most cases the differences are negligible.
Temperature ratings and insulation
A sleeping bag's temperature rating is arguably more important than either size or weight when it comes to comfort. The rating is an indicator of the absolute lowest temperature the bag should be used in. In other words, if a sleeping bag has a rating of 35ºF/1.6ºC, it's generally safe and comfortable to use in weather conditions that drop to those temperatures. Anything below that and you run the risk of being too cold and uncomfortable.
Temperature ratings also have an impact on a sleeping bag's weight and size. The lower the temperature rating, the more insulation it needs to maintain comfort levels. As insulation is added, the bag gets heavier and thicker, adding bulk to a hiker's backpack at the same time. That's the trade-off that comes with having a warmer bag for use in more extreme conditions.
Insulation types
Down
Another consideration when searching for a sleeping bag is whether or not you want down feathers or synthetic insulation. Down is widely considered to be the warmest and lightest form of insulation, providing plenty of warmth while staying fairly light. It also compresses down to a relatively small size, meaning it won't take up much space in your pack.
The downside, however, is that when down gets wet, it tends to lose its loft and much of its performance. The introduction of hydrophobic (aka water-resistant) down has changed this a bit but there are still plenty of traditional down options on the market.
Synthetic insulation
The other popular sleeping bag insulator is synthetic insulation. Bags with synthetic insulation don't perform as well in cold conditions but also don't lose any performance when they get wet. These types of insulations are also less expensive, though they do tend to be heavier and less compressible.
In our search for the best sleeping bags available today, we've spent countless nights in tents across remote corners of the globe. This helped us find the highest quality bags to help keep you comfortable wherever your next adventure takes you.
Best sleeping bag for winter camping: Nemo Sonic 0
Updated on 9/30/2020 by Rick Stella: Updated the section on how to shop for a sleeping bag, added a rundown of how we tested each featured product, checked the availability of all recommended sleeping bags, and updated the prices and links where necessary.
The best sleeping bag overall
REI
The REI Co-op Magma 30 offers an excellent weight-to-warmth ratio, good all-around comfort, and packs down small, giving it outstanding value for the price.
Very few sleeping bags offer as versatile a combination of features as the REI Co-op Magma 30º. Warmth, comfort, packability, value; it manages to do it all and at a reasonable price, to boot.
Made with 850-fill hydrophobic goose down insulation surrounded by a water-resistant Pertex shell, the Magma 30º is a sleeping bag built for use on the trail. It manages to perfectly balance performance and weight, while also providing plenty of interior space. There's even a customizable hood for added comfort and heat retention.
The bag does feature unique bio-mapped baffles which often provide more insulation in the torso area and less in the legs and feet. This could very well lead to some cold toes on frostier nights.
One of the Magma 30's best features is an easy-pull zipper that runs the length of one side. This provides campers the option to unzip the bag for improved venting in warmer weather, allowing them to stay more comfortable in a variety of environments.
When the mercury takes a plunge, the bag fully zips in order to keep things warmer. This holds true despite the fact REI gave the Magma 30 a generous amount of interior space — which is nice for all-around comfort but sometimes leads to cold air sneaking in.
There were a few times when this bag didn't quite live up to its 30ºF temperature rating but to be fair to REI, it does say it's best used at 39ºF and above. It can be used in colder temps in a pinch, though — and we'd recommend layering up if you need to.
The REI Co-op Magma 30 is a great all-around sleeping bag with plenty of features and good performance. It's lightweight, comfortable, and doesn't take up much room in a backpack, all of which are features that should make it a popular option for backpackers and car campers alike.
Pros: Warm, comfortable, and provides high value for the price
Cons: Small stuff sack, 30ºF temperature rating might be generous
The best ultralight sleeping bag
Amazon
The Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 32 weighs less than a pound, yet still delivers excellent performance for those who like to go light and fast in the backcountry.
Backpackers who count every ounce need the Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 32. This bag weighs a mere 15 ounces, making it one of the lightest sleeping bags on the market. That alone should make it a favorite for ultralight hikers, although the Hyperion 32 dazzles with its compressed size and all-around comfort, too. It even comes with a built-in sleeping pad harness that helps keep your pad and bag from separating while you sleep.
In order to get the weight of the Hyperion 32 down so remarkably small, Therm-a-Rest went extra light on insulation. The company used 900-fill hydrophobic down but only in limited quantities. As a result, the bag isn't quite as warm as some of the others on this list. It also has a narrow, somewhat confining cut, which won't endear it to side-sleepers or those who aren't fans of mummy bags.
Thanks to its focus on being extremely lightweight rather than warm, the Hyperion 32 is best used in warmer weather conditions. From my own experience, using it from late spring through early fall is a fantastic option for backpackers looking to shave ounces off their pack. At other times of the year, it won't be warm enough to meet the conditions — though most ultralight sleeping bags have this exact common criticism.
Of course, ultralight gear does come at a price and the Hyperion 32 is no different. The bag sells for $340, which is on the spendy side for something with this temperature rating. When you factor in its weight-to-warmth ratio, the value of the Hyperion comes into focus. It's a sleeping bag that appeals to a specific crowd but those who buy it will undoubtedly appreciate what it brings to the table.
Pros: Extremely lightweight, packs down incredibly small, includes sleeping pad attachments
Cons: Not particularly warm, narrow design, expensive
The best sleeping bag for women
REI
Built specifically with female campers in mind, the Sea to Summit Flame Ultralight 15º sleeping bag is contoured to work efficiently with a woman's body, while providing extra warmth and comfort where it's needed most.
It used to be extremely difficult for women to find a sleeping bag that met their specific needs. Thankfully, those days are long gone and it's now possible to find a number of options built from the ground up with female campers and backpackers in mind. The Sea to Summit Flame Ultralight 15 is a good example of this, as it takes into account a woman's shape, as well as their need for more warmth, to deliver a comfortable night's sleep.
The bag uses high-quality 850+ fill-power hydrophobic goose down as its insulator, which not only makes it warm but soft and lofty, as well. But it takes more than just good insulation to make a sleeping bag comfortable in cold conditions. In order to achieve that, Sea to Summit did extensive research to learn exactly where the down should go, using body-mapping techniques to improve performance.
The Flame Ultralight's design was influenced by body mapping in other ways, too. For instance, the bag is narrower in the shoulders compared to most men's sleeping bags. It's also shorter overall and offers more room between the hips and knees in order to facilitate side-sleepers. These simple yet well thought out changes help keep cold air from reaching the interior while also providing a generous amount of space.
If there's a knock against the Sea to Summit Flame 15, it's definitely the price. At $529, it's quite a hefty investment, even though it's a sleeping bag that should continue to perform at a high level. If you can get past the price tag, you'll be buying one of the best women's sleeping bags ever made.
Pros: Female-specific design, cozy, good weight-to-warmth ratio
Cons: Expensive, short zippers
The best sleeping bag for kids
Amazon
Kids will love the Big Agnes Duster 15º sleeping bag because it's warm and cozy but it's the parents who will be most impressed with its clever design that allows it to grow as their child does.
One of the biggest drawbacks of buying outdoor gear for kids is that they outgrow it after only a few uses. The same holds true for most sleeping bags, although the Duster 15 from Big Agnes looks to change that.
The designers at Big Agnes set out to create a sleeping bag that could somehow grow along with the kids using them. It came up with a system of hooks and loops that give parents the ability to shorten the length of the bag when their kids are smaller, while gradually increasing the length as they grow. As a result, the Duster 15 is made to accommodate campers who fall between 4'5" and 5'6" in height, providing a level of versatility not found anywhere else.
Just because this bag is aimed at kids doesn't mean it doesn't the same features you'd find on an adult bag. For instance, Big Agnes included a no-draft collar, zipper, and wedge, which helps to keep cold air out. It also comes with built-in liner loops and the ability to attach it to a sleeping pad. A contoured hood offers a comfortable fit to go along with added warmth, while the bag is built to keep insulation close to the body, even when adjusting to a growing child.
Unfortunately, the synthetic insulation may not be efficient enough to actually live up to the Duster's 15ºF rating. Considering how easy it is for kids to get cold, it's likely they'll start to feel uncomfortable even at warmer temperatures.
Compared to other sleeping bags for kids, the Duster is a bit heavier and doesn't pack down quite as small. This is due largely to its ability to resize, however. Considering that feature keeps you from buying a new bag every year, it seems like a decent trade-off. The $109.95 price tag is also quite affordable, particularly since the Duster should be useful for many years.
Pros: Made specifically for kids, unique design allows bag to grow with the child, affordable
Cons: Not as warm as it should be, relatively heavy, doesn't pack as small as some bags
The best budget sleeping bag
Amazon
The Kelty Cosmic 20 isn't only affordable, it also offers solid all-around performance, making it the best option for backpackers and campers on a tight budget.
Make no mistake, you can buy sleeping bags that cost less than the Kelty Cosmic 20. However, they won't offer anywhere near the same level of performance. Finding a down sleeping bag for under $200 has always been somewhat of a challenge but Kelty managed to accomplish this feat, bringing a great entry-level option for those who don't have a large sleeping bag budget.
To hit the Cosmic 20's $170 price point, there were a few compromises that had to be made. Kelty used 600-fill down in the bag to keep costs down, although that insulation is still highly water-resistant. The bag's outer shell is made from a soft 20D nylon material and while this is adequate, it doesn't exactly scream high-quality.
The Cosmic 20 is also fairly heavy at 2 pounds, 13 ounces and doesn't offer the same level of compressibility you'd find in more expensive bags.
With that said, this sleeping bag still manages to provide plenty of comfort and functionality for campers on a budget. It performs reasonably well in cooler conditions and even delivers on its 20ºF temperature rating. It also features PFC-down and fabrics, which are better for the environment and your health, proving that even budget outdoor gear can be eco-conscious.
Having spent a few nights in the Cosmic 20, I can tell you it's a perfectly good sleeping bag that comes at an outstanding price. There are other bags that offer better performance and build quality, but those run nearly twice the price. If you don't have a lot of cash to spend on your outdoor gear, you'll be extremely pleased with what Kelty delivered.
Pros: Very affordable for a 20ºF down bag
Cons: Not as durable or well constructed as more expensive options
The best sleeping bag for casual comfort
Zenbivy
Great for side and stomach sleepers, the Zenbivy Bed offers unmatched comfort and versatility by mimicking the bed you have at home.
The result of a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Zenbivy Bed brings comfort and versatility to the backcountry by mimicking the bed you have at home. It does this by using a unique design that incorporates both a top quilt and a sheet designed to fit over a sleeping pad. This creates a sleep system that allows campers to freely move about in their sleep and to settle into more natural positions — it's unlike anything else on the market.
When using the Zenbivy Bed, campers attach the included sheet to their sleeping pad and then independently connect the blanket to the sheet. This allows each piece to act separately from one another, while still working together to provide comfort and warmth. The end result is a sleeping bag that offers more freedom of movement, while still retaining solid overall performance.
Having used the Zenbivy Bed on multiple occasions, its biggest drawback is that it takes a bit of practice to get everything to work together. Once you've done it a time or two, it gets easier but the first time you set it up just might leave you scratching your head about how everything works. Once you bring it altogether, you end up with a sleeping bag that's quiet, comfortable, and cozy. And since you'll feel less constricted and confined, you might just wake up more rested the next day.
Zenbivy's innovative design lends itself well to increased versatility, too. Just like the blanket on your bed back home, the Zenbivy bed's blanket can be turned down or bundled up as needed, allowing it to stay warmer in colder temperatures or vent excess heat when temperatures rise. It even opens at various points to improve airflow in general, allowing it to be used in a surprisingly wide range of climates.
Pros: Very comfortable, great for side-sleepers, sleeping pad integration, versatile
Cons: A little complicated at first, doesn't pack down as small as other options
The best sleeping bag for winter camping
Amazon
Extremely warm and comfortable, yet still lightweight with a relatively small pack size, make the Nemo Sonic 0 a great option for cold-weather outings.
If you're camping in a cold environment or during winter, you'll need a sleeping bag designed to keep you extra warm. That's exactly what you get with Nemo's Sonic 0, a sleeping bag that offers a blend of traditional sleeping bag features with unique design elements that provide a high level of versatility.
The Sonic is insulated with 800 fill-power, hydrophobic down that provides plenty of warmth in temperatures dropping as low as 0ºF. The bag also comes with integrated draft tubes and a newly-redesigned draft collar, both of which help to keep cold air out and warm air in.
The designers at Nemo took things even further by using both waterproof and breathable fabrics, along with a thin layer of synthetic insulation. This provides extra comfort and protection from the elements, and the result is a sleeping bag that doesn't have any weaknesses in its armor when it comes to protecting campers and backpackers from the cold.
Other unique design elements include the brand's Thermo Gills and the Toaster footbox. Both were created in order to maintain a high level of comfort. The Thermo Gills are the most impressive as they help vent excess heat so efficiently that it actually raises the Sonic's temperature rating up by as much as 20ºF. The Toaster footbox was incorporated in order to improve warmth and breathability around the feet — a common cold spot in most other bags.
Priced at $500, most campers may find the Nemo Sonic 0 to be on the high end of their budget or out of their price range altogether. But that price is fairly competitive for a cold-weather sleeping bag that offers this level of performance and innovation. If you like to backpack during the winter, this is the bag you'll want.
Pros: Warm and spacious, has innovative features such as "Thermo Gills" to help improve temperature control and venting, good for side-sleepers
Cons: A little bulkier than most other bags and it's expensive at $500
How we test
Each sleeping bag featured in this guide went through a series of tests to judge how well they compared based on these four categories: Comfort, warmth, portability, and value. Here's how each of those categories factored into which sleeping bags ultimately made the guide:
Comfort: You wouldn't want to sleep on an uncomfortable mattress at home, so why settle for anything less in your sleeping bag? No matter if you need an ultra-warm four-season bag or something lighter for the warmer months, the sleeping bag you choose should be a comfortable place to catch some Zs at the end of a long day. This category was particularly easy to figure out, too. Is it comfortable or not?
Warmth: Warmth isn't exactly something that every bag is able to compete in as some are made specifically for shoulder seasons or the heat of summer. What we were able to judge in this category is if the bag lives up to its specific rating. If it says it's able to keep you warm down to 25 degrees, then it should certainly not start feeling cold at 30 degrees.
Portability: Even if you're just car camping, it's still ideal to have your sleeping bag excel in terms of portability. Thankfully, most (if not all) modern sleeping bags come with their own pack bag that makes for easy storage and hauling. For backpackers, the choice sleeping bag is one that not only comes in its own bag but can pack down extremely small so as to nestle nicely into the bottom of their bag.
Value: Quality sleeping bags aren't cheap though most are certainly worth the investment for what they can offer, namely comfort and protection in the backcountry. It's better to spend a little more on a product designed to perform than to either spend less on an inferior product that negatively affects your cam trip or doesn't hold up in terms of durability.
A woman with a mail-in ballot before dropping it off at Boston City Hall during a Massachusetts primary on September 1.
JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images
More states and counties than ever are allowing Americans to vote from home with a paper ballot mailed to their houses this fall.
But voting by mail can be more prone to human error than voting in person, leading to mail ballots being rejected at higher rates than in-person votes.
Already this year, an NPR analysis found that over half a million mail ballots have been rejected for arriving too late, missing signatures, or other errors.
Here are the five biggest mistakes to avoid when filling out your mail ballot this fall, according to election experts.
This fall, 46 states and the District of Columbia are offering all voters the option to vote from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While voting by mail allows voters to safely fill out their ballots in the comfort of their homes and avoid long lines at polling place, it's often more prone to human error than voting in person, especially for those unfamiliar with the process, leading to mail ballots getting rejected at higher rates than in-person votes.
The US Election Assistance Commission found that domestically, 33 million, or 23.7% of voters, cast ballots by mail in the 2016 presidential election. More than 318,000 of those votes, accounting for about 1% of the mail ballots that arrived at election offices, ended up being rejected.
This year alone, over half a million mail-in primary ballots have been disqualified for late arrival or other errors, according to a recent NPR analysis.
Here are five common mistakes that could get your mail-in ballot challenged, disqualified, or not counted at all.
1) Improperly filling out your ballot
When you get your mail ballot, be sure to fill it out on a flat dry surface (no nearby coffee mugs or wine glasses) and carefully follow the instructions that come with it.
Similar to the multiple-choice standardized Scantron tests you took in high school, ballot scanners can accept only certain colors of ink and ballots that are filled out properly. Ballots can't have stray marks or multiple choices filled in for the same office.
"You don't want to use red ink, marker, or anything that could be problematic. If your instructions say to use black or blue ink, use black or blue ink. If it says fill in the oval, fill in the oval. I think it's really critical for voters to follow the instructions more than anything," Amber McReynolds, the CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute and a former director of the Denver Elections Division in Colorado, told Insider.
Adrian Fontes, the top election official in Maricopa County, Arizona, told Insider that county canvassing boards often must resolve major errors with mail ballots.
"If you're voting in person, and your ballot doesn't go through the tabulator, almost all models of tabulators will kick it back out and say there's something wrong, either a double vote, overvote, or something like that," he said. "In a vote-by-mail system, you don't get that second-chance opportunity, so those ballots have to be adjudicated."
Every state requires a voter to sign an affidavit on the outside of the envelope containing their mail ballot affirming their identity and eligibility to vote, so make sure you sign in every place that requires a signature.
Monica Lewinsky recounted in a recent Twitter thread how she went to extreme lengths to vote from abroad in the 2016 presidential election, including covering the expensive costs of getting her absentee ballot sent to her in Australia via FedEx and back halfway across the world to New York, only to return home and discover her ballot was rejected because she forgot to sign the outer envelope.
"The most common reason for rejection is people forget to sign," Rick Barron, the elections director in Fulton County, Georgia, told Insider. "If they don't sign the application, or they don't sign the ballot that's sent, that's really the only reason why we end up rejecting them."
A ballot-collection box in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on August 25.
Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
3) Using a different signature from what your state has on file
Thirty-one states now use signature verification to confirm the authenticity of voted ballots, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In this process, election officials cross-check the signature a voter used to sign their ballot envelope to see if it matches the voter's most recent signature on file with the elections office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or another government agency.
Signature matching adds an extra layer of security to ensure the integrity of mail ballots, but it can also lead to a greater share of ballots being challenged or rejected.
Kathleen Unger, a voter-protection attorney and the founder and board chairwoman of the nonprofit VoteRiders, told Insider that signature-matching problems could particularly affect younger and first-time voters.
"I used to think that this issue applied especially to older voters and to some folks with disabilities," she said. "But I then had this aha discovery after the 2018 election and saw that in the Parkland area of Florida, there were an excessive number of ballots rejected among young people because of signature issues."
In Georgia, too, young voters, first-time voters, and Black voters were far more likely than others to have their ballots rejected for mismatched signatures or for being incorrectly completed in 2018, one study found.
"Young people use one signature when they register to vote, and then they go off to college, become very creative, and their signature changes," Unger said. "I'm not ready to fall on my sword over this, but I think it's possible that signature matching could be the hanging chad of 2020."
McReynolds said that if you're not sure which signature your elections office uses or think your signature may be outdated, you can update your signature on file with your local elections office by submitting a new paper voter-registration form or on your paper mail-ballot application.
"Consistency is really what the election officials are looking for," McReynolds said. "We used to have people taking their ballot more seriously than everything else, so they'd write out a really nice, beautiful signature, and yet their voter-registration form did not include that. So consistency really matters."
At least 21 of the states that use signature verification have an established "cure" process to give voters a chance to correct any discrepancies with their signatures in order for their ballot to be counted, newly including Kentucky and New Jersey.
Those states need to have some form of contact information on hand to let the voter know of the problem and give them the greatest chance of having their vote counted.
"In Arizona, we ask for a phone number on the outside of the envelope that is not part of the public record but is part of the affidavit voters sign. So if we have an issue with a signature, we can call the voters back as quickly as possible," Fontes of Maricopa County told Insider.
A voter ID sign at a Little Rock, Arkansas, polling place in 2014.
AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File
4) Not including required additional documentation
While most states will allow anyone to vote by mail in November, not all states' rules are created equal. Some states require voters to take additional steps, like having a signature from a witness, to authenticate their ballot.
Thirteen states require all or some voters to submit a copy of their photo ID with their absentee ballots, and most people in Oklahoma and Missouri who vote by mail must get their ballot envelopes notarized.
Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wisconsin will require voters to include one witness signature on their ballot envelopes in November. And Alabama requires each voter to submit a photocopy of their photo ID and obtain two witness signatures or notarization.
"In Wisconsin, all voters are required to have a witness signature, but we see a lot of voters who think that the witness signature is only required if they needed assistance, so there's a bit of confusion over that, which we are working to do some education around," Claire Woodall-Vogg, the executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, told Insider.
If you need help navigating the voter-ID laws in your state, affording the cost of obtaining an ID, or making a photocopy to send in with your ballot or application, organizations like VoteRiders can help.
"Based on a Brennan Center study showing that 11% of voting-age Americans do not have a current government-issued photo ID, that translates into about 25 million eligible voters," Unger said. "There are many millions more who are so confused and intimidated by these complicated and onerous voter-ID laws that they won't vote, even though they have a valid ID."
An election worker loads unopened ballots into a machine for sorting at the King County Elections headquarters on August 4 in Renton, Washington.
Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images
5) Sending your ballot back too late
One of the most common reasons mail ballots are rejected is that they arrive too late or lack a postmark.
Out of the 40 states not sending voters a ballot in the mail in November, 31 allow voters to request their ballots by mail within seven days of the election. For years, experts have said these tight deadlines set voters up to fail by not allowing enough time for a ballot to be delivered each way per the US Postal Service's delivery standards.
This year, 26 states require ballots to be received by Election Day or the day before in order to count, while 24 states and the District of Columbia require ballots to be postmarked by Election Day or the day before. If you're in a state where a ballot must be received by Election Day, the Postal Service recommends that you put your ballot in the mail at least a week in advance.
Judges in four key swing states, Georgia, Pennsylvania,Wisconsin, and Michigan, have ruled to extend receipt deadlines for mail ballots, decisions that could prevent thousands from being rejected for late arrival.
A traditional postmark is a dated stamp on the envelope that cancels the postage and prevents it from being used more than once. Some states now use alternative digital methods to verify when a ballot entered the mail stream so it can be accepted if it lacks that postmark.
"What we recommend is not just acceptance of postmark but also acceptance of a digital scan of an Intelligent Mail barcode or what we've been considering to be an electronic postmark," McReynolds said. "With the use of Intelligent Mail barcodes and more advanced technology, you can get electronic data showing when the ballot was first scanned by the Postal Service."
Tammy Patrick, a senior adviser at the Democracy Fund and a longtime liaison between election officials and the Postal Service, recommends that voters who mail in their ballots near or on the day of their deadline go in-person to a post-office branch and have their ballot envelope postmarked by a clerk.
The vast majority of states also allow voters to drop off their ballot in person at their local elections offices before the polls close, and a growing number of jurisdictions offer secure ballot drop boxes that are maintained by elections offices and allow voters to safely drop off their ballots by hand without using the Postal Service at all.
