Reuters: COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Surge, Governors Crack Down 
Nearly half a million people have contracted COVID-19 in the United States over the last seven days, according to a Reuters tally, as new cases and hospitalizations set records in the Midwest. Coronavirus hot spots include Illinois, which reported 31,000 new infections over the past week, and two states expected to be key in the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 3: Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. (Shumaker and Caspani, 10/25)

The New York Times: U.S. Reports A Record 500,000-Plus Coronavirus Cases Over The Past Week 
The United States reported a record of more than 500,000 new cases over the past week, as states and cities resorted to stricter new measures to contain the virus that is raging across the country, especially the American heartland. The record was broken Tuesday, even as the Trump administration announced what it called its first-term scientific accomplishments, in a press release that included “ENDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC” written in bold, capital letters. (10/28)

CNN: More Than Half Of US States Reported Their Highest Day Of Coronavirus Cases This Month 
The fall surge has ushered in daunting rates of Covid-19 spread, with 29 states reporting at least one record high day of new cases since October began, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The record spread has brought the national total to more than 8.7 million infections and 226,723 deaths. And with this spike holding the potential to be the worst yet, experts warn that the impact of the virus will likely get worse. (Holcombe, 10/28)

NPR: U.S. Coronavirus Cases Surpass Summer Peak And Are Climbing Higher Fast
Coronavirus cases are rising precipitously in the U.S., and have now surpassed the high levels logged in the summer when daily new cases hovered above 65,000 on average for nearly two weeks. After a dip in new cases in September, the country now is logging an average of nearly 70,000 new cases a day, and health experts worry this surge could last longer and grip more of the country than in the spring or summer. And the average daily case count has climbed 41% over the past two weeks, according to an NPR analysis. (Stone, 10/27)

The New York Times: Hospitals Are Reeling Under A 46 Percent Spike In Covid-19 Patients 
The patient who died on Tuesday morning at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center was rolled out of her room under a white sheet. One nurse, fighting back tears, stood silently in the hall as the outline of the body passed by — one more death in an eight-month-old pandemic that has no end in sight. “Those moments, they hit the soul,” said Jodie Gord, a nurse manager who oversees a team of about 120 people at the hospital in Milwaukee. (McDonnell Nieto del Rio, Romero and Baker, 10/27)

AP: Virus Pushes Twin Cities El Paso And Juarez To The Brink
A record surge in coronavirus cases is pushing hospitals to the brink in the border cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, confronting health officials in Texas and Mexico with twin disasters in the tightly knit metropolitan area of 3 million people. Health officials are blaming the spike on family gatherings, multiple generations living in the same household and younger people going out to shop or conduct business. (Pane and Coronado, 10/27)

NPR: Mask-Wearing Is Up In The U.S., But Young People Are Still Too Lax, CDC Survey Finds
More Americans may be wearing masks than early last spring, but other recommended behaviors to stop the pandemic's spread haven't kept pace, according to a new federal survey. And young people are the least likely to take needed steps to stop the virus, the data suggest. ... But the survey found either no change or a decline in other behaviors aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus, such as hand-washing, social distancing and avoiding public or crowded places. (Stein, 10/27)

The Hill: CDC: Increasing Numbers Of Adults Say They Wear Masks 
As the coronavirus pandemic has worn on, an increasing percentage of adults have reported wearing face masks in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But, while mask-wearing has gone up, all other reported mitigation behaviors, like hand-washing, physical distancing and avoiding public or crowded places, slightly decreased or remained unchanged. (Weixel, 10/27)

In related news on mask-wearing —

The Washington Post: Some Americans Refuse To Wear Masks Even As Their Hometowns Become Covid-19 Hot Spots
The refusal to go along with expert health guidance has persisted even in parts of the country that are seeing soaring caseloads and hospitalizations. That was driven home this week when the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, Deborah Birx, toured North Dakota, which has had more coronavirus infections per capita than any other state and over the past month has experienced a stunning surge in hospitalizations and deaths. What Birx witnessed dismayed her.“Over the last 24 hours, as we were here and we were in your grocery stores and in your restaurants and frankly, even in your hotels, this is the least use of masks that we have seen in retail establishments of any place we have been,” Birx told reporters Monday after participating in a round table with Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, according to the Bismarck Tribune. (Achenbach and Rozsa, 10/27)

The Hill: Maine Orchard That Hosted Trump Event Says It's Concerned Over Lack Of Masks, Social Distancing 
The Maine orchard where President Trump made an unplanned campaign stop over the weekend said it regrets the event grew so large, with many in attendance not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. "We share the concerns of many over the size of the gathering, lack of social distancing and mask wearing during the event. We were told this would be a small, unpublicized, surprise, private, photo op which gave us no cause for alarm," Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant, Maine, said in a statement issued Tuesday. (Mastrangelo, 10/27)

The Washington Post: Maryland Voter Arrested After Refusing To Wear A Mask Inside Polling Place, Police Say
A Fallston man was arrested after refusing to wear a face mask inside a polling place on the first day of early voting in Maryland, according to charging documents. Daniel Swain, 52, was charged with trespassing and failure to comply with a health emergency. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office said deputies arrested him Monday after he refused to leave the Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company. Swain, along with his 22-year-old son, had come to the firehouse to vote, but the pair refused to wear masks, according to the documents. (Opilo and Oxenden, 10/27)

The Washington Post: A Guard Asked Two Sisters To Put On A Mask. They Stabbed Him 27 Times Instead, Prosecutors Say.
When Jessica Hill and her sister, Jayla, tried to walk into a shoe store in Chicago on Sunday, a security guard asked the pair to put on masks and use store-provided hand sanitizer. Instead, prosecutors said, they refused and brutally attacked the guard, with Jayla, 18, eventually grabbing the man’s hair while Jessica, 21, stabbed him 27 times. The guard eventually escaped and helped keep the sisters in the store until police arrested them. At a hearing on Tuesday, a judge with the Circuit Court of Cook County ordered the sisters to be held without bond on charges of first-degree attempted murder. (Peiser, 10/28)

Also —

Poynter: A Majority Of Americans Know What’s True About The Coronavirus, Study Finds 
Maybe this new polling from Ipsos will restore some of your faith in the common sense of your fellow humans. The polling shows that people mostly know truth from nonsense when it comes to the coronavirus. The people who call, email and tweet conspiracy absurdities may be the loudest, meanest and the least informed, but they are a distant minority. Most people get it. (LaFormer, 10/28)

The Hill: White House Science Office Says Trump Ended COVID-19 Pandemic As US Hits Record Cases 
The White House science office listed "ending the COVID-19 pandemic" as the top accomplishment of President Trump's first term, even as the U.S. has set records for new daily infections and numerous hospitals across the country are stretched to their breaking points. According to a press release intending to highlight the administration's science accomplishments, the Trump administration said it "has taken decisive actions to engage scientists and health professionals in academia, industry, and government to understand, treat, and defeat the disease." (Weixel, 10/27)

Politico: As Coronavirus Cases Surge, Trump Has Another Message
With one week left in the election, President Donald Trump is perfecting his closing argument about the pandemic gripping much of the nation: Don’t worry about it. In rally after rally, tweet after tweet, Trump is encouraging his supporters and everyone else to stop talking about the coronavirus. His key message: It’s not that big of a deal, vaccines are on the way and if people get sick, most of them will survive it just as Trump and his family did. (Cook, 10/27)

Boston Globe: ‘Reckless And False’: Doctors Blast Baseless Trump Conspiracy Theory That Hospitals Are Inflating COVID-19 Deaths 
At a rally in Waukesha, Wis., on Saturday, Trump said “doctors get more money and hospitals get more money” if they report that their patients died of COVID-19, as opposed to other preexisting conditions or comorbidities. “Think of this incentive,” the president said, insinuating as he has before that the death toll from the virus is not to be trusted. He then claimed the pandemic, which has killed more than 226,000 Americans, is “going away,” even as the country approaches a third wave of infections. (Pan, 10/27)

The Washington Post: Trump’s Campaign Depends On His Supporters Putting Their Health At Risk 
At this point, nearly 70,000 people in the United States are testing positive for the novel coronavirus every day. More than 800 people are dying. This is, in short, one of the most dangerous times for the country over the course of the year’s pandemic. And, increasingly, President Trump is hinging his campaign on his supporters ignoring the swelling crisis. (Bump, 10/27)

CNN: Melania Trump Focuses On Covid And Slams Democrats For Politicizing Pandemic 
First lady Melania Trump focused on the Covid-19 pandemic in her first solo campaign event of 2020 and blasted Democrats for allegedly politicizing the pandemic. Melania directly attacked Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on the coronavirus, claiming: "Now he suggests that he could have done a better job. Well, the American people can look at Joe Biden's 36 years in Congress and eight years in the vice presidency and determine whether they think he'll finally be able to get something done for the American people." (Malloy and Bennett, 10/27)

CNBC: Health Care Workers In Michigan Criticize Trump's Rally Amid Record Covid Cases
A group of Michigan-based health-care workers denounced President Donald Trump’s planned rally in Lansing on Tuesday amid record daily new coronavirus cases, saying it “threatens to make things worse.” (Higgins-Dunn, 10/27)

The Washington Post: One Week Out, Biden Imagines A Post-Trump America And The President Launches More Attacks
Joe Biden on Tuesday launched a closing campaign argument that sought to look in part beyond next week’s election, promising in a speech and two campaign ads to heal the nation and bring it together as he evoked the memory of Franklin D. Roosevelt and drew mostly implicit contrasts with President Trump. Trump, in contrast, intensified his focus on his adversaries, challenging any mail-in ballots received after Election Day, suggesting the pandemic has been overstated and taking aim at two powerful Democrats, vice-presidential nominee Kamala D. Harris and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (Sullivan, Gearan and Sonmez, 10/27)

CNN: Obama Slams Trump Over Coronavirus: 'He's Jealous Of Covid's Media Coverage'
Former President Barack Obama on Tuesday harshly criticized President Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic and faulted him for turning the White House into a "hot zone." "More than 225,000 people in this country are dead. More than 100,000 small businesses have closed. Half a million jobs are gone in Florida alone. Think about that," Obama said, speaking from Orlando as he campaigned for Democratic nominee Joe Biden. (Sullivan and Merica, 10/27)

The Guardian: If Biden Wins What Would The First 100 Days Of His Presidency Look Like? 
If Joe Biden wins the 2020 US election against Donald Trump next week, the new president-elect will face enormous pressures to implement a laundry list of priorities on a range of issues from foreign policy to the climate crisis, reversing many of the stark changes implemented by his predecessor. But Biden’s first and most pressing task for his first 100 days in the White House would be to roll out a new nationwide plan to fight the coronavirus crisis, which has claimed more than 220,000 lives in the US and infected millions – more than any other country in the world – as well as taking steps to fix the disastrous economic fallout. (Strauss and Borger, 10/28)

In related election news —

USA Today: Stressed About The Election? You're Not Alone. How To Stay Calm Ahead Of Nov. 3
With the presidential election less than a week away, scores of Americans divided by their support for President Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden also are united. “The commonality between us all is that we’re stressed about the election,’’ William Heckman, executive director of the the American Institute of Stress, told USA TODAY. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, which Heckman said affects mood, motivation and fear. (Peter, 10/27)

AP: Anxiety 2020: Voters Worry About Safety At The Polls
Gary Kauffman says he does not scare easily. So when men waving President Donald Trump flags drive by his house in downtown Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, he stands on his front steps and waves a banner for Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. “Sometimes I yell at them. They yell back at me,” says Kauffman, 54.Still, Kauffman is keeping a closer eye on who they are and what they’re carrying as Election Day approaches. Tension has been rising in his town, known best as hallowed ground of the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. Recently, it’s become a hot spot of angry confrontations between Trump supporters and liberal protesters. Kauffman has seen some of the Trump supporters carrying weapons. (Kellman, 10/28)

Bloomberg: Transgender Voters Face New Election Fears 
Of the estimated 1.4 million adults who identify as transgender in the U.S., nearly a million are eligible to vote. But according to a study published by UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute in February of this year, about 42% of those voters could face barriers to casting a ballot in November, because they lack photo IDs that match their gender or their correct name. (Holder, 10/27)

Stateline: Pandemic Raises, Lowers Hurdles For Voters With Disabilities
Absentee ballots can create challenges for some people with disabilities who need assistance to mark their ballots, such as the visually impaired. Most in-person polling places provide assistants to help visually impaired voters to read the ballot and make the appropriate mark. For voters who live alone, finding somebody to help fill out an absentee ballot might be difficult at a time when people are wary of being in one another’s homes. The issue of assistance with voting is particularly acute in assisted living facilities. (Povich, 10/28)

And from state races —

The New York Times: A Chance To Expand Medicaid Rallies Democrats In North Carolina
North Carolina, a crucial battleground for the presidential race and control of the United States Senate, has another coveted prize at stake in this election, one that is drawing serious out-of-state money, dominating television ads and driving get-out-the-vote efforts. Democrats believe they have a chance of gaining control of the State Legislature for the first time in a decade, which would make it possible to expand Medicaid to cover half-a-million more low-income adults here after years of Republican resistance. (Goodnough, 10/27)

The Journal at the Kansas Leadership Center: Kansas Elections Set Up Hidden Referendum On Medicaid Expansion
Voters in Oklahoma and Missouri directly made the call on whether to expand government financed health insurance in their states. But that can't happen in Kansas. Instead, the fate of a long-debated, deadlocked Medicaid expansion proposal can only be made in the traditional manner: on the basis of which legislators are chosen on Nov. 3. (Mathis, 10/27)

The Hill: Trump Administration Testing Czar: Rise In Cases Is 'Real,' Not Just From More Testing 
The Trump administration’s testing czar, Brett Giroir, said Tuesday that the country’s increase in coronavirus cases is not just because of more testing but also a surge in the disease across the country. His comments offer a stark contrast with those of President Trump. “Testing may be identifying some more cases, I think that's clearly true, but what we're seeing is a real increase in the numbers,” Giroir, an assistant secretary of Health and Human Services, said at a Washington Post Live event. (Sullivan, 10/27)

The Hill: Trump Official Tests Positive For COVID-19 After Europe Trip
A senior Trump administration official has tested positive for the coronavirus after a trip to Europe, sparking concerns over transmission of the virus among government personnel. Peter Berkowitz, the director of policy planning at the State Department, met with officials at 10 Downing Street and the Foreign Office in London. He also had meetings in Paris and in Budapest, with Hungarian State Secretary Peter Sztaray and Deputy State Secretary Ferenc Dancs, earlier this month. (Axelrod, 10/27)

In other Trump administration news —

Politico: Feds Launch Investigation Into New Jersey Veterans Homes, Seek More Info From New York
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into New Jersey’s state-run veterans homes, citing a lack of cooperation with an earlier probe as well as concerns over the quality of care at the facilities. New Jersey officials estimate that 190 residents at veterans homes in Paramus and Menlo Park have died of Covid-19, representing roughly a third of their population at the start of the pandemic. The official tally, according to the state’s Covid-19 data dashboard, remains at 143. (Sutton, 10/27)

KQED: US Treatment Of Migrant Children Falls Under UN Definition Of 'Torture,' Doctors Say 
A new paper, published on website of the medical journal "Pediatrics" on Tuesday, calls the federal government's handling of migrant children at the border "consistent with torture" and recommends that pediatricians and child health care professionals take action. (Wiley, 10/27)

CNN: Brett Kavanaugh Foreshadows How Supreme Court Could Disrupt Vote Counting 
Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Monday night set the battle lines for how the Supreme Court should consider post-election lawsuits that could determine the outcome of the presidential race. As the court rejected a Democratic attempt to allow mail-in votes, postmarked by Election Day, to be received up to six days after the election in Wisconsin, Kavanaugh also suggested that state courts may not have the last word in interpreting state election rules. "Under the U.S. Constitution, the state courts do not have a blank check to rewrite state election laws for federal elections," Kavanaugh wrote in a footnote of his concurring opinion. (de Vogue, 10/27)

The New York Times: Kavanaugh’s Opinion In Wisconsin Voting Case Raises Alarms Among Democrats 
The Supreme Court decision on Monday barring the counting of mail-in ballots in Wisconsin that arrive after Election Day was not a surprise for many Democrats, who had pressed for it but expected to lose. But a concurring opinion by Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh set off alarms among civil rights and Democratic Party lawyers, who viewed it as giving public support to President Trump’s arguments that any results counted after Nov. 3 could be riddled with fraudulent votes — an assertion unsupported by the history of elections in the United States. (Rutenberg and Corasaniti, 10/27)

On the topics of gay rights, trans rights and Obamacare —

NBC News: Advocates Fear Barrett Will Strip Away Gay Rights. It Could Begin Next Week.
Amy Coney Barrett has been fueling the fears of LGBTQ advocacy groups since President Donald Trump first nominated her to the federal bench in 2017. Now, with Barrett officially confirmed as an associate justice of the Supreme Court, advocates worry that she and the court's five other conservatives could start stripping away gay rights imminently. The most immediate concern for national LGBTQ and civil rights groups is Barrett's presence on the court for next week's arguments in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a case that looks at whether faith-based child welfare agencies can refuse to work with same-sex couples and other people whom they consider to be in violation of their religious beliefs. (Moreau, 10/28)

The Hill: The Supreme Court's Next Major Case Starts The Day After The Election 
After Amy Coney Barrett was sworn in as the next Supreme Court justice, many Americans are wondering what the outcome of the upcoming presidential election will mean for the highest court in the country. But the day after the election, perhaps even before a winner is declared, the Republican pick will decide a major case for the LGBTQ+ community. On Nov. 4, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a cause brought by a taxpayer-funded, religious-affiliated foster care agency seeking to reject same sex couples as foster parents. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the lower courts, ruling in favor of Philadelphia, in April of 2019, but the Supreme Court granted a request for a writ of certiorari, or a review, of the decision. (Srikanth, 10/26)

The Guardian: As The Future Of Obamacare Heads To The Supreme Court, So Do Trans Rights 
“Life for trans people in terms of access to healthcare before and after the ACA is like night and day,” said Shannon Minter, an expert in transgender law and an attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. But many Americans don’t have a grasp on the important role the ACA has played for LGBTQ people, especially those who are transgender, potentially making this fall’s supreme court arguments the most critical transgender rights case ever heard at the court. (Burns, 10/27)

On the topic of abortion —

The Hill: Supreme Court To Consider Taking Up Mississippi's 15-Week Abortion Ban 
The Supreme Court on Friday will consider whether to review a Mississippi law that bans virtually all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which could set the newly 6-3 conservative majority court on a collision course with the landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. The dispute over Mississippi’s pre-viability abortion ban also represents a major test for the newly confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who will have been on the court less than a week when the justices gather privately to decide what new cases to add to the court’s docket. (Kruzel, 10/27)

Boston Globe: Fearing A Reversal Of Roe, Warren, Markey Push For Expanded Abortion Access In Mass. 
Seizing on concerns that abortion rights will be overturned by a now solidly conservative US Supreme Court, activists on Tuesday night reignited their campaign to protect and expand legal protections in Massachusetts. US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey, both Democrats, joined reproductive rights advocates in an online rally, saying the US Senate’s swift confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett this week demanded action from the state. (Ebbert, 10/27)

The Hill: Barrett Starts Fraught First Week As Supreme Court Faces Fights Over Election, Abortion Rights 
The addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, a week before Election Day, comes as the justices careen through a political gauntlet that includes disputes over voting accommodations that could shape the election outcomes in two battleground states. Barrett came under intense political pressure almost immediately after taking the oath on Tuesday when a Pennsylvania county asked her to recuse herself from the fight over the state’s mail-in ballot extension. (Kruzel, 10/27)

The Hill: Bipartisan Lawmakers Call For Overhauling Medical Supply Chains 
The U.S. needs to review and overhaul its medical supply chains amid the pandemic, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said Tuesday. Speaking at The Hill's "America's Agenda: COVID-19 & A Responsive Rx Supply Chain" event, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said the U.S. needs "a soup-to-nuts look and identification of the very specific supply chains with national security importance.” (Bautista, 10/27)

The Hill: Slightly More Voters Blame Trump, GOP For Lack Of Stimulus Deal, Survey Finds
Voters blame President Trump and congressional Republicans slightly more than their Democratic counterparts over the inability of Washington to reach a deal on a coronavirus relief package before Election Day, according to a new survey. In the Morning Consult poll released Wednesday, 45 percent of voters said they chiefly blame Trump and Republicans in Congress for the stimulus impasse, while 40 percent said they blame congressional Democrats. Fifteen percent said they were unsure or had no opinion. (Bowden, 10/28)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals' Staunchest Ally In Congress Could Take Control Of The Senate
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has been hospitals' fiercest advocate in Congress and may soon rise to one of the most powerful perches in Washington, which could have important implications for healthcare policy. "If I were a hospital leader right now, I would be dancing for joy at the prospect of Schumer becoming the majority leader," a healthcare lobbyist said. (Cohrs, 10/28)

Stat: In Key Race, Democrats Paint The Incumbent As 'Pharma's Favorite Senator'
Even in an election year dominated by a deadly pandemic and President Trump’s chaotic first term, Democrats in North Carolina are talking, unceasingly, about drug prices. In a brutal series of attack ads, Democrats have painted incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican, as a pro-pharma shill, even calling him “pharma’s favorite senator.” (Facher, 10/28)

The Hill: Hoyer Lays Out Ambitious Democratic Agenda For 2021, With Health Care At Top 
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Tuesday outlined a broad and ambitious legislative agenda for 2021, predicting Democrats will have unified power to move the party's priorities on issues as varied as health care, infrastructure, climate change and gun reform. "I think we're going to deal with all of those — and more," he said on a call with reporters. (Lillis, 10/27)

The Washington Post: McConnell Insists His Health Is ‘Just Fine,’ Declines To Explain Photos Showing Bruised Hands 
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declared his health is “just fine” Tuesday as he declined to explain photographs last week showing his hands bruised and bandaged. The 78-year-old dismissed the issue as a media fixation, despite his own history of health issues related to his heart and a serious fall last year that left him out of the public eye for five weeks. “I can just tell you that I’m just fine. And I can’t believe y’all have played with that all week long,” McConnell said in a telephone interview as he traveled back to Kentucky for the final week of a reelection campaign in which he is asking voters for a seventh, six-year term. (Kane, 10/27)

The Washington Post: Kansas Nursing Home Faces Severe Federal Penalties After Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak 
The first hint that the novel coronavirus was tearing through the nursing home in rural Kansas arrived in a Facebook post this month. The Andbe Home was in the grips of “a full COVID outbreak,” administrator Megan Mapes wrote, “despite the precautions we have been taking since March.” But behind the walls of the facility, nursing home officials had failed to take the most basic measures to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus after learning two residents were infected, according to a blistering report released Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which resulted in severe penalties. (Shammas, 10/27)

KHGI: Medicare Termination Letter Sent To Andbe Home, Temporary Manager Appointed
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a termination letter to the Andbe Home saying they no longer meet the requirements to be a skilled nursing facility in the Medicare program. This comes after every single resident and several staff members tested positive for the coronavirus at the Norton, Kansas nursing home more than a week ago. (Shenk, 10/27)

In other Medicare and Medicaid news —

AP: Medicare Finalizing Coverage Policy For Coronavirus Vaccine
Medicare will cover the yet-to-be approved coronavirus vaccine free for older people under a policy change expected to be announced shortly, a senior Trump administration official said Tuesday. The coming announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services aims to align the time-consuming process for securing Medicare coverage of a new vaccine, drug or treatment with the rapid campaign to have a coronavirus vaccine ready for initial distribution once it is ready, possibly as early as the end of the year. ... Earlier this month, Medicare administrator Seema Verma said her agency was close to resolving the issue. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/27)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Wants To Expand Home Infusion
CMS on Tuesday proposed to allow Medicare beneficiaries to take more drugs through home infusion and simplify coverage, payment and coding for new equipment, devices and supplies. Under the proposed rule, Medicare would cover some external infusion pumps if it's medically necessary, and the program already pays for related home infusion therapy services, according to a CMS fact sheet. It would also enable benefit classification and pricing decisions to happen on the same day the billing codes used for payment of new items take effect, CMS said in a statement. (Brady, 10/27)

Becker's Hospital Review: US News Names 2020-21 Best Nursing Homes: 5 Things To Know
U.S. News and World Report published its 11th annual 2021 Best Nursing Home rankings Oct. 27. ... This year's rankings include COVID-19 data and other safety measurements, including infection control violations and vaccination rates on a new patient safety summary feature on nursing home profile pages. U.S. News used publicly available federal data as of July from the CMS Nursing Home Compare website to evaluate more than 15,000 nursing homes. (Carbajal, 10/27)

The Hill: Colon Cancer Screening Should Begin At Age 45, Not 50, US Task Force Says 
A key panel of experts on Tuesday recommended for the first time that people get screened for colorectal cancer starting at age 45, instead of age 50, pointing to new evidence of the cancer in younger people. The recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force comes after American Cancer Society recommended the same age change in 2018. The draft recommendation is open for comment until Nov. 23. (Sullivan, 10/27)

In other public health news —

Lexington Herald Leader: Restaurants Should Hire COVID-19 Survivors, Rand Paul Says 
Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday people who have recovered from COVID-19 can not get it again, despite scientific evidence that refutes his claim. Speaking at a campaign event for Nick Freitas, a congressional candidate in Virginia, the outspoken Kentucky senator urged restaurants and cruise ships to hire people who have had COVID-19. (Stunson, 10/27)

Stat: Inside The Internal Fight Over Pinterest’s Health Misinformation Policy
Pinterest has built its massive brand around its identity as a cheery, curated hub of health and wellness content — complete with a widely praised, hardline policy against medical misinformation. But behind the scenes, Pinterest’s battle against misinformation has been just as much a fight inside the company’s own doors. A STAT investigation has found that the platform’s policy was crafted and championed by a handful of employees — largely women of color — who say they were met with pushback and apathy from co-workers and supervisors. (Brodwin, 10/28)

The Wall Street Journal: The Covid Thanksgiving: Outdoor Heaters, Virtual Meals, Grandma Stays Home 
Ted Teuten is facing an agonizing question for Thanksgiving this year: Is it safe for his 76-year-old mother to come? Mr. Teuten, an interior designer, normally hosts a feast with family and friends. This year, he’s debating the risks his mom will face if she travels to his home in Chicago from hers near Albany, N.Y. “My sister and I just finished texting about whether to put my mom on a plane,” he says. He’s worried too about the risks of a long, indoor dinner at close quarters. “The whole thing is deeply questionable at this point,” he says. (Chaker, 10/27)

USA Today: Chrissy Teigen Reveals Why She Shared Pregnancy Loss Photos In Moving Essay
Chrissy Teigen is "ready" to talk about her pregnancy loss. In September, Teigen, 34, announced in a series of emotional hospital room photos on Instagram that she and her husband John Legend, 41, lost their unborn son, three days after Teigen was hospitalized for bleeding issues. On Tuesday, the model and TV personality got even more candid about the heartbreaking experience, describing it in detail in a Medium essay and sharing how she's coped since. (Trepany, 10/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Parents Are The New Remote-School Zoom Bombers 
Now that moms and dads have gotten a new window into the classroom, many are having a hard time staying out of it. Some are asking questions during live video classes or texting teachers while class is in session. Others are sitting next to their kids and asking them questions or prodding them to speak up. In one hybrid class, an at-home parent on Zoom interrupted a teacher to point out that a student in the physical classroom wasn’t wearing his mask over his nose. (Jargon, 10/27)

Kaiser Health News: Seniors Are Forming Pandemic Pods To Ward Off Winter Isolation 
Over the past month, Dr. Richard Besdine and his wife have been discussing whether to see family and friends indoors this fall and winter. He thinks they should, so long as people have been taking strict precautions during the coronavirus pandemic. She's not convinced it's safe, given the heightened risk of viral transmission in indoor spaces. (Graham, 10/28)

The Wall Street Journal: The Dodgers’ Justin Turner Tested Positive For Covid-19. Then He Returned To The Field To Celebrate. 
Amid the chaos of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrating their first title since 1988 on Tuesday night, third baseman Justin Turner made his way to the middle of the festivities. He wasn’t supposed to be there. Partway through Game 6 of the World Series, the Dodgers learned that Turner had tested positive for the coronavirus, the first Major League Baseball player to do so in nearly two months. Per MLB’s pandemic protocols, the Dodgers immediately removed Turner from the lineup and instructed him to isolate. His teammates finished off the Tampa Bay Rays without him in the dugout. As the party raged on, Turner defied orders and returned to the field. He hugged his teammates. He kissed his wife. He sat inches away from manager Dave Roberts—without a mask—to take part in a team photo. In an interview with Fox afterward, Roberts said, “I didn’t touch him.” (Diamond, 10/28)

In other sports news —

The Star Tribune: NCAA Decision On Testing Rules Could Impact Whether Schools Restart Sports
A meeting of the NCAA’s Board of Governor is expected to possibly act on recommendations proposed in late September suggesting all athletes be tested three times per week during the season. The recommendations were specific to basketball, but realistically, they apply to all winter sports. That frequency — three times weekly — felt like a gut punch to schools in conferences that lack the money of Power Five goliaths such as the Big Ten, which provides daily antigen testing to its teams. (Scoggins, 10/27)

Yahoo Sports: Tom Brady Claims On COVID-19 Death Toll, Suicide Deemed 'False' By PolitiFact
On Tuesday, Tom Brady made a claim on Instagram that death by suicide has outpaced COVID-19 deaths in the last two months. PolitiFact, a website dedicated to combating misinformation and run by the Poynter Institute, looked into Brady’s claim and concluded that the statement by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback was false. (Owens, 10/27)

The Washington Post: Paralympian Blake Leeper, Ruled Ineligible For Olympics, Says He’s ‘Baffled’ By The Decision
In the summer of 2019, Blake Leeper sprinted once around an oval track faster than all but four men in America. His simple athletic feat since has unspooled into abundant complexity. It raised questions of fairness, the role of technology in sports and who should get to compete against whom. Leeper was born without legs from the knee down. He runs on prosthetics similar to those South African Oscar Pistorius used at the 2012 Olympics. Leeper made it his goal to become the second double-amputee to compete at the Olympics. His finish at the 2019 U.S. outdoor championships showed it might be possible from a competitive standpoint. World Athletics, track and field’s global governing body, ruled he could not compete because it said his prosthetics gave him an unfair advantage. Leeper appealed. (Kilgore, 10/27)

The Hill: Researchers Link Severe COVID-19 Cases To Mental Decline Equal To Aging A Decade 
People that have suffered severe cases of COVID-19 may experience mental decline equal to the brain aging by a decade, according to a new study released this month. Researchers from the United Kingdom analyzed the test data of more than 84,000 participants who took the Great British Intelligence Test and were suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. (Williams, 10/27)

KHN: For Each Critically Ill COVID Patient, A Family Is Suffering, Too
The weeks of fear and uncertainty that Pam and Paul Alexander suffered as their adult daughter struggled against COVID-19 etched itself into the very roots of their hair, leaving behind bald patches by the time she left the hospital in early May. Tisha Holt had been transferred by ambulance from a smaller hospital outside Nashville, Tennessee, to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on April 14, when her breathing suddenly worsened and doctors suspected COVID-19. Within several days her diagnosis had been confirmed, her oxygen levels were dropping, and breathing had become so excruciating that it felt like her “lungs were wrapped in barbed wire,” as Tisha describes it. (Huff, 10/28)

Also —

Stat: Can Boosting The ‘Bliss Molecule’ Help Treat Mental Health Conditions?
There’s an enzyme in the body that regulates what scientists refer to as “the bliss molecule,” a neurotransmitter associated with generally feeling good. And thus it made sense that blocking that enzyme, called FAAH, might be a useful way to combat feeling bad, like in cases of chronic pain or depression. (Garde, 10/27)

The Washington Post: Help For People Who Suffer Seasonal And Pandemic Depression
Lindsey Hornickel, a 25-year-old in Louisville, felt fine at the beginning of the pandemic. Although she has long experienced depression, Hornickel says, her mental state didn’t worsen immediately. In fact, she began overcompensating, taking on more work and pushing worries out of her mind. “I kept saying, ‘It’s fine, it’s fine,’ ” she says. Until, suddenly, it wasn’t. Over the summer, Hornickel’s mental health nosedived. “I went through a depressive swing. It was unbearable,” she says. Eventually, Hornickel told her roommate she wanted to die. (Cirruzzo, 10/27)

The New York Times: Some Covid Survivors Have Antibodies That Attack The Body, Not Virus 
Some survivors of Covid-19 carry worrying signs that their immune system has turned on the body, reminiscent of potentially debilitating diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, a new study has found. At some point, the body’s defense system in these patients shifted into attacking itself, rather than the virus, the study suggests. The patients are producing molecules called “autoantibodies” that target genetic material from human cells, instead of from the virus. (Mandavilli, 10/27)

The New York Times: Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Studies Showing Waning Coronavirus Antibodies 
The portion of people in Britain with detectable antibodies to the coronavirus fell by roughly 27 percent over a period of three months this summer, researchers reported Monday, prompting fears that immunity to the virus is short-lived. But several experts said these worries were overblown. It is normal for levels of antibodies to drop after the body clears an infection, but immune cells carry a memory of the virus and can churn out fresh antibodies when needed. (Mandavilli, 10/27)

In other developments in the search for a COVID vaccine —

KHN: Scientists Warn Americans Are Expecting Too Much From A Vaccine
The White House and many Americans have pinned their hopes for defeating the COVID-19 pandemic on a vaccine being developed at “warp speed.” But some scientific experts warn they’re all expecting too much, too soon. “Everyone thinks COVID-19 will go away with a vaccine,” said Dr. William Haseltine, chair and president of Access Health International, a foundation that advocates for affordable care. (Szabo and Aleccia, 10/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout Calls For Supply-Chain Collaboration, Logistics Chief Says 
Capacity-strained shipping networks should be able to manage the rush to distribute Covid-19 vaccines if governments, logistics providers and pharmaceutical companies coordinate their efforts, the head of a top global logistics operator says. “It will be a wave, but it’s nothing where we will say, ‘It’s impossible,’” said Detlef Trefzger, chief executive of Switzerland-based Kuehne + Nagel International AG. “The partners have to collaborate. If you don’t…you might run into a capacity shortage or equipment shortage.” (Smith, 10/26)

CNN: This 12-Year-Old Is Happy To Be Testing A Covid-19 Vaccine
The youngest volunteers so far to get experimental coronavirus vaccines have been given their first doses and are now being watched carefully to see if they are experiencing any unusual side effects. A team at Cincinnati Children's Hospital vaccinated 100 children as young as 12 last week, said Dr. Robert Frenck, who is leading the trial for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine at the hospital. "Now we are pausing to watch for reactions to the vaccine. We right now are in a planned pause to make sure that everything is as safe as it can be," Frenck told CNN. (Fox, 10/26)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: How Does COVID-19 Spread Compared To The Flu
This year, the flu season has the coronavirus pandemic coinciding with it. Although both viruses have led to concern from health care officials over a “twindemic,” it’s likely that some measures people have been taken to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus has helped with influenza. (Willis, 10/27)

The New York Times: Pfizer CEO All But Rules Out Covid-19 Vaccine Before Election Day
After weeks of dangling the possibility of coronavirus vaccine results by October, Pfizer’s chief executive said on Tuesday that would now be nearly impossible. The announcement, by Dr. Albert Bourla, came on the same day that Pfizer announced third-quarter earnings, and all but ruled out the possibility of early results before the presidential election next Tuesday. President Trump had long sought to tie the possibility of positive vaccine news to his own prospects for re-election. (Thomas, 10/27)

Politico: Historic Vaccine Race Meets Harsh Reality 
Pfizer’s admission Tuesday that it still doesn’t know whether its coronavirus vaccine works is a dose of reality for the historic global vaccine race. The company’s failure to meet its self-imposed goal — having proof of efficacy in October — is the latest reminder that vaccine development is a long, complicated process that doesn’t stick to political deadlines. Despite the government and drug companies pumping billions of dollars into the vaccine race, getting shots into trials faster than ever before, and enrolling tens of thousands of volunteers in studies, a Covid-19 vaccine could still be months away. (Owermohle, 10/27)

Stat: No News On Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine Is Good News — And Bad News
Pfizer revealed Tuesday that researchers have not yet conducted an analysis of the efficacy of the vaccine it is developing against Covid-19. The announcement is both good news and bad news. (Herper, 10/27)

CNBC: Pfizer’s Late-Stage Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Is Near Complete Enrollment With 42,000 Volunteers
Pfizer’s late-stage coronavirus vaccine trial has enrolled more than 42,000 volunteers, the company announced Tuesday when it released a mixed third-quarter earnings report. It said nearly 36,000 of the volunteers have already received the second of its two-dose Covid-19 vaccine. Pfizer has as been working alongside German drugmaker BioNTech on the experimental vaccine. It contains genetic material called messenger RNA, or mRNA, which scientists hope provokes the immune system to fight the virus. (Lovelace Jr., 10/27)

Stat: Purdue Documents Detail Sackler Family Role In Opioid Marketing
Members of the Sackler family, which controlled Purdue Pharma, used sales of the controversial OxyContin painkiller to “stretch” financial targets and pressured company executives to grow its market share for opioids by targeting high-volume prescribers and pushing higher-strength doses, according to documents released by a Congressional committee. (Silverman, 10/27)

In other pharmaceutical and biotech news —

Stat: Advocates Urge Vertex To Widen Global Access To Cystic Fibrosis Drugs
Families and advocacy groups from dozens of countries around the world are urging Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) to take several steps to widen global access to its cystic fibrosis medicines and avoid “fatal inequality.” In an open letter, they suggested providing the drugs at affordable prices, offering the medicines on a so-called compassionate use basis where the drugs are not yet available, or issuing licenses to generic makers in countries where the company does not plan to supply the treatments any time soon. (Silverman, 10/27)

Modern Healthcare: Da Vinci Robotics Maker Launches $100M VC Fund
Intuitive, the parent company of robotics manufacturer Intuitive Surgical, on Tuesday launched a $100 million venture-capital fund to invest in startups working on minimally invasive surgery. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Intuitive Surgical is best known for its da Vinci system, a surgical system often credited with popularizing robotic surgery in the early 2000s. (Cohen, 10/27)

Stat: Exact Sciences Acquires Liquid Biopsy Company Thrive For $2.15 Billion
Exact Sciences announced Tuesday it had acquired Thrive Earlier Detection, a liquid biopsy company that launched last year with technology from Johns Hopkins University, for $2.15 billion. The acquisition is yet another boon for the liquid biopsy industry, which has matured in the last five years from “the long-sought holy grail of oncology” to a concept with concrete data behind it. (Sheridan, 10/27)

Stat: Recruitment And Retention: Silent Crises In Clinical Trials 
The pharmaceutical industry is racing in unprecedented ways to develop therapies to treat Covid-19 and vaccines to prevent it. But outside of Covid-19, pharma has been slow to adopt technology that can speed new therapies of all types. (Thoelke, 10/28)

NPR: Female Physicians Spend More Time With Patients Than Male Doctors Do, But Earn Less
When Minnesota family physician Jay-Sheree Allen begins a visit with one of her patients, she starts by turning on the faucet and washing her hands. She no longer shakes hands to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission, so she takes a little more time with her hand-washing routine to chat before addressing her patients' medical concerns. Allen recently read a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine that found female primary care physicians spend more time with their patients than male doctors — an average of 2.4 minutes per visit, to be specific. But female physicians still make less money. Allen worries her hand-washing routine is contributing to the problem. (Gordon, 10/28)

Read the study: Physician Work Hours and the Gender Pay Gap — Evidence from Primary Care

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Drug-Resistant Hospital Bacteria Can Remain Even After Deep Cleaning
The coronavirus pandemic has hospital staff working overtime treating not only COVID-19 patients but also all the usual patients. Controlling infections can be a challenge. A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have used genome sequencing to reveal the extent to which a drug-resistant gastrointestinal bacterium can spread within a hospital. (Clanton, 10/27)

San Francisco Chronicle: Five Coronavirus Cases At UCSF Prompt 28 Workers To Quarantine, 15 Patients To Be Placed In Isolation 
Two patients and three health care workers at UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights tested positive for the coronavirus last week, and it appears the transmission occurred at the hospital, UCSF said Tuesday. The cases prompted 28 additional employees to be quarantined, and 15 additional patients to be placed in “precautionary isolation,” UCSF spokeswoman Kristen Bole said in a written statement. So far, all of those employees and patients have tested negative. (Ho, 10/27)

Boston Globe: Health Care Workers For The Elderly Need To Get Flu Vaccinations. But Why Aren’t More Of Them Doing That? 
Each year, hundreds of workers who care for some of Massachusetts’ most vulnerable residents, including those in nursing homes and dialysis centers, fail to get a flu shot. Now a push is on for them to get vaccinated under a new state mandate that seeks to head off a devastating “twindemic” of flu and COVID-19. Facility administrators say they’re striving to meet the end-of-year vaccination deadline. But they say they are contending with spot shortages of the vaccine as well as antivaccine sentiment among some workers. (Lazar, 10/27)

In other health care industry news —

Dallas Morning News: Baylor Alliance, Catalyst Health To Combine Giant Doctors Groups In Push For Value-Based Care
Two of the region’s largest networks of health providers are joining forces with the aim of creating more affordable coverage for employers and others who often go without health insurance. The Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance, which includes over 6,000 doctors and dozens of hospitals and facilities, is teaming with the Catalyst Health Network, which has nearly 1,000 primary care doctors. Together, providers in the two groups care for about 1.75 million lives. (Schnurman, 10/27)

Dallas Morning News: How Parkland And Its CEO Steer Their COVID-Weary Dallas Caregivers Through This Latest Sense Of Dread
Everyone is worn out, including the behind-the-scenes support staff that is trying to keep up with PPE demands, making sure the building is safe and adding COVID testing sites and flu shot drive-throughs. The gut punch that is this latest COVID spike lands most squarely on the frontline worker, [Fred] Cerise said, “that nurse who is touching that critically ill patient.” (Grigsby, 10/27)

Bloomberg: Endless Covid Fight Stalks Routine U.S. Health-Care Business
The health-care industry is grappling with a slow-paced recovery from the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, as many people continue to avoid doctors’ offices and a new surge in infections spreads across the U.S. For drugmakers, the pandemic has squeezed demand for everything from childhood vaccines to smoking-cessation drugs and diabetes treatments. When the virus took root in the U.S. this spring, many doctors and patients put off routine and elective care, leading to fewer prescriptions for a range of medicines. Sales also slumped for drugs used to treat cancer or in surgeries. (Court, Langreth, Tozzi and Griffin, 10/27)

In obituaries —

The New York Times: Dr. Joyce Wallace, Pioneering AIDS Physician, Dies At 79 
Dr. Joyce Wallace, a Manhattan internist who treated prostitutes for AIDS, occasionally brought streetwalkers home with her when they had nowhere else to go. Once, when her son, Ari Kahn, was about 12, Dr. Wallace, who had to get to the hospital to see her patients, left him at home with a prostitute who was H.I.V. positive and going through heroin withdrawal. It wasn’t clear who was to take care of whom. Ari ended up making pizza for them both. When Dr. Wallace returned, she took the prostitute to a drug-treatment center; the woman eventually overcame her addiction and got a job at a research foundation that Dr. Wallace had started. (Seelye, 10/27)

USA Today: Texas Social Workers Can't Turn Away LGBTQ, Disabled Clients
Texas officials on Tuesday reversed a rule that would have allowed social workers to turn away clients who are LGBTQ or have a disability. Lawmakers and advocates last week criticized the Texas State Board of Social Workers and the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council for unanimously voting on Oct. 12 to remove disability, sexual orientation and gender identity from the nondiscrimination clause of its code of conduct. The board made its decision based solely on a recommendation from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and without seeking input from social workers. (Flores, 10/27)

In news from California —

The New York Times: 90,000 Told To Flee As California Fires Nearly Double In Size 
As two wildfires raged across Southern California on Tuesday, nearly doubling in size overnight and forcing thousands more people to flee their homes, the state’s utility companies are again coming under scrutiny for their potential role in sparking new blazes. Fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, the fires in Orange County have put more than 90,000 people under emergency evacuation orders, many of them in Irvine. (Arango, Penn and Bogel-Burroughs, 10/27)

KHN: As Anxieties Rise, Californians Buy Hundreds Of Thousands More Guns 
Handgun sales in California have risen to unprecedented levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts say first-time buyers are driving the trend. The FBI conducted 462,000 background checks related to handgun purchases in California from March through September, an increase of 209,000, or 83%, from the same period last year. That’s more than in any other seven-month period on record. (Reese, 10/28)

In news from Maine and Pennsylvania —

Bangor Daily News: Maine Among 4 States Where Health Insurance Costs Continue To Drop
New federal data shows that Maine’s average individual health insurance premium will drop 13 percent in 2021 — the third straight year state health insurance costs have declined, state officials said. Maine is among only four states in the nation to see insurance costs decrease, Maine Department of Health and Human Resources officials said in a statement on Tuesday. (Sambides Jr., 10/27)

AP: Philadelphia Victim's Family Sought Ambulance, Not Police
The family of a Black man killed by Philadelphia police officers in a shooting caught on video had called for an ambulance to get him help with a mental health crisis, not for police intervention, their lawyer said. Police said Walter Wallace Jr., 27, was wielding a knife and ignored orders to drop the weapon before officers fired shots Monday afternoon. But his parents said Tuesday night that officers knew their son was in a mental health crisis because they had been to the family’s house three times on Monday. Cathy Wallace, his mother, said one of the times, “they stood there and laughed at us.” (Lauer, 10/28)

In news from Illinois, Georgia and Oklahoma —

The Hill: Chicago To Ban Indoor Dining Amid Rise In COVID-19 Numbers 
Chicago will ban indoor dining and indoor bar service again starting Friday as the city grapples with rising COVID-19 numbers. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) announced a return to some coronavirus restrictions, like the ban on indoor dining and bar service, citing rising hospitalizations and an increased positivity rate over more than seven of the past 10 days. The governor noted the number of daily coronavirus-related hospital admissions is averaging more than double the statistics from last month. (Coleman, 10/27)

Georgia Health News: A Deal That Changed Lives — But Not For All 
For a year of her life, Linda Ferguson lived in a booth at a transit stop. She spent another year living under a bridge. Her homelessness, she says now, “was a bad situation. Nobody likes to be outside. It’s a very insecure feeling.’’ At one point Ferguson, who deals with severe anxiety attacks, lost her car to theft. Later, her personal belongings were taken. But for the past seven years, Ferguson, now 66, has had a place to call her own. She lives in an apartment in southeast Atlanta, thanks to a supported housing voucher for homeless people with mental illness. (Miller, 10/27)

USA Today: More Than 200,000 Without Power As 'Nightmare' Autumn Ice Storm Tears Through Oklahoma
A “worst nightmare” of an autumn ice storm wrecking trees and power lines across the Oklahoma City area left more than 200,000 without power Tuesday. Tree branches littered streets while others were uprooted altogether. As the storm hit, 911 was flooded with calls. Police were called to 11 injury crashes Tuesday morning and stopped responding to non-injury crashes. (Lackmeyer, 10/27)

The Washington Post: Canadian Thanksgiving Could Be A Cautionary Tale For Americans Amid Coronavirus Surge 
As the holiday season approaches amid a surge in novel coronavirus cases across the United States, a Thanksgiving-related spike in Canada could serve as a cautionary tale. Case counts in much of Canada are climbing, even in parts of the country that imposed new autumn restrictions. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October, and both provincial and federal officials have pointed to the holiday as a culprit in the spike. (Coletta and Taylor, 10/27)

Reuters: Canada's Trudeau Predicts 'Tough Winter,' Deaths Top 10,000 
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday predicted a “tough winter” in the face of a second wave of COVID-19 infections engulfing much of the country, and called it a horrific national tragedy as deaths topped the 10,000 mark. Canada’s case numbers have been rising, triggering new restrictions on public gatherings and indoor activities in several provinces. On Tuesday, Canada recorded 2,674 new cases, while there are now 10,001 deaths and a total of 222,887 cases. “This sucks. It really, really does,” Trudeau told a news conference when asked about the fatigue Canadians feel after living amid the pandemic for more than seven months. (Scherer, 10/28)

In other global developments —

The Wall Street Journal: France Emerges As Covid-19 Epicenter As Cases Surge Across Europe 
France has emerged as the epicenter of the second wave of coronavirus infections now sweeping much of Europe, causing hospitals to brace for a surge of new patients and pushing the government to consider tough new restrictions in some places. The country saw daily cases top 50,000 over the weekend, while the seven-day average of new daily cases has increased by more than 50% over the past week, reaching 38,278 on Tuesday. That compares with a seven-day average of 69,967 cases in the U.S., whose population is around five times as big. (Bisserbe, 10/27)

The New York Times: Britain’s Health Workers Face 2nd Virus Wave, But This Time With Less Support 
The weekly clapping in support of health workers by Britons during the first part of the pandemic has petered out. The government has mostly stopped asking people to stay home and avoid the virus to keep the National Health Service from being overwhelmed. Campaigns to feed and house exhausted health workers have dwindled. As Britain becomes subsumed by a second wave of coronavirus infections and deaths, the country’s doctors and nurses are bracing for what is expected to be a deluge of new patients over the next six months. But unlike in the spring, they say they are now facing the pandemic without the same sense of caution among a coronavirus-weary public, or a clear government strategy to contain the virus and deal with rapidly filling intensive care units. (Mueller, 10/27)

Reuters: Sanofi, GSK To Supply Vaccine Doses To WHO-Backed Alliance 
French drugmaker Sanofi SASY.PA and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline GSK.L will supply 200 million doses of their COVID-19 candidate vaccine to a global inoculation scheme backed by the World Health Organization. There is no internationally-approved treatment against COVID-19, which has killed more than 1.16 million people, and the two companies’ vaccine is still undergoing phase 1 and 2 trials, from which first results are expected by late November or early December. (10/28)

CBS News: Russia Orders National Mask Mandate As Coronavirus Cases Spike
Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration is taking its most drastic measures yet to curb the second wave of COVID-19. The Russian government on Tuesday implemented a nationwide mask mandate, as coronavirus cases spike worldwide. (Lewis, 10/27)

Reuters: Grave-Counting Satellite Images Seek To Track Yemen's COVID Death Toll 
A first-of-its-kind study using satellite images to count fresh graves and analyse burial activity in Yemen has estimated the death toll there from COVID-19 or COVID-related causes is far higher than official government figures suggest. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) analysed burial activity at all identifiable cemeteries in Yemen’s Aden region and calculated an estimated 2,100 “excess deaths” during the COVID-19 outbreak between April and September. (Kelland, 10/27)

FiercePharma: Biden Looks To Germany For Answers On How To Tackle High U.S. Drug Prices: Analyst 
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is offering clues about how his administration would approach drug pricing—and he's looking to Germany. Under Biden’s plan, the government would set up a group to assess “fair” values of drugs, like the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review already does in the U.S. Other governments have their own drug value assessment agencies, but ICER is not a U.S. government group. Biden made the proposal Sunday night, Bernstein analyst Ronny Gal wrote in a note to clients. (Sagonowsky, 10/20)

Capital and Main: Trump Touts His War On Drug Prices As Costs Continue To Climb
As the days to Nov. 3 dwindle down, the president of the United States has been hand selecting his points of emphasis for rallies and Twitter posts. Often, those choices go against the wishes of his own advisers. Veering away from core issues, Donald Trump has repeatedly invoked Hunter Biden’s name, doubled down on unsupported allegations of mail-in ballot vote fraud, suggested he’ll leave the country if he loses the election and repeated debunked claims that masks are not effective in preventing COVID-19.At most stops, however, Trump has at least attempted to broach one topic that pollsters have repeatedly found to be resonant with voters: the high cost of prescription drugs. And time and again, Trump has not only promised to cut them – “Drug prices will be coming down 80 or 90 percent,” he said during the first presidential debate – but insisted that, functionally, he has already done so. (Kreidler, 10/27)

Forbes: What Biden And Trump Would Mean For Older Voters
As with so many issues, there is a major gulf between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden when it comes to issues that directly affect older adults. Biden has proposed a long list of specific proposals. Trump has said remarkably little about what he’d do in a second term, and that silence extends to programs that affect seniors. But over the past four years he has described several initiatives that he could address starting next year. Here is a quick rundown of where each candidate stands on Medicare, Social Security, long-term care, and health insurance for older working adults. (Gleckman, 10/26)

Also —

Stat: Can A Laser Focus On Insulin Prices Take This Advocate To Congress?
Quinn Nystrom’s first campaign ad slammed her opponent for voting against legislation to lower prescription drug costs. So did her second ad. And her third. Nystrom, a 34-year-old with type 1 diabetes, is waging a spite campaign of sorts against her congressman, Pete Stauber. She launched her bid to unseat the freshman Republican after he backed away from a promise to hold a town hall on insulin affordability in their district, Minnesota’s 8th, a 27,000-square-mile expanse that runs from the Ontario border to the outer suburbs of the Twin Cities. (Florko, 10/27)

Forbes: Biden And Trump Drug Pricing Policies Would Decimate Biotech, Drive Innovation To China
Both parties (Republicans, Democrats) would replace today’s market-driven system, which bases prices on the value of the product to the consumer, with controlled prices tied to those in countries where governments set reimbursement rates substantially lower than here. The resulting drop in revenue for the pharmaceutical industry would kill innovation in the U.S. and Europe and cripple the biotech community. (Standish Fleming, 10/22)

USA Today: President Trump's Broken Health Care Promises Highlighted Amid COVID
During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump promised "great health care" for any American who is sick, and at affordable prices. “We’ll be terminating Obamacare and we’ll be replacing it with so many different options, but you’ll have great health care at a fraction, a fraction of the cost and it’ll be great,” Trump said from the Robarts Arena stage in Sarasota, Florida, during one of the last rallies of his campaign. But nonpartisan experts say health care costs have continued to rise during Trump’s administration, raising concerns about the affordability of care when it is most needed – in the midst of a global pandemic. (Zac Anderson, 10/27)

Capjournal.Com: No Relief From High Drug Prices In The Near Future
If you were hoping that this was going to be the year of government action to lower prescription drug prices, I’m here to say that is not going to happen – even though the House of Representatives passed far-reaching legislation almost a year ago that would allow Medicare to begin negotiating drug prices for beneficiaries. Recall that the 2003 law that made possible a prescription drug benefit for seniors prohibits the government from negotiating with drug companies in order to lower prices. The Senate has not taken up the bill, and Congress will have to start over in the next session. (Trudy Lieberman, 10/21)

The Hill: Lost Cures And Innovation, Too High A Price For Democrats' Drug Pricing Proposals
Democrats and Republicans alike can agree on one thing: prescription drug prices are unacceptably high. Predictably, however, we cannot seem to agree on a proper solution to this urgent issue. The Trump administration has, thankfully, kickstarted efforts and approved record numbers of generic drugs while simultaneously lowering overall prescription drug prices by 13 percent. It is our responsibility in Congress to keep this momentum going and establish permanent fixes to the current pharmaceutical pricing standards. Despite the efforts of Republicans to make bipartisan progress to reform the prescription drug standards, our Democrat colleagues refuse to collaborate. (Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., 10/26)

PennLive.com: Innovation And Transparency, Not Price Fixing, Will Lower Prescription Drug Prices
For decades, America has led in medical innovation, producing lifesaving cures and treatments for the world’s most debilitating diseases. Unfortunately, these treatments have come at too high a cost, forcing many Americans to choose between providing for our families or purchasing medication. Even during these hyper-partisan times in Washington, addressing the high cost of prescription drugs must rise above partisan politics; the health of too many Americans is at risk. (U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., 10/26)

Los Angeles Times: Time To Prepare For An Even More Deadly Pandemic
The winner of the presidential election, whether that is Donald Trump or Joe Biden, will need to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic — the worst international health emergency since the 1918 influenza outbreak — and also begin preparing the United States and the world for the next pandemic. (Thomas J. Bollky and Stewart M. Patrick, 10/28)

Stat: There's No Place Like Home For Getting The Covid-19 Vaccine 
Staying at home has never been so vital for older Americans and those with compromised health. After nine months of the coronavirus pandemic, sheltering in place is still the most effective protection against Covid-19 for many older adults, and likely will be until an effective vaccine helps stop the pandemic. (Thomas Lally and Marc Rothman, 10/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Coping With The Covid Winter
Perhaps you’ve heard winter is coming. Or as Joe Biden warned last week about a third virus wave, “We’re about to go into a dark winter, a dark winter.” He’s playing up the worst case as the election nears, so some context is in order. Virus cases are increasing, but this is inevitable as cooler weather arrives and Americans go indoors. Cases have also been climbing across Europe, in some countries more than in the U.S. But the good news is that America is better prepared to handle another virus surge, and progress toward a vaccine continues. (10/27)

Bloomberg: Coronavirus: Europe's Battered Hospitals Sound The Covid Alarm
This alarming scenario is exactly what policy makers hoped to avoid by trying to halt the coronavirus’s spread through testing, tracing and isolation as well as mandatory face masks. Yet that only delayed the inevitable. While hospitals have more knowledge and treatments than they had during the first wave, ICU patients are still mostly over 60 with underlying health conditions. And doctors lack real game-changer drugs. (Lionel Laurent, 10/28)

The Atlantic: The Plot To Kidnap Me
Every time the president ramps up this violent rhetoric, every time he fires up Twitter to launch another broadside against me, my family and I see a surge of vicious attacks sent our way. This is no coincidence, and the president knows it. He is sowing division and putting leaders, especially women leaders, at risk. And all because he thinks it will help his reelection. (Mich. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, 10/27)

Detroit Free Press: Female Leaders Have Gotten Used To Threats. Time To Change That.
Decades of research shows that all of us — men and women — benefit when women are in leadership positions. More women in executive management increases a company’s profitability. Female members of Congress bring more federal dollars into their districts. Most recently, many have started examining the positive impact a female head of state has on a country’s success in fighting the coronavirus. Far too often, though, these same leaders must operate within a culture where criticism comes with a heavy side dish of gendered language, violent sexual imagery and graphic death threats. And sometimes that online harassment comes offline into the real world. (Cheryl Bergman, 10/26)

Los Angeles Times: Why Some Black Men Are Drawn To Trump’s Toxic Masculinity
While it is not inherently bad for Trump, and other men, to espouse confidence and strength, these traits can quickly devolve into toxic masculinity — suppressing emotions, flaunting a tough exterior and seeing violence as an indicator of power. Trump is toxic masculinity’s “star child,” Stephany Rose Spaulding, a professor of women’s and ethnic studies at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, told me. Trump doesn’t like to seem weak. He has not only threatened foreign and domestic opponents with violence, but has also bragged about sexually assaulting women. This is toxic. (Erin B. Logan, 10/28)

The New York Times: Why Foreign Policy Played Differently In The 2020 Election
It’s hard to overstate how much jihadist terrorism has receded from public consciousness over the past four years. ...All of which helps explain why Mr. Trump — who this year cannot campaign against the Islamic State — has auditioned China for the role of overseas menace. He has called President Xi Jinping America’s “enemy.” He has repeatedly accused Mr. Biden of wanting to “surrender” to China. He has called the coronavirus outbreak “an attack” that’s “worse than Pearl Harbor.” He has even said battling it makes him a “wartime president.” But it hasn’t worked. (Peter Beinart, 10/28)