How is it already 4pm?

I've had an unusually busy (and productive!) day, so naturally, the evening reading has piled up:

Adam Weinstein says the president "is the military-industrial complex", explaining something of his effect on active-duty military personnel.
Ivan Krastev explains why the pandemic has not helped authoritarians as one might think it would. (Hint: authoritarians usually "solve" problems that they have created themselves.)
Ed Yong thinks "America is trapped in a pandemic spiral."
Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, closed after the August 10th derecho, reopened yesterday.
Will Senate Democrats end the filibuster if the GOP blocks all our legislation next session?
The City of Chicago will, we think, maybe, someday, start replacing lead water pipes. (This is why I use a filter.)
The Chicago Transit Authority has a new tool to help riders avoid crowded buses and trains.

Finally, National Geographic has a slideshow of the world's best ghost towns.