The Washington Post: Global Death Toll Tops 1 Million As U.N. Chief Warns That ‘Misinformation Kills’ 
The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic eclipsed 1 million on Monday night — a figure that carries an incalculable human cost, and is almost certainly an undercount. Calling the milestone “agonizing,” U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said Monday that it was crucial that the international community learn from the mistakes made in the first 10 months of the pandemic. “Responsible leadership matters,” he said. “Science matters. Cooperation matters — and misinformation kills.” (Noori Farzan, 9/29)

Reuters: Global Coronavirus Deaths Pass 'Agonizing Milestone' Of 1 Million 
The number of deaths from the novel coronavirus this year is now double the number of people who die annually from malaria - and the death rate has increased in recent weeks as infections surge in several countries. “Our world has reached an agonizing milestone,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. “It’s a mind-numbing figure. Yet we must never lose sight of each and every individual life. They were fathers and mothers, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues.” (Wardell, 9/28)

The New York Times: Virus Has Killed 1 Million Worldwide 
In the 10 months since a mysterious pneumonia began striking residents of Wuhan, China, Covid-19 has killed more than one million people worldwide as of Monday — an agonizing toll compiled from official counts, yet one that far understates how many have really died. The coronavirus may already have overtaken tuberculosis and hepatitis as the world’s deadliest infectious disease. And unlike all the other contenders, it is still growing fast. (9/29)

AP: Worldwide Grief: Death Toll From Coronavirus Tops 1 Million
Joginder Chaudhary was his parents’ greatest pride, raised with the little they earned farming a half-acre plot in central India to become the first doctor from their village. For the coronavirus, though, he was just one more in a million. After the virus killed the 27-year-old Chaudhary in late July, his mother wept inconsolably. With her son gone, Premlata Chaudhary said, how could she go on living? Three weeks later, on Aug. 18, the virus took her life, too — yet another number in an unrelenting march toward a woeful milestone. Now, 8 1/2 months after an infection doctors had never seen before claimed its first victims in China, the pandemic’s confirmed death toll has eclipsed 1 million, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University. (Geller and Jain, 9/29)

Newsweek: As Coronavirus Deaths Pass 1 Million, These Are The Countries Worst Affected
Coronavirus deaths across the globe have surpassed one million, according to the latest report by Johns Hopkins University (JHU). The U.S. has the highest death toll in the world, with 205,072 fatalities, followed by Brazil (142,058), India (96,318), Mexico (76,603) and the U.K. (42,019), in the top five ranking of countries with the most deaths. The seven-day moving average of daily new deaths in the U.S. rose from late March to April 17, when the figure peaked at 2,248, before briefly flattening out through late April and declining through early July, according to data compiled by Worldometer. (Kim, 9/29)

Reuters: Timeline: How The Global Coronavirus Pandemic Unfolded 
Here are some key developments as the novel coronavirus spread around the world: Dec. 31, 2019: China alerts the World Health Organization of 27 cases of “viral pneumonia” in the central city of Wuhan. Authorities shut down a wet market in Wuhan the next day, after discovering some patients were vendors or dealers. (9/28)

In related news —

Bloomberg: Warning Signs Are Flashing Ahead Of Covid’s Second U.S. Winter
Public health officials in the U.S. could take heart at the end of the summer. Even as the new coronavirus continued to spread, fewer people were winding up in the hospital because of Covid-19, and fewer were dying. Now, as the seasons turn, there are signs suggesting there will be more deaths and serious illness ahead. (Cortez, 9/28)

Reuters: Why The Coronavirus Death Rate Still Eludes Scientists
Global deaths from COVID-19 have reached 1 million, but experts are still struggling to figure out a crucial metric in the pandemic: the fatality rate - the percentage of people infected with the pathogen who die. Here is a look at issues surrounding better understanding the COVID-19 death rate. (Beasley, 9/28)

The Hill: Trump Announces Plan To Distribute 100M Rapid COVID-19 Tests To States 
President Trump on Monday announced a plan to distribute 100 million rapid COVID-19 tests to states by the end of the year, strongly urging governors to use them to help schools reopen. The Abbott tests, which are cheaper and faster than lab tests, return results in about 15 minutes and are already widely used in nursing homes under a program set up by the Trump administration. (Hellmann, 9/28)

NBC News: Trump Pushes Rapid Coronavirus Testing For Schools Ahead Of First Debate
President Donald Trump took to the Rose Garden on the eve of his first debate with Joe Biden to reiterate an announcement from last month of a federal plan to distribute millions of rapid coronavirus diagnostic tests to states. A shipment of 6.5 million tests is expected to go out this week to states as part of a $760 million contract the administration announced last month on the final day of the Republican National Convention. (Pettypiece, 9/28)

AP: Feds To Ship Millions Of Tests In Bid To Reopen K-12 Schools
The tests will go out to states based on their population and can be used as governors see fit, but the Trump administration is encouraging states to place a priority on schools. White House officials said at a Rose Garden event that 6.5 million tests will go out this week and that a total of 100 million tests will be distributed to governors over the next several weeks. Officials said the administration is emphasizing testing in schools because it’s important to the physical, social and emotional development of students to be back in classrooms to the degree that’s possible. The Abbott Laboratories tests would allow parents to know whether their symptomatic child has COVID-19. In some cases, states could undertake some baseline surveillance, like testing a proportion of students per week or per month to make sure that the incidence of COVID-19 is low. (Perrone and Freking, 9/28)

The New York Times: Behind The White House Effort To Pressure The C.D.C. On School Openings 
Top White House officials pressured the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this summer to play down the risk of sending children back to school, a strikingly political intervention in one of the most sensitive public health debates of the pandemic, according to documents and interviews with current and former government officials. As part of their behind-the-scenes effort, White House officials also tried to circumvent the C.D.C. in a search for alternate data showing that the pandemic was weakening and posed little danger to children. (Mazzetti, Weiland and LaFraniere, 9/28)

NBC News: Major Hospital System Hit With Cyberattack, Potentially Largest In U.S. History
A major hospital chain has been hit by what appears to be one of the largest medical cyberattacks in United States history. Computer systems for Universal Health Services, which has more than 400 locations, primarily in the U.S., began to fail over the weekend, and some hospitals have had to resort to filing patient information with pen and paper, according to multiple people familiar with the situation. (Collier, 9/28)

Wired: A Ransomware Attack Has Struck A Major US Hospital Chain 
An emergency room technician at one UHS-owned facility tells WIRED that their hospital has moved to all-paper systems as a result of the attack. Bleeping Computer, which first reported the news, spoke to UHS employees who said the ransomware has the hallmarks of Ryuk, which first appeared in 2018 and is widely linked to Russian cybercriminals. Ryuk is typically used in so-called "big-game hunting" attacks in which hackers attempt to extort large ransoms from corporate victims. UHS says it has 90,000 employees and treats about 3.5 million patients each year, making it one of the US' largest hospital and health care network. (Newman, 9/28)

USA Today: Health Care Provider United Health Services Hit With Cyberattack
The King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-headquartered health care giant's operations include 26 acute care hospitals, 328 behavioral health facilities and 42 outpatient facilities across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.K. No data belonging to patients or employees "appears to have been accessed, copied or misused," the company said in its statement. "We implement extensive IT security protocols and are working diligently with our IT security partners to restore IT operations as quickly as possible. In the meantime, our facilities are using their established back-up processes including offline documentation methods. Patient care continues to be delivered safely and effectively." (Snider, 9/28)

FierceHealthcare: UHS Hit With Massive Cyber Attack As Hospitals Reportedly Divert Surgeries, Ambulances
UHS hospitals in the U.S. including those from California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Washington D.C. are reportedly left without access to computer and phone systems. Affected hospitals are redirecting ambulances and relocating patients in need of surgery to other nearby hospitals, according to media reports. UHS has more than 90,000 employees and provides healthcare services to approximately 3.5 million patients each year. (Landi, 9/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Ransomware Attack Hits Universal Health Services 
Under HIPAA, a malware attack that exposes patients’ personal health information could require hospitals to publicly disclose the breach, said Mark Barnes, a partner at the law firm Ropes & Gray LLP. Hospitals also face fines for privacy and security violations under the law. Ransomware attacks are a potential HIPAA violation, under guidance issued by federal health officials, Mr. Barnes said. (McMillan and Evans, 9/28)

NBC News: Redfield Voices Alarm Over Influence Of Trump's New Coronavirus Task Force Adviser
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has grown increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump, pushed by a new member of his coronavirus task force, is sharing incorrect information about the pandemic with the public. Dr. Robert Redfield, who leads the CDC, suggested in a conversation with a colleague Friday that Dr. Scott Atlas is arming Trump with misleading data about a range of issues, including questioning the efficacy of masks, whether young people are susceptible to the virus and the potential benefits of herd immunity. (Alba, 9/28)

CNN: Source: CDC Director Concerned Atlas Is Sharing Misleading Information With Trump
In a statement to CNN, a CDC spokesman did not deny the conversation took place: "NBC News is reporting one side of a private phone conversation by CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield that was overheard on a plane from Atlanta Hartsfield airport. Dr. Redfield was having a private discussion regarding a number of points he has made publicly about Covid-19." In a statement sent Monday afternoon, the CDC acknowledged Redfield and Atlas have "different positions" on some issues: "The article quotes Dr. Redfield as saying "Everything he says is false" but it cannot supply the context for that statement since only one side of the private conversation being eavesdropped on was heard. Positions on three issues, the value of wearing a mask, youth COVID-19 infections, and where we are currently with herd immunity, are the positions that Dr. Redfield has different positions on than Dr. Atlas. The doctors agree on many other issues." (Valencia and Fossum, 9/29)

Fox News: Trump Coronavirus Adviser Atlas Fires Back Against Redfield Criticisms, Says Advice Based On 'Current Science'
Special Adviser to President Trump Dr. Scott Atlas fired back at criticisms leveled against him and his role on the Coronavirus Task Force on Monday, defending his record and expertise while maintaining that his advice to the president is based on the "current science." Atlas, in an interview with Fox News, said he has received a number of personal attacks and attempts to “delegitimize” him, specifically referring to a recent comment from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield. (Singman, 9/28)

Reuters: New Adviser Giving Trump Bad Information On Virus, Top U.S. Officials Say
Two senior U.S. public health experts have raised concerns that White House adviser Scott Atlas is providing misleading or incorrect information on the coronavirus pandemic to President Donald Trump, according to media reports on Monday. The top U.S. infectious diseases expert, Anthony Fauci, told CNN on Monday he was concerned that information given by Atlas - a late addition to the White House coronavirus task force - was “really taken either out of context or actually incorrect.” (9/28)

MarketWatch: Fauci Calls Out Fox News, But Says Real ‘Bad Guy’ Is Coronavirus, Not Those With Opposing Views 
Dr. Anthony Fauci criticized Fox News and attempted to downplay differences with White House coronavirus task force colleague Dr. Scott Atlas on Monday, saying the real enemy remains COVID-19. Speaking Monday night during an interview on CNN, the nation’s foremost expert on infectious diseases said the spread of misinformation is detrimental to the nation’s public health effort. (Murphy, 9/28)

Also —

NBC News: Covid Cases Climbing Again In U.S. While Fauci Warns 'We're Not In A Good Place'
Covid-19 cases are on the rise again across the United States as more and more states have loosened restrictions put into place to slow the spread of the killer virus, NBC News figures showed Monday. On Friday, the U.S. logged 55,759 cases — the largest single day total in a month. And the troubling development comes as the global death toll from the virus passed 1 million with the U.S. continuing to account for over a fifth of those fatalities. (Siemaszko, 9/28)

Fox News: Fauci Calls Florida Lift On Restaurant Restrictions ‘Very Concerning’ 
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Monday called Florida's recent decision to ease restaurant restrictions “very concerning.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Friday that restaurants were allowed to immediately reopen at full capacity, and his executive order would block cities and counties from ordering restaurants to close unless they could justify a closure for economic or health reasons. (Rivas, 9/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Presidential Debate To Focus On Coronavirus, Supreme Court 
President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will square off on Tuesday in Cleveland in the first presidential debate of the 2020 election. The debate, which will be moderated by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, will unfold against the backdrop of an unconventional campaign that has for months been dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and protests against racism and police brutality. ... Mr. Biden, the Democratic nominee, has made Mr. Trump’s handling of the virus the centerpiece of his campaign, whereas the Republican president has sought to play down its consequences. (Siddiqui, 9/29)

AP: Trump, Biden Prepare To Debate At A Time Of Mounting Crises
In an election year like no other, the first debate between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, could be a pivotal moment in a race that has remained stubbornly unchanged in the face of historic tumult. The Tuesday night debate will offer a massive platform for Trump and Biden to outline their starkly different visions for a country facing multiple crises, including racial justice protests and a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans and cost millions of jobs. (Lemire and Colvin, 9/29)

In other presidential election news —

Newsweek: Big Pharma Backs Joe Biden, But People Don't Think He'll Fix Drug Pricing
Former Vice President Joe Biden is winning the race for donations from Big Pharma but experts and industry stakeholders doubt his plans will successfully lower drug prices or address underlying issues in the industry. The pharmaceuticals and health products industry has donated more than $5.9 million to Biden's presidential campaign, according to OpenSecrets.org, a site run by the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks political donations. (Roche, 9/29)

AP: Trump Coming To La Crosse, Green Bay For Rallies Saturday
President Donald Trump is planning a pair of campaign rallies on Saturday in La Crosse and Green Bay, less than five weeks before the Nov. 3 election. The stops announced Monday by Trump’s campaign come just over two weeks after he held a rally in central Wisconsin near Wausau in Mosinee. Both of Saturday’s rallies are scheduled for airports in the respective cities. (9/28)

The Washington Post: Pennsylvania Republicans Ask Supreme Court To Stop Voting Accommodations 
Pennsylvania’s Republican legislative leaders asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to stop a decision by the state’s high court to count mail-in ballots received up to three days after Election Day. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in Democrats’ favor on a number of mail-voting rules: permitting voters to turn in ballots via drop box in addition to using the U.S. Postal Service; allowing ballots to be returned up to three days after Election Day; and blocking a Republican effort to allow partisan poll watchers to be stationed in counties where they do not live. (Barnes, 9/28)

AP: Tennesseans With Virus-Susceptible Roomies OKed To Mail Vote
A judge has ruled that Tennessee officials have to change the absentee ballot application again to reflect their promise to let voters cast mail ballots if someone in their household has an underlying health condition that makes them more susceptible to COVID-19. In her decision Friday, Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle sided with arguments from the plaintiffs in a months-long absentee voting lawsuit. They pointed out that a deputy attorney general made the eligibility commitment for co-habitants in response to multiple questions in front of the state Supreme Court last month. (Mattise, 9/28)

The Hill: Swing-State Voters Cite Pandemics As Top Concern, Less Worried By China Threat: Poll 
Voters in 12 battleground states rank fighting global pandemics as a greater concern than standing up to China, according to a survey by Democratic pollster Geoff Garin. Forty-five percent of likely voters in the survey called protecting against pandemics their top priority, compared to 25 percent who said the same in March. (Budryk, 9/28)

In other news —

AP: Health Care, High Court Battle Dominate Montana Senate Race
Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock sought to keep the focus on health care and the pandemic in the race for a Montana U.S. Senate seat, while Republican incumbent Steve Daines put the spotlight on the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy during a heated Monday night debate. With mail ballots going out to voters next week, the two candidates are vying for a seat considered pivotal in determining if Democrats will be able to wrest the majority from Republicans come November. (Brown, 9/29)

AP: Sex Ed Mandate Sparks Bitter Washington State Ballot Fight
Democrats in the Washington state Legislature thought they had passed a routine sex education requirement for public schools earlier this year. But a coalition of Republicans and religious conservatives launched a swift, historic backlash that’s led to a bitter partisan fight and an effort to overturn the measure on the November ballot. Democrats in the famously liberal state say they want to protect young people from sexual abuse, diseases and infections. But the increasingly outnumbered and aggrieved Republicans have taken issue with the content of the standards as they rally for local control. The resulting referendum on the November ballot marks the first time in the country that such a decision on sex ed will be decided by voters. (Ho, 9/28)

Dallas Morning News: Democratic Super PAC Targets North Texas GOP Legislative Hopefuls In TV Ads On Health Care, Schools
Ten GOP hopefuls for Texas House in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are being pounded in attack ads that slam them on health care and schools. On Tuesday, the pro-Democratic super PAC Forward Majority Action Texas was to begin a barrage of cable TV and digital ads, part of a planned $2.6 million advertising buy in North Texas before the Nov. 3 election. (Garrett, 9/29)

The Washington Post: Judge Barrett’s Writing Criticizes The Supreme Court Decision Upholding Obama-Era Health Law 
In the days leading to his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, President Trump emphasized anew his distaste for the Affordable Care Act. In his third chance to shape the high court, the president is turning to a conservative judge who could tilt its balance toward his goal of abolishing the law. Barrett has not participated in any cases during three years on the Chicago-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit that dealt with the decade-old law, which has widened insurance coverage and altered many other aspects of the nation’s health-care system. Yet her academic writing and public action offer glimpses into her views: She has criticized the legal logic behind a Supreme Court decision that preserved the law and opposed a provision involving birth control. (Goldstein and Crites, 9/28)

The New York Times: Kamala Harris Says Appointing Amy Coney Barrett To The Supreme Court Would Imperil Health Care And Abortion Rights
Senator Kamala Harris warned on Monday of far-reaching consequences to American society if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court, saying that the health coverage and abortion rights were in peril. In a speech in Raleigh, N.C., Ms. Harris amplified an argument that Joseph R. Biden Jr. has been making in the aftermath of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, putting a focus on the fate of health care for millions of Americans. (Kaplan and Vigdor, 9/28)

The Hill: What's At Stake If The Supreme Court Rules Against ObamaCare 
While the ACA's fate is still uncertain — many legal experts in both parties think the lawsuit’s arguments are so weak that even conservative justices would uphold the law — the consequences of it being struck down would reverberate through almost every corner of the health care system. (Sullivan, 9/28)

NBC News: Poll: Majority Of Adults Don't Support Overturning Roe V. Wade
A majority of American adults say they don't support the Supreme Court's completely overturning Roe v. Wade, according to new data from the NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Tracking Poll. Sixty-six percent of adults say they don't believe the Supreme Court should completely overturn the decision that established a woman's right to an abortion nationwide in at least the first three months of a pregnancy. Twenty-nine percent of adults say they do want the court to completely overturn the ruling. (Holzberg and Kamisar, 9/29)

The Washington Post: Economic Relief Talks Between White House, Pelosi Suddenly Resume As House Democrats Make New Offer 
The White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) resumed discussions over a possible economic relief bill as Democrats offered a $2.2 trillion package and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin immediately engaged in talks. Pelosi and Mnuchin spoke Monday evening and agreed to talk again Tuesday morning, according to Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill. (Werner, 9/28)

USA Today: Democrats Intro $2.2 Trillion Bill With More Stimulus Checks
House Democrats unveiled a $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill in a longshot push to break the impasse on relief negotiations before the election, though the bill is likely to face opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate if it passes the House.  Many of the benefits previously approved by Congress ran out earlier this year, leaving millions of Americans waiting for urgently-needed aid. The $600 federal benefit to unemployment benefits ran out in July, a loan forgiveness program for small businesses expired, and airlines warned of mass layoffs as support for the industry expired.  (Wu, 9/28)

Reuters: Pelosi Says Democrats Unveil New COVID-19 Aid Bill
In a letter to Democratic lawmakers released by Pelosi’s office, she said the legislation “includes new funding needed to avert catastrophe for schools, small businesses, restaurants, performance spaces, airline workers and others.” “Democrats are making good on our promise to compromise with this updated bill,” she said. “We have been able to make critical additions and reduce the cost of the bill by shortening the time covered for now.” (9/28)

In related news from the airline industry —

The Hill: Airline Industry Applauds Democrats For Including Aid In Coronavirus Relief Package 
The airline industry applauded House Democrats for providing relief for the devastated sector in their $2.2 trillion coronavirus package unveiled on Monday, but stressed the urgent need for the bill to pass Congress. Under the terms of the CARES Act relief funding that passed this spring, airlines are prohibited from firing or laying off any employees until Oct. 1. Once that deadline passes, airlines are expected to lay off tens of thousands of employees. (Gangitano, 9/28)

The Washington Post: United Airline Pilots Ratify Deal To Prevent Furloughs 
United Airlines pilots on Monday approved a deal that will allow 2,800 of them to avoid being furloughed should Congress fail to extend a payroll support program created as part of the Cares Act. The deal will enable United to reduce the number of employees it will furlough come Thursday without Congress’ help to less than 12,000, according to the airline. United, which employs 79,000 people, received $5 billion in the first coronavirus relief package, which President Trump signed into law in March. (Aratani, 9/28)

NPR: Preventing Eviction Is Good For Health. Is The CDC's Temporary Ban Enough? 
As many as 40 million Americans faced a looming eviction risk in August, according to a report authored by 10 national housing and eviction experts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited that estimate in early September when it ordered an unprecedented, nationwide eviction moratorium through the end of 2020. That move — a moratorium from the country's top public health agency — spotlights a message experts have preached for years without prompting much policy action: Housing stability and health are intertwined. (Sable-Smith, Bebinger and Benson, 9/29)

WBUR: Evictions Damage Public Health, Which Is Why The CDC Has Banned Them ― For Now 
As many as 40 million Americans faced a looming eviction risk in August, according to a report authored by 10 national housing and eviction experts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited that estimate in early September when it ordered an unprecedented, nationwide eviction moratorium through the end of 2020. (Sable-Smith, Bebinger and Benson, 9/29)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evictions Continue In Milwaukee, Wisconsin Despite CDC Moratorium
Few moratoriums are more porous and confusing than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's ban on evictions. Since the CDC ban took effect Sept. 4, Milwaukee County sheriff's deputies have evicted 109 people from their homes, and landlords filed about 249 new eviction suits.  Statewide about 727 eviction actions have been filed through Wednesday. (Spivak, 9/24)

In related news on the pandemic's economic toll —

The New York Times: As Covid-19 Looms, Some Workers Face Loss Of Health Insurance
Jeremy Fritz stopped working as an assistant manager for a fitness center in Carlsbad, Calif., during the pandemic lockdown in the spring when gyms were first closed. By the end of April, the company operating the fitness center, Active Wellness, eliminated his health insurance. And in July, he was laid off when it became clear the center where he worked would be closed through 2020. Most of the small company’s gyms are still shuttered. (Abelson, 9/28)

The New York Times: Workers Face Looming Cutoffs In Health Insurance
Tens of millions of people could lose their job-based insurance by the end of the year, said Stan Dorn, the director of the National Center for Coverage Innovation at Families USA, the Washington, D.C., consumer group. “The odds are we are on track to have the largest coverage losses in our history,” he said. While estimates vary, a recent Urban Institute analysis of census data says at least three million Americans have already lost job-based coverage, and a separate analysis from Avalere Health predicts some 12 million will lose it by the end of this year. Both studies highlight the disproportionate effect on Black and Hispanic workers. (Abelson, 9/28)

North Carolina Health News: Lose Your Job And Health Insurance Due To COVID-19? Here’s A Tip. 
Who knew? The tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of North Carolinians who have lost health insurance since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic might have a new option. They should check out the federal marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. A change quietly enacted on the federal Healthcare.gov website sometime in August creates a “special enrollment period” for anyone who lost employer-sponsored insurance since January. (Hoban, 9/28)

Los Angeles Times: More Employers Favor Expanded Medicare, Drug-Price Controls 
U.S. employers, battered by rising hospital and pharmaceutical prices, are increasingly open to a bigger government role in healthcare, including regulating prices and expanding Medicare to more working Americans. In one recent survey, more than three-quarters of responding employers said government regulation of drug prices and hospital rates would be “very helpful” or “somewhat helpful.” (Levey, 9/29)

In other Medicare developments —

Forbes: Molina To Buy Affinity Health Plan For $380 Million In Medicaid Deal
Molina Healthcare said it will buy Affinity Health Plan for $380 million in cash, expanding the health insurer’s Medicaid government health benefits businesses deeper into New York. Affinity, a Medicaid health plan with more than 280,000 subscribers in New York City, Westchester, Orange, Nassau, Suffolk, and Rockland counties in New York, has $1.3 billion in annual premium revenue. (Japsen, 9/29)

Boston Globe: Potential Medicaid Discrimination At Massachusetts Nursing Homes
Nursing homes were more than twice as likely to say they had no room when responding to inquiries from families saying they planned to pay for care with Medicaid — the government health program relied on by low-income residents — rather than paying privately. Often the difference wasn’t subtle. In some cases, employees from the same facility would tell the daughter of a purported Medicaid applicant that there was a waiting list, while telling the daughter of a private payer, who could be expected to pay the nursing home nearly twice as much, she would be happy to discuss the options. (Kowalczyk and Arsenault, 9/28)

North Carolina Health News: Medicaid Managed Care Companies Take Protest To Court
In the middle of a coronavirus pandemic that has tossed up challenge after challenge, the state Department of Health and Human Services also must tend to another enormous project. Over the next 10 months, the department has been told by the legislature to complete the transformation of its cumbersome Medicaid system. (Blythe and Hoban, 9/29)

Stat: Insurers Move To Stop Waiving Telehealth Copays This Week
Starting Oct. 1, several private health insurers will no longer fully pay for virtual visits under certain circumstances — effectively reinstituting costs for patients reliant on the virtual care that has been heralded as a lifeline at a time when Covid-19 is still killing more than 700 Americans each day. (Robbins and Brodwin, 9/29)

In nursing news —

Des Moines Register: Iowa Nurse Is Fired After A Patient's Family Calls COVID-19 A 'hoax'
An Iowa nurse was fired from her job after arguing with a patient’s family who said COVID-19 is a “hoax.” State records indicate that in April, Lisa Dockery was fired from her job as a home-health nurse for Recover Health Services, an agency with offices throughout Iowa. For the previous eight years, Dockery worked with one patient full-time — a nonverbal boy with severe disabilities. (Kauffman, 9/28)

Crain's New York Business: Pandemic Revives Debate Over Nurse Staffing Ratios
Pat Kane, executive director of the New York State Nurses Association, has seen the pandemic intensify the decades-long fight over adequate nurse staffing. Before Covid-19 struck, the Midtown South–based union of more than 42,000 frontline nurses made safe-staffing ratios a top priority for its members, who work in major hospitals and other health care settings across the state. The ratios regulate the number of patients that may be assigned to a single nurse (Henderson, 9/28)

In other health industry news —

FierceHealthcare: Blue Cross NC Teams Up With North Carolina Providers, Experts To Manufacture N95 Masks 
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is teaming up with prominent providers and companies in the state to manufacture N95 respirators for healthcare workers. The Made in NC initiative is a public-private partnership that also includes North Carolina State University's Nonwoven Institute, Freudenberg Performance Materials, UNC Health, the NC Healthcare Strategic Partners and NC Medical Society, and aims to manufacture the masks and then distribute them in the communities most in need of personal protective equipment during the pandemic. (Minemyer, 9/28)

CIDRAP: Non-COVID-19 Hospital Admissions Rebounding, Study Finds
Dramatic declines in US hospital admissions for non–COVID-19 reasons at the onset of the pandemic have reversed since the lowest point in April, but such hospitalizations remain lower than pre-pandemic baseline levels, particularly for patients from Hispanic-majority neighborhoods, according to a Health Affairs study. The study included data from about 1 million hospital admissions at 201 US hospitals, tracking admissions for the top 20 acute medical conditions from early February through early July. From February to April, declines in non–COVID-19 hospital admissions exceeded 20% for all medical conditions, and did not show significant differences across patient demographic subgroups of age, race, and ethnicity. (9/28)

Modern Healthcare: Short-Term Plans Spent Little On Medical Claims In 2019
The short-term health plans touted by the Trump administration continued to shell out few dollars on members' medical claims in 2019, according to the latest data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The NAIC's 2019 Accident and Health Policy Experience Report also confirmed that enrollment in the notoriously skimpy policies, which don't have to cover preexisting medical conditions, spiked last year after the federal government finalized a rule in August 2018 allowing the plans to last up to 364 days and be renewed for up to three years. The Obama administration had limited the duration of the policies to up to three months. (Livingston, 9/28)

Kaiser Health News: ‘No Mercy’ Explores The Fallout After A Small Town Loses Its Hospital 
Midwesterners aren’t known for complaining. But after Mercy Hospital Fort Scott closed, hardship trickled down to people whose lives were already hard. Pat Wheeler has emphysema. Her husband, Ralph, has end-stage kidney failure, and the couple are barely making ends meet as they raise their teenage grandson. Pat is angry with hospital executives who she said yanked a lifeline from residents. “They took more than a hospital from us,” she said. (Tribble, 9/29)

Crain's Chicago Business: Rush University Medical Center, Select Medical In Joint Venture
Rush University Medical Center and post-acute care provider Select Medical today announced a joint venture to operate outpatient facilities in the region, as well as a new 84-bed rehabilitation hospital on the academic medical center’s Near West Side campus.In addition to 63 physical therapy centers in the Chicago and Northwest Indiana region, the deal includes the construction of Rush Specialty Hospital, which will have 30 critical illness recovery beds and 54 inpatient rehabilitation beds, according to a statement. Until the hospital’s expected 2022 completion, Select Medical will manage Rush’s existing rehabilitation unit in the Johnston R. Bowman Health Center on its campus. (Goldberg, 9/28)

Indianapolis Star: Kinship Care Indiana: How It Changed These Siblings' Lives
The Family Connection Network is a voluntary program administered by The Villages that serves relative and non-relative caregivers who are raising children that are not their own, regardless of whether that child is part of the foster care system. After an initial assessment, each family is assigned a case manager who can connect them to various resources. (Hays, 9/28)

The Hill: Poll Finds Support For Independent Arbiters Resolving 'Surprise' Medical Bills 
A new poll commissioned by a conservative group finds that a strong majority of voters support an independent arbiter resolving disputes over so-called “surprise” medical bills patients sometimes receive from hospitals and providers when their services aren’t covered by insurance. The poll, which was sponsored by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, found that 75 percent of voters believe doctors, rather than health insurers, should determine the amount physicians charge for their work. (Easley, 9/28)

Reuters: U.S. FDA Pauses Inovio's Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Plan 
The U.S. health regulator has put a hold on Inovio Pharmaceuticals's plans to start final trials of its coronavirus vaccine as the agency seeks more information, including details on a delivery device used to inject genetic material into cells. The mid-to-late trials, which were awaiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, were scheduled to start this month after they were postponed from this summer. (9/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Inovio Covid-19 Vaccine Trial Placed On Hold After FDA Questions 
A planned later-stage trial for a Covid-19 vaccine from Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. is on hold, after U.S. health regulators raised questions, the company said. The delay means the Phase 2/3 trial for Inovio’s experimental vaccine won’t begin until October at the earliest. Inovio shares fell as much as 33% on Monday after the trial hold was announced. The stock was down nearly 30% in the midmorning. Through Friday’s close, the stock price had soared more than 400% this year. (Hopkins, 9/28)

In other vaccine news —

Politico: Top FDA Vaccine Official Says Vaccine Guidance May Never Be Released 
White House objections may prevent FDA from releasing stricter guidelines it has drawn up for the emergency authorization of coronavirus vaccines, the agency's No. 2 vaccine official said Monday. Nevertheless, the FDA wants vaccine developers to know that it will insist on seeing through clinical trials for any shot that receives emergency authorization, said Phillip Krause, deputy director for the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. (Brennan, 9/28)

FiercePharma: Pfizer Urged To Hold Off On Coronavirus Vaccine Until Late November: Report 
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and his vaccine partner BioNTech have said the companies expect phase 3 data by the end of October—and that an FDA application could soon follow. But more than 60 researchers and bioethicists urged the partners to wait for more safety data before submitting their shot for a green light, Bloomberg reports. The experts called on Pfizer to wait until late November at least to submit its vaccine to the FDA. That would give trial investigators enough time to compile at least 2 months of safety data after participants receive their second doses. Pfizer, for its part, has said it expects to know by the end of October whether its program works. (Sagonowsky, 9/28)

The Atlantic: COVID-19: The Most Complicated Vaccine Campaign Ever 
On the day that a COVID-19 vaccine is approved, a vast logistics operation will need to awaken. Millions of doses must travel hundreds of miles from manufacturers to hospitals, doctor’s offices, and pharmacies, which in turn must store, track, and eventually get the vaccines to people all across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with state and local health departments, coordinates this process. These agencies distributed flu vaccines during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic this way, and they manage childhood vaccines every day. But the COVID-19 vaccine will be a whole new challenge. (Zhang, 9/28)

The Hill: WHO Says Mass Vaccinations Probably Won't Happen Until Summer 2021 
Large-scale doses of a COVID-19 vaccine most likely won’t be available to the public until summer 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Sunday. USA Today writes that WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan told reporters that the ideal vaccine candidate will only require one shot and last for several years. "By the time people start getting the vaccine ... it would be somewhere in the middle of 2021," she said on Sunday. (Kelley, 9/28)

Reuters: Russian Scientist Behind COVID-19 Vaccine Defends 'Wartime' Roll-Out 
Russia plans to share preliminary results of its COVID-19 vaccine trial based on the first six weeks of monitoring participants, raising the tempo in an already frenzied global race to end the pandemic. Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya Institute that produced the Sputnik V vaccine, told Reuters that the pace of its development was necessary under the “wartime” conditions of a pandemic but no corners were being cut. (Nikolskaya and Ivanova, 9/29)

Also —

Miami Herald: 500,000 Sharks May Have To Die In The Fight Against COVID-19. Here’s Why
A nonprofit organization estimates about 500,000 deep-sea sharks may need to die to supply the world with a coronavirus vaccine when one proves safe and effective. A shark’s liver contains oil primarily made up of a compound called squalene, which can also be found in plants and humans. It’s largely known as a moisturizing agent in cosmetics such as skin creams and lip balms, but squalene is also used in some adjuvants — common ingredients in vaccines that help create a stronger immune response. (Camero, 9/28)

Science Times: Developing Coronavirus Vaccines Are Harming Shark Species 
Wildlife experts worry over shark populations that are in danger as international companies continue to develop coronavirus vaccines. Sharks produce squalene, a substance in their livers, which is harvested as an ingredient for vaccines such as influenza and malaria vaccines. Human livers also produce squalene, which naturally runs in the bloodstream, and can also be found in plants and other animals. Commercially, it can be extracted from fish oil and most commonly from shark liver oil. Sharks have more oil in their livers as it helps regulate their buoyancy in deep waters. (9/28)

Sacramento Bee: CA Aims To Make Lower Cost Prescription Drugs Under New Law
California could make its own insulin and other prescription drugs in an effort to lower costs under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he signed into law Monday. Newsom first proposed that California create its own prescription drug label in his January budget proposal. The legislation Newsom signed, Senate Bill 852, attempts to implement that plan by directing California’s Health and Human Services Agency to explore partnerships with drug manufacturers that could make drugs more affordable and accessible. (Bollag, 9/28)

Stat: California Becomes The First State To Pursue Its Own Line Of Generics
In a groundbreaking move, California adopted a law Monday to allow the state to develop its own line of generic drugs, a notion designed to address the rising cost of prescription medicines that is straining many government budgets across the U.S. Specifically, the California Health and Human Services Agency will look to form partnerships to manufacture or distribute generics and at least one form of insulin. (Silverman, 9/28)

In other pharmaceutical news —

Stat: An FDA Safety Program Is Failing To Stem The Opioid Crisis, Report Finds
A mandated safety program regulators rely on to minimize opioid abuse and misuse is not “well suited” to quickly address the ongoing crisis across the U.S. And the shortcomings reflect a lack of cooperation from opioid makers that made it difficult for the Food and Drug Administration to assess key data, according to a new federal government report. (Silverman, 9/29)

Stat: Drug Industry CEOs Set To Testify About Controversial Medicines
The House Oversight Committee will hold two days of hearings this week with six drug industry CEOs. The hearings are the presumptive climax of an 18-month investigation first launched by the late Rep. Elijah Cummings in 2019. The hearing could be the most perilous yet for drug makers, who have managed to avoid any major missteps at the multiple congressional drug pricing hearings that preceded this one. (Florko, 9/29)

CIDRAP: FDA Approves Cefiderocol For Hospital-Acquired, Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia
Japanese drug maker Shionogi, with US headquarters in Florham Park, New Jersey, announced today that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company's supplemental New Drug Application for cefiderocol. The FDA's approval means that cefiderocol, sold under the brand name Fetroja, can be used to treat patients who have hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP) caused by gram-negative pathogens. The antibiotic was initially approved for treatment of complicated urinary tract infections. (9/28)

NBC News: Covid-19 Twice As Likely In Teens Than In Younger Kids
Teenagers are twice as likely to be diagnosed with Covid-19 than younger kids, according to a report released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings could have implications for educators as they wrestle with how to reopen schools safely, as well as for public health officials charged with figuring out how to prioritize Covid-19 vaccine distribution. (Edwards, 9/28)

The New York Times: The Coronavirus Mostly Spares Younger Children. Teens Aren’t So Lucky. 
Teenagers are about twice as likely to become infected with the coronavirus as younger children, according to an analysis released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report is based on a review of 277,285 cases among children aged 5 to 17 whose illness was diagnosed from March to September. The findings come as 56 million children in the country resume schooling amid contentious debates about their safety. (Mandavilli, 9/28)

The Hill: Adolescents Twice As Likely As Young Children To Test Positive For COVID-19 
Adolescents are twice as likely as young children to test positive for COVID-19, according to a new analysis released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between March 1 and Sept. 19, more than 277,000 children tested positive for COVID-19; 63 percent were between the ages of 12 and 17 while 37 percent were between the ages of 5 and 11. “Incidence among adolescents was approximately double that among younger children throughout the reporting period,” the authors wrote in the analysis. (Hellmann, 9/28)

NBC News: Young People Are At Risk Of Severe Covid-19 Illness
Before she contracted Covid-19 in June, Stephanie Moir ran almost every day, pushing her two young children in a jogging stroller. Now she has trouble just getting out of bed and showering. She's been dealing with the disease for months, and there's still no end in sight. (Stenson, 9/28)

The Wall Street Journal: New Limits Urged On Americans’ Sugar Consumption Amid Rising Obesity Concerns
A federal committee’s recommendation that Americans should limit their consumption of added sugars to 6% of their daily calories—down from the current guideline of 10%—is spotlighting the growing toll of obesity on the nation’s health, and drawing pushback from makers of candy and sodas. The guidance, from a committee’s recommendations for new U.S. dietary guidelines, aims to address rising rates of obesity and the poor quality of most Americans’ diets. Obesity has been linked to an increased risk of health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer—and raises the risk for severe illness with Covid-19. (Petersen, 9/28)

In other science and research news —

CIDRAP: Last-Resort Life Support—ECMO—Improves COVID-19 Survival, Study Finds
A large-scale, international study in The Lancet shows that extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) improves survival for critical COVID-19 patients. A technique that removes blood from the body for oxygenation when a patient's lungs are compromised by severe lung damage, ECMO has been used successfully to treat patients suffering from acute respiratory distress (ARDS) and other types of viral pneumonia. The study included 1,035 severely ill, ventilated COVID-19 patients in 213 hospitals at high risk of death due to lung failure. Patients started on ECMO from Jan 16 to May 1 were followed until death, discharge from the hospital, or until Aug 5—whichever occurred first. At the end of the study period, 380 study patients had died in the hospital; 588 had either been discharged to home, a rehabilitation center, or another long-term acute care center; and 67 patients remained in the hospital. (9/28)

NBC News: Throughout Pandemic, Sickle Cell Patients Suffer Quietly At Home
When emergency rooms began filling with people with Covid-19 in the spring, there was one group of extremely high-risk patients who were too afraid to go. People with sickle cell disease frequently need emergency medical care, but during the height of the pandemic, many suffered at home from fear of exposure to the coronavirus. The consequences of that hesitation are only beginning to be known. (Edwards, 9/28)

CIDRAP: Fecal Transplant Provides Long-Term C Diff Protection Despite Exposures
Mayo Clinic researchers report that a fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) was 78% effective at preventing Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) recurrence at 1 year despite subsequent exposure to the toxoid in 460 FMT patients. The retrospective study, published late last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases, found that 76.8% of adult patients were exposed to the healthcare system after FMT, and 78.1% of 374 patients with risk factor exposure had a durable response at 1 year. (9/28)

The New York Times: The Underused Weight Loss Option: Bariatric Surgery 
Growing rates of obesity among Americans are clear evidence that even the best intentions and strongest motivations are often not enough to help seriously overweight people lose a significant amount of weight and, more important, keep it off. But for those who can overcome fears of surgery and perhaps do battle with recalcitrant insurers, there remains another very successful option that experts say is currently vastly underused. That option is bariatric surgery, an approach that is now simpler, safer and more effective than in its early days in the 1990s. (Brody, 9/28)

Boston Globe: Does This High-Tech Brush Offer A Way To Better Dental Health, Or Big Brother-Like Monitoring? 
Could affixing a motion sensor to my toothbrush — and that of my 12-year old, Max — help either of us improve our oral hygiene? Might I one day earn a compliment, rather than constructive criticism, from someone at the dentist’s office? The Truthbrush set I got has three components: a rubber ring (they call it a “tracker”) that goes around the handle of your toothbrush, a wireless “hub” that plugs into an outlet in your bathroom, and a mobile app that displays data about your brushing habits, and those of others in your house who are using the tracking ring. (Kirsner, 9/28)

USA Today: Florida Schools Reopened En Masse; Feared COVID Surge Hasn't Followed
Many teachers and families feared a spike in COVID-19 cases when Florida made the controversial push to reopen schools in August with in-person instruction. A USA TODAY analysis shows the state’s positive case count among kids ages 5 to 17 declined through late September after a peak in July. Among the counties seeing surges in overall cases, it’s college-age adults – not schoolchildren – driving the trend, the analysis found. The early results in Florida show the success of rigorous mask wearing, social distancing, isolating contacts and quick contact tracing when necessary, health experts said. (Fraser, Stucka, Bloch, Fradette and Brugal, 9/28)

The Washington Post: Maryland Students Go Back To School 
Most students in Maryland logged onto computers from home this fall as they started an unprecedented school year virtually. But at Greensboro Elementary, on the state’s Eastern Shore, children with backpacks and lunch­boxes showed up on the first day. Since then, their numbers have been growing. They include children with disabilities, some of whom one recent day were in a small classroom with bright bins of supplies and a colorful garland. A young boy sorted cups with a teacher. Another child called out sight words. It was hands-on and one-to-one — a flicker of the old normal but with masks and social distancing. (St. George, 9/28)

Detroit Free Press: Back To School Puts Financial Strain On Families
As the new school year ramps up and the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, parents are having to make tough financial decisions. Nonprofits and social service agencies say they see families struggling to purchase materials for school, access child care and put food on the table. Experts worry that, without government intervention, long-term financial strain may widen opportunity gaps for children, and challenges to learning in the pandemic can exacerbate inequalities into the future.  (Rahman, 9/29)

Politico: Campus Life Sans Covid: A Few Colleges Write The Playbook For Pandemic Success 
Colleges finding early success are deploying methods health experts have long recommended the whole country use to keep the virus under control. But a patchwork of state approaches, ongoing testing shortages — or outright rejection of recommendations about testing, masks and social distancing — have combined to keep the virus spreading. Certain state colleges and smaller schools might have a distinct advantage, especially those based in more geographically isolated areas that cater to students from places where the virus is less severe. Still, initial victories include rigid protocols for frequent testing, contact tracing, social distancing and mask-wearing. (Perez Jr. 9/28)

In related news —

ABC News: Mother Of A Teacher Who Died From COVID-19 Also Dies From Virus Weeks Later, Family Says
Just weeks after losing her daughter to complications of COVID-19, Shirley Bannister has also died from the virus, her family said. “[It has been] very traumatic. This is our family [and] definitely will not be the same without them. It definitely leaves a void,” said Shayla Jones, Shirley Bannister’s niece. (Carroll, 9/28)

Detroit Free Press: Health Survey: 1 In 3 Kids Won't Get Flu Shot, Boosting Pandemic Risks
Public health experts fear winter will bring the seasonal flu on top of the coronavirus pandemic, and many parents, at least one survey suggests, aren't going to protect their children from it. One in three parents doesn't plan on having their children get a flu shot this year, according to a national health poll released Monday by Michigan Medicine's C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. (Witsil, 9/28)

Chicago Tribune: Youth Hockey In Illinois Is Frozen. Parents Say Time To Play. 
Gov. J.B. Pritzker often says he is “listening to the experts” about which youth sports are safe to play during the COVID-19 pandemic, but when some hockey parents filed a public records request to learn what those experts were telling him, they received a pile of emails in which almost everything was blacked out. The opaque response infuriated the parents, whose favored sport cannot be played in Illinois under current rules. They say Pritzker and his staff don’t understand the attributes that make hockey safer than other sports classified as high risk, and show no interest in learning. (Keilman, 9/26)

The Washington Post: Halloween Candy Chute Allows Trick-Or-Treaters To Socially Distance 
In early September, Andrew Beattie, his wife and their 6-year-old daughter were discussing what their beloved holiday might look like and they came up with an idea. What if there was a way to hand out candy without getting closer than six feet to a single trick-or-treater? Beattie remembered he had a long tube, formerly an Amazon shipping container, in the basement. The next day, it took about 20 minutes to bring the idea to life: a candy chute. (Errigo, 9/28)

The Baltimore Sun: How Will Coronavirus Change Halloween In Maryland? What To Know About Haunted Houses, Trick-Or-Treating And More. 
Harriet Berlin, owner of Artistic Costumes and Dance Fashions in Towson, quickly discovered that stocking the shelves for Halloween 2020 was a different beast. Vampire fangs are probably out, she figured, but themed face masks are in. Latex masks of werewolves, zombies and ghouls are probably a no-go (who would want to wear two masks at once, after all?), Berlin guessed, but nurse costumes are likely to be a hit. (Condon, 9/28)

The Hill: CDC Recommends Against Attending Thanksgiving Parades, Large Indoor Gatherings 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised against attending Thanksgiving parades and large indoor gatherings in its coronavirus recommendations for the holiday released last week. The CDC encouraged people to stay at home “to protect yourself and others” from contracting the coronavirus, which has infected more than 7.1 million and killed 204,905 people in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University. “Travel increases the chance of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19,” the guidance reads. (Coleman, 9/28)

In other public health news —

The New York Times: Maryland Man Sentenced After Holding Large Parties During Covid Pandemic
A Maryland man has been sentenced to one year in jail and fined $5,000 for throwing two large parties in violation of the state’s ban on gatherings of more than 10 people. The man, Shawn Marshall Myers, 42, was convicted on Friday of two counts of failure to comply with an emergency order, the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement. (de Leon, 9/28)

The Washington Post: Alecia Kitts Tasered On Video For Not Wearing A Mask At Logan, Ohio Football Game 
When a police officer noticed Alecia Kitts without a mask at a middle school football game in Logan, Ohio, last week, he told her she either needed to cover her face or leave. Kitts, 34, repeatedly refused both requests and resisted putting her hands behind her back. The officer then pulled out a Taser, shocked her and hauled her away in handcuffs. Now, after video of the confrontation went viral, it has become the latest flash point in the battle over mask mandates. Hundreds of threats have flooded Logan, forcing the officer who Tasered Kitts to go off active duty for his safety and prompting a school system to declare a lockdown on Thursday, the Logan Daily News reported. (Elfrink, 9/28)

The Washington Post: Narcissism May Influence People's Willingness To Follow Coronavirus Health Guidelines, Psychologists Say 
Several recent studies have similarly concluded that narcissistic behavior may be contributing to noncompliance with public health guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. ... According to psychologists, [narcissists] characteristically lack empathy, have high levels of entitlement and grandiosity, and chronically seek validation, admiration and control. Together with Machiavellianism and psychopathy, narcissism makes up one-third of the “Dark Triad,” personality patterns often linked to “a lack of niceness,” said W. Keith Campbell, a psychology professor at the University of Georgia.

Also —

The Washington Post: Brain Eating Amoeba Kills 6-Year-Old, Texas Gov. Abbott Makes Disaster Declaration In Brazoria County 
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration in Brazoria County on Sunday after the discovery in the local water supply system of an amoeba that can cause a rare and deadly infection of the brain. “The state of Texas is taking swift action to respond to the situation and support the communities whose water systems have been impacted by this ameba,” Abbott (R) in a news release Sunday. “I urge Texans in Lake Jackson to follow the guidance of local officials and take the appropriate precautions to protect their health and safety as we work to restore safe tap water in the community.” (Villegas, 9/28)

Houston Chronicle: Ex-Texans Players Among Former NFL Athletes Indicted In Health Care Fraud Scheme 
Two former Texans are among several athletes who have been indicted in a health care fraud scheme linked to the NFL player trust fund, authorities said Monday.The eight charged athletes are Corey Bradford, 44; James Adkisson, 40; Jonathan Hadnot Jr., 38; Clint Ingram, 37; Shantee Orr, 39; Chadwick Slaughter, 42; Derrick Pope, 38; and Fabian Washington, 37, officials said. (Hensley, 9/28)

USA Today: Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Reopening For Weekend Stays Amid COVID-19
Planet Hollywood will soon reopen for weekend stays. Caesars Entertainment announced Friday the resort-casino will welcome back guests at 10 a.m. on Oct. 8. While the casino floor will be open seven days a week, the hotel will only book stays Thursday through Sunday. The reopening will also debut the resort’s new William Hill Race & Sports Book, the company announced. (Komenda, 9/28)

ABA Journal: Coronavirus-Related Deaths In Nursing Homes Prompt Lawsuits And Questions About Who’s Responsible
[Faith] Heimbrodt’s case is one of a growing number of negligence suits being filed across the country against nursing homes and other long-term care facilities by families whose relatives died from the coronavirus while living in such facilities. These cases rely on state nursing home resident protection statutes and/or common law tort theories. ... these cases will present unprecedented questions for judges, juries and arbitrators. They will have to decide whether and how to apportion responsibility for the deaths of the nation’s most medically vulnerable population among long-term care operators who were scrambling in the midst of the chaos and confusion during the worst public health emergency in a century. (Meyer, 9/28)

In other public health news about the coronavirus —

Kaiser Health News: Corralling The Facts On Herd Immunity
For a term that’s at least 100 years old, “herd immunity” has gained new life in 2020. It starred in many headlines last month, when reports surfaced that a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and adviser to the president, Dr. Scott Atlas, recommended it as a strategy to combat COVID-19. The Washington Post reported that Atlas, a health care policy expert from the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, suggested the virus should be allowed to spread through the population so people build up immunity, rather than trying to contain it through shutdown measures. (Pattani, 9/29)

The New York Times: ‘It’s Not In My Head’: They Survived The Coronavirus, But They Never Got Well 
They caught the coronavirus months ago and survived it, but they are still stuck at home, gasping for breath. They are no longer contagious, but some feel so ill that they can barely walk around the block, and others grow dizzy trying to cook dinner. Month after month, they rush to the hospital with new symptoms, pleading with doctors for answers. As the coronavirus has spread through the United States over seven months, infecting at least seven million people, some subset of them are now suffering from serious, debilitating and mysterious effects of Covid-19 that last far longer than a few days or weeks. (Mervosh, 9/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Four Different Family Members. Four Different Covid-19 Outcomes. 
The Ruspini family in Sunnyvale, Calif., went down like dominoes. One by one, they all got the coronavirus in early April, but with different symptoms and recovery trajectories. Diego Ruspini, a 53-year-old computer scientist with a history of asthma, was hospitalized for a week in early April, and coped with respiratory issues and fatigue until August. His wife, Connie Lares, a 48-year-old medical interpreter at Stanford Children’s Hospital, had a couple of weeks of low-grade fever, body aches, diarrhea and hot flashes. By June she felt well enough to hike a 14,500-foot mountain. (Reddy, 9/28)

AP: As Suicides Rise, Army Brass Reassessing Outreach
If there were any signs that Staff Sgt. Jason Lowe was struggling, the soldiers he served alongside didn’t see them. The 27-year-old paratrooper was a top performer. He was on the Commandant’s List and had just finished second in his class in the Army’s Advanced Leader Course, setting him up for a promotion within the storied 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. Yet, five days after graduation, after Lowe left texts and calls unreturned, Staff Sgt. Ryan Graves drove to Lowe’s apartment in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with a bad feeling. “On the way there I think it set in that maybe there’s something a lot worse going on,” Graves said. (Morgan, 9/28)

Kaiser Health News and WXXI: ‘You’re Going To Release Him When He Was Hurting Himself?’ 
When Joe Prude called Rochester, New York, police to report his brother missing, he was struggling to understand why Daniel Prude had been released from the hospital hours earlier. Joe Prude described his brother’s suicidal behavior. “He jumped 21 stairs down to my basement, headfirst,” Joe said in a video recorded by the responding officer’s body camera in the early hours of March 23. Joe’s wife, Valerie, described Daniel nearly jumping in front of a train on the tracks that run behind their house the previous day. (Dahlberg, 9/29)

The Star Tribune: Iraq Vet In Minn. National Guard Uses His Own Downward Spiral To Offer Soldiers Hope 
Sergeant First Class Joshua Guyse comes from central casting as a senior infantry instructor for the Minnesota National Guard: A sturdy six-foot-three, haircut high and tight, a feared-but-respected reputation as “the right hand of Satan,” in Guyse’s words. When he talks, you listen. One morning, the 48-year-old stood in front of the 175th Regiment Regional Training Institute here and spoke about something that has gone from relatively unspoken to top of mind in the military: Mental health and suicide prevention. “Nobody’s afraid to ask for help if they have a broken leg,” he said. “But if somebody has a mental health issue, are they comfortable coming to ask for help? Why not? Pride. Stigma. Shame. Afraid it might affect their career.” (Forgrave, 9/29)

In other news about mental health —

MinnPost: COVID-19 Forced Minnesota’s Reluctant Mental Health Providers To Try Telemedicine. Now There’s No Going Back
For years, telemedicine has been touted as a way to address mental health provider shortages in Greater Minnesota or as an option that could help stave off the looming mass retirement of the state’s aging psychologist workforce. But, despite the promise offered by technology, most mental health providers in Minnesota avoided making the move to telemedicine, instead preferring to see their patients face-to-face. Then COVID-19 hit Minnesota and everything changed. Within weeks of Gov. Tim Walz’s statewide stay-at-home order, mental health providers across the state were forced to embrace telemedicine: Sticking with the old ways of doing business would mean turning patients away and shutting down their practices.  (Steiner, 9/28)

The Baltimore Sun: As Coronavirus Rolls On In Maryland, Mental Health Toll Surges, With Experts Fearing Spike In Suicides 
The voices on the other end of the Baltimore crisis hotline are desperate. An elderly woman is stuck in her home. Her adult kids are too afraid to expose her to the coronavirus, so they won’t visit her. She is lonely. Her dark thoughts are scaring her. (Wenger, 9/29)

NBC News: Early Care Leads To Better Mental Health For Transgender Youths, Study Finds
Transgender children who receive gender-affirming medical care earlier in their lives are less likely to experience mental health issues like depression and anxiety, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics. "The study highlights that timely access to gender-affirming medical care is really important for youth with gender dysphoria," said the study's lead author, Dr. Julia C. Sorbara, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Gender dysphoria involves a conflict between an individual's sex assigned at birth and their gender identity. (Moreau, 9/29)

AP: Conservative Law Firm Seeks To End Wisconsin Mask Order
A conservative law firm asked a judge on Monday to immediately put an end to Wisconsin’s mask mandate, arguing that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers doesn’t have the authority to issue such an order that comes as COVID-19 cases surge statewide. Attorneys for the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed the request in Polk County Circuit Court for an immediate injunction to declare the order invalid and void. It was part of an amendment to a lawsuit they had filed there in August against Evers’ first mask mandate. A court hearing was scheduled for Oct. 5 to consider the motion. (Bauer, 9/28)

In other news from Iowa, Missouri and Kansas —

Des Moines Register: Report: During COVID-19, Iowa Children May Be More Prone To Abuse And Neglect
Iowa children, and particularly children from non-white families, are more at risk of experiencing abuse, neglect or a household challenge in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new statewide report that looks at adverse childhood experiences. The majority of Iowa adults have reported going through an adverse experience, ranging from divorce to being neglected by adults with substance abuse issues, according to pre-pandemic data collected by the Iowa Department of Public Health in 2017-18. (Ta, 9/26)

Kansas City Star: COVID-19 And The Flu: Kansas, Missouri Prepare For Winter 
Everyone’s felt the tell-tale signs: the cough that lingers, the fever and chills, the aches and overall fatigue. Often, there was no doubt about what it was. You had the flu, plain and simple. It’s not going to be so simple this winter. Instead, many people who feel ill will be asking a new question: Is it the flu or COVID-19? (Shorman and Gutierrez, 9/27)

In news from Ohio, Maryland and Illinois —

AP: Lawmaker Demands Charges Against Governor Over Virus Orders
A conservative lawmaker took his frustration over Ohio’s coronavirus public health orders to a new level Monday by demanding that criminal charges be filed against fellow Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. Rep. John Becker, a Republican from Cincinnati, says DeWine has exceeded his authority under state law and the Ohio and U.S. constitutions in issuing orders restricting Ohioans movements and activities. He made his demand in Clermont Municipal Court under a provision of state law allowing private citizen affidavits. (Welsh-Huggins, 9/28)

The Baltimore Sun: Second Baltimore Correctional Officer Dies Of COVID-19, Department Confirms 
A Baltimore city correctional officer died of COVID-19 Monday morning following several months of complications from the virus, according to the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. The correctional officer was in his 60s and was a “well-respected” veteran of 26 years, department spokesperson Mark Vernarelli said, adding he worked at a prison facility in Baltimore city. (Jackson, 9/28)

The Baltimore Sun/Carroll County Times: Carroll County Health Dept.: Two Elder Care Residents Die Of COVID-19; Weekly Community Cases Decline Again
Two more residents of elder care facilities in Carroll County have died of COVID-19 even as the number of weekly community cases declined for the third week in a row. One of the deceased lived at Brinton Woods Health and Rehabilitation Center at Winfield and the other at Birch Manor Healthcare Center in Sykesville, according to the Carroll County Health Department. (Blubaugh, 9/28)

AP: Chicago Lets Restaurants, Bars Serve More People Indoors
Restrictions aimed at limiting spread of the coronavirus in Chicago’s restaurants and bars will ease slightly this week, letting more customers dine and drink indoors. Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the decision Monday as Illinois officials said 1,709 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been reported statewide and 13 more people have died. (9/28)

The latest on the COVID case count —

Portland Press Herald: Health Officials Fear ‘One Big Fire’ From COVID-19 In Southern Maine
Six months into the pandemic, the coronavirus is continuing to spread at an alarming rate in Maine’s southernmost county, where new cases are being identified at nearly twice the rate as during the previous surges in early April and the end of June and close to triple the current statewide average. Case numbers are also climbing at a worrisome rate in Oxford County, where a paper mill outbreak may be seeding infections in the wider community. (Woodard, 9/27)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Coronavirus: Green Bay, Fox Valley Outbreaks Worsen
Milwaukee and Madison are no longer Wisconsin's coronavirus hotspots. As the state's outbreak balloons to one of the nation's worst, the surge of cases and hospitalizations in Northeast Wisconsin is unlike anything the region has experienced since the pandemic began. (Carson and Heim, 9/28)

The Salt Lake Tribune: Utah’s Rate Of Coronavirus Cases Continues To Rise. State Releases New School Data. 
With 827 new coronavirus cases reported Monday, Utah’s rolling rate of new diagnoses continued to rise, passing 1,000 for the first time. For the past week, the Utah Department of Health has tallied 1,001 new positive test results per day on average — continuing a streak of new record highs that began earlier this month as cases surged among young adults. (Alberty, 9/28)

AP: Hospitalizations Due To Virus Hit New High In North Dakota
Hospitalizations due to illness from the coronavirus reached an all-time high in North Dakota with 105 people receiving treatment in medical centers, state health officials reported Monday. The record comes a day after state officials met with leaders at two hospitals in Bismarck who told a governor’s task force they are nearing capacity because of COVID-19. Burleigh County, which includes Bismarck, leads the state with 719 active virus cases. (9/28)

AP: Montana Private Prison Reports COVID Outbreak, 29 Cases
Just over two dozen inmates and detainees at a private prison in north-central Montana have tested positive for COVID-19, prison operator CoreCivic said Monday. Nearly 200 people at Crossroads Correctional Facility in Shelby were tested last Thursday and Friday and 26 of them tested positive, CoreCivic spokesperson Ryan Gustin said in an email to The Associated Press. (Hanson, 9/29)

Kaiser Health News: Efforts To Keep COVID-19 Out Of Prisons Fuel Outbreaks In County Jails
When Joshua Martz tested positive for COVID-19 this summer in a Montana jail, guards moved him and nine other inmates with the disease into a pod so cramped that some slept on mattresses on the floor. Martz, 44, said he suffered through symptoms that included achy joints, a sore throat, fever and an unbearable headache. Jail officials largely avoided interacting with the COVID patients other than by handing out over-the-counter painkillers and cough syrup, he said. Inmates sanitized their hands with a spray bottle containing a blue liquid that Martz suspected was also used to mop the floors. A shivering inmate was denied a request for an extra blanket, so Martz gave him his own. (Sakariassen, 9/29)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Cases Are Likely To Rebound In The Washington Region, Officials And Experts Say 
Coronavirus cases dropped to their lowest level since mid-July in the greater Washington region last week, but keep your mask on. Infections will probably rebound this fall and winter, and could force authorities to reverse course and tighten restrictions on public activities, officials and health experts said. (McCartney, 9/28)

St. Louis Post Dispatch: Missouri Unveils New COVID-19 Data Dashboard, Total Reported Coronavirus Cases Decreases 
Missouri health officials on Monday reported a total of 123,276 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, a decrease of 130 from the number reported Sunday. The decrease is attributable to Missouri’s new data dashboard, health department spokesperson Lisa Cox said Monday. As Missouri updated its dashboard, officials have done “quality assurance” and removed some cases that had been counted more than once or incorrectly counted as confirmed, Cox said. (Rice, 9/28)

Bloomberg: Christian Drosten, Germany’s Dr. Fauci, Worries About Second Wave Of Covid 
Christian Drosten is even more famous in Germany than [Anthony] Fauci is in America, thanks to a wildly successful podcast he introduced in February. Das Coronavirus-Update rocketed to the top of Germany’s podcast rankings, reliably outperforming programs devoted to sex, crime, and even soccer. Its format is simple: As often as five times a week, he spends an hour answering questions about basic science, the latest Covid research, and how societies might navigate the pandemic. Since starting the show, he’s cut back on contact with the press, reserving most of his comments for the podcast. He declined an interview for this story. Drosten’s rise has earned him millions of fans—and more than a few enemies. Detractors argue that he wields too much influence, making him a punching bag for what they consider government overreach. After he suggested it could be a while before people might again pack into soccer stadiums, he received death threats, prompting the police to monitor his email. (Loh, 9/28)

AP: WHO, Partners Roll Out Faster COVID Tests For Poorer Nations
The World Health Organization announced Monday that it and leading partners have agreed to a plan to roll out 120 million rapid-diagnostic tests for the coronavirus to help lower- and middle-income countries make up ground in a testing gap with richer countries — even if it’s not fully funded yet. At $5 apiece, the antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests for which WHO issued an emergency-use listing last week, the program initially requires $600 million and is to get started as early as next month to provide better access to areas where it’s harder to reach with PCR tests that are used often in many wealthier nations. (Keaten, 9/28)

AP: Brussels Bans Prostitution To Curb Coronavirus
Brussels authorities have decided to ban prostitution until further notice in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus in Belgium’s capital city. In addition, authorities have shut down three hotels hosting sex workers because social distancing measures were not respected, Wafaa Hammich, a spokeswoman at Brussels city hall told The Associated Press on Tuesday. She said police controls will be stepped up to make sure the ban is enforced. (9/29)

AP: Dutch Government Announces New Restrictions To Rein In Virus
The Dutch government introduced new nationwide restrictions Monday aimed at tackling the swift spread of coronavirus infections that is sweeping across the country, including banning supporters from professional sports matches and ordering bars and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. for the coming three weeks. Prime Minister Mark Rutte also advised people to wear face masks when shopping in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, the three cities with the highest rates of infections, and said store owners can refuse entry to customers who aren’t wearing a mask. (9/28)

Reuters: Puzzled Scientists Seek Reasons Behind Africa's Low Fatality Rates From Pandemic 
Africa’s overburdened public health systems, dearth of testing facilities and overcrowded slums had experts predicting a disaster when COVID-19 hit the continent in February. The new coronavirus was already wreaking havoc in wealthy Asian and European nations, and a United Nations agency said in April that, even with social-distancing measures, the virus could kill 300,000 Africans this year. (Winning, 9/28)

The Washington Post: New Zealand Says Coronavirus Travel Bubble With Parts Of Australia Is Within Reach 
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern raised hopes Monday that a travel bubble with Australia could still be within reach, after a resurgence of the novel coronavirus disrupted similar plans earlier this year. “Previously, [Canberra] wanted a whole of Australia approach, and we said that would slow things down,” Ardern told TVNZ. “They’re now moving to a hotspot regime,” under which movement would be restricted in some areas, according to the rate of new infections. (Noack, 9/28)

AP: COVID-19 Outbreak On Ship Off Australia's Coast
Authorities are concerned by a COVID-19 outbreak aboard a cargo ship off Australia’s northwest coast that has infected most of the crew. Eight more members of the Filipino crew tested positive for the new coronavirus on Monday, bringing the number of infections to 17 out of a crew of 21. (9/29)

AP: 500 Years Ago, Another Epidemic Swept Mexico: Smallpox
There were mass cremations of bodies; entire families died and the inhabitants of the city, afraid to pull their bodies out, simply collapsed their homes on top of them to bury them on the spot. The scene, beyond even the current coronavirus pandemic, was a scourge brought 500 years ago by Spanish conquistadores and their servants that exploded in Mexico City in September 1520. Smallpox and other newly introduced diseases went on to kill tens of millions of Indigenous people in the Americas who had no resistance to the European illnesses. (Verza, 9/28)

Bloomberg: Donald Trump Is Destroying The CDC
Inch by inch, since the start of the pandemic, the White House has sought to sabotage the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the political benefit of President Donald Trump. To an alarming extent, it has succeeded. Once globally recognized as “the best science-based, data-driven agency in the world,” in the words of its current director, the CDC is now in danger of losing the public’s trust entirely. The most glaring has been communication. Against the best judgment of its own staffers, the agency has said that reopening schools is crucial even if doing so increases the spread of the coronavirus. It has failed to caution churches to suspend or limit the use of choirs, which have been associated with outbreaks. It has even discouraged testing asymptomatic people, against the advice of nearly all experts — though it eventually reversed itself under a barrage of criticism. In each case, the agency’s scientific staff were ignored or overruled under pressure from the White House or from Trump himself. (9/28)

The Hill: Trust In Science To Defeat COVID-19 
Science is under attack by the White House. Our war-time president is exploiting the invisibility of the virus to hide it rather than defeat it. He politically weaponized masks – marks of its existence. He rejects testing — proof of its chilling reach. Now, he threatens to override FDA guidance on vaccine safety — promising its false, tainted end. “Warp speed” means Nov. 3. (Dr. Elena M. Lucchetta, 9/28)

Stat: The FDA's Needs More Transparency To Restore The Public's Trust 
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a number of contentious decisions during the Covid-19 pandemic related to investigational products. The controversies that continue to swirl around these decisions stem in part from the agency’s lack of transparency, including its limited explanation and disclosure of the evidence on which it based these decisions. (Liam Bendicksen, Joshua M. Sharfstein and Aaron S. Kesselheim, 9/29)

Bloomberg: Ways City Budgets Can Prioritize Racial Equity 
Since the Covid-19 pandemic swept through the U.S., the effects have been swift and devastating. As sections of the country have shut down to stem transmission of the virus, so have entire economies. The impact goes way beyond businesses and corporations. Cities and counties are suffering budget shortfalls and deficits in the tens of millions of dollars, while some states are reporting shortfalls in the billions. Yet with the pandemic still in full force, there is a greater need for spending on messaging, emergency and preventative health care,  medical and safety equipment, and emergency food, housing and income support. (K.A. Dilday, 9/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Congress’s Covid Income Redistribution
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this weekend that House Democrats plan to pass a new $2.4 trillion relief bill “that puts money in people’s pockets.” So it’s worth highlighting how the $2.2 trillion Cares Act that passed in March has disproportionately helped blue states that imposed stricter coronavirus lockdowns and have been slower to recover economically. (9/28)

Fox News: Supreme Court And ObamaCare – Here's What To Expect If Law Is Not Upheld 
The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has suddenly made the demise of ObamaCare a possibility. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case challenging the law's constitutionality, California v. Texas, on Nov. 10, just a week after the election. Justice Ginsburg was a sure vote to uphold ObamaCare. Her replacement may not be.What would a world without ObamaCare look like? The law's defenders cry that it would be a public health catastrophe in which 20 million Americans, including many with pre-existing conditions, had their health coverage taken away from them. (Sally Pipes, 9/29)

Columbus Dispatch: What Will Tonight’s Presidential Debate Say About Ohio’s Future?
Our major cities remain stubbornly segregated with some of the highest infant mortality rates for Black babies. Ohio needs a president who recognizes that from slavery to mass incarceration, racism has been used to enrich the very few at all of our expense. Whoever is president next year must leverage the power of the federal government to tackle the pandemic and rebuild the economy. Federal aid ended too soon during the last recession, and it took Ohio more than a decade to regain the jobs it lost. Wages never fully recovered. So far, federal leaders haven’t extended the full $600-a-week emergency payment for unemployed workers, which helped drive consumer spending that supported an estimated 130,000 Ohio jobs. (Hannah Halbert, 9/29)

Boston Globe: America Needs Immigrants With Temporary Protected Status To Stay
Kettle Cuisine employs about 500 people in its Lynn plant. And chief executive Liam McClennon has ranked them among the “unsung heroes” of the pandemic, keeping the shelves at big grocery stores stocked with fresh and frozen soups. But McClennon is also deeply concerned for Kettle workers covered by a humanitarian program the Trump administration is threatening to end. (9/25)

The New York Times: Why America Ignored Its Coronavirus Response Plan 
A year ago, the United States was regarded as the country best prepared for a pandemic. Our government had spent nearly two decades strategizing for a doomsday scenario. So what went wrong? How is it that America, which wrote the global playbook for pandemic response, accounts for just 4 percent of the world’s population yet more than 20 percent of the world’s coronavirus deaths? (Johnny Harris, Nicholas Kristof and Adam B. Ellick, 9/29)

Stat: Global Pharma Investors: Support Solidarity In Covid-19 Responses 
The prospect of having the first supplies of at least a few effective Covid-19 medicines and vaccines by the end of 2020 is a key driver of recent market optimism. New treatments and vaccines are among the best bets for our societies against the risk of recurring Covid-19 flare-ups and persistent lockdowns into 2021. Yet many experts are questioning whether current research and manufacturing efforts can deliver these medical breakthroughs as quickly as they are being promised. (Sacha Sadan, Yo Takatsuki and Damiano de Felice, 9/28)

Bloomberg: Should Coronavirus Lockdowns Just Be For The Elderly?
The mayor of Moscow just ordered all Muscovites older than 65 to stay at home. This idea of restrictions imposed on just one category of citizens — those most at risk of dying from Covid-19, which mainly means the elderly — will come up a lot more now that the second wave is here. To put it bluntly: Should we lock down the old, or is that like locking them up, and thus unethical? (Andreas Kluth, 9/29)

Miami Herald: DeSantis Still Thinks We Have A Right To Give Each Other COVID In Florida
Managing Florida’s state university system is a herculean task in the best of times. Managing in the midst of the coronavirus crisis might be an impossible task, even for three wise men and 50 Nobel laureates. Still, the State University System’s Board of Governors is obliged to give it the old college try. Instead, the folks responsible for roughly 350,000 students at Florida’s 12 state universities have thrown up their hands and thrown in the towel. (9/27)

Miami Herald: Miami Florida Restaurants Struggle With New COVID Rules 
Jimmy Flanigan walked into his family’s packed Flanigan’s Restaurant in Coconut Grove Friday night, three hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis approved 100 percent inside seating, and thought it looked too busy. A crowd gathered to watch the Miami Heat play an 8:30 p.m. playoff game Sept. 25 on more than a dozen televisions. Patrons were standing shoulder-to-shoulder. The bar was steadily serving drinks.“It was a little scary walking into a Flanigan’s after six months and seeing it full,” said Flanigan, CEO and president of the South Florida-based chain of 24 sports-bar-style restaurants. “It was too busy. So we backed off to 50 percent.” (Carlos Frias, 9/28)

Los Angeles Times: Lessons In Preparedness From A High-Risk Fire Zone
On a recent afternoon, I was reading about the Bobcat fire ravaging the San Gabriel Mountains when a text landed on my phone: A new fire was burning somewhere in Topanga, where I live. Immediately I checked the website of a local volunteer organization, the Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness. The group, known as TCEP (pronounced TEE-sep in these parts), disseminates information when there is an emergency in the canyon. To call it a critical resource would be an understatement. If a mega-fire tore through Topanga the way the Camp fire did Paradise, the kind of information provided by TCEP could save lives.I rely on the group so often, I’ve made its website my homepage. (Abby Aquirre, 9/27)

Des Moines Register: Absentee Voting Isn't Accessible To Disabled Iowans, But We Can Fix It
Did you know that absentee ballots are not accessible for the more than 50,000 Iowans who are blind or have significant vision loss, even with corrective lenses? These ballots are often not accessible to people with other disabilities as well. Iowa’s current absentee ballot system relies on printed paper ballots that cannot be read privately or independently by voters who are blind or visually impaired. As a result, these Iowans must vote either in person during a pandemic or rely on another person to help them fill out Iowa’s paper-only absentee ballots.  (Carrie Chapman, Scott Van Gorp and Jane Hudson, 9/27)