In the closing years of the 19th century, Wilmington, North Carolina, offered a glimpse of what American democracy might become.

This week: late changes to mail voting, federal pressure on race-conscious education, the meaning of two September 4 anniversaries, Akron housing and community investment, and the growing fight over AI imitation in music.

History has a way of placing events beside one another that, at first glance, seem unrelated. September 4 is one of those dates.