Ripped from the Headlines: September 2020: This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for September 19–25, 2020

An investigative report found that although banks are required to report suspicious activity and money-laundering schemes, they are not required to stop the transactions. As a result, criminals are able to move billions around the world, taking the proceeds from drug-dealing, human trafficking, and other crimes and investing the cash in legitimate businesses and real estate.

The FBI announced that foreign agents and criminals will likely spread misinformation about the election results in an effort to cause chaos and uncertainty. The statement encouraged Americans to get their news from trusted, reliable sources and not to be impatient since the large number of mail-in ballots due to the pandemic will take longer than normal to count.

The House of Representatives announced the Protecting Our Democracy Act, a law designed to prevent abuses of power by a sitting President and other government officials. Areas affected by the law include Presidential pardons, declaring national emergencies, enforcing congressional subpoenas, whistleblower protections, self-enrichment by members of the government, and protection against foreign election interference.

Alexei Navalny, the Russian dissident poisoned with a novichok nerve agent, was released from the hospital in Berlin after over a month of treatment. He can walk and talk, but the extent to which he will regain full balance, dexterity, and coordination is unknown. He will stay in Germany and undergo daily physical therapy. The Russian government continues to deny any involvement in the poisoning.

President Trump plans to nominate a justice to fill the Supreme Court seat left by Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, and Republicans in the Senate say they'll hold a confirmation vote before the election. If four Republicans oppose the vote, the nominee will not be confirmed. Two have already said they oppose filling the seat since the Republican senate blocked President Obama's nominee eight months before the 2016 election.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's body lay in repose at the Supreme Court during a brief ceremony to honor her 27 years as a Justice there. Hundreds of citizens gathered on the street outside, where people have been leaving flowers and other tokens of their appreciation since her death late last week.

As the U.S. Covid-19 death toll passed 200,000, President Trump contradicted Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying that a vaccine would be available before the election. Redfield had said that a safe, effective vaccine would not be available to the general public before the second half of 2021.

Cindy McCain, the widow of Arizona Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, endorsed Joe Biden for president. In her statement, she said ""Joe and I don't always agree on the issues, and I know he and John certainly had some passionate arguments, but he is a good and honest man. He will lead us with dignity."

Tesla's stock tumbled after company CEO Elon Musk gave a presentation about plans for a new generation of batteries that would make electric cars competitive with affordable gas-powered vehicles. Investors had hoped for concrete news about the new batteries and the prices of upcoming models, but Musk pushed the release date for both down the road about three years.

One of the officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor has been indicted by a grand jury. The charges stem from his shooting indiscriminately into Taylor's apartment; some of the bullets penetrated into neighboring units where they might have hit others. None of the charges relate to Taylor's killing.