Parsing Policies: Calls For A COVID Commission; Mask Mandate; More Aid For Economy, Health Care; And Good Briefings

Los Angeles Times: America's Coronavirus Crisis Needs A 9/11 Commission
COVID-19 has altered the course of our nation’s history in so many ways. Even as we fight to bring the virus under control and save lives, we are also aware that our country will be feeling the effects of the pandemic for years and possibly decades to come. It isn’t enough to beat the virus, we have a responsibility to learn from our mistakes so we can be better prepared in the future. This pandemic has devastated communities across America. As this piece gets posted, nearly 4 million Americans have been confirmed as infected, and more than 140,000 have died. Our home state of California is particularly hard hit, with most of the state seeing a renewed surge of cases and hospitalizations. (Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Adam Schiff, 7/22)

The New York Times: Mask Up, America 
My state was hit hard by Covid-19. For many weeks, we had the nation’s third-highest number of deaths despite having only the 10th-largest population. As a result, we took some of the most aggressive measures in the country in the fight against the disease, and our hard work paid off. Our actions saved thousands of lives. We are now working around the clock to restart our economy in a way that protects workers, businesses and families. But as people in Michigan and across the country begin to return to work, cases are rising again. To slow the rise and further protect our families from this virus, we need the Trump administration to issue a federal mask mandate. (Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, 7/22)

USA Today: Sweden's COVID Death Toll Is Unnerving Due To Herd Immunity Experiment
Sweden has often been considered a leader when it comes to global humanitarian issues, regarded as a beacon of light in areas such as accepting refugees and working against global warming. In the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden has also created interest around the world by following its own path of using a “soft” approach — not locking down, introducing mostly voluntary restrictions and spurning the use of masks.This approach has been perceived as more liberal and has shown up in “Be Like Sweden” signs and chants at U.S. protests. Wherever measures have been lenient, though, death rates have peaked. In the United States, areas that are coming out of lockdown early are suffering, and we are seeing the same in other countries as well.The motives for the Swedish Public Health Agency's light-touch approach are somewhat of a mystery. (25 Swedish doctors and scientists, 7/21)

Boston Globe: Congress: Please Don’t Force The States To Fend For Themselves 
Congress went back to work this week with a crucial task on its plate: crafting another big-money rescue package for a pandemic-battered US economy. It would the latest effort to keep consumers and businesses afloat amid record unemployment and shore up strained public health systems across the country. But after authorizing $2.8 trillion in spending since March, lawmakers are confronting two crises (coronavirus and economic) that are inexorably intertwined and have only gotten worse. (Larry Edelman, 7/21)

Dallas Morning News: Congress Shouldn’t Overlook Access To Health Care In The Next Financial Package To States
Congress shouldn’t overlook access to health care in the next financial package to states. As Congress weighs a new spending package to help Americans through the financial hits that keep coming during this COVID-19 pandemic, we urge our lawmakers to also pay particular close attention to access to health care. (7/22)

The Washington Post: The New Season Of Trump’s Pandemic Reality Show Is Headed For Early Cancellation
The instructions for President Trump could not have been clearer: Stick to the script. Talk about the virus. Be serious and sober. Don’t go off on tangents. And for a few minutes, Trump did as he was supposed to do at Tuesday’s coronavirus briefing, his first in nearly three months. He admitted, “It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better — something I don’t like saying about things, but that’s the way it is.” He encouraged people to wear masks and maintain social distancing. If only he hadn’t taken the bait when Steven Nelson of the New York Post asked him about Ghislaine Maxwell, the woman accused of aiding Jeffrey Epstein in the sexual abuse of minors. “I just wish her well,” Trump said. (Dana Milbank, 7/21)

CNN: Trump's Return To Fronting Virus Briefings Is Too Little, Too Late 
President Donald Trump's return to coronavirus briefings delivered exactly the strong public health message America needed to hear -- four months ago. Trump, coaxed back to the White House briefing room by his tumbling poll numbers and plummeting public confidence in his handling of the pandemic, mostly stuck to an unusually disciplined, scripted message on Tuesday. (Stephen Collinson, 7/22)

CNN: Trump's Pandemic Pivot Is About Politics, Not Policy
Who was that man speaking at the White House podium, and what did he do to President Donald Trump? I'm just kidding, of course. The man addressing the media on Tuesday evening was Candidate Trump, terrified that his approval ratings are collapsing and his rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, is leading him by what could turn into a humiliating defeat in November. Unless something changes. (Frida Ghitis, 7/21)

The New York Times: I Spoke To Anthony Fauci. He Says His Inbox Isn’t Pretty.
Americans may have lost faith in their most cherished institutions — the presidency, Congress, the media, perhaps even democracy itself — but 65 percent of them still believe in Dr. Anthony Fauci. This, in spite of the fact that he’s practically disappeared from network and cable television while the pandemic has whipped through the country with alarming speed (his message of sober realism does not, one suspects, align well with the wishful thinking of his boss). This, in spite of the fact that the Trump White House waged a highly unusual campaign last week to undermine his credibility, with both named and unnamed administration officials dispatched to impale him like an hors d’oeuvre. (Jennifer Senior, 7/21)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus May Give Trump An Edge
President Trump’s detractors profess to be mystified at the way he plays down the threat of the novel coronavirus, comparing it to the “sniffles” and refusing to wear a mask in public. Liberals accuse him of pandering to libertarians, putting on a macho front, or denying science. Could it be his secret to re-election? Political polarization around the coronavirus could turn out to be a game changer in a race likely to turn on which party is most successful at getting its base to the polls. That’s especially true if the dreaded second wave is cresting by Nov. 3. Who will turn out in greater numbers to stand in long, socially distanced lines outside voting stations—Republicans, who are relatively unconcerned, or Democrats, terrified that going outdoors could kill them? (Ted Rall, 7/21)

The Washington Post: I’m A Doctor In Miami. Here’s How I Know Florida’s Covid-19 Outbreak Won’t Improve Anytime Soon. 
I knew something was amiss when I had my car repaired in early June, shortly after Miami began relaxing its coronavirus restrictions. At first glance, the dealership looked as if it was following the recommended precautions: Every other seat was blocked off with tape, and customers and workers were wearing face coverings. On closer inspection, many of the customers’ nostrils protruded above their masks. Staff members wore masks with one-way valves, allowing their breath to escape as they told customers the cost of fixing their clunkers. And no one was enforcing limits on the number of customers who could enter the reception area while waiting for their repairs. (Erin N. Marcus, 7/21)

Stat: Clinical Trials Need To Include More Minority Participants
The Covid-19 pandemic and the disproportionate devastation it has wrought on Black, Hispanic, and poor Americans has (again) raised the call for creating inclusive clinical trials that are representative of patient populations. That’s an important goal, but it’s easier said than done. (Jocelyn Ashford, 7/22)