Back in the gym?

As gyms across the U.S. reopen , many will take precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
You may need to make an appointment for your workout , your temperature ( which will need to be below 100.4 degrees ) may be checked , or you may be asked heath questions – Do you have a cough or flu-like symptoms ?
Before you go to your gym , ask its operators questions as well – How do they clean the equipment ?
Do they limit the facilities ' capacity ?
Do the staff members wear masks ?
Official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by state – to find your state 's restrictions click here .
Despite the risks , many will welcome a gym workout over working out at home .
Here are a few safety tips to help limit your risk of getting sick from the coronavirus .
Gear up : What you need before you go The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) recommends wearing a cloth mask ( not a surgical mask or N-95 respirator , which should be reserved for health care workers ) `` when social distancing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` feasible . ''
State laws may differ on gym regulations , but it 's best to check what the gym requirements are when it comes to masks .
Medical gloves are not needed as they can be another source of contamination if they are n't removed and disposed of correctly .
Instead , the CDC recommends washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds .
Bring disinfecting wipes to sanitize machines and equipment before use .
Take your own water bottle with you since most water fountains will be closed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , too , since some facilities will not have them available .
The smell of disinfectant should replace the smell of a sweaty gym .
Fitness facilities are required to sanitize equipment , including ellipticals , treadmills , weights machines , and free-weights , with EPA-approved cleaning products .
Users are asked to wipe down equipment before and after use .
Some gyms may have shorter hours because of cleaning procedures .
Keep your distance while working out Be sure to stay at least 6 feet away from others while working out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing guidelines of 6 to 8 feet .
If others are breathing heavily , it 's best to be at least 12 feet away .
Be mindful of close-contact areas so you can ensure 6-foot spacing .
Be alert in check-in areas , locker rooms , free-weight areas , weight equipment , cardio machines , and group fitness studios .
Some facilities closed contact sports areas such as basketball courts and racquetball courts because of the high risks .
Wipe down the fitness equipment before and after use with disinfecting wipes or sanitizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some equipment , such as foam rollers , resistance bands or yoga blocks , so it 's best to avoid them .
Many facilities provide outdoor or virtual group fitness classes .
Facilities with in-person classes should have a limited number of participants .
Some studies have shown that infections can spread faster in high-intensity fitness dance classes with more than 20 participants .
Classes for pilates and yoga with less than 10 participants had no spread of illness .
If you really want to do a group exercise class , be sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance of 6 to 12 feet from others .
Many fitness centers limit the use of amenities in locker rooms .
Showers and saunas will remain closed , but the restrooms should be available .
It 's best if you bring your own sweat towel .
You 'll need to head home for your after-workout shower .
If you 're at a higher risk of serious illness – over the age of 65 or with health issues – you might want to hold off going the gym .
Check with your fitness center @ @ @ @ @ @

As gyms across the U.S. reopen, many will take precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. You may need to make an appointment for your workout, your temperature (which will need to be below 100.4 degrees) may be checked, or you may be asked heath questions – Do you have a cough or flu-like symptoms?
Before you go to your gym, ask its operators questions as well – How do they clean the equipment? Do they limit the facilities' capacity? Do the staff members wear masks? Official guidance on how gyms reopen varies state by state – to find your state's restrictions click here. Despite the risks, many will welcome a gym workout over working out at home.
Here are a few safety tips to help limit your risk of getting sick from the coronavirus.
Gear up: What you need before you go
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing a cloth mask (not a surgical mask or N-95 respirator, which should be reserved for health care workers) "when social distancing is difficult" and when wearing one is "feasible."
State laws may differ on gym regulations, but it's best to check what the gym requirements are when it comes to masks. Medical gloves are not needed as they can be another source of contamination if they aren't removed and disposed of correctly.
Instead, the CDC recommends washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds. Bring disinfecting wipes to sanitize machines and equipment before use. Take your own water bottle with you since most water fountains will be closed. You'll need your own sweat towel, too, since some facilities will not have them available.
Check on the fitness centers' cleaning practices
The smell of disinfectant should replace the smell of a sweaty gym. Fitness facilities are required to sanitize equipment, including ellipticals, treadmills, weights machines, and free-weights, with EPA-approved cleaning products. Users are asked to wipe down equipment before and after use. Some gyms may have shorter hours because of cleaning procedures.
Keep your distance while working out
Be sure to stay at least 6 feet away from others while working out. Gyms strictly follow the CDC's social distancing guidelines of 6 to 8 feet. If others are breathing heavily, it's best to be at least 12 feet away. Be mindful of close-contact areas so you can ensure 6-foot spacing. Be alert in check-in areas, locker rooms, free-weight areas, weight equipment, cardio machines, and group fitness studios. Some facilities closed contact sports areas such as basketball courts and racquetball courts because of the high risks.
Take extra precautions with shared equipment
Wipe down the fitness equipment before and after use with disinfecting wipes or sanitizer. It may be harder to sanitize some equipment, such as foam rollers, resistance bands or yoga blocks, so it's best to avoid them.
Limit or avoid group classes
Many facilities provide outdoor or virtual group fitness classes. Facilities with in-person classes should have a limited number of participants. Some studies have shown that infections can spread faster in high-intensity fitness dance classes with more than 20 participants. Classes for pilates and yoga with less than 10 participants had no spread of illness. If you really want to do a group exercise class, be sure it limits participants, and maintain a distance of 6 to 12 feet from others.
Skip the locker room
Many fitness centers limit the use of amenities in locker rooms. Showers and saunas will remain closed, but the restrooms should be available. It's best if you bring your own sweat towel. You'll need to head home for your after-workout shower.
If you're at a higher risk of serious illness – over the age of 65 or with health issues – you might want to hold off going the gym. Check with your fitness center about virtual classes or training.
Contributing: Carly Mallenbaum, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-07-27--Notre Dame withdraws from hosting first presidential debate because of COVID-19 constraints

WASHINGTON — The University of Notre Dame on Monday withdrew as the host site for the first presidential debate , citing `` necessary health precautions '' posed by the COVID-19 pandemic that would have `` diminished the educational value '' for hosting the event on campus .
The first debate between President Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden , set for Sept. 29 , will instead take place in Cleveland , Ohio , the Commission on Presidential Debates announced .
Notre Dame President The Rev .
John I. Jenkins , in a letter to the university 's community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student attendance in the debate hall , volunteer opportunities and ancillary educational events undermined the primary benefit of hosting — to provide our students with a meaningful opportunity to engage in the American political process.
” Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic will co-host the reorganized debate in Cleveland , which will take place at the university 's Health Education Campus .
Case Western Reserve University was the site of the 2004 vice presidential debate between Vice President Dick Cheney and Democrat John Edwards .
More : University of Michigan to withdraw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Notre Dame in South Bend , Indiana marks the second time a university has backed out of plans to host a presidential debate this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The University of Michigan last month withdrew from hosting the third presidential debate , set for Oct. 15 .
It is now scheduled for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami .
Jenkins thanked members of the Notre Dame community for putting in `` countless hours '' to plan the debate as well as the Commission on Presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` But in the end , the constraints the coronavirus pandemic put on the event — as understandable and necessary as they are — have led us to withdraw , '' he said .
As a small number of universities scale back to online-only learning this fall amid the pandemic , Notre Dame in May announced plans to resume in-person classes on Aug. 10 , two weeks earlier than previously planned .
The plan is to skip a traditional fall break in October and complete a full semester by Thanksgiving break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the campus of Belmont University in Nashville , Tennessee on Oct. 22 .
The vice presidential debate is set for Oct. 7 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City .
At the new Cleveland debate venue , Samson Pavilion , organizers said the Cleveland Clinic will establish `` risk-mitigation procedures '' involving audience size , distance among seats and disinfectant measures .
Specific plans , including whether a live audience will be present , will depend on the status of the pandemic .
Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University President Barbara R. Snyder , said they are `` honored '' to host the debate .
`` This pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of health care and scientific discovery in unprecedented ways , '' the leaders of the two institutions said in a joint statement .
`` To have the presidential candidates discuss these issues in our innovative learning space represents a tremendous opportunity for both institutions – and our entire region .
”

Notre Dame withdraws from hosting first presidential debate because of COVID-19 constraints
Show Caption Hide Caption How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The University of Notre Dame on Monday withdrew as the host site for the first presidential debate, citing "necessary health precautions" posed by the COVID-19 pandemic that would have "diminished the educational value" for hosting the event on campus.
The first debate between President Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, set for Sept. 29, will instead take place in Cleveland, Ohio, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced.
Notre Dame President The Rev. John I. Jenkins, in a letter to the university's community, said "the inevitable reduction in student attendance in the debate hall, volunteer opportunities and ancillary educational events undermined the primary benefit of hosting — to provide our students with a meaningful opportunity to engage in the American political process.”
Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic will co-host the reorganized debate in Cleveland, which will take place at the university's Health Education Campus. Case Western Reserve University was the site of the 2004 vice presidential debate between Vice President Dick Cheney and Democrat John Edwards.
More: University of Michigan to withdraw from hosting October presidential debate
Trump 'felt it was wrong' to host Fla. convention President Donald Trump says he has scrubbed his planned Republican National Convention scheduled for Florida next month, citing a "flare-up" of the coronavirus. Trump's formal renomination will still go forward in North Carolina. (July 23) AP
The move from Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana marks the second time a university has backed out of plans to host a presidential debate this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. The University of Michigan last month withdrew from hosting the third presidential debate, set for Oct. 15. It is now scheduled for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.
Jenkins thanked members of the Notre Dame community for putting in "countless hours" to plan the debate as well as the Commission on Presidential Debates for their "professionalism and understanding."
"But in the end, the constraints the coronavirus pandemic put on the event — as understandable and necessary as they are — have led us to withdraw," he said.
As a small number of universities scale back to online-only learning this fall amid the pandemic, Notre Dame in May announced plans to resume in-person classes on Aug. 10, two weeks earlier than previously planned. The plan is to skip a traditional fall break in October and complete a full semester by Thanksgiving break.
The third presidential debate remains set for the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee on Oct. 22. The vice presidential debate is set for Oct. 7 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
More: In person, online classes or a mix: Colleges' fall 2020 coronavirus reopening plans, detailed
At the new Cleveland debate venue, Samson Pavilion, organizers said the Cleveland Clinic will establish "risk-mitigation procedures" involving audience size, distance among seats and disinfectant measures. Specific plans, including whether a live audience will be present, will depend on the status of the pandemic.
Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., and Case Western Reserve University President Barbara R. Snyder, said they are "honored" to host the debate.
"This pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of health care and scientific discovery in unprecedented ways," the leaders of the two institutions said in a joint statement. "To have the presidential candidates discuss these issues in our innovative learning space represents a tremendous opportunity for both institutions – and our entire region.”
Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.


usatoday--2020-07-28--Coronavirus live updates: GOP relief package panned; vaccine trials hailed as 'historic'; Kentucky g

A pandemic-relief plan proposed Monday by Senate Republicans drew a rare bipartisan response -- opposition from both sides -- as the clock ticks toward the expiration of benefits meant to lessen the economic devastation inflicted by the coronavirus .
Earlier Monday , the first of five large-scale American trials aimed at finding a vaccine for the virus kicked off and was hailed as a `` historic event '' as researchers continued their pursuit of a counter measure to a disease that has upended the planet .
The Phase 3 study by the Massachusetts biotech firm Moderna will involve 30,000 volunteer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the federal program trying to end the crisis by encouraging vaccine candidates from several companies .
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer also launched a large study Monday , one of four other equally sized trials of possible vaccines expected to begin in the next two to three months , with all but one supported by billions in federal funding .
In Miami , the Marlins baseball team had to cancel Monday night 's game against the Orioles after 11 Miami players tested positive for COVID-19 .
The Marlins just played in Philadelphia , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postponed .
In Washington , the White House said national security adviser Robert O'Brien has tested positive for COVID-19 , making the announcement several hours before GOP leaders unveiled their stimulus package .
Here are some significant developments : • Opinion : MLB season now in jeopardy after COVID-19 outbreak hits Miami Marlins .
• Diabetes highlights two Americas .
One where COVID is easily beaten , the other where it 's often devastating .
• None ‘ It ’ s really devastating us ’ : Beach towns fear they won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today 's stats : The U.S. has more than 4.2 million confirmed cases and over 145,000 deaths .
Worldwide , there have been more than 16.2 million cases and almost 650,900 deaths , according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins .
📰 What we 're reading : The COVID economy , in 6 striking charts .
Our live blog is being updated throughout the day .
Refresh for the latest news , and get updates in your inbox with The Daily Briefing .
Negotiations for a pandemic-relief plan began with both sides far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 trillion package -- $ 2 trillion less than the proposal announced by House Democrats in May .
Almost immediately , the GOP package was criticized by conservative lawmakers as misguided and expensive and by Democrats as a late effort that falls short of the nation 's needs to weather the economic damage inflicted by a virus that has infected nearly 4.3 million Americans and killed more than 147,000 .
The bill would include another round of $ 1,200 direct checks to millions of Americans , more help for small businesses and money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would also reduce the $ 600 unemployment supplement that expires at the end of the month .
With a shot in the arm of a participant in Savannah , Georgia , the biotech firm Moderna began its Phase 3 trial of 30,000 volunteers in pursuit of a coronavirus vaccine .
Moderna is one of multiple companies around the world in the final stages of producing a vaccine , although none have yet proven effective among a large population .
Several vaccines made by China and by Britain ’ s Oxford University earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brazil and around the world .
In the U.S. , four other large-scale vaccine trials are expected to begin in the coming months .
Late in the day , pharmaceutical firm Pfizer announced it had started one .
“ This is a truly historic event in the history of vaccinology , ” said Dr. Anthony Fauci , who is leading the government ’ s vaccine development as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
Monderna said it 's on track to provide as many as 1 billion doses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine 's effectiveness and safety may not be known for months .
Amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in Kentucky , Gov .
Andy Beshear recommended Monday that schools postpone in-person instruction until the third week of August .
Beshear also ordered bars to close again and restaurants to scale back to 25 % capacity .
Beshear announced 522 new COVID-19 cases in Kentucky and nine additional virus-related deaths .
The state now has seen 27,601 total cases of the coronavirus and 709 total deaths .
Beshear said Monday 's new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including one just 11 days old .
`` Kids can and do spread the virus , '' he said .
`` The level right now is in debate , but there is no question that they can and do spread it . ''
President Donald Trump 's national security adviser , Robert O'Brien , has tested positive for COVID-19 , the White House confirmed .
O'Brien , who was named to his job last September , is the highest-ranking administration official to contract the coronavirus .
The news came days after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military unit that flies Marine One tested positive for the virus but did not have direct contact with Trump or his presidential helicopter .
The White House also conducted contact tracing last week after an employee for a cafeteria vendor at the two eateries inside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building tested positive for the coronavirus .
Google employees to work from home until July Technology giant Google on Monday told most of its 200,000 employees and contractors to work from home until at least next July , extending by six months the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its offices closed for the rest of 2020 .
The remote-work order issued by Google CEO Sundar Pichai also affects other companies owned by its corporate parent , Alphabet Inc. , and represents the most extensive such decision by a major corporation in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Other companies are likely to follow suit .
“ I hope this will offer the flexibility you need to balance work with taking care of yourselves and your loved ones over the next 12 months , ” Pichai wrote in an e-mail to employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear to have diminished Dr. Anthony Fauci 's public standing .
The Topps NOW limited edition baseball trading card featuring Fauci , regarded as the nation 's leading expert in infectious diseases , set an all-time print record run for the company by selling 51,512 cards in just 24 hours .
The card features Fauci , wearing a face mask and a Nationals ' jersey , throwing out the first pitch during last Thursday 's MLB season-opening game between Washington and the Yankees .
Fauci 's pitch was well off the mark and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the home plate circle .
`` Topps prides itself on capturing the unique moments of the MLB season , one baseball card at a time , and Dr. Fauci ’ s inclusion in this year ’ s Topps NOW cards is just one way in which we are highlighting the uniqueness of the 2020 season , '' communications manager Emily Kless said in an email .
Maybe this will scare carefree young people into taking the coronavirus seriously : More than 27 percent of at least 1,100 respondents in a Facebook poll reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consequence of contracting the virus .
Dr. Michele S. Green , a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City , said there ’ s been an influx of patients seeking treatment for hair loss during quarantine and after she reopened her office .
“ Patients have literally come in with bags of hair looking like a full head of hair was in the bag , ” she said .
“ They all have similar stories .
That they were extremely sick with high fevers and have never been that sick in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss may not be caused by the virus itself but by the physical shock patients ’ bodies experience as they battle high fevers and other intense symptoms .
The Miami Marlins , who have had at least 14 players and staff members test positive for the coronavirus , postponed their game Monday in Miami against the Baltimore Orioles .
The Marlins remained in Philadelphia to continue undergoing testing after the outbreak spread throughout the clubhouse , and Monday night 's Phillies-Yankees game was also nixed .
Depending on positive tests , members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-isolate for 14 days , per MLB and the Players ’ Association health and safety protocols .
The outbreak took place just as the virus-shortened season was getting underway , and similar outbreaks on other teams could put the season in jeopardy .
`` We 're taking risks every day , ” manager Don Mattingly said after Sunday 's game against the Phillies .
“ ( General Manager ) Michael Hill told me early on we were going to need to be adjustable , patient . ''
WHO : Pandemic 'most severe ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the World Health Organization declared the pandemic , the impact of the outbreak is being felt far beyond the suffering caused by the virus itself , WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday .
Economies are struggling , wide swaths of people are going hungry and essential health services have been disrupted , he said .
The pandemic is “ easily the most severe ” emergency ever declared by the agency , he said .
Tedros said the pandemic continues to accelerate as the number of global cases doubled in the last six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , '' Tedros said , `` the COVID-19 pandemic is illustrating that health is not a reward for development , it ’ s the foundation of social , economic and political stability . ''
Restaurants and stores across the U.S. are fighting to stay in business amid COVID-19 spikes and sharply reduced sales as many patrons shy away out of contagion fears or capacity limits .
But few merchants are under fire like those in America ’ s beach towns , which earn the vast majority of their annual sales from Memorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are higher , the losses amplified .
“ Our businesses have 12 weeks to make money to survive the rest of the year , ” says Lauren Weaver , executive director of the Bethany-Fenwick Chamber of Commerce , who says sales for the Delaware town ’ s 75 or so beach-district merchants are down 40 % to 70 % compared with a year ago .
Some of those merchants wo n't survive , she said .
About 80,000 tourists are being evacuated from the Vietnamese beach city of Da Nang after more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have COVID-19 , the government announced Monday .
Vietnam , widely seen as a success in dealing with the coronavirus , reimposed a social distancing order in Da Nang following confirmation of the cases .
A 57-year-old man was confirmed to be infected by the coronavirus on Saturday , the country ’ s first local case since April .
The Ministry of Health says 14 additional cases have been confirmed since then .
A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Sunday shows 13 states set weekly records for new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of deaths .
New case records were set in Alaska , Colorado , Hawaii , Louisiana , Minnesota , Mississippi , Missouri , Montana , New Mexico , North Dakota , Oklahoma , Wisconsin and Wyoming .
Record numbers of deaths were reported in Alabama , Idaho , Mississippi , Nevada , Oregon , South Carolina and Texas .
In Louisiana , new coronavirus cases per week leaped to 15,868 , up almost 45 % from the state 's worst week in the spring .
If you have at least $ 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia will offer you free food for them .
Amid the nation 's coronavirus-caused coin shortage , franchise owners in the city of Lynchburg are running a special on Wednesday .
The chicken restaurant is offering a free entree voucher to customers who exchange $ 10 of rolled coins for $ 10 in paper cash .
Medical experts have encouraged people to cut back on using physical money because it can transport germs , prompting localized coin shortages .
Select 7-Eleven stores have started offering a free Slurpee to those who trade $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper money .
`` We need coins and you can help ! ''
the Chick-fil-A restaurant said on its Facebook page .
The promotion will run until its coin need is met .
Coin toters are limited to 10 coupons .
More than 40 people became infected with the coronavirus after a week-long revival at a small north Alabama Baptist church last week , pastor Daryl Ross said .
Ross told al.com that two male members of the Warrior Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Strawberry suffered relatively serious cases .
The services were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attendees tested positive for the virus .
The person had no symptoms but was tested after several of his coworkers tested positive , Ross said .
“ The whole church has got it , just about , ” Ross said .
Ross said he also tested positive but has few symptoms .
`` We shut down revival and , by Friday night , I ’ ve got church members sick everywhere.
” Americans with diabetes and related health conditions are 12 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than those without such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American Diabetes Association , said roughly 90 % of Americans who die of COVID-19 have diabetes or other underlying conditions .
And people of color are over-represented among the very sick and the dead .
People with diabetes are more vulnerable to many types of infections because their white blood cells do n't work as well when blood sugar levels are high .
`` In a test tube , you can see the infection-fighting cells working less well if the sugars are higher , '' said Dr. Anne Peters , director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota man and woman who wore swastika masks into a Walmart were issued no-trespass notices but were not cited or arrested , authorities said .
The duo have been banned from Walmart stores nationwide for at least a year .
The video , posted to Facebook on Saturday by Raphaela Mueller , shows a man and woman in a Walmart in the southwestern Minnesota town of Marshall wearing the swastikas as the woman flips off the camera while the man checks out groceries .
`` You ca n't be American and wear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying .
`` We literally had a war about this . ''
The masked woman can be heard saying , `` If you vote for Biden you 're gon na be in Nazi Germany .
That 's what it 's going to be like . ''
Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president .
More than 9,300 new cases were reported in Florida on Sunday , along with 78 deaths .
The state has recorded more than 5,000 new cases per day for 33 consecutive days .
Florida ’ s nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surpassed only by California , which has more than 450,000 .
With 39.5 million residents , California has almost double Florida ’ s population of 21.4 million .
New York , slightly less populous than Florida with 19.4 million residents , has close to 412,000 cases and was once the epicenter of the virus in the U.S. Texas , the only state besides California with more people than Florida , has about 390,000 cases .
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un placed the city of Kaesong near the border with South Korea under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there with suspected COVID-19 symptoms , saying “ the vicious virus ” may have entered the country , state media reported Sunday .
If the person is officially declared a coronavirus patient , he or she would reportedly be North Korea ’ s first confirmed case .
The North has steadfastly said it has had no cases of the virus , a claim questioned by outside experts .
The lockdown was declared Friday afternoon .
The North ’ s official Korean Central News Agency said the suspected virus patient is a runaway who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before illegally crossing the border into the North early last week .
The Sinclair Broadcast Group said this weekend that it is pulling an edition of its `` America This Week '' program that discusses a conspiracy theory involving Dr. Anthony Fauci and the coronavirus .
The company said Sinclair hopes to add context and other viewpoints and still air the controversial segment next week .
`` America This Week '' is hosted by Eric Bolling , a former Fox News Channel personality , and sent to stations in 81 markets .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s show featured an interview with Judy Mikovits , maker of the widely discredited `` Plandemic '' video , and her lawyer , Larry Klayman .
Mikovits , an anti-vaccine activist , said she believed that Fauci manufactured the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and shipped it to China .
There has been no evidence that the virus was produced in a lab , much less any of Fauci ’ s involvement .
Viral 'Plandemic ' video : Claim 'could lead to imminent harm , ' Facebook says Home test for coronavirus may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inexpensive and readily available home test to detect the coronavirus would be a critical tool in helping curb its spread , and it might be getting closer to reality .
With support from the National Institutes of Health , researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are collaborating with a team at 3M to develop and scale such a test .
The diagnostic exam would work similarly to an early pregnancy test , using an individual 's body fluids to reveal on a specially made piece of paper whether the virus is present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be one of our most important interventions as we come into the fall to prevent large outbreaks from happening , '' said Stephen Kissler , a research fellow at the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health .
With results from COVID-19 tests routinely taking one week or longer to complete , some labs are trying a new approach called sample pooling .
The idea is labs can save coveted supplies if they test samples from multiple patients at once .
If the test finds no signs that a pooled sample contains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested are considered negative .
A positive result requires each sample to be tested individually .
The testing method is a new option ; however , it wo n't deliver results more quickly .
That 's a hurdle for labs struggling to keep pace in hot spot communities .
Read more here .
On Facebook : There 's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus .
But what we do know , we 're sharing with you .
Join our Facebook group , `` Coronavirus Watch , '' to receive daily updates in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community about COVID-19 .
In your inbox : Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network .
Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter here .
Tips for coping : Every Saturday and Tuesday we 'll be in your inbox , offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times .
Sign up for Staying Apart , Together here .

Jorge L. Ortiz and John Bacon, USA TODAY

Coronavirus live updates: GOP relief package panned; vaccine trials hailed as 'historic'; Kentucky governor wants schools to open later
Show Caption Hide Caption Fauci "cautiously optimistic" over virus vaccine Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's leading infectious disease expert, says he is cautiously optimistic a vaccine "with some degree" of effectiveness will be successfully developed by the beginning of 2021. (8 July) AP
A pandemic-relief plan proposed Monday by Senate Republicans drew a rare bipartisan response - opposition from both sides - as the clock ticks toward the expiration of benefits meant to lessen the economic devastation inflicted by the coronavirus.
Earlier Monday, the first of five large-scale American trials aimed at finding a vaccine for the virus kicked off and was hailed as a "historic event'' as researchers continued their pursuit of a counter measure to a disease that has upended the planet.
The Phase 3 study by the Massachusetts biotech firm Moderna will involve 30,000 volunteer participants in collaboration with Operation Warp Speed, the federal program trying to end the crisis by encouraging vaccine candidates from several companies. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer also launched a large study Monday, one of four other equally sized trials of possible vaccines expected to begin in the next two to three months, with all but one supported by billions in federal funding.
In Miami, the Marlins baseball team had to cancel Monday night's game against the Orioles after 11 Miami players tested positive for COVID-19. The Marlins just played in Philadelphia, which led to the Phillies-Yankees game also being postponed.
In Washington, the White House said national security adviser Robert O'Brien has tested positive for COVID-19, making the announcement several hours before GOP leaders unveiled their stimulus package.
Here are some significant developments:
📈 Today's stats: The U.S. has more than 4.2 million confirmed cases and over 145,000 deaths. Worldwide, there have been more than 16.2 million cases and almost 650,900 deaths, according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins.
📰 What we're reading: The COVID economy, in 6 striking charts.
Our live blog is being updated throughout the day. Refresh for the latest news, and get updates in your inbox with The Daily Briefing.
GOP relief package panned by both sides
Negotiations for a pandemic-relief plan began with both sides far apart as Senate Republicans unveiled a $1 trillion package -- $2 trillion less than the proposal announced by House Democrats in May.
Almost immediately, the GOP package was criticized by conservative lawmakers as misguided and expensive and by Democrats as a late effort that falls short of the nation's needs to weather the economic damage inflicted by a virus that has infected nearly 4.3 million Americans and killed more than 147,000.
The bill would include another round of $1,200 direct checks to millions of Americans, more help for small businesses and money to help reopen schools, but it would also reduce the $600 unemployment supplement that expires at the end of the month.
-- Ledyard King and Nicholas Wu
Coronavirus: How vaccines are developed and tested Pressure to create a coronavirus vaccine is increasing by the day, but for a safe vaccine to enter the market, it takes time. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Moderna kicks off vaccine trial of 30,000
With a shot in the arm of a participant in Savannah, Georgia, the biotech firm Moderna began its Phase 3 trial of 30,000 volunteers in pursuit of a coronavirus vaccine.
Moderna is one of multiple companies around the world in the final stages of producing a vaccine, although none have yet proven effective among a large population. Several vaccines made by China and by Britain’s Oxford University earlier this month began smaller, final-stage tests in Brazil and around the world. In the U.S., four other large-scale vaccine trials are expected to begin in the coming months. Late in the day, pharmaceutical firm Pfizer announced it had started one.
“This is a truly historic event in the history of vaccinology,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is leading the government’s vaccine development as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Monderna said it's on track to provide as many as 1 billion doses per year starting in 2021, although the vaccine's effectiveness and safety may not be known for months.
-- Karen Weintraub
Baltimore hospital ICU chief dies of coronavirus
The head of critical care who worked on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic at a Baltimore hospital died from the virus he helped fight for months.
Dr. Joseph Costa, chief of the Division of Critical Care at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, died Saturday at age 56. The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun both reported Costa died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
"I have profound admiration and the deepest respect for Joe as a clinician, colleague and friend," hospital President and CEO Dr. David Maine said in a statement posted to Facebook. "Mercy Medical Center and the Mercy family richly benefitted from Joe's wisdom, compassion, insight and thought, ethical approach to his work and the families he served."
Kentucky governor wants school openings delayed
Amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear recommended Monday that schools postpone in-person instruction until the third week of August. Beshear also ordered bars to close again and restaurants to scale back to 25% capacity.
Beshear announced 522 new COVID-19 cases in Kentucky and nine additional virus-related deaths. The state now has seen 27,601 total cases of the coronavirus and 709 total deaths. Beshear said Monday's new cases included 21 children under 5 years old, including one just 11 days old.
"Kids can and do spread the virus," he said. "The level right now is in debate, but there is no question that they can and do spread it."
-- Billy Kobin, Louisville Courier Journal
National security adviser Robert O'Brien tests positive
President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House confirmed. O'Brien, who was named to his job last September, is the highest-ranking administration official to contract the coronavirus. The news came days after the announcement that a Marine assigned to the military unit that flies Marine One tested positive for the virus but did not have direct contact with Trump or his presidential helicopter.
The White House also conducted contact tracing last week after an employee for a cafeteria vendor at the two eateries inside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building tested positive for the coronavirus.
– David Jackson
Google employees to work from home until July
Technology giant Google on Monday told most of its 200,000 employees and contractors to work from home until at least next July, extending by six months the company's plan to keep the majority of its offices closed for the rest of 2020.
The remote-work order issued by Google CEO Sundar Pichai also affects other companies owned by its corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., and represents the most extensive such decision by a major corporation in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Other companies are likely to follow suit.
“I hope this will offer the flexibility you need to balance work with taking care of yourselves and your loved ones over the next 12 months,” Pichai wrote in an e-mail to employees.
Fauci a hit despite wild pitch
A wayward first pitch does not appear to have diminished Dr. Anthony Fauci's public standing. The Topps NOW limited edition baseball trading card featuring Fauci, regarded as the nation's leading expert in infectious diseases, set an all-time print record run for the company by selling 51,512 cards in just 24 hours.
The card features Fauci, wearing a face mask and a Nationals' jersey, throwing out the first pitch during last Thursday's MLB season-opening game between Washington and the Yankees. Fauci's pitch was well off the mark and hurtled short and to the left of the home plate circle.
"Topps prides itself on capturing the unique moments of the MLB season, one baseball card at a time, and Dr. Fauci’s inclusion in this year’s Topps NOW cards is just one way in which we are highlighting the uniqueness of the 2020 season," communications manager Emily Kless said in an email.
-- Lorenzo Reyes
Hair loss linked to coronavirus
Maybe this will scare carefree young people into taking the coronavirus seriously: More than 27 percent of at least 1,100 respondents in a Facebook poll reported hair loss that may have been a consequence of contracting the virus.
Dr. Michele S. Green, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said there’s been an influx of patients seeking treatment for hair loss during quarantine and after she reopened her office.
“Patients have literally come in with bags of hair looking like a full head of hair was in the bag,” she said. “They all have similar stories. That they were extremely sick with high fevers and have never been that sick in their entire lives.”
Doctors say hair loss may not be caused by the virus itself but by the physical shock patients’ bodies experience as they battle high fevers and other intense symptoms.
-- Adrianna Rodriguez
Miami Marlins postpone baseball game; MLB season in jeopardy
The Miami Marlins, who have had at least 14 players and staff members test positive for the coronavirus, postponed their game Monday in Miami against the Baltimore Orioles. The Marlins remained in Philadelphia to continue undergoing testing after the outbreak spread throughout the clubhouse, and Monday night's Phillies-Yankees game was also nixed. Depending on positive tests, members of the Marlins traveling party will have to self-isolate for 14 days, per MLB and the Players’ Association health and safety protocols. The outbreak took place just as the virus-shortened season was getting underway, and similar outbreaks on other teams could put the season in jeopardy.
"We're taking risks every day,” manager Don Mattingly said after Sunday's game against the Phillies. “(General Manager) Michael Hill told me early on we were going to need to be adjustable, patient."
– Scott Gleeson and Bob Nightengale
WHO: Pandemic 'most severe' health emergency ever declared
Six months after the World Health Organization declared the pandemic, the impact of the outbreak is being felt far beyond the suffering caused by the virus itself, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday. Economies are struggling, wide swaths of people are going hungry and essential health services have been disrupted, he said. The pandemic is “easily the most severe” emergency ever declared by the agency, he said. Tedros said the pandemic continues to accelerate as the number of global cases doubled in the last six weeks.
"As we mark six months," Tedros said, "the COVID-19 pandemic is illustrating that health is not a reward for development, it’s the foundation of social, economic and political stability."
Summer of COVID-19 putting heat on beach businesses
Restaurants and stores across the U.S. are fighting to stay in business amid COVID-19 spikes and sharply reduced sales as many patrons shy away out of contagion fears or capacity limits. But few merchants are under fire like those in America’s beach towns, which earn the vast majority of their annual sales from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The stakes are higher, the losses amplified.
“Our businesses have 12 weeks to make money to survive the rest of the year,” says Lauren Weaver, executive director of the Bethany-Fenwick Chamber of Commerce, who says sales for the Delaware town’s 75 or so beach-district merchants are down 40% to 70% compared with a year ago. Some of those merchants won't survive, she said.
– Paul Davidson
80,000 tourist evacuated from Vietnamese city
About 80,000 tourists are being evacuated from the Vietnamese beach city of Da Nang after more than a dozen people there were confirmed to have COVID-19, the government announced Monday. Vietnam, widely seen as a success in dealing with the coronavirus, reimposed a social distancing order in Da Nang following confirmation of the cases. A 57-year-old man was confirmed to be infected by the coronavirus on Saturday, the country’s first local case since April. The Ministry of Health says 14 additional cases have been confirmed since then.
More state records fall as COVID-19's havoc continues unabated
A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Sunday shows 13 states set weekly records for new cases while seven states had a weekly record number of deaths. New case records were set in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Alabama, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas.
In Louisiana, new coronavirus cases per week leaped to 15,868, up almost 45% from the state's worst week in the spring.
– Michael Stucka
Coin shortage spurs freebies from Virginia Chick-fil-A
If you have at least $10 in spare change, a Chick-fil-A in Virginia will offer you free food for them. Amid the nation's coronavirus-caused coin shortage, franchise owners in the city of Lynchburg are running a special on Wednesday. The chicken restaurant is offering a free entree voucher to customers who exchange $10 of rolled coins for $10 in paper cash. Medical experts have encouraged people to cut back on using physical money because it can transport germs, prompting localized coin shortages. Select 7-Eleven stores have started offering a free Slurpee to those who trade $5 in change for $5 in paper money.
"We need coins and you can help!" the Chick-fil-A restaurant said on its Facebook page. The promotion will run until its coin need is met. Coin toters are limited to 10 coupons.
– Dalvin Brown
Scores of worshipers infected after Alabama Baptist revival
More than 40 people became infected with the coronavirus after a week-long revival at a small north Alabama Baptist church last week, pastor Daryl Ross said. Ross told al.com that two male members of the Warrior Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Strawberry suffered relatively serious cases. The services were shut down by Friday after one of the attendees tested positive for the virus. The person had no symptoms but was tested after several of his coworkers tested positive, Ross said.
“The whole church has got it, just about,” Ross said. Ross said he also tested positive but has few symptoms. "We shut down revival and, by Friday night, I’ve got church members sick everywhere.”
Diabetes a killer when combined with COVID-19
Americans with diabetes and related health conditions are 12 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than those without such conditions. Tracey Brown, CEO of the American Diabetes Association, said roughly 90% of Americans who die of COVID-19 have diabetes or other underlying conditions. And people of color are over-represented among the very sick and the dead. People with diabetes are more vulnerable to many types of infections because their white blood cells don't work as well when blood sugar levels are high.
"In a test tube, you can see the infection-fighting cells working less well if the sugars are higher," said Dr. Anne Peters, director of the USC Clinical Diabetes Programs.
– Karen Weintraub
Minnesota duo banned from Walmarts for wearing swastika masks
A Minnesota man and woman who wore swastika masks into a Walmart were issued no-trespass notices but were not cited or arrested, authorities said. The duo have been banned from Walmart stores nationwide for at least a year. The video, posted to Facebook on Saturday by Raphaela Mueller, shows a man and woman in a Walmart in the southwestern Minnesota town of Marshall wearing the swastikas as the woman flips off the camera while the man checks out groceries.
"You can't be American and wear that mask" a person can be heard saying. "We literally had a war about this." The masked woman can be heard saying, "If you vote for Biden you're gonna be in Nazi Germany. That's what it's going to be like." Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.
– Jordan Culver
Florida now has second-most confirmed COVID-19 cases
More than 9,300 new cases were reported in Florida on Sunday, along with 78 deaths. The state has recorded more than 5,000 new cases per day for 33 consecutive days. Florida’s nearly 424,000 coronavirus cases as of Sunday are surpassed only by California, which has more than 450,000. With 39.5 million residents, California has almost double Florida’s population of 21.4 million.
New York, slightly less populous than Florida with 19.4 million residents, has close to 412,000 cases and was once the epicenter of the virus in the U.S. Texas, the only state besides California with more people than Florida, has about 390,000 cases.
– Rachael Thomas, Florida Today; Associated Press
North Korean border city put on lockdown amid virus fears
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un placed the city of Kaesong near the border with South Korea under total lockdown after a person was found there with suspected COVID-19 symptoms, saying “the vicious virus” may have entered the country, state media reported Sunday. If the person is officially declared a coronavirus patient, he or she would reportedly be North Korea’s first confirmed case. The North has steadfastly said it has had no cases of the virus, a claim questioned by outside experts.
The lockdown was declared Friday afternoon. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the suspected virus patient is a runaway who fled to South Korea three years ago before illegally crossing the border into the North early last week.
Plandemic segment pulled from Sinclair TV stations
The Sinclair Broadcast Group said this weekend that it is pulling an edition of its "America This Week" program that discusses a conspiracy theory involving Dr. Anthony Fauci and the coronavirus. The company said Sinclair hopes to add context and other viewpoints and still air the controversial segment next week.
"America This Week" is hosted by Eric Bolling, a former Fox News Channel personality, and sent to stations in 81 markets. The show it initially distributed for this weekend’s show featured an interview with Judy Mikovits, maker of the widely discredited "Plandemic" video, and her lawyer, Larry Klayman.
Mikovits, an anti-vaccine activist, said she believed that Fauci manufactured the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and shipped it to China. There has been no evidence that the virus was produced in a lab, much less any of Fauci’s involvement.
Viral 'Plandemic' video: Claim 'could lead to imminent harm,' Facebook says
Home test for coronavirus may not be far away
A quick, inexpensive and readily available home test to detect the coronavirus would be a critical tool in helping curb its spread, and it might be getting closer to reality. With support from the National Institutes of Health, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are collaborating with a team at 3M to develop and scale such a test. The diagnostic exam would work similarly to an early pregnancy test, using an individual's body fluids to reveal on a specially made piece of paper whether the virus is present in that person.
"That could be one of our most important interventions as we come into the fall to prevent large outbreaks from happening," said Stephen Kissler, a research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
– Karen Weintraub
COVID-19 group testing saves resources, not time
With results from COVID-19 tests routinely taking one week or longer to complete, some labs are trying a new approach called sample pooling.
The idea is labs can save coveted supplies if they test samples from multiple patients at once. If the test finds no signs that a pooled sample contains the coronavirus, the group of people tested are considered negative. A positive result requires each sample to be tested individually.
The testing method is a new option; however, it won't deliver results more quickly. That's a hurdle for labs struggling to keep pace in hot spot communities. Read more here.
– Ken Alltucker
More COVID-19 resources from USA TODAY
On Facebook: There's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. Join our Facebook group, "Coronavirus Watch," to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19.
In your inbox: Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network. Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter here.
Tips for coping: Every Saturday and Tuesday we'll be in your inbox, offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times. Sign up for Staying Apart, Together here.
Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-07-27--New Jersey police spent nearly five hours breaking up house party of over 700 people

JACKSON , NJ — Police spent nearly five hours Sunday night and into early Monday breaking up a house party with more than 700 attendees , according to a statement from New Jersey 's Jackson Police Department .
At around 8:30 p.m. Sunday , Jackson police responded to the house on a report of a suspicious incident , according to the statement .
After speaking to neighborhood residents , police said eventually the crowd `` grew to an estimate excess of 700 people with well over 100 vehicles parked in the area , '' according to the statement .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he told officers that he had `` rented out the residence on Airbnb and was hosting a large party , '' according to the statement .
As the crowd continued to grow , police said the homeowner left the area , as `` 200 additional people arrived at the residence and the party began to expand . ''
Word of the party grew on Instagram .
A flyer advertised on Instagram billed the event as a Liberian Independence Day party complete with a twerking contest and free food and jungle juice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ drinking and smoking what appears to be hookah inside the mansion .
The homeowner , Yaakov Weiss , 40 , of Jackson Township and two party organizers — Patience Guanue , 23 and Alicia Hinneh , 22 , both of Newark , NJ — were issued summonses related to the party for violating Gov .
Phil Murphy 's executive order limiting the number of people who can gather in one place , according to a statement from the Jackson Police Department .
The party 's organizers did not immediately respond to a request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grow , Jackson police began receiving 911 calls from other homeowners in the area reporting disturbances and trespassing , according to the statement .
To disperse the crowd , Jackson Police received help from Ocean County and police in surrounding towns , as well as the New Jersey State Police , according to the statement .
While clearing the area , police received a 911 call from a neighborhood resident who said people who had left the party had broken into their residence and were damaging property .
But police said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the caller who had been at the original party and invited people back to his house .
Police responded and cleared the house .
It took until approximately 1 a.m. for the officers to clear the residences of the party attendees and all of the vehicles from the neighborhood without any further incidents , according to the statement .

New Jersey police spent nearly five hours breaking up house party of over 700 people
Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus: How R-0 can be used to fight COVID-19 R-0 may be the most important scientific term you’ve never heard of when it comes to stopping the coronavirus pandemic. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
JACKSON, NJ — Police spent nearly five hours Sunday night and into early Monday breaking up a house party with more than 700 attendees, according to a statement from New Jersey's Jackson Police Department.
At around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Jackson police responded to the house on a report of a suspicious incident, according to the statement.
After speaking to neighborhood residents, police said eventually the crowd "grew to an estimate excess of 700 people with well over 100 vehicles parked in the area," according to the statement.
The owner of the house was contacted, and he told officers that he had "rented out the residence on Airbnb and was hosting a large party," according to the statement. As the crowd continued to grow, police said the homeowner left the area, as "200 additional people arrived at the residence and the party began to expand."
Word of the party grew on Instagram.
A flyer advertised on Instagram billed the event as a Liberian Independence Day party complete with a twerking contest and free food and jungle juice. Videos on Instagram show people dancing, drinking and smoking what appears to be hookah inside the mansion.
The homeowner, Yaakov Weiss, 40, of Jackson Township and two party organizers — Patience Guanue, 23 and Alicia Hinneh, 22, both of Newark, NJ — were issued summonses related to the party for violating Gov. Phil Murphy's executive order limiting the number of people who can gather in one place, according to a statement from the Jackson Police Department.
The party's organizers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As the crowd continued to grow, Jackson police began receiving 911 calls from other homeowners in the area reporting disturbances and trespassing, according to the statement.
To disperse the crowd, Jackson Police received help from Ocean County and police in surrounding towns, as well as the New Jersey State Police, according to the statement.
While clearing the area, police received a 911 call from a neighborhood resident who said people who had left the party had broken into their residence and were damaging property. But police said they determined it was a family member of the caller who had been at the original party and invited people back to his house. Police responded and cleared the house.
It took until approximately 1 a.m. for the officers to clear the residences of the party attendees and all of the vehicles from the neighborhood without any further incidents, according to the statement.
The investigation is continuing.
Follow Keith Schubert on Twitter at @keithsch94.


usatoday--2020-07-28--Sen. Tom Cotton under fire for comments on slavery, attacks on NYT's 1619 Project

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tom Cotton , R-Ark.
, came under fire over the weekend for comments he made in an interview published Sunday , in which he said that the country 's Founding Fathers believed enslaving Black people was a `` necessary evil . ''
He made the claim in a Friday interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette while discussing his proposed legislation that would prohibit federal funding for schools from going toward teaching The New York Times ' 1619 Project as part of their curriculum .
`` We have to study the history of slavery and its role and impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise we can ’ t understand our country , '' Cotton said .
`` As the Founding Fathers said , it was the necessary evil upon which the union was built , but the union was built in a way , as Lincoln said , to put slavery on the course to its ultimate extinction . ''
The Arkansas Republican was criticized online by those who viewed his remarks as an endorsement of the idea that slavery was a `` necessary evil . ''
Cotton later pushed back by saying he was only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he believes .
In his interview , Cotton claimed that the 1619 Project , which commemorated the 400th anniversary of slavery 's beginning in America , framed the U.S. as an `` irredeemably corrupt , rotten and racist country '' and that it would teach students to `` hate America . ''
The 1619 Project was published in August of 2019 and outlined the role and legacy of slavery from the first date enslaved Africans stepped foot in what would later be established as the United States of America through its lingering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said the project unfairly posits that the country 's very foundation was racist .
But Nikole Hannah-Jones , who spearheaded the 1619 Project and won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary , said on Twitter , `` The fight here is about who gets to control the national narrative , and therefore , the nation ’ s shared memory of itself . ''
Hannah-Jones said on Twitter Sunday that , `` If chattel slavery — heritable , generational , permanent , race-based slavery where it was legal to rape , torture , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 'necessary evil ' as @ TomCottonAR says , it ’ s hard to imagine what can not be justified if it is a means to an end . ''
Cotton replied that describing the founders ' views is `` not endorsing or justifying slavery . ''
Hannah-Jones argued , as did many other critics , that the word `` as '' in Cotton 's statement `` denotes agreement . ''
`` Were the Founders right or wrong , @ TomCottonAR , when they called slavery a 'necessary evil upon which the Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree with their assessment of slavery as necessary or you admit they were lying and it was just an evil and dishonorable choice .
Which ? ''
Hannah-Jones said .
The Pulitzer Center put forth a collection of resources to help bring the 1619 Project 's findings into school classrooms , in an aim to `` reframe U.S. history by marking the year when the first enslaved Africans arrived on Virginia soil as our nation 's foundational date . ''
According to Hannah-Jones , `` the curriculum is supplementary and can not and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curriculum ( which is pretty terrible but none of these folks seem concerned about that . )
Teachers have used it in English , social studies , art , foods classes . ''
Cotton said , `` The New York Times should not be teaching American history to our kids . ''
Cotton has recently railed against The New York Times after its editorial page director James Bennet resigned in June over an op-ed the outlet published written by the Arkansas senator .
A review after its publication by the Times found the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and should not have been published . ''
The op-ed , titled , `` Send in the Troops , '' argued that President Donald Trump should invoke the Insurrection Act to quell demonstrations against racism and police brutality that had in some cases become violent across the country .
The 1807 act would allow the president to use active-duty forces when governors request assistance to put down an insurrection .
In a statement , Times spokesperson Jordan Cohen told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the resource put forth by the outlet and the Pulitzer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers that the history of slavery is not adequately taught .
`` We believe it is important for American students to understand the truth about their country ’ s history .
To paraphrase the historian Alfred F. Young , we should not be so protective of the achievements of equality that we are unwilling to come to grips with inequality , '' Cohen said .
Cotton was asked about his comments on Monday morning 's Fox & Friends .
Host Brian Kilmeade read Cotton 's quote about the Founding Fathers as published by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Some say that was insensitive . ''
`` That is fake news , Brian , that is not what I said , '' Cotton responded without clarifying what part he believes was a misquote .
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette later published the audio recording of Cotton 's interview , which included the quote .
`` What I said is that many founders believed that only with the union and the Constitution could we put slavery on the path to its ultimate extinction .
That 's exactly what Lincoln said , '' Cotton continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evil institution in all its forms , at all times .
In America 's past or around the world today .
But the fundamental moral principle of America is right there in the Declaration , 'all men are created equal . '
And the history of America is the long and sometimes difficult struggle to live up to that principle , '' Cotton told Fox & Friends .
`` That 's a history we ought to be proud of , not the historical revisionism of the 1619 Project , which wants to indoctrinate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hate America . ''

Sen. Tom Cotton under fire for comments on slavery, attacks on NYT's 1619 Project
Show Caption Hide Caption John Lewis: colleagues honor the civil rights icon at the US Capitol John Lewis, civil rights champion and the 'conscience of Congress,' was honored by his colleagues at the US Capitol. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., came under fire over the weekend for comments he made in an interview published Sunday, in which he said that the country's Founding Fathers believed enslaving Black people was a "necessary evil."
He made the claim in a Friday interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette while discussing his proposed legislation that would prohibit federal funding for schools from going toward teaching The New York Times' 1619 Project as part of their curriculum.
"We have to study the history of slavery and its role and impact on the development of our country because otherwise we can’t understand our country," Cotton said. "As the Founding Fathers said, it was the necessary evil upon which the union was built, but the union was built in a way, as Lincoln said, to put slavery on the course to its ultimate extinction."
The Arkansas Republican was criticized online by those who viewed his remarks as an endorsement of the idea that slavery was a "necessary evil." Cotton later pushed back by saying he was only stating what the founders believed, not what he believes.
In his interview, Cotton claimed that the 1619 Project, which commemorated the 400th anniversary of slavery's beginning in America, framed the U.S. as an "irredeemably corrupt, rotten and racist country" and that it would teach students to "hate America."
Could Black Americans get reparations for centuries of slavery? Lawmakers have been trying to pass reparation bills for descendants of slaves. Here's why it's taken so long - and how it might work. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The 1619 Project was published in August of 2019 and outlined the role and legacy of slavery from the first date enslaved Africans stepped foot in what would later be established as the United States of America through its lingering effects in the present day.
Conservatives have said the project unfairly posits that the country's very foundation was racist. But Nikole Hannah-Jones, who spearheaded the 1619 Project and won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary, said on Twitter, "The fight here is about who gets to control the national narrative, and therefore, the nation’s shared memory of itself."
Hannah-Jones said on Twitter Sunday that, "If chattel slavery — heritable, generational, permanent, race-based slavery where it was legal to rape, torture, and sell human beings for profit — were a 'necessary evil' as @TomCottonAR says, it’s hard to imagine what cannot be justified if it is a means to an end."
Cotton replied that describing the founders' views is "not endorsing or justifying slavery."
Hannah-Jones argued, as did many other critics, that the word "as" in Cotton's statement "denotes agreement."
This is the definition of fake news.
I said that *the Founders viewed slavery as a necessary evil* and described how they put the evil institution on the path to extinction, a point frequently made by Lincoln. https://t.co/SaWTTlMO7w — Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) July 26, 2020
"Were the Founders right or wrong, @TomCottonAR, when they called slavery a 'necessary evil upon which the Union was built'? Because either you agree with their assessment of slavery as necessary or you admit they were lying and it was just an evil and dishonorable choice. Which?" Hannah-Jones said.
The Pulitzer Center put forth a collection of resources to help bring the 1619 Project's findings into school classrooms, in an aim to "reframe U.S. history by marking the year when the first enslaved Africans arrived on Virginia soil as our nation's foundational date."
According to Hannah-Jones, "the curriculum is supplementary and cannot and was never intended to supplant US history curriculum (which is pretty terrible but none of these folks seem concerned about that.) Teachers have used it in English, social studies, art, foods classes."
Cotton said, "The New York Times should not be teaching American history to our kids."
Cotton has recently railed against The New York Times after its editorial page director James Bennet resigned in June over an op-ed the outlet published written by the Arkansas senator. A review after its publication by the Times found the op-ed "fell short of our standards and should not have been published."
The op-ed, titled, "Send in the Troops," argued that President Donald Trump should invoke the Insurrection Act to quell demonstrations against racism and police brutality that had in some cases become violent across the country. The 1807 act would allow the president to use active-duty forces when governors request assistance to put down an insurrection.
In a statement, Times spokesperson Jordan Cohen told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the resource put forth by the outlet and the Pulitzer Center was meant to address concerns from teachers that the history of slavery is not adequately taught.
"We believe it is important for American students to understand the truth about their country’s history. To paraphrase the historian Alfred F. Young, we should not be so protective of the achievements of equality that we are unwilling to come to grips with inequality," Cohen said.
Cotton was asked about his comments on Monday morning's Fox & Friends. Host Brian Kilmeade read Cotton's quote about the Founding Fathers as published by the Arkansas paper directly, adding, "Some say that was insensitive."
"That is fake news, Brian, that is not what I said," Cotton responded without clarifying what part he believes was a misquote. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette later published the audio recording of Cotton's interview, which included the quote.
"What I said is that many founders believed that only with the union and the Constitution could we put slavery on the path to its ultimate extinction. That's exactly what Lincoln said," Cotton continued.
"Of course slavery is an evil institution in all its forms, at all times. In America's past or around the world today. But the fundamental moral principle of America is right there in the Declaration, 'all men are created equal.' And the history of America is the long and sometimes difficult struggle to live up to that principle," Cotton told Fox & Friends.
"That's a history we ought to be proud of, not the historical revisionism of the 1619 Project, which wants to indoctrinate America’s kids and teach them to hate America."


usatoday--2020-07-27--People in several states mailed unsolicited packets of seeds that may be from China, officials say

Officials in several states said residents have reported receiving unsolicited packages of seeds in the mail that appear to be sent from China and are urging the public not to plant them .
The agriculture departments in Washington , Louisiana , Kansas and Virginia have recently issued statements warning residents that the seeds may be invasive or otherwise harmful to local plants or livestock .
People in Utah , Arizona and Ohio have also reported receiving the mysterious packages , local news outlets reported .
Some of the packages were labeled as jewelry and may have Chinese writing on them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Culley , who lives in Tooele , Utah , told Fox 13 she was excited to find two small packages in her mailbox that appeared to contain earrings .
Start the day smarter : Get USA TODAY 's Daily Briefing in your inbox “ I opened them up and they were seeds , ” Culley said .
“ Obviously they ’ re not jewelry.
” Culley told the outlet she posted about the strange incident on Facebook , and “ at least 40 people ” reached out to her saying something similar happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry , asked residents to notify his department if they receive unsolicited packages of seeds , he said in a statement Friday .
“ Right now , we are uncertain what types of seeds are in the package , ” Strain said .
`` We need to identify the seeds to ensure they do not pose a risk to Louisiana ’ s agricultural industry or the environment.
” The Washington State Department of Agriculture warned residents not to plant or open the sealed packages and urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` agricultural smuggling '' to the U.S. Agriculture Department in a statement .
The USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Police in Whitehouse , Ohio , said the seeds appear to be connected to an online scam and are not `` directly dangerous . ''
“ A brushing scam is an exploit by a vendor used to bolster product ratings and increase visibility online by shipping an inexpensive product to an unwitting receiver and then submitting positive reviews on the receiver ’ s behalf under the guise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department said in a statement .
Still , the police department advised residents to contact them so they can `` properly dispose of the seeds . ''

People in nearly 30 states mailed unsolicited packets of seeds that may be from China, officials say
Show Caption Hide Caption Seeds sent to random Americans may be from China Agriculture officials are asking people to not plant these seeds, as they could wreak havoc on the environment. Fox - 10 Phoenix
Officials in several states said residents have reported receiving unsolicited packages of seeds in the mail that appear to be sent from China and are urging the public not to plant them.
The agriculture departments in 30 states have recently issued statements warning residents about the seeds: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia,Washington, and Wyoming.
People in Utah, Arizona and Ohio have also reported receiving the mysterious packages, local news outlets reported.
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USDA advice: What to do if you've received unsolicited seeds from China
Some of the packages were labeled as jewelry and may have Chinese writing on them, according to agriculture officials.
Lori Culley, who lives in Tooele, Utah, told Fox 13 she was excited to find two small packages in her mailbox that appeared to contain earrings.
“I opened them up and they were seeds,” Culley said. “Obviously they’re not jewelry.”
Culley told the outlet she posted about the strange incident on Facebook, and “at least 40 people” reached out to her saying something similar happened to them.
Sid Miller, Texas agriculture commissioner, urged Texans not to plant these seeds, as they could contain harmful invasive species or be otherwise unsafe, according to a release. Invasive species are organisms not native to a certain region. The introduction of invasive species could cause the destruction of native crops, introduce diseases to native plants and could be dangerous to livestock.
“An invasive plant species might not sound threatening, but these small invaders could destroy Texas agriculture," Miller said in the release. The Texas Department of Agriculture "has been working closely with USDA to analyze these unknown seeds so we can protect Texas residents.”
Mail scam hits Texas: Found unsolicited seeds from China in the mail? Do not plant them, officials warn
Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, asked residents to notify his department if they receive unsolicited packages of seeds in a statement Friday.
“Right now, we are uncertain what types of seeds are in the package,” Strain said. "We need to identify the seeds to ensure they do not pose a risk to Louisiana’s agricultural industry or the environment.”
The Washington State Department of Agriculture warned residents not to plant or open the sealed packages and urged them to report the incident, known as "agricultural smuggling" to the U.S. Agriculture Department in a statement.
A spokesperson for the USDA said the department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is aware that people across the country have received the packages and urged anyone who does to contact their state plant regulatory official and keep the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, until they receive further instruction.
"At this time, we don’t have any evidence indicating this is something other than a “brushing scam” where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales," the statement said. "USDA is currently collecting seed packages from recipients and will test their contents and determine if they contain anything that could be of concern to U.S. agriculture or the environment."
Contributing: Alana Edgin, San Angelo Standard-Times
Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg


usatoday--2020-07-28--The Chainsmokers face backlash for packed 'drive-in' charity concert: 'Straight up irresponsible'

The Chainsmokers are under fire for performing at a jam-packed charity concert in the Hamptons over the weekend as coronavirus cases continue to surge in the U.S .
The EDM-pop duo , made up of members Alex Pall and Drew Taggart , performed for thousands of people in Water Mill , N.Y. during a fundraiser event Saturday that was billed as a `` Safe & Sound '' gathering that `` follows all social distancing guidelines , '' according to the event website .
Event organizers sold tickets for 600 vehicles and accompanying guests to enjoy the `` tailgate experience '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20-foot area .
`` Guests may not leave there ( sic ) … area for GA unless using a restroom ( mask required ) , '' the website adds .
However , social media footage from the event told a different story .
A video from the group 's manager , Adam Alpert , that has circulated online showed a massive crowd of people gathered in front of the stage within six feet of one another , despite the event claiming to `` meet all local health and safety standards , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was labeled `` straight up irresponsible '' by some fans .
`` This irresponsibility of the chainsmokers having any sort of event in the current climate is absolutely appalling , '' tweeted @ positivesteven .
`` I am not ok with you risking everyone 's lives just so they can watch you press a space bar all night . ''
Jesse McLaren added , `` Fitting that The Chainsmokers are causing permanent lung damage , '' referring to side effects from COVID-19 .
More : Kelsea Ballerini calls out Chase Rice for performing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said he was `` greatly disturbed '' by the event and announced the New York State Department of Health is opening an investigation .
`` I am at a loss as to how the Town of Southampton could have issued a permit for such an event , how they believed it was legal and not an obvious public health threat , '' Zucker wrote to Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman in a letter obtained by USA TODAY .
Despite footage of a massive crowd , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` social distancing guidelines '' were followed in a statement to Yahoo Entertainment .
`` The event organizers followed all proper and current protocol , '' organizers In the Know Experiences and Invisible Noise said , `` including spacing each spot more than six feet apart , positioning sanitizing stations throughout the open grounds , temperature checks for all attendees , sanitization of restrooms every 10 minutes , local security enforcing guests to wear their masks both in and out of their designated areas , contact tracing , clearly marked parking zones , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon arrival . ''
All funds raised from the `` drive-in '' were donated to No Kid Hungry and Southampton Fresh Air Home and Children ’ s Medical Fund of New York , the statement added .
USA TODAY reached out the Chainsmokers for comment .

The Chainsmokers face backlash for packed 'drive-in' charity concert: 'Straight up irresponsible'
Show Caption Hide Caption 'Chainsmokers' share heartbreaking message of a fan's passing While on tour, the electro duo shared a heart wrenching moment about the untimely death of a fan. Nathan Rousseau Smith (@fantasticmrnate) has the story. Buzz60
The Chainsmokers are under fire for performing at a jam-packed charity concert in the Hamptons over the weekend as coronavirus cases continue to surge in the U.S.
The EDM-pop duo, made up of members Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, performed for thousands of people in Water Mill, N.Y. during a fundraiser event Saturday that was billed as a "Safe & Sound" gathering that "follows all social distancing guidelines," according to the event website.
Event organizers sold tickets for 600 vehicles and accompanying guests to enjoy the "tailgate experience" safely from the confines of a designated 20-foot area. "Guests may not leave there (sic)… area for GA unless using a restroom (mask required)," the website adds.
However, social media footage from the event told a different story. A video from the group's manager, Adam Alpert, that has circulated online showed a massive crowd of people gathered in front of the stage within six feet of one another, despite the event claiming to "meet all local health and safety standards, as well as state regulations."
Coronavirus cancellations, delays: Tom Cruise's 'Top Gun' sequel, Justin Bieber tour, BookExpo, Journey tour
The group was labeled "straight up irresponsible" by some fans.
"This irresponsibility of the chainsmokers having any sort of event in the current climate is absolutely appalling," tweeted @positivesteven. "I am not ok with you risking everyone's lives just so they can watch you press a space bar all night."
Jesse McLaren added, "Fitting that The Chainsmokers are causing permanent lung damage," referring to side effects from COVID-19.
More: Kelsea Ballerini calls out Chase Rice for performing packed concert as coronavirus cases rise
The Chainsmokers had a “Drive-in” concert in the Hamptons last night...looks like social distancing was strongly enforced 🤦🏻♂....when NY gets the inevitable spike just blame these rich selfish white people
Via IG:adamalpert pic.twitter.com/yLe1XaE0hS — Icculus The Brave (@FirenzeMike) July 26, 2020
On Monday, New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said he was "greatly disturbed" by the event and announced the New York State Department of Health is opening an investigation.
"I am at a loss as to how the Town of Southampton could have issued a permit for such an event, how they believed it was legal and not an obvious public health threat," Zucker wrote to Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman in a letter obtained by USA TODAY.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said he is “appalled” by the crowds in a tweet Monday that included a video of the concert. He added that the state Department of Health will conduct an investigation into “egregious social distancing violations.”
“We have no tolerance for the illegal reckless endangerment of public health,” reads the governor’s Monday night tweet.
Videos from a concert held in Southampton on Saturday show egregious social distancing violations. I am appalled.
The Department of Health will conduct an investigation.
We have no tolerance for the illegal & reckless endangerment of public health.pic.twitter.com/gf9kggdo8w — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 28, 2020
Cuomo warned in a Tuesday call with reporters that violations of public health law can result in civil fines and a potential for criminal liability.
Cuomo questioned why local law enforcement didn’t break up that was “out of control and all the rules were being violated.” He said the state’s investigation will look at the role of local leaders and reports of “ongoing” violations in the village of Southampton.
Despite footage of a massive crowd, the event organizers doubled down, insisting "social distancing guidelines" were followed in a statement to USA TODAY.
"The event organizers followed all proper and current protocol," organizers In the Know Experiences and Invisible Noise said, "including spacing each spot more than six feet apart, positioning sanitizing stations throughout the open grounds, temperature checks for all attendees, sanitization of restrooms every 10 minutes, local security enforcing guests to wear their masks both in and out of their designated areas, contact tracing, clearly marked parking zones, as well as providing complimentary face masks upon arrival."
All funds raised from the "drive-in" were donated to No Kid Hungry and Southampton Fresh Air Home and Children’s Medical Fund of New York, the statement added.
USA TODAY reached out the Chainsmokers for comment.
Contributing: The Associated Press
More: Why Chase Rice's packed country concert roiled the industry and left fellow stars fuming


usatoday--2020-07-27--Dr. Anthony Fauci first-pitch baseball card breaks Topps record for sales in just 24 hours

It was on sale for only 24 hours , but it broke company records .
The Topps NOW limited edition baseball trading card featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , set an all-time print record run for the franchise , selling 51,512 cards , the company said .
`` We ’ re excited by the popularity of Dr. Fauci ’ s Topps NOW card , '' Emily Kless , Topps communications manager said in an email .
`` Topps prides itself on capturing the unique moments of the MLB season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Dr. Fauci ’ s inclusion in this year ’ s Topps NOW cards is just one way in which we are highlighting the uniqueness of the 2020 season . ''
The company 's previous record was for a card of Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. , which sold 19,396 copies and featured Guerrero 's first hit .
The card features a photo of Fauci throwing out the first pitch during last Thursday 's MLB season opening game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home plate , wearing a Nationals jersey and hat and a mask that commemorates the team 's 2019 World Series Championship .
Fauci 's pitch was well off the mark and hurtled short and to the left of the home plate circle .
The card sold for $ 9.99 .
The back of the card calls Fauci an `` ardent Washington Nationals fan '' and that his pitch `` signaled the official start of the 2020 MLB season . ''
Fauci , the country 's leading expert of infectious diseases , has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task force and has helped craft policy surrounding the United States ' response to the pandemic .
`` I feel a little embarrassed and humbled , '' Fauci told CNN about the card sales .
`` I hope that Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle are not looking up at me saying , ‘ What the heck is going on here ?
’ ``

Dr. Anthony Fauci first-pitch baseball card breaks Topps record for sales in just 24 hours
Show Caption Hide Caption Bold predictions for the wildest MLB season ever SportsPulse: This MLB season is going to be unpredictable. Our experts do their best with the boldest predictions for the 60-game sprint. USA TODAY
It was on sale for only 24 hours, but it broke company records.
The Topps NOW limited edition baseball trading card featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, set an all-time print record run for the franchise, selling 51,512 cards, the company said.
"We’re excited by the popularity of Dr. Fauci’s Topps NOW card," Emily Kless, Topps communications manager said in an email. "Topps prides itself on capturing the unique moments of the MLB season, one baseball card at a time, and Dr. Fauci’s inclusion in this year’s Topps NOW cards is just one way in which we are highlighting the uniqueness of the 2020 season."
The company's previous record was for a card of Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., which sold 19,396 copies and featured Guerrero's first hit.
The card features a photo of Fauci throwing out the first pitch during last Thursday's MLB season opening game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees. In the image, Fauci is shown from behind home plate, wearing a Nationals jersey and hat and a mask that commemorates the team's 2019 World Series Championship.
Fauci's pitch was well off the mark and hurtled short and to the left of the home plate circle.
The card sold for $9.99. The back of the card calls Fauci an "ardent Washington Nationals fan" and that his pitch "signaled the official start of the 2020 MLB season."
Fauci, the country's leading expert of infectious diseases, has been a member of the White House coronavirus task force and has helped craft policy surrounding the United States' response to the pandemic.
"I feel a little embarrassed and humbled," Fauci told CNN about the card sales. "I hope that Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle are not looking up at me saying, ‘What the heck is going on here?’ "


usatoday--2020-07-27--She was 13 when a beaten John Lewis arrived at her Alabama family's home, seeking refuge

MONTGOMERY , Ala. – Valda Harris Montgomery was 13 when John Lewis showed up in the wee hours of the morning at her parents ' house , beaten , bloodied , exhausted and looking for refuge from a white mob .
Her parents opened the door to their home .
She remembers Lewis and other Freedom Riders walking through the hallway and collapsing in the kitchen .
She didn ’ t know why they were there or that they had been attacked when they arrived in the city while trying to integrate the interstate bus system or that a crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby church until federal troops arrived .
But she wasn ’ t surprised to see them .
“ This was such a normalcy , ” Montgomery said about that night in 1961 .
“ This was our normal way of life , so it was not a surprise that people were in the house.
” John Lewis : A nation he helped unite salutes him on his final journey across Selma bridge Her father , drugstore owner Richard Harris , was a former Tuskegee Airman who had organized rides during the Montgomery bus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and from work .
Martin Luther King Jr. lived a few doors down for most of her childhood .
Montgomery remembers her father swearing his kids to secrecy as the Freedom Riders met in upstairs rooms to plan their next move .
“ It was just , ‘ You don ’ t tell anybody where they are.
’ You didn ’ t ask any questions , ” she said .
Lewis and the other Freedom Riders left a few days later and got back on the bus , headed for the next stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realize the enormity of what happened in her house until decades later .
It was the same with King , whom she thought of as “ good old Rev .
King from down the street.
” She remembers opening the door to King ’ s house one day and being surprised to see him in bandages – she learned years later that he had been stabbed during a book signing .
At the time , he urged her to give him a hug anyway .
She was in Washington for the unveiling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw it .
“ I didn ’ t see this man , ” she said , crossing her arms .
“ I saw the man in the doorway.
” Montgomery ’ s father died in the 1970s .
Lewis kept coming back through the years to visit with her mother , Vera Harris , and thank her .
Lewis took congressional leaders into the rooms where the Freedom Riders met and pointed at the spot where he sat .
Opinion : How we can work together to overcome systemic racism He helped dedicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home in 2006 and spoke about how courageous the family was to open the door .
It was the first time Montgomery realized the gravity of those days .
Vera Harris sat on her front porch telling stories of the neighbors and friends she knew over the years until she died at 96 last year .
Sunday , Montgomery sat in that porch swing and told stories of the past as crowds lined up to say goodbye to Lewis at the Alabama Capitol building a few blocks away .
“ To watch the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ To see how a population of people could hate you so much that they would beat you almost to death , and not just on one occasion , and then to see the people gather from Selma and Montgomery and in motorcades to pay homage to him and his life , it ’ s so rewarding to see .
“ I think my mom would probably say he was due this . ''

She was 13 when a beaten John Lewis arrived at her Alabama family's home, seeking refuge
Show Caption Hide Caption She was 13 when a bloodied John Lewis arrived at her home, looking for refuge Valda Harris Montgomery describes seeing the Freedom Riders enter her parents' Montgomery home in 1961 to hide from a white mob. Brad Harper, Montgomery Advertiser
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Valda Harris Montgomery was 13 when John Lewis showed up in the wee hours of the morning at her parents' house, beaten, bloodied, exhausted and looking for refuge from a white mob. Her parents opened the door to their home.
She remembers Lewis and other Freedom Riders walking through the hallway and collapsing in the kitchen. She didn’t know why they were there or that they had been attacked when they arrived in the city while trying to integrate the interstate bus system or that a crowd had pinned them down overnight in a nearby church until federal troops arrived.
But she wasn’t surprised to see them.
“This was such a normalcy,” Montgomery said about that night in 1961. “This was our normal way of life, so it was not a surprise that people were in the house.”
John Lewis: A nation he helped unite salutes him on his final journey across Selma bridge
Her father, drugstore owner Richard Harris, was a former Tuskegee Airman who had organized rides during the Montgomery bus boycott, helping to get people to and from work. Martin Luther King Jr. lived a few doors down for most of her childhood.
Montgomery remembers her father swearing his kids to secrecy as the Freedom Riders met in upstairs rooms to plan their next move. “It was just, ‘You don’t tell anybody where they are.’ You didn’t ask any questions,” she said.
Lewis and the other Freedom Riders left a few days later and got back on the bus, headed for the next stop.
Montgomery said she didn’t realize the enormity of what happened in her house until decades later.
It was the same with King, whom she thought of as “good old Rev. King from down the street.” She remembers opening the door to King’s house one day and being surprised to see him in bandages – she learned years later that he had been stabbed during a book signing. At the time, he urged her to give him a hug anyway.
She was in Washington for the unveiling of his monument and was shocked when she saw it. “I didn’t see this man,” she said, crossing her arms. “I saw the man in the doorway.”
Montgomery’s father died in the 1970s. Lewis kept coming back through the years to visit with her mother, Vera Harris, and thank her. Lewis took congressional leaders into the rooms where the Freedom Riders met and pointed at the spot where he sat.
Opinion: How we can work together to overcome systemic racism
He helped dedicate a historical marker in front of the home in 2006 and spoke about how courageous the family was to open the door. It was the first time Montgomery realized the gravity of those days.
Vera Harris sat on her front porch telling stories of the neighbors and friends she knew over the years until she died at 96 last year.
Sunday, Montgomery sat in that porch swing and told stories of the past as crowds lined up to say goodbye to Lewis at the Alabama Capitol building a few blocks away.
“To watch the events of today is a little surreal,” she said. “To see how a population of people could hate you so much that they would beat you almost to death, and not just on one occasion, and then to see the people gather from Selma and Montgomery and in motorcades to pay homage to him and his life, it’s so rewarding to see.
“I think my mom would probably say he was due this."
Follow reporter Brad Harper on Twitter: @BradMGM