The Hill: White House Physician Says Trump Reporting 'No Symptoms' Of COVID-19 
White House physician Sean Conley said Tuesday that President Trump is reporting “no symptoms” after being discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center during his treatment for the novel coronavirus. “This morning the President’s team of physicians met with him in the Residence. He had a restful first night at home, and today he reports no symptoms,” Conley wrote in a memorandum issued Tuesday afternoon, less than five days after Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19. (Chalfant, 10/6)

Politico: Coronavirus Looms Over Trump’s First Day Back At Work
President Donald Trump is back at the White House, trying to project a sense of normalcy. But the coronavirus still dominated his first day of work since leaving the hospital. The president, possibly contagious, spent the day sealed off in the second-floor residence with a downsized staff around him. He only met in person with a few PPE-clad top aides, including chief of staff Mark Meadows and assistant to the president Dan Scavino. Jared Kushner, Trump’s top aide and son-in-law, showed up at the White House, but only spoke to Trump by phone, despite working just a few hundred feet away from the president. (McGraw, 10/6)

The New York Times: Trump's Return From Walter Reed Leaves White House In Disarray 
The White House that President Trump woke up in on Tuesday morning was in full-blown chaos, even by the standards of the havoc of the Trump era. Aides said the president’s voice was stronger after his return from the hospital Monday night, but at times he still sounded as if he was trying to catch air. The West Wing was mostly empty, cleared of advisers who were out sick with the coronavirus themselves or told to work from home rather than in the capital’s most famous virus hot spot. Staff members in the White House residence were in full personal protective equipment, including yellow gowns, surgical masks and disposable protective eye covers. (Habermand Karni, 10/6)

The New York Times: Why Doctors Aren’t So Sure Trump Is Feeling Better From Covid-19 
Without critical data about his lung function, medical experts in Covid-19 and lung disease said they were struggling to piece together an accurate picture of how Mr. Trump is faring. They noted that while most patients with the virus do recover, it was premature to declare victory over an unpredictable, poorly understood virus that has killed more than 210,000 people in the United States. ... Far from having vanquished Covid-19, the outside doctors said, Mr. Trump is most likely still struggling with it and entering a pivotal phase — seven to 10 days after the onset of symptoms — in which he could rapidly take a turn for the worse. He’s 74, male and moderately obese, factors that put him at risk for severe disease. (Thomas, 10/6)

Stat: 8 Questions We Still Have About Trump's Case Of Covid-19 
Over the weekend, as news about President Trump’s case of Covid-19 grabbed global attention, STAT outlined some of the key unknowns about the president and his health. Consider this a sequel. Below, we sort through some of our biggest remaining questions about Trump and his infection, some of which could be answered in the coming days. (Joseph, 10/7)

San Francisco Chronicle: Health Experts Outraged By Trump’s Response To Contracting COVID-19 
President Trump’s cavalier attitude toward his COVID-19 diagnosis has alarmed infectious disease experts, who fear that the president is spreading false and dangerous information about the illness that has killed more than 210,000 Americans and infected over 7 million. On Tuesday, just a day after returning to the White House from a military hospital where he received a mixture of experimental treatments over the weekend, Trump fired off a series of social media posts that downplayed the severity of COVID-19. He wrongfully repeated the claim that the disease is less lethal than the seasonal flu. (Vaziri and Ho, 10/6)

Politico: Trump Is His Own Covid Messenger. Allies Say That’s The Problem.
In the days after Donald Trump revealed he was infected with coronavirus, the president’s aides have given out misleading information, contradicted each other and refused to answer questions about an infection timeline. Trump’s doctor even admitted he had misled Americans in an attempt to reflect an “upbeat attitude.” It was all for Trump. (Kumar, 10/6)

AP: Experts Call Trump's Rosy Virus Message Misguided
It is true that the vast majority of people who get COVID-19 develop only mild symptoms. But experts can’t predict which patients will develop dangerous or deadly infections. And only a small percentage of Americans have been sickened by the coronavirus, meaning the vast majority are still at risk for infection. It is true, as Trump said in the video, that medicines have been found that can treat the virus, reducing chances for severe illness and death. But there is still no cure for it and no definitive date for when an effective vaccine might become widely available. (Tanner, 10/6)

USA Today: Trump Blasted China For COVID-19 'Secrecy.' Now WH Is Called Evasive
For months President Donald Trump has insisted that Chinese President Xi Jinping's administration needs to be held fully accountable for what he has declared is the "secrecy, deception and cover-up" that enabled COVID-19 to spread all over the world. In the early days of the pandemic, China arrested and then silenced doctors who expressed concern about a strange new respiratory illness that appeared to be upending patterns of life and work across the sprawling city of Wuhan.  Now it's the Trump administration that appears to be hush-hush when it comes to revealing information about how coronavirus spread all over the White House. (Hjelmgaard, 10/6)

ABC News: 'I Had To Do It': Trump Suggests He Got Virus As Act Of Political Courage 
What exactly did President Donald Trump mean when he said Monday, after spending three nights in the hospital dealing with a severe case of COVID-19: "I knew there's danger to it -- but I had to do it." In a video Trump tweeted soon after returning to the White House Monday evening, he spoke directly to the camera -- without the mask he had just dramatically taken off -- and seemed to argue his getting sick was a necessary risk to show he was a strong leader. (Cathey, 10/6)

AP: Trump's Faulty Claims On Flu And Coronavirus
President Donald Trump is back to making false comparisons between COVID-19 and the flu, contradicting science and even himself. TRUMP: “Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu. Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!” — tweet Tuesday. THE FACTS: First, he’s overstating the U.S. death toll from the seasonal flu. The flu has killed 12,000 to 61,000 Americans annually since 2010, not 100,000, a benchmark rarely reached in U.S. history. (Woodward, 10/6)

Also —

The Wall Street Journal: Facebook Removes Trump’s Post About Covid-19, Citing Misinformation Rules 
Facebook Inc. said it took down a post by President Trump playing down the deadliness Covid-19 Tuesday because it contained misinformation about the dangers of the coronavirus. The social-media giant said its decision Tuesday was based on its policy against users spreading information deemed both wrong and harmful. Facebook said it makes determinations based on guidance from public-health authorities including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. (Horwitz, 10/6)

WBUR: Domestic Workers React With Anger After Trump Says 'Don't Be Afraid Of Covid' 
There are more than 2 million domestic workers like Norma in the U.S. – people who work in private homes cleaning and taking care of children, older adults and people with disabilities, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The vast majority of these workers are women, and over half are women of color. (Peñaloza, 10/6)

Politico: Top Trump Aide Stephen Miller Tests Positive For Covid
Stephen Miller, a top aide to President Donald Trump, said on Tuesday he had tested positive for Covid-19.Miller, a senior adviser to the president with a wide-ranging portfolio in the White House, joins Trump’s wife, press secretary, campaign manager, party chair, counselor and numerous other staffers who have tested positive for coronavirus. Trump himself spent his first full day at the White House on Tuesday after a three-day stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center while being treated for the disease. (Lippman, 10/6)

The Washington Post: Joint Chiefs Officers In Isolation After Coast Guard Admiral Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Pentagon Says 
The White House’s handling of an event for the family members of deceased U.S. troops was thrust into a new light on Tuesday amid the disclosure that a Coast Guard admiral who attended has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, forcing some of the military’s top generals and admirals into quarantine. The Sept. 27 ceremony, held on Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day with dozens of people in attendance, recognized the families of 20 deceased service members, according to a copy of the event program obtained by The Washington Post. (Lamothe and Ryan, 10/6)

The Hill: Fourth White House Press Aide Tests Positive For COVID-19 
White House press aide Jalen Drummond tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to a Bloomberg News reporter, adding to the growing list of people to contract the virus after attending a White House Rose Garden ceremony. Drummond is the third aide under White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany to test positive for COVID-19. (Williams, 10/6)

Politico: California Congressman Says He Got Coronavirus After Sen. Mike Lee Interaction
Rep. Salud Carbajal announced Tuesday he tested positive for the coronavirus and said it came after he interacted indoors with Sen. Mike Lee, who revealed he had Covid-19 hours after President Donald Trump said he was diagnosed with the disease. Carbajal, a Central Coast Democrat, said in a statement that he began to experience "mild symptoms" and subsequently tested positive after being exposed to someone with the virus. (White, 10/6)

Politico: The 34 People Who Have Tested Positive In The Trump Covid Outbreak
Here’s who has tested positive thus far, the day we learned about their result and what we know about their condition. (Niedzwiadek, 10/6)

In related news —

The New York Times: The White House Bet On Abbott's Rapid Tests. It Didn't Work Out. 
After months of crowded events and often maskless encounters, a growing number of top government officials, including President Trump, and their close contacts have tested positive for the coronavirus. The fault for the outbreak lies in no small part with an ill-conceived disease-prevention strategy at the White House, health experts said: From the early days of the pandemic, federal officials have relied too heavily on one company’s rapid tests, with little or no mechanism to identify and contain cases that fell through the diagnostic cracks. (Wu, 10/6)

The Washington Post: White House Signals Stronger Coronavirus Precautions, But Trump Continues To Resist
The White House offered an informal nod to coronavirus best practices Tuesday, with mask-wearing prevalent after months of flouting public health recommendations and new internal guidelines for interacting with President Trump, who tested positive for the virus late last week. But the biggest source of resistance appeared to be Trump himself, who, despite having just come home from a three-night hospitalization, was defiant — lobbying to return immediately to work in the Oval Office, discussing an address to the nation as early as Tuesday evening and clamoring to get back on the campaign trail in the coming days. (Parker and Dawsey, 10/6)

The New York Times: Trump May Have Covid, But Many Of His Supporters Still Scoff At Masks
Entering Ted’s Bar and Grill on Monday, Tim Girvin briefly slid on a “Trump 2020” face mask, before whisking it off to join friends at a table for lunch. He said those few seconds were the only time he wore a mask all day. “I have my own business and I don’t have anybody wear a mask in my business,” said Mr. Girvin, a used-car dealer. “I don’t buy into it. When you look at the facts, with how many people die of influenza every year. Obesity kills more people than the Wuhan virus does.” (Gabriel, 10/6)

The New York Times: In Reversal, White House Approves Stricter Guidelines For Vaccine Makers 
The move, which was cleared by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, appeared to be an abrupt reversal a day after The New York Times reported that White House officials, including Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, were blocking the guidelines. Top F.D.A. officials were caught by surprise when they learned midafternoon that the new guidelines had been cleared. The new recommendations, which do not carry the force of law, call for gathering comprehensive safety data in the final stage of clinical trials before an emergency authorization can be granted. (Zimmer and Weiland, 10/6)

The Washington Post: White House Clears Food And Drug Administration Coronavirus Vaccine Standards It Tried To Derail
The standards, which would be applied to an emergency use authorization for a vaccine, are the same as ones the agency proposed weeks ago. In many ways, they are similar to the standards for a traditional approval. But the White House, worried that the criteria would delay authorization of a vaccine, presumably beyond the Nov. 3 election, decided to sit on the guidance. One of the pharmaceutical companies at the forefront of efforts to develop a vaccine, Pfizer, on Tuesday declared its support for the agency in its struggle with the White House. Albert Bourla, the company’s chief executive, said on Twitter, “Pfizer has never discussed [FDA’s] vaccine guidelines with the White House and will never do so as it could undermine the agency’s independence.” He said the agency’s independence “is today more important than ever as public trust in [coronavirus] vaccine development has been eroded by the politicization of the process.” (McGinley, Abutaleb and Johnson, 10/7)

Stat: Race For Covid-19 Vaccine Slows As U.S. Officials Tap The Brakes
The race for a Covid-19 vaccine slowed on Tuesday, as both U.S. regulators and the head of the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed initiative tapped ever so softly on the brakes. The Food and Drug Administration released strengthened rules for authorizing any Covid-19 vaccine on an emergency basis. And Moncef Slaoui, co-chair of Operation Warp Speed, revealed that the government’s vaccine fast-tracking effort has urged manufacturers not to apply for emergency use authorization until they have significant amounts of vaccines to deploy. (Branswell and Herper, 10/6)

The Hill: FDA Asking COVID-19 Vaccine Developers For Two Months Of Safety Data, Raising Doubts About Approval By Election Day 
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants coronavirus vaccine developers to submit two months of safety data before applying for emergency approval, circumventing the White House, which has expressed concerns about the stringent requirements. The FDA, in documents posted online Tuesday, advised drugmakers conducting COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials to monitor patients for at least two months to assess potential negative effects from their candidates. (Hellmann, 10/6)

In related news —

The Hill: Trump Lashes Out At FDA Over Vaccine Guidelines 
President Trump tore into the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday night after it unveiled new coronavirus vaccine guidelines. “New FDA Rules make it more difficult for them to speed up vaccines for approval before Election Day. Just another political hit job!” Trump tweeted. (Axelrod, 10/6)

Politico: Fauci: There Could Be 300,000 To 400,000 Covid Deaths Unless Precautions Taken
Dr. Anthony Fauci offered a grim image of the coronavirus pandemic, telling students Tuesday that between 300,000 and 400,000 people could die from the disease in the United States. Speaking at a virtual event hosted by American University, the White House coronavirus specialist said: "If we don't do what we need to in the fall and winter, we could have 300,000-400,000 Covid-19 deaths," according to excerpts tweeted by the school. (Choi, 10/6)

The New York Times: In ‘Fauci,’ A Doctor Whose Work And Mission Have Been Shaped By Politics 
Anthony Fauci has been at the helm of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases through the emergence of H.I.V., SARS, avian bird flu, swine flu, Ebola, Zika. He is “America’s doctor,” Michael Specter, a staff writer at The New Yorker, says in his new audiobook, “the essential first biography,” according to its publishers. “We don’t have an actual leader,” Specter said in April. “Fauci is the closest thing.” Biography might be a generous description of this book. “Fauci” faithfully follows Specter’s profile of the doctor published in The New Yorker this spring. The White House tightly controlled his access to Fauci; despite knowing each other for decades, the men were not able to meet in person. It is the story of the public life we receive, delivered in broad, reverent strokes, frank hagiography. (Sehgal, 10/6)

Also —

AP: US Surgeon General Cited For Being In Closed Hawaii Park
The U.S. surgeon general was cited for being in a closed Hawaii park in August while in the islands helping with surge testing amid a spike in coronavirus cases, according to a criminal complaint filed in court. A Honolulu police officer cited Jerome Adams after seeing him with two men “looking at the view taking pictures” at Kualoa Regional Park on Oahu’s northeastern coast, the citation said. The park in a rural area offers a picturesque view of Mokolii island, known as Chinaman’s Hat for its cone shape. (Kelleher, 10/7)

USA Today: Expert: CDC's Redfield Should Expose Trump COVID Failures, Leave Post
A former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health titan who led the eradication of smallpox asked the embattled, current CDC leader to expose the failed U.S. response to the new coronavirus, calling on him to orchestrate his own firing to protest White House interference. Dr. William Foege, a renowned epidemiologist who served under Democratic and Republican presidents, detailed in a private letter he sent last month to CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield his alarm over how the agency has fallen in stature while the pandemic raged across America. (Murphy and Stein, 10/6)

The New York Times: Most Patients’ Covid-19 Care Bears Little Resemblance To Trump’s 
As a buoyant President Trump emerged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center this week, appeared on a balcony at the White House, and proclaimed on Twitter that the public should have no fear of the coronavirus, many Americans saw few parallels between Mr. Trump’s experience with the virus and their own. One man in Texas said he understood why the president of the United States would have top-flight doctors, but could not help comparing the place where Mr. Trump was treated with the facility where his 87-year-old mother became sick. “He’s got the best care in the world,” said Samuel Roy Quinn, whose mother died at a nursing home in April. “I’m not sure that my mom got the best care in the world at that facility she was staying at.” (Bosman, Mervosh, Harmon and Bogel-Burroughs, 10/6)

USA Today: Donald Trump's COVID-19 Treatment Is Similar To The Average American Hospitalized With Coronavirus. Only Faster.
President Donald Trump has had the best possible care for his COVID-19, his doctors have repeatedly assured America. "He's on a routine regimen of COVID therapy," his physician Sean Conley said Monday. It's true that while he's had outstanding care, Trump's therapies have been similar to those available to most other hospitalized COVID-19 patients – with two major exceptions. (Weintraub, 10/6)

The Atlantic: Donald Trump’s Gold-Plated Health Care 
Shortly after returning to the White House last night, Donald Trump tweeted out a triumphant video in which he urges Americans not to let the coronavirus “dominate your life,” because “we have the best medicines in the world.” That was true of Trump’s stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, during which doctors threw the kitchen sink of COVID-19 medicines at him while he relaxed, knowing his bills would be covered. [But] for the average person hospitalized for the virus, specialized treatment for COVID-19 would be less immediately accessible, less comprehensive, and much more expensive. (Khazan, 10/6)

AP: Ethicists Say Trump Special Treatment Raises Fairness Issues
The special treatment President Donald Trump received to access an experimental COVID-19 drug raises fairness issues that start with the flawed health care system many Americans endure and end with the public’s right to know more about his condition, ethics and medical experts say. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. revealed on Tuesday how rare it was for anyone to get the drug it gave Trump outside of studies testing its safety and effectiveness. The drug, which supplies antibodies to help the immune system clear the coronavirus, is widely viewed as very promising. (Marchione, 10/7)

NPR: Cutting Edge Care For President Trump Who Says Don't Be Afraid Of The Virus 
"The President received experimental therapies that no one has access to," says Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University. "As far as we know, the President is the only person in the world to have received this combination of treatments," she says. (Chatterjee, 10/6)

In related news about the president's medical care —

Stat: Is 'It Can't Hurt' The Rationale For Giving Trump Unproven Covid-19 Treatments? 
Like all Americans infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, President Trump deserves the best medical care. As he has now been discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, we wish him a fast and full recovery. But what does “the best medical care” mean? For many diseases, and especially new ones with emerging evidence, what is best is often unclear. As doctors and as students of medical history, we believe that the best care involves safe therapies known to be effective. Using this definition, there are reasons to be concerned for the president. (Cifu and Prasad, 10/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Bill Gates Says Antibody Drugs Could Sharply Reduce Covid-19 Death Rate 
Antibody drugs that are in testing and were administered to President Trump could significantly reduce the death rate from Covid-19 once they are approved by regulators and more widely available, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said Tuesday. The drugs, in a class of medicines known as monoclonal antibodies, have shown promise in early-stage patients with Covid-19. “That’s actually pretty exciting,” Mr. Gates told The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit. “The reduction in death rate there could be pretty high, and those will be out in volume by the end of the year, at least in the rich countries.” (McKay, 10/6)

The Atlantic: What Makes Osteopathic Doctors Different 
After three of Andrew Taylor Still’s children died of spinal meningitis in 1864, the midwestern healer turned against mainstream medicine. Eschewing drugs and surgery, Still gravitated toward the wellness offerings of his era, dabbling in magnetic healing and hydrotherapy, before outlining a philosophy of his own. Drawing from the teachings of his Methodist-preacher father and his own experiences farming on the frontier, Still argued that the body was a self-healing machine. When physical, psychological, and spiritual afflictions interfered, a doctor’s job was to gently return a patient to homeostasis, usually through hands-on manipulation of the spine. Still called this new discipline osteopathy. (Cummins, 10/6)

Stat: Rick Bright, Federal Vaccine Expert Turned Whistleblower, Resigns NIH Post
Rick Bright, the Trump administration vaccine expert turned whistleblower, resigned from the federal government Tuesday, according to a press release from his lawyer. Bright, who headed the powerful Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, was abruptly reassigned in April to a lesser position at the National Institutes of Health. Bright has alleged he was moved after raising concerns about the Trump administration’s response to Covid-19 and nepotism within the Department of Health and Human Services. In May, he filed a formal whistleblower complaint against his former employer. (Florko, 10/6)

The New York Times: Whistle-Blowing Scientist Quits Government With Final Broadside 
Rick Bright, a senior vaccine scientist who said he was demoted this spring for complaining about “cronyism” and political interference in science, resigned his final government post on Tuesday, saying he had been sidelined and left with nothing to do. In a new addendum to the whistle-blower complaint he filed in May, Dr. Bright’s lawyers say officials at the National Institutes of Health, where he worked after his demotion, rejected his idea for a national coronavirus testing strategy “because of political considerations.” He also accused them of ignoring his request to join the $10 billion effort to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine, known as Operation Warp Speed. (Gay Stolberg, 10/6)

In related news about whistleblower complaints —

Politico: Trump’s Workplace Watchdog Assailed For Lenient Penalties On Covid Safety Violators 
The federal agency charged with workplace safety has done little to punish companies when their workers get sick or even die from the coronavirus, as major employers and President Donald Trump’s political appointees have pushed for a much more lenient approach to handling risks like Covid-19 on the job than previous administrations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has received 10,485 complaints and referrals about Covid-19 risks at workplaces and closed 8,702 of them during the pandemic. But in these cases -- some involving companies worth millions -- the agency hasn't proposed a single penalty greater than $30,000 for coronavirus-related risks. (Rainey, 10/6)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: OSHA Eases Reporting Requirements On Worker Infections
The state’s worst coronavirus outbreak at an assisted living facility was at Arbor Terrace at Cascade. There, 54 residents and 36 staff members have tested positive, and 17 residents died.Now, the Fulton County facility is facing a federal fine for failing to protect its workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the nation’s workplace safety regulator, is proposing a penalty of $13,494 — OSHA’s ceiling amount for a single “serious” violation, though that can be negotiated down. (Edwards, 10/5)

The New York Times: After Meat Workers Die Of Covid-19, Families Fight For Compensation 
After Saul Sanchez tested positive for the coronavirus at a hospital in Greeley, Colo., he spoke to his daughter on the phone and asked her to relay a message to his supervisors at work. “Please call JBS and let them know I’m in the hospital,” his daughter Beatriz Rangel remembered him as saying. “Let them know I will be back.” The meat-processing company JBS had employed Mr. Sanchez, 78, at its plant in Greeley for three decades. He was one of at least 291 people there who tested positive for the coronavirus, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. (Fortin, 10/6)

The Washington Post: Trump Abruptly Cuts Off Coronavirus Aid Talks, But Tweets Send Mixed Messages
Coronavirus relief talks came to an abrupt halt Tuesday as President Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to stop negotiating with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi until after the November election. Hours later, however, Trump appeared to contradict himself in a series of tweets that called for Congress to “IMMEDIATELY” approve additional aid for small businesses and airlines. (Noori Farzan, 10/7)

Miami Herald: Trump: No Stimulus Deal, Focus On Barrett SCOTUS Nomination
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he’s stopped negotiations on another coronavirus relief bill until after the election, instead urging focus on the confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. (Lin and Aldridge, 10/6)

ABC News: In Late-Night Tweets, Trump Changes Course On Coronavirus Relief Talks
In a pair of late-night tweets, President Donald Trump, changed course on negotiating coronavirus relief that he had earlier announced he was calling off until after the election. "The House & Senate should IMMEDIATELY Approve 25 Billion Dollars for Airline Payroll Support, & 135 Billion Dollars for Paycheck Protection Program for Small Business. Both of these will be fully paid for with unused funds from the Cares Act. Have this money. I will sign now!" he posted shortly before 10 p.m. (Khan, 10/6)

The Hill: Trump Says He Will Back Specific Relief Measures Hours After Halting Talks 
President Trump late Tuesday signaled he would support specific measures on stimulus checks, help for the airline industry and small business loans, hours after cutting off bipartisan talks for more coronavirus relief. “The House & Senate should IMMEDIATELY Approve 25 Billion Dollars for Airline Payroll Support, & 135 Billion Dollars for Paycheck Protection Program for Small Business. Both of these will be fully paid for with unused funds from the Cares Act. Have this money. I will sign now!” Trump tweeted Tuesday, referring to the coronavirus stimulus package passed in March. (Axelrod, 10/6)

In related news —

The New York Times: Jerome Powell, Fed Chair, Says Economy Has 'A Long Way To Go' As Trump Calls Off Stimulus Talks
Hours after the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome H. Powell, warned that the economy could see “tragic” results without robust government support, President Trump abruptly cut off stimulus talks, sending the stock market sliding and delivering a final blow to any chance of getting additional pandemic aid to struggling Americans before the election. (Smialek, Cochrane and Tankersley, 10/6)

Washington Post: ‘Doomed To Fail’: Why A $4 Trillion Bailout Couldn’t Revive The American Economy
The four spending bills that Congress passed earlier this year to address the coronavirus crisis amounted to one of the costliest relief efforts in U.S. history, and the undertaking soon won praise across the political spectrum for its size and speed. ... Six months later, however, the nation’s coronavirus battle is far from won, and if the prodigious relief spending was supposed to target the neediest and move the country beyond the pandemic, much of the money missed the mark. (Whoriskey, MacMillan, O'Connell, Shin and Pascual, 10/5)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

Politico: House Democrats Seek To Block Funds For 'Defeat Despair' Covid Ads 
House Democrats overseeing the Trump administration's coronavirus response will introduce a largely symbolic bill intended to limit the administration's ability to spend federal funds on certain coronavirus-related advertisements before the election, according to a draft shared first with POLITICO. The Defeat Pandemic Propaganda Act of 2020 is authored by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), joined by Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y), Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). The Democrats' bill would bar HHS from using taxpayer funds on an ad campaign to "positively influence public perception regarding the Covid–19 pandemic," specifically distort any facts or encourage risky behaviors amid the outbreak. (Diamond, 10/6)

The Hill: Top Democrats Accuse White House Of Withholding Information On COVID-19 Outbreak 
Top Senate Democrats are accusing the White House of "deliberately" withholding information about a coronavirus outbreak after a Rose Garden event, which the lawmakers called a "super spreader." Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the No. 3 Democrat and ranking member of the health committee, sent a letter to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows saying the White House had "conducted itself in a secretive manner and shown a complete lack of regard for public health and safety" after President Trump and top staffers tested positive for COVID-19. (Carney, 10/6)

The Hill: Biden: 'We Shouldn't Have' Second Debate If Trump Still Has COVID-19 
Former Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday he and President Trump should not go ahead with next week's presidential debate if Trump still has COVID-19. Biden, who clashed with Trump at a chaotic first debate last week, told reporters at an airport in Hagerstown, Md., that the pair's second scheduled faceoff should follow protocols from health officials. (Axelrod, 10/6)

The New York Times: Biden Questions Idea Of Debating Trump Next Week 
Asked by reporters on Tuesday night whether he would feel safe debating Mr. Trump, who was hospitalized last week with the coronavirus, Mr. Biden responded: “I think if he still has Covid, we shouldn’t have a debate.” But Mr. Biden said his decision would be guided by the Cleveland Clinic and doctors. (10/6)

The Washington Post: Trump’s Determination To Attend Next Week’s Debate Seen As Part Of Pattern Of Recklessness 
President Trump’s tweet Tuesday that he looks forward to next week’s presidential debate alarmed some medical and public health experts, who warned that his coronavirus infection might still be contagious then and could endanger others. A day after the president was discharged from a three-night hospital stay, during which he was put on an aggressive mix of treatments usually reserved for the most severe cases of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, he continued to project an image of being fully in charge and able to conduct all of his regular activities. (Goldstein and Stead Sellers, 10/6)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Dominates Campaign As Trump And Biden Take Vastly Different Approaches. 
President Trump’s hospitalization has returned the coronavirus to the forefront of the presidential campaign, with him and Democrat Joe Biden on Tuesday promoting their dramatically divergent views on how to handle the deadly pandemic and how to approach the presidency. In the face of polls that showed a hardening of the presidential contest in Biden’s favor and suggested broadening paths for victory for the former vice president, Trump stuck with a months-old message that has found wide support among his loyalists but has turned off other voters he needs to secure a second term. (Viser and Sullivan, 10/6)

The Washington Post: Pence, Harris Teams At Odds Over Plexiglass At Debate 
The Commission on Presidential Debates said Tuesday night that Vice President Pence had dropped his objections to a plexiglass barricade on his side of the stage for Wednesday’s debate after viewing the setup during a walk-through of the debate hall. The disclosure, by commission co-chair Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., came after a long day of posturing between the Trump and Biden campaigns over whether the barriers were needed to protect the participants from the coronavirus. Advisers to Pence maintained that there was no need for a barrier on his side of the stage. (Scherer and Dawsey, 10/6)

Politico: Another Political Fault Line In The Era Of Coronavirus: Plexiglass 
Plexiglass is the new mask when it comes to pandemic-inspired precautions dividing Republicans and Democrats. The campaigns of President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are faced with an unprecedented problem. After a coronavirus outbreak at the White House, the president is ill with Covid-19 and many of his closest allies have been exposed or even tested positive. But time is running out to quarantine and postpone debates ahead of the Nov. 3 election. (Murray, 10/6)

AP: Viewer's Guide: Virus Response On Stage With Pence, Harris
Expect Pence and Harris to have starkly different assessments of the way the Trump administration has responded to the virus that’s killed more than 210,000 Americans. Pence has led the White House’s coronavirus task force, taking a high-profile spot at White House briefings, projecting an aura of calm and empathy rarely made by his boss. Harris, the former California attorney general, is likely to cross-examine Pence on the early response to the virus, the Trump campaign’s decision to resume holding large rallies and the president’s frequently cavalier attitude toward the disease. (Price, 10/7)

In other news from the Democratic campaign —

The New York Times: Kamala Harris And The Push To Cut Hospital Bills In California 
As a former state attorney general, Senator Kamala D. Harris, the Democratic nominee for vice president, has received significant scrutiny of her record on law enforcement, facing questions and criticism about uneven prosecutions of killings by police officers. But she is less known for another role she took on, opposing the consolidation of institutions in the health care industry, which has become a major force driving the cost of medical care higher for consumers. She challenged proposed mergers between industry behemoths and anti-competitive behavior by powerful hospital systems and drug makers. (Abelson, 10/6)

Modern Healthcare: CMS' Plan To End Inpatient-Only List Worries Providers
Providers want CMS to proceed cautiously in its attempt to phase out paying for some services only in inpatient settings, according to comments on CMS' proposed outpatient payment rule due Monday. CMS in August proposed to phase out the inpatient-only list over three years. The agency claimed the list wasn't necessary, saying physicians should use their knowledge, judgment and assess patient needs to determine the right care site. Under the proposal, Medicare would start paying for nearly 270 musculoskeletal-related services delivered in outpatient departments in 2021. (Brady, 10/6)

Healthcare Dive: Citing COVID-19, Providers Push Back On CMS Payment Rule Rate Cuts, Telehealth Rollback In 2021
Providers are fiercely opposing changes in two CMS payment rules for 2021, decrying physician rate cuts amid the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing for more telehealth flexibility and urging a stop to a controversial plan to eliminate the list of procedures that can be done on an inpatient-only basis. CMS released its annual proposals for the Physician Fee Schedule and Outpatient Prospective Payment System in August and official comments were due Monday. In their comments, doctor and hospital groups largely focused on what they think is needed — and what should be avoided — as the nation continues to battle the novel coronavirus, which could bring new challenges this winter. (Mensik, 10/6)

FierceHealthcare: Hospital Groups Demand CMS Halt Expansion Of Certain Physician-Owned Hospitals In Payment Rule
Several major hospital groups and systems are pushing for the Trump administration to halt a proposed expansion of certain physician-owned hospitals in an upcoming payment rule. Several groups posted comments on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS') proposed hospital payment rule for 2021, furious about the change. Hospitals also opposed the elimination of the Inpatient Only Procedure List that details which procedures aren’t payable under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS). (King, 10/6)

In news about Medicare Advantage —

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Startup Clover Health To Go Public
Medicare Advantage startup Clover Health is slated to become public through a merger with Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp. III, a special purpose acquisition company, Clover said Tuesday. The deal values Clover at $3.7 billion. Clover's management team, including CEO Vivek Garipalli and President Andrew Toy, will continue to lead Clover following the transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. (Livingston, 10/6)

Axios: Tech Investor Chamath Palihapitiya Bets Big On Medicare Advantage Provider 
Conventional investor wisdom is to steer clear of next month's election, due to its inherent uncertainty and consequential volatility. But, this morning, Chamath Palihapitiya bet big on a company whose fortunes may be significantly impacted by the presidential victor. Driving the news: Clover Health, a tech-enabled provider of Medicare Advantage plans, agreed to go public via a reverse merger with a Palihapitiya-led SPAC called Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings III. (Primack, 10/6)

In Medicaid news —

Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Launches Kynect Website For Medicaid Access, Benefits
"Kynect" is back, repurposed as a one-stop, online shop for people to apply for Medicaid and a host of other resources such as food and child care assistance, job training and help for the elderly and people with disabilities. Gov. Andy Beshear announced the launch of the state website Monday, initially created under his father, former Gov. Steve Beshear, as a state-run site where people could shop for health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act. Kynect won't feature commercial insurance plans in time for this year's open enrollment for health coverage in November. (Yetter, 10/5)

AP: Kansas Replacing Contractor Handling Medicaid Applications
Kansas is replacing a private contractor that inspired years of complaints about backlogs and other problems in its handling of applications for the state’s Medicaid health coverage for the needy. The Kansas City Star reports that state Department of Health and Environment in August signed a six-year contract worth nearly $135 million with New Jersey-based company Conduent to handle Medicaid applications starting next year. Conduent will replace Maximus, based in the Washington, D.C., area. (10/5)

Richmond Times Dispatch: Virginia To Get Additional Federal Boost For Medicaid Costs As State Looks Ahead To Next Budget 
rginia will get additional federal emergency relief for Medicaid through the end of March on top of more than half a billion dollars that the state saved in reduced spending in the last fiscal year, primarily because of an abrupt decline in use of medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar announced late Friday that the federal government would extend the public health emergency through late January, ensuring that the federal government will pay an additional 6.2% share of Virginia’s Medicaid costs through March 31, state Medicaid officials told legislators on Monday. (Martz, 10/5)

Politico: Dems Ask DOJ For Answers Over Barrett's Abortion Ad Omission 
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats pressed the Justice Department Tuesday to explain the omission of a 2006 anti-abortion newspaper advertisement signed by Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, in her materials to the committee. In a letter to Assistant Attorney General Beth Williams, led by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Committee, members voiced concern that more information could be missing from the Supreme Court nominee’s questionnaire. (Levine, 10/6)

NPR: Duckworth: Block Supreme Court Pick Who Thinks 'My Daughters Shouldn't Even Exist' 
A Democratic U.S. senator who has spoken openly about motherhood and giving birth at age 50 is asking her Republican colleagues to reconsider their support for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in light of the judge's ties to an organization that has publicly opposed some types of fertility treatments. In a letter to her colleagues, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois describes the role of in vitro fertilization, or IVF, in helping her conceive her two daughters, now 5 and 2. In 2018, Duckworth famously brought her newborn daughter, Maile, on the Senate floor after lobbying for a rules change. (McCammon, 10/6)

In other news about the Supreme Court and the fight over Obamacare —

Modern Healthcare: Supreme Court Justices Question Whether States Can Regulate PBMs
Supreme Court justices on Tuesday questioned whether states have the authority to regulate how much middlemen hired by insurance plans pay pharmacies. During oral arguments, several justices asked about the burden health plans face since many states have a patchwork of PBM regulations. The case, Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, could decide the fate of those state PBM regulations. The justices are weighing whether the Employee Retirement Income Security Act allows states to force pharmacy benefit managers to pay pharmacies at least their cost of acquiring a drug. (Cohrs, 10/6)

MPR News: Coming Up: The Supreme Court And The Future Of The Affordable Care Act 
A week after Election Day, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act. And Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett will likely be asked during her confirmation hearings — scheduled for next week — about her criticism of a court majority opinion in 2012 that upheld the ACA, also known as ObamaCare. (Miller, 10/6)

KHN and Politifact: Fighting For Patient Protections While Attacking ACA — Hard To Have It Both Ways 
Throughout the 2020 election cycle, candidates’ positions on health care have been particularly important for voters with underlying and often expensive medical needs — in short, those with preexisting conditions. It’s no surprise, then, that protections for people who have chronic health problems like diabetes and cancer have become a focal point for candidates nationwide — among them, Matt Rosendale, the Republican contender for Montana’s only U.S. House seat. (Sakariassen, 10/7)

KHN: Refuge In The Storm? ACA’s Role As Safety Net Is Tested By COVID Recession
The Affordable Care Act, facing its first test during a deep recession, is providing a refuge for some — but by no means all — people who have lost health coverage as the economy has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. New studies, from both federal and private research groups, generally indicate that when the country marked precipitous job losses from March to May — with more than 25 million people forced out of work — the loss of health insurance was less dramatic. (Findlay, 10/7)

AP: Fairview Health To Close 16 Clinics, Cut 900 Jobs
A Minneapolis health care system says the coronavirus pandemic has caused deep operating losses, forcing it to close 16 clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin and reduce its workforce by 900 employees. Fairview Health also plans to shut down Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul that had been handling COVID-19 patients and transfer that care to St. Joseph’s Hospital. Inpatient mental health care will continue at the downtown St. Paul hospital at least through 2021. (10/6)

Modern Healthcare: Catholic Health System Growth Threatens Patient Access, Advocacy Group Argues
Catholic health system has significantly grown in the U.S. since 2001, a trend that could hamper patients' ability to access some healthcare services that are prohibited by the church, according to a report released Tuesday. The consumer advocacy group Community Catalyst found the 10 largest Catholic health systems control 394 short-term, acute-care hospitals, a 50% increase since 2001. In a growing number of communities, researchers found residents' only acute-care options are hospitals that operate under Catholic restrictions. (Bannow, 10/6)

North Carolina Health News: New Hanover Commissioners OK Hospital Sale 
The biggest county-owned hospital system in the state is about to change hands, pending review by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. If approved, the sale is expected to be finalized early next year, the hospital said in the statement. In a historic 4-1 vote earlier this week, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners decided to sell New Hanover Regional Medical Center and its facilities to Novant Health, under an agreement that would net the county roughly $2 billion. (Engel-Smith, 10/7)

Modern Healthcare: Texas Regulators OK Hospital Mergers Opposed By FTC
Texas regulators have green lighted a pair of hospital mergers using a method that allows the providers to dodge a federal antitrust challenge. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has approved Certificates of Public Advantage to allow Hendrick Health System and Shannon Health System to buy hospitals from for-profit Community Health Systems. That's despite strong warnings from the Federal Trade Commission that the deals would create monopolies that drive up costs, lower quality and diminish access to services. Hendrick and Shannon will be the only acute-care hospital operators in Abilene and San Angelo once the deals close. (Bannow, 10/6)

Boston Globe: Biotech Looking To Fight Kidney Disease Launches With $51 Million
A Cambridge biotech that’s working on drugs to reverse kidney disease — rather than merely slow its progression ― was unveiled Tuesday after raising $51 million in venture capital. Walden Biosciences was created by Chicago-based ARCH Venture Partners and UCB Ventures, of Belgium. Both venture capital firms funnel early-stage funding to promising startups. (Saltzman, 10/6)

Stat: Health Coaching Startup Virta Expands Into Prediabetes And Obesity
Virta Health, a San Francisco startup that has made headlines with bold claims that it can “reverse” type 2 diabetes, announced plans Wednesday to expand its offerings, including new services for patients with prediabetes. The virtual care platform — which connects patients with health coaches over laptops and smartphones — is adding new programs that target obesity and prediabetes, citing early research that suggests its approach could benefit people with those conditions as well. The company is also adding a line of services geared at people with type 2 diabetes who are not yet ready to pursue reversal, but want support in managing their medications and symptoms. (Brodwin, 10/7)

Reuters: Exclusive: Moderna Vaccine Trial Contractors Fail To Enroll Enough Minorities, Prompting Slowdown
Private contractors hired by Moderna Inc to recruit volunteers for its coronavirus vaccine trial failed to enroll enough Black, Latino and Native American participants to determine how well the vaccine works in these populations, company executives and vaccine researchers told Reuters. To make up for the shortfall, Moderna slowed enrollment of its late-stage trial and instructed research centers to focus on increasing participation among minority volunteers, the company said. The effort is being bolstered by academic researchers who have longstanding relationships with organizations in Black and other minority communities. (Steenhuysen, 10/6)

The New York Times: 'I Won't Be Used As A Guinea Pig For White People' 
The recruiters strode to the front of the room, wearing neon-yellow vests and resolute expressions. But to the handful of tenants overwhelmed by unemployment and gang violence in Northview Heights, the pitch verged on the ludicrous. Would you like to volunteer for a clinical trial to test a coronavirus vaccine? On this swampy-hot afternoon, the temperature of the room was wintry. “I won’t be used as a guinea pig for white people,” one tenant in the predominantly Black public housing complex declared. (Hoffman, 10/7)

Stat: Can A Recruiter For A Covid-19 Vaccine Trial Overcome Distrust? 
Whenever his mother told him about her newfound mistrust of vaccines, Jorge David Gutierrez saw it as a kind of cognitive dissonance. She was proud of him, the first person in their family to graduate from college — Brown University, no less, in neuroscience. He was applying to medical school. Here he was, in the meantime, working on a clinical trial for Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She valued the work he did. Yet friends also sent her posts on social media. She trusted her friends, so she trusted what they sent. It frustrated him. (Boodman, 10/7)

In other vaccine development news —

Stat: AstraZeneca Vaccine Trial Hold Leaves U.S. Participants In Limbo
For the 20-something-year-old Hispanic man, volunteering for AstraZeneca’s Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine study was an easy decision. His father, after all, had been briefly hospitalized with Covid-19, and, even beyond that personal motivation, signing up was “the right thing to do,” he told STAT. The clinical trial participant, who lives in the western U.S., got his first shot in early September — he doesn’t know if he got the actual vaccine or a saline placebo, in line with the study’s double-blinded design — and he had been expecting to get a booster shot about four weeks later. (Robbins, 10/6)

And from the states —

KHN: Distrusting Trump, States Plan To Vet COVID Vaccines Themselves. Bad Idea, Say Experts. 
As trust in the Food and Drug Administration wavers, several states have vowed to conduct independent reviews of any COVID-19 vaccine the federal agency authorizes. But top health experts say such vetting may be misguided, even if it reflects a well-founded lack of confidence in the Trump administration — especially now that the FDA has held firm with rules that make a risky preelection vaccine release highly unlikely. (Aleccia and Szabo, 10/7)

Deadline: CA Experts To Review Federal Work Before OK’ing Coronavirus Vaccine
California Director of Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly announced the much-anticipated county coronavirus reopening update on Tuesday. He said less than 20 counties were now in the most restrictive tier. But the bigger news from his briefing might be the revelation that the state is “deep in the planning process for a potential late fall/early winter rollout of the vaccine.” “We want to be ready,” said Ghaly, “for when we’ve determined that it is safe, when it is available in sufficient quantity for California that we will put it out there.” (Tapp, 10/6)

KOKH: Oklahoma Could Be First In Country To Get Coronavirus Vaccine
During a State Health Department meeting today, Health Commissioner Lance Frye gave an update on vaccine development. "We'll get our vaccine plan finalized this week," Commissioner Frye said. According to Frye, state health officials met with the CDC just a few days ago. "They told us that we'll probably be the first state in the nation to go green with their vaccination plan," Commissioner Frye said. "We're very close to finishing that up." (Wilson, 10/6)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Long, Irregular Menstrual Cycle Linked To Early Death
Women who experience long and irregular menstrual cycles during reproductive years may be at greater risk of dying before age 70, an observational study finds. The study, published recently in the journal The BMJ, found the likelihood of premature death was stronger when related to cardiovascular disease and when long and irregular cycles were present during adolescence and adulthood. The link was slightly stronger among women who smoked. (Clanton, 10/6)

ABC News: Popular Anti-Anxiety Medications May Be Highly Addictive, FDA Says. But Is The Warning Too Late? 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said last month it will now require makers of benzodiazepines to outline the risks of abuse, addiction, physical dependence and withdrawal on the drugs' labels. Benzodiazepines, or "benzos," which include brand name drugs like Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Librium and Valium, are used for the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, seizures, social phobia and panic disorder. (Safai, 10/7)

WBUR: Should We Stop Spraying For Mosquitos During The Pandemic? 
In April, Governor Charlie Baker filed a bill to empower the state’s mosquito control board to eradicate mosquitoes “as it deems necessary.” Citing last year’s unprecedented prevalence of EEE and the fact that several localities do not have mosquito control plans, the state, under Baker’s bill, could begin widespread pesticide spraying without local input or notification. The state has sprayed once this year, about 200,000 acres in Plymouth and Bristol Counties. (Bennett, 10/7)

Also —

The New York Times: Eddie Van Halen, Virtuoso Of The Rock Guitar, Dies At 65 
Eddie Van Halen, whose razzle-dazzle guitar-playing — combining complex harmonics, innovative fingerings and ingenious devices he patented for his instrument — made him the most influential guitarist of his generation and his band, Van Halen, one of the most popular rock acts of all time, died on Tuesday. He was 65. Mr. Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang, said in a statement that his father had “lost his long and arduous battle with cancer.” The statement did not say where he died. (Farber, 10/6)

Fox News: Throat Cancer: Signs And Symptoms To Look Out For
Throat cancer is a term that can apply to several different types of cancers that occur in different locations in the head and neck. In 2018, more than 30,000 people in the U.S. received a throat cancer diagnosis of some kind, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center. Both laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers start in the lower part of the throat. Patients diagnosed with laryngeal cancer mean that the disease was detected in an area affecting the voice box, including the supraglottis, which is located above the vocal cords, the glottis, which contains the vocal cords or the subglottis, which is below the vocal cords, according to the American Cancer Society. (Hein, 10/6)

The New York Times: 80-Year-Old Is Killed After Asking Bar Patron To Wear Mask 
When an 80-year-old man at a bar near Buffalo, N.Y., noticed a fellow customer not wearing a face mask, he confronted him. The customer responded by swiftly pushing him to the ground, the police said. Five days later, the man was dead. On Monday, the customer, Donald Lewinski, 65, of West Seneca, N.Y., was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of the 80-year-old, Rocco Sapienza. The case is believed to be one of the first of its kind in New York State. (Closson, 10/6)

Bloomberg: Even Mild Covid-19 Infections Can Make People Sick For Months
Covid-19 patients who experience even the mildest illness risk suffering symptoms for months, researchers in France found. Two-thirds of patients who had a mild-to-moderate case of Covid-19 reported symptoms 60 days after falling ill, when more than a third still felt sick or in a worse condition than when their coronavirus infection began. Prolonged symptoms were more likely among patients aged 40 to 60 years and those who required hospitalization, according to staff at Tours University Hospital, who followed 150 non-critical patients from March to June. (Gale, 10/6)

PBS NewsHour: Why Do Some Americans Feel Pandemic Fears Are Overblown?
President Trump is telling Americans not to be afraid of coronavirus, as the national death toll from the pandemic tops 210,000. Cases are again climbing in much of the country -- but attitudes about the threat posed by COVID-19 vary greatly. (Nawaz and Grumke, 10/6)

The Wall Street Journal: The Art Of The Pandemic Meltdown
Think you’ve never had a meltdown? Think again. Although we typically expect meltdowns to look like the adult version of a toddler’s tantrum—wailing, whining, whimpering—psychologists say they can manifest in different ways: Crying. Rage. Silence or an emotional shut down. “Often, people don’t identify with the word ‘meltdown’ because of the stigma of having a mental-health crisis,” says Amanda Luterman, a licensed psychotherapist in Montreal. “They will just say they are having a really horrible day.” (Bernstein, 10/6)

KHN: Lifetime Experiences Help Older Adults Build Resilience To Pandemic Trauma
Older adults are especially vulnerable physically during the coronavirus pandemic. But they’re also notably resilient psychologically, calling upon a lifetime of experience and perspective to help them through difficult times. New research calls attention to this little-remarked-upon resilience as well as significant challenges for older adults as the pandemic stretches on. It shows that many seniors have changed behaviors — reaching out to family and friends, pursuing hobbies, exercising, participating in faith communities — as they strive to stay safe from the coronavirus. (Graham, 10/7)

KHN: One School, Two Choices: A Study In Classroom Vs. Distance Learning
Cozbi Mazariegos stays in shape these days by running room to room inside her Marin City apartment to answer questions from her kids, ages 7, 10 and 12. They’re all working at home on laptops issued by their school, Bayside Martin Luther King Jr. Academy. Meanwhile, Shannon Bynum’s son, Kamari, 10, and daughter, Keyari, 8, who live nearby, are back on the Bayside MLK campus. Bynum had warned them, however, that if he heard they weren’t wearing masks, they’d have to learn remotely, too. (Glionna, 10/7)

WBUR: 'TestBoston' To Offer Free At-Home Coronavirus Tests Monthly For 10,000 Across Greater Boston 
Amid ongoing supply strains and logistical hurdles that limit coronavirus testing, that routine may sound like a fantasy. But TestBoston -- a project now being launched by Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Broad Institute — plans to offer such at-home testing to thousands across Greater Boston in the coming months, at no charge. (Goldberg, 10/6)

WBUR: In Dense Cities Like Boston, Coronavirus Epidemics Last Longer, Northeastern Study Finds 
An analysis by Northeastern University researchers and colleagues finds that in crowded cities — like Boston — coronavirus epidemics not only grow bigger, they also tend to last longer. The paper, based on data from Italy and China, looks at how quickly an epidemic peaks depending on how crowded a location is. (Goldberg, 10/6)

In other news from the states —

Politico: After Days Of Bickering, Cuomo's 'Crush The Cluster' Plan Similar To De Blasio's
New York will re-shutter schools, some non-essential businesses and large gatherings in a swath of New York City neighborhoods that have seen coronavirus spikes — after days of disjointed messages from city and state leaders about how they would address the autumn surge. The plan released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday afternoon largely mirrors that laid out by Mayor Bill de Blasio two days prior. Instead of using the nine ZIP codes where Covid-19 cases are surging as boundaries, Cuomo's plan involves color-coded maps — an attempt at more precision to spare certain businesses but which initially drew a flurry of questions and confusion. (Gronewold and Durkin, 10/6)

The Hill: DC Reports Highest Single-Day Rise In Coronavirus Cases Since June 
Washington, D.C., reported 105 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, the highest daily total for the city since early June. The spike comes amid an outbreak at the White House, raising questions about whether cases there are seeding the spread of the virus in the surrounding city. D.C. has been averaging about 40 new cases per day, according to the Covid Tracking Project. A D.C. official said Tuesday that it is not clear whether the outbreak at the White House is the cause of the increase in cases. (Sullivan, 10/6)

The New York Times: The Virus Surges In North Dakota, Filling Hospitals And Testing Attitudes
As President Trump returned from the hospital, still telling Americans not to be afraid of Covid-19, the coronavirus has exploded in North Dakota. In the past week, North Dakota reported more new cases per capita than any other state. Hospitalizations for the virus have risen abruptly, forcing health care officials in some towns to send people to faraway hospitals, even across state lines to Montana and South Dakota. (Tompkins, 10/7)

ABC News: Missouri Gov. Mike Parson Got COVID-19 After Refusing Mask Mandate, And So Did 1,800 State Employees 
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has contracted coronavirus -- reportedly along with more than 1,800 state employees under his purview -- after declining to issue a statewide mask mandate during the pandemic. Parson's office confirmed in a statement on Monday that he and his wife, Teresa Parson, had tested positive for the virus on Sept. 23 but have since fully recovered and returned to their regular schedules. (Jacobo, 10/6)

News4Jax: Florida’s COVID-19 Increases Return To Rates Seen In Early June
Ten days after Gov. Ron DeSantis moved Florida into Phase 3 of reopening -- lifting capacity limits on restaurants and other businesses -- there has been no detectable increase in the spread of coronavirus in the state. The Department of Health’s report Monday showed an increase of 1,415 cases -- the lowest daily increase since June 10 and the fifth time in the last 10 days the state’s caseload has been under 2,000. The state’s rate of positive COVID-19 testing also remains low -- 3.93% on Sunday. The state’s positivity rate has been below 5% for 12 days in a row. (10/6)

Also —

AP: Boil-Water Notice Lifted From Texas City Where Microbe Found
A boil-water notice was lifted Tuesday from the drinking-water system of a Houston-area city where water tainted with a deadly, microscopic parasite was blamed for the death of a 6-year-old boy. In a statement, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said Lake Jackson officials lifted the notice Tuesday after disinfectant levels in the drinking water were documented to be above the state requirements. Also, water samples tested negative for harmful bacteria. However, the TCEQ urged users of Lake Jackson’s water to avoid getting it up their noses to reduce the risk of infection by the brain-eating microbe naegleria fowleri. (10/7)

ABC News: Nobel Prize For Chemistry Given To 2 Scientists For Developing Genome Editing Method 
Two scientists have been announced as the winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna were jointly awarded the prize for “for the development of a method for genome editing.” (Haworth, 10/7)

CNN: Nobel Prize In Chemistry Awarded To Scientists Who Discovered CRISPR Gene Editing Tool For 'Rewriting The Code Of Life'
The CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tools have revolutionized the molecular life sciences, brought new opportunities for plant breeding, are contributing to innovative cancer therapies and may make the dream of curing inherited diseases come true. Charpentier, from France, and Doudna, from the US, are the first women to jointly win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and the sixth and seventh women to win the chemistry prize. (Reynolds and Hunt, 10/7)

In other global news —

AP: German Court Sentences Nurse To Life For Killing 3 Patients
A German court convicted a male nurse Tuesday of three cases of murder for injecting elderly patients with fatal doses of insulin because he was tired of caring for them or wanted to steal their belongings. The Munich regional court sentenced the defendant, previously identified as Grzegorz Stanislaw Wolsztajn, to life imprisonment. It ordered him to remain imprisoned beyond the minimum 15-year life term. The 38-year-old defendant, a Polish citizen, was arrested in 2018. (10/6)

Stat: Insulin In The U.S. Cost Up To 10 Times More Than In OECD Countries
Amid raging debate over the cost of insulin, a new report finds prices in the U.S. were often five to 10 times higher two years ago than in all the other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an intergovernmental group that was created to stimulate economic progress and world trade. In 2018, the average U.S. price per standard unit across all types of insulin was $98.70, compared with $6.94 in Australia, $12.00 in Canada, $7.52 in the U.K., and $8.81 across all other OECD countries combined, according to the report by the RAND Corp., which conducted the analysis on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. (Silverman, 10/6)

In other drug-pricing news —

The New York Times: Kamala Harris And The Push To Cut Hospital Bills In California 
As a former state attorney general, Senator Kamala D. Harris, the Democratic nominee for vice president, has received significant scrutiny of her record on law enforcement, facing questions and criticism about uneven prosecutions of killings by police officers. But she is less known for another role she took on, opposing the consolidation of institutions in the health care industry, which has become a major force driving the cost of medical care higher for consumers. She challenged proposed mergers between industry behemoths and anti-competitive behavior by powerful hospital systems and drug makers. (Abelson, 10/6)

Wisconsin Examiner: Big Fight Over Drug Pricing Heads To The Supreme Court
A years-long fight over whether states have the authority to regulate important aspects of drug pricing will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday morning. At issue is whether prescription middlemen, known as “pharmacy benefit managers,” will have to bow to state authority over a huge swath of their business or if federal law preempts state regulation. Both sides in the litigation say that if the other wins, the result will be even higher costs for prescription drugs when their prices already are growing at three times the rate of inflation. The magnitude of the case, Rutledge v Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, is illustrated by the parties fighting it. (Schladen, 10/5)

Casper Star Tribune: Lawmakers Proposed Several Options To Lower Prescription Drug Costs. None Of Them Are Feasible, A New Report Says
Officials with the Wyoming Department of Health said that a number of concepts suggested by lawmakers earlier this year to lower the cost of prescription drugs in Wyoming — including importing cheaper drugs from Canada — are likely unfeasible. The long-awaited study, approved by the Legislature in the 2020 Budget Session, evaluated a number of avenues to lower the cost of prescription drugs, including the potential to purchase drugs in bulk or in conjunction with another state as a “group purchasing” option. (Reynolds, 10/6)

Salon.com: Katie Porter Eviscerates Big Pharma CEO Over "Exorbitant" Drug Prices 
House Democrats—including three Squad members—tore into pharmaceutical industry chief executives during a Wednesday congressional hearing on Big Pharma profiteering, with Rep. Katie Porter verbally eviscerating one CEO for more than tripling the price of a critical cancer drug. Wednesday marked the first day of a two-day House Oversight Committee hearing titled "Unsustainable Drug Prices: Testimony from the CEOs." Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Giovanni Caforio, Teva Pharmaceuticals CEO Kåre Schultz, and former Celgene CEO Mark Alles all endured nearly four hours of grilling over the price of prescription drugs—which are almost always far more expensive in the United States than anywhere else in the world. (Wilkins, 10/4)

(Minneapolis) Star Tribune: No, Mr. President, The Insulin Affordability Problem Isn't Solved 
That the price of insulin came up during last week's presidential debate is a testament to the hard work of advocates such as Nicole Smith-Holt. The Twin Cities woman lost her 26-year-old son, Alec, in 2017. He died after trying to ration the medication he needed to manage his diabetes. His death galvanized his mother and others, putting an unprecedented spotlight on insulin's high cost in the United States. (10/5)

Los Angeles Times: Trump Says Insulin Is So Cheap, It's 'Like Water.' It Isn't
There was much to dislike in this week’s presidential debate — the lies, the rudeness, the inability of the White House incumbent to rise above the level of a cranky kindergartner. For me, the low point came not when President Trump refused to condemn white supremacy, and not when he tore into the sons of Democratic candidate Joe Biden, but when he once again sought to convince the American people that he had single-handedly lowered the cost of prescription drugs. (David Lazarus, 10/1)

Tampa Bay Times: Trump’s Empty Words On Prescription Drug Prices
When it comes to lowering the cost of prescription drugs, there is all too often more smoke than fire. Let me give you a specific example. President Donald Trump recently directed the secretary of Health and Human Services to “take appropriate steps” to “test a payment model” for prescription drugs. He quickly tweeted that the order will “ensure that our country gets the same low prices Big Pharma gives to other countries.” This is just not true. His math is off. How far off? For every 100 Medicare beneficiaries, only one has a chance of seeing any change under his proposal. (Richard G. Frank, 10/3)

New York Daily News: Trump’s Prescription Drug Snake Oil 
Last night during the first presidential debate, President Trump said of his actions on health care: “There’s nothing symbolic. I’m cutting drug prices. I’m going with favored nations, which no president has the courage to do because you’re going against Big Pharma. Drug prices will be going down 80 or 90%.” That is just another lie. Trump has made many promises to take on drug companies, including an executive order a couple weeks ago. However, he’s consistently failed to match these promises with action. Recently he’s proposed a bribe to seniors — $200 discount cards for medications. It’s not clear if it’s legal, or if it will even happen, making this promise as trustworthy as a Trump University degree. (Laura Packard, 9/30)

Fox News: At VP Debate, Coronavirus Should Be Top Issue — Pence Must Answer For Over 210,000 Deaths
Wednesday night’s vice-presidential debate will take place as America is embroiled in a historic crisis. Our president, first lady and several White House staffers have tested positive for COVID-19. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and other high-ranking military leaders are self-quarantining because of exposure to the deadly coronavirus that's on the rise in more than 20 states. More than 210,000 Americans have died and more than 7.4 million people in our country have been infected by the coronavirus, which has killed over 1 million people around the world and sent unemployment soaring in the U.S. and elsewhere. The pandemic has become the major issue in the presidential election that is already underway. The American people have a right to expect Republican Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris of California to discuss how to best respond to this crisis. (Richard Fowler, 10/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Job One For The Veep: Explain Covid
When the vice-presidential candidates meet in Wednesday night’s debate, Subject One will be the coronavirus. President Trump tested positive and was hospitalized. Vice President Mike Pence has, since Feb. 26, chaired an administration task force. Here’s my wish. Let this be an opportunity for the country to remove its blinders. Some 7.4 million Americans have been infected with the virus. Or is it 74 million? According to Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the agency that the country relies on for such data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our testing as of late June was picking up perhaps 10% of cases. When we say 40,000 new infections are occurring daily, we might really mean 400,000 infections. When we imply that 2.2% of Americans have been infected, we may really mean 22%. (Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., 10/6)

The New York Times: In-Person Debates Are Too Dangerous. Cancel Them. 
President Trump, fresh from the hospital and still battling Covid-19, tweeted Tuesday morning that he is “looking forward” to his next debate with Joe Biden on Oct. 15. “FEELING GREAT!” he tweeted separately. Here’s hoping the president is indeed feeling better and will continue to get better still. Regardless, that event should not take place in person. Nor should the other remaining debates, including the matchup on Wednesday between the vice-presidential contenders, Kamala Harris and Mike Pence. (10/6)

Bloomberg: Trump's Covid Relief Stall Holds U.S. Hostage To Economic Tragedy 
This is what the collapse of a federal effort to aid workers, states, cities and businesses battered by the Covid-19 pandemic sounds like, via a series of presidential tweets: “Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.4 Trillion Dollars to bailout poorly run, high crime, Democrat States, money that is in no way related to COVID-19. We made a very generous offer of $1.6 Trillion Dollars and, as usual, she is not negotiating in good faith. I am rejecting their request, and looking to the future of our Country. I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business,” President Donald Trump allowed on Tuesday afternoon. (Timothy L. O'Brien, 10/6)

The Washington Post: Trump Blows Up Stimulus Talks, And With Them Perhaps His Chances Of Reelection 
Workers, businesses, and state and local officials have pleaded, for months, for more fiscal help. In recent days, it finally looked like that help was coming, as House Democratic leaders and the treasury secretary reportedly worked toward a compromise, perhaps one somewhat less generous than the bills the House had already passed. Then, on Tuesday afternoon, less than a month before the election, President Trump pulled the plug. The economy is already doing so very big-league greatly, he said, that no more fiscal aid is needed. Not until after Nov. 3, anyway. (Catherine Rampell, 10/6)

The New York Times: Bidencare Would Be a Big Deal
In any case, how the nation votes will indeed make a huge difference to the future of health care — and not just because Trump, if he holds on to power, will almost surely find a way to destroy Obamacare, causing tens of millions of Americans to lose health insurance. Joe Biden, if he wins (and gets a Democratic Senate), will make a big difference in the other direction, substantially expanding coverage and reducing premiums for middle-class families. (Paul Krugman, 10/5)

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Nov. 3 Could Decide Who Gets A COVID Vaccine First, And Who Must Wait
Whoever takes the oath of office as president of the United States on Jan. 20 will become the leader of a nation that is likely to be even more polarized than we are now. And yet he will immediately be faced with a dilemma that — morally, politically, and logistically — will be as delicate as any chief executive has had to wrestle with in decades:When we have a vaccine to end this pandemic, if we have a vaccine, who will get the first doses of protection? Who will be next in line — and next after that? And who will be required to wait at the end? (Jim Galloway, 10/6)

The Hill: Trump's Claims On Lowering Prescription Drug Prices Are Only Campaign Rhetoric 
As the Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, the president has made lowering prescription drug costs the core focus of his own plan to improve the American health care system. Responding to a question from moderator Chris Wallace during last week’s presidential debate about how the administration would replace ObamaCare, Trump shifted gears to repeat his claim that his administration’s policies will bring down drug prices 80 percent to 90 percent. (Varun Vaidya, 10/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Trump, Covid And Reason
President Trump’s tweet Monday “Don’t be afraid of Covid” has invited more criticism that he’s again downplaying the virus. Mr. Trump doesn’t do nuance, and he and his team have often acted recklessly, most prominently at the Rose Garden ceremony announcing Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination. But scientists generally agree with his fundamental point that Americans need to learn to live with the virus. (10/6)

Boston Globe: The Unmasking Of Donald Trump
President Donald Trump is frantically trying to recast callousness as courage — and in doing so, he’s sending a life-threatening message to America. This cynical move insults not just the intelligence of the American people, but also the memory of the more than 210,000 Americans who have lost their lives to COVID-19. The president’s return to the White House Monday evening was a tinny spectacle of the sort that appeals to strongmen and fanatic followers everywhere: a helicopter flight from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to the White House lawn, with the Washington Monument as a photographic accent point. A walk up the South Portico staircase to the Truman Balcony. A tearing off of his mask before a long salute for the cameras. (Scot Lehigh, 10/6)

Bloomberg: Tracing The Source Of Trump's Covid Infection
One of the bizarre subplots of President Donald Trump’s illness has been the White House’s unwillingness to explore exactly how he contracted Covid-19. Offers by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the outbreak have been rebuffed, leaving open pressing questions. Who gave the virus to the president, and where did that happen? To whom did he give it, and in what circumstances? Is the disease now sweeping through the White House all from a single source, and if so, who is the source? Twenty years ago it would have been all but impossible to answer those questions, but they can now be answered quickly and cheaply — so quickly and cheaply that I can’t help but wonder why we don’t already have the answers. (Michael Lewis, 10/6)

Los Angeles Times: Trump Is No Churchill, No FDR. Try Typhoid Mary Instead
Sean Hannity was on TV the other night lavishing praise on President Trump for his “leadership” during the pandemic, comparing him to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, towering figures who steered their countries through times of war. Laughable stuff, of course. In Trump, we have a president who lied to the country about the dangers of the novel coronavirus, flouted the advice of public health experts, imperiled his credulous supporters by dispensing crackpot medical advice and congratulated himself repeatedly as much of the country morphed into a petri dish of disease. (Robin Abcarian, 10/6)

The Washington Post: Chris Wallace Blasts Trump Family, Guests For Not Wearing Masks At Debate
Inside a Cleveland auditorium on Tuesday, everyone watching President Trump debate former vice president Joe Biden wore a mask, with a notable exception: Trump’s guests, including the first family. On Sunday, the debate’s moderator, Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, demanded answers from the Trump campaign for flouting the debate host’s rules — especially in light of Friday’s news that both the president and first lady Melania Trump later tested positive for the novel coronavirus. “The rules from the Cleveland Clinic could not have been more clear. Everyone, everyone in the audience was to wear a mask,” Wallace said on “Fox News Sunday.” (Tim Elfrink, 10/5)

The New York Times: Trump’s Not Superman. He’s Superspreader.
The most important question today is not what President Trump has learned from his bout with Covid-19. Trump is one of those leaders who never learns and never forgets, as the saying goes. The most important question is what have we as citizens learned — and, in particular, what have Trump’s supporters learned? Because the debate over Trump himself is over. The verdict is in: He cast himself as Superman, but he turns out to have been Superspreader — not only of a virus but of a whole way of looking at the world in a pandemic that was dangerously wrong for himself and our nation. To re-elect him would be an act of collective madness. (Thomas L. Friedman, 10/6)

Bloomberg: Coronavirus: Are Hospitals Ready For The Second Wave?
The brutal experience of Covid-19’s first wave humbled many rich countries where even generous health care systems were overwhelmed by an unfamiliar virus. Just as past outbreaks taught Asia hard truths about how to deal with pandemics, lessons from this novel coronavirus abound in the West: Italy has ramped up intensive-care capacity, France is paying health workers better and Spain is building a new pandemic hospital. Thanks to these and other efforts, national lockdowns are being portrayed as a one-off. Yet as cases surge again in Europe, strains on critical-care resources are leading to economic shutdowns on local and regional levels. (Lionel Laurent, 10/7)

Stat: Covid-19 Long-Haulers And The Experience Of 'Hidden' Disabilities 
I vividly recall standing with one of my college mentors in front of an iron lung in the lobby of Boston Children’s Hospital. He told me how polio had led to the last disability revolution because people with the disease made the public aware of disabilities and fought for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Harry T. Paul, 10/7)

Stat: Digital Health Companies Must Commit To The Highest Standards 
The digital health gold rush is on. Teledoc’s $18.5 billion acquisition of Livongo reflects the valuation and consumer demand for virtual care. The capital, talent, utilization — and, let’s face it, speculation — driving the boom are creating a historic opportunity to reimagine how health care works and who it works for. (Jenna Carl, 10/7)

Stat: Cutting Off H-1B Visas Will Hurt The Biopharma Industry 
I’ve traveled the world because of science. My undergraduate and doctoral studies were in Boston. I’ve done stem cell research in Singapore. I worked in Belgium to learn about camelid antibodies, studied chemistry in England, and given talks around the world. This type of freedom to study and work across countries made it possible for me to learn from the best, expanded my scientific horizons, and instilled in me a deep passion to make the world a better place. (Elizabeth O'Day, 10/6)

Dallas Morning News: What Texas Stands To Lose By Failing To Require LGBTQ-Inclusive Sex Education
The Texas State Board of Education is revising the health and sex education standards for Texas students, and we have a real opportunity to take a much-needed step forward for all youth across our state. The last time the board revised the standards was 1997, a generation ago. Bill Clinton was in the White House, fewer than 20% of American households had internet access and the world was mourning the death of Princess Diana. (Cece Cox, 10/6)