The Hill: WHO: We Can't 'Just Pretend The Pandemic Is Over' 
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Monday that people can’t “pretend the pandemic is over” as countries lift restrictions put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that countries should not reopen economies if they don’t have control over the virus. (Klar, 8/31) 

Reuters: Opening Up Without Control Of COVID-19 Is Recipe For Disaster, Says WHO
Countries with significant active spread of coronavirus must prevent amplifying events, as opening up without the virus being under control would be a “recipe for disaster”, the World Health Organization said on Monday. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recognised that many people are getting tired of restrictions and want to return to normality eight months into the pandemic. (8/31)

The New York Times: The Midwest Sees A Spike As Covid-19 Cases Decline Elsewhere 
Reports of new cases have fallen significantly around the country since July; they are now flat in 26 states and falling in 15 others. But in nine states, cases are still growing, and in some, setting records — especially in the Midwest. Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota all added more cases in a recent seven-day stretch than in any previous week of the pandemic. Together, they reported 19,133 new cases in the week ending Sunday, according to a New York Times database — 6.4 percent of the national total, though the five states are home to only 4 percent of the population. In each, some of the biggest surges in new case numbers have come in college towns. (8/31)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. New Coronavirus Infections Slow To Lowest Level In More Than Two Months 
The U.S. recorded its smallest number of daily coronavirus cases in months, continuing a slowdown in new infections. The number of new reported infections in the country fell below 34,000 on Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the lowest number since June 22. While Covid-19 cases remain elevated compared with the earliest days of the summer, they have been trending down in recent weeks. (Mendell, 9/1)

Also —

The Hill: Teen And Children Hospitalizations, Deaths From Coronavirus Increasing: Report 
Coronavirus-related hospitalizations and deaths of children and teens are on the rise, according to data compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Although data indicate younger children are less likely to catch or transmit the virus, the May 21-Aug. 20 dataset shows a similar rise across states. Complicating matters is the fact that states use different grouping strategies, with many putting infants and teens in the same category, The New York Times notes. (Budryk, 8/31)

The Washington Post: New Trump Coronavirus Adviser Scott Atlas Pushes Controversial 'Herd Immunity' Strategy
One of President Trump’s top medical advisers is urging the White House to embrace a controversial “herd immunity” strategy to combat the pandemic, which would entail allowing the coronavirus to spread through most of the population to quickly build resistance to the virus, while taking steps to protect those in nursing homes and other vulnerable populations, according to five people familiar with the discussions. The administration has already begun to implement some policies along these lines, according to current and former officials as well as experts, particularly with regard to testing. (Abutaleb and Dawsey, 8/31)

The Washington Post: What Is Herd Immunity And Why Are Trump Officials Pursuing An Idea WHO Calls ‘Dangerous’? 
Trump administration officials are starting to move towards coronavirus policies that are in line with a “herd immunity” strategy — a controversial approach that involves deliberately allowing the coronavirus to spread to build up population resistance more quickly while protecting the most vulnerable. In theory, as the number of survivors with immunity increases to a certain level, the virus’s spread would slow and eventually stop. The only problem: A whole lot of people would die before that point. (Wan, 8/31)

NBC News: Controversial Doctor Gives Trump Highly Dubious Advice On Pandemic
The neuroradiologist has "no expertise in public health or infectious disease mitigation," he hasn't practiced medicine in nearly a decade, and he's demonstrated a habit of echoing unscientific claims, but Atlas nevertheless had something more important: the capacity to tell the president what he wants to hear. ... The chief proponent of this approach is, of course, Scott Atlas, who reportedly now speaks with Trump "almost every day" -- a benefit public-health officials do not have -- and who has "expanded his influence inside the White House by advocating policies that appeal to Trump's desire to move past the pandemic and get the economy going." (Benen, 8/31)

In other updates on the Trump administration's response to the pandemic —

The Wall Street Journal: How Trump Sowed Covid Supply Chaos. ‘Try Getting It Yourselves.’ 
Sergio Melgar, the chief financial officer for the largest health-care system in central Massachusetts, was about to run out of medical-grade N95 masks. A Chinese company poised to replenish the supply wanted the money upfront. It was after midnight on March 20, too late to arrange a wire transfer. So Mr. Melgar took out his own credit card and authorized a $100,000 charge. “If I don’t do this,” he recalls thinking, “we will run out.” (Bender and Ballhaus, 8/31)

The Hill: HHS Seeks To Spend $250M On Campaign To 'Inspire Hope' On Pandemic: Report 
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is looking to spend $250 million on a communications campaign aimed to “inspire hope” about the coronavirus pandemic, Politico reported Monday, citing an internal document. The department sent a number of communications firms a “performance work statement” laying out what work would be expected of the company that secures the bid, stating that the vast majority of the money will be spent from now until January, Politico reported. (Klar, 8/31)

Modern Healthcare: HHS Names Ashmore As Acting Chief Information Officer
Perryn Ashmore, principal deputy chief information officer at HHS, on Friday began serving as the department's acting CIO. Jose Arrieta, who had served as HHS' CIO for 16 months, formally resigned from his role Friday. Arrieta on Aug. 14 had announced plans to resign, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his children. Arrieta at the time had reportedly told HHS Secretary Alex Azar he planned to continue to serve as CIO temporarily to ensure a smooth leadership transition. (Cohen, 8/31)

Also —

The Hill: Trump Knocks Fauci: 'I Inherited Him' 
President Trump on Monday questioned the value of Anthony Fauci to the White House coronavirus task force, saying in an interview with Fox News that he "inherited" the government's top infectious disease expert. "I disagree with a lot of what he said," Trump told Laura Ingraham when asked if he would put Fauci "front and center" in the pandemic response if he could do it again. (Samuels, 8/31)

Politico: White House Privately Warned States Of Covid-19 ‘Red Zone’ Threat, Records Show 
Senior Trump administration officials in June privately warned seven states about dangerous coronavirus outbreaks that put them in the highest risk "red zone" while publicly dismissing concerns about a second wave of Covid-19, according to White House documents House Democrats released on Monday. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis released eight weeks of previously confidential reports obtained from the White House coronavirus task force that Democrats said showed the administration acting over the summer to willfully cover up public health risks for political gain. (Miranda Ollstein, 8/31)

Center For Public Integrity: House Committee: Coronavirus Reports Show Trump Administration In Denial
The reports reveal the full extent of the pandemic in recent months and urge measures to contain it in individual states. The White House shared this information with governors, but kept the reports from the public. The Center for Public Integrity has obtained and published dozens of the state reports this summer. In the most recent report released by lawmakers, dated Aug. 9, 20 states were in the “red zone” for coronavirus cases, meaning they had more than 100 new cases of the virus per 100,000 residents in the prior week. (Essley Whyte, 8/31)

The Hill: Private Coronavirus Task Force Reports Warned States Of Virus Spread 
States and counties in the "red zone" had more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents, and more than 10 percent of new tests were positive. The administration privately issued the reports to states, and held periodic calls and meetings with state and local officials, but none of it was available to the public. The White House has insisted that the response to the pandemic be led by states, with the federal government providing only guidance. Democrats on the subcommittee said the reports show the White House has been deliberately covering up the true extent of the pandemic. (Weixel, 8/31)

Roll Call: GOP Governors Ignored Mask Mandate Advice From Task Force
The task force reports recommended that some states implement mask mandates to curb the pandemic’s spread, but the Republican governors of those states refused. The task force started urging Florida to “ensure public use of masks in all current and evolving hot spots” on June 29 and repeated that recommendation in subsequent reports, but Gov. Ron DeSantis refused to mandate masks. Throughout July, Florida became one of the worst hot spots in the nation, repeatedly setting grim records for new cases and deaths on its way to becoming the state with the most cases per capita. (Saksa, 8/31)

Center For Public Integrity: Read The White House’s Secret Coronavirus Red Zone Reports 
The White House Coronavirus Task Force issues weekly reports to governors about the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic but doesn’t make those reports public, keeping key county-level data and federal advice to states out of sight.  The Center for Public Integrity is collecting the weekly reports for all 50 states in a new document repository, which will be updated as information comes in. (Essley Whyte, 8/20)

The Washington Post: Twitter Deletes Trump’s Coronavirus Death Toll Retweet, Citing Misinformation 
After President Trump retweeted a claim that discounted the coronavirus death toll in the United States over the weekend, Twitter took down the post that spread false information. The tweet was originally posted by “Mel Q,” a follower of the baseless conspiracy theory QAnon, which posits that the president is battling a cabal of Satan-worshiping child sex traffickers. It was copied from a Facebook post and claimed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had “quietly updated the Covid number to admit that only 6%” of reported deaths — or about 9,000 — “actually died from Covid.” (Shammas and Kornfield, 8/31)

AP: CDC Has Not Reduced The Death Count Related To COVID-19
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not “backpedal” on the number of deaths caused by COVID-19, reducing the figure from nearly 154,000 to just over 9,000, as social media posts claimed.The term “Only 6%” trended widely on Twitter over the weekend as supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory promoted tweets that falsely suggested the CDC had updated its records to show that only 6% of U.S. deaths tied to COVID-19 were legitimate. President Donald Trump was among those who tweeted the information, which was later taken down by Twitter for violating platform rules. (Dupuy, 8/31)

Lexington Herald Leader: Kentucky, Other Health Leaders Correct Record On COVID-19 Deaths After Trump Tweet
Health departments were trying Monday to clarify the facts after President Donald Trump retweeted a QAnon conspiracy theorist who falsely claimed only 6 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the United States were actually because of COVID-19. The tweet, which has since been deleted by Twitter for spreading misinformation, claimed the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention “quietly” updated its data to show that only 6 percent of people who were counted as COVID-19 deaths “actually died from COVID.” (Chisenhall, 8/31)

Politico: Twitter Changing Labeling Practices After Deceptive Videos Hit Biden
Twitter said Monday it will begin displaying warning labels on shared posts that contain misleading or doctored videos after facing complaints that it failed to do enough to limit the spread of deceptive clips targeting Joe Biden's campaign. (Lima, 8/31)

In other Twitter news —

The Hill: Herman Cain Account Tweets Coronavirus 'Not As Deadly' As Claimed After His Death From COVID-19 
The late Herman Cain’s Twitter account, now supervised by family and friends, tweeted Sunday that the coronavirus which killed Cain in July is “not as deadly as the mainstream media made it out to be.” The tweet was later deleted, but the account tweeted other messages questioning the risk of the coronavirus which has infected more than 6 million people in the U.S. and killed more than 182,000, including Cain, a former Republican presidential candidate. (Klar, 8/31)

The Washington Post: Secret Service Copes With Coronavirus Cases In Aftermath Of Trump Appearances 
When President Trump gave a speech to a group of sheriffs in Tampa late last month, his decision to travel forced a large contingent of Secret Service agents to head to a state that was then battling one of the worst coronavirus surges in the nation. Even before Air Force One touched down on July 31, the fallout was apparent: Five Secret Service agents already on the ground had to be replaced after one tested positive for the coronavirus and the others working in proximity were presumed to be infected, according to people familiar with the situation. (Leonning, 8/28)

Rolling Stone: Trump's Golf, Rallies Causing Covid Outbreaks Among Secret Service 
Five agents helping plan security for the president’s late July rally in Tampa had to be replaced when one agent tested positive and others who were around the agent were presumed positive as well. Shortly thereafter, two more agents began to show symptoms of COVID-19 after protecting the president as he golfed at his private club in Bedminster, N.J. And in Tulsa in June, six advance staff and two Secret Service agents contracted the virus before the president’s arrival, forcing dozens of agents into quarantine and causing a strain on the agency to find people to protect the president. A vice-presidential trip to Phoenix also left eight agents with symptoms or suspected exposure, forcing them to quarantine in a hotel. (Wade, 8/30)

In other election news —

Politico: Biden Rips Trump As A President Who ‘Sows Chaos’
In remarks in Pittsburgh, the Democratic presidential nominee portrayed Trump as having lost control of a country rocked by a series of converging crises and being guilty “for years” of fomenting racial tensions that have led to clashes and episodes of violence, which he also denounced. “Ask yourself: Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really?” Biden said. “I want a safe America, safe from Covid, safe from crime and looting, safe from racially motivated violence, safe from bad cops. And let me be crystal clear: safe from four more years of Donald Trump.” (Oprysko, 8/31)

CNBC: Expect Trump To Talk Less And Less About The Pandemic The Closer He Gets To The Election, Political Strategists Say
At a daily press briefing originally designed to update the public on the coronavirus outbreak ripping through America, President Donald Trump spent about 70 seconds out of 26 minutes discussing the virus. He didn’t take any questions from the media on the topic. ... Political communications experts and strategists say his pivot away from the outbreak is likely intentional. Ahead of the Nov. 3 election, they say, news on the pandemic is a reminder that it has killed more than 183,000 Americans. And that many more could die if the virus isn’t brought under control. (Farr, 8/31)

Politico: Falling Covid-19 Cases Create Opportunity And Peril For Trump
Coronavirus infections are down in nearly every state. That could either give President Donald Trump just what he needs to prime his reelection odds or become another missed opportunity to capitalize on a lull during the pandemic. The positive trends are real. Covid-19 cases have been falling since late July, including in several battleground states. Hospitalizations have dropped 37 percent in the last month and the daily death count is leveling off. (Goldberg, 8/30)

Fox News: Donald Trump Jr. Hits Biden's Health, Mental Acuity: Can He 'Wake Up At 3:00 AM To Take A Phone Call?'
The mainstream media has largely avoided coverage of Joe Biden’s health and fitness for office, but the question remains whether he possesses the physical and mental capacity to hold the most powerful office in the land, Donald Trump Jr. said Sunday. "You see how draining this job is on people. I mean, Joe Biden refuses to campaign. He's not even doing Zoom calls. He's staying in his basement," the oldest Trump child told host told "Life, Liberty & Levin." (Healon, 8/31)

The Hill: Mnuchin Says McConnell May Introduce New Coronavirus Bill Next Week 
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will “hopefully” unveil a new coronavirus relief bill next week. In an interview on Fox Business Network, Mnuchin was asked about the collapse of talks with Democrats over COVID-19 response and stimulus legislation. The secretary responded that he and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows have been regularly speaking with McConnell. “Hopefully Mitch will enter new legislation next week,” Mnuchin said. (Klar, 8/31)

Axios: Joe Biden Eyes A Trillion-Dollar January Stimulus
If Joe Biden wins the presidency, he might need a trillion-dollar stimulus bill in January, just to buy enough time to push through his nearly $3 trillion "Build Back Better" plan later in spring 2021. That's according to Biden advisers who are growing increasingly worried that the economy is deteriorating by the day. (Nichols and Salmon, 8/30)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

Roll Call: Marijuana, Discrimination Bills On House’s September Agenda, CR Expected To Avert Shutdown
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer laid out the chamber’s agenda for September, including marijuana legislation and anti-discrimination bills, but in a letter to colleagues Monday he acknowledged that there is no appropriations deal in sight as the end of the fiscal year approaches. Committees will take the lead the week of Sept. 8, with floor action expected to resume the following week. The House will vote on three bills focused on discrimination protections in workplaces and education, including a bill that would outline workplace protections and accommodations for workers whose ability to perform a job is limited by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. (Tully-McManus, 8/31)

The Hill: Lawmakers Call For Bipartisan Push To Support Scientific Research
Lawmakers in both parties urged their colleagues Monday to invest in and work to develop a new, diverse generation of American scientists and researchers to help close the innovation gap with foreign rivals. In discussions held during The Hill’s “Science & American Advancement” event Monday, Democratic and Republican members of the House voiced support for boosting research funding and increasing the public interest in developing crucial technologies. (Lane, 8/31)

Vox: How Covid-19 Could Affect The 2020 Senate Elections 
Cal Cunningham, the Democratic candidate in North Carolina’s US Senate race, pointed out that the US is capable of coming together for the national good — just not, apparently, on Covid-19. “If it had been a terrorist attack, there would have been an address to the nation, probably to a joint session of Congress. There would not have been a hesitation to invoke things like the Defense Production Act,” Cunningham, a military veteran, told me in a phone interview. “There would have been clear communication from the top to every corner of America about how we fight that enemy. Here, we were told it was a hoax.” (8/31)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Proposes Coverage Of 'Breakthough' Medical Devices
CMS is proposing that Medicare cover all medical devices designated by the Food and Drug Administration as a "breakthrough" technology.The proposed rule, released Monday, is in response to an executive order by President Donald Trump in late 2019 that tasked CMS with streamlining coverage for breakthrough medical devices. Manufacturers can voluntarily participate in FDA's Breakthrough Devices Program to secure quicker review of their devices. The program is only open to devices that provide effective treatment or diagnosis of a life-threatening or debilitating condition and they must use a breakthrough technology, offer significant advantages compared to existing alternatives or have no approved clearance currently in existence. (Castellucci, 8/31)

FierceHealthcare: CMS Rule Aims To Reduce Lag Time Between FDA Approval And Medicare Coverage Of New Devices  
The proposed rule released Monday would tackle the lag time between when a new device is approved or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration and get covered by Medicare, a time the administration refers to as the “valley of death” for innovative products. The rule would create a new, faster Medicare coverage process for devices the FDA gives a “breakthrough” designation to. Such devices are cleared at a faster rate by the agency because they treat an unmet medical need. (King, 8/31)

Also —

The Motley Fool: 2 Big Medicare Changes Joe Biden Wants To Make
[Democrat Joe] Biden, who's been leading in virtually all polling over Trump, has big plans for Medicare. In particular, he's highlighted two changes he's eager to make if he wins the election. Interestingly, though, neither of these changes appear to tackle Medicare's most pressing concern: the HI Trust funding shortfall. (Williams, 8/30)

AP: After Victories, Medicaid Expansion Revisited In Mississippi
After voters expanded Medicaid in conservative states like Missouri and Oklahoma, health care advocates are renewing a push for expansion in Mississippi and other Southern states where Republican leaders have long been opposed. They say the changing tide has followed rising income inequality, joblessness and pressure from hospitals in economic turmoil — issues exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. (Willingham, 8/30)

Denver Post: Colorado's Medicaid Numbers Are Rising More Slowly Than Expected, But State Is On Guard For A Late Surge
Colorado’s Medicaid numbers aren’t surging as fast as predicted amid COVID-fueled joblessness, but the program’s administrators aren’t relaxing yet, since federal decisions and the economy’s unpredictable trajectory could still force them to come up with additional funding. The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing had estimated about 500,000 people in the state could enroll in Medicaid by December. The Colorado Health Institute had estimated the number of new members could be closer to 563,000, which would mean about one-third of the state’s residents would be covered by Medicaid. (Wingerter, 8/31)

CNN: FDA Commissioner Says He Would Consider Resignation If Asked To Release A Coronavirus Vaccine Too Early 
The commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration said "all options are on the table" when asked if he would resign if pressured to release a coronavirus vaccine before he feels it's ready. "I can tell you, our decision at FDA will not be made on any other criteria than the science and data associated with these clinical trials," Dr. Stephen Hahn told CBS. (Holcombe, 9/1)

CBS News: COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Made Available "On The Basis Of Science And Data," FDA Commissioner Says 
The commissioner said, depending on that data, it's possible a vaccine could be available by Election Day under the Emergency Use Authorization program - before a Phase III trial is completely finished. Hahn acknowledged the pressure his agency faces to approve a vaccination. "There's been pressure throughout this pandemic and I think anybody who doesn't acknowledge that would be kidding themselves. There's been pressure to make sure that we get medical products as quickly as possible to the American people," Hahn said.(Lapook, 8/31)

In related developments —

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccines: What’s Coming And When? 
Some 170 Covid-19 vaccines are in development around the world, according to the World Health Organization, each one promising to protect people from the deadly coronavirus and allow them to go back to work and school. Now, a handful are starting or nearing the final stage of testing. Depending on the results, some companies say their vaccines could be greenlighted for use as soon as this year. (Rivas, Loftus and Cervantes, 8/31)

Politico: What Happens If China Gets The Covid-19 Vaccine First? 
David Fidler has a nightmare scenario: In three months, China announces one of its Covid-19 vaccines has successfully completed Phase III trials. The World Health Organization is enthusiastic. Beijing doles out doses to countries in Latin America and Africa and those with claims to the South China Sea. The United States is nowhere to be found. “If China wins the race, exploits that advantage and we don’t have anything equivalent yet, what do we do?” he asks. “That to me is what concerns me the most.”

CNN: Past Vaccine Disasters Show Why Rushing A Coronavirus Vaccine Now Would Be 'Colossally Stupid' 
Vaccine experts are warning the federal government against rushing out a coronavirus vaccine before testing has shown it's both safe and effective. Decades of history show why they're right. (Christensen, 9/1)

NBC News: Large Trials For The Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Begin In The U.S.
Phase 3 clinical trials for the much-anticipated Oxford COVID-19 vaccine are set to begin in the United States Tuesday, with participants in Madison, Wisconsin rolling up their sleeves for the injection. The University of Wisconsin is one of dozens of test sites in the U.S. for the vaccine candidate, made by AstraZeneca in partnership with the U.K.'s University of Oxford. Tuesday's trial will mark the start of the third phase 3 trial in the U.S. for a COVID-19 vaccine, following Moderna and Pfizer. (Edwards, 8/31)

Reuters: AstraZeneca, Oxford Biomedica Expand COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Tie-Up 
AstraZeneca has expanded its previous agreement with Oxford Biomedica to mass-produce the British drugmaker’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, as it looks to scale-up supply ahead of a possible fast-track approval from the United States. Gene and cell therapy firm Oxford Biomedica said on Tuesday AstraZeneca would give it 15 million pounds ($20 million) upfront to reserve manufacturing capacity at its plant and that it could get an additional 35 million pounds plus other costs until the end of 2021 under the new 18-month deal. (9/1)

Stat: Mylan Launches Low-Cost Biosimilar Insulin, But Many Patients May Not Save
Amid a national outcry over the cost of insulin, one of the largest generic companies launched a biosimilar version at a wholesale price it claimed is 65% less than comparable treatments, although experts say the move is more likely to benefit payers than many patients. Mylan (MYL) is marketing a long-acting version of the best-selling Lantus insulin — which the company named Semglee — for adults with Type 2 diabetes, and adults and children with Type 1 diabetes. But Mylan maintained the price for a package of 5 pens is equivalent to what Lantus sold for in 2007, and that a 10 ml vial is listed at the same price for which Lantus was sold a decade ago. (Silverman, 8/31)

Kaiser Health News: California Rx: State May Dive Into Generic Drug Market 
California is poised to become the first state to develop its own line of generic drugs, targeting soaring drug prices and stepping into a fiercely competitive drug market dominated by deep-pocketed pharmaceutical companies. The Democratic-controlled legislature overwhelmingly approved a measure Monday that would direct the state’s top health agency to partner with one or more drug companies by January to make or distribute a broad range of generic or biosimilar drugs — including the diabetes medicine insulin — that are cheaper than brand-name products. (Hart and Young, 9/1)

Stat: Vir And GlaxoSmithKline Begin Pivotal Study Of Covid-19 Antibody Drug
Vir Biotechnology, a San Francisco-based firm focused on infectious disease, and GlaxoSmithKline, the British drug giant, said Monday that they are beginning a study of an antibody drug aimed at treating Covid-19. The study will enroll 1,300 patients around the world who have early symptomatic infection, and will test whether the treatment, VIR-7831, can prevent those patients from being hospitalized. (Herper, 8/31)

Crain's Chicago Business: Chicago Still Sees Demand For Life Sciences Space
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to crush owners of most types of commercial property, four growing biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies have announced deals for new lab spaces in the city over the past six months, belying an otherwise frozen downtown leasing market. The latest one, Chicago-based injectable drugmaker Xeris Pharmaceuticals, is so bullish on the future of the local life sciences scene that it's relocating its research and development team from San Diego to a Near West Side site wholly unproven for scientists doing lab work. (Ecker, 8/31)

Also —

Stat: Advocacy Coalition Urges Justice Department To Charge Opioid Executives
A coalition of advocacy groups and families is asking the Department of Justice to pursue criminal and civil charges against the Sackler family, which owns Purdue Pharma, as well as executives of other companies for their role in fomenting the opioid crisis in the U.S. In a letter to Attorney General William Barr, the organizations argue that various companies — both manufacturers and distributors of opioid painkillers — created what they call a “man-made plague” and that executives should be held accountable. (Silverman, 8/31)

The Washington Post: The Nation’s Public Health Agencies Are Ailing When They’re Needed Most 
At the very moment the United States needed its public health infrastructure the most, many local health departments had all but crumbled, proving ill-equipped to carry out basic functions let alone serve as the last line of defense against the most acute threat to the nation’s health in generations. Epidemiologists, academics and local health officials across the country say the nation’s public health system is one of many weaknesses that continue to leave the United States poorly prepared to handle the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 180,000 lives in the country. (Janes and Wan, 8/31)

Kaiser Health News: Public Health Officials Are Our COVID Commanders. Treat Them With Respect.  
As a veteran who served back-to-back tours in Iraq, I initially cringed when commentators compared the COVID-19 crisis to wartime — no bullets, no blood and no one volunteered for this. But after my months of reporting on the pandemic, it has become painfully clear this is like war. People are dying every day as a result of government decisions — and indecision — and the death toll is climbing with no end in sight. (Hart, 9/1)

AP: Hawaii Health, Public Safety Chiefs Retire Amid COVID Surge
Directors leading Hawaii’s health and public safety department are retiring amid a surge in coronarvirus cases on Oahu and an ongoing outbreak at the state’s largest jail. Gov. David Ige announced Monday the retirements of Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson and Department of Public Safety Director Nolan Espinda. (8/31)

In other health care worker news —

Kaiser Health News: Long-Fought Nurse Practitioner Independence Bill Heads To Newsom 
After years of failed attempts and vociferous opposition, California lawmakers on Monday adopted a measure to grant nurse practitioners the ability to practice without doctor supervision — but only after making big concessions to the powerful doctors’ lobby, which nonetheless remains opposed. The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom for consideration, fenced in by amendments that would stringently limit how much independence nurse practitioners — nurses with advanced training and degrees — can have to practice medicine. (Bluth, 9/1)

Dallas Morning News: Back Inside Parkland, We Found Nurses Grateful For A Lull But Unable To Imagine Life Free Of COVID
After spending another shift inside Parkland Memorial Hospital’s COVID-19 operation, I’m cautiously encouraged: Both the patient load and the overall feel of the place were lighter. That’s not cause for any of us to tear off our masks and act the fool during the Labor Day weekend. The more we North Texans do the right thing -- cover up and socially distance -- the more likely that things continue to improve at Parkland. (Grigsby, 8/31)

NBC News: Man With Alleged 'Boogaloo' Ties Charged With Sending Threats To California Health Official
A California man who authorities said has ties to the extremist anti-government Boogaloo movement has been charged in connection with two dozen harassing or threatening letters sent to Santa Clara County's top public health official, according to a police report and court records. Alan Joseph Viarengo, 55, of Gilroy, has not yet entered a plea but is facing two felony charges including stalking and threatening a public official in connection with 24 letters that were sent to Dr. Sara Cody between April 9 and July 29, according to court documents. (Bott, Handa and Blankstein, 9/1)

AP: Teen Siblings Send Cards Thanking Health Care Worker Heroes
Every day on every news channel, teenage siblings Prabhleen and Mantej Lamba watched the sacrifices of medical workers around the world who risk their physical and mental health on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.“We were really moved by this,” said Prabhleen, 15, “and we knew that we had to involve our community and take action. ”So in the spirit of the Sikh faith’s core principle of “seva,” or selfless service, the San Francisco Bay area teens launched an initiative they called Cards 4 Covid Heroes to let health care workers know how much they’re appreciated. (Andres Henao, 8/31)

Modern Healthcare: Anthem, Cigna Can't Collect Billions In Damages Over Failed Merger
A Delaware court ruled Monday that neither Anthem nor Cigna Corp. may recover any damages after they failed to complete their proposed $54 billion merger, which would have created the nation's largest health insurer. The decision concludes a bitter, yearslong battle between the companies and their top executives, who called off their merger in 2017 after a district court issued a permanent injunction against the deal. (Livingston, 8/31)

The Wall Street Journal: Anthem-Cigna Fight Over Failed Merger Ends In A Draw 
Cigna Corp. and Anthem Inc. won’t have to pay damages to one another over their failed $48 billion merger deal, a Delaware judge decided Monday, potentially resolving a bitter, yearslong legal battle that had the two insurance giants trading accusations of skulduggery. In dueling lawsuits, each of the health-insurance giants sought billions of dollars in damages from the other. Both companies argued that its erstwhile partner had sabotaged their proposed combination, which foundered in 2017 after court rulings against the merger on antitrust grounds. Cigna wanted damages of $14.7 billion, along with a breakup fee of about $1.8 billion, from Anthem. Anthem sought damages of $21.1 billion from Cigna. (Wilde Mathews and Brickley, 8/31)

In other health industry news —

FierceHealthcare: Cleveland Clinic Posts $241M Loss In First Half Of 2020 As Patient Revenue Took A Major Hit 
Cleveland Clinic posted an operating loss of $241 million in the first half of 2020 as patient revenue took a major hit, according to the system’s latest earnings. The Ohio-based health system is the latest major system to post losses for the first half of the year as hospitals struggle to combat a financial crisis caused by the pandemic. (King, 8/31)

FierceHealthcare: Aetna Launches New Plan Design That Puts Focus On CVS' Health Services 
Aetna is launching a new plan design in the Kansas City market that puts a spotlight on its parent company, CVS Health's, care offerings. The Aetna Connected Plan with CVS Health will be available to employers with 101 or more workers in three Missouri Counties and two in Kansas for the 2021 plan year. While the PPO plan will offer access to many regional providers, CVS' HealthHubs and MinuteClinics are deeply embedded in the plan design, Aetna said. (Minemyer, 8/31)

Modern Healthcare: Sinai Health And DePaul Team Up To Address Health Inequity
Chicago-based safety-net system Sinai Health is collaborating with DePaul University to develop clinical and community programs to address the city's social and health inequities, the organizations said Monday. DePaul and Sinai's research arm, Sinai Urban Health Institute, signed a memorandum of understanding to create a new institute to conduct research projects and share educational opportunities focused on identifying evidence-based solutions. (Ross Johnson, 8/31)

Boston Globe: Milton Woman Sues OB/GYN Group Over Alleged Racial Discrimination
When Timoria McQueen Saba was approached last spring by the nation’s premier obstetrics and gynecology organization about serving on its patient safety council, she jumped at the opportunity to highlight the patient voice in the nation’s maternal health crisis, which disproportionately affects Black women. Saba, who lives in Milton, is a maternal health advocate who makes no secret that she is a survivor. She suffered a near-fatal hemorrhage in 2010 after the birth of her daughter and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Thirteen months later, she had a miscarriage in a frozen yogurt shop. (Wise, 8/31)

PBS NewsHour: Is U.S. Health Care The Best Or ‘Least Effective’ System In The Modern World?
And the idea was to look at the state of American health care, how it is today. And, as you know, this is a country with remarkable innovation in that field, remarkable innovation. And yet this is also a country with incredibly stark disparities. There's over 30 million people who have no health care insurance whatsoever. And so we thought, can we learn something about — can we learn something from other nations that do a better job of covering everybody? (Brangham and Kane, 8/31)

CIDRAP: Yet More Data Support COVID-19 Aerosol Transmission 
Two studies published late last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases highlight the role of airborne spread of COVID-19 and the importance of efficient ventilation systems. One study found that patients can exhale millions of viral RNA particles per hour in the early stages of disease, and the second tied an outbreak affecting 81% of residents and 50% of healthcare workers at a Dutch nursing home to inadequate ventilation. (Van Beusekom, 8/31)

The Washington Post: Boosting Early Immune Defenses Called Interferons Might Be A Way To Fight Covid-19, Experts Say 
Researchers across the planet are racing to harness one of our immune system’s front-line defenders as an early treatment for covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus that has killed more than 800,000 people globally. Until now, early-stage treatments have remained elusive. But an improved understanding how the virus disarms some of the body’s immune fighters, called interferons, is creating excitement among scientists who theorize they might be able to counter that process and prevent infections from developing into severe disease. (Guarino, 8/31)

CIDRAP: Multicenter Study Suggests Stealthy COVID-19 Spread By Children
Twenty of 91 children (22%) diagnosed as having COVID-19 in a South Korean study had no symptoms, and most symptoms in clinically ill children went unrecognized or developed only after diagnosis, suggesting that this age-group may silently spread coronavirus in the community. The study, which involved pediatric contacts of people with COVID-19 at 22 medical centers from Feb 18 to Mar 31, was published late last week in JAMA Pediatrics. Of the 71 symptomatic children, 47 (66%) had symptoms that went unrecognized as coronavirus symptoms, and 18 (25%) developed symptoms only after diagnosis, while only 6 (9%) were diagnosed at the time of illness onset. (8/31)

CNN: What We've Learned About Covid-19 Seven Months After The First US Case 
It has now been almost six months since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic in the United States. For all researchers have learned, there's still so much more to understand. The key to moving forward is understanding where Covid-19 has spread around the country and what the science tells us about what to do next. (Simon, 8/31)

CIDRAP: US Cell Phone Data: Staying Home Amid Lockdowns May Stem COVID-19
US counties with large declines in cell phone activity at workplaces, transit stations, and stores and concomitant increases in home activity during COVID-19 lockdowns had lower rates of coronavirus infections 5, 10, and 15 days later, according to a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine. The researchers made 22,124 to 83,745 daily observations of cell phone location data from 949 to 2,740 counties, depending on data availability, from Jan 22 to May 11 and compared them with COVID-19 growth rates. (8/31)

In other research —

The Wall Street Journal: An Alzheimer’s Quest: Enrolling More Black People In Clinical Trials 
Brian Van Buren applied to five Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials after being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and losing his mother and aunt to the illness. He wanted to participate despite a painful family history with medical research: His grandfather died from syphilis after involvement with the infamous Tuskegee study, in which African-American men were deliberately left untreated. (Ansberry, 8/31)

Los Angeles Times: COVID-19 Testing With Saliva Is Comparable To Nasal Swabs 
Two new studies have found that tests that look for the virus in samples of saliva are about as reliable as tests that require a sample from the back of the nose. That’s sure to be a welcome development to anyone who would rather avoid the discomfort of having a long, stiff swab inserted so far back into their nasal cavity that it feels like it’s tickling their brain. (Kaplan, 8/31)

The New York Times: A Quick Virus Test? Sure, If You Can Afford It 
As major laboratories struggle to meet surging demand for coronavirus tests, wealthier people and others in privileged professions are avoiding long waits for results — anywhere from four days to more than two weeks in New York City — by skipping the lines. Some are signing up for concierge medical practices that charge several thousand dollars a year for membership and provide quick turnaround testing. Others have turned to smaller laboratories or doctors’ offices that have their own equipment and can give results in a few hours or less. (Goodman, 8/31)

In other testing news —

Las Vegas Review-Journal: COVID-19 Testing ‘Blitz’ Starts Strong 
Clark County launched its most ambitious COVID-19 testing effort on Monday, a 14-day “blitz” aimed at administering 60,000 tests. Hundreds of people provided samples at Sam Boyd Stadium to determine whether they are infected with the disease caused by the new coronavirus on the first day of the “Stop, Swab and Go” effort, which will continue until Sept. 18 at the stadium and three other locations: Fiesta Henderson, Texas Station and the city of Mesquite. The free tests are self-performed nasal swab testing in a drive-thru. No proof of health insurance is required. (Chhith, 8/31)

AP: Free Coronavirus Testing Program Begins In Las Vegas Area
Health officials in Las Vegas are launching a drive-thru coronavirus testing blitz, with help from the federal government and a goal of reaching 60,000 people. The “surge testing” event arrives as Nevada nears 70,000 confirmed coronavirus cases. Health officials reported 320 additional confirmed cases and three additional deaths on Monday, bringing the statewide totals to 69,223 cases and 1,305 deaths. About 86% of both cases and deaths have been in the Las Vegas area. (8/31)

ABC News: Bureau Of Prisons Resumes In-Person Visits As Inmates, Staff Continue To Die From COVID-19 
The Bureau of Prisons announced on Monday that in-person visits will resume at all 122 facilities within the bureau, according to an internal memo obtained by ABC News. "Social visiting will resume no later than Saturday, October 3, 2020," the memo states, and visits will be non-contact only. (Barr, 8/31)

In other prison news —

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia May Privatize Prison Pharmacies; Workers Fear Layoffs
The Georgia Department of Corrections is considering privatizing the state’s prison pharmacy services, a potentially significant change to the way health care is delivered for the state’s 53,000 inmates. The agency is seeking bids to effectively replace the current pharmacy services department, which is administered by a partnership with Augusta University, according to documents the state released to entice potential bidders. The university provides health care for inmates through a contract with the state. The pharmacy branch of the operation has roughly 60 employees spread around the state’s 34 prisons and special facilities. (Sharpe, 8/31)

The Oklahoman: Oklahoma County Jail Trust Accepts $34 Million Allocation During Tense Meeting
The Oklahoma County Jail Trust formally accepted $34 million in CARES Act funding during a meeting Monday in a 7-2 vote. A list detailing what the money will be spent on has not been released yet, and the roughly 40 demonstrators who addressed the trust during public comment were furious the money was accepted before a plan was announced. (Branch, 9/1)

AP: Officials: Tennessee Prison Has Nearly 1,000 COVID Cases
Nearly 1,000 inmates at a Tennessee prison have tested positive for COVID-19, corrections officials said Monday. Officials tested 1,410 inmates at South Central Correctional Facility late last week after several inmates and staff began showing symptoms, the Tennessee Department of Correction said in a news release. As of late Monday afternoon, 974 of the inmates had tested positive for the disease while another 189 results were pending, according to TDOC statistics. The prison in Wayne County is run by private prison company CoreCivic. (8/31)

The Hill: Dozens Of Inmates At West Virginia Prison Test Positive For Coronavirus 
Nearly 150 inmates at a correctional facility in West Virginia have tested positive for COVID-19 as prison officials across the country continue to struggle with outbreaks. Data released by the state's Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday revealed that 138 positive cases have been confirmed at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex, where just over 2,100 inmates are housed. Close to 200 inmates were still waiting for test results as of Sunday. (Bowden, 8/31)

Politico: Atlas Makes Florida Swing, Backing DeSantis On Schools And Sports
President Donald Trump’s newest Covid-19 adviser on Monday traveled to the swing state of Florida, where he said there is no need to test healthy people for infection and urged the state not to fear the virus, which has killed more than 182,000 people nationwide and infected more than 6 million. Scott Atlas, who Trump named to the White House coronavirus task force this month, said people who are asymptomatic don’t require testing for Covid-19. Backing the Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis at a briefing in Tallahassee, Atlas said schools should be open to classroom instruction and college athletes should take the field. (Sarkissian and Atterbury, 8/31)

NBC News: Florida Students Head Back To Class Amid Reports Of More Kids Catching COVID-19
It was back to school for thousands of Florida students Monday while President Donald Trump's new pandemic adviser dismissed teachers' and parents' COVID-19 concerns as "hysterical" amid reports of a big jump in the number of kids who have tested positive in districts that resumed in-person instruction. "We are the only country of our peer nations in the Western world who are this hysterical about opening schools," the adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas, said as he pressed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his advisers to reopen schools as quickly as possible. (Siemaszko, 8/31)

AP: School Stops Face-To-Face Teaching Due To COVID-19 Exposure
An elementary school in southeast Louisiana will cease in-person instruction for two weeks in response to what’s being called a “potential” coronavirus exposure. WDSU-TV reports parents at Wesley Ray Elementary School in Angie were notified by Washington Parish officials that the shutdown was “out of an abundance of caution” in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Health. (8/31)

AP: Missouri Schools Report More COVID Cases As Classes Resume
Missouri schools ranging from universities to a kindergarten continue to grapple with an increase in COVID-19 cases as classes resume. The University of Missouri reported Monday that it had 415 active cases of COVID-19 on campus, an increase from the 306 reported Friday after the first week of on-campus classes. (8/31)

In COVID news from higher education —

USA Today: An Online Class By Any Other Name? College Students Pay Rent, Enroll -- Then Find Courses Aren't In-Person
Tyrel Henry would rather be at home. Instead, the junior at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho spends his days mostly alone in his room or working out at a local gym. There isn’t much to do in Lewiston, and he is losing money by being there. If he had stayed home in Kamiah, Idaho, he could be living with his grandmother and saving money. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The university had told him his courses would be offered in a “hybrid” format, one where students take both in-person and virtual classes. Days into his semester, he realized his classes were mostly online. (Quintana, 9/1)

NPR: Playing The Blame Game: The Uphill Battle To Prevent College Partying
As the fall semester gets underway, college students are reuniting with their friends, getting (re)acquainted with campus and doing what college students often do: partying. But in the time of the coronavirus, as more parties surface university administrators have been quick to condemn — and even berate — the behavior of students. "Be better. Be adults. Think of someone other than yourself," pleaded a letter to students at Syracuse University following a large gathering on campus. (Nadworny, 8/31)

AP: University Of Arkansas Reports 151 New Coronavirus Cases
The University of Arkansas on Monday reported 151 more confirmed cases of coronavirus at its campus in Fayetteville and a White House report said the state continued to have one of the highest rates of positive tests in the country. The new infections reported at the university over the weekend brings its total number of active cases to 222 and comes days after the state’s top health official expressed concerns about outbreaks at Arkansas’ college campuses. (DeMillo, 8/31)

The Chronicle For Higher Education: Live Coronavirus Updates: Here’s The Latest
The fall is weeks away and Covid-19 is surging. The Chronicle is tracking developments across higher ed here. (9/1)

WBUR: Undocumented With COVID-19: Many Face A Long Recovery, Largely On Their Own 
Latinos are more likely to deal with a more severe illness from COVID-19 — and when they're undocumented, they're less likely to be able to get the medical care they need to address it. It's hard to track how many undocumented immigrants get COVID-19. But they are high risk, says David Hayes-Bautista, who directs the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Not only do they often lack health insurance, many live in crowded homes with multiple generations of families. (Shapiro, 9/1)

WBUR: Undocumented People With No Health Insurance Struggle Especially Hard From COVID-19 
People who contract COVID-19 can spend months in recovery and end up with long-term disabilities. It's especially hard for undocumented immigrants who are at high risk an don't have health insurance. (Shapiro, 8/31)

In other public health news —

The New York Times: Does My Kid Have A Cold Or Is It Covid-19? 
It’s inevitable. In the fall and winter your child is likely to develop a fever, runny nose or cough. Maybe even all three. In past years, that probably wouldn’t have been so worrisome. Usually children are sent back to school as soon as they are well enough to attend. But now parents are bound to wonder: Are those symptoms a sign of Covid-19? Should my child stay home? Does she need to be tested? If so, how often? The rules at different schools may vary. (Caron, 8/28)

The New York Times: Helping Children With Pandemic Grief 
Between travel restrictions and limits on visitors to hospitals, parents may get the news of a loved one’s death over the phone and find themselves having to tell children who may be unprepared. At the end of March, doctors in the child and adolescent psychiatry group at Oxford University, led by Alan Stein, published an editorial in the journal The Lancet: Child and Adolescent Health, arguing that honest and effective communication with children about the pandemic, including about death and dying, and about parental stress and sadness, was vital for children’s psychological health and well-being. (8/31)

AP: A Zoom Thanksgiving? Summer Could Give Way To A Bleaker Fall
As the Summer of COVID draws to a close, many experts fear an even bleaker fall and suggest that American families should start planning for Thanksgiving by Zoom. Because of the many uncertainties, public health scientists say it’s easier to forecast the weather on Thanksgiving Day than to predict how the U.S. coronavirus crisis will play out this autumn. But school reopenings, holiday travel and more indoor activity because of colder weather could all separately increase transmission of the virus and combine in ways that could multiply the threat, they say. (Johnson, 8/31)

AP: Can I Use A Face Shield Instead Of A Mask?
Can I use a face shield instead of a mask? No. Health officials don’t recommend the clear plastic barriers as a substitute for masks because of the lack of research on whether they keep an infected person from spreading viral droplets to others. However, those who want extra protection may want to wear a face shield in addition to a mask. (9/1)

Kaiser Health News: Tourists Tote Dollars — And COVID — To U.S. Caribbean Islands 
“What activities are open to do next week? Zip-lining? Jet ski? Anyone have recommendations on things still open?” a Facebook user asks. “Stay home!” another user replies. The Facebook group called “What’s Going on St. Thomas?” has been flooded with pointed, exasperated comments urging travelers to stay away. This is a marked change. Before the pandemic, the exchanges between vacationers and island residents resonated with promises of excitement and fun. Now, tour operators from the mainland who administer the Facebook page quickly try to delete any expressions of anger. (Giles and Heredia Rodriguez, 9/1)

San Francisco Chronicle: More Than One Person A Day Died In SF Of An Overdose Last Year. This Year Is Expected To Be Worse 
San Francisco experienced a staggering 70% increase in overdose deaths last year, and 2020 is expected to be even worse as the pandemic disrupts social services, exacerbates drug use and pushes more people toward poverty and isolation. According to a Department of Public Health report released Monday, 441 people died of an overdose in 2019. That is more than one per day for an entire year, and an astronomical jump from the 259 overdoses recorded in 2018. Fifty-four percent of the deaths in 2019 were related to fentanyl, a drug that can be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. (Thadani, 8/31)

In other public health news —

Stat: Small Vape Makers Seek Extension On A Looming FDA Application Deadline
Vaping companies have just nine days until they must submit formal marketing applications to the Food and Drug Administration, or risk being kicked off the market. Now, small vapor companies are requesting an extension, setting off a flurry of activism in recent days from both vaping advocates and tobacco control groups. (Florko, 9/1)

The New York Times: Dizziness Upon Standing Can Lead To Falls And Fractures
Orthostatic hypotension — to many people those are unfamiliar words for a relatively common but often unrecognized medical problem that can have devastating consequences, especially for older adults. It refers to a brief but precipitous drop in blood pressure that causes lightheadedness or dizziness when standing up after lying down or sitting, and sometimes even after standing, for a prolonged period. The problem is likely to be familiar to people of all ages who may have been confined to bed for a long time by an injury, illness or surgery. It also often occurs during pregnancy. But middle-aged and older adults are most frequently affected. (Brody, 8/31)

AP: Reports On Trinity Test Fallout, Cancer Cases To Be Released
After years of research, the National Cancer Institute was poised Tuesday to finally release a series of papers related to radiation doses and cancer risks resulting from the U.S. government’s detonation of the first atomic bomb during a test at a military outpost in the New Mexico desert in 1945. Government scientists never discounted the potential for radioactive fallout before moving ahead with the Trinity Test, which was the culmination of work done at installations around the country as part of the once-secret Manhattan Project. The detonation forever changed the course of history, ensuring the end of World War II and marking the dawn of the atomic age. (Montoya Bryan, 9/1)

USA Today: Hurricane Laura: Louisiana Governor Wary Of COVID-19 Spike
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he is wary of a COVID-19 spike as displaced Hurricane Laura victims scatter across the state and first-responders and volunteers flow into the most damaged areas to help. The concern comes as more than 300,000 households and businesses remain without power and another 176,000 remain without running water as victims dig out from the damage under a blistering summer sun pushing the heat index to 108. (Hillburn, 8/31)

The Washington Post: Excessive Heat Warning In Areas Ravaged By Hurricane Laura, Power Outages 
Large portions of southwestern Louisiana remain without power four days after Hurricane Laura struck the region as the strongest storm on record for this part of the state, with gusts topping 150 mph. Now, the areas hit hardest are dealing with dangerous levels of heat and humidity that could last several more days, according to the National Weather Service. One extreme weather event layered atop another makes the region’s arduous recovery process even more difficult. Many residents are without air conditioning and lack running water while stifling heat, among the most lethal weather hazards, takes hold. (Samenow and Cusick, 8/31)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Chlorine, Other Chemicals Detected Near Hurricane Laura-Damaged Chemical Plant, EPA Says 
Air monitoring contractors for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found chlorine above detection limits at nine locations in neighborhoods surrounding the BioLab Inc. chemical plant in Westlake, while an EPA monitoring plane found minimal amounts of three other chemicals as it flew a few hundred feet above the area a few hours after Hurricane Laura moved through, according to an EPA document. (Sneath and Schleifstein, 8/31)

CBS News: California Chicken Plant To Temporarily Close After 8 COVID Deaths
Foster Farms on Tuesday night plans to close its chicken processing plant in Livingston, California, for a week of cleaning, bowing to an edict from county public health officials who ordered the closure after eight workers died of COVID-19 and 392 tested positive. The company will shut down the processing plant until Monday evening, September 7, for two rounds of deep cleaning and two rounds of COVID-19 testing for all 1,400 people employed at the facility, Foster Farms said in a statement issued over the weekend. (Gibson, 8/31)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Kemp Extends Virus Restrictions As Ga. Gains Ground In Pandemic Fight
Gov. Brian Kemp extended a sweep of coronavirus restrictions Monday that chart out how businesses can operate during the pandemic as Georgia’s fight to contain the disease showed new signs of progress. Kemp’s 49-page order continues to ban gatherings of more than 50 people unless social distancing is in force, and it requires Georgians in long-term care facilities or those deemed “medically fragile” to shelter in place. (Bluestein, 8/31)

AP: Ducey Pushes Flu Vaccine Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and public health officials on Monday urged people to get a flu vaccine as soon as possible, warning hospitals face potential overcrowding with flu patients while still trying to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Free vaccines will be made available to people who are uninsured or underinsured, Ducey said, and the state will increase payments to health care providers who vaccinate people on Arizona’s Medicaid plan in hopes of increasing availability of the vaccine. (9/1)

AP: Detroit Turns Island Park Into COVID-19 Memorial Garden
A Detroit island park was transformed Monday into a drive-thru COVID-19 victims memorial as policy makers across the U.S. moved forward with plans to reopen schools and public spaces. Hearses led processions around Belle Isle Park in the Detroit River, where more than 900 large photos of local coronavirus victims provided by relatives were turned into posters and staked into the ground. (9/1)

In other news —

Dallas Morning News: Irving Police Pledged To Improve Their Response To Mental Health Calls — Here’s How They Did It
The Irving Police Department said it has fulfilled a pledge to improve how it responds to people with mental illness. The pledge is part of the One Mind Campaign, launched by the the International Association of Chiefs of Police to help officers better understand mental illness and strengthen their interactions with people with mental illness. (Bahari, 8/31)

The Washington Post: Virginia, Ikea Give $4M To Boost Legal Aid Services For Residents Facing Eviction 
Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday unveiled a $4 million initiative to expand legal services to Virginians facing eviction amid the coronavirus pandemic, an effort partly bankrolled by a foundation established by retailer Ikea. The Legal Services Corporation of Virginia, which funds and oversees the work of nine regional Legal Aid programs across the state, will use the money to hire and support 20 Legal Aid attorneys for the next two years. (Vozzella, 8/31)

Reuters: In Indonesia, Coronavirus Floods Cisadane River With Extra Hazard: Medical Waste 
For the residents along Indonesia’s Cisadane River, the coronavirus has brought not just deadly disease, but also a deluge of medical waste: a constant stream of syringes, face masks and hazmat suits floating by. The double threat for those who depend on the 138-kilometre-long river to bathe and wash their clothes comes as Indonesia has struggled to contain COVID-19, now with the highest death toll in Southeast Asia, and in the past week almost 3,000 new infections a day. (Cahya Budiman and Ardiansyah, 8/31)

AP: Hong Kong Begins Mass-Testing For Virus Amid Public Doubts
Hong Kong tested thousands of people for coronavirus Tuesday at the start of a mass-testing effort that’s become another political flash point in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Volunteers stood in lines at some of the more than 100 testing centers, though many residents are distrustful over the resources and staff being provided by China’s central government and some have expressed fear DNA could be collected. (Soo, 9/1)

Reuters: Text Books And Face Masks, Europe's Children Return To School 
Tens of millions of pupils returned to school in France, Poland and Russia on Tuesday, their rucksacks loaded with exercise books, geometry sets and, for many, face masks to protect them from a resurgent coronavirus pandemic. Hand cleansing stations, social distancing and staggered play time will become the new normal as countries across Europe seek ways to get children back into the classroom safely and their economies functioning once again. (Lough, 9/1)

AP: Portugal Communist Party Gets OK For 16,500 People At Event
Health authorities in Portugal are allowing the country’s Communist Party to let 16,500 people into its annual open-air festival next weekend -- an unusually high number for a gathering in Europe amid the coronavirus pandemic. The permit has caused an outcry because officials have for months slashed the number of people allowed into other public events, forcing many of them to cancel. (8/31)

And updates on the number of COVID-19 cases across the globe —

AP: Russia's Virus Cases Exceed 1 Million, Globally 4th Highest
Russia’s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 1 million on Tuesday as authorities reported 4,729 new cases. With a total of 1,000,048 reported cases, Russia has the fourth largest caseload in the world after the U.S., Brazil and India. Over 815,000 people have so far recovered, authorities said, and more than 17,000 have died. (9/1)

Reuters: India's Coronavirus Surge Eases Slightly As Millions Take Exams, Pubs Reopen 
India’s tally of coronavirus infections surged to nearly 3.7 million on Tuesday, as millions of masked students sat for college admission exams after the government refused to defer them. India, the world’s third most affected country by the pandemic after the United States and Brazil, reported 69,921 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the lowest in six days. (Ravikumar, 9/1)

AP: Asia Today: Australia Records Its Deadliest Day Of Pandemic
Australia recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic Monday as the government urged hot spot Victoria state to announce plans to lift a lockdown on the country’s second-largest city. Victoria’s health department reported 41 deaths from COVID-19 and 73 new infections in the latest 24-hour period. While the deaths were a state and national high, the tally of new infections was Victoria’s lowest since 67 new cases were recorded on June 30 in the early weeks of the second wave of the pandemic, which has primarily been concentrated in the state capital, Melbourne. (8/31)

The New York Times: A Coronavirus Second Wave Grips Spain 
At midday on Sunday, there were 31 patients inside the main coronavirus treatment center in Málaga, the city with the fastest-rising infection rate in southern Spain. At 12:15 p.m., the 32nd arrived in an ambulance. Half an hour later came number 33.The garbage can by the door overflowed with masks and blue surgical gloves. Relatives hovered in silence outside — one of them in tears, another feeling a pang of déjà-vu. (Kingsley and Bautista, 8/31)

Also, NPR looks at Canada's health care system —

PBS NewsHour: How Canada Got Universal Health Care And What The U.S. Could Learn
Naresh Tinani loves his job as a perfusionist at a hospital in Saskatchewan’s capital. ... But Tinani has also been on the other side of the system, like when his now-15-year-old twin daughters were born 10 weeks early and battled infection on life support, or as his 78-year-old mother waits months for new knees amid the coronavirus pandemic. While stressful, those moments helped make him “very proud” of his nation’s health care system, a cornerstone of Canadian national identity. (Santhanam, 8/31)

Stat: Chadwick Boseman And Changing Landscape Of Colon Cancer 
People across the country are mourning the death this weekend of actor Chadwick Boseman, who died from colon cancer at the age of 43. An actor best known for the title role of T’Challa in Marvel’s “Black Panther,” Boseman died on this year’s Jackie Robinson Day, a day celebrating the legendary Black baseball player that Boseman portrayed in a 2013 film. Boseman kept his battle with colon cancer private. Several of his movies, including “Black Panther,” were filmed after he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2016. (Lydia A. Flier, Gabriela Rico and Yamicia D. Connor, 8/31)

Philadelphia Inquirer: ‘He Was Our King’: Chadwick Boseman’s Death Yet Another Loss For Black People
The Black community needed (Chadwick) Boseman, not just because he portrayed T’Challa, but because he represented so much more to us. He represented what it meant to be young, Black, and creative. And he will continue to do so even after his passing. White people who read this cannot understand the pain that people of color are going through right now, because they can always see themselves portrayed strong and true, especially in the superhero film genre.The grief of losing this man I never knew is real. I know that we have to keep going, but man, is it hard. As a Black person, I can tell you that we are so tired of being in so much pain. We are truly losing a lot this year. We’ve lost so many great Black men these past few years from violence, racism, and disease. George Floyd, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, the list goes on. (Peak Johnson, 8/31)

Modern Healthcare: It Shouldn’t Be So Hard To Get The Data Needed To Protect Public Health
Large companies and organizations exist in an era of evidence-based decisionmaking, fueled by digital data and analytics. Yet the U.S. public health system lacks the data needed to manage the current pandemic. Modern data science, were it put to use, could both serve public health needs and also make our healthcare delivery system more efficient. Real-time information about who is harboring disease, who has been exposed to infection, and where clusters of cases occur would enable effective contact tracing and isolation strategies. In this pandemic, we could have avoided closing down all businesses and all schools by targeting interventions to where the risk of illness was high, not keeping every restaurant and every school shuttered and throwing the country into a recession. (Christine Cassel, Susan L. Graham and William H. Press, 8/29)

The Washington Post: The FDA Must Move To End Its Ban On Blood Donations From Gay And Bisexual Men
This week, the Trump administration caused alarm by touting convalescent plasma from the blood of recovered covid-19 patients as an effective therapeutic before studies robustly supported that claim. But even if convalescent plasma turns out to be an effective therapy, under current guidelines one group of recovered covid-19 patients will be effectively banned from donating: gay and bisexual men. Food and Drug Administration policies regulating blood donations from “men who have sex with men” (MSM) originated during the AIDS epidemic. In the early 1980s, as HIV/AIDS ravaged the gay community, doctors could neither reliably detect nor treat the disease, and they feared that donations from HIV-positive donors could threaten the blood supply. The agency enacted a “lifetime deferral” (or lifelong ban) for MSM who sought to donate. (8/29)

Dallas Morning News: Texas Has A Plan To Fight Human Trafficking With 68,345 Front-Line Workers
Beginning this week, 68,345 Texans who work in 10 health care-related professions regulated by the state will be trained to spot warning signs of human trafficking. The new requirement affects license renewals for dietitians, midwives, massage therapists, athletic trainers, behavior analysts and others. It stems from House Bill 2059, authored by Rep. César Blanco of El Paso which passed last year and applies to health care practitioners subject to the authority of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. (9/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Sweden Shouldn’t Be America’s Pandemic Model
The Trump administration’s Covid response seems increasingly to reflect a policy preference among some conservatives: Protect the elderly and let others try to get on with their lives. This thinking assumes that herd immunity will slow the pandemic if more younger people are infected. Many features of federal policy seem to be following this philosophy. It’s important to protect the old and the vulnerable, who are at the highest risk of severe illness and bad outcomes. But like most issues of medicine, it isn’t a binary choice. (Scott Gottlieb, 8/30)

The New York Times: It Has Come To This: Ignore The C.D.C.
We were startled and dismayed last week to learn that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a perplexing series of statements, had altered its testing guidelines to reduce the testing of asymptomatic people for the coronavirus. These changes by the C.D.C. will undermine efforts to end the pandemic, slow the return to normal economic, educational and social activities, and increase the loss of lives. (Harold Varmus and Rajiv Shah, 8/31)

Los Angeles Times: What Doomed U.S. Efforts To Fight The Coronavirus 
Like most physicians, I considered March the starting line of a race, a race to learn as much as we could as quickly as we could about the novel coronavirus. The more we understood, I figured, the more lives would be saved. But we lost the race, falling behind nearly every other country in whatever metric used to measure success in fighting this virus. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now saying that its testing guidelines would exclude people who do not have COVID-19 symptoms, we can now say this as a country: We have not only lost the race because we failed to learn, we have quit trying to win. (David Weill, 9/1)

Des Moines Register: QAnon Promotes Deadly Distrust Of Science 
Distrust in science and common sense has reached an incredible level recently with publicity about QAnon, a group whose online numbers possibly total in the millions of followers. QAnon strongly opposes masks and vaccinations, and they accuse “Democratic elites” of “sex trafficking children and cannibalism.” QAnon also claims that these elites, led by Dr. Anthony Fauci, or Bill Gates, have manufactured this coronavirus to bring down Trump. (Michael Kitchell, 8/31)

CNN: The Unproven Drug That MyPillow Guy Endorses 
The botanical product oleandrin, derived from the Nerium oleander plant, has hit the headlines because of a claim by a TV pillow pitchman that it might be an effective treatment for Covid-19. President Donald Trump has not officially given his support ("Is it something that people are talking about very strongly? We'll look at it. We'll look at it," he told a reporter last week.) (Kent Sepkowitz, 8/27)

The New York Times: American Clinical Research Needs To Step Up Its Game Against Covid-19
Americans and American biomedical researchers have often prided themselves on conducting the best clinical research in the world. Yet with over six million Covid-19 cases and almost 183,00 deaths, the United States has produced little pathbreaking clinical research on treatments to reduce cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Even one of the most important U.S. studies to date, which showed that the antiviral drug remdesivir could reduce the time Covid-19 patients spent in the hospital to 11 days from about 15, had too few patients to demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in mortality. (Ezekiel J. Emanuel, Cathy Zhang and Amaya Diana, 9/1)

Stat: Medical Residents Need Support For Their Covid-19 Work 
As Covid-19 surges in some cities and across the country, it has subsided in New York City, where we live and work. Here, health care workers breathe collective sighs of relief, though we continue to do so through masks and behind face shields. Hospital hallways are empty, yet heavy with the sadness of lives lost. (Alexander El Sehamy and Gali Hashmonay, 9/1)

NBC News: Workers Deserve Protection From COVID-19. The Agency Responsible For That Doesn't Care.
The mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, as spelled out in the congressional statute that created the agency, is “to assure so far as possible every working man and women in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions.” That’s a fairly straightforward mission to ensure that America’s workers are protected on the job and that workplaces are safe. Yet, the agency’s leaders, including Secretary Eugene Scalia, have profoundly failed on that front in “responding” — if one can even use such a word in this case — to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Paul Bland, 8/31)

St. Louis Post Dispatch: America's Instant-Gratification Mantra Fails Everyone In A Pandemic
Coronavirus cases already are spreading quickly among college students across the country even though classes have only just begun. It’s happening largely because young people don’t appear to take seriously the idea of not partying or gathering in large groups, even if they know their irresponsibility might force their schools to shut down. The coronavirus spread on campus speaks to a much bigger problem in America: the inability to grasp the concept of delayed gratification. The equation has always worked like this: People accept a relatively small amount of sacrifice and inconvenience to reap benefits and freedoms down the road. Some Americans, it seems, just can’t wrap their minds around the idea of waiting patiently, or sacrificing now, to make the pandemic disappear sooner. They want it all — now! (8/31)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Worried Georgians Need More From You, Gov. Kemp
The truth is we reopened too early. Bars should have remained closed. And if you had acted decisively to mandate masks, you would have saved lives. But “truth” has been hard to come by with the steady drumbeat of attacks on the press. As an elected official, I understand the temptation to lash out when criticized. And certainly, I’d love it if journalists only captured my best moments. The truth is, occasionally journalists get things wrong, like we all do. But not liking the facts that a newspaper accurately reports does not give you license to attack the men and women who are doing their job to provide the public with credible data. (Jen Jordan, 8/29)