First Edition: Nov. 16, 2020

KHN: Red States’ Case Against ACA Hinges On Whether They Were Actually Harmed By The Law
Attorneys for GOP-controlled states seeking to kill the Affordable Care Act told the Supreme Court last week that at least some of the 12 million people who newly enrolled in Medicaid signed up only because of the law’s requirement that people have insurance coverage — although a tax penalty no longer exists. The statement drew a rebuke from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who said it belies reason. Several health experts also questioned the argument that poor people apply for Medicaid not because they need help getting health care but to meet the ACA’s individual mandate for coverage. (Galewitz, 11/16)

KHN: Homeless Shelters Grapple With COVID Safety As Cold Creeps In
Ben Barnes has slept in abandoned buildings, hallways and alleys. For the past year or so, he’s been staying at the city’s largest homeless shelter, Pacific Garden Mission, in the shadows of the famous skyline. “I’ve always considered myself homeless because I don’t have a home,” he said on a recent crisp, fall day in the shelter’s sun-splashed courtyard. But he’s fortunate, said Barnes, 44. He’s never had to sleep outside when it was below zero or snowy. He always found a friend’s place, building or shelter to crash in. He knows others aren’t so lucky. (Bruce, 11/16)

KHN: ‘An Arm And A Leg’: For Your Next Health Insurance Fight, An Exercise In Financial Self-Defense
A listener asked: ‘How do I remain cool when calling insurance companies?” So we called veteran self-defense teacher Lauren Taylor for advice. She leads Defend Yourself, an organization that works to empower people against violence and abuse. As Taylor teaches it, self-defense involves a lot more than hitting and kicking. It’s about standing up for yourself in all kinds of difficult situations. Striking that posture includes using your words, and we asked Taylor to talk us through her top strategies. This year, she used them in her own health insurance fight. (Weissmann, 11/16)

KHN: Long-Term Care Workers, Grieving And Under Siege, Brace For COVID’s Next Round 
In the middle of the night, Stefania Silvestri lies in bed remembering her elderly patients’ cries. “Help me.” “Please don’t leave me.” “I need my family.” Months of caring for older adults in a Rhode Island nursing home ravaged by COVID-19 have taken a steep toll on Silvestri, 37, a registered nurse. (Graham, 11/16)

The New York Times: Covid-19: U.S. Records 1 Million New Cases In A Week
Officials in the United States have reported more than 11 million total cases of coronavirus as of Sunday, as the country’s outbreaks lead to agonizing new levels of hospitalizations. Cases passed 10 million just a week ago, and more than 1 in 400 Americans have tested positive since. The latest virus surge began accelerating across much of the country in mid-October. It took just over two weeks for the nation to go from eight million cases to nine million on Oct. 30; from nine to 10 million took only 10 days. (11/16)

NPR: U.S. Hits 11 Million Coronavirus Cases, Adding 1 Million In A Week
More than 11 million confirmed coronavirus cases have been recorded in the United States, according to a COVID-19 tracker by Johns Hopkins University. The country reported 166,555 new cases on Sunday, with 1,266 new deaths. The staggering milestone was reached only six days after the U.S. hit 10 million cases. Positive test rates and hospitalization rates are on the rise across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Davis, 11/15)

The Hill: Michigan Enacts New Coronavirus Restrictions On Restaurants, Bars, Schools 
Michigan health officials on Sunday announced a new set of restrictions as part of the state's efforts to control a new wave of coronavirus cases. An order on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) website limits bars and restaurants to outdoor dining, carryout and delivery. Casinos and movie theaters will be closed. Gyms are allowed to remain open, but group classes are prohibited. High schools and university must conduct all classes remotely, according to the order. (Bowden, 11/15)

The Hill: Whitmer Responds To Atlas: I Won't 'Be Bullied Into Not Following Reputable Scientists' 
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) fired back at Dr. Scott Atlas, one of President Trump's coronavirus task force advisers, on Sunday after Atlas criticized a set of restrictions on public life in Michigan meant to slow the spread of COVID-19. Atlas earlier Sunday evening tweeted that "[t]he only way this stops is if people rise up," referring to Whitmer's decision to end indoor dining in Michigan restaurants as well as in-person learning in high schools and universities. (Bowden, 11/15)

The Hill: Washington State Issues Sweeping Restrictions To Combat Coronavirus Surge 
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) on Sunday announced broad new restrictions that will affect restaurants, theaters, gyms and indoor gatherings. The new restrictions will last for at least four weeks. Restaurants will be allowed to operate only outdoor service, and parties will be limited to five or fewer people. Gyms, theaters and museums will be shut down, The Seattle Times reported. (Choi, 11/15)

AP: Oregon, New Mexico Order Lockdowns As Other States Resist
The governors of Oregon and New Mexico ordered near-lockdowns Friday in the most aggressive response yet to the latest wave of coronavirus infections shattering records across the U.S., even as many of their counterparts in other states show little appetite for reimposing the hard-line restrictions of last spring. “We are in a life-or-death situation, and if we don’t act right now, we cannot preserve the lives, we can’t keep saving lives, and we will absolutely crush our current health care system and infrastructure,” Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico said in imposing a two-week stay-at-home order. (Smith, Johnson and Pane, 11/13)

The Washington Post: Raging Virus Triggers New Shutdown Orders And Economy Braces For Fresh Wave Of Pain
On Friday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) tightened limits on restaurants and indoor gatherings, effective at 12:01 a.m. Monday, while the governors of California, Oregon and Washington state issued a joint statement discouraging travel and advising visitors to quarantine upon arrival for 14 days. The mayor of New York City, meanwhile, warned parents that public schools could close as soon as Monday. (Lynch, 11/16)

Axios: The States Where Face Coverings Are Mandatory 
The governors of Utah and North Dakota are the latest to issue statewide mask mandates for public spaces, amid a steep spike in COVID-19 cases across the country. The big picture: States are reintroducing mitigation efforts like closing businesses and advising people to stay home as the U.S. averages the most daily cases of any point in the pandemic. (Fernandez and Arias, 11/15)

The New York Times: CDC Issues Increasingly Assertive Advice As Coronavirus Pandemic Surges 
As the pandemic engulfs the nation, recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been as notable for what they do not say as for what they do. In a turnabout, the agency now is hewing more closely to scientific evidence, often contradicting the positions of the Trump administration. In scientific briefs published on Tuesday, the C.D.C. described the benefits of masks to wearers, not just to those around them. Agency researchers also urged people to celebrate Thanksgiving only with others in their households or, failing that, to wear a mask with two or more layers. (Mandavilli, 11/13)

Politico: National Lockdown ‘A Measure Of Last Resort,’ Biden Coronavirus Taskforce Head Says 
A national lockdown as Covid-19 cases tick up is "a measure of last resort," the co-chair of Joe Biden's coronavirus taskforce, Vivek Murthy, said Sunday. "We have got to approach this with the position of a scalpel rather than the blunt force of an ax," the former surgeon general told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday," arguing for a more nuanced approach. (Mueller, 11/15)

NPR: Vivek Murthy: COVID Restrictions Should Be More Of A 'Dial' Less Of A 'Switch' 
The Trump administration has not cooperated with President-elect Joe Biden's transition team, and top Biden officials say the incoming president is limited in what he can do before his team takes the reins. Still, Biden's coronavirus advisory board co-chair Vivek Murthy says they're doing everything they can to ensure plans are ready to go on Inauguration Day — including stronger mask requirements. Biden has already called for implementing mask mandates nationwide. Where mandates don't exist, Biden will make direct pleas to governors and mayors to put them in place, Murthy said in an interview with NPR's Weekend Edition. (Schwartz, 11/15)

AP: Biden Advisers To Meet Vaccine Firms As Trump Stalls Handoff
Joe Biden’s scientific advisers will meet with vaccine makers in coming days as the presidential transition remains stalled because of President Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge that he lost the election. That delayed handoff is especially problematic during a public health crisis, the government’s top infectious disease expert said. “Of course it would be better if we could start working with them,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who has been through multiple presidential transitions during 36 years of government service. He likened the process to runners passing on the baton in a relay race. “You don’t want to stop and then give it to somebody,” he said. “You want to just essentially keep going.” (Alonso-Zaldivar and Weissert, 11/15)

AP: Biden Seeks Window On Vaccine Plans As Trump Stalls Handoff
President-elect Joe Biden’s scientific advisers plan to meet with vaccine makers in coming days even as a stalled presidential transition keeps them out of the loop on government plans to inoculate all Americans against COVID-19. President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept that he lost the election means that the Biden team lacks a clear picture of the groundwork within the government for a mass vaccination campaign that will last the better part of next year, says Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain. (Alonso-Zaldivar and Weissert, 11/16)

USA Today: Trump Facing Criticism On COVID Fight As He Delays Biden Transition
President Donald Trump faced mounting criticism Sunday for continuing to focus his message on the election and unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud while sidestepping a resurgent coronavirus pandemic raging across the country. Trump struck a defiant tone in a series of weekend tweets, claiming voting was "rigged" for President-elect Joe Biden. His critics said Sunday that by refusing to acknowledge the results of the Nov. 3 election, Trump was delaying the transition and complicating Biden's ability to hit the ground running in the battle against COVID-19. (Fritze, 11/15)

Politico: Health Officials Sound Alarm Over Impact Of Trump’s Transition Blockade 
Public health officials, members of Joe Biden’s transition team, and elected Democrats and Republicans urged President Donald Trump on Sunday to begin the transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden, warning that continuing to waylay the process amid a spiking pandemic could endanger American lives. “Of course it would be better” if public health officials could begin working with Biden’s transition team right now, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “That is obvious.” (Mueller, 11/15)

NPR: U.S. Surgeon General Blames 'Pandemic Fatigue' For Recent COVID-19 Surge
The COVID-19 crisis in the U.S. is getting worse by nearly every metric. On Friday alone, there were more than 184,000 new confirmed cases and 1,400 deaths, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported. Hospitals are reaching capacity. To date in the U.S., there have been more than 10 million confirmed cases of the virus and more than 240,000 have died — more than any other nation. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams says "pandemic fatigue" is largely to blame. People are tired and aren't taking mitigation measures as seriously as before, he says. (Silva and Martin, 11/14)

AP: Poll Workers Contract Virus, But Election Day Link Unclear
Despite painstaking efforts to keep election sites safe, some poll workers who came in contact with voters on Election Day have tested positive for the coronavirus, including more than two dozen in Missouri and others in New York, Iowa, Indiana and Virginia. The infections cannot be tied definitively to polling places. Because COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the U.S., there is no way to determine yet whether in-person voting on Election Day contributed to the surge, public health experts said. (Izaguirre, 11/16)

The Hill: Election Day Link Uncertain After Poll Workers Across US Test Positive For COVID-19 
The largest outbreak so far has been detected among election workers in the Kansas City suburbs of Jackson County, Mo., according to The Associated Press. Twenty-eight people who worked as poll workers there have tested positive in recent weeks, although Election Board head Tammy Brown said staffers urged anyone who felt sick to stay home. “We, as election officials, all knew we were at risk,” Brown said, according to the AP. “I don’t think this was shocking to any of us.” (Budryk, 11/15)

The Hill: Progressive House Democrats To Host Health Care Strategy Session 
Three members of the House's growing progressive wing will attend a strategy session Wednesday for left-leaning health care activists aimed at defining priorities under President-elect Joe Biden's administration. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) will join the Center for Health and Democracy's Wendell Potter to "chart the path forward on transforming our broken health care system," according to a tweet from Potter. (Bowden, 11/15)

The Washington Post: With Pandemic Raging, Republicans Say Election Results Validate Their Approach 
The victories in state and local races have allowed GOP leaders to claim a mandate for their let-it-be approach to pandemic management, with pleas for “personal responsibility” substituting government intervention. As hospitals fill and deaths climb, it’s a philosophy that public health experts warn could have disastrous consequences this winter. (Witte, 11/15)

Politico: Health Care Vs. 'Radical Leftists': Parties Re-Running 2020 Playbooks In Georgia Runoffs 
Republicans want to save Georgians from socialism. Democrats want to save their health care and flip the Senate. The dueling messages last week defined the kickoff of the two runoff elections in Georgia that will decide control of the Senate in January. Win both races, and Democrats have a 50-50 Senate with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris breaking ties. Lose both, and Democrats are relegated once again to the minority, with a Republican Senate standing in the way of President-elect Joe Biden’s ambitious agenda. (Arkin, 11/15)

Modern Healthcare: COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration Set To Expire On Inauguration Day
An HHS COVID-19 public health emergency declaration tied to regulatory flexibilities and funding for healthcare providers is set to expire on Inauguration Day. A drawn-out vote count and the lack of a concession from President Donald Trump has slowed the transition process for President-elect Joe Biden's team. Stakeholders and public health experts say the emergency declaration will likely still be necessary as case numbers are trending upward and potential vaccine distribution is on the horizon. (Cohrs, 11/13)

FierceHealthcare: CMS: More Than 800K Signed Up For ACA Plans On HealthCare.Gov On First Week Of Open Enrollment 
The first week of 2021 open enrollment on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges saw 818,365 people sign up on HealthCare.gov. The robust start to open enrollment, which began on Nov. 1, comes even during a presidential election. (King, 11/12)

Politico: 20 Million Americans Could Receive Covid-19 Vaccine In December 
Roughly 20 million people could be vaccinated against the coronavirus in December, the head of the Trump administration's vaccine and drug accelerator said Friday. Americans can expect that about 25 to 30 million people could be vaccinated each month afterward, said Moncef Slaoui, co-lead of Operation Warp Speed, during a Rose Garden event with President Donald Trump and other top health officials. (Owermohle, 11/13)

The Washington Post: Open Enrollment Season During Coronavirus Pandemic Means More Mental Health Benefits, Hospital Coverage
In addition to providing more time off or flexibility for child care — perks that have received much attention as the pandemic has dragged on — employers are also offering workers far more access to telehealth platforms and mental health benefits. “The big realization a lot of these companies have had during the pandemic is that there’s so much that happens in your personal life that affects your work,” said Brian Kropp, a vice president for the advisory firm Gartner. (McGregor, 11/14)

AP: BioNTech Scientist: Vaccine Could Halve Virus Transmission
One of the scientists behind the experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer said Sunday that he was confident that it could halve the transmission of the virus, resulting in a “dramatic” curb of the virus’ spread. Professor Ugur Sahin, chief executive of Germany’s BioNTech, said it was “absolutely essential” to have a high vaccination rate before next autumn to ensure a return to normal life next winter. (11/15)

Politico: Coronavirus Vaccine Scientist: ‘We Could Have A Normal Winter Next Year’
One of the scientists behind the coronavirus vaccine that has been found to be 90 percent effective said that "if everything continues to go well ... we could have a normal winter next year." BioNTech co-founder Uğur Şahin told the BBC on Sunday that "this winter will be hard" and the vaccine "will not have a big impact on the infection numbers." But he said that "if everything continues to go well," the goal is to deliver more than 300 million doses of the vaccine before "April next year, which could allow us to already start to make an impact." (Dallison, 11/15)

The Hill: Fauci: Don't Abandon Masks, Social Distancing After Getting Vaccine 
Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, on Sunday recommended continued protections such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing after a coronavirus vaccine becomes available. CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Fauci on "State of the Union" if "once the process is complete, does that mean [people] can take off their masks, they don't have to social distance, they can just go about their lives as before?" "I would recommend that that is not the case. I would recommend you have an added area of protection," Fauci replied. (Budryk, 11/15)

Reuters: J&J Starts Two-Dose Trial Of Its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate 
Johnson & Johnson launched a new large-scale late-stage trial on Monday to test a two-dose regimen of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine and evaluate potential incremental benefits for the duration of protection with a second dose. The U.S. drugmaker plans to enroll up to 30,000 participants for the study and run it in parallel with a one-dose trial with as many as 60,000 volunteers that began in September. (Kelland, 11/15)

Politico: Cuomo Threatens To Sue Trump For Equitable Vaccine Distribution
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is promising to “mobilize an army” to ensure that Black and brown New Yorkers have equal access to any coronavirus vaccines, and threatened a lawsuit against the Trump administration if its distribution plan isn’t overhauled to make that possible. “The Trump administration is designing the distribution plan, and their plan basically has private health care companies administer the vaccines,” Cuomo said in a speech delivered during services in Manhattan’s Riverside Church on Sunday morning, a rare address in which he relied on a teleprompter. (Mahoney, 11/15)

Bloomberg: Crucial Vaccine And Treatment Data Only Days Away
Pharmaceutical companies are starting to unveil medical advances in the battle against the coronavirus, in what one CEO described as  “an incredible feat of science over a disease.” Over the next few weeks, we're likely to learn a lot more about how well these vaccines and treatments work. In a one-two-pandemic-punch on Nov. 9, Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE reported that their vaccine was highly effective in preventing symptomatic cases of Covid-19, while Eli Lilly & Co.’s treatment for those at early stages was granted a green light from U.S. regulators. (Griffin, 11/14)

Boston Globe: Efforts Intensify To Determine Those First In Line To Receive A COVID-19 Vaccine — And Build Trust In Skeptical Communities
With a potential COVID-19 vaccine suddenly closer on the horizon, planning is intensifying over which Massachusetts residents will be first in line to receive the shots and how to persuade communities that are deeply mistrustful of vaccines and the health care system to step forward. (Lazar, 11/15)

ProPublica: Rapid Testing Is Less Accurate Than The Government Wants To Admit 
The promise of antigen tests emerged like a miracle this summer. With repeated use, the theory went, these rapid and cheap coronavirus tests would identify highly infectious people while giving healthy Americans a green light to return to offices, schools and restaurants. The idea of on-the-spot tests with near-instant results was an appealing alternative to the slow, lab-based testing that couldn’t meet public demand. (Song, 11/16)

The Washington Post: Covid Risk And Tracking Tools: How To Use Them Safely 
For many Americans these days, the mere idea of leaving the house prompts a question: “What’s the risk?” And often, they find that even after scrutinizing data on novel coronavirus cases and poring over public health recommendations, there still isn’t a clear answer. (Chiu, 11/13)

The New York Times: Doctors Are Calling It Quits Under Stress Of The Coronavirus 
Two years ago, Dr. Kelly McGregory opened her own pediatric practice just outside Minneapolis, where she could spend as much time as she wanted with patients and parents could get all of their questions answered. But just as her practice was beginning to thrive, the coronavirus hit the United States and began spreading across the country. (Abelson, 11/15)

AP: North Dakota Nurses Worry About Working With Sick Colleagues
Like many medical workers around the world, Fargo emergency room nurse Adam Johnston can’t escape the grim reality of the coronavirus pandemic. It follows him everywhere: at work, where people die every shift; at the grocery store, where people rail against his city’s mask requirement; and at home, where he struggles to sleep. He’s gotten through the long months, including North Dakota’s current virus wave that is among the worst in the U.S., by finding solace with fellow nurses during brief breaks where they can swap tips on beating insomnia or just vent frustrations. But he and many other nurses fear things are about to get even harder now that Gov. Doug Burgum has allowed the state’s beleaguered hospitals to use infected but asymptomatic workers to treat COVID-19 patients. (MacPherson and Groves, 11/15)

Modern Healthcare: VA To Protect Clinicians Practicing Across State Lines
The Veterans Affairs Department has issued an interim final rule to make it easier for VA clinicians to practice across state lines, even when it conflicts with state requirements. The rule is designed to "preempt" state requirements that could be used to sanction VA clinicians for doing so, according to the rule published in the Federal Register Thursday. (Kim Cohen, 11/13)

FierceHealthcare: Rural Hospitals Struggle To Find Places To Transfer Patients Amid COVID-19 Surges 
Norton County Hospital is facing a major problem in recent days: Figuring out where to send patients that need a higher level of care. As larger hospitals become overwhelmed with serious cases of COVID-19, the options are dwindling. For Norton, the closest hospital that it has been able to transport patients is six hours away. (King, 11/13)

USA Today: Rural Hospitals Crowded With COVID Patients As Cases And Deaths Surge
In North Texas, Moore County Hospital District CEO Jeff Turner is managing more than his small rural hospital can handle. The Dumas hospital has space and staff for 11 coronavirus patients, but only three who are really sick and need intensive care. When they need lifesaving therapies Turner's hospital can't provide, his staff tries to find open beds at larger hospitals in Amarillo, about 50 miles to the south. (Alltucker, 11/15)

Stat: Federal Authorities Issue Strong Warning To Pharma Over Speaker Programs
A federal watchdog agency has issued an unusual warning to the pharmaceutical industry to avoid using kickbacks — specifically, under the guise of so-called speaker programs — to entice doctors to write more prescriptions. (Silverman, 11/16)

Stat: Concerns Linger Over Cytokinetics, Amgen Heart Failure Drug
Cytokinetics and Amgen on Friday presented a deeper analysis from a large clinical trial of their chronic heart failure drug, showing a greater benefit for subgroups of patients with more advanced heart failure. The new findings are somewhat better than the initial study results presented in October. (Feuerstein, 11/13)

Modern Healthcare: Ochsner Health Pledges $100 Million To Eliminate Health Disparities
Louisiana-based Ochsner Health is pledging $100 million over the next five years to help eliminate healthcare disparities, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to further hinder the health of the state's most vulnerable residents. The commitment is part of a 10-year plan the health network has developed with state and local officials, as well as academic and community leaders to improve the state's health status. (Johnson, 11/13)

Stat: Failed Study Spawns Debate About Fish-Oil-Derived Drugs 
The results of a new study are re-igniting a debate among cardiologists as to whether a prescription fish oil product, Vascepa, reduces patients’ risk of heart attacks and strokes. The study doesn’t test Vascepa, made by Amarin Corp., but another drug called Epanova, which is made by AstraZeneca. (Herper, 11/16)

CIDRAP: CDC: Symptom-Based COVID-19 Airport Screening Ineffective
Data published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) shows that resource-intensive, symptom-based airline passenger entry screening identified few laboratory-diagnosed COVID-19 cases—only 1 case for every 85,000 travelers screened. The researchers also highlight the inadequacy of electronic airline data for contact tracing, finding that only 22% of records contain both the traveler's phone number and physical address. (11/13)

AP: N.C. State Requiring COVID-19 Test Before Return To Campus
Students, faculty and staff at North Carolina State University will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before returning to campus in the spring. The school announced the new policy Friday, WNCN-TV reported. The decision comes after more than 1,000 cases forced the school to move mostly to remote classes during the fall semester. (11/15)

The New York Times: How Can My College Student Come Home Safely For Thanksgiving? 
College students and their parents face a daunting challenge this Thanksgiving: How can students go home for the holiday without bringing the coronavirus with them? The logistics of Thanksgiving break in the midst of a pandemic are tough. College campuses have emerged as hotbeds of infection in some parts of the country, accounting for more than 252,000 infections and at least 80 deaths. While students are at relatively low risk for complications related to Covid-19, the worry is that an asymptomatic student could unknowingly bring the virus home to vulnerable family members. (Parker-Pope and Halpert, 11/13)

NPR: College Students Home For The Holidays: How To Keep Families Safe From COVID-19 
Sandy Kretschmer imagines her son Henry returning home from college, dropping his bags and then giving her a big hug. But she knows the reality of this homecoming may be a lot different. "I'll probably have a mask on, and he'll have a mask on when I hug him," she says. Henry plans to take a COVID-19 test a few days before he leaves Iowa State University where he's a junior, and he'll self-quarantine until he heads home to Chicago. (Nadworny and Noguchi, 11/14)

The Washington Post: International Student Enrollment Falls Sharply During Coronavirus Pandemic, Survey Shows 
Tens of thousands of international students have paused their plans to enroll in U.S. colleges and universities this fall amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, threatening a key source of revenue for higher education, a new survey shows. The Institute of International Education reported Monday that international enrollment fell 16 percent this fall at more than 700 schools it surveyed. The flow of new international students into U.S. institutions plummeted 43 percent from the previous year. (Anderson, 11/16)

AP: Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim Tests Positive For Virus
Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and the Orange have paused all team activities. The 75-year-old Boeheim said in a statement posted on both Twitter and the university website Sunday that he was informed after the team’s most recent testing and is in isolation at home. (11/16)

The New York Times: ‘Rumble In The Bronx’ Fight Club Drew 200. The Sheriff Shut It Down.
More than 200 people stood shoulder to shoulder shouting as two men sparred at the center of a Bronx warehouse. Some people hung over the barricades, social media showed, craning their necks for a better view. When one man knocked out the other, the crowd erupted in a thunderous roar. The amateur fight would have been illegal before the pandemic, but with coronavirus cases spiking in the city, it risked being a dangerous underground event. (Ransom, 11/15)

USA Today: Costco Face Mask Policy Update Requires All Shoppers To Wear A Mask Or Shield Amid Coronavirus Surges
Costco will no longer make an exemption for people who say they can’t wear a face covering because of a medical condition. The wholesale club’s updated face mask policy goes into effect Monday and requires all members, guests and employees to wear a face mask or a face shield in order to shop in its nearly 560 clubs nationwide. (Tyko, 11/16)

Reuters: Lockdown 2.0: Food Companies Overhauled Production To Put More Toilet Paper, Pasta Sauce In Stores 
When rumors first began to circulate that the UK would go back into lockdown, Leanne Barnes despaired as bread and toilet roll flew off the shelves again at her local supermarket. But to her surprise, shelves were back to being fully stocked within a few days. Barnes stocked her pantry last time around with a few additional comfort foods - macaroni cheese, ravioli, soup and spaghetti. But as of last week, she said she felt no urge to stockpile goods. (Naidu, Waldersee and Cavale, 11/13)

AP: Here Comes Santa Claus - With Face Masks And Plexiglass
Santa Claus is coming to the mall — just don’t try to sit on his lap. Despite the pandemic — and the fact that Santa’s age and weight put him at high risk for severe illness from the coronavirus — mall owners are going ahead with plans to bring him back this year. But they are doing all they can to keep the jolly old man safe, including banning kids from sitting on his knee, no matter if they’ve been naughty or nice. (Pisani, 11/16)

The New York Times: Sex-Abuse Claims Against Boy Scouts Now Surpass 82,000 
More than 82,000 people have come forward with sex-abuse claims against the Boy Scouts of America, describing a decades-long accumulation of assaults at the hands of scout leaders across the nation who had been trusted as role models. The claims, which lawyers said far eclipsed the number of abuse accusations filed in Catholic Church cases, continued to mount ahead of a Monday deadline established in bankruptcy court in Delaware, where the Boy Scouts had sought refuge this year in a bid to survive the demands for damages. (Baker, 11/15)

The Hill: Elon Musk Says He 'Most Likely' Has COVID-19, Questions Tests 
Tech mogul Elon Musk on Saturday said he “most likely” has a moderate case of COVID-19 while continuing to question the accuracy of coronavirus tests. In response to a Twitter user asking if he had the coronavirus the Tesla CEO tweeted, “Am getting wildly different results from different labs, but most likely I have a moderate case of covid. My symptoms are that of a minor cold, which is no surprise, since a coronavirus is a type of cold.” (Choi, 11/15)

CNN: Nevada Governor Tests Positive For Covid-19 
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak tested positive for Covid-19 Friday, according to a news release from his office. Sisolak, a Democrat, received a positive result from a rapid test and is awaiting results from a diagnostic PCR test, his office said. He admitted to feeling tired earlier this week, the release said, but he "attributed this to his demanding schedule." He did not experience any other symptoms. (Becker, Vera and Passantino, 11/13)