Scientific American: COVID-19 Is Now The Third Leading Cause Of Death In The U.S. 
COVID-19 became the third biggest cause of deaths in the week of March 30 to April 4, trailing heart disease and cancer. It killed more people than stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, kidney disease or influenza. In that week, close to 10,000 people died of the illness caused by the coronavirus. The flu, which Trump and others have invoked when discussing COVID-19, led to 1,870 deaths (a figure that includes pneumonia) over the same time frame. A spike in the week-by-week accounting came in mid-April, when COVID-19 cases became the leading cause of death. The disease returned to the third deadliest spot in the week of May 4 to 9 and has stayed there since. (10/8)

CNN: US Coronavirus: The US Is Reporting More Than 45,000 Positive Covid-19 Tests On Average Every Day 
The US is averaging more than 45,000 new Covid-19 positive tests each day -- up 8% from the previous week and more than double what the country was seeing in June, as lockdown restrictions were easing. It's a case count experts warn is far too high ahead of what's forecast to be a challenging -- and deadly -- winter season. The latest US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ensemble forecast says US Covid-19 deaths could reach 233,000 by the end of this month. (Maxouris, 10/9)

Cases surge in New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin and the Dakotas —

The New York Times: The Northeast Held The Virus In Check. Now Cases Are Inching Up Again.
The Northeast, devastated by the coronavirus in the spring and then held up as a model of infection control by summer, is now seeing the first inklings of what might become a second wave of the virus, an ominous prospect for the region and a sharp warning to the rest of the country. The rise in new cases has prompted state and local officials to reverse course, tightening restrictions on businesses, schools and outdoor spaces. (Mervosh and Bosman, 10/9)

The New York Times: As New York City’s Covid-19 Lockdown Nears, Confusion And Anger Reign 
As New York officials on Thursday hurriedly launched a targeted lockdown to stamp out rising rates of positive coronavirus test results, chaos, confusion and tension erupted over restrictions that are closing schools and businesses and greatly limiting attendance at places of worship. There were competing hot-spot maps, issued by Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City and then by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, which overlapped and contradicted each other. Schools and businesses that were to be shut down on one map were not on the other. The city, where the rules took effect on Thursday in parts of Brooklyn and Queens, made a searchable online database of addresses available so New Yorkers could determine which zone they were in. (10/9)

Politico: Covid-19 Cases Rising In New Jersey As Officials Prepare For Second Wave
New Jersey officials say they are bracing for a second wave of the coronavirus, with the state recording 1,301 new Covid-19 cases, the highest amount in a single day since May. In a briefing on Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy described the number as “sobering” and pleaded with residents to practice social distancing and wear masks. (Landergan, 10/8)

AP: Tensions Rise As Virus Cases Surge In Wisconsin, Dakotas
A surge of coronavirus cases in Wisconsin and the Dakotas is forcing a scramble for hospital beds and raising political tensions, as the Upper Midwest and Plains emerge as one of the nation’s most troubling hot spots. ... “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” said Melissa Resch, a nurse at Wisconsin’s Aspirus Wausau Hospital, which is working to add beds and reassign staff to keep up with a rising caseload of virus patients, many gravely ill. “Just yesterday I had a patient say, ’It’s OK, you guys took good care of me, but it’s OK to let me go,’” Resch said. “I’ve cried with the respiratory unit, I’ve cried with managers. I cry at home. I’ve seen nurses crying openly in the hallway.” (Geller and Groves, 10/8)

Politico: Trump Makes Bold Claims About His Health As He Returns To The Fox Interview Circuit
President Donald Trump returned to form on Thursday morning, engaging in a freewheeling, 55-minute interview on Fox Business in which he made bold claims about his health and coronavirus in general just days after announcing he had contracted the deadly disease. The president, his voice steady but slightly raspy, even boasted that he was in shape to stage one of his marathon political rallies — if he was allowed to hold one. ... Using a joking tone, he claimed he was a “perfect physical specimen, adding “I’m lucky in that way.” (Niedzwiadek, 10/8)

AP: Trump Says He's Ready For Rallies But Details Slim On Health
While Trump said he believes he’s no longer contagious, concerns about infection appeared to scuttle plans for next week’s presidential debate. “I’m feeling good. Really good. I think perfect,” Trump said during a telephone interview with Fox Business, his first since he was released from a three-day hospital stay Monday. “I think I’m better to the point where I’d love to do a rally tonight,” Trump said. He added, “I don’t think I’m contagious at all.” (Miller, Colvin and Lemire, 10/9)

Politico: Trump Signals Rallies Will Resume This Weekend, After Doctor Issues Upbeat Health Report 
President Donald Trump said late Thursday that he hoped to resume in-person rallies this weekend, citing a note from his doctor that anticipated he’d be fit to do so. Speaking with Fox News‘ Sean Hannity, Trump said his team would try to arrange a rally in Florida, depending on logistics. “I think I'm going to try doing a rally on Saturday night if we have enough time to put it together, but we want to do a rally probably in Florida on Saturday night,” he said. “I might come back and do one in Pennsylvania the following night, and it's incredible what's going on. I feel so good." (Choi, 10/8)

The Hill: White House Doctor Says Trump Safe To Return To Public Events On Saturday 
White House physician Sean Conley said Thursday that President Trump would be able to make a “safe return” to public events on Saturday, less than two weeks after being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. Conley issued a memo Thursday evening stating that Trump had completed his therapy for COVID-19 and that he has responded “extremely well” to treatment overall. The update came just three days after Trump returned to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he received treatment for 72 hours. (Chalfant, 10/8)

The New York Times: As Trump Pushes For In-Person Debate, Doctor Gives Him Green Light
President Trump’s doctor said on Thursday that he’s completed his treatments to alleviate the symptoms of the coronavirus and that he anticipates that the president will be able to resume “public engagements” on Saturday. The forecast about Mr. Trump’s condition came from the White House physician, Dr. Sean Conley, in a note updating people on his health. Mr. Trump announced shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, that he and the first lady, Melania Trump, had tested positive for the virus; White House officials have declined to say when he last tested negative. (10/9)

Also —

AP: Trump Still Contagious? Experts Say It's Impossible To Know
President Donald Trump said Thursday he doesn’t think he’s contagious anymore, but medical experts say that’s impossible to know a week after his diagnosis with COVID-19. Most people with COVID-19 can stop isolating and be around others about 10 days after they first showed symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s provided their symptoms have improved, they have not had a fever for 24 hours and are no longer on any medication to reduce a high temperature. But there’s no way to know for certain that someone is no longer contagious so soon after falling ill, experts say. (Renault, 10/9)

KHN: Stigma Against D.O.s Had Been Dissipating Until Trump’s Doctor Took The Spotlight 
Dr. Katherine Pannel was initially thrilled to see President Donald Trump’s physician is a doctor of osteopathic medicine. A practicing D.O. herself, she loved seeing another glass ceiling broken for the type of doctor representing 11% of practicing physicians in the U.S. and now 1 in 4 medical students in the country. But then, as Dr. Sean Conley issued public updates on his treatment of Trump’s COVID-19, the questions and the insults about his qualifications rolled in. (Weber, 10/9)

The Washington Post: Antibody Treatment Trump Touts Relied On Testing With Fetal Tissue He Opposes 
President Trump received an experimental antibody cocktail as part of a treatment regimen for covid-19 he has extolled as “miracles coming down from God,” even though its development relied on cells derived from human fetal tissue, a material his administration opposes. The effectiveness of the antibody therapy was tested by employing a fetal tissue cell line from the 1980s widely used in biomedical research, according to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, its manufacturer. The cell line is old enough that it would fall outside restrictions on federal funding of fetal tissue research the Trump administration imposed last year, according to National Institutes of Health guidelines. (Goldstein, 10/8)

The Guardian: Covid Drug Given To Trump Developed Using Cells Derived From Aborted Fetus
The stem cells used to develop the drug are known as HEK-293T cells, a line of cells used in laboratories. The cells were originally derived from an embryonic kidney after an elective abortion performed in the Netherlands in the 1970s. Trump has consistently sought to restrict abortion access, including most recently, when he nominated the conservative Catholic Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court last month. The anti-abortion movement is one of Trump’s most enthusiastic bases of support. (Glenza, 10/8)

CBS News: COVID Drug Trump Touted As A "Cure" Was Developed Using Cells Derived From Aborted Fetal Tissue
Last week, Mr. Trump received Regeneron Pharmaceuticals' cocktail of monoclonal antibodies, an experimental therapeutic for coronavirus that is still undergoing testing and is not FDA approved. In a nearly five-minute video posted to Twitter on Wednesday, the president lauded its effects, calling it "the key." "I think this was a blessing from God that I caught [the virus], I think it was a blessing in disguise," Mr. Trump said in the video. "I caught it, I heard about this drug, I said, 'Let me take it' … and it was incredible the way it worked." (Smith, 10/8)

The New York Times: Trump’s Covid Treatments Were Tested In Cells Derived From Fetal Tissue 
Some scientists saw a double standard in the president’s endorsement. “Hypocrisy has never bothered the man, as near as I can tell,” Lawrence Goldstein, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego, who has used fetal tissue in his research, said of Mr. Trump. Dr. Deepak Srivastava, a pediatric cardiologist who led the International Society for Stem Cell Research until July, said, “If they oppose this research, they should be willing to not take a drug that was developed using that.” (Mandavilli and Holt, 10/8)

In related news about antibody treatments —

The Washington Post: Trump Pushes FDA To Quickly Clear Coronavirus Antibody Treatments, Erroneously Calling Them A ‘Cure’ 
President Trump and a top aide are pushing the Food and Drug Administration to quickly grant emergency clearance for a promising but unproven covid-19 therapy that the president received nearly a week ago and has credited with his rapid recovery, according to two senior administration officials. Trump and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows have called FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to urge him to accelerate the agency’s review of the drug, a cocktail of laboratory-made antibodies made by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, according to the two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the efforts. (Johnson, McGinley and Dawsey, 10/8)

NPR: FDA Weighs COVID-19 Antibody Drugs For Emergency Use 
President Trump continues to tout an experimental treatment he received for COVID-19 as a cure for the disease despite an absence of evidence to back up that claim. To be sure, some medical experts have high hopes that the kind of treatment Trump received could end up being an important element in the fight against the pandemic. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, recently told The Washington Post these antibody-based drugs are "a real best chance of being a game changer." But we aren't there yet. And there is no telling whether these medications are responsible for the president's apparent recovery. He received early and close medical attention, which included two other powerful medications that could also have played a significant role. (Harris, 10/8)

AP: Antibody Drugs Are No Cure But Seem Promising For COVID-19
They’re not cures and it’s not likely that everyone will be able to get them as President Donald Trump has suggested. But experimental antibody drugs like the one Trump was given are among the most promising therapies being tested for treating and preventing coronavirus infections. Eli Lilly and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. are asking the U.S. government to allow emergency use of their antibody drugs, which aim to help the immune system clear the virus. The medicines are still in testing; their safety and effectiveness are not yet known. (Marchione and Perrone, 10/8)

KHN: As Trump Touts His ‘Great’ COVID Drugs, The Pharma Cash Flows To Biden, Not Him 
Pharmaceutical giants Regeneron and Gilead Sciences got the kind of publicity money can’t buy this week after President Donald Trump took their experimental drugs for his coronavirus infection, left the hospital and pronounced himself fully recovered. “It was, like, unbelievable. I felt good immediately,” Trump said Wednesday in a tweeted video. “I call that a cure.” He praised Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody cocktail, which mimics elements of the immune system, and mentioned a similar drug under investigation by Eli Lilly and Co. The president also took Gilead’s remdesivir, an antiviral that has shortened recovery times for COVID-19 patients in early research. (Hancock, 10/9)

The Washington Post: Trump Suggests Coronavirus Infection Came From Interaction With Gold Star Families 
President Trump suggested he contracted the coronavirus from families of fallen service members at a White House event, but the president didn’t offer any proof from contact tracing or genetic analysis and the White House later backed away from his remarks amid criticism. Trump made the comments during a Thursday interview with the Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo. The event with the Gold Star families took place on Sept. 27, the day after more than a hundred people also gathered at the White House, many without masks, to mark Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. (Sonne, 10/8)

NPR: New Scrutiny On Trump's Gold Star Family Event After COVID-19 Outbreak 
A growing list of attendees to a reception last month for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett have tested positive for coronavirus. But the next day, the annual Gold Star Mother's Day event was held indoors at the White House, and official photos from the reception show very few people wearing masks. Gold Star Mother's Day has been around since the 1930s, but was highlighted recently by Presidents Obama and Trump with White House receptions. Despite this year's event landing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the White House decided not to cancel it. President Trump says when he met these family members and heard their stories, he couldn't bear to keep them at arms-length. (Lawrence, 10/8)

Raleigh News & Observer: Trump Says Military Families May Be Source Of COVID. But Their Tests Are Negative
The families who attended a White House event honoring the loss of a member of the military are all doing well and do not have COVID-19, the organization that arranged their trip said Thursday after President Donald Trump suggested he might have been infected at that event. ... But the families so far are doing well, said Timothy Davis, the chief executive officer of The Greatest Generation Foundation, which sponsored their travel to the White House ceremony. “All of our Gold Star families have had a post-test conducted. All negative,” he said in a statement to McClatchy. (10/8)

Politico: Democrats Rip Trump For Suggesting Gold Star Families Could Have Given Him Covid-19 
Top congressional Democrats condemned President Donald Trump on Thursday after the commander in chief suggested that he might have contracted Covid-19 from Gold Star family members who were too close to him when telling stories of their loved ones who died in the line of duty. Democrats said Trump's comments, made in an interview with Fox Business Thursday morning, disrespected military families and shifted blame for his administration's shortcomings on the coronavirus. (Forgey and O'Brien, 10/8)

The Washington Post: White House Now Has Two CDC Epidemiologists Helping With Contact Tracing 
A week after a cluster of coronavirus cases emerged following a White House event, the Trump administration is now working on a limited basis with the federal government’s elite cadre of disease detectives to control further spread. Two epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are assisting the White House in tracking down people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus, CDC spokesman Jason McDonald said Thursday. One epidemiologist has been detailed to the White House since March and the second arrived recently. (Sun, Abutaleb and Dawsey, 10/8)

The Washington Post: Senior Marine Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Second High-Ranking Uniformed Official This Week 
A senior military official who was quarantining following interaction with another uniformed leader who contracted covid-19 has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Marine Corps said on Wednesday. Gen. Gary Thomas, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, received the positive test a day after he began quarantining, the service said in a statement. “In accordance with established Marine Corps COVID policies, General Thomas will continue to quarantine at home. He is experiencing mild symptoms, but otherwise is feeling well,” the statement said. Thomas is the second senior uniformed official whose covid-19 diagnosis was announced this week, following news that Adm. Charles Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, tested positive on Monday. (Ryan, 10/7)

USA Today: Here's Everyone At The White House Rose Garden SCOTUS Event Now Called A Likely 'Superspreader.' Help Us ID Them All.
USA TODAY is attempting to identify every person at the event using publicly available photographs of that day. If you know of someone who is not on our list, please fill out this form. (10/9)

The Hill: DC-Area Health Officials Urge COVID-19 Testing For Anyone At White House Event 
Health officials in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are urging people connected with a recent White House Rose Garden event to contact their local health departments and get tested for COVID-19. In a joint health advisory published Thursday, the officials said "limited contact tracing" has made it difficult to find out the full scale of the White House coronavirus outbreak. (Weixel, 10/8)

The Guardian: Activists At Amy Coney Barrett Super-Spreader Event Launch US Bus Tour 
Two conservative activists who were at the White House’s Rose Garden event to announce the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court – now believed to be a super-spreader of the coronavirus – have launched a nationwide bus tour to promote the judge. The tour, led by a group called Concerned Women for America, has so far included stops in Georgia and South Carolina in which participants can be seen in close quarters and without wearing face masks. (Kirchgaessner, 10/8)

AP: Justices Say Women Can Get Abortion Pill By Mail, For Now
The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would for now continue to allow women to obtain an abortion pill by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic. The action came over the dissent of two conservative justices who would have immediately granted a Trump administration request to reinstate the requirement that women must visit a hospital, clinic or medical office to obtain a pill. (10/8)

Politico: Supreme Court Refuses To Restore Abortion Pill Restrictions, For Now 
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant the Trump administration's bid to restrict access to medication abortions during the pandemic, in the first reproductive rights decision since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justices sidestepped an emergency stay that would have restored requirements for patients to see a medical provider before obtaining medication to end a pregnancy, saying lower courts should continue hearing arguments on the policy. (Miranda Ollstein, 10/8)

NPR: Supreme Court Refuses To Block Lower Court Order On Abortion Pills 
The court's decision came Thursday night on a 6-to-2 vote that rejected an emergency appeal from the Trump administration. The challenge to the FDA regulation was brought by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists after the the agency relaxed similar regulations for other drugs--including opioids--in order to limit patients' exposure to Covid-19 during the pandemic, but refused to relax the same rule for those with prescriptions for abortions with pills in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. (Totenberg, 10/8)

The Washington Post: Supreme Court Puts On Hold Trump Administration Request To Reimpose Medication Abortion Restrictions 
The court’s unusual and unsigned disposition of the petition came after six weeks of consideration, and brought a rebuke from two of the court’s conservatives for their colleagues, and for U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang. “While COVID-19 has provided the ground for restrictions on First Amendment rights, the District Court saw the pandemic as a ground for expanding the abortion right recognized in Roe v. Wade,” wrote Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who was joined by Justice Clarence Thomas. (Barnes, 10/8)

Politico: Few Covid Safeguards As Trump Campaign Restarts Rallies
The Trump campaign is hitting the road after being sidelined by the coronavirus for a week, while taking few precautions to ensure the rallies don’t become new hot spots. While President Donald Trump recovers at the White House, Vice President Mike Pence, members of Trump’s family and other proxies are fanning out to battlegrounds like Arizona, Florida, Nevada and North Carolina. Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, also currently infected, is floating the idea of having the president hold a live rally next Thursday instead of participating in a virtual debate with Joe Biden. (Goldberg, Miranda Ollstein and Roubein, 10/8)

The Washington Post: Trump Struggles To Project A Sense Of Normalcy After Canceled Debate 
Trailing in the polls, stricken with the novel coronavirus and stuck in isolation at the White House, President Trump has tried to project an image of strength and normalcy that belies his troubled circumstances. On Thursday, he spent an hour phoning into a television interview, released two video messages aimed at key voting groups, began planning rallies for next week and promised senior citizens free access to the experimental drug he falsely claimed was “a cure” for covid-19. (Olorunnipa, Parker and Dawsey, 10/8)

AP: Next Trump-Biden Debates Uncertain, Though Oct. 22 Is Likely
The campaign’s final debates between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden were thrown into uncertainty Thursday as the rival camps offered dueling proposals for the remaining faceoffs that have been upended by the president’s coronavirus infection. The chair of the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates told The Associated Press that the final debate, scheduled for Oct. 22, was still slated to go on with both candidates present as planned. But next Thursday’s debate seemed to be gone, after the Trump team objected to the commission’s format change. (Miller and Weissert, 10/9)

In polling news —

The Hill: Biden More Trusted Than Trump To Lead Health Care System: Survey 
More Americans trust Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden than President Trump to lead the nation's health care system amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Gallup/West Health poll released Thursday. Fifty-two percent of American adults surveyed told Gallup they trust the former vice president to lead the health care system most efficiently as the country battles COVID-19, compared with 39 percent who said the same of Trump. Another 9 percent chose “other candidate.” (Axelrod, 10/8)

Reuters: Trump's Handling Of Coronavirus Pandemic Hits Record Low Approval
Americans are steadily losing confidence in President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with his net approval on the issue that has dominated the U.S. election hitting a record low in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The poll taken Tuesday through Thursday, after Trump’s COVID-19 infection and weekend hospitalization, found 37% of American adults approved of the president’s handling of the pandemic and 59% disapproved. (Whitesides, 10/8)

In other election news —

Reuters: More Than 6.6 Million Americans Have Already Voted, Suggesting Record Turnout
Americans are rushing to cast ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election at an unprecedented pace, early voting numbers show, indicating a possible record turnout for the showdown between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. With less than four weeks to go before Election Day, more than 6.6 million Americans already have voted, more than ten times the number who had at this time in 2016, according to the United States Elections Project, which compiles early voting data. (Whitesides, 10/8)

KHN: Pandemic Erects Barriers For Prized Bloc Of Voters In Nursing Homes, Senior Facilities
The convergence of the coronavirus pandemic and election season has complicated this year’s voting for residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other long-term care centers. Many seniors who need help to get or fill out their ballots may be stymied by shifting rules about family visits. Voting procedures — whether in person or by mail — are under increased scrutiny, adding to the confusion. Facilities that used to host voting precincts likely won’t do so this year because of concerns about the spread of COVID-19. (Bluth, 10/9)

Politico: Health Officials Scrambling To Produce Trump's ‘Last-Minute’ Drug Cards By Election Day 
Caught by surprise by President Donald Trump’s promise to deliver drug-discount cards to seniors, health officials are scrambling to get the nearly $8 billion plan done by Election Day, according to five officials and draft documents obtained by POLITICO. The taxpayer-funded plan, which was only announced two weeks ago and is being justified inside the White House and the health department as a test of the Medicare program, is being driven by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, the officials said. The administration is seeking to finalize the plan as soon as Friday and send letters to 39 million Medicare beneficiaries next week, informing seniors of Trump's new effort to lower their drug costs, although many seniors would not receive the actual cards until after the election. (Diamond, 10/8)

Politico: What Caused Mike Pence’s Bloody Eye 
Vice President Mike Pence ignited speculation about his health when he arrived at the only vice presidential debate Wednesday night with a bloody left eye, but a senior administration official on Thursday said there’s no reason to be concerned. White House doctors have cleared the vice president of a conjunctivitis infection, commonly known as pink eye, and believe Pence suffered from a broken blood vessel instead, according to the official. (Orr, 10/8)

Vox: Mike Pence’s Pink-Looking Eye In The Debate Is More Than A Meme, As Covid-19 Infects The White House 
Vice President Mike Pence’s florid pink eye — similar to that of Joe Biden’s bloody debate eye last year — led to frenzied online speculation about his health and whether the eye condition could be linked to the coronavirus. For its post-debate coverage, ABC News kicked off by bringing on its chief medical correspondent Jennifer Ashton, who was unable to confirm whether Pence’s pink-colored eye was in fact the condition pink eye and whether it signified anything. “Anywhere from 11 to 30 percent of Covid patients can have pink eye. It can be an early sign,” Ashton said. “But he can just have some makeup in his eye.” (Nguyen, 10/8)

Los Angeles Times: Is Pink Eye A COVID-19 Symptom? 
Is pink eye a symptom of COVID-19? A lot of people have been wondering this since noticing that Mike Pence’s left eye looked decidedly pink at the vice presidential debate Wednesday night, even though the vice president has said he tested negative for a coronavirus infection. The short answer is: Pink eye can be caused by COVID-19, but only rarely. (Netburn, 10/8)

News 8: VP Mike Pence Postpones Plans To Vote In Indy Due To 'A Scheduling Issue'
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, have canceled plans to visit Indianapolis on Friday and vote in early balloting at the City-County Building, according to the Marion County Clerk’s Office. An adviser to Pence said the reason was not health-related. Marty Obst, senior political adviser for Pence, explained the cancellation in an email to News 8’s Demie Johnson: “It was merely a scheduling issue and definitely not health related.” (Dan Klein, 10/8)

In related news —

The Hill: Deadline Accidentally Publishes Story About Pence Being Diagnosed With COVID-19 
Online news website Deadline on Thursday admitted to accidentally publishing a draft story that incorrectly stated that Vice President Pence tested positive for COVID-19. “A draft post of a story about Vice President Mike Pence testing positive for coronavirus that was never meant to publish was accidentally posted on Deadline,” the news organization said in a statement on its website roughly 30 minutes after the story had been posted. The outlet added that the article was “pulled down immediately.” (Castronuovo, 10/8)

KHN: KHN On The Air This Week 
KHN reporter Victoria Knight discussed this week’s vice presidential debate with Newsy’s “Morning Rush” on Thursday. (10/9)

AP: In 25th Amendment Bid, Pelosi Mulls Trump's Fitness To Serve
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is questioning President Donald Trump’s fitness to serve, announcing legislation Thursday that would create a commission to allow Congress to intervene under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and remove the president from executive duties. Just weeks before the Nov. 3 election, Pelosi said Trump needs to disclose more about his health after his COVID-19 diagnosis. She noted Trump’s “strange tweet” halting talks on a new coronavirus aid package — he subsequently tried to reverse course — and said Americans need to know when, exactly, he first contracted COVID as others in the White House became infected. On Friday, she plans to roll out the legislation that would launch the commission for review. (Mascaro, 10/8)

The Washington Post: Citing 25th Amendment, Pelosi, Raskin Move To Create Panel That Could Rule On President’s Fitness For Office 
The panel would be called the Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office, “the body and process called for in the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” the offices of Pelosi and Raskin said in a statement announcing the move. The 25th Amendment formalizes that the vice president takes over the duties of the presidency in the event of a president’s death, inability to perform his duties or resignation from office. It also lays out a process by which a sitting president may be removed from office. Congress’s role in this, however, is limited.(Sonmez, 10/8)

Fox News: Republicans Baffled By Pelosi's 25th Amendment Suggestion, Say She Wants To 'Stage A Coup' 
Republicans were baffled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Thursday suggestion that she might introduce a bill allowing a body appointed by Congress to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office as he recovers from the novel coronavirus. (Phillips, 10/9)

Work on a COVID-relief bill drags on —

Politico: Pelosi Signals No Relief For Airlines Without Bigger Covid Deal
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is refusing to move a standalone coronavirus bailout for airlines unless the administration also agrees to a broader stimulus package, sowing further confusion in the already tangled talks that have dragged on since early summer. “I have been very open to having a single standalone bill for the airlines or part of a bigger bill. But there is no standalone bill without a bigger bill,” Pelosi told reporters Thursday at her weekly news conference. (Caygle, Ferris and Mintz, 10/8)

The Washington Post: White House, Congress Continue Pressing On Economic Relief Package But Pelosi Bristles Over Trump Approach 
The White House sent mixed signals Thursday about the direction of renewed stimulus talks, resulting in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confronting Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin over who speaks for the president. The developments occurred two days after President Trump ordered Mnuchin to stop negotiating with Pelosi, only to announce Thursday that talks were back on. Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Democrats were still ready to deal. (Werner and Stein, 10/8)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

The Hill: Harrison Calls On Graham To Take A COVID-19 Test Before Debate 
South Carolina Senate candidate Jaime Harrison called on Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to take a COVID-19 test before their debate on Friday. Harrison, the Democratic candidate, tweeted on Thursday that he and the debate moderators committed to taking a coronavirus test before the debate, adding that his test is scheduled. (Coleman, 10/8)

The Hill: Texas Dems Highlight Health Care In Fight To Flip State House 
Texas Democrats are making health care the heart of their final pitch as they look to flip the state House, which Republicans have held since 2002. In a “contract with Texas” that Democrats are rolling out Thursday and which was shared first with The Hill, the party is touting policies it would try to enact should it flip the net nine seats it needs to gain control of the chamber. The central pillar of the plan is expanding Medicaid in Texas, which has the highest number and rate of uninsured people in the nation, as well as boosting coverage for children and making care for women more equal. (Axelrod, 10/8)

Roll Call: McConnell Keeps Distance From White House, Citing Doubts About COVID-19 Protocols
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Thursday he has actively avoided the White House since early August over concerns the Trump administration is not taking enough precautions against COVID-19. Speaking in his home state of Kentucky, McConnell said he speaks frequently with President Donald Trump on the phone, but has opted out of visiting the White House since his last trip there on Aug. 6. (Tully-McManus, 10/8)

Roll Call: Health Care Rates For 2021 Stable, But 2022 May Bring Challenges
A drop in health care costs is projected to keep insurance rates low in 2021, but long-term worries about the COVID-19 pandemic are raising concerns about potential spikes in future years. Final rate increases in the individual market are under 5 percent in places like Idaho, the District of Columbia and Minnesota. Several states, including Hawaii and Oregon, are even expecting price drops. (Clason, 10/8)

Fewer children are insured —

The New York Times: Even As The Economy Grew, More Children Lost Health Insurance
The share of children with health coverage in the United States fell for the third consecutive year in 2019, according to census data, after decades of increases. The decline occurred during a period of economic growth — before the coronavirus pandemic caused broad job losses that might have cost many more Americans their health insurance. (Sanger-Katz and Goodnough, 10/9)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Leads Nation In Uninsured Kids
One in seven children in Harris County were uninsured in 2019, one of the highest rates in the country and almost triple the national average, according to a report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. (Wu, 10/9)

Colorado Public Radio: The Rate Of Uninsured Children Is Creeping Up Across Colorado And The US, And Hispanic Kids Are Even Less Likely To Be Insured
In 2019, there were about 58,000 kids in Colorado who were uninsured. That’s nearly the population of Grand Junction. Rewind to 2015 and a historic low of 2.5 percent, or an estimated 33,000 children in Colorado, were uninsured, according to data compiled by the Colorado Health Institute. In 2016, the nation also hit a record low of uninsured kids at 4.7 percent. But the rate has been steadily increasing. (Cleveland, 10/9)

And the results of an annual survey on employer health insurance are in —

The Star Tribune: Family Health Insurance Costs Surpass $21,000
The average premium for family coverage in employer health plans rose about 4% this year to more than $21,000 — and employers are picking up more of the tab. Workers on average aren’t being asked to pay more in premiums for family coverage and those with individual coverage through their work aren’t seeing increases in deductibles, according to survey results Thursday from the California-based Kaiser Family Foundation. (Snowbeck, 10/8)

Axios: Employer Health Coverage Costs Still Outpaced Wages Heading Into 2020
These costs only accounted for coverage offered heading into 2020, and therefore didn't factor in the coronavirus pandemic. And although the 4% growth rate was the lowest since 2017, it still exceeded the average growth of workers' wages (3.4%) and general inflation (2.1%) — meaning employer health care continues to eat away at people's budgets. (Herman, 10/8)

Modern Healthcare: Job-Based Health Coverage Will Be More Expensive In 2021
Large employers expect the cost of providing health coverage to workers to increase next year, as employees seek care they put off during the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies anticipate that health benefit costs will grow 5.3% in 2021, an increase slightly higher than the 5% increases employers projected in each of the last five years, according to the latest annual survey big employers by the Business Group on Health. (Livingston, 8/18)

Denver Post: Colorado Health Insurance Costs To Fall On Average, But Some Counties See Increases
The monthly cost of insurance bought through the exchange in Colorado will drop an average of 1.4% next year, according to filings with the Colorado Division of Insurance. Your costs depend on where you live, though. Some counties on the Eastern Plains will see 12% increases in their monthly premiums, while Park County residents could pay 12% less, on average. (Wingerter, 10/8)

More insurance news —

Stateline: COVID-19 'Long-Haulers' Worry About Coverage, Costs 
Andréa Ceresa has been through three gastroenterologists already and now is moving onto her fourth. She’s seen an infectious disease specialist, a hematologist, a cardiologist, an ear, nose and throat specialist, a physiatrist and an integrative doctor. She has an appointment coming up with a neuropsychologist and another one with a neurologist. She’s had an endoscopy, a colonoscopy, a CT scan, a brain MRI and so many blood tests, she said, “I feel like a human pin-cushion.” She was planning a trip soon to an acupuncturist and has a referral for occupational therapy. (Ollove, 10.9)

Marketplace: How To Find Health Care After A Layoff In A Pandemic
The Affordable Care Act has emerged as a sticking point in the presidential campaign. Democratic vice presidential hopeful Kamala Harris has said that the Trump administration, aided by a new Supreme Court bench, could invalidate Obamacare and its requirement that insurance companies cover preexisting conditions. Vice President Mike Pence said the administration would not let that happen but has declined to say how. With nearly 12 million people on unemployment and so much health care coverage tied to jobs lost to the pandemic, what are the available options for coverage? Colleen Carey, assistant professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University, joined “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio to discuss. (10/9)

The Hill: AstraZeneca's No-Profit Pledge For Vaccine Has Expiration Date: Report 
New documents reveal that AstraZeneca, one of a number of companies currently developing a coronavirus vaccine candidate, has the right to declare the end to the pandemic as soon as July 2021, the Financial Times reports. The British pharmaceutical company has repeatedly promised not to profit from its COVID-19 vaccine “during the pandemic,” but the new documents seem to reveal the company having a target date to declare as the end of the pandemic. (Williams, 10/8)

In other vaccine news —

Stat: Moderna Vows Not To Enforce Patent Rights Related To Covid-19 Vaccine
Amid growing concern over access to Covid-19 medical products, Moderna (MRNA) has decided not to enforce its patent rights related to its experimental vaccine and will also license its intellectual property to any Covid-19 vaccines to others after the pandemic has ended. The decision means other companies or governments should not have concerns that the biotech would seek to prevent other Covid-19 vaccines from being developed based on its technology. (Silverman, 10/8)

CIDRAP: FDA Head: Outside Pressures Won't Rush COVID Vaccine 
The decision to authorize and approve a COVID-19 vaccine will be based on data and science—not politics, Stephen Hahn, MD, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said today in a Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) webinar. "We will use science and data to drive those decisions, we will be transparent about those decisions, and we will do everything in our power to prevent anything other than science and data from being involved in those decisions," Hahn said. "That is the promise that we as the FDA, that I as the commissioner of food and drugs, make to the American people." (Van Beusekom, 10/8)

Stat: 7 Looming Questions About The Rollout Of A Covid-19 Vaccine 
The race to develop Covid-19 vaccines could well see some Americans vaccinated before the end of 2020 — less than a year after the world first learned a new virus was causing a dangerous new form of pneumonia in China. The design, testing, and mass production of multiple vaccines has never been attempted on this type of timeline, making this moment a turning point in the development of vaccines to respond to new disease threats. (Branswell and Silverman, 10/9)

The Hill: US Could Have Enough COVID-19 Vaccine For Every American By March, Azar Says 
There could be enough coronavirus vaccine doses for every American as early as March of 2021. CNBC reports Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar made the projection on Thursday during a keynote speech at the Goldman Sachs Healthcare virtual event on the coronavirus. “We project having enough for every American who wants a vaccine by March to April 2021,” Azar said Thursday according to CNBC. (Guzman, 10/8)

Boston Globe: Boston Research Team Says It Has Enrolled A Diverse Group In Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine Study 
Research centers studying the various coronavirus vaccines being tested have struggled to enroll nonwhite participants, confronting entrenched distrust of the health care system. But the leader of the team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital says it’s bucking that trend, by recruiting “well over 30 percent” of its enrollees from communities of color. (Freyer, 10/8)

AP: China Joins COVAX Coronavirus Vaccine Alliance
China, which has at least four coronavirus vaccine candidates in the last stage of clinical trials, said Friday it is joining the COVID-19 vaccine alliance known as COVAX. The country signed an agreement with Gavi, the co-leader of the alliance, on Thursday, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Initially, China did not agree to join the alliance, missing the deadline to join in September. (Wu, 10/9)

Time: Study Confirms Remdesivir's Benefits For Coronavirus 
In a report published Oct. 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers confirmed the benefits of remdesivir for treating people hospitalized for COVID-19. Remdesivir, an antiviral drug, has emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating anyone hospitalized for COVID-19. That authorization means that doctors can prescribe the intravenous (IV) drug for people who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 and have been hospitalized. While the drug was initially authorized only for those who needed supplemental oxygen or ventilators to breathe, an expanded EUA from the FDA in late August reflects the growing belief among doctors that treating people who aren’t as sick might provide even more benefit—so now includes people with evidence of respiratory infections but don’t yet need supplemental oxygen or help from a ventilator. (Park, 10/8)

Read the study in the New England Journal of Medicine —

Remdesivir for the Treatment of Covid-19 — Final Report

Reuters: Eli Lilly In Deal To Supply COVID-19 Drugs To Low-Income Countries
Eli Lilly and Co LLY.N said on Thursday it had entered into an agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for potential supply of its experimental antibody treatments for COVID-19 to low and middle-income countries. As part of the deal, Lilly said it will make antibody therapies available to lower-income countries prior to April 2021, but did not elaborate on the number of doses. Separately, Fujifilm Holdings Corp 4901.T said its facility in Denmark would manufacture treatments next year. (10/8)

Stat: Study Of Cytokinetics, Amgen Heart Drug Meets Goal — But Still Disappoints
Cytokinetics and Amgen said Thursday that an experimental heart drug reduced the risk of hospitalizations and other treatments for patients with chronic heart failure in a large cardiovascular outcomes clinical trial. But while the study achieved its main goal, the treatment effect was marginal and the drug, called omecamtiv mecarbil, did not help heart failure patients live longer, the companies said. (Feuerstein, 10/8)

In biotech news —

Stat: Celgene Shareholders Are Parsing Blurry Photos In Search Of A Payday
Twice a year, hopeful soccer fans are treated to the transfer window, a period in which teams can buy players from one another. It’s known widely as the sport’s “silly season” because it invites fans to dream of impossible signings and circulate flimsy rumors that Star Brazilian Striker X was spotted at the airport on his way to Woeful English City Y. Most of the time, no such thing happens. On Wednesday, former Celgene shareholders experienced the biotech version of that magical thinking when investors on the Internet passed around blurry photos of what may or may not be FDA inspectors walking into what may or may not be a Celgene manufacturing plant. (Garde, 10/8)

Modern Healthcare: Lyft Continues Healthcare Push With Epic EHR Integration
Lyft on Thursday announced an integration with Epic Systems Corp.'s electronic health record system, marking the ride-sharing company's latest step into healthcare. Through the new program, staff at participating hospitals will be able to use a patient's medical record to order Lyft rides if they need help traveling to or from non-emergency medical appointments. (Cohen, 10/8)

Modern Healthcare: HCA To Return $6B In CARES Act Funds, Accelerated Payments
HCA Healthcare said Thursday it plans to return all of the $1.6 billion in federal COVID-19 relief grants it received to offset COVID-19 losses as well as $4.4 billion in Medicare accelerated payments. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA fared well through the COVID-19 pandemic. The for-profit hospital chain said it took a conservative approach early on in the pandemic that is now allowing it to give back all of its share of the Provider Relief Fund grants it received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. (Bannow, 10/8)

Modern Healthcare: White House Billing Transparency Metrics Inspired By Billionaire-Funded Research
The White House's newest requirement for hospitals to publicly report billing quality metrics was inspired by Johns Hopkins University researchers who received funding from billionaire philanthropists looking to influence healthcare policy. The billing quality measures were announced in an executive order President Donald Trump signed on Sept. 24. Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins professor, laid out similar metrics in academic literature that were designed to help foster accountability for some hospitals' predatory billing practices. (Cohrs, 10/8)

Also —

The Oklahoman: EMSA, Contractor Dispute Reason For Delays In Answering Emergency Calls
Ambulance response times for the most serious emergencies are below minimum standards and getting worse in Oklahoma City. That is the assessment of Jim Winham, president of the Emergency Medical Services Authority, in a scathing letter to executives of American Medical Response (AMR), the contractor responsible for day-to-day ambulance operations in the city. (Crum, 10/9)

Modern Healthcare: COVID-19 Tests Remote Work Capacity
When around 10,000 Advocate Aurora Health administrative employees had to abruptly transition to working remotely in March, the health system quickly realized that everyone’s situation was unique. Some had to work around their children’s schedule, while some had to take care of family members. The independence of working from home and the ease of access suited some, but others missed interpersonal connection. To ease the transition for working parents, the health system, which operates in Illinois and Wisconsin, offered a childcare subsidy of $125 per week for most of the summer. It recently reinstated the program as kids and their parents adjust to school amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kaick, 10/8)

Billings Gazette: Health Care Workers Need Public Support Now More Than Ever, Billings Nurse Says 
A continuing surge in COVID-19 cases in Yellowstone County has stretched the regional health care hub thin. Health care providers are overworked as the county sees record high case counts and hospitalizations. As of Wednesday the county had more than 1,100 active cases and accounted for nearly a quarter of the state's active cases. (Sukut, 10/8)

North Carolina Health News: UNC Expert: Pivot On COVID Messages
David Wohl has been on the frontlines battling COVID-19 for the past seven months, helping to set up crucial testing sites both in Chapel Hill and in underserved  Lee County communities. The infectious disease specialist at the UNC Chapel Hill medical school also has been treating patients sickened by the novel coronavirus at UNC Health. (Blythe, 10/9)

Crain's Chicago Business: What's In Store For The Exec Tapped To Lead Cook County Health
In the midst of the gravest public health crisis in generations, Cook County Health has been searching for a permanent leader. It found one in Israel Rocha Jr., an executive at NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public health system in the nation. Cook County Health’s independent board of directors has proposed Rocha as CEO, and the Cook County Board of Commissioners is expected to weigh in later this month. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said today that she intends to support Rocha's appointment. (Goldberg and Quig, 10/8)

Detroit Free Press: State Of Michigan Not Releasing Details Of Kids' COVID-19 Deaths
Michigan is among eight states nationally that have not released details about the number of children who've died from novel coronavirus since the pandemic began. The state Department of Health and Human Services told the Free Press on Tuesday that "fewer than five" children have died of COVID-19 or its complications so far this year, but it would not disclose specifically how many kids have died or provide any other details. (Shamus, 10/7)

ProPublica: Illinois Has Had COVID-19 Outbreaks In 44 Schools But Won’t Say Where They’ve Occurred 
Nearly two months into the school year, Illinois public health officials said they have verified COVID-19 outbreaks in at least 44 school buildings across the state, but they declined to say where those cases occurred and acknowledged they may not know the full scope of the virus’s spread in schools. Unlike many other states, Illinois doesn’t publish the number of cases linked to schools or which schools have been affected — even as parents and educators try to assess whether in-person learning is safe. State health officials released overall numbers at the request of ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune. (Cohen and Smith Richards, 10/8)

In other school news —

WCCO - CBS Minnesota: School Nurses Take On A New Role As They Juggle COVID Symptoms And Other Illnesses  
For weeks, Minnesota school nurses have been on the virus front lines as most students are back in their buildings.  The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be a challenge while still juggling other illnesses and symptoms.  Two school nurses gave WCCO some insight into an unprecedented year. From the sniffles to sore throats, Anoka-Hennepin’s Director of Nursing Cynthia Hiltz explains how symptoms are examined much more closely this school year. “People don’t come in with I have COVID across my head it’s really hard to determine what’s going on,” Hiltz said. “It’s not a road map where you start here and go here. There are a lot of variables to look at.” (Collin, 10/8)

The Hill: Nearly Half Of Parents Polled 'Very Worried' Kids Will Get COVID-19 At School 
More than half of American parents say they are at least somewhat concerned about their child contracting COVID-19 at school or in child care facilities, according to a new Gallup poll released Thursday. Forty-five percent of parents surveyed said they are “very worried” about their child contracting the coronavirus at either site, and another 27 percent said they were “somewhat worried.” Thirteen percent of parents said they are “not too worried,” and 9 percent said they are “not at all worried.” (Axelrod, 10/8)

CIDRAP: Study Reveals Prolonged COVID-19 Symptoms In Pregnant Women
Most pregnant women with COVID-19 experience mild disease, but many have prolonged symptoms lasting weeks after infection, according to a large nationwide study yesterday in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Pregnant women have a higher risk of severe disease with other respiratory viruses, leading to concerns that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy may represent an increased risk. Recent reports show higher rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and ventilation among pregnant COVID-19 patients, but the clinical presentation and morbidity for pregnant patients is not fully understood. (10/8)

The Hill: Pregnancy Rates Hit New Lows For Women 24 And Younger, New Highs For Women 35 And Older: Study 
Pregnancy rates among women aged 24 or younger hit record lows in 2016, while rates for women aged 35 and older reached new highs, according to a new analysis published Thursday by Guttmacher, a sexual and reproductive health research organization. Meanwhile, abortion rates have also declined for young people over the past 25 years, partially due to a decline in the number of people in that age group who became pregnant. (Hellmann, 10/8)

The Hill: Airbnb To Require Hosts To Adhere To Enhanced Cleaning Protocols Or Risk Being Booted Off The Platform 
Home-sharing company Airbnb announced Thursday that its hosts will now be required to follow the company’s enhanced cleaning requirements in order to address safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. The global company outlined its “Airbnb Enhanced Clean” standards on its website, which includes a “five-step process” based on “Airbnb’s cleaning handbook, which was developed in partnership with former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and backed by global health and hospitality experts.” (Castronuovo, 10/8)

Modern Healthcare: The Toll Pandemic Isolation Is Taking On The Nation's Elderly
Nursing homes have put in place some of the strictest safeguards to protect the nation's older population from COVID-19. But those regulations are taking a toll, creating a bigger chasm between residents and the outside world and their family, friends and loved ones. (Christ, 10/7)

In other public health news —

Cincinnati Enquirer: Study Involving UC Could Help ID Genetic Markers For Opioid Addiction
What if a doctor knew you were predisposed to opioid addiction? What if, then, the doctor could figure out a medical plan that would ease your pain without prescription painkillers? Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is betting that kind of knowledge would prevent some people from developing opioid use disorder in Ohio. On Thursday, he announced research conducted through his office's Scientific Committee on Opioid Prevention and Education that is trying to find genetic markers for the addiction disorder. (DeMio, 10/8)

The New York Times: People With This Mutation Can’t Smell Stinky Fish 
Researchers in Iceland have identified a new mutant superpower — but the genetic trait probably won’t be granting anyone admission to the X-Men. A small contingent of the world’s population carries a mutation that makes them immune to the odious funk that wafts off fish, according to a study of some 11,000 people published Thursday in the journal Current Biology. The trait is rare, but potent: When faced with a synthetic odor that would put many people off their lunch, some test subjects smelled only the pleasant aroma of caramel, potato or rose. (Wu, 10/8)

NPR: Scientists Study The Long Term Health Effects Of Wildfire Smoke 
In recent weeks, tens of millions of Americans have lived and breathed through a thick haze of wildfire smoke. In places, it lasted for weeks. The immediate health effects of that are well known to the medical community and anyone who's been exposed: Eyes sting, throats tighten, snot can turn black. Respiratory problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be exacerbated, causing spikes in hospital visits. And recent research on the link between wildfire smoke and the flu, even suggests it could increase a person's risk of contracting COVID-19. (Rott, 10/9)

Bloomberg: A $1 Billion Bid To Save U.S. Affordable Housing 
In the Covid-19 era, with construction of new affordable housing in the U.S. slowing to a crawl as a massive wave of housing instability looms, the scheme represents a potentially life-saving win. The Coggins Square deal is an example of a project financed through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), an investment incentive program that has subsidized more than 3 million low-income housing units since its inception in 1986. (Capps, 10/7)

The Washington Post: Covid-19 Outbreak At Fairfax Juvenile Detention Center 
Officials said a coronavirus outbreak has sickened more than a dozen workers and residents at Fairfax County’s Juvenile Detention Center, prompting questions from staff members about the precautions taken against the virus and how its spread was handled. Eight workers and six juveniles have tested positive for the coronavirus at the Fairfax City facility since Sept. 29, officials said, making it one of the worst known outbreaks at a local youth center since March. (Jouvenal, 10/8)

In news from Georgia and Florida —

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Families, Activists Want Criminal Investigation Into Cobb Inmate Deaths
Community activists and family members of inmates who’ve died at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center held a town hall meeting Wednesday to continue to press for answers on why their loved ones didn’t return home alive. The ACLU of Georgia, Cobb County Southern Christian Leadership Conference and several community groups gathered at Marietta’s Glover Park to request a criminal investigation into the deaths at the jail during Sheriff Neil Warren’s tenure. (Dixon, 10/8)

Tampa Bay Times: A ‘Golden-Hearted Young Man’: Another Florida Corrections Officer Dies Of COVID-19
Londell Woodbury, a correctional officer who worked at Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler, died from complications related to COVID-19, Warden Joseph Edwards wrote in an email to prison employees in Northeast Florida. Woodbury was 23. ... Florida Department of Corrections officials on Thursday declined to comment on Woodbury’s cause of death, citing “privacy laws.” His death is not reflected on the state’s COVID-19 prison death report, which is updated every Wednesday and shows three COVID-19 deaths of workers statewide. The lack of transparency mirrors past instances in which the department either delayed or failed to reveal key information about COVID-19, including deaths, as the virus tore through the state’s prison system. (Ceballos, 10/9)

In news from Vermont and Massachusetts —

Burlington Free Press: Vermont Is Restarting Criminal Trials. How Will It Keep The Public Safe?
Jury trials in Vermont's state criminal courts are poised to restart soon after months of delay during the COVID-19 pandemic. The courts canceled non-essential hearings, including trials, in March when the pandemic began affecting Vermont. Since then, the courts have begun slowly reopening operations, according to the Vermont Judiciary. (Murray, 10/7)

WBUR: Mass. Public Defenders Call For More COVID Testing In Correctional Facilities After Recent Outbreaks 
The state public defender agency is calling for testing every person incarcerated in Massachusetts for the coronavirus. The Committee for Public Counsel Service points to recent outbreaks of the virus at two correctional facilities, a jail in Middleton and a facility for men civilly committed for addiction treatment in Plymouth. (Becker, 10/8)

In news from California —

San Francisco Chronicle: ‘This Is A Public Health Crisis’: New Push To Allow Safe Drug Use Sites In S.F. And Oakland 
State Sen. Scott Wiener said Thursday he plans to reintroduce controversial legislation next year that would allow for safe drug-use sites in San Francisco and Oakland. Wiener’s efforts to pass similar legislation have faced challenges over the past few years. The sites are aimed at reducing opioid overdoses and encouraging users to go into treatment while allowing them to get high under supervision. (Ravani, 10/8)

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F.-Marin Food Bank Ratifies Union Contract After Yearlong Battle Where Workers Alleged Institutional Racism 
The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, one of the Bay Area’s most prominent hunger relief nonprofits, was thrust into the spotlight this year, as long lines formed at food pantries and the need for food swelled. But behind the scenes, there’s been a yearlong battle going on after workers voted to unionize — something they finalized just recently. After simmering discontent about institutional racism and lack of worker protections, the food bank and its staff have agreed on a new contract. (Bitker, 10/7)

The New York Times: 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Awarded To U.N. World Food Program 
The World Food Program, a United Nations agency, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its efforts to combat hunger globally and lay the foundations for peace in nations devastated by war, the Nobel committee announced. The organization was recognized for its work during a coronavirus pandemic that has “contributed to a strong upsurge in the number of victims of hunger in the world,” the committee said in a statement. The United Nations body — the largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security internationally — last year provided assistance to nearly one million people in 88 countries. (Specia, 10/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Nobel Peace Prize Is Awarded To The World Food Program 
The WFP responded on Twitter to the award by calling it “a powerful reminder to the world that peace and #ZeroHunger go hand-in-hand.” Its executive director David Beasley, previously noted in 2017 that the WFP’s efforts also boosted the U.S.’s own long-term security interests in some of the most volatile parts of the world. “Humanitarian assistance—especially the food aid distributed by the U.N. World Food Program—is one way to combat extremists,” he wrote. “This is my message to President Trump and his friends and allies. Proposed massive cuts to food assistance would do long-term harm to our national security interests.” (Hookway, 10/9)

The Washington Post: Nobel Peace Prize Goes To World Food Program For Efforts To Combat Hunger
The award is an acknowledgment of the central role the Rome-based organization plays in dealing with impoverished people caught in or fleeing from conflict. The WFP, which was established in 1961, has become the primary international organization for people dealing with hunger — at a time when climate change and prolonged conflicts in the Middle East and Africa are exacerbating the challenge. Millions in Syria and Yemen depend each month on the WFP for survival. The organization says that more than 800 million people are chronically hungry, most of them living in conflict-stricken areas. (Birnbaum and Harlan, 10/9)

Also —

CNN: How You Can Help Fight The Hunger Crisis Resulting From The Covid-19 Pandemic
The coronavirus is leading to a secondary pandemic -- hunger. The need for emergency food has exploded since March of 2020. According to an Oxfam report, this hunger crisis could soon kill more people each day than the infection itself. (Lee, 10/6)

The Hill: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle To Speak With Malala Yousafzai About COVID-19's Impact On Girls' Education 
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, are scheduled to appear in a video Sunday with activist and Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai to discuss the barriers facing girls in their access to education around the world amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to The Associated Press, the conversation will be published on the Malala Fund’s YouTube channel and website in celebration of International Day of the Girl Child. (Castronuovo, 10/8)

Forbes: This COVID-19 Passport Could Help Restart International Travel
Airlines such as Emirates, Etihad and United are already starting testing programs for their flights at airports. But a new pass that is starting to test this week could open borders worldwide on a much broader basis. Launched by the World Economic Forum and The Commons Project Foundation, a Swiss-based nonprofit, in conjunction with representatives of 37 countries in six continents, the digital pass CommonPass is starting international trials showing a passenger’s COVID-19 status while protecting other health information. ... United Airlines, the first airline to test the platform in the United States, will use it on flights between London Heathrow Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. Further tests are planned on additional airlines and routes across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. (Werner, 10/8)

Reuters: Australia Records Second Day Without COVID-19 Death For First Time In Three Months
Australia reported its second straight day without any COVID-19 deaths on Friday, the longest stretch without any fatalities from the virus in three months. Australian states and territories reported 16 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, down from 28 on Thursday, and no deaths for two days, the first time Australia has gone 48 hours without a COVID-19 death since July 11. (Packham, 10/8)

The New York Times: How The White House Flouted Basic Coronavirus Rules 
For months, President Trump minimized the threat of the virus and eschewed basic safety precautions like wearing a mask or maintaining six feet of distance from other people. And at several events last week, White House staff members defied recommendations — from scientists, local authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — on curbing infection, even after the president tested positive. Here’s a look at some of the ways Mr. Trump and his staff members ignored basic guidelines. (Leatherby, Schoenfeld Walker, Buchanan and Keefe, 10/8)

The New York Times: Inside The People Of Praise, The Tight-Knit Faith Community Of Amy Coney Barrett
About 35 years ago in New Orleans, a young lawyer for Shell Oil Company received an opportunity that should have been a triumph: a prestigious transfer to the main office in Houston, and a significant raise. On paper, the promotion was a stroke of good fortune for the father of six. In reality, it was devastating. He broke the news to his wife in the driveway of their home. “This is awful,” he told her. “A move to Houston means life for our family will never be the same.” The family’s life in Louisiana revolved around an unusually tight-knit young Christian community. Members worshiped and socialized together for several hours every Sunday. They often shared the same houses, or the same neighborhoods. Some consulted leaders on everything from their household budget to whom they should marry. (Graham and LaFraniere, 10/8)

The New York Times: These Americans Are Determined To Cast A Last Ballot Before Dying 
Annamarie Eggert has voted in every presidential election since 1948, when she cast her ballot for Harry S. Truman. Now she is 94 and ailing, but she is determined to vote in this one, too. Mrs. Eggert, a Biden supporter in York, Maine, has expressive aphasia, a condition that has made it difficult for her to talk. “We — need — to get Trump out of there,” she said, each word painstakingly coaxed from her lips. “Come hell — or high water, I will — vote.” (Hafner, 10/7)

AP: US Medical Supply Chains Failed, And COVID Deaths Followed
Nurse Sandra Oldfield’s patient didn’t have the usual symptoms of COVID-19 -- yet. But then he tested positive for the virus, and it was clear that Oldfield -- a veteran, 53-year-old caregiver -- had been exposed. She was sent home by Kaiser Permanente officials with instructions to keep careful notes on her condition. And she did. “Temperature 97.1,” she wrote on March 26, her first log entry. Normal. She and her colleagues said they had felt unsafe at work and had raised concerns with their managers. They needed N95 masks, powerful protection against contracting COVID-19. Kaiser Permanente had none for Sandra Oldfield. Instead, she was issued a less effective surgical mask, leaving her vulnerable to the deadly virus. (Linderman and Mendoza, 10/7)

The Washington Post: Inside A Florida Hospital, Coronavirus Cases Wane As Strained Staff Brace For A Fall Surge 
Nearly two dozen people critically ill with the novel coronavirus were recently being treated at Tampa General Hospital, 10 of them on ventilators. More than a dozen others with noncritical cases filled beds in a dedicated ward. In the emergency room, someone sick with the virus showed up about every hour. This is what a lull looks like. Florida was a hot spot of the coronavirus pandemic this summer. More than 722,000 Floridians have so far been infected with the virus — with a daily high of more than 15,000 cases reported July 12. The state’s intensive care units, including those at Tampa General, were pushed to the brink as the virus spread out of control. (Hauslohner, 10/7)

NPR: In Rural America, The Pandemic Pummeled The Health Care System
Even when there isn't a pandemic, finding the right doctor can be tough in rural eastern Ohio. Reid Davis, 21, and his mother Crystal live in Jefferson County, which hugs the Ohio River near West Virginia. Their home is surrounded by farms, hayfields and just a few neighbors. "To the nearest hospital, you're talking about 50 minutes to an hour," Reid Davis says. Davis' mother has rheumatoid arthritis, a severe autoimmune condition, for which she sees a specialist. That doctor prescribes an injectable medication and also works on her joints to ease inflammation and pain, he says. (Stone, 10/7)

Nature: Face Masks: What The Data Say
The science supports that face coverings are saving lives during the coronavirus pandemic, and yet the debate trundles on. How much evidence is enough? The science supports that face coverings are saving lives during the coronavirus pandemic, and yet the debate trundles on. How much evidence is enough? (Peeples, 10/6)

The New York Times: The First Semester Of College Has Never Been Stranger 
Elle Fleenor didn’t know a soul when she first set foot on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis — wearing a mask, of course — and hunkered down for two weeks of quarantine. She attended orientation and lectures on Zoom, picked up food from the dining hall to eat in her room, and barely interacted with anyone beyond her dorm building’s walls. Ms. Fleenor, a first-year student from Scottsburg, Ind., knew college wouldn’t be what she had imagined. But she wasn’t prepared for how the precautions her school was taking to slow the spread of the coronavirus would complicate her efforts to make friends, and how isolated that would make her feel. (Fazio, 10/8)

The New York Times: The Virus Moved Female Faculty To The Brink. Will Universities Help?
The pandemic has laid bare gender inequities across the country, and women in academia have not been spared. The outbreak erupted during universities’ spring terms, hastily forcing classes online and researchers out of their laboratories. Faculty with young or school-aged children — especially women — had to juggle teaching their students with overseeing their children’s distance learning from home. Multiple studies have already shown that women have written significantly fewer papers than their male counterparts during the pandemic. (Kramer, 10/6)

Stat: The CRISPR Story: How Basic Research Discovery Changed Science 
When Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier embarked on the project that would change science and medicine in incalculable ways, their intentions were much more muted. Theirs was a basic research inquiry into bacterial immune systems, not an attempt to develop a new tool to manipulate the genetic code. (Joseph, 10/7)

The Washington Post: How Systemic Racism Shaped George Floyd’s Life And Hobbled His Ambition 
His life began as the last embers of the civil rights movement were flickering out. Its horrific, videotaped end ignited the largest anti-racism movement since, with demonstrators the world over marching for racial justice in his name. During the 46 years in between, George Perry Floyd came of age as the strictures of Jim Crow discrimination in America gave way to an insidious form of systemic racism, one that continually undercut his ambitions. Early in life, he wanted to be a Supreme Court justice. Then, a pro athlete. At the end, he just longed for a little stability, training to be a commercial truck driver. (Olorunnipa and Witte, 10/8)

The New York Times: The Gender Reveal That Doesn’t: Gender, Sexuality And Even Biology Are In Play As Men’S Wear Says Bye-Bye To The Binary
Whatever happened to secondary sex characteristics? You know, those shapes and appendages we develop after puberty as an anatomical signage, an aid to evolution. Kardashians aside, the cultural appetite seems to be waning not only for visible gender difference but also the exaggerated tell. This is perhaps one of the reasons behind the continued success of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” where skilled performers wildly exaggerate the markers of gender as if to remind us that among the most determined holdouts for the preservation of all-but-extinct forms of femininity are men. (Trebay, 10/7)

Los Angeles Times: CDC Finally Admits Coronavirus Can Linger In The Air
Oh, how wrong I got it in the early pandemic days. I and everyone else. When my daughter flew home from Chicago in March to spend what we thought would be a month or two of COVID-19 danger together, we followed the advice of the time: She changed clothes and showered right after arriving. Then we sat at least 6 feet apart — more like 8 feet apart — in the living room, doing our respective work by computer. I bathed the groceries like they were my babies, sprayed and wiped and scrubbed down surfaces with bleach at times, with rubbing alcohol other times. Who could find disinfectant wipes in those days? (Karin Klein, 10/8)

The Wall Street Journal: The Trump Treatment For Covid Is Coming Soon
President Trump has been criticized for receiving experimental Covid-19 treatments that aren’t available to ordinary Americans. But man-made antibodies like those Mr. Trump received may soon be rolled out for broader public use. Such treatments may be a bridge to a vaccine. Covid vaccines are being developed at a brisk pace, but their widespread use is on track for next year. Even if the Food and Drug Administration authorizes a vaccine this winter for those at high risk of Covid complications, the immunity benefit to the population will come gradually as access is expanded and more Americans are vaccinated. (Scott Gottlieb and Mark McClellan, 10/8)

Stat: What Trump's 'Compassionate Use' Of A Covid-19 Drug Means 
Among the whirlwind of news and medical information about President Trump since he was diagnosed with Covid-19, treated with experimental drugs, hospitalized, and released has been a lot of confusion about the “compassionate use” of unapproved drugs. What is it? Who gets it? Who should get? How do you get it? (Lisa Kearns, Alison Bateman-House and Arthur L. Caplan, 10/8)

Bloomberg: Colleges Are Better At Covid-19 Testing Than The White House
On the morning of Oct. 2, just as the U.S. was waking up to news that the president and first lady were infected with Covid-19, the New York Times was featuring a story with the headline “Colleges Learn How to Suppress Coronavirus: Extensive Testing.” And yet, President Donald Trump had often claimed he was getting tested regularly — maybe even every day. Does the White House outbreak erode the case for keeping schools and workplaces open with extensive, rapid testing? Testing had been looking good, with new technologies promising fast, cheap tests as a tactic to prevent Covid-19 spread while allowing more of the interactions needed for commerce, travel, education and human happiness. (Faye Flam, 10/8)

Detroit Free Press: 15 Doctors Have Message For Michiganders On Mask Requirements
In a legal amicus curiae brief, we explained to the Michigan Supreme Court that the governor’s actions were firmly rooted in science and saved thousands of lives. The novel coronavirus has characteristics that make it extremely difficult to control in community settings, including that over 30% of people with the virus are infectious without experiencing symptoms or illness. Every single Michigander — 10 million people living in all 83 counties — is at risk for contracting the virus, experiencing serious, lingering illness or death, or unknowingly passing it onto others. COVID-19 is already the third leading cause of death in Michigan in 2020, behind cancer and heart disease. And lurking behind the number of cases, hospitalization and deaths are significant racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities. (Paula M. Lantz, et. al, 10/6)

Des Moines Register: When Empathy Is Needed, Trump Instead Reopens Wounds
Lately, I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night thinking about the 650 million masks the United States Postal Service was preparing to send to every household in the country in April. I wonder what might have been. I wonder because on May 5, my father died of COVID-19. Because my dad was 92 years old and in a nursing home, too many people saw his death as inevitable, or him as expendable. On Sept. 21, President Donald Trump said that the coronavirus "affects elderly people, elderly people with heart problems and other problems. If they have other problems, that's what it really affects. That's it...It affects virtually nobody." How I beg to disagree. (This was a little over a week before Trump himself was diagnosed and hospitalized.) (Ross Daniels, 10/7)

Los Angeles Times: Don't Be Part Of The 'Twindemic.' Get A Flu Shot
On Tuesday, I biked over to the local Kaiser clinic to get my flu shot. I get one every year, but never this early. I usually wait until the autumn heat wanes and Southern California’s version of winter settles in, pushing people and gatherings inside where viruses spread more easily. This year, waiting for winter to get a flu shot seemed as risky as waiting for Nov. 3 to vote. I’ve had the flu. It’s not an experience I wish to repeat — especially if there’s a possibility of suffering from both the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. And in 2020 it is a possibility. (Mariel Garza, 10/8)

The Hill: COVID-19: How RNs Can Help Overcome Public Vaccine Hesitancy 
Vaccines have been on the minds of many Americans. SARs-CoV-2 cases are increasing across the U.S. Its pathogenicity has touched the lives of the most secure and elite populations of our society. As we yearn for past conveniences and as we experience mask and social distance fatigue, as well as continued disruptions in work-life balance, all of us want to know: When will a safe coronavirus vaccine become available? Who will have access to the vaccine when one becomes available? How will its distribution be prioritized? (Connie M. Ulrich and Julie Fairman, 10/8)

Stat: The CRISPR Nobel Was A Win For All Women Scientists
News that Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier were awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry “for the development of a method for genome editing” known as CRISPR-Cas9 was exciting for several reasons. One is the impact of the discovery: CRISPR is a transformative tool for almost all aspects of biomedical research and can also be used directly as a treatment for some genetic disorders. Second is that Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley, and Emmanuelle Charpentier of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, are the only two women to share a science Nobel prize in the history of the awards. (Patrick Skerrett, 10/8)

Stat: Hepatitis Is Still A Silent Killer In Africa And Elsewhere 
The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded this week to three researchers who discovered the virus that causes hepatitis C. According to the announcement, “For the first time in history, the disease can now be cured, raising hopes of eradicating hepatitis C virus from the world population. ”New blood tests and drugs for this deadly disease have already saved millions of lives. But for millions more around the world, the celebration is bittersweet and the revolution in diagnosis and treatment remains a distant dream. (Danjuma Adda, 10/9)

USA Today: Donald Trump Would Repeal And Replace Obamacare With A Nothingburger
Biden’s burger, if it is not obvious, is the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, the 2010 law that has allowed tens of millions of pre-retirement Americans to buy health insurance on private exchanges or obtain Medicaid coverage. Because the law was never perfect, and because it has spent the past decade under siege from Republicans, Biden proposes a number of enhancements, including providing a government-run insurance plan as an option alongside private ones. At the Supreme Court, againTrump’s plan is to terminate the ACA and replace it with a blizzard of tweets about nonexistent alternatives, typically to be announced two weeks hence. Trump tried to kill the ACA in Congress but fell one vote short. He has since followed a strategy of having Congress repeal part of the law with the expectation that sympathetic judges would repeal the rest. That approach is expected to reach the Supreme Court, for the third time, just after the election. (10/8)

The New York Times: What Makes Mike Pence’s Complicity So Chilling
Somewhere under the cornfields and backyard hoop courts of Indiana is a small black box holding the conscience of Vice President Mike Pence. He buried it four years ago, when a tape emerged of Donald Trump boasting about sexually assaulting women. Pence and his wife, Karen, whom he reportedly calls “Mother,” had rushed home to pray during the biggest campaign crisis of 2016. Ever since an evangelical conversion in college, Pence had been a beacon of Hoosier holiness, using his talk radio show and his political perch to preach biblical values in the public sphere. (Timothy Egan, 10/9)

The Washington Post: Pence Can’t Do Anything To Justify Trump’s Deadly Choice
A few decades ago, the New Republic set about determining the most boring headlines ever written. The title was won by the New York Times: “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative.” High on the list should also be: “Instructive Vice-Presidential Debate.” Yet the Kamala D. Harris/Mike Pence confrontation was occasionally instructive, particularly on their differing approaches to the covid-19 pandemic. Vice President Pence correctly summarized their main point of disagreement: “President Trump and I trust the American people to make choices in the best interests of their health.” (Michael Gerson, 10/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Joe Biden Is The Shutdown Candidate
If a tree falls in an empty forest, will the press blame Donald Trump? Even by the standards of Trump derangement syndrome, the media compulsion during a U.S. president’s tour through Covid-19 to build every molehill into a mountain of duplicity was a new low. Meanwhile, running relentlessly in the background of this Trump-obsessed spectacle is something called SARS-CoV-2. Joe Biden’s campaign is built around promising a return to normalcy. So let us ask Mr. Biden: In the era of Covid, just what will your normalcy look like? (Daniel Henninger, 10/7)

Bloomberg: England's Covid Strategy Is More Scottish Than Swedish
Whenever you hear a policy that touches on pubs in Britain, you know it’s serious. With coronavirus infections and hospitalizations rising, Boris Johnson is preparing new lockdown rules, including shutting down boozers and restaurants in the north of the country. That has sparked a bitter debate among his cabinet, his party and the public about whether his caution is costing too much. As so often in this pandemic, Scotland has gone first, closing pubs and restaurants for a 16-day “circuit-break” to try to curb infections, even though the Scottish infection rate is still far below English cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle. The new measures for the north of England appear to mirror the Scottish lockdown, only without the time limit. (Therese Raphael, 10/9)

Louisville Courier-Journal: Donald Trump Gets An F, Andy Beshear A B In Handling Virus
As we approach a crucial election, it’s time to think about the sort of leaders we want and need at all levels of government — especially when strong leadership is badly needed to help save lives in a pandemic. On that task, our president has failed on almost all counts. I doubt Vice President Mike Pence really believes what he said in Wednesday night’s debate: “From the very first day, President Donald Trump has put the health of America first.” No, Trump has put his political health first, and that’s backfired to the point of risking his personal heath. His failures on this front are well-documented. One of the better recent summaries came in a letter to Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from one of his predecessors, William Foege, who led the eradication of smallpox. (Al Cross, 10/8)

Fox News: Vice Presidential Debate Showed Democrats Will Pack The Court In The Name Of Diversity
If she (Kamala Harris) and Joe Biden win next month, they will indeed pack the Supreme Court. They'll justify doing that in the name of diversity. They will tell you the Trump administration is racist for not selecting judges based on the color of their skin. They'll tell you that nine is a very racist number of Supreme Court seats. (That's a number some dead White guy come up with a long time ago. See? It's racist. They'll tell you we need to diversify the court. And of course, that means a supermajority of partisan Democrats. That's what they're going to tell you. For now, they're not telling you anything, though. We do know that none of this is going to stop with the Supreme Court. This summer, Barack Obama used a funeral service to tell us that the filibuster is a relic of Jim Crow. Any Senate procedure that limits the power of the Democratic Party is, by definition, racist. That's the new standard. (Tucker Carlson, 10/7)

The Washington Post: Amy Coney Barrett's Confirmation Would Be An LGBTQ Rights Emergency
Five years ago, every marriage in every state became equal under the law, and couples who had long been denied the right to marry could finally do so. In the landmark case of Obergefell v. Hodges, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the majority opinion that affirmed the “equal dignity” of same-sex couples. Obergefell was decided by a margin of one vote: 5-4. Two of the justices in the majority have since left the court — Kennedy retired in 2018, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last month. Today, as much as marriage equality has become broadly accepted, LGBTQ rights are far from assured. In fact, there is a very real possibility that millions of American lives could be upended — and laws could be written and unwritten — if Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to replace Ginsburg and if President Trump and Vice President Pence win another four years in office. (Jim Obergefell and Alphonso David, 10/8)

Boston Globe: Correction Officials Thwarting Medical Parole 
To consider the governor’s beliefs would be a violation of both the letter and the spirit of the 2018 Criminal Justice Reform Act and of an SJC ruling just last January aimed at telling the DOC that the medical parole provisions of that law are to be followed. The SJC heard several cases this week, each seeking to clarify what was supposed to be a new and more humane way to deal with compassionate release petitions — and in the process to save the state the estimated $320,000 a year that it can cost to house terminally ill and debilitated prisoners. (10/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Wants To Talk Reparations? Let’s Start With Land Ownership
The Black experience in this country is under a microscope in 2020. Systemic racism, from ongoing housing discrimination to the disproportionately high incarceration rates among Black men, are key indicators of slavery’s lasting legacy on this country. But the idea of compensating Black people today specifically for what their ancestors experienced as slaves isn’t an easy conversation for most of white America to have. Regardless of how white people feel about it, reparations as a talking point in politics are about to reach peak prevalence in California. Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill creating a path for the state to one day pay reparations of some kind to Black Californians, with an emphasis on folks who are descendants of slaves. (Justin Phillips, 10/8)