McClatchy: CDC Sends ‘Urgent’ Request For COVID Vaccine Plans By Nov. 1
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sent a letter last week to the nation’s governors with an urgent request. The Trump administration wanted them to do everything in their power to eliminate hurdles for vaccine distribution sites to be fully operational by Nov. 1. The Aug. 27 letter, obtained by McClatchy, asked governors to fast-track permits and licenses for new distribution sites. “The normal time required to obtain these permits presents a significant barrier to the success of this urgent public health program,” Redfield wrote. (Wilner, 9/2)

The New York Times: C.D.C. Tells States How To Prepare For Covid-19 Vaccine By Early November
The new C.D.C. guidance is the latest sign of an accelerating race for a vaccine to ease a pandemic that has killed more than 184,000 Americans. The documents were sent out on the same day that President Trump told the nation in his speech to the Republican National Convention that a vaccine might arrive before the end of the year. (Kaplan, Wu and Thomas, 9/2)

NPR: CDC Asks States To Plan For Potential Vaccine Distribution Starting In Late October 
The federal government has long aimed to have a COVID-19 vaccine ready by Jan. 2021, and established an initiative it calls Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the process of developing, manufacturing and distributing an effective vaccine. That process typically takes up to several years. (9/2)

NBC News: CDC Tells States To Prepare For 'Large-Scale' Distribution Of COVID-19 Vaccine By Nov. 1
[Dr. Robert] Redfield called the effort "massive" and asked governors for their help expediting applications for distribution facilities that will be set up and operated by pharmaceutical company McKesson Corp. "If necessary," Redfield added, the agency "asks you to consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from being fully operational by November 1, 2020." (Stelloh and Ruggiero, 9/2)

The Hill: CDC Asks States To Have Vaccine Sites Ready By Nov. 1 
“The normal time required to obtain these permits presents a significant barrier to the success of this urgent public health program,” Redfield wrote. “CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1, 2020.” (Wilson, 9/2)

Fox News: CDC: Coronavirus Vaccine Could Arrive In October, November; Asks States To Prepare 
Two ongoing clinical trials are on track to conclude at the end of this year but Fauci said an independent board has the authority and “moral obligation” to end the trial early and distribute it to accelerate distribution if the results are good, according to Kaiser Health News. The vaccine’s potential fall timeline has raised some concerns by health experts over possible political pressure by President Trump and the White House to hurry a vaccine before the Nov. 3 election, even if it’s not safe. (Stimson, 9/3)

Will the FDA grant emergency authorization to a vaccine before trials end? —

The Washington Post: Debate Rages Over Whether FDA Should Use Emergency Powers To Clear A Coronavirus Vaccine Early 
A fierce debate has erupted over whether the Food and Drug Administration should use its emergency authority to clear a coronavirus vaccine before it is formally approved — a move opponents warn could pose safety dangers and inflame anti-vaccination sentiment but others say could save thousands of lives by speeding protection from the virus. With concerns growing about the politicization of the FDA amid a botched White House rollout of the agency’s emergency authorization of convalescent plasma and sharply criticized comments by FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, some scientists and bioethicists are demanding the agency forgo use of its emergency authority for a vaccine. They worry its very flexibility, which gives FDA officials broad latitude, could make it easier for the White House to pressure the agency into clearing an unproven vaccine before Election Day, Nov. 3. (McGinley and Johnson, 9/2)

Related KHN Coverage:

• Health Officials Worry Nation’s Not Ready for COVID-19 Vaccine
• Fauci Says COVID Vaccine Trials Could End Early If Results Are Overwhelming

NPR: Inexpensive Steroids Can Save Lives Of Seriously Ill COVID-19 Patients
Three new studies strongly support using inexpensive and widely available drugs to treat people who are seriously ill with COVID-19. The drugs are steroids, and the research published Wednesday confirms they are proving to be the most effective treatment found to date. Initially, the use of these drugs in COVID-19 was controversial. Some doctors have long used steroids to treat conditions related to COVID-19, namely sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. (Harris, 9/2)

Stat: Inexpensive Steroids Reduce Deaths Of Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients, WHO Analysis Confirms
The positive steroid findings — the result of a pooled look at data known as a meta-analysis — confirm a similar survival benefit reported in June from a single, large study. Corticosteroids are the first, and so far only, therapy shown to improve the odds of survival for critically ill patients with Covid-19. (Feuerstein, 9/2)

The Washington Post: Steroids Can Save Lives Of Severe Covid-19 Patients, Studies Say 
The World Health Organization, citing evidence from these and similar trials, announced Wednesday it strongly recommends doctors use the medications to combat severe or critical forms of disease caused by coronavirus infections. Finding a treatment that saves lives is “electrifying … it gives us hope. Maybe we’re gaining on this virus,” said Todd W. Rice, a critical care physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who was not involved in the studies. (Guarino, 9/2)

The New York Times: Scientists Report Steroids Can Be Lifesaving For Covid-19 Patients
JAMA published that paper and three related studies, along with an editorial describing the research as an “important step forward in the treatment of patients with Covid-19.” Corticosteroids should now be the first-line treatment for critically ill patients, the authors said. The only other drug shown to be effective in seriously ill patients, and only modestly at that, is remdesivir. (Caryn Rabin, 9/2)

Read More From JAMA: Association Between Administration of Systemic Corticosteroids and Mortality Among Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19

CIDRAP: US Experts Recommend Who Should Get COVID-19 Vaccine First
Healthcare workers, first responders, and adults with pre-existing conditions that put them at risk for severe symptoms of COVID-19 should be the initial recipients of the first approved vaccine in the United States, according to a framework from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) published yesterday. Today, NAM will hold a virtual public meeting on the recommendations. The NAM report offers a detailed approach about how to best prioritize and allocate a COVID-19 vaccine. Even though the virus was discovered only in December of 2019, several countries have produced vaccines that are currently in late-stage clinical trials, and US President Donald Trump has said America could see a vaccine by the end of the year. (9/2)

USA Today: COVID Vaccine Trials Need Volunteers To Sign Up For Test Immunizations
Esther Aviles wants to help her special-needs students and her nine nieces and nephews.Joseph Shilisky believes the world needs ordinary people like him to step up. Robert Huebner likes to be among the first, whether it's the first to try a new computer game, a new restaurant, or – now – a new vaccine. All three are among the early volunteers in clinical trials to test potential COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine developers have already shown basic safety, with no severe reactions in early trials. And they've shown their candidate vaccines trigger the kind of immune response they want to see. (Weintraub, 9/2 )

CNN: Experts Caution To Keep Coronavirus Vaccines Off The Fast Track
As many hope for a vaccine to bring Covid-19 under control, a leading vaccine expert warned against using an emergency use authorization (EUA) to put one on the US market as soon as possible. "How can you justify a substandard or lesser review for something that would be injected in tens of millions, maybe hundreds of millions of Americans?" Dr. Peter Hotez, a professor and the dean of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said in series of social media posts Wednesday. (Holcombe and Erdman, 9/3)

The New York Times: DIY Coronavirus Vaccines? These Scientists Are Giving Themselves Their Own 
In April, more than three months before any coronavirus vaccine would enter large clinical trials, the mayor of a picturesque island town in the Pacific Northwest invited a microbiologist friend to vaccinate him. The exchange occurred on the mayor’s Facebook page, to the horror of several Friday Harbor residents following it.“Should I pop up and get your vaccine started?????,” wrote Johnny Stine, who runs North Coast Biologics, a Seattle biotech company with a focus on antibodies. “Don’t worry — I’m immune — I have boosted myself five times with my vaccine.” (Murphy, 9/1)

Another vaccine heads into human trials —

Stat: Sanofi And GSK Move Covid-19 Vaccine Into Human Trials
Vaccine giants Sanofi and GSK are joining the ranks of Covid-19 vaccine makers testing their candidates in people, launching a large Phase 1/2 clinical trial Thursday that will take place at 11 sites across the United States. The trial, which is expected to be completed by early December, would pave the way for a pivotal Phase 3 efficacy trial to start the same month, if the experimental vaccine proves to be safe, tolerable, and appears to be generating enough of an immune response to proceed. (Branswell, 9/3)

Barron's: GlaxoSmithKline And Sanofi Just Launched The First Human Trial Of Their Covid-19 Vaccine 
As the first generation of Covid-19 vaccines moves into large-scale Phase 3 trials, a slower but much-watched effort from two of the world’s biggest vaccine makers is now being tested in humans for the first timeGlaxoSmithKline (ticker: GSK) and Sanofi (SNY) announced early Thursday morning that their Covid-19 vaccine was entering a 440-patient Phase 1/2 clinical trial in the U.S. The companies say they could have results in early December, and would aim to start a Phase 3 trial before the end of the year. They say they hope to seek regulatory approval for the drug in the first half of next year. (Nathan-Kazis, 9/3)

Reuters: Sanofi, GSK Launch Trial For COVID-19 Protein-Based Vaccine 
French drugmaker Sanofi (SASY.PA) and its British peer GSK (GSK.L) have started a clinical trial for a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, as pharmaceutical companies race to develop treatments against the COVID-19 pandemic.Sanofi and GSK said on Thursday that they had started the “Phase 1/2” trial for their adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine, which they hope to make available across the world. (Kar-Gupta, 9/3)

In other vaccine news —

CIDRAP: Waning MMR Immunity, Vaccine Hesitancy, Could Mean More Measles Outbreaks
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 62 studies has found that immunity conferred by the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine fades each subsequent year, suggesting that vaccination strategies should be revisited. The study, published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, showed that 96.0% of patients inoculated with the two-dose trivalent MMR vaccine initially developed antibodies against measles, while 93.3% had antibodies against mumps when excluding the Rubini strain (91.1% when including it), and 98.3% produced protective antibodies against rubella. But that immunity lessened each year. (9/2)

NBC News: New Treatment May Help Slow Progression Of ALS, Research Shows
An experimental medication may slow the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, researchers reported Wednesday. The research was supported in part by donations from the Ice Bucket Challenge, the social media sensation that raised more than $200 million worldwide. The drug is not a cure, but it may help slow the inexorable disability caused by ALS, which rapidly destroys the nerve cells that control the muscles that allow us to move, speak, eat and even breathe. (Carroll, 9/2)

NPR: Steep Decline Of ALS Patients Slowed Via A New Drug Combo
A combination of two experimental drugs appears to slow the decline of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an illness often known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. A six-month study of 137 patients with a fast-progressing form of the disease found that those who got daily doses of a two-drug combination called AMX0035 scored several points higher on a standard measure of function, a team reports in the Sept. 3 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. (Hamilton, 9/2)

The New York Times: New Treatment For Lou Gehrig's Disease Shows Promise 
Seven years ago, Joshua Cohen, then a junior at Brown University majoring in biomedical engineering, was captivated by the question of why people develop brain disorders. “How does a neuron die?” he wondered. After poring over scientific studies, he sketched out his ideas for a way to treat them. “I was sitting in my dorm room and I had kind of written out the research on these crazy-looking diagrams,” he recalled. (Belluck, 9/2)

The Wall Street Journal: ALS Drug Study Signals Progress Toward Treatment For Deadly Disease
Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, who took an experimental drug kept the ability to walk, breathe and do other functions about six weeks longer than subjects who took a placebo in a recent trial—the latest sign of progress in finding new treatments for the deadly disease. The motor functioning of ALS patients who got the Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. drug as part of the study declined more slowly than of subjects who didn’t get the drug, the researchers said, in a study published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine. (Rockoff, 9/2)

Stat: Experimental ALS Drug, Dreamed Up In A Dorm Room, Offers Patients Hope
An experimental drug for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, slowed the neurological decline of volunteers in a closely watched clinical trial, according to researchers, offering a glimmer of hope for a patient population that desperately needs new treatment options. Patients who took the medication — initially dreamed up over beers and obsessive internet searching in a Brown University dormitory — retained a higher level of certain motor functions than those given a placebo, according to the researchers’ study, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Keshavan, 9/2)

Stateline: Georgia Governor Wants Out Of Obamacare Health Exchange
Under a proposal from Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgians seeking to purchase health insurance would no longer have the option of shopping for plans on one website as they can now on the Obamacare site Healthcare.gov. Instead, they would have to seek out commercial insurance plans on their own. In Kemp’s application to the Trump administration, the state says its proposal would insure 25,000 more Georgians and “create a competitive private insurance marketplace that provides Georgia’s residents with better access, improved customer service, and coverage options.” (Ollove, 9/2)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Medical Association, Physicians Ask Again For Medicaid Expansion
The Texas Medical Association, along with 32 other organizations representing physicians, dentists and child welfare groups, called on Gov. Greg Abbott — again — to expand Medicaid to help fight the COVID-19 crisis. (Wu, 9/2)

Colorado Sun: Cory Gardner Wants To Nix Obamacare, But A Replacement Remains Unclear
Cory Gardner doesn’t like Obamacare. ... But if Gardner and congressional Republicans have a better idea, they haven’t shared it. President Donald Trump has spoken of coming legislation, but part of the problem has been GOP infighting over how to move forward. That killed the party’s chance to unwind the Affordable Care Act in 2017, as they’d vowed to do for years, when Republicans took control of Congress and the White House. “We haven’t kept our promise,” Gardner said last year. (Paul, 9/2)

In other state Medicaid news —

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Medicaid Wants To Make Telehealth Service Expansion Permanent
The explosion of telehealth following the coronavirus outbreak may be here to stay. The Ohio Department of Medicaid announced on Tuesday that it is seeking to permanently expand telehealth options for the more than 3 million poor and disabled residents insured through the tax-funded program. (Candisky, 9/3)

CBS Miami: Medicaid Audit Raises Questions About Controlled Substances
Florida’s Medicaid program paid $3.7 million for tens of thousands of prescriptions for controlled substances over a nearly two-year period for patients who had not recently been hospitalized or seen physicians and in one instance paid for prescriptions for 900 days of OxyContin, a new audit from the Florida auditor general shows. (9/2)

Politico: ‘I Just Don’t Get These Guys’: Biden Blasts Trump, GOP Lawmakers Over Virus Response
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden attacked President Donald Trump’s deal-making abilities and criticized congressional Republicans’ coronavirus response as woefully inadequate during a rare question-and-answer session with reporters Wednesday. In his first news conference in more than a month, the former vice president touted his work advancing the 2009 Recovery Act under the previous administration as a model for how to reinvigorate a flailing economy and help hurting Americans. (Forgey, 9/2)

Politico: Biden Pins School Reopening Chaos On Trump As FEMA Denies Assistance 
Joe Biden promised Wednesday that he would harness billions of dollars in FEMA disaster aid to pay for supplies like masks and hand sanitizer to help schools reopen, if he's victorious on Election Day. The former vice president made that commitment during a speech in Delaware, kicking off a Democratic campaign blitz this week to blame President Donald Trump as parents and students throughout the country struggle with virtual learning and sudden school closures amid coronavirus outbreaks. (Scholtes, 9/2)

The Washington Post: Biden And Trump Battle Over Pandemic-Related School Closures. 
Joe Biden on Wednesday sought to channel the frustrations of students, parents, and teachers around the country by squarely blaming President Trump for school districts' inability to fully reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. Biden, who with his wife, Jill, received a briefing from education leaders here at a sparsely filled downtown theater, said the lack of in-person primary school education around the country was a “national emergency.” (Viser, Dawsey and Parker, 9/2)

AP: Biden: Trump Ignores Pandemic, Stokes Unrest, Solves Neither
Joe Biden is calling the struggle to reopen U.S. schools amid the coronavirus a “national emergency” and accusing President Donald Trump of turning his back to stoke passions instead about unrest in America’s cities.The Democratic presidential nominee’s broadsides came a day ahead of his own trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where Biden said he wants to help “heal” a city reeling from another police shooting of a Black man. The wounding of Jacob Blake and subsequent demonstrations have made the political battleground state a focal point for debate over police and protest violence, as well as the actions of vigilante militias. (Barrow and Weissert, 9/3)

In other election news —

The New York Times: As He Questions His Opponent’s Health, Trump Finds His Own Under Scrutiny 
For much of his life, President Trump has promoted himself as a virtual superman who has endless energy, needs little sleep, rarely gets sick and excelled at sports in his youth. As he once dictated in a statement put out in the name of an agreeable doctor, he is “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” So as Mr. Trump seeks to become the oldest individual ever elected to the office for a second term, recent questions about his mental and physical condition have sent him into paroxysms of pique. They have complicated his own efforts to question the health of his challenger and fellow septuagenarian, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Baker, 9/2)

AP: Second Trump Appointee Out At FDA Amid Credibility Concerns
A second Trump administration appointee has been ousted at the Food and Drug Administration in the wake of the agency’s botched announcement about an experimental therapy for COVID-19, which medical experts said damaged the health regulator’s credibility with the public. An FDA spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that John “Wolf” Wagner, a political appointee installed by the White House earlier this summer, is no longer heading the agency’s office of external affairs. Instead, Heidi Rebello, a longtime FDA career official, has stepped into the position on an acting basis, overseeing all FDA public communications. Politico first reported the news. (Perrone and Foley, 9/2)

Politico: Hahn, HHS In ‘Tit For Tat’ Feud Over Covid-19 Messaging
The dispute over whether to allow the use of blood plasma treatments for coronavirus on an emergency basis has set off what one senior official described as a “tit for tat” battle between Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn and the leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services, with each side engineering the replacement of communications aides installed by the other. HHS Secretary Alex Azar was furious when Hahn openly backtracked on claims about plasma’s effectiveness, at a time when President Donald Trump was preparing to tout the treatment at the Republican National Convention. Hahn, for his part, sought to apologize for data that overstated the treatment’s benefits and felt that his department’s promotion of the treatment as “another achievement in [the] administration’s fight” against Covid-19 smacked of politics at a time when the agency is trying to preserve its scientific integrity, said five people with knowledge of the internal deliberations. (Diamond and Owermohle, 9/2)

Kaiser Health News: Dozens Of U.S. Hospitals Poised To Defy FDA’s Directive On COVID Plasma
Dozens of major hospitals across the U.S. are grappling with whether to ignore a federal decision allowing broader emergency use of blood plasma from recovered COVID patients to treat the disease in favor of dedicating their resources to a gold-standard clinical trial that could help settle the science for good. As many as 45 hospitals from coast to coast have expressed interest in collaborating on a randomized, controlled clinical trial sponsored by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said principal investigator Dr. Todd Rice. (Aleccia, 9/3)

In other news about the government's response to the pandemic —

The Wall Street Journal: White House To Target Hospitals For Uneven Covid-19 Data Reporting
The Trump administration is taking aim at hospitals, charging that many have been contributing uneven data about Covid-19 cases in the federal effort to gauge the pandemic. In a move expected as early as next week, the administration is planning to publicize the names of hospitals with data missing from the federal pandemic reporting system, according to people familiar with the discussions. It’s the latest move by federal officials to target hospitals for gaps in daily tallies of Covid-19 patients, shortages of nurses, the number of available beds and other data. Making data gaps public will let those who use the data see its holes and put hospitals on alert that they risk losing payment from Medicare and Medicaid, the publicly subsidized health insurance programs, under a rule soon to take effect, the administration told industry officials Tuesday, people familiar with the discussions said. (Evans and Berzon, 9/2)

Stat: Biotech Leaders Call For Covid-19 Data Transparency, FDA Independence
A group of prominent biotech CEOs are calling on their peers and the federal government to hold themselves to the highest standards when it comes to developing and reviewing Covid-19 treatments. Among their demands: That biotech companies don’t simply release clinical trial data in press releases, and that federal regulators make it clear to the public that any vaccines or treatments will be approved strictly based on science. (Florko, 9/3)

Politico: ‘That’s Certainly Not My Approach’: Fauci Rejects Pursuing Herd Immunity 
Dr. Anthony Fauci argued Wednesday that the United States should not pursue herd immunity in its fight against the coronavirus — even as a top White House adviser has reportedly advocated the strategy and President Donald Trump himself invoked it this week. “We’re not there yet. That’s not a fundamental strategy that we’re using,” Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told MSNBC. (Forgey, 9/2)

The Hill: Fauci: US Has 'Unacceptably High' Level Of COVID-19 Cases Going Into Fall 
Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that the United States has an “unacceptably high” level of new cases heading into the fall, and pushed for people to exercise caution heading into the Labor Day weekend to prevent further surges... The U.S. has around 40,000 new cases per day currently. “We're right around 40,000 new cases, that's an unacceptably high baseline,” Fauci said. “We've got to get it down, I'd like to see it 10,000 or less, hopefully less.” (Sullivan, 9/2)

NBC News: Fauci Predicts 'Safe And Effective' Coronavirus Vaccine By End Of Year
Dr. Anthony Fauci predicts that a coronavirus vaccine will be developed by the end of 2020. "I believe that by the time we get to the end of this calendar year that we will feel comfortable that we do have a safe and effective vaccine," Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on NBC's "TODAY" on Wednesday. (Fieldstadt, 9/2)

NBC News: Fauci: Daily COVID-19 Cases Need To Drop By At Least 30K For Safe Flu Season
The United States must cut the daily number of new COVID-19 cases by at least 30,000 to avoid a disastrous flu season, the nation's top infectious disease expert said Wednesday. "We're right around 40,000 new cases" a day, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on "Andrea Mitchell Reports." (Edwards, 9/2)

AP: US Cuts Remaining Dues Payment To WHO After Trump Pullout
The Trump administration said Wednesday it won’t pay more than $60 million in dues it owes to the World Health Organization and will use the money instead to pay down other contributions to the United Nations. The announcement came just a day after the White House announced the U.S. would not participate in a WHO-run project to develop and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine. The decision to withhold roughly $62 million in outstanding 2020 dues to the WHO is part of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his allegations that the agency has been improperly influenced by China. (Lee, 9/2)

In other news from the Trump administration —

The New York Times: Backed By Federal Funds, New Virus Tests Are Hitting The Market 
With the pandemic still raging as fall approaches, the government’s efforts to support development and deployment of a variety of testing methods are a rare if belated bright spot amid widespread failures to contain the virus.In the latest round of government backing, the N.I.H. said on Wednesday that it was providing nine more companies with $123.3 million from a $2.5 billion pot of money allocated last spring by the stimulus bill to support testing. That will bring the total amount disbursed so far by the N.I.H. to $372 million across 16 companies. (LaFraniere and Wu, 9/2)

Stat: Trump Could Use Last-Minute Maneuver To Lower Drug Prices Before Election
The final two months before a presidential election don’t typically feature much policymaking, and there are rules about how quickly the government can implement big changes. But there’s a way for President Trump to pull off a major, last-minute policy change — and drug industry lobbyists are worried, given his campaign trail rhetoric on lowering drug prices, he just might. (Florko, 9/3)

The Hill: LGBTQ Advocates Notch Legal Win In Fight Against Trump Health Care Rule 
A federal judge on Wednesday handed a win to LGBTQ advocates in their bid to stop the Trump administration from rolling back ObamaCare nondiscrimination protections. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, an Obama appointee, temporarily blocked the repeal of an Obama-era rule that bars discrimination against transgender people. The 101-page opinion also narrowed the scope of exemptions available to religious health care providers while the case plays out in court. (Kruzel, 9/2)

Politico: Pelosi Claims Hair Salon Scandal Was A 'Set-Up' 
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday claimed that she was set up by a San Francisco hair salon in a now-viral incident her Republican adversaries used to portray her as a hypocrite on pandemic precautions. Speaking at a news conference on education in her home district, the California Democrat declined to apologize for visiting the salon in spite of city regulations prohibiting indoor salon service. (Choi and Forgey, 9/2)

San Jose Mercury News: Nancy Pelosi Refuses To Apologize For Salon Visit, Calls It A Setup
“I take responsibility for trusting the word of the neighborhood salon that I’ve been to over the years many times when they said, ‘We’re able to accommodate people one person at a time.’ ”It wasn’t clear just how Fox News obtained the security camera footage from eSalon on Union Street, showing Nancy Pelosi without a mask on, walking inside the salon, fresh from a shampoo, a man with a mask behind her who appears to be the stylist. But on Wednesday evening, Pelosi’s hair stylist accused the owner of the salon of having it in for Pelosi. (9/2)

Fox News: Pelosi's Hair Stylist Claims, Through Lawyer, That Salon Owner OK'd Dem's Visit 
A San Francisco cosmetologist who works at the salon that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited earlier this week attempted Wednesday to distance himself from the salon's owner, Erica Kious. In a statement issued by his lawyer, hair stylist Jonathan DeNardo appeared to agree with Pelosi's accusation that her appointment at eSalon on Monday was "a set-up" designed to embarrass the Democrat for allegedly ignoring coronavirus rules, according to reports. (Aaro, 9/3)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

Kansas City Star: Iowa Senator Falsely Suggests COVID-19 Deaths May Be Inflated To Make Doctors Money
Sen. Joni Ernst suggested that the coronavirus death count may be inflated to make health care providers more money.The Republican from Iowa said during a campaign stop Monday in Black Hawk County that she’s “so skeptical” of the death toll, The Courier reported.“These health care providers and others are reimbursed at a higher rate if COVID is tied to it, so what do you think they’re doing?” Ernst said. (Lin, 9/2)

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals To Receive $3.5 Billion Pay Boost For Inpatient Medicare Services
Hospitals will get a 2.7% pay boost in fiscal year 2021 for inpatient Medicare services amounting to $3.5 billion, according to CMS' finalized inpatient prospective payment system rule released late Wednesday. The final rule, which affects around 3,200 acute-care hospitals and about 360 long-term care facilities, will increase operating and uncompensated care payments for Medicare beneficiaries by $3 billion. There will also be a net increase of $506 million related to adjusted capital payments and new technology add-on payments, which compensate hospitals for cases involving high-cost technologies, CMS said. (Kacik, 9/2)

FierceHealthcare: CMS Finalizes $3.5B Boost In Acute Hospital Spending In New Rule 
“This rule is another critical step in our effort to modernize the program and strip away bureaucratic barriers between our seniors and the latest innovative treatments,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma in a statement. As part of the final rule, CMS approved 13 new technologies that applied for new technology add-on payments under Medicare. (King, 9/2)

In other health industry news —

Modern Healthcare: Large For-Profit Hospitals Spend More On Charity Care Than Not-For-Profit Peers, Study Says
Among the country's largest hospitals, a new study finds the for-profit ones dole out more charity care than their not-for-profit counterparts. When stretched across all of the nearly 2,800 hospitals of all sizes included in the study, there wasn't a statistically significant difference in charity care spending across hospitals. But among those with 350 or more beds, charity care was 3.7% of expenses for for-profit hospitals and 2.6% of expenses for not-for-profits. (Bannow, 9/2)

Crain's Chicago Business: Walmart Teams Up With Primary-Care Network Oak Street Health
Oak Street Health is teaming up with Walmart as the retail giant doubles down on healthcare. The Chicago-based network of primary care centers, which went public last month, today announced plans to open clinics at three Walmart stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. While Oak Street Health’s model focuses on patients 65 and older, the retail-based primary and urgent care clinics expected to open later this year will treat patients of all ages. (Goldberg, 9/2)

Crain's New York Business: Ambulance Providers Strained By Lack Of Reimbursement For Treat-At-Home Cases
Commercial ambulance providers in New York are used to a small number of calls for which they treat patients at home who don’t need or want to be taken to a hospital. Such instances have skyrocketed during the pandemic, however, and the companies aren’t being reimbursed for them. In the early days of the COVID-19 public health crisis, commercial ambulance providers moved to help ease the burden on local hospitals by treating and releasing patients when it was possible to avoid a transfer. And many individuals opted to stay at home, even after calling for emergency services, for fear of exposure to COVID. (Henderson, 9/2)

Dallas Morning News: Medical City McKinney Opens New $52 Million Facility
Medical City McKinney’s new rehabilitation and behavioral health services facility is now open, the hospital announced Wednesday. The facility, which cost $52 million, brings services previously available at the Wysong campus to the main Medical City McKinney campus. (Arnold. 9/2)

Fox News: Honeybee Venom Destroyed Breast Cancer Cells: Study 
Venom from honeybees rapidly destroyed triple-negative breast cancer, a type of cancer that has limited treatment options, and HER2-enriched breast cancer cells, according to a study published in the journal npj Precision Oncology.  Using the venom from over 300 honeybees and bumblebees in England, Ireland and Perth, Western Australia, Dr. Ciara Duffy from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and The University of Western Australia, tested the effect of the venom on the clinical subtypes of breast cancer, according to the news release. (McGorry, 9/2)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Study: Bee Venom Kills Aggressive Breast Cancer Cells
The European honeybee has been the source of honey and venom used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. A new study out of Australia suggests the venom from honeybees and bumblebees also can fight breast cancer — and win. Ciara Duffy, from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and the University of Western Australia, used the venom from 312 honeybees and bumblebees in Western Australia, Ireland and England to test the effect of the venom on the clinical subtypes of breast cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer, which has limited treatment options. (Clanton, 9/1)

Read the full study in Nature —

Honeybee venom and melittin suppress growth factor receptor activation in HER2-enriched and triple-negative breast cancer

In other science and research news —

GMA: Only Using Face Shields Or Face Masks With Valves Doesn’t Stop Spread Of COVID-19, Study Finds 
As the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States have reached 6 million, a new study from Florida Atlantic University is revealing the ineffectiveness of face shields to protect against the spread of the disease. In a video, researchers used a water and glycerin mixture to simulate a cough or sneeze from a mannequin's mouth and nose. The simulation was done under two different conditions -- once when the mannequin was wearing a face shield and the other, when the mannequin was wearing a mask with an exhalation valve, to examine the effectiveness of each in stopping the spread of droplets. (Bernabe, 9/2)

Stat: Could Millions With Sickle Cell Trait Be At Risk For Severe Covid-19? 
Sickle cell disease, which causes Covid-like symptoms — clotting, strokes, and severe oxygen deprivation —  is one of the medical conditions that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says puts people at higher risk for severe illness from the coronavirus. Now, a research team is trying to determine whether the several million people who merely carry one copy of the sickle cell mutation — but do not have the disease itself — could be more vulnerable to Covid-19, and whether that might be one reason the virus is disproportionately sickening and killing Black Americans. (McFarling, 9/3)

The Washington Post: The Coronavirus Reminds Us Of Our Deep-Rooted Need For Medicinal Plants 
In laboratories around the world, dozens of vaccines are in the works in an attempt to protect us against the novel coronavirus. Some are using tobacco, of all plants, as part of the process of developing ways to fight infection, though the potential antivirals rely far more broadly on manipulating DNA and RNA. These efforts employ leading-edge molecular science, but our instinct to fight nature with nature is ingrained deep in the human mind and reaches back thousands of years. Our abiding partner in this quest for wellness is the plant, in all its forms and component parts. (Higgins, 9/2)

ABC News: As COVID-19 Continues, Experts Warn Of Next Pandemic Likely To Come From Animals 
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, experts are warning that the next pandemic could arrive at any moment, and again, it could come from animals. To prevent history from repeating itself, experts say governments need to start investing heavily in pandemic prevention efforts. (Salzman and Chan, 9/3)

NPR: Pandemic Depression Hits 25% Of Americans, Study Finds
Nearly a quarter of people in the United States are experiencing symptoms of depression, according to a study published Wednesday. That's nearly three times the number before the COVID-19 pandemic began.And those with a lower income, smaller savings and people severely affected by the pandemic — either through a job loss, for example, or by the death of a loved one — are more likely to be bearing the burden of these symptoms. (Chatterjee, 9/2)

ABC News: Depression Rates Tripled During The Pandemic: Study 
Mental health effects following widespread traumatic events, such natural disasters, terrorist attacks and civil unrest, are well documented in scientific literature. Despite that existing research, Catherine Ettman, lead author of the study, which was published in JAMA Network Open on Wednesday, said the magnitude of depression symptoms during COVID-19 surprised her. "The scope is much larger than what we’ve seen in the past," said Ettman, a doctoral student at Brown University's School of Public Health who works at the Boston University School of Public Health. (Schumaker, 9/2)

AP: Depression, Anxiety Spike Amid Outbreak And Turbulent Times
Mental health therapists’ caseloads are bulging. Waiting lists for appointments are growing. And anxiety and depression are rising among Americans amid the coronavirus crisis, research suggests. In the latest study to suggest an uptick, half of U.S. adults surveyed reported at least some signs of depression, such as hopelessness, feeling like a failure or getting little pleasure from doing things. That’s double the rate from a different survey two years ago, Boston University researchers said Wednesday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open. (Tanner, 9/2)

In related news —

USA Today: COVID-19 And Social Unrest Increase Need For Therapists Of Color
Jeannine Adams was already listening and offering help as a therapist, but she sought out someone to talk with. A Black woman, Adams "wanted to see someone I felt I could relate to. "That wasn't always easy. It usually required a long drive from her Morris County home, often to Montclair. The demand for therapists of color has historically surpassed the supply. Current events, including the coronavirus pandemic and social unrest, have made the need greater. (Havsy, 9/2)

USA Today: COVID-19 Pandemic Creates Fears That May Constrain Economic Growth
The nation is awaiting a vaccine that can halt the COVID-19 pandemic in its tracks, allowing life – and the battered U.S. economy – to return to normal. But a new study suggests the crisis has generated fears that are likely to dampen risk-taking and economic output for decades by increasing the “perceived probability of an extreme, negative shock in the future.” Over time, the economic cost of that warier outlook is “many times larger” than the short-term damage, the study says. The study, titled, “Scarring Body and Mind: The long-term belief-scarring effects of COVID-19,” attempts to quantify such long-term economic losses by assessing the toll taken by other economic upheavals, such as the Great Recession of 2007-09. (Davidson, 9/3)

CNN: Wear A Mask During Sex And Avoid Kissing New People, Canada's Top Doctor Advises 
Sex in a pandemic can be complicated, Canada's lead medical doctor says, and it's best to skip kissing and perhaps wear a mask to prevent spreading Covid-19. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, issued a public statement Wednesday on staying safe from the virus when engaging in sexual activities. (Sutton and Cullinane, 9/3)

The Hill: Canada's Chief Medical Officer Suggests Wearing Mask During Sex With New Partners 
Canada's top medical officer suggested that residents wear masks when having sex with a partner for the first time in a statement Wednesday. Reuters reported that Theresa Tam made the advisement along with other tips in a statement addressing how Canadians could minimize the risk of transmitting the virus during sexual encounters. “Like other activities during COVID-19 that involve physical closeness, there are some things you can do to minimize the risk of getting infected and spreading the virus,” she reportedly said. (Bowden, 9/2)

In other relationship news —

New York Post: Divorce Rates Skyrocket In U.S. Amid COVID-19
Divorce rates have spiked in the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic as couples have been stuck at home for months. The number of people looking for divorces was 34 percent higher from March through June compared to 2019, according to new data collected Legal Templates, a company that provides legal documents. (Rosner, 9/1)

Fox News: Finding Love During The Coronavirus Pandemic: Daters Using Apps, Matchmakers To Facilitate Safer Meetups 
Twenty-six-year-old Ivanna Agudo is trying to stay socially distant during the coronavirus pandemic. But she’s not afraid of catching the love bug. “Having that buddy to kinda, you know, brave through the pandemic with and tackle the grocery store hassles and whatnot, is really important,” said Agudo. Gone are the days of meeting potential partners at social events or through friends. In response, more people are turning to matchmakers and dating apps to find love. (Shirazi, 9/2)

Pasadena Now: Pasadena Company Launches Clear COVID-19 Masks To “Restore Some Humanity In These Crazy Times”  
A Pasadena-based company has launched a Kickstarter campaign to unveil its new clear COVID-19 mask, designed to allow wearers to share a smile while still staying protected from the pandemic. ClearlyHuman’s REVEAL mask allows facial expressions to be seen through the mask, which includes N95-level filtration, the company said in a written statement. “REVEAL highlights the facial gestures and micro-expressions that connect us — the joyful hello of a smile, the romance of blowing a kiss, and the subtle difference between seriousness and sarcasm,” according to the statement. (Day, 9/2)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Has Killed More Police Officers This Year Than All Other Causes Combined, Data Show 
As of Sept. 2, on-the-job coronavirus infections were responsible for a least 100 officer deaths, more than gun violence, car accidents and all other causes combined, according to the Officer Down group. NLEOMF reported a nearly identical number of covid-related law enforcement deaths. (Ingraham, 9/2)

The Hill: COVID-19 Is Leading Cause Of Law Enforcement Deaths This Year: Analysis 
Coronavirus infections possibly caught while on the job are now the leading cause of death among U.S. police officers, according to law enforcement groups. Officer Down, a nonprofit group tracking deaths among law enforcement agencies across the U.S., found that 101 officers have died from COVID-19 so far in 2020, more than twice as many that have died in shootings, the second-highest cause of deaths among law enforcement. The statistic was first reported in The Washington Post on Wednesday. (Bowden, 9/2)

In other public health news —

The Washington Post: First Coronavirus Death Linked To Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Reported In Minnesota 
A Minnesota biker who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has died of covid-19 — the first fatality from the virus traced to the 10-day event that drew more than 400,000 to South Dakota. The man was in his 60s, had underlying conditions and was hospitalized in intensive care after returning from the rally, said Kris Ehresmann, infectious-disease director at the Minnesota Department of Health. The case is among at least 260 cases in 11 states tied directly to the event, according to a survey of health departments by The Washington Post. (Shammas and Sun, 9/2)

NPR: States Report Coronavirus Cases Linked To Sturgis, S.D., Motorcycle Rally
The greatest share of cases so far have emerged in the rally's home state, South Dakota, which has registered more than 100 cases so far. A Minnesota man in his 60s who went to the rally was later hospitalized for COVID-19 and died earlier this week, said Kris Ehresmann head of infectious disease for the Minnesota Department of Health. (Stone, 9/2)

NBC News: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson And Family Tested Positive For COVID-19
Actor and former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said Wednesday that his family recently tested positive for the coronavirus and are now implementing stricter rules on socializing amid the pandemic. Johnson, 48, posted a video to his Instagram and shared that he, wife Lauren and two young daughters all tested positive for COVID-19 about three weeks ago. The "Jumanji" and "Baywatch" actor said that his daughters had only mild symptoms, but that the illness was much harder on the adults. (Madani, 9/2)

NBC News: 134 Coronavirus Cases Now Linked To Maine Wedding As Outbreak Hits Jail And Nursing Home
The coronavirus outbreak linked to a Maine wedding that violated attendance limits has grown to have infected at least 134 people, state authorities said Tuesday. Just a week ago, officials reported that 53 positive coronavirus cases had been linked to the Aug. 7 wedding, but now the numbers have more than doubled after the outbreak has been traced to a jail and nursing care center. (Li, 9/2)

Kaiser Health News: Why Black Aging Matters, Too 
Old. Chronically ill. Black. People who fit this description are more likely to die from COVID-19 than any other group in the country. They are perishing quietly, out of sight, in homes and apartment buildings, senior housing complexes, nursing homes and hospitals, disproportionately poor, frail and ill, after enduring a lifetime of racism and its attendant adverse health effects. (Graham, 9/3)

ABC News: COVID-19 Exacerbates An Already Fractured Opioid Addiction Treatment Framework: ANALYSIS 
Opioid overdoses in the United States have spiked by about 18% during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program at the University of Baltimore. This, after the CDC reported 2019 opioid overdose deaths topped over 71,000, a record high at the time. (Mihalek, 9/3)

Kaiser Health News and USA Today: Cities And States Look To Crack Down On ‘Less-Lethal’ Weapons Used By Police 
Following nationwide protests against police brutality in which law enforcement officers wounded or blinded protesters, state and local lawmakers and an international police association are taking steps to restrict the use of “less-lethal” weapons that caused the injuries. At least seven major U.S. cities and a few states have enacted or proposed tight limits on the use of rubber bullets and other projectiles, though some efforts for similar actions have stalled in the face of opposition from police agencies or other critics. (Hancock, McCoy and Slack, 9/3)

And researchers take a deeper dive into a superspreader event —

The New York Times: How A Bus Ride Turned Into A Coronavirus Superspreader Event 
In late January, as the new coronavirus was beginning to spread from China’s Hubei Province, a group of lay Buddhists traveled by bus to a temple ceremony in the city of Ningbo — hundreds of miles from Wuhan, center of the epidemic.It was a sunny day with a gentle breeze, and the morning service was held al fresco, followed by a brief luncheon indoors. A passenger on one of the buses had recently dined with friends from Hubei. She apparently did not know she carried the coronavirus. Within days, 23 fellow passengers on her bus were also found to be infected. (Caryn Rabin, 9/1)

Read the full study from the JAMA Network —

Community Outbreak Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Among Bus Riders in Eastern China

USA Today: Between COVID-19 And Layoffs, Schools May Not Have Enough Teachers To Get Through The Year
In Las Vegas, where more than 1 in 6 workers are now unemployed, Fernando Valenzuela decided to quit his job this summer. He’s one of nearly 4,300 substitute teachers in the Clark County School District earning roughly $100 per day, without sick leave or health coverage. Though Valenzuela, who filled a full-time teaching vacancy at the Nevada Learning Academy, earned a bit more — $120 a day — than the Clark County average, it was still not enough for him to brave the risks of working at a school during the escalating coronavirus pandemic. (Harris and Morton, 9/3)

ABC News: 'Monumental' Task Remains As NYC Delays Opening Schools, Leaders Say 
Families and educators pushing for a delay to the start of the New York City school year breathed a sigh of relief this week, as city officials announced in-person learning is postponed. But for some, the relief was temporary. With a majority of the district's 1.1 million students planning to return to buildings during the coronavirus pandemic, city officials have acknowledged the task is no easy one, and questions on details remain, leaders say. (Deliso, 9/2)

The Wall Street Journal: A Texas School Reopens And Everyone Holds Their Breath 
On the eighth day of opening a school to students, Superintendent Eddie Conger marveled that there were no reported Covid-19 cases. He had established safety measures, some beyond federal guidelines, but still was braced for the virus to strike. In a conference room that day, he got a jolt. An administrator told him a laser temperature check in the drop-off lane revealed a student with a fever. Everyone with a temperature under 100 can enter school, but 100 or over requires another check. A second high reading means a trip back home.“The kid never left the car,” the administrator assured Mr. Conger. (Hobbs, 9/2)

In other school news —

NBC News: Active Shooter Drills Are Meant To Prepare Students. But Research Finds 'Severe' Side Effects.
A few things go through Tim Tredwell’s mind when he’s in the middle of an active shooter drill, leading his physical education class into the locker room at John Winthrop Middle School in Deep River, Connecticut. He thinks about which student has a special education plan, whether any of them do not handle trauma well, or if there’s one he’d have to carry if they had to run. He thinks of his own children. Even when Tredwell knows it’s only a drill, he still feels a jolt of apprehension when the principal comes by to shake his door to ensure it’s locked. It’s been this way since the drills began shortly after the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. (Kingkade, 9/3)

And children return to school in Wuhan, China —

Reuters: Students Return To Class In Wuhan, But Parents And Teachers Wary Of Coronavirus Risk
Tears and excitement from students greeted teachers on the first day of school after seven months in the Chinese city of Wuhan, but parents and teachers warned that while the coronavirus has retreated, no one could afford to let down their guard. The central Chinese city - where the global coronavirus pandemic began - allowed more than 2,800 educational institutions to start their new term on Tuesday, opening their doors to nearly 1.4 million students for the first time since January. (Stanway, 9/3)

USA Today: Quarantine For 30 Of 40 Greek Houses At Indiana University-Bloomington
Seven more Greek houses at Indiana University-Bloomington are being directed to quarantine because of COVID-19, bringing the total up to 30 as of Wednesday evening. There are 2,600 students in 42 communal living houses at IU, IU spokesperson Chuck Carney said. The houses include 40 fraternity and sorority houses and the Evans Scholars and Christian Student Fellowship houses. (Gerike, 9/2)

The New York Times: University Of South Carolina Disciplines Fraternities For Virus Violations 
The University of South Carolina took disciplinary action on Monday against more than a dozen students and several Greek life organizations that administrators said recently hosted parties or large gatherings, as the number of cases of the coronavirus on campus rises. The university announced that 15 students had been placed under interim suspension and that six Greek houses had been charged with student conduct violations stemming from the parties, which officials said violated emergency orders in Columbia, S.C. (Vigdor, 9/1)

WCIA.Com: Two Students, One Fraternity Suspended For Violating COVID-19 Safety Guidelines 
Two University of Illinois students and an entire fraternity are suspended for breaking the university’s COVID-19 safety rules. On top of that, around 100 students are being disciplined for their behavior over the weekend. ... “I see people going out to the bars still, and I know they’ve changed the regulations, but it’s still very concerning to me to see that many people going out, not really socially distancing and just living like normal,” said junior Kayla Vargas. (Bunting, 9/1)

Greenville News: 32 Furman Students Test Positive For COVID-19 After Fraternity Parties
Furman University has suspended the Kappa Alpha fraternity from campus for at least four years after the group hosted two parties that resulted in dozens of students testing positive for COVID-19. The university first announced last week that it was investigating reports of two parties at the former Kappa Alpha fraternity house on Aug. 21 and Aug. 22. As a precaution, school officials told 53 students who attended the parties to quarantine while they get tested for the virus. (Gilreath, 9/2)

In related news from college campuses —

The Wall Street Journal: To Test Or Not To Test? Colleges Face Decision As Students And Coronavirus Arrive On Campus 
lasses at the University of Arkansas started last week, but the campus had little back-to-school bustle. Many students are largely holed up in their dorm rooms amid fears of the coronavirus. Among its nearly 30,000 students, faculty and staff, Arkansas tested just 158 people on campus between Saturday and Tuesday and found 38 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Positive tests administered away from campus and self-reported by anyone who was on campus jumped by 295 new cases over the same period. (9/2)

ABC News: Colleges Ask Students To Leave Campus Amid COVID-19 Outbreaks, But Experts Advise The Opposite
As colleges deal with COVID-19 outbreaks, some are having their students leave campus -- which medical authorities warn is the opposite of what they should be doing. White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx over the weekend advised against residential students -- infected with COVID-19 -- isolating off campus. (Deliso, 9/2)

NBC News: COVID-19 At Colleges: Fauci Urges Schools To Keep Students On Campus As Outbreaks Spread
Only a few weeks into fall semester, colleges and universities across the country are urgently trying to control clusters of COVID-19 infections on their campuses. Thousands of cases have been reported nationwide, forcing universities to switch to virtual classes and either quarantine or, in some cases, send students back home whether or not they're sick. The situation has become serious enough that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, is urging colleges: If at all possible, do not send students home. (Edwards, 9/3)

NBC News: Hall Of Fame Pitcher Tom Seaver Dies Of COVID-19, Dementia At 75
Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver has died of complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19, the National Baseball Hall of Fame said in a statement Wednesday. He was 75. He died peacefully in his sleep Monday, the organization said. Seaver played 12 seasons with the Mets, winning the National League Cy Young Award, honoring the league's best pitcher, three times. After having been a league-wide joke for the franchise's hapless play since their inaugural season in 1962, the team, which was dubbed the Miracle Mets, was able to overcome years of failure and win the 1969 World Series as Seaver won his first Cy Young Award. (Romero, 9/2)

ABC News: New York Mets Legend Tom Seaver Dies At 75 After Battle With Dementia 
Seaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992, appearing on 425 of 430 ballots. The flame-throwing righty won three Cy Young Awards (1969, 1973 and 1975) and went to the All-Star Game 12 times. ...Only Greg Maddux (four), Steve Carlton (four), Randy Johnson (five) and Roger Clemens (seven) won more Cy Young Awards in their careers.(Osborne, 9/2)

In other sports news —

The New York Times: ‘A Total Collapse’ For A Player Restricted By U.S. Open Contact Tracing
After winning 11 of the first 13 games in the match, French tennis star Kristina Mladenovic ended up losing 12 of the last 13, one of the most dramatic turnabouts in U.S. Open history. “It’s a nightmare what we are experiencing here,” Mladenovic said in French, fighting back tears. “I have only one desire, and that’s to get my freedom back and even that we don’t have yet.” Mladenovic is one of a group of players who have faced tighter restrictions and more frequent coronavirus testing after tournament health officials determined that they had close contact with Benoit Paire, a French men’s player who tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday. (Clarey, 9/2)

The Washington Post: Iowa State Football Stadium Won’t Have Fans For Season Opener 
Iowa State announced Wednesday that it has reversed its decision to allow approximately 25,000 fans into its football season opener against Louisiana on Sept. 12 and now will play the game in an empty stadium. Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said in a statement that the reversal was handed down by Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen after she received “feedback from the community.” (Bonesteel, 9/2)

Fox News: Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Onions Sickens More Than 1,000 People: CDC
An expanding outbreak of salmonella linked to several types of onions has infected more than 1,000 Americans nationwide, federal health officials say. Approximately 1,012 people have contracted the foodborne illness across 47 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) latest update of the multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections. There have been 136 hospitalizations linked to the infections, the CDC said. However, there have been no reports of any deaths. (Genovese, 9/2)

The Washington Post: Loudoun County, Va., Changes 911 Procedures After Delayed Response To Drowning
A Northern Virginia county announced significant changes to its 911 operations this week following the mishandled 36-minute emergency response to a drowning teenager over the summer in a creek near the Potomac River. “When someone calls 911, I want them to get help as fast as possible,” Loudoun County Fire Chief Keith Johnson said Wednesday, discussing the training and procedural changes he is making at his 911 center. “We’re willing to do whatever it takes to make things better.” (Morse, 9/2)

AP: Judge Rejects Drug-Diluting Pharmacist's Release Request
A judge has rejected the early release request of a former Kansas City pharmacist serving prison time for a scheme to dilute thousands of prescriptions for seriously ill patients to boost his profits. The judge on Monday denied 67-year-old Robert Courtney’s plea for compassion release, the Kansas City Star reported. Courtney has argued he’s at risk of contracting COVID-19 in prison. (9/2)

Fox News: Fat-Shaming Occurs Less Among Americans Compared To Brits, Survey Says 
Fat-shaming is occurring less among Americans compared to three years ago, according to a recent survey. Americans are less likely to blame or shame obese people for their condition compared to the British, according to a report in the British Journal, while those in the U.S. believe obesity may have an underlying medical reason. (McGorry, 9/2)

AP: Batch Of Mosquitoes Tests Positive For West Nile Virus
New Hampshire health officials have identified the first batch of mosquitoes to test positive for the West Nile virus this season. The batch was found recently in Manchester. “West Nile virus is transmitted to humans from the bite of an infected mosquito,” said Ben Chan, state epidemiologist. He said the best way to prevent it and other mosquito-transmitted infections is to use insect repellent, avoid being outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active, and remove any standing water from around the home. (9/2)

The Wall Street Journal: How To Stop Eye Strain When You Relentlessly Stare At Screens 
Life has gone almost entirely virtual. Since lockdown started, people who used to see their overly chatty co-workers IRL spend an average of 9.5 hours a day looking at laptops and smartphones, reports a survey conducted by OnePoll. It takes just two consecutive hours of staring at pixelated Zoom faces or scrolling Excel data to put you at risk for eyestrain and dryness, blurred vision and headaches, according to the American Optometric Association. That’s because, like Pilates or making elaborate lattes, vision takes effort. Tiny eye muscles “are no different from muscles in arms or legs,” said Scott P. Drexler, O.D., an assistant professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “When you overuse them, they get fatigued and hurt.” (Mateo, 9/2)

ProPublica: Sent Home To Die
Sarah Johnson spent her entire life taking care of people — the six children she raised, mostly alone, and the hospital patients she served in her 25 years as a nurse. But at 86, she was the one who needed care. She was thin and frail and had COVID-19. Her son Rodney Lavalais anguished over the fact that she was all by herself; he’d moved in with her four years ago after he saw her struggling to open a jar. But when the ambulance took her to Ochsner West Bank, a hospital in the New Orleans suburbs, he couldn’t come with her. (Waldman and Kaplan, 9/2)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Report: As Hospitals Filled, New Orleanians With Coronavirus Were More Likely To Be Sent Home To Die 
As coronavirus patients swamped New Orleans hospitals this spring, the number of available ventilators and intensive care beds got critically low at times. But as health care providers struggled to keep up with the patient crush, doctors at some New Orleans hospitals made decisions about coronavirus patients that were at odds with those made by doctors elsewhere, according to an investigation published Wednesday by the nonprofit newsroom ProPublica. (Gallo, 9/2)

In news from Florida —

Fox News: Florida Health Care Association Exec Reacts To State Lifting Coronavirus-Related Ban On Nursing Home Visits 
By September, it had been about six months since Florida nursing homes had last allowed families to visit vulnerable seniors due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The restriction had "saved thousands of lives," Emmett Reed, the executive director of the Florida Health Care Association, told Fox News on Wednesday. However, he says it is about time to reunite seniors with family members, noting that facilities have made significant progress statewide since March. (Genovese, 9/2)

Kaiser Health News: Watch: Florida Gutted Its Public Health System Ahead Of Pandemic  
KHN Midwest editor and correspondent Laura Ungar appeared on Spectrum News Bay News 9 to discuss her recent investigation with The Associated Press on how Florida slashed its local health departments — downsizing staffing from 12,422 full-time equivalent workers in 2010 to 9,125 in 2019 and cutting spending from $57 to $34 per resident over that period. The staffing and funding fell faster and further in the Sunshine State than the nation, leaving Florida especially unprepared for the worst health crisis in a century. Ungar also spoke on Fox 35 Orlando about the story, explaining how the cuts hampered the state’s ability to respond to the pandemic. (Ungar, (9/2)

The New York Times: As Covid Wanes In Florida, A City Battles ‘Pandemic Fatigue’ 
Of all the places in the country that are most vulnerable to the coronavirus, Hialeah is easy prey: a Hispanic blue-collar enclave outside Miami where households are packed, incomes are tight and work is essential. The virus lurks in the South Florida city’s nursing homes, nestles in its densely crowded apartment buildings and multiplies among families whose breadwinners must go out each day to toil at construction sites, hospitals and factories. (Mazzei, 9/2)

In news from California —

San Francisco Chronicle: Death Rate From COVID-19 In Prisons Twice Rate Of General Population
The death rate nationwide from COVID-19 is higher inside prison walls than outside and more than twice as high in California prisons, according to a study released Wednesday. The study by the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice, a nonprofit with bipartisan leadership, comes while inmate advocates are calling for more releases from overcrowded prisons, where cleaning supplies and protective equipment are sometimes limited, and social distancing is nearly impossible. (Egelko, 9/2)

CalMatters: CA’s Newsom Tries Again To Reopen State Amid Coronavirus
Will the third time be the charm for Gov. Gavin Newsom and his somewhat erratic efforts to battle the COVID-19 pandemic while preventing irreparable damage to the state’s once-vibrant economy? Newsom won widespread praise for his earliest efforts at preventing spread of the sometimes fatal coronavirus six months ago, ordering widespread shutdowns of consumer businesses such as restaurants and bars. It set California apart from other states, such as New York, that were experiencing sharp spikes in infections and deaths. (Walters, 9/2)

Los Angeles Times: EPA Chief Announces Projects To Address Border Sewage Spills 
Federal investments in Tijuana River Valley infrastructure to address problems with sewage runoff could mean an end to beach closures that have plagued the South Bay in recent years, officials announced Wednesday in San Diego.Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler, alongside local political leaders including San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, announced several projects funded in part by the agency at a news conference at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in San Diego. (Dyer, 9/2)

In news from Oregon and Washington —

AP: State Reaches Lowest Testing Positivity Rate In 2 Months
The rate of positive coronavirus tests in Oregon dropped to 4.4%, the lowest it has been in two months, officials from the state’s health authority said Wednesday. The weekly amount of cases in Oregon also continued to decline, decreasing 8.6 percent from the previous week. (Cline, 9/2)

AP: National Guard Headed To Pullman To Help Slow Coronavirus
The number of people testing positive for the coronavirus continues to grow rapidly in Whitman County, and various government agencies are working to slow the spread. A team from the Washington National Guard was headed to Pullman on Wednesday to set up a COVID-19 testing operation, according to county Director of Public Health Troy Henderson. (9/2)

In news from Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri and Texas —

Boston Globe: State Halts Admissions To Mission Hill Assisted Living Facility After Inspection 
State officials have suspended the certification of a Boston assisted living facility after inspectors discovered that employees were locking dementia patients in their rooms to enforce a quarantine aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19. Inspectors from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs found a host of problems at the facility, Landmark at Longwood, when they investigated last month, describing it as an “unsafe environment” for residents with dementia or memory loss. They noted that, when they visited, the reception desk was unstaffed and some aides failed to wash their hands or wear gloves. (Estes, 9/2)

Detroit Free Press: Court Rules In Favor Of Mandatory Coronavirus Testing For Farms
A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday in favor of the state order mandating coronavirus testing for all farmworkers in Michigan. The court's decision was cheered by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and immigrant advocates who say the order protects farmworkers, most of whom are Latino immigrants. In a 3-0 ruling, the   U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request by farm owners in Michigan for a preliminary injunction to block the state order issued Aug. 3. In a lawsuit filed after the order, a group of farm owners had maintained that the state order unfairly targeted farms and was discriminatory since the workers affected are mostly Latino. (Warikoo, 9/2)

NBC News: Missouri Man Sentenced To 5 Years For Arson At Planned Parenthood Clinic
A Missouri man was sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday for throwing a firebomb into a Planned Parenthood clinic, federal prosecutors said. Wesley Brian Kaster, 43, of Columbia, was arrested in March 2019, about a month after he threw a Molotov cocktail inside the Columbia Health Center, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri said. He pleaded guilty two federal charges in November. (Helsel, 9/2)

Dallas Morning News: Dallas County To Open Quarantine Hotel For Residents With COVID-19
Dallas County Health and Human Services announced Wednesday that it would open a housing facility where residents with mild cases of COVID-19 can quarantine. The complex is intended to help prevent people from spreading the virus to others in their households, especially those who are elderly or immunocompromised, according to Dr. Philip Huang, the county’s director of health and human services. (Jimenez, 9/2)

AP: Report: Mexico Leads In Health Worker Deaths From COVID-19
Mexico leads the world in coronavirus deaths among its health care workers, Amnesty International said in a new report Wednesday. It said Mexico has reported 1,320 confirmed deaths from COVIID-19 so far, surpassing the United States at 1,077, the United Kingdom at 649, and Brazil at 634. (9/2)

AP: Thailand Hits 100 Days With No Local Virus Transmissions
Thailand’s prime minister on Wednesday congratulated the nation for having achieved 100 days without a confirmed locally transmitted case of the coronavirus, even as security along the border with Myanmar is being stepped up as a measure against the disease. Health officials did not highlight the achievement, but Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described it as a “good accomplishment” toward making the country safe. He used the occasion to urge the government and people to work together to bring the country out of the COVID-19 crisis. (Peck, 9/2)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Quarantine Violations Result In Few Fines In U.K.
The British government has made a big show this summer about its coronavirus quarantine list — and generated lots of drama. ... Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain must be “absolutely ruthless about this, even with our closest and dearest friends and partners around the world.” But the enforcement numbers don’t suggest ruthlessness. Since June, when Britain began requiring self-isolation for people traveling from countries where the virus is spreading at a rapid rate, police have fined only three people for ignoring the rules in England and Wales. Another nine people were fined for failing to fill out contact forms. (Booth and Adam, 9/2)

The Washington Post: Tokyo Olympics: Japan Expects Vaccines To Be Ready, But Says Games Can Proceed Without One 
Japan's government says it expects to vaccinate the entire country against the novel coronavirus by the middle of next year. But even if that does not happen, the organizers of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics insist the Games can proceed — perhaps with limited spectators. “We don’t think a vaccine is a prerequisite for holding the Olympics,” Toshiro Muto, CEO of Tokyo 2020, said in an interview on Monday. “It would be still beneficial if an effective vaccine is developed by next year, and we do hope that will be the case.” (Denyer, 9/3)

In other global news —

PBS NewsHour: How Switzerland Delivered Health Care For All — And Kept Its Private Insurance 
Since the pandemic began, more Americans think U.S. health care is below average compared to other nations, and the possibility of moving to a system of universal coverage is up for debate. One potential model is Switzerland, which has achieved universal coverage while preserving the private marketplace. (Brangham and Kane, 9/2)

AP: Congo Sees Increase In Plague, At Least 10 Deaths This Year
Congo is seeing an upsurge in cases of the plague, as the vast Central African nation also battles outbreaks of COVID-19 and Ebola. Since June, Congo has recorded at least 65 cases of the plague, including at least 10 deaths, in the eastern Ituri province according to Ituri provincial chief of health Dr. Louis Tsolu. (Kamale, 9/2)

JAMA Network: Assessment Of COVID-19 Hospitalizations By Race/Ethnicity In 12 States 
Given the reported health disparities in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and mortality by race/ethnicity,1,2 there is an immediate need for increased assessment of the prevalence of COVID-19 across racial/ethnic subgroups of the population in the US. We examined the racial/ethnic prevalence of cumulative COVID-19 hospitalizations in the 12 states that report such data and compared how this prevalence differs from the racial/ethnic composition of each state’s population. (Karaca-Mandic et al, 8/17)

JAMA Network: Evaluating The Association Of Clinical Characteristics With Neutralizing Antibody Levels In Patients Who Have Recovered From Mild COVID-19 In Shanghai, China 
Are clinical characteristics of patients who recovered from mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated with levels of neutralizing antibodies? In this cohort study of 175 patients who recovered from mild COVID-19, neutralizing antibody titers to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) varied substantially at the time of discharge. In addition, neutralizing antibodies were not detected in 10 patients. (Wu et al, 8/18)

JAMA Network: Revascularization Practices And Outcomes In Patients With Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease Who Presented With Acute Myocardial Infarction And Cardiogenic Shock In The US, 2009-2018 
In this cohort study of 64 301 patients, an increasing proportion of US patients underwent multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock, with substantial variation in care practices across hospitals. The strategy of multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention was associated with worse periprocedural outcomes and excess in-hospital mortality, particularly in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, without evidence of improved long-term outcomes. (Khera et al, 8/24)

JAMA Network: Effect Of Sustained-Release Morphine For Refractory Breathlessness In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease On Health Status: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Does regular, low-dose, oral sustained-release morphine improve disease-specific health status or cause respiratory adverse effects in patients with moderate to very severe chronic breathlessness due to advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? (Verberkt et al, 8/17)

JAMA Network: Diagnostic Accuracy Of Symptoms, Physical Signs, And Laboratory Tests For Giant Cell Arteritis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis of 68 unique diagnostic cohort studies (14 037 unique patients) identified combinations of symptoms, physical signs, and laboratory tests that were informative with regard to the presence or absence of giant cell arteritis, but no single feature taken alone. Headache and scalp tenderness were poorly informative in this population. (van der Geest, 8/17)

The New York Times: Gerald Ford Rushed Out A Vaccine. It Was A Fiasco. 
Last week, news arrived that President Trump had lurched into what may be his most reckless obsession yet: His administration would probably seek an “emergency use authorization” for a Covid-19 vaccine long before some scientists believe it would be safe to do so. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services immediately addressed the obvious suspicion: “Talk of an ‘October surprise’”— an attempt to manufacture good news just before the November election — “is a lurid Resistance fantasy.” (Rick Perlstein, 9/2)

Bloomberg: Early Vaccine? Trump Is Winning Debate With Public-Health Experts
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has just told states to prepare for a possible vaccine as early as November, putting the issue of vaccine approval front and center. So consider this column an open letter to scientists, researchers and other experts in public health. I have some news for you: In the debate over how quickly the Food and Drug Administration should approve a vaccine for Covid-19, and over concern about premature approval, you are losing to President Donald Trump. Right now your arguments are simply not good enough. To be clear, I am inclined to agree with you, as I am not myself flying around the world, trying to get the “early vaccines” from Russia and China. Yet the all-important question of the optimal speed of vaccine approval deserves far more attention. The Federal Reserve puts hundreds of economists on the task of figuring out the best monetary policy. There should be an equal number of you in the field of public health studying vaccine policy. (Tyler Cowen, 9/2)

Stat: Placebos Aren't Needed For Challenge Trials Of Covid-19 Vaccines 
To control the Covid-19 pandemic, we need an effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes this highly infectious disease. Some argue that we should speed up the development and testing of new vaccines by using human challenge trials, in which volunteers who have received a candidate vaccine are deliberately exposed to the coronavirus. We agree with this view, but question the proposed methodology of these trials. (Kent A. Peacock and John R. Vokey, 9/3)

The Washington Post: The U.S. Is Facing A Crisis Of Confidence In Our Government Scientists
Eight months into the biggest public health crisis of our lifetimes, the United States is facing a related crisis: one of confidence in our federal government’s top scientific institutions.Last week, following alleged “top down” orders from the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines on coronavirus testing that flew in the face of common sense and public health. Major medical organizations issued immediate rebukes; governors vowed not to follow the guidelines; and the former head of the National Institutes of Health and the CEO of the Rockefeller Foundation wrote a joint op-ed urging the American public to “ignore the CDC.” (Leana S. Wen, 9/2)

Medscape: Dear Commissioner Hahn: Tell The Truth Or Resign
Dear Dr. Hahn, I'm writing because I'm gravely concerned about your leadership of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The circumstances of your statements in recent days has led to a crisis in confidence. Not only has your credibility been diminished but so has that of the FDA, its 15,000-plus staff members, and, most importantly, your ability to oversee the health interests of the American people. Let me remind you of the FDA's mission statement: "FDA is responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medical products more effective, safer, and more affordable and by helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medical products and foods to maintain and improve their health." (Eric Topol, 8/31)

Boston Globe: Flu Shot Mandate A Crucial Public Health Move During Pandemic 
With flu season upon us, that is exactly what’s about to happen. COVID-19, which has now killed about 9,000 people in Massachusetts, isn’t going anywhere. And fearing that two simultaneous infectious diseases will overwhelm the state’s health care resources, Massachusetts public health authorities announced an unprecedented order requiring that most students get the influenza vaccine, which has historically been optional. It’s a sensible step in the midst of an already devastating pandemic. (9/2)

The New York Times: In Spain, Nightlife Is More Important Than Schools
MADRID — Soccer, beaches, bullfights and discos. Spain’s priorities for reopening its economy after months of confinement read like a declaration of the government’s vision for the country. Just days before the school year begins, our politicians have finally decided to tackle what they seem to consider least urgent: the education of millions of students. (David Jiménez, 9/3)

Science: Can Europe Tame The Pandemic’s Next Wave?
"We’re at risk of gambling away our success,” virologist Christian Drosten warned in the German newspaper Die Zeit earlier this month. His message referred to Germany, but it could have been addressed to all of Europe. After beating back COVID-19 in the spring, most of Europe is seeing a resurgence. Spain is reporting close to 10,000 cases a day, more than it had at the height of the outbreak in the spring. France is back to reporting thousands of cases a day. In Germany, numbers are still low, but rising steadily. The pandemic is affecting countries that saw few cases in the spring, such as Greece and Malta, but is also rebounding in places that suffered terribly, including the cities of Madrid and Barcelona. (Kai Kupferschmidt, 9/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Back To School: No Excuses 
The main obstacle to reopening schools isn’t the virus. It’s the teachers’ unions. The virus has been under control in New York City for months, yet the teachers union this week threatened a strike unless classroom instruction was delayed. Mayor Bill de Blasio naturally surrendered, though state law prohibits teachers from striking. (9/2)

NBC News: COVID-19 Treatment And Diagnosis Research Started In Unlikely Places. As It Should Have.
The news today is filled with reporting on groundbreaking scientific studies, from those diagnosing the symptoms of COVID-19 to those tracking how it spreads to those exploring novel treatments and vaccines. It's clear that we’d have no hope of combating the pandemic and returning to a state of normalcy without the research being done right now. (Adam Larson, 9/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Allow Us To Present The Pandemic Bill
CBO reports that the lockdown recession and the explosion of spending this year will increase the budget deficit for fiscal 2020, which ends Sept. 30, to $3.3 trillion. At 16% of GDP, this will be the largest annual deficit since 1945, when there was merely a world war. The pandemic has become the fiscal equivalent of a war thanks to the economic lockdowns and the competition by both parties to ease voter anxieties with cash in an election year. (9/2)

Houston Chronicle: Post-Harvey, Current Hurricane Coverage Can Trigger Anxiety, Stress In Children
Although it has been three years since Hurricane Harvey made landfall, many children in our region are still experiencing the impact of that disaster, including the psychological distress that may not always be evident to those around them. Throughout an active hurricane season, children are likely to be reminded of Harvey, and the emotional pain they may feel in response is very real. (Julie Kaplow and Gary Blau, 9/2)