•  Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC will be mailing out $200 million worth of debit cards preloaded with $100 - $500 to eligible customers in the next couple of weeks. Between October 19-November 7, over 600,000 people will be receiving their cards in the mail to help pay expenses during the ongoing pandemic such as food, health-related items, and baby care. (WRAL) 
• Ralph Baric and Timothy Sheahan, two professors working in UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health's department of epidemiology, have been studying coronaviruses for years, with the goal of creating drugs + vaccines to stop them. Earlier this year, Baric’s lab became one of the first in the nation to get a SARS-CoV-2 sample. The two also discovered that Remdesivir could also work against all coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Learn more about their research here.
• A group called Made in NC is collaborating with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, NC State’s Nonwovens Institute, Freudenberg Performance Materials, and UNC Health to make and distribute 200,000+ masks per month. Blue Cross NC invested $450,000 to buy materials and mask molding machines, Nonwovens Institute worked to create a cost-efficient material that doesn’t require as many filtration layers, and UNC Health will conduct tests to make sure they meet health standards. (The News & Observer)
• SoundCloud has teamed up with Count On Me NC — a program to help restaurants, hotels, and shops stop the spread of COVID-19 — for the Drop the Beat contest. Contestants will remix Count on Me NC’s song “We’re All in This” for a chance to win $1000, a three-month SoundCloud Pro Unlimited subscription, and promotion of the song platform-wide.
• A Chapel Hill father has created Virtual Claus so that kids can have a virtual visit with Santa Claus this year, instead of waiting in long, crowded lines during COVID-19 and flu season. Santa will send kids a personalized email + a digital image of their virtual meet up as a keepsake. Reserve a time here. (WRAL)

Weather

• 79º | Thunderstorms | 70% chance of rain 🌩

Development

• The Triangle area is no longer under consideration by Virgin to host the Hyperloop One project, a high-speed transit system that could have reduced the travel time between Raleigh and DC to 30 minutes. Raleigh organizations lobbied for months to create this partnership but Virgin decided to pass, redirecting their efforts to other states. 🚄 (Triangle Business Journal)

Dish

• Raleigh Convergence shared that Garland has reopened with a new sidewalk patio and takeout options + you can make a reservation on their website up to 30 days in advance. Find their menu and dining options here. 🍽 (Triangle Food Blog)
• The former Edwards Mill Bar and Grill has been completely renovated, redesigned, and rebranded. The space — now called  Otra Vez — features crafted tacos, tortas, and tequila. 🌮  (Triangle Food Blog)

State

• The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) are suing to block North Carolina election officials from accepting absentee ballots with “deficient information” – i.e. if voters don’t complete a section noting they had a witness. Currently, voters will have to sign an affidavit stating they had a witness if this section of their ballot is incomplete, and election officials can complete the section for them to submit the ballot. No official decision has been made on the suit. (WLOS) 

Civic

• A federal judge ruled last week that the Census must continue through October 31, and that results would not be presented to the president before December 31. In NC, approximately 600,000 individuals are estimated not to have been counted yet, and officials say the extension would help with an accurate count. The Department of Justice is appealing the decision. 📝 (NC Counts)
• Durham County Library will host their Mobile Tech Lab at Lakewood Shopping Center every Wednesday from 5-8 p.m. for a month. There will be access to laptops, free WiFi, and free printing + you can register to vote and complete the 2020 Census. 💻

TodayIs

• National Coffee Day and we couldn’t be more excited for an excuse to have that second (or third) cup of coffee on this rainy Tuesday. Check out our list of local coffee shops and support local shops + espresso your excitement for this holiday. ☕️

WaterCooler

• The NCFC soccer game versus Loudoun United FC, scheduled for Sunday, October 4, is cancelled due to Loudoun United FC’s organization having multiple individuals testing positive for COVID-19. Rescheduling for a regular season game was not possible before the 2020 Championship playoffs began + the league’s Competition Strategy Committee is currently looking for a 15th and 16th game for NCFC. ⚽️

TryThis

• Throughout the month of October, Spirits of Wake Forest takes participants on a haunted walking tour through historic Downtown Wake Forest. Tours will feature stories about the downtown’s darker past while going to some of the most paranormal areas of the City. Tickets are available here. 👻 (Triangle on the Cheap) 

Stat

• 30 seconds. The max length of time a traditional commercial should be to capture a viewers attention. That equates to about 75 words of ad copy. Our branded News Notes feature a category (ex: Stat, like what you’re reading right now) and 45-60 words of copy about your company, announcement, news, or whatever you want to tell people about; written in our snappy RALtoday voice + driving readers to your platforms via links. More info here. Ⓟ

ForKids

• With the cancellation of Pullen Park’s Holiday Express, Triangle on the Cheap has created a list of 8 different christmas trains in the Triangle and their operation status. Click here to see the list + which trains plan to be up and running this year. 🚂