In an era of stark political polarization, it is difficult to find any one place that is a true microcosm of the country. But it is possible to find places on which the November election pivots. These communities that hold the key to the vote are as varied as the nation — and they reflect a notable inversion of its politics.

Polls now show Joe Biden with a surprising opportunity to capture Sun Belt suburbs that have voted reliably Republican for decades. He is also performing better than Hillary Clinton did in 2016 — but perhaps not as well as Barack Obama did in 2008 and 2012 — in heavily white, historically blue Frost Belt small towns and midsize cities where Donald Trump enjoyed a breakthrough in 2016.

These 10 bellwether counties — five in Sun Belt battlegrounds, five in the Frost Belt (loosely defined to include Iowa) — could point us toward each state’s winner. They run the gamut from meatpacking hubs to white-collar office parks, and from peach orchards to yacht-dense retiree havens. But there is something they all have in common: Their votes will matter a lot.

Go and see your family on Thanksgiving. Yes, even if you have to travel out of state to do it. In case you’re wondering, yes, I’ve heard of the pandemic, and yet I repeat: Go see your family on Thanksgiving.

Last Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers not to travel for the holidays to see their family members. Two weeks earlier, Hizzoner had skipped Columbus Day celebrations in the city, because, according to his spokesperson, “the mayor is out of state visiting family today.”

Never mind getting angry about his hypocrisy. Just do as de Blasio did — not as he said.

Look, we’ve made some major mistakes in our handling of the COVID-19 crisis, and the main one has been discarding everything that makes our lives worth living out of fear of the virus. The pandemic has the potential to destroy our way of life if we keep dismissing everything important to us. Family is important. We shouldn’t forget that.

Joe Biden’s team is considering an informal ban on naming Democratic U.S. senators to the Cabinet if he wins — which would effectively block Elizabeth Warren for Treasury or Bernie Sanders for Labor — people familiar with the discussions tell Axios.

The big picture: Biden, if he wins, is bracing for bruising legislative battles on day one, starting with the next phase of coronavirus relief. Many advisers don’t think he can afford to lose a single vote in the Senate if Democrats hold a slim majority.

Biden himself hasn’t made a decision on a potential Senate ban, with his efforts focused on winning on Tuesday, the sources say.
The intrigue: An informal ban could also be an elegant way of tamping down campaigns to place progressive senators in top Cabinet roles by reminding the movement of the priority around enacting legislation.

Warren and Sanders both come from an unusual construct — blue states with Republican governors who'd be empowered to fill vacancies.