First Edition: July 16, 2020

Kaiser Health News: Why Doctors Keep Monitoring Kids Who Recover From Mysterious COVID-Linked Illness 
Israel Shippy doesn’t remember much about having COVID-19 — or the unusual auto-immune disease it triggered — other than being groggy and uncomfortable for a bunch of days. He’s a 5-year-old, and would much rather talk about cartoons, or the ideas for inventions that constantly pop into his head. ... In New York, at least 237 kids, including Israel, appear to have Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C. And state officials continue to track the syndrome, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not respond to repeated requests for information on how many children nationwide have been diagnosed so far with MIS-C. (Mogul and Godoy, 7/16)

Kaiser Health News and Politifact: A Coronavirus Vaccine: Where Does It Stand?
More than four months into the coronavirus pandemic, how close are the U.S. and the world to a safe and effective vaccine? Scientists say they see steady progress and are expressing cautious optimism that a vaccine could be ready by spring.As of early July, roughly 160 vaccine projects were underway worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. (Jacobson, 7/16)

The New York Times: As U.S. Coronavirus Cases Hit 3.5 Million, Officials Scramble To Add Restrictions 
The United States on Wednesday reported more than 67,300 new infections across the country, according to a New York Times database. It was the nation’s second-highest single-day total and roughly 1,000 cases shy of the record set last week. The U.S. outbreak, which has increased in 41 states over the past two weeks, hit 3.5 million total infections on Wednesday, the Times’s database shows. (7/15)

AP: Confirmed US Virus Cases Rise Amid New Global Restrictions
California, Arizona, Texas and Florida together reported about 36,000 new coronavirus cases Wednesday as restrictions aimed at combating the spread of the pandemic took hold in the United States and around the world in an unsettling sign reminiscent of the dark days of April. The soaring counts of confirmed infections and a mounting death toll led the mayor of Los Angeles to declare that the nation’s second-largest city is on the verge of resorting to a shutdown of all but essential businesses. More school districts made plans to start the fall semester without on-site instruction, and the 2021 Rose Parade in California was canceled. (Tucker, Kantouris and Jackson, 7/16)

The Hill: Fauci Says 'Bizarre' Efforts To Discredit Him Only Hurt The White House 
Anthony Fauci said the efforts to discredit him by some in the Trump administration are “bizarre” and a poor reflection of the president. In an interview with The Atlantic published Wednesday, the nation's top infectious diseases expert responded to news that the White House sent out a memo over the weekend detailing “wrong” statements he had made about the pandemic. “I cannot figure out in my wildest dreams why they would want to do that,” Fauci said. “I think they realize now that that was not a prudent thing to do, because it’s only reflecting negatively on them." (Hellmann, 7/15)

NPR: Trump Weighs In On Peter Navarro Op-Ed Attacking Anthony Fauci 
Responding to Navarro's op-ed Wednesday, Trump said: "He made a statement representing himself. He shouldn't be doing that." "I have a very good relationship with Anthony," Trump continued, "we're all on the same team." (Keith, 7/15)

The Hill: McConnell Says He Has 'Total' Confidence In Fauci 
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday threw his support behind Anthony Fauci, as the nation's top infectious disease expert has come under fire from members of the Trump administration. Asked during a stop in Kentucky what his level of confidence is in Fauci, McConnell replied: "Total." (Carney, 7/15)

The Hill: Fauci's Wife Speaks Out About Criticism: 'They Are Making Things Up' 
Christine Grady, wife of the country’s leading infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, spoke out this week about the criticism her husband has faced as he has in recent days drawn scrutiny from Trump administration officials over his public health recommendations. In an interview with InStyle published on Wednesday, Grady – the head of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center – discussed her husband’s commitment to public health and said when “he gets criticized, it feels unfair to me because he is working so hard for the right reasons.” (Folley, 7/15)

Reuters: Fauci Bullish On Prospects For U.S. Vaccine, Not Worried About China Winning Race
The leading U.S. expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, predicted on Wednesday the country will meet its goal of a coronavirus vaccine by year’s end and was unmoved by the prospect that China would get there first. While there are no guarantees, “I feel good about the projected timetable,” Fauci told Reuters in an interview. His comments follow promising early stage data for the Moderna Inc’s coronavirus vaccine, released on Tuesday, that was developed by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which Fauci directs. (Steenhuysen, 7/15)

AP: New Peak Of 71K US Overdose Deaths In 2019 Dashes Hopes
Nearly 71,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, a new record that predates the COVID-19 crisis, which the White House and many experts believe will drive such deaths even higher. Preliminary numbers released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the trend is driven by fentanyl and similar synthetic opioids, which accounted for 36,500 overdose deaths. Deaths involving cocaine and methamphetamine also are rising. (Johnson, 7/15)

The Hill: Fatal Drug Overdoses Rose In 2019, Reversing Previous Year's Dip 
The dip in fatal drug overdoses in 2018 was lauded by the Trump administration, but according to the CDC, the District of Columbia and 18 states all experienced increases of at least 10 percent in 2019. The increase in overdose deaths can be pinned heavily on synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, but deaths from methamphetamine and cocaine also rose. (Johnson, 7/15)

Politico: Fatal Overdoses Climbed To Record High In 2019, Reversing Historic Progress 
Thirty-seven states reported an increase in drug overdose deaths or numbers that were unchanged compared to the previous year. South Dakota saw a 54 percent increase in deaths — by far the largest of any state. North Dakota was second with a 31 percent jump, followed by Alaska, where drug overdose deaths climbed 27 percent. (Ehley, 7/15)

The New York Times: In Shadow Of Pandemic, U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Resurge To Record 
It looks as if 2020 will be even worse. Drug deaths have risen an average of 13 percent so far this year over last year, according to mortality data from local and state governments collected by The New York Times, covering 40 percent of the U.S. population. If this trend continues for the rest of the year, it will be the sharpest increase in annual drug deaths since 2016, when a class of synthetic opioids known as fentanyls first made significant inroads in the country’s illicit drug supply. (Katz, Goodnough and Sanger-Katz, 7/15)

Stat: States Slash Addiction Treatment Budgets, Even As Overdoses Spike 
Drug overdoses have skyrocketed and demand for addiction treatment medicine has soared as the coronavirus pandemic continues. But many cash-strapped states are nevertheless slashing budgets for opioid crisis programs. (Sokolow, 7/16)

AP: Doctors Not Part Of DHS Review Of Migrant Children's Deaths
A government auditor did not employ medical professionals when his office cleared U.S. border agents of wrongdoing in the deaths of two Guatemalan children, the auditor said Wednesday. Joseph Cuffari, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, testified before the House Homeland Security Committee regarding the deaths of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal and 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Both children died in December 2018 after being apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol. (Merchant, 7/15)

Arizona Republic: Deaths Of Migrant Children In Border Patrol Custody Said To Be Preventable
Two doctors told members of Congress that the deaths of two migrant children in the custody of Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border could have been prevented if agents had more medical training and if migrants in U.S. custody had improved access to adequate care. The House Committee on Homeland Security held a virtual hearing on Wednesday to address the deaths of two Guatemalan children in December 2018 — the first deaths of minors in custody in nearly a decade. They also scrutinized Border Patrol's medical procedures for migrant children in its custody. (Carranza, 7/15)

AP: China Firm Uses Workers To 'Pre-Test' Vaccine In Global Race
In the global race to make a coronavirus vaccine, a state-owned Chinese company is boasting that its employees, including top executives, received experimental shots even before the government approved testing in people. “Giving a helping hand in forging the sword of victory,” reads an online post from SinoPharm with pictures of workers it says helped “pre-test” its vaccine. (McNeil and Neergaard, 7/16)

Reuters: China's Sinopharm Begins Late Stage Trial Of COVID-19 Vaccine In Abu Dhabi 
Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical company Sinopharm has begun Phase III clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine in the emirate of Abu Dhabi using around 15,000 volunteers, the Abu Dhabi government media office said on Thursday. The human trial taking place in Abu Dhabi, part of the United Arab Emirates, is a partnership between Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group (CNBG), Abu Dhabi based artificial intelligence and cloud computing company Group 42 and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health. (Barrington and Cornwell, 7/16)

Reuters: China Gives The Go-Ahead For Human Trials Of BioNTech's COVID Vaccine Candidate 
China has approved an early-stage trial in humans of German firm BioNTech’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine, its local partner Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical said on Thursday. The potential vaccine is one of the two most advanced candidates that BioNTech is working on with its partner Pfizer Inc and they received “fast track” status this week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which is designed to speed up the regulatory review process. (7/15)

The Hill: Pompeo Says China Will 'Absolutely' Pay A Price For Pandemic 
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said that the world will “absolutely” make China pay a price for the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, saying the cost will likely be reflected in changing relations with the world’s second largest economy. “I think the world will absolutely make them pay a price,” Pompeo said in an interview with The Hill’s Editor-in-Chief Bob Cusack. (Kelly, 7/15)

AP: Watchdog Report Faults Medicare Agency's Contract Management
The head of the Medicare and Medicaid programs failed to properly manage more than $6 million in communications and outreach contracts, giving broad authority over federal employees to a Republican media strategist she worked with before joining the Trump administration, a government watchdog said in a report to be released Thursday. Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other agency leaders did not administer the contracts “in accordance with federal requirements,” according to the inspector general at the Department of Health and Human Services. CMS is part of the department. (Lardner, 7/16)

Politico: Inspector General: Medicare Chief Broke Rules On Her Publicity Contracts 
A top Trump administration health official violated federal contracting rules by steering millions of taxpayer dollars in contracts that ultimately benefited GOP-aligned communications consultants, according to an inspector general report set to be released today. The contracts, which were directed by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief Seema Verma, were only halted after a POLITICO investigation raised questions about their legality and the agency had paid out more than $5 million to the contractors. (Diamond and Cancryn, 7/16)

Politico: Trump Team Relaxed Training Rules For Nursing Home Staff Just As Pandemic Hit
Shortly after the first coronavirus outbreak ravaged a nursing home in Kirkland, Wash., the Trump administration moved to fulfill a longstanding industry goal — waiving the requirement that nurse’s aides receive 75 hours of training and allowing people who study only eight hours online to become caregivers during the pandemic. The industry had been fighting for years to reduce training requirements, saying they make it harder to recruit staff. The day after the administration announced the change, the industry rolled out a free online training program for certifying the new role — called a "temporary nurse aide" — that has since been adopted by at least 19 states. (Severns, 7/15)

The New York Times: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Is Released From Hospital 
Justice Ginsburg underwent an endoscopic procedure to clean out a bile duct stent, the court’s spokeswoman, Kathleen Arberg, said in a statement. The stent was inserted last August while Justice Ginsburg was receiving treatment for a malignant tumor on her pancreas, which included focused radiation therapy. (Vigdor, 7/14)

Politico: Oklahoma Governor Tests Positive For Coronavirus After Hosting Trump Rally
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has tested positive for coronavirus, he said Wednesday, as cases in his state hit record numbers just a month after his state hosted President Donald Trump’s first campaign rally amid the pandemic. In a news conference he attended virtually, Stitt, a Republican, revealed that he had been getting tested for the virus periodically and most recently got tested Tuesday when the results came back positive. (Oprysko, 7/15)

The Washington Post: The First Governor To Contract The Coronavirus Was Also Among The Most Cavalier About It 
The coronavirus pandemic has for the first time infected one of the nation’s governors. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) says he was “pretty shocked” to have that distinction. But Stitt has also been among the most cavalier about the threat posed by the virus. The most visible example of Stitt’s attitude toward the virus came last month, when he encouraged President Trump to hold a rally in Tulsa even as health officials balked. Stitt then attended the rally while, like the vast majority of people there, declining to wear a mask. (Blake, 7/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Cases Rise In Several States; Oklahoma Governor Tests Positive 
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt became the latest politician to test positive for the new coronavirus, as rising numbers of cases in more U.S. states suggested the pandemic was continuing to spread. Mr. Stitt, a Republican, joins a list of U.S. and world leaders who have contracted Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, including Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Bolivia’s interim president, Jeanine Áñez. (Krouse, Ansari and Prang, 7/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Walmart, Kroger To Require Shoppers To Wear Masks In All U.S. Stores 
The retail giants, which operate more than 8,000 stores across the country, said they were adopting their own mask requirements to protect their staff and customers. Walmart said a lack of federal rules had left it with a patchwork of local regulations. “We know this is a simple step everyone can take for their safety and the safety of others,” it said. (Sebastian and Terlep, 7/15)

AP: Walmart Latest Retailer To Require Customers To Wear Masks
The company said Wednesday that the policy will go into effect on Monday to allow time to inform customers. Currently, about 65% of its more than 5,000 stores and clubs are located in areas where there is already some form of government mandate on face coverings. Hours after Walmart’s announcement, supermarket chain Kroger, based in Cincinnati, and department store Kohl’s, based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, followed suit. Kohl’s policy will go into effect on Monday, while Kroger’s mask protocol will go into effect July 22. (D'Innocenzio, 7/16)

CIDRAP: Trial Data Show Hydroxychloroquine Doesn't Help Hospitalized COVID Patients
Data released today from a randomized controlled trial evaluating the use of hydroxychloroquine in hospitalized COVID-19 patients show that the antimalaria drug was not associated with reductions in 28-day mortality but was linked with increased time in the hospital and an increased risk of progressing to mechanical ventilation or death. The interim results from the RECOVERY trial, which is evaluating several treatments in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the United Kingdom, appeared today on the preprint server medRxiv and have not yet been peer reviewed. (7/15)

Bloomberg: Covid Is Spreading In Unexplained Ways, Dimming Containment Hope 
As countries across Asia Pacific struggle with resurgences of the coronavirus, one data point is steering government responses: the share of cases with no clear indication of how infection occurred. These patients cannot be linked to other confirmed infections or existing outbreaks by virus responders, indicating hidden chains of transmission. A growing proportion of such cases in a city’s resurgence pushes governments, like in Australia and Hong Kong, to take broad and blunt action, returning entire cities to lockdown-like conditions. (7/15)

Bloomberg: AstraZeneca Pressure Mounts Ahead Of Oxford Vaccine Data
Pressure is growing on AstraZeneca Plc to deliver positive results from early tests evaluating the coronavirus vaccine it’s developing with University of Oxford researchers as investors await data expected on Monday. The U.K. pharma company is staying quiet after British media reports said results of phase 1 tests to be published in The Lancet medical journal were promising, driving the shares up late Wednesday. A paper is undergoing final editing and preparation and is due to be published on July 20, The Lancet said in an email. (Paton and Ring, 7/16)

Reuters: Novartis To Provide 'no Profit' COVID-19 Drugs To Low-Income Countries 
Novartis’s Sandoz division will not make a profit on 15 generic drugs it is making available to developing countries to treat symptoms of COVID-19, the Swiss drugmaker said on Thursday. Novartis said it would provide medicines ranging from antibiotics and steroids to diarrhea pills to 79 countries on the World Bank’s list of low- and lower-middle income nations. (7/16)

The New York Times: Nasal Coronavirus Vaccines May Work Better Than Injected Ones, Researchers Say 
Of the 150-plus coronavirus vaccines in development around the world, the lion’s share will rely on a needle prick to make their way into the body. Most vaccines throughout history have been jabbed into the upper arm, often to great success. But when protecting people against pathogens that invade the airway — like the coronavirus — an intramuscular shot isn’t necessarily the best strategy, some experts say. (Wu, 7/14)

The Hill: Missouri Study Finds Masks Likely Prevented Stylists From Passing On Coronavirus To 139 Clients 
A mask policy at a Missouri salon likely helped prevent a pair of stylists who contracted the novel coronavirus from spreading it to any of the nearly 140 clients they came into contact with, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency on Tuesday touted the findings as evidence for why policies recommending facial coverings can be so important to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 3 million people in the U.S. and accounted for about 136,000 deaths. (Wise, 7/15)

The New York Times: Does Blood Type Affect Your Risk Of Coronavirus? Probably Not, New Studies Say 
Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers found preliminary evidence suggesting that people’s blood type might be an important risk factor — both for being infected by the virus and for falling dangerously ill. But over the past few months, after looking at thousands of additional patients with Covid-19, scientists are reporting a much weaker link to blood type. (Zimmer, 7/15)

The Washington Post/The 19th: Some Researchers And Politicians Call For Pregnant Women To Be Included In Coronavirus Vaccine Testing
As Washington spends billions of dollars to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine, a number of medical researchers and Democrats are calling on Congress to guarantee that pregnant women are involved in federally supported trials — an inclusion that is not guaranteed though research shows they could be particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. Of the six pharma companies with government contracts to develop a vaccine, four — Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Novavax — have not included or do not plan to include pregnant women in their early- or mid-stage (Phase 1 and 2) trials according to records published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. (Luthra, 7/15)

AP: UN Warns COVID-19 Has Threatened Child Vaccination Programs
The United Nations warned Wednesday about an alarming decline in childhood vaccinations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the likelihood a child born today will have all recommended vaccines by the age of 5 is less than 20 percent. Most of the 82 countries surveyed in May reported vaccination campaigns being disrupted because of coronavirus, according to the study carried out by UNICEF, the World Health Organization and Gavi, a public-private partnership started by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that buys vaccines for about 60% of the world’s children. (Petesch, 7/15)

Stat: Interest Grows In Low-Dose Radiation For Covid-19, But Experts Are Divided
Back in 2013, toxicologist Edward Calabrese and a colleague at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, were combing over a cache of century-old data on low-dose radiation therapy, hunting for evidence on the scientific idea that small doses of certain poisons might actually be beneficial. They found small amounts of radiation were surprisingly successful in combating pneumonia. Again and again, doctors reported symptoms subsided within hours of a single X-ray. (Isselbacher, 7/16)

Stat: Scientists Create A Speedy Test To Scan For Radiation Exposure In Mice
Researchers have developed a simple finger-prick test that scans a single drop of blood to rapidly determine whether the body has been exposed to toxic levels of radiation. Catastrophic radiological events — like nuclear detonations — can threaten massive populations with acute radiation syndrome, which wreaks havoc on the gastrointestinal system and destroys bone marrow, leading to infections and internal bleeding. In preparation for the possibility of such a public health disaster, scientists at Ohio State have devised a speedy and scalable method for estimating radiation exposure. (Isselbacher, 7/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Hospitals In Covid-19 Hot Spots Are Filling Up 
As the pandemic pushes U.S. hospitals in the South and West near capacity, the urgent need for available beds has stranded patients in emergency rooms, scrambled ambulances and forced patients to relocate hundreds of miles to relieve overcrowded wards. In Arizona, hospitals are using a statewide transfer center to move 30 to 50 patients between hospitals each day, according to the director of the state’s Department of Health Services. In Florida, hospital giant HCA Healthcare Inc. isn’t accepting patients transferred from other overflowing hospitals. In Houston, the daily hunt for empty beds has left critically ill patients to wait hours or days in emergency rooms for vacancies. (Evans, Walker and Armour, 7/15)

The Washington Post: State And Local Health, Hospital Officials Skewer Trump Administration Plan For Collecting Coronavirus Data 
State health leaders, public health experts and hospital officials warn that an abrupt change in how the Trump administration requires them to report coronavirus data will increase the burden on facilities already strained by the pandemic and could impede the distribution of critical medicines. The opposition came after the Department of Health and Human Services notified governors and hospital leaders this week that it was changing the protocol for sending the federal government daily information about coronavirus patients, supplies and bed capacity. Administration officials say that replacing a data-collection system run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would streamline reporting and lead to more efficient distribution of therapeutics, testing supplies and protective gear. (Goldstein and Sun, 7/15)

Los Angeles Times: Masks Offer Much More Protection Against Coronavirus Than Many Think
There’s a common refrain that masks don’t protect you; they protect other people from your own germs, which is especially important to keep unknowingly infected people from spreading the coronavirus. But now, there’s mounting evidence that masks also protect you. If you’re unlucky enough to encounter an infectious person, wearing any kind of face covering will reduce the amount of virus that your body will take in. (Lin II and Dolan, 7/14)

The Washington Post: Mask Mandates Catch On As States, Businesses Try To Bypass A Toxic Debate 
They have emerged as an unlikely symbol of partisan divide and a source of bottomless derision for President Trump. But masks on Wednesday moved ever closer to becoming a new national reality in America’s pandemic-scarred life, with businesses, states and health experts preaching their promise as the country’s last line of defense against a fast-growing viral threat. (Witte, 7/15)

Politico: Former Trump Physician Ronny Jackson: ‘Wearing A Mask Is A Personal Choice’
Ronny Jackson, a Republican congressional candidate in Texas and the former physician to the president, said Wednesday that Americans should not be required to wear masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus. “I think that wearing a mask is a personal choice, and I don’t particularly want my government telling me that I have to wear a mask. And so I think that’s a choice that I can make,” Jackson told “Fox & Friends.” (Forgey, 7/15)

AP: Men Should Limit Alcohol To 1 Drink A Day, Experts Say
If you decide to have an alcoholic drink, limiting yourself to one a day is best — whether you’re a man or woman. That’s the new advice experts are recommending for the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are scheduled to be updated later this year for the first time in five years. The guidelines now say men should limit themselves to two drinks a day, and that women should limit themselves to one. That advice has been in place since 1990. (Choi, 7/15)

Bloomberg: Yes, You Should Take A Vacation In The Middle Of A Pandemic
It’s hard to know if it’s acceptable to take a vacation amid a pandemic and downsizing. Where are you going to go? Will your job be there when you get back? We surveyed dozens of managers and business owners, and their advice is clear: Unless you’re just returning from a furlough, take your vacation days. “It is extremely important,” says Tiffany Glenn, vice president for human resources at payroll and HR services provider ADP. “HR should be advising time away, even if you are not visiting a destination.” (Cohen, 7/14)

The New York Times: Scientific Panel Urges That Schools Reopen 
Wading into the contentious debate over reopening schools, an influential committee of scientists and educators on Wednesday recommended that, wherever possible, younger children and those with special needs should attend school in person. Their report — issued by the prestigious National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, which advises the nation on issues related to science — is less prescriptive for middle and high schools, but offered a framework for school districts to decide whether and how to open, with help from public health experts, families and teachers. (Mandavilli, 7/15)

AP: 2021 Rose Parade Canceled Due To Coronavirus Pandemic
The 2021 Rose Parade has been canceled because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on planning for the New Year’s Day tradition and the risk of spreading infections among its huge audience and participants, organizers said Wednesday. The Pasadena, California, Tournament of Roses Association said the decision was put off until organizers were certain that safety restrictions would prevent staging of the 132nd parade. (7/15)

Los Angeles Times: California Schools Likely To Stay Closed, Superintendent Says 
With the first day of school just weeks away, California campuses should be prepared to offer distance learning instead of in-person instruction if coronavirus conditions don’t improve, state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday. Though decisions around opening are ultimately made at the local level, Thurmond said the safety of students, staff and instructors needs to be the top priority. (Money and Shalby, 7/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Universities’ Plan To Test Students For Covid-19 To Increase Demand On Testing Capacity 
Universities, seeking to bring students back to campus this fall during the coronavirus pandemic, are laying out reopening plans that rely heavily on their health departments arranging widespread, frequent testing of students, faculty and staff. Some worry about whether the nation’s testing capacity can keep up.The Texas A&M University System said on Tuesday that it has negotiated with Curative Inc., a testing company in California, to send 15,000 test kits with mouth swabs to its campuses each month. Chapman University in Orange, Calif., is spending $1.65 million to contract with Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings for mass testing. (Armour and Korn, 7/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Employees Feel Pressured As Bosses Order Them Back To Offices During Pandemic 
As parts of the U.S. economy attempt to reopen, companies and institutions are taking various approaches to getting people back to work as coronavirus infections surge across the U.S. With more than 3.3 million confirmed cases nationwide and a death toll topping 135,000, employers say they are operating under unprecedented circumstances with no universal guidelines, making it difficult to balance workers’ safety and financial exigencies after months of inactivity. The result is a segment of the workforce ranging from baseball players to bankers who say they feel undue pressure to report for duty. (Eaton and Putzier, 7/15)

The Washington Post: Jake Paul Blasted By Calabasas Mayor For Throwing Massive Party ‘Acting Like Covid Does Not Exist’ 
YouTuber Jake Paul found himself at the center of controversy yet again after throwing a barnburner of a party in his Calabasas, Calif., mansion on Saturday despite the state’s recent surge in new coronavirus cases, drawing the ire of Mayor Alicia Weintraub. Video of the party, which surfaced on social media, showed dozens of unmasked partygoers crowded around a living room, on a staircase and around a television. Social distancing did not appear to be taking place. It appeared from social media posts that the party doubled as a shoot for a music video. (Andrews, 7/15)

The New York Times: Footage Of Police Body Cameras Offers Devastating Account Of Floyd Killing 
Almost from the moment George Floyd encountered the police on May 25, with a gun pointed at him, he appeared terrified and emotionally distraught, according to police camera footage that was newly made available for viewing Wednesday at a courthouse in downtown Minneapolis. Mr. Floyd was visibly shaken, with his head down, and crying, as if he were in the throes of a panic attack, as he put his hands on the steering wheel in response to a frantic order from an officer. (Arango, Furber and Bogel-Burroughs, 7/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Minneapolis Police Officer Quickly Drew Gun On Crying George Floyd 
Within seconds of tapping the butt of a metal flashlight on the driver’s side window of Mr. Floyd’s vehicle and ordering him to show his hands, Mr. Lane drew his service weapon and pointed it at Mr. Floyd. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. God dang, man. I got, I got shot the same way, Mr. Officer, before,” Mr. Floyd said through tears as he lay his head on the steering wheel, before placing his hands atop his head at Mr. Lane’s order. (Ailworth and Wernau, 7/15)

The Hill: Georgia Governor Overrides All Local Mask Orders In The State 
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is prohibiting local municipalities across the state from mandating that masks be worn in public to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Kemp’s executive order issued Wednesday prevents local governments from enforcing mandatory face covering orders that are more restrictive than the current statewide order. The move effectively voided orders issued by at least 15 local governments across the state, according to The Associated Press. (Klar, 7/15)

NPR: Georgia's Governor Issues Order Rescinding Local Mask Mandates 
Kemp, a Republican, has been at odds with mayors and city administrators over the issue in recent days. Last week, for instance, Atlanta's Democratic Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a return to tough measures to control an ongoing spike in coronavirus infections in the capital, but Kemp's office insisted that her order was "non-binding and legally unenforceable." Georgia on Wednesday reported its second-highest new coronavirus case count to date, with 3,871 new confirmed cases and 37 COVID-19 deaths. (Neuman, 7/16)

The Hill: Montana Governor Issues Mask Mandate For 25 Counties 
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) has signed an executive order requiring all of the state's residents to wear masks while in public in an attempt to combat the spread of COVID-19. “Many Montanans answered the call to mask up – a call that came from our hospitals, nurses, and doctors, our vibrant small business community, our frontline workers, and our high-risk neighbors,” Bullock said in a statement. “I thank all of those who take seriously their personal responsibility and their role in stopping COVID-19. But we need even more Montanans, and the visitors who come here, to mask up.” (Johnson, 7/15)

NPR: This City's Coronavirus Safety Measures Could Become Best Practices
When the meatpacking industry in the U.S. started seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases, local officials in New Bedford, Mass., worried that their city was next. But the city took action, issuing emergency orders that safety experts say should be a model for workplaces across the U.S., if those orders can be properly enforced. Jon Mitchell, the city's mayor, issued two COVID-19 orders on May 6 in a city where nearly 15% of the population works in manufacturing and 20% is Latino. (Sebai, 7/16)

AP: Los Angeles In 'Dangerous Phase' As Virus Cases Surge
Coronavirus cases have surged to record levels in the Los Angeles area, putting the nation’s largest county in “an alarming and dangerous phase” that if not reversed could overwhelm intensive care units and usher in more sweeping closures, health officials said Wednesday. The situation is so uncertain organizers of the 2021 Rose Parade in Pasadena canceled the New Year’s Day tradition for the first time in 75 years out of concern that even six months from now infections could spread among participants and the hundreds of thousands who line the route. (Weber, 7/16)