usatoday--2020-11-09--United is bringing back food, beer and wine. Here's what is (and isn't) on the pandemic menu at US a

Flying during the pandemic has been a bring-your-own food and ( soft ) drinks affair when traveling in economy .
Airlines ditched or significantly scaled back in-flight food and drink service shortly after the coronavirus crisis began to reduce contact between flight attendants and travelers and the risk of spreading the contagious virus .
The lack of snacks , meals and drinks was n't a big deal in the beginning because so few travelers were boarding planes , but as travel slowly starts to rebound , some travelers are wondering when in-flight service will resume , especially on longer flights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve a thing , including water , during the pandemic because it encourages passengers to take their masks off . )
Eight months into the pandemic , United Airlines is tiptoeing back in .
Beginning Nov. 17 , the Chicago-based airline plans to start selling food , beer and wine in economy on select flights from its Denver hub .
The test will include passengers on flights from Denver to eight destinations : Boston ; Chicago ; Honolulu ; Houston ; Los Angeles ; Newark , New Jersey ; San Francisco ; and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offering economy passengers on domestic flights 2 hours and 20 minutes or longer a complimentary snack bag with two snacks and a small bottle of water .
Passengers on all flights receive complimentary soft drinks .
No alcohol is available in regular economy and that will remain the case except on the select flights out of Denver .
The decision to start selling food , beer and wine again stems from feedback from customers that in-flight service is `` an important part of their travel experience , '' United spokeswoman Christine Salamone said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinic to develop a `` touchless '' digital payment system when buying the snacks and drinks .
Travelers who want to buy food and drinks will have to store their credit card information in United 's mobile app or on its website so there wo n't be exchange of credit cards in flight .
Alaska Airlines heard similar feedback from passengers , so it started selling fruit-and-cheese platters Nov. 4. on select flights .
Platters are $ 8 and must be preordered on the airline 's mobile app or website at least 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credit card .
Just do n't BYOB : Airlines admonish passengers not to bring their own alcohol Here 's what other US airlines are serving in economy during the pandemic Allegiant Airlines : Food , soft drinks and alcohol for sale via the airline 's mobile app .
Alaska Airlines : Complimentary soft drinks , water and ( on morning flights ) coffee and tea .
On flights over about three hours , passengers have the option to preorder an $ 8 fruit-and-cheese platter .
American Airlines : Complimentary water and snack on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ½ hours .
Passengers on longer flights receive Biscoff cookies or pretzels plus water and canned soft drinks or juice .
Hawaiian Airlines : Complimentary sandwich and select soft drinks on most flights between the mainland and Hawaii .
Passengers on flights between New York and Boston and Hawaii are also served coffee and tea and can purchase alcoholic beverages .
JetBlue Airways : Complimentary snacks and a limited lineup of soft drinks plus select prepackaged snack boxes for sale .
Southwest Airlines : Complimentary water and snacks on flights over 250 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Passengers on Hawaii flights receive water and snacks .

United is bringing back food, beer and wine. Here's what is (and isn't) on the pandemic menu at US airlines
Show Caption Hide Caption Holidays 2020: Tips to help keep you stay safe from COVID-19 Holidays are usually for gatherings but many get-togethers are complicated or canceled because of COVID-19. USA TODAY
Flying during the pandemic has been a bring-your-own food and (soft) drinks affair when traveling in economy.
Airlines ditched or significantly scaled back in-flight food and drink service shortly after the coronavirus crisis began to reduce contact between flight attendants and travelers and the risk of spreading the contagious virus.
The lack of snacks, meals and drinks wasn't a big deal in the beginning because so few travelers were boarding planes, but as travel slowly starts to rebound, some travelers are wondering when in-flight service will resume, especially on longer flights. (Others wish airlines wouldn't serve a thing, including water, during the pandemic because it encourages passengers to take their masks off.)
Hi, Mike! We don't have any plans to bring back our drink service yet, but we will continue to evaluate. Of course, our Customers will be the first to know. In the meantime, hang onto those drink coupons so you can use them when things get back to normal! -Austin — Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) November 5, 2020
Eight months into the pandemic, United Airlines is tiptoeing back in.
Beginning Nov. 17, the Chicago-based airline plans to start selling food, beer and wine in economy on select flights from its Denver hub. The test will include passengers on flights from Denver to eight destinations: Boston; Chicago; Honolulu; Houston; Los Angeles; Newark, New Jersey; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C.
United is currently only offering economy passengers on domestic flights 2 hours and 20 minutes or longer a complimentary snack bag with two snacks and a small bottle of water. Passengers on all flights receive complimentary soft drinks. No alcohol is available in regular economy and that will remain the case except on the select flights out of Denver.
The decision to start selling food, beer and wine again stems from feedback from customers that in-flight service is "an important part of their travel experience,'' United spokeswoman Christine Salamone said.
The airline worked with the Cleveland Clinic to develop a "touchless'' digital payment system when buying the snacks and drinks. Travelers who want to buy food and drinks will have to store their credit card information in United's mobile app or on its website so there won't be exchange of credit cards in flight.
Alaska Airlines heard similar feedback from passengers, so it started selling fruit-and-cheese platters Nov. 4. on select flights. Platters are $8 and must be preordered on the airline's mobile app or website at least 20 hours before the flight with a stored credit card.
Just don't BYOB: Airlines admonish passengers not to bring their own alcohol
Here's what other US airlines are serving in economy during the pandemic
Allegiant Airlines: Food, soft drinks and alcohol for sale via the airline's mobile app.
Alaska Airlines: Complimentary soft drinks, water and (on morning flights) coffee and tea. On flights over about three hours, passengers have the option to preorder an $8 fruit-and-cheese platter.
American Airlines: Complimentary water and snack on flights between 2 ½ hours and 4 ½ hours. Passengers on longer flights receive Biscoff cookies or pretzels plus water and canned soft drinks or juice.
Delta Air Lines: Complimentary prepackaged snack and bottled water.
Frontier Airlines: Bottled water for sale.
Hawaiian Airlines: Complimentary sandwich and select soft drinks on most flights between the mainland and Hawaii. Passengers on flights between New York and Boston and Hawaii are also served coffee and tea and can purchase alcoholic beverages.
JetBlue Airways: Complimentary snacks and a limited lineup of soft drinks plus select prepackaged snack boxes for sale.
Southwest Airlines: Complimentary water and snacks on flights over 250 miles. No service on shorter flights. Passengers on Hawaii flights receive water and snacks.
Spirit Airlines: Snacks, soft drinks and alcohol for sale.


usatoday--2020-11-09--Apple set to debut faster MacBooks powered by iPhone chips during Tuesday online event

For years , people have referred to smartphones as a `` computer in your pocket . ''
Now , Apple is taking that literally .
At 1 p.m. EST Tuesday on its website , Apple is expected to show off new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops powered by the same processing chip the company uses in its iPhone and newer iPads , which Apple calls the `` A14 Bionic . ''
It will be the company 's third major product event of the fall following debuts of new iPads and iPhones .
To which , you might be asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an iPhone chip powering it ?
Could a new Mac still process heavy-duty video and photo processing applications like it did with the previous chip , made by computer powerhouse Intel ?
`` Of course , '' says Tim Bajarin , a longtime analyst who has covered Apple since the 1980s , from his perch as president of Creative Strategies .
`` If it was n't faster , Apple would n't be doing it . ''
The pandemic boosted Apple : Company sold more Macs this summer than ever before More iPhone 12s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Max , plus the Xbox , PS5 and HomePod Mini On Apple 's website , the company boasts that the newly released iPad Air , with the A14 chip , `` is faster than most PC laptops . ''
And for the iPhone , the chip has the `` forty percent more transistors rev up speeds while increasing efficiency for great battery life . ''
Daniel Ives , an analyst with Wedbush Securities , says the processors will be `` optimized for the unique heavy duty power characteristics of the company 's laptops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two years to be embedded across the entire Mac product line .
Apple computers start at $ 999 for the basic MacBook Air , $ 1,299 for the 13-inch MacBook or $ 2,399 for the 16-inch MacBook .
The more powerful iMac computers start at $ 1,099 for the 21-inch version , vs. $ 5,000 for the iMac Pro and $ 5,999 for the Mac Pro computer .
Despite offering computers at higher prices than rivals , Apple has found itself on a roll during COVID-19 times , recently announcing a record quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mac computers .
`` Apple continues to see a tidal wave of demand for its iPad and Macs as more consumers expect to see the WFH trend continue for the foreseeable future adding further importance to this week 's virtual event , '' said Ives .
In the earnings announcement , Apple said it sold more Macs than ever before in the July/August/September quarter , a beneficiary of the work and learning from home shift fueled by the coronavirus pandemic .
Apple said it sold $ 9 billion worth of Macs , up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago quarter .
The sales for the iPad also jumped , with revenues of $ 6.8 billion , vs. $ 4.6 billion in the year-ago quarter .
Sales of the flagship iPhone took a hit in the quarter , but that 's because the new iPhones , traditionally released in September , were delayed due to manufacturing issues .
The new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro , released Oct. 23 , were not included in the earnings report .
Two more new iPhones , the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Apple set to debut faster MacBooks powered by iPhone chips during Tuesday online event
Show Caption Hide Caption 5 things to do with your new iPhone 12 right now Did you snag one of Apple's 5G-ready iPhone 12s? Well, then, here are a few ideas on where to start, as you put it through the paces. Marc Saltzman, Special to USA TODAY
For years, people have referred to smartphones as a "computer in your pocket." Now, Apple is taking that literally.
At 1 p.m. EST Tuesday on its website, Apple is expected to show off new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops powered by the same processing chip the company uses in its iPhone and newer iPads, which Apple calls the "A14 Bionic." It will be the company's third major product event of the fall following debuts of new iPads and iPhones.
You might be asking, will the computer be slower with an iPhone chip powering it? Could a new Mac still process heavy-duty video and photo processing applications like it did with the previous chip, made by computer powerhouse Intel?
"Of course," says Tim Bajarin, a longtime analyst who has covered Apple since the 1980s, from his perch as president of Creative Strategies. "If it wasn't faster, Apple wouldn't be doing it."
The pandemic boosted Apple: Company sold more Macs this summer than ever before
More iPhone 12s? Get ready for iPhone 12 Pro Max, plus the Xbox, PS5 and HomePod Mini
On Apple's website, the company boasts that the newly released iPad Air, with the A14 chip, "is faster than most PC laptops." And for the iPhone, the chip has "forty percent more transistors rev up speeds while increasing efficiency for great battery life."
Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, says the processors will be "optimized for the unique heavy-duty power characteristics of the company's laptops," and it will take roughly two years to be embedded across the entire Mac product line.
Apple computers start at $999 for the basic MacBook Air, $1,299 for the 13-inch MacBook, or $2,399 for the 16-inch MacBook. The more powerful iMac computers start at $1,099 for the 21-inch version, vs. $5,000 for the iMac Pro and $5,999 for the Mac Pro computer.
By not paying Intel a license fee for every computer it sells, Bajarin says Apple could start seeing lower prices for Macs, by as much as possibly $50-$100.
Despite offering computers at higher prices than rivals, Apple has found itself on a roll during COVID-19 times, recently announcing a record quarter with higher sales for the iPad and Mac computers.
"Apple continues to see a tidal wave of demand for its iPad and Macs as more consumers expect to see the WFH trend continue for the foreseeable future adding further importance to this week's virtual event," said Ives.
In the earnings announcement, Apple said it sold more Macs than ever before in the July/August/September quarter, a beneficiary of the work and learning from home shift fueled by the coronavirus pandemic.
Apple said it sold $9 billion worth of Macs, up from $6.9 billion in the year-ago quarter.
The sales for the iPad also jumped, with revenues of $6.8 billion, vs. $4.6 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Sales of the flagship iPhone took a hit in the quarter, but that's because the new iPhones, traditionally released in September, were delayed due to manufacturing issues. The new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, released Oct. 23, were not included in the earnings report.
Two more new iPhones, the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, will be released Friday.
Follow USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter


usatoday--2020-11-09--Joe Biden will face more major challenges than any new president since Franklin Roosevelt

It is often said that being an entrepreneur is like rebuilding an airplane while it is in flight .
Becoming president of the United States in January 2021 will be even harder .
When President-elect Joe Biden slips into the pilot ’ s seat , he will be assuming command of a plane in a storm , surrounded by other storms , one whose instrument panel shows at least five major warning lights flashing red .
It will be a task even harder than the one Barack Obama and Biden inherited when they took over an economy in mid-recession .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ such diverse , serious challenges since Franklin D. Roosevelt , who inherited a depression ravaged economy in a deeply divided society trying to navigate in an increasingly dangerous world .
As last week ’ s elections have shown , America remains profoundly divided along political , economic and social lines .
Biden won more votes than any presidential candidate in our history , but President Donald Trump ’ s total was the second highest ever and the GOP has maintained control of the Senate and reduced the Democratic majority in the House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ days The massive challenges before the new administration will require not only creativity and leadership , they will also require winning agreement on a common agenda and ensuring at least a degree of support from both red and blue America .
None of them can be solved by fiat or working on behalf of only a fraction of our states .
Fortunately , this is precisely the approach Biden promised , one largely absent in recent years from our politics .
The future of our country will depend on his ability to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes office Jan. 20 , we will be in the midst of the worst public health crisis since the flu pandemic of 1918 .
We will face a massive economic crisis with over 11 million unemployed .
We will face the existential threat of the climate crisis .
We will be viewed by the world for the first time since World War II as a deeply unreliable partner whose leadership can no longer be counted upon .
And we will be confronting all these crises with a fractured political system that is barely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges facing America and Biden .
In the first 100 days of his presidency , Biden and the new Congress will have to move forward with plans every bit as bold as Roosevelt 's 100 days agenda during the Great Depression .
First , Biden must launch his science-based national plan to contain the COVID crisis .
He must return science to the center of the solution , promote social distancing , mask use and tracing .
And he must assist our cities and states , red and blue alike , as their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This also means assuring all Americans have access to affordable health care and that this crucial guarantee be protected from court action to dilute it .
Next , emergency relief must again be provided to those who have lost their jobs or been displaced by this virus .
This must be a worker-oriented plan designed to preserve and create jobs , especially in hard-hit sectors — from restaurants to travel and tourism , from retail to the arts , large businesses and small .
It means extending assistance for those at risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for those in greatest need .
Do n't underestimate the president-elect : Biden ran a great campaign .
He 'll restore integrity and competence in a post-Trump era .
We need financing approaches that create jobs , such as an infrastructure bank to rebuild the critical infrastructure we have let decay for nearly five decades now .
For an expenditure of just over $ 1 trillion over 10 years and the expertise a dedicated financial institution can provide , we can create jobs and stimulate economic growth in a way that attracts real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also committed to fund development and reward innovation in green technologies — new energy sources , electric vehicles , and broadband .
Moving that forward , along with other steps to address the climate crisis , should also be a first 100 days priority .
Also essential to that development will be investing in the education and training of Americans in the technologies and skill essential to a 21st century economy .
This should include another campaign promise that can win bipartisan support : Making free junior college education across the country and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All of these steps must be taken while dealing with the reality of our broken politics .
Presenting plans that bring benefits to all 50 states will be key .
But the Democrats must also be willing to use all the executive-branch tools at their disposal , as well as developing federal-state-local partnerships , to find solutions where partisan divisions are too great .
This includes reforms that address institutional racism in America and restoring vitality , standards and purpose to institutions both at home and abroad .
This last point is key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United States must show the world that we stand by our friends , stand up to our enemies and remain committed to the rule of law internationally .
A deeply divided nation : Trump 's huge vote total breaks my heart .
I recognize this America and I wish I did not .
These steps are each essential if the next administration is to meet the unprecedented demands of this moment in our history .
The price tag for all of the above is about the same as the $ 3.6 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief .
But importantly , much of it is investment rather than spending — taxpayer dollars that will bring returns for many years to come .
Either we step up now to meet these challenges and frame them as the work of all Americans of both parties , or we risk the further destruction of those things that have made America great , deterioration of competitive standing in the world , limits to our ability to lead , threats to our security and most importantly , further divisions in a society that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
David Rothkopf ( @ djrothkopf ) is host of `` Deep State Radio , '' CEO of the Rothkopf Group media and podcasting company , and a member of USA TODAY 's Board of Contributors .
His latest book , `` Traitor : A History of American Betrayal from Benedict Arnold to Donald Trump , '' came out last month .
Bernnard L. Schwartz is the CEO of BLS Investments , former CEO of Loral Corp. and publisher of the Democracy journal .

David Rothkopf and Bernard Schwartz, Opinion contributors

Joe Biden will face more major challenges than any new president since Franklin Roosevelt From COVID and jobs to climate and US leadership, our broken politics could hobble Biden. Executive power and plans that help all 50 states will be key.
Show Caption Hide Caption How the US votes and why advocates say it needs to change US elections are mainly conducted by 'First Past the Post' voting. Here's why some say this system needs an overhaul. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
It is often said that being an entrepreneur is like rebuilding an airplane while it is in flight. Becoming president of the United States in January 2021 will be even harder.
When President-elect Joe Biden slips into the pilot’s seat, he will be assuming command of a plane in a storm, surrounded by other storms, one whose instrument panel shows at least five major warning lights flashing red. It will be a task even harder than the one Barack Obama and Biden inherited when they took over an economy in mid-recession. In fact, no president has faced such diverse, serious challenges since Franklin D. Roosevelt, who inherited a depression ravaged economy in a deeply divided society trying to navigate in an increasingly dangerous world.
As last week’s elections have shown, America remains profoundly divided along political, economic and social lines. Biden won more votes than any presidential candidate in our history, but President Donald Trump’s total was the second highest ever and the GOP has maintained control of the Senate and reduced the Democratic majority in the House.
Five crises for Biden's first 100 days
The massive challenges before the new administration will require not only creativity and leadership, they will also require winning agreement on a common agenda and ensuring at least a degree of support from both red and blue America. None of them can be solved by fiat or working on behalf of only a fraction of our states. Fortunately, this is precisely the approach Biden promised, one largely absent in recent years from our politics. The future of our country will depend on his ability to live up to this test.
When Biden takes office Jan. 20, we will be in the midst of the worst public health crisis since the flu pandemic of 1918. We will face a massive economic crisis with over 11 million unemployed. We will face the existential threat of the climate crisis. We will be viewed by the world for the first time since World War II as a deeply unreliable partner whose leadership can no longer be counted upon. And we will be confronting all these crises with a fractured political system that is barely functional.
These are the five major challenges facing America and Biden. In the first 100 days of his presidency, Biden and the new Congress will have to move forward with plans every bit as bold as Roosevelt's 100 days agenda during the Great Depression.
First, Biden must launch his science-based national plan to contain the COVID crisis. He must return science to the center of the solution, promote social distancing, mask use and tracing. And he must assist our cities and states, red and blue alike, as their resources are stretched to the limit. This also means assuring all Americans have access to affordable health care and that this crucial guarantee be protected from court action to dilute it.
Next, emergency relief must again be provided to those who have lost their jobs or been displaced by this virus. This must be a worker-oriented plan designed to preserve and create jobs, especially in hard-hit sectors — from restaurants to travel and tourism, from retail to the arts, large businesses and small. It means extending assistance for those at risk of losing their homes and providing cash support for those in greatest need.
Don't underestimate the president-elect: Biden ran a great campaign. He'll restore integrity and competence in a post-Trump era.
We need financing approaches that create jobs, such as an infrastructure bank to rebuild the critical infrastructure we have let decay for nearly five decades now. For an expenditure of just over $1 trillion over 10 years and the expertise a dedicated financial institution can provide, we can create jobs and stimulate economic growth in a way that attracts real bipartisan support.
Further, Biden has also committed to fund development and reward innovation in green technologies — new energy sources, electric vehicles, and broadband. Moving that forward, along with other steps to address the climate crisis, should also be a first 100 days priority.
Also essential to that development will be investing in the education and training of Americans in the technologies and skill essential to a 21st century economy. This should include another campaign promise that can win bipartisan support: Making free junior college education across the country and making life-long learning an affordable reality.
Plans that benefit all 50 states
All of these steps must be taken while dealing with the reality of our broken politics. Presenting plans that bring benefits to all 50 states will be key. But the Democrats must also be willing to use all the executive-branch tools at their disposal, as well as developing federal-state-local partnerships, to find solutions where partisan divisions are too great. This includes reforms that address institutional racism in America and restoring vitality, standards and purpose to institutions both at home and abroad. This last point is key when it comes to foreign relations. The United States must show the world that we stand by our friends, stand up to our enemies and remain committed to the rule of law internationally.
A deeply divided nation: Trump's huge vote total breaks my heart. I recognize this America and I wish I did not.
These steps are each essential if the next administration is to meet the unprecedented demands of this moment in our history. The price tag for all of the above is about the same as the $3.6 trillion the nation has already spent on COVID relief. But importantly, much of it is investment rather than spending — taxpayer dollars that will bring returns for many years to come.
Either we step up now to meet these challenges and frame them as the work of all Americans of both parties, or we risk the further destruction of those things that have made America great, deterioration of competitive standing in the world, limits to our ability to lead, threats to our security and most importantly, further divisions in a society that is in desperate need of healing and rebirth.
David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) is host of "Deep State Radio," CEO of the Rothkopf Group media and podcasting company, and a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors. His latest book, "Traitor: A History of American Betrayal from Benedict Arnold to Donald Trump," came out last month. Bernnard L. Schwartz is the CEO of BLS Investments, former CEO of Loral Corp. and publisher of the Democracy journal.


usatoday--2020-11-09--How Biden won: Victory in Pennsylvania put him past 270 electoral votes

WASHINGTON — Democratic nominee Joe Biden surpassed 270 electoral votes and secured the race for president Saturday after Pennsylvania , where his lead keeps growing as more absentee ballots are counted , was finally called for the former vice president .
Biden clinched a victory in Nevada soon after , giving him 290 electoral votes .
Georgia , where Biden now leads by more than 7,000 votes , is headed for a recount .
If he wins it , Biden would finish with 306 electoral votes .
President Donald Trump has no more pathways to victory .
Biden , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeat an incumbent president since Bill Clinton defeated George H. W. Bush in 1992 .
His running-mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , will become the first woman , African American and South Asian American vice president .
North Carolina , where Biden trails , remains uncalled as election officials prepare to count absentee ballots over the coming days .
Alaska is n't called but is expected to go for Trump .
Even if Trump were to win both , it would be enough for the president .
The Associated Press and multiple news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes for Biden after his lead reached more than 30,000 votes , a large enough margin to withstand any more votes that could go to Trump .
Biden 's lead in Pennsylvania is expected to grow .
Not only do the remaining counties with uncounted absentee ballots in Pennsylvania lean left , but mail voting itself is more favored by Biden supporters .
Pennsylvania also has to count about 100,000 provisional ballots , which historically lean Democratic .
After Trump 's yearlong crusade against mail voting , the president 's voters were reluctant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embraced the method because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Biden supporters dominated mail voting by a 2 to 1 margin nationally .
That 's why Trump appeared ahead in several battleground states on election night , but the race shifted to Biden as mail-in ballots were counted .
Below is where the vote tallies stand in each state : Here is a look at those same states laid out geographically : Biden 's lead in Pennsylvania is 34,501 electoral votes with 76,496 more absentee ballots , plus an additional 100,000 provisional ballots to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots are in Democratic strongholds Philadelphia or Pittsburgh .
The Keystone State still has 124,000 more absentee ballots to count , but the overwhelming majority are expected to favor Biden .
Biden currently leads Trump in Georgia by 7,264 votes with few absentee ballots still left to count .
There remain around 13,000 provisional ballots and some overseas and military ballots that could still arrive .
The election outcome will be subject to a recount because the margin is less than .5 % .
In Nevada , Biden extended his lead over Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press to call the state for Biden .
Democrat Hillary Clinton won Nevada four years ago .
The outstanding mail-in ballots are expected to favor Biden .
Trump leads North Carolina over Biden by 76,737 votes .
The outcome might not be final for another week as the Tar Heel State counts what could be more than 150,000 more absentee ballots .
North Carolina 's deadline for mail-in ballots to be received is Nov. 12 as long as they are postmarked by Election Day .

Joey Garrison, Kim Hjelmgaard, Jennifer Borresen, Carlie Procell, Ramon Padilla, Karina Zaiets and Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Democratic nominee Joe Biden surpassed 270 electoral votes and secured the race for president Saturday after Pennsylvania, where his lead keeps growing as more absentee ballots are counted, was finally called for the former vice president.
Biden clinched a victory in Nevada soon after, giving him 290 electoral votes. Georgia, where Biden now leads by more than 7,000 votes, is headed for a recount. If he wins it, Biden would finish with 306 electoral votes.
President Donald Trump has no more pathways to victory.
Biden, the president-elect, is the first candidate to defeat an incumbent president since Bill Clinton defeated George H. W. Bush in 1992. His running-mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, will become the first woman, African American and South Asian American vice president.
North Carolina, where Biden trails, remains uncalled as election officials prepare to count absentee ballots over the coming days. Alaska isn't called but is expected to go for Trump. Even if Trump were to win both, it would be not enough for the president.
The Associated Press and multiple news networks called Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes for Biden after his lead reached more than 30,000 votes, a large enough margin to withstand any more votes that could go to Trump. Biden's lead in Pennsylvania is expected to grow.
Not only do the remaining counties with uncounted absentee ballots in Pennsylvania lean left, but mail voting itself is more favored by Biden supporters. Pennsylvania also has to count about 100,000 provisional ballots, which historically lean Democratic.
After Trump's yearlong crusade against mail voting, the president's voters were reluctant to vote by mail while Biden supporters embraced the method because of the coronavirus pandemic. Biden supporters dominated mail voting by a 2 to 1 margin nationally.
That's why Trump appeared ahead in several battleground states on election night, but the race shifted to Biden as mail-in ballots were counted.
Below is where the vote tallies stand in each state:
Here is a look at those same states laid out geographically:
Pennsylvania
Biden's lead in Pennsylvania is 34,501 electoral votes with 76,496 more absentee ballots, plus an additional 100,000 provisional ballots to count. Nearly half of the provisional ballots are in Democratic strongholds Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.
The Keystone State still has 124,000 more absentee ballots to count, but the overwhelming majority are expected to favor Biden.
Georgia
Biden currently leads Trump in Georgia by 7,264 votes with few absentee ballots still left to count.
There remain around 13,000 provisional ballots and some overseas and military ballots that could still arrive. The election outcome will be subject to a recount because the margin is less than .5%.
Nevada
In Nevada, Biden extended his lead over Trump to 25,659 ballots, enough for the Associated Press to call the state for Biden.
Democrat Hillary Clinton won Nevada four years ago. The outstanding mail-in ballots are expected to favor Biden.
North Carolina
Trump leads North Carolina over Biden by 76,737 votes. The outcome might not be final for another week as the Tar Heel State counts what could be more than 150,000 more absentee ballots. North Carolina's deadline for mail-in ballots to be received is Nov. 12 as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.
Jim Sergent contributed to this report.


usatoday--2020-11-09--'Hopefully it will calm down': The election is over. Now a stressed nation looks for normalcy under

WASHINGTON — Three weeks before the election , Patrick Wall had enough .
He deleted the Facebook app off his phone and turned off Instagram notifications , hoping to shield himself from the latest viral political meme and temptation to engage in another social media fight .
`` It was getting to be too much , too often , '' said Wall , 39 , a construction company owner from St. Augustine , Florida , who voted for President-elect Joe Biden .
`` It was watching people get into stupid arguments about things they were ill-informed on and it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minds are n't going to change . ''
Biden 's victory marked the end of the most bitterly fought presidential elections in recent history , one that divided Americans and had both sides arguing the fate of the nation , even democracy itself , was at stake .
A record 145 million people voted , and the total is expected to rise to 150 million after all absentee ballots are counted .
For the past year , friends argued with friends while others simply stopped talking to each other .
Family members with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Consumed with the daily drama , both sides lived in separate social media and television bubbles that steered dramatically different outlooks on the race .
More : Joe Biden defeats President Donald Trump to become 46th president of the United States But the stress did not vanish Nov. 3 .
It stretched across four days as results trickled in from a handful of key states .
As Trump leveled baseless claims about voter fraud , bleary-eyed Americans watched frenzied television anchors make sense of minor updates , enduring political whiplash as Biden lurched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally crossed the threshold when Pennsylvania , and its 20 electoral votes , was called for him Saturday morning – about 89 hours after polls closed on Election Day .
In interviews with voters in six battleground states conducted by the USA TODAY Network before the election , Americans said they felt stressed by the weight of the election , anxious about their candidate 's prospects and the uncertainty , disgusted at the other side , angry at the political discourse , and even scared about the violence they feared might play out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just ready for it to not dominate every single day of everyone 's life , '' Wall said , but added the tension is n't likely to end soon .
`` There 's probably still going to be a lot of arguing and BS and hopefully at some point it will calm down . ''
Adding to anxieties , the election collided with a global pandemic that has killed more than 227,000 Americans , drove the U.S. economy into a recession and even sickened a president who repeatedly sought to downplay its grip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide protests over police conduct and the death of Black Americans at their hands , while the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg jolted a political fight over the future of the high court just one month before Election Day .
Democratic voters fumed that President Donald Trump questioned the integrity of the voting process and suggested he may not commit to accepting the election results .
Trump supporters accused the media of deliberately not reporting on allegations about the businesses dealing of Biden 's son , Hunter Biden .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 have cleaved the country and created a powder keg moment , experts say the stress it triggered appears to be a unifying experience for most Americans , regardless of party .
More than two-thirds of adults – 68 % – said the 2020 presidential election was a significant source of stress in their life , a marked jump from the 52 % who said the same of the 2016 election four years ago , a survey by the Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association found last month .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pennsylvania , to the White House Vaile Wright , senior director of health care innovation at the APA , said part of the stress is being driven by the unprecedented level of uncertainty looming over the country and `` an unbelievable level of fatigue . ''
The fatigue , she said , is directly related to the pandemic , which has confined millions of Americans to their homes and lingered for months beyond what anyone anticipated .
`` There 's just no shortage of stressors right now and they 're all big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a massive influence on , '' she said .
The APA survey found that 60 % of respondents said the sheer number of issues facing America is what overwhelmed them the most , while one in five adults said their mental health is worse than it was at this time last year .
`` People are not coping as well as they have been in the past .
They 're reporting higher levels of disrupted eating , disrupted sleep , that they 're not getting as much support as they say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What it looks like to me is that people 's coping skills are falling short . ''
Charles Drew , a fire chief in Southport , North Carolina , who voted for Trump , said he feels `` a little bit of an uneasiness and a little nervousness because I think there 's going to continue to be a divide in our country . ''
Drew , 46 , said supporters defaced yard signs in his small town , near the Atlantic Coast close to Wilmington , N.C. '' It just seems like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last four years that it is more volatile or violent , '' he said , acknowledging Trump 's rhetoric might have contributed to the shift .
`` People are getting , seems like , more hateful .
It just seems like there 's a shift or something in the country compared to what it has been in the past . ''
He said he breathes a `` sigh of relief '' when thinking about all the end of political ads and the piles of mailers in his mailbox each day .
But he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken on the nation and whether a feeling of violence among some voters replaced what used to be passion .
`` I hate to say that , '' he said .
`` But I 've seen that from both sides of the spectrum .
And that concerns me as far as the direction our nation is heading in . ''
While no one has been immune the levels of stress , Wright said some groups seem to be disproportionately affected by recent events .
Individuals with chronic health conditions , members of communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the age of 18 and younger adults are among those who reported the highest levels of stress , she said .
Sherly Langer , 55 , an accountant from St. Charles , Minnesota , who voted for Trump and worked the polls , said this was the closest she 's ever followed an election .
She called Americans `` extremely divisive this time . ''
`` It has been hard to talk to ( people ) because I think that a lot of people are n't open-minded , '' Langer said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line in the sand and this is who we 're going for .
I have a sister who is extremely liberal , and we ca n't even talk about politics . ''
More : Kamala Harris breaks glass ceiling as first female vice president , first woman VP of color A week before the election , Langer self-quarantined in her rural home in southeast Minnesota after being exposed to a niece in college who tested positive for COVID-19 .
As the mother of a seventh-grade daughter curious about the election , Langer explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling her to listen to both sides and keep an opening mind .
Her daughter , who Langer 's family adopted from Mexico , drew a line graph that depicted which candidate interrupted more during the first presidential debate in Ohio .
`` She came away with the same thing that I did .
If I was an undecided voter , I did n't learn anything at that first debate , '' Langer said .
Days before the election , Langer jokingly predicted `` peaceful protests '' regardless who won .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be peaceful , but I have the luxury of living in the middle of a cornfield . ''
Alyssa Kihoi , 20 , of Phoenix , Arizona , said she lost a number of friends and some sorority sisters for voicing her political opinion .
`` It 's unfortunate , but that 's kind of where we 're at right now in the world , '' said Kihoi , a member of Arizona State University 's College Republicans .
`` I lost friends that I was friends with for years , people I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time voter who cast her ballot for Trump , Kihoi said she only became heavily invested in the election over the last six months when the coronavirus crisis unfolded .
`` On the local level it 's been tough , just seeing everyday COVID numbers and just constant negativity from the media on both ends , right wing and left wing , '' she said .
`` Some days are rougher than others .
But at the end of the day I think we 're all Americans .
So whatever it happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for sure . ''
While this year 's election may have left some voters addled and anxious , one bright spot is that it has shattered early voting records and brought a surge of voters who did not cast a ballot four years ago .
Americans endured hours waiting in lines despite the threat of the coronavirus while millions requested absentee ballots in the months and weeks before Election Day .
`` It 's a good news story , '' McDonald said .
`` If there was fatigue , it 's probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their voices heard .
They want their say in the direction of the country . ''
Abril Valenzula , an 18-year-old Arizona resident who voted for the first time this year , said the feeling she had most throughout the election was fear .
`` I think it 's mainly because there 's a lot on the line for this election , and I know that whatever outcome comes out of it there will be some risk , there will be some changes , '' she said a few days before Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been overwhelming , having that uncertainty present during this election cycle . ''
Though the election drew more engagement than any in recent memory , some voters never settled with either Biden or Trump .
Pat Browning , 61 , of Saline , Michigan did this election the same thing she did in 2016 : vote for a third-party candidate .
Her absentee vote this year for Libertarian nominee Jo Jorgensen caused her some anxiety – she didn ’ t want Trump to win re-election , describing him as arrogant and irresponsible – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Biden , disagreeing with him on some key issues , especially abortion rights .
Mostly , she just wanted the election to be over .
“ In general , I follow what ’ s going on but I don ’ t follow in great detail because it ’ s very frustrating and ridiculous , ” said Browning , who works for a company doing research in early childhood education .
“ Our candidates aren ’ t discussing intelligently and civilly and in a respectful manner the problems that are facing our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults.
” Americans stressed about nation 's future grew over last year Browning , who is a Christian , agrees with Democrats on many issues , such as expanding gun control measures , taking steps to provide greater access to health care and fight climate change .
But she feels as though politics in recent cycles barely skims the surface of moving toward dealing with big issues “ and instead we ’ re discussing stupid things like a fly on somebody ’ s head.
” “ I ’ m very irritated by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the American system right now , ” she said .
Baron Wilson , 58 , a mental health professional from Iron Station , North Carolina , voted for Biden .
He said he does n't think `` anybody could be happy '' about the tone of the campaign and could n't wait – `` win or lose '' – for the race to be over .
The dark rhetoric has been felt on both sides .
The president painted a Biden presidency as one that would plunge America into depression and allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The former vice president warned that a second term for Trump puts American democracy at stake .
Trump , for his part , embraced divisive rhetoric throughout his presidency , pitting Americans against each other on issues ranging from the removal of Confederate statues to the use of masks to curb the spread of COVID-19 .
The rhetoric , experts say , may have played a role in amplifying some of the anxiety that has accompanied this election .
According to the APA study , 77 % of Americans said the future of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stress compared to the 69 % who said that in 2019 .
Wilson , who is African American , pointed to comments from Trump .
`` Some of the stuff the president says , I think he could be nicer , '' he said , particularly the president 's response to police brutality against Black Americans .
`` Let 's just get back to where , once it 's done campaigning , there will be no need to say nasty things about each other . ''
After the 2016 election between Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Nebraska-Lincoln studied how the race affected Americans ' health .
Kevin Smith , a political scientist at UNL who led the study , said country has only become more polarized since Trump was elected four years ago .
The `` toxic political environment , '' he says , compounded with a pandemic , a 24-hour news cycle and reliance on social media has created a tinder box environment .
`` If you 're scrolling through your Facebook or Twitter feed , in the course of five minutes you can be euphoric , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's pretty big emotional roller coaster-type politics , '' he said , noting that those emotions cause physiological reactions .
`` It 's hard to conceive a political environment that would be better designed to cause stress and trigger your instinctual emotions . ''
Smith , who is conducting a follow-up study to his 2017 research , has also researched the biological underpinnings of political attitudes and behaviors , which he said all leads through the prism of emotion .
`` It 's all about how people instinctively and emotionally react to messages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
While politics is often thought of a rational enterprise , Smith added , his research shows it 's all about emotions .
`` It 's like watching a two-minute drive to win the Super Bowl for six months and for some people that can really put them on an emotional rollercoaster , '' he said .
`` This environment could n't be better suited to trigger those instinctual emotions and one of the downsides is a lot of the emotions triggered are the negative ones . ''
Whit Froehlich , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployed , said he hopes his vote for Biden will bring a moral reset for the country .
Froehlich , who moved from Michigan to Bethesda , Md.
, with his partner , watched Trump in dismay .
He called the election equally `` disappointing and discouraging '' because Trump 's actions are apparently `` exciting or reflective of the views of many Americans . ''
Hopes for more positive politics over next four years With a Biden victory , he said he 's more optimistic he can `` guide people to essentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to select others to do to the same . ''
`` While I do in some part enjoy the following of it , '' he said of the campaign , `` mostly I would rather do other things , care about other political issues than 'can we get rid of Trump ? '
And have more substantive action on things that might make a difference in people 's lives on a positive sense . ''
David McCoy , a 63-year-old Trump supporter from Sarasota , Florida , said he was ready to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
“ I ’ d like us to be able to focus on some other things , both nationally and personally , ” McCoy said of his eagerness to turn the page from the 2020 election .
“ I think it has been stressful to a lot of people.
” A Republican who voted for Trump in 2016 , McCoy was even more eager to support the president this time .
He pointed to the “ the moral slide ” of the nation on issues such as abortion and believed Trump would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really hard for this , ” he said days before the election .
McCoy even wrote a seven-page letter about the “ great divide ” in the nation and sent it to family and friends .
“ It seems like the stakes get more and more serious because of the moral divide in our country , ” he said .
Although concerned , he said , `` I ’ m trusting in God , I really am , ” he said .
L. Louise Bruce , 62 , of Des Moines , Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VA central Iowa Health Care System .
She voted Democratic down the ballot , but said too many issues went unaddressed this election , including racism in the country .
“ I ’ m anxious , '' Bruce said , waiting in line to early vote on a cold , snowy evening .
`` I want it to be over with .
Whatever the outcome is , I want it to be over with .
So we can start anew .
Whatever that is , whatever that ’ s going to look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will she feel when it finally is over ?
“ I don ’ t know , ” she said , laughing .
“ I may just stay in the bed until noon .
”

Joey Garrison and Courtney Subramanian, USA TODAY

'Hopefully it will calm down': The election is over. Now a stressed nation looks for normalcy under Joe Biden
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 — Three weeks before the election, Patrick Wall had enough.
He deleted the Facebook app off his phone and turned off Instagram notifications, hoping to shield himself from the latest viral political meme and temptation to engage in another social media fight.
"It was getting to be too much, too often," said Wall, 39, a construction company owner from St. Augustine, Florida, who voted for President-elect Joe Biden. "It was watching people get into stupid arguments about things they were ill-informed on and it was me getting into arguments with people whose minds aren't going to change."
Biden's victory marked the end of the most bitterly fought presidential elections in recent history, one that divided Americans and had both sides arguing the fate of the nation, even democracy itself, was at stake. A record 145 million people voted, and the total is expected to rise to 150 million after all absentee ballots are counted.
2020 election: Biden calls for unity as votes continue to be counted Biden calls for unity during his speech in Wilmington, Delaware. Votes are still being counted in states across the country. USA TODAY
For the past year, friends argued with friends while others simply stopped talking to each other. Family members with opposing views tuned out their relatives. Consumed with the daily drama, both sides lived in separate social media and television bubbles that steered dramatically different outlooks on the race.
More: Joe Biden defeats President Donald Trump to become 46th president of the United States
But the stress did not vanish Nov. 3. It stretched across four days as results trickled in from a handful of key states. As Trump leveled baseless claims about voter fraud, bleary-eyed Americans watched frenzied television anchors make sense of minor updates, enduring political whiplash as Biden lurched toward the 270 electoral majority.
He finally crossed the threshold when Pennsylvania, and its 20 electoral votes, was called for him Saturday morning – about 89 hours after polls closed on Election Day.
In interviews with voters in six battleground states conducted by the USA TODAY Network before the election, Americans said they felt stressed by the weight of the election, anxious about their candidate's prospects and the uncertainty, disgusted at the other side, angry at the political discourse, and even scared about the violence they feared might play out after its conclusion.
"I'm just ready for it to not dominate every single day of everyone's life," Wall said, but added the tension isn't likely to end soon. "There's probably still going to be a lot of arguing and BS and hopefully at some point it will calm down."
Pandemic, recession put country on edge
Adding to anxieties, the election collided with a global pandemic that has killed more than 227,000 Americans, drove the U.S. economy into a recession and even sickened a president who repeatedly sought to downplay its grip on America.
The country was rocked by nationwide protests over police conduct and the death of Black Americans at their hands, while the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg jolted a political fight over the future of the high court just one month before Election Day. Democratic voters fumed that President Donald Trump questioned the integrity of the voting process and suggested he may not commit to accepting the election results. Trump supporters accused the media of deliberately not reporting on allegations about the businesses dealing of Biden's son, Hunter Biden.
But for as much as the events of 2020 have cleaved the country and created a powder keg moment, experts say the stress it triggered appears to be a unifying experience for most Americans, regardless of party.
More than two-thirds of adults – 68% – said the 2020 presidential election was a significant source of stress in their life, a marked jump from the 52% who said the same of the 2016 election four years ago, a survey by the Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association found last month.
More: Joe Biden timeline: From Scranton, Pennsylvania, to the White House
Vaile Wright, senior director of health care innovation at the APA, said part of the stress is being driven by the unprecedented level of uncertainty looming over the country and "an unbelievable level of fatigue."
The fatigue, she said, is directly related to the pandemic, which has confined millions of Americans to their homes and lingered for months beyond what anyone anticipated.
"There's just no shortage of stressors right now and they're all big, national level ones that leadership really has a massive influence on," she said.
3 out of 5 Americans overwhelmed
The APA survey found that 60% of respondents said the sheer number of issues facing America is what overwhelmed them the most, while one in five adults said their mental health is worse than it was at this time last year.
"People are not coping as well as they have been in the past. They're reporting higher levels of disrupted eating, disrupted sleep, that they're not getting as much support as they say they need," Wright said. "What it looks like to me is that people's coping skills are falling short."
Charles Drew, a fire chief in Southport, North Carolina, who voted for Trump, said he feels "a little bit of an uneasiness and a little nervousness because I think there's going to continue to be a divide in our country."
Drew, 46, said supporters defaced yard signs in his small town, near the Atlantic Coast close to Wilmington, N.C.
"It just seems like it's taken a twist in the last four years that it is more volatile or violent," he said, acknowledging Trump's rhetoric might have contributed to the shift. "People are getting, seems like, more hateful. It just seems like there's a shift or something in the country compared to what it has been in the past."
He said he breathes a "sigh of relief" when thinking about all the end of political ads and the piles of mailers in his mailbox each day. But he worried about the toll the election has taken on the nation and whether a feeling of violence among some voters replaced what used to be passion.
"I hate to say that," he said. "But I've seen that from both sides of the spectrum. And that concerns me as far as the direction our nation is heading in."
Some Americans feel more pressure
While no one has been immune the levels of stress, Wright said some groups seem to be disproportionately affected by recent events.
Individuals with chronic health conditions, members of communities of color, parents of children under the age of 18 and younger adults are among those who reported the highest levels of stress, she said.
Sherly Langer, 55, an accountant from St. Charles, Minnesota, who voted for Trump and worked the polls, said this was the closest she's ever followed an election. She called Americans "extremely divisive this time."
"It has been hard to talk to (people) because I think that a lot of people aren't open-minded," Langer said. "We've all kind of drawn our line in the sand and this is who we're going for. I have a sister who is extremely liberal, and we can't even talk about politics."
More: Kamala Harris breaks glass ceiling as first female vice president, first woman VP of color
A week before the election, Langer self-quarantined in her rural home in southeast Minnesota after being exposed to a niece in college who tested positive for COVID-19.
As the mother of a seventh-grade daughter curious about the election, Langer explained the mudslinging between Trump and Biden by telling her to listen to both sides and keep an opening mind.
Her daughter, who Langer's family adopted from Mexico, drew a line graph that depicted which candidate interrupted more during the first presidential debate in Ohio.
"She came away with the same thing that I did. If I was an undecided voter, I didn't learn anything at that first debate," Langer said. Days before the election, Langer jokingly predicted "peaceful protests" regardless who won. "I don't think it's going to be peaceful, but I have the luxury of living in the middle of a cornfield."
Alyssa Kihoi, 20, of Phoenix, Arizona, said she lost a number of friends and some sorority sisters for voicing her political opinion.
"It's unfortunate, but that's kind of where we're at right now in the world," said Kihoi, a member of Arizona State University's College Republicans. "I lost friends that I was friends with for years, people I grew up with."
As a first time voter who cast her ballot for Trump, Kihoi said she only became heavily invested in the election over the last six months when the coronavirus crisis unfolded.
"On the local level it's been tough, just seeing everyday COVID numbers and just constant negativity from the media on both ends, right wing and left wing," she said. "Some days are rougher than others. But at the end of the day I think we're all Americans. So whatever it happens, we're all in this together, for sure."
'A good news story' amid the chaos
While this year's election may have left some voters addled and anxious, one bright spot is that it has shattered early voting records and brought a surge of voters who did not cast a ballot four years ago. Americans endured hours waiting in lines despite the threat of the coronavirus while millions requested absentee ballots in the months and weeks before Election Day.
"It's a good news story," McDonald said. "If there was fatigue, it's probably among the elite because people want have their voices heard. They want their say in the direction of the country."
Abril Valenzula, an 18-year-old Arizona resident who voted for the first time this year, said the feeling she had most throughout the election was fear.
"I think it's mainly because there's a lot on the line for this election, and I know that whatever outcome comes out of it there will be some risk, there will be some changes," she said a few days before Election Day. "And I think that has been overwhelming, having that uncertainty present during this election cycle."
Though the election drew more engagement than any in recent memory, some voters never settled with either Biden or Trump.
Pat Browning, 61, of Saline, Michigan did this election the same thing she did in 2016: vote for a third-party candidate. Her absentee vote this year for Libertarian nominee Jo Jorgensen caused her some anxiety – she didn’t want Trump to win re-election, describing him as arrogant and irresponsible – but neither did she want to vote for Biden, disagreeing with him on some key issues, especially abortion rights.
Mostly, she just wanted the election to be over.
“In general, I follow what’s going on but I don’t follow in great detail because it’s very frustrating and ridiculous,” said Browning, who works for a company doing research in early childhood education. “Our candidates aren’t discussing intelligently and civilly and in a respectful manner the problems that are facing our country. I wish they would act like adults.”
Americans stressed about nation's future grew over last year
Browning, who is a Christian, agrees with Democrats on many issues, such as expanding gun control measures, taking steps to provide greater access to health care and fight climate change. But she feels as though politics in recent cycles barely skims the surface of moving toward dealing with big issues “and instead we’re discussing stupid things like a fly on somebody’s head.”
“I’m very irritated by the whole process. I’m irritated by the American system right now,” she said.
Baron Wilson, 58, a mental health professional from Iron Station, North Carolina, voted for Biden. He said he doesn't think "anybody could be happy" about the tone of the campaign and couldn't wait – "win or lose" – for the race to be over.
The dark rhetoric has been felt on both sides. The president painted a Biden presidency as one that would plunge America into depression and allow left-wing radicals to overtake the country. The former vice president warned that a second term for Trump puts American democracy at stake.
Trump, for his part, embraced divisive rhetoric throughout his presidency, pitting Americans against each other on issues ranging from the removal of Confederate statues to the use of masks to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The rhetoric, experts say, may have played a role in amplifying some of the anxiety that has accompanied this election. According to the APA study, 77% of Americans said the future of the country is a significant source of stress compared to the 69% who said that in 2019.
Wilson, who is African American, pointed to comments from Trump. "Some of the stuff the president says, I think he could be nicer," he said, particularly the president's response to police brutality against Black Americans.
"Let's just get back to where, once it's done campaigning, there will be no need to say nasty things about each other."
'Toxic political environment' post-2016
After the 2016 election between Trump and Hillary Clinton, researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studied how the race affected Americans' health. Kevin Smith, a political scientist at UNL who led the study, said country has only become more polarized since Trump was elected four years ago.
The "toxic political environment," he says, compounded with a pandemic, a 24-hour news cycle and reliance on social media has created a tinder box environment.
"If you're scrolling through your Facebook or Twitter feed, in the course of five minutes you can be euphoric, scared, frustrated and disgusted and that's pretty big emotional roller coaster-type politics," he said, noting that those emotions cause physiological reactions. "It's hard to conceive a political environment that would be better designed to cause stress and trigger your instinctual emotions."
Smith, who is conducting a follow-up study to his 2017 research, has also researched the biological underpinnings of political attitudes and behaviors, which he said all leads through the prism of emotion.
"It's all about how people instinctively and emotionally react to messages and stimuli in their environment," he said.
While politics is often thought of a rational enterprise, Smith added, his research shows it's all about emotions.
"It's like watching a two-minute drive to win the Super Bowl for six months and for some people that can really put them on an emotional rollercoaster," he said. "This environment couldn't be better suited to trigger those instinctual emotions and one of the downsides is a lot of the emotions triggered are the negative ones."
Whit Froehlich, a former medical student who is currently unemployed, said he hopes his vote for Biden will bring a moral reset for the country.
Froehlich, who moved from Michigan to Bethesda, Md., with his partner, watched Trump in dismay. He called the election equally "disappointing and discouraging" because Trump's actions are apparently "exciting or reflective of the views of many Americans."
How Americans feel about the election process - States of America Polls reveal whether Americans feel their vote is truly being counted as candidates make a last-minute sprint to get votes. States of America, USA TODAY
Hopes for more positive politics over next four years
With a Biden victory, he said he's more optimistic he can "guide people to essentially be better and demand better, and to select others to do to the same."
"While I do in some part enjoy the following of it," he said of the campaign, "mostly I would rather do other things, care about other political issues than 'can we get rid of Trump?' And have more substantive action on things that might make a difference in people's lives on a positive sense."
David McCoy, a 63-year-old Trump supporter from Sarasota, Florida, said he was ready to move on and for the country to move on.
“I’d like us to be able to focus on some other things, both nationally and personally,” McCoy said of his eagerness to turn the page from the 2020 election. “I think it has been stressful to a lot of people.”
A Republican who voted for Trump in 2016, McCoy was even more eager to support the president this time. He pointed to the “the moral slide” of the nation on issues such as abortion and believed Trump would address the problem.
“I pray really hard for this,” he said days before the election. McCoy even wrote a seven-page letter about the “great divide” in the nation and sent it to family and friends.
“It seems like the stakes get more and more serious because of the moral divide in our country,” he said. Although concerned, he said, " I’m trusting in God, I really am,” he said.
L. Louise Bruce, 62, of Des Moines, Iowa, works as a chaplain with the VA central Iowa Health Care System. She voted Democratic down the ballot, but said too many issues went unaddressed this election, including racism in the country.
“I’m anxious," Bruce said, waiting in line to early vote on a cold, snowy evening. "I want it to be over with. Whatever the outcome is, I want it to be over with. So we can start anew. Whatever that is, whatever that’s going to look like, to start new.”
So how will she feel when it finally is over?
“I don’t know,” she said, laughing. “I may just stay in the bed until noon.”
Contributing: Rachel Leingang, Arizona Republic; Zac Anderson, Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press; Katie Akin, Des Moines Register


usatoday--2020-11-09--How Joe Biden flipped the electoral map and won the presidency with room to spare

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden did n't get the election night landslide Democrats desperately wanted , but he won the presidency decisively nonetheless .
It was the inverse of four years ago — only this time it was Biden expanding support in suburbs to narrowly win a handful of key states .
The outcome exposed how the United States is as an entrenched and divided nation as ever with only small differences determining the president .
After President Donald Trump in 2016 famously squeaked out a win by a combined 77,000 votes in the vaunted Democratic `` blue wall '' states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden won back all three — carrying them collectively by slightly wider margins .
The former vice president also flipped the 2016 electoral map by taking historically red Arizona , which last voted Democrat for president in 1996 .
And he 's on the verge of narrowly winning reliably red Georgia , which last voted Democrat for president in 1992 .
Georgia 's outcome is still subject to a likely recount .
By carrying both , and winning Nevada , Biden appears poised to win by a comfortable electoral margin with 306 electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's 2016 victory ( though only 304 electors voted for him when the electoral college met ) .
More : Election results update : Biden on the verge of winning presidency with leads in battlegrounds .
Georgia will have a recount .
North Carolina is still counting its late-arriving absentee ballots .
But the new inroads for Democrats elsewhere mean Biden , just like Trump in 2016 , could have lost two out of three Rust Belt states and still reached 270 electoral votes .
After his win four years ago , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory . ''
But Trump 's win looks like a squeaker compared to Biden 's when considering the popular vote .
Biden holds a popular vote lead of 74.5 million ( 50.5 % ) to 70.3 million ( 47.7 % ) as of Saturday morning .
But his lead is expected to expand considerably as more mail-in ballots , particularly in Democrat-heavy California and New York , are tabulated in the days ahead .
Leading by more than 4.3 million votes , Biden has already topped Democrat Hillary Clinton 's popular vote margin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 's comfortable electoral win undercuts Trump 's attempts to fight the results .
Trump has sought to delegitimize the election with baseless claims about absentee ballots in states he lost .
More : Democrats ' path to control Senate narrows as Republicans fend off key challenges Still , the razor-thin margin in a half-dozen states – and losses of Democrats elsewhere – underscores that this was n't a blue wave .
Yes , Americans rejected Trump.But falling short of the lopsided victory some polls predicted , Biden and Democrats failed to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To the dismay of Democrats , Republicans in the Senate did not pay a price for their loyalty to Trump .
Democrats , heavily favored to take control of the U.S. Senate , fell short for now , although they could still reach 50 Senate seats by winning two Georgia special elections on Jan. 5 .
House Republicans , meanwhile , picked up seats that Democrats turned blue two years ago , but not enough to overcome the Democratic majority .
Stoking division further is how Biden crossed the finish-line Saturday : by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counted after Election Day .
Heading into Tuesday , election experts warned that , because mail-in ballots would heavily favor Biden , late-counted absentee ballots would provide a `` blue shift '' with the vote tally skewing his way .
While Trump 's yearlong rhetoric against mail-voting turned away his supporters , who instead were more likely to vote in person on Election Day , Democrats embraced the absentee method .
More : Some Democrats warn Trump may use 'red mirage ' to prematurely declare victory while absentee ballots are being counted Accelerating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battleground states , Republican-controlled state legislatures in Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania , refused to change their state laws to allow election officials to begin processing absentee ballots weeks in advance .
As expected , Trump jumped out to early leads in all three states .
Trump seized on the unusual situation , baselessly claiming ballots popped up out of nowhere while trying to to convince his supporters the election was stolen from them .
As evidenced by protests outside election offices in Phoenix and Philadelphia , his diehards believe him .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the election .
Here 's what we found .
For Biden , the clearest path to victory was always through the Rust Belt with wins in Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania .
He did so with a close victory , replicating the tight wins Trump pulled off in 2016 .
• Biden unofficially won Wisconsin by 20,524 votes , slightly tighter than Trump 's 2016 win the state by 22,748 votes • Biden unofficially won Michigan by 146,896 votes , considerably more than Trump 's victory by 10,704 votes • Biden is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes , but it could exceed more than 100,000 as more mail-in and provisionall ballots are counted .
Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 by 44,292 votes .
In almost every state , rural areas remained as committed to Trump as ever , a testament to the rural-urban divide that dominates modern American politics .
Biden secured his victory by getting the turnout he needed in cities .
It comes four years after Clinton struggled with turnout in cities in the Midwest that have large Black populations But he especially ran up the score @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : the metro areas and suburbs around cities .
Trump warned Biden would `` destroy the beautiful suburbs , '' but voters in those communities seemed to reject that message .
To pull off the upset in Georgia , Biden got a massive boost from the suburbs around Atlanta .
Het topped Trump by around 130,000 votes in Gwinnett and Cobb counties around Atlanta , two counties that Clinton won by only a combined 26,000 votes .
More : 'The place where we put this country back on track ' : How Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden got higher turnout than Clinton in the state 's biggest county , Milwaukee ( 317,251 total votes to 288,822 for Clinton ) , beating Trump by 20,000 more votes than Clinton did .
In Madison ( Dane County ) , Biden received 260,157 votes compared to 217,687 for Clinton , topping Trump by nearly 35,000 more votes .
In Michigan and Pennsylvania , Biden outperformed Clinton across the state .
In Wayne County , home of Detroit and other suburbs , Biden received 67,630 more votes than Clinton , topping Trump by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , outside of Detroit , Biden won by a margin of 110,000 votes , while Clinton won by only 54,000 .
More : Will the Supreme Court ride to Donald Trump 's rescue ?
Do n't count on it .
Biden pummeled Trump in the suburbs near Philadelphia , winning Chester County by more than 50,000 votes while Clinton won it by 25,000 .
Biden won Delaware County over Trump by more than 81,000 votes , compared to 66,700 for Clinton .
And in Montgomery County , Biden topped Trump by more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 93,000 votes .
The outlook in Philadelphia is not clear as thousands of mail-in ballots are still being counted .
Biden made inroads across working-class northeast Pennsylvania , maintaining some counties , flipping at least one and narrowing the margins in counties Trump won .
And he got some hometown love .
Among the counties where he outperformed Clinton was Lackawanna County , home to Scranton , where Biden was raised .
Biden won Lackawanna by more than 8 percentage points .
Clinton won it by less than 3 percentage points .

How Joe Biden flipped the electoral map and won the presidency with room to spare
Show Caption Hide Caption Joe Biden calls for unity in first address as President-elect In first address since securing the presidency, Joe Biden called for unity between all Americans. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden didn't get the election night landslide Democrats desperately wanted, but he won the presidency decisively nonetheless.
It was the inverse of four years ago — only this time it was Biden expanding support in suburbs to narrowly win a handful of key states.
The outcome exposed how the United States is as an entrenched and divided nation as ever with only small differences determining the president.
After President Donald Trump in 2016 famously squeaked out a win by a combined 77,000 votes in the vaunted Democratic "blue wall" states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, Biden won back all three — carrying them collectively by wider margins.
The former vice president also flipped the 2016 electoral map by taking historically red Arizona, which last voted Democrat for president in 1996. And he's on the verge of narrowly winning reliably red Georgia, which last voted Democrat for president in 1992. Georgia's outcome is still subject to a likely recount.
Electoral College vs. the popular vote, explained President Trump and President George W. Bush won the electoral vote during the election, but not the popular vote. How does the electoral college work? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
By carrying both, and winning Nevada, Biden appears poised to win by a comfortable electoral margin with 306 electoral votes — exactly the same as Trump's 2016 victory (though only 304 electors voted for him when the electoral college met).
More: Election results update: Biden on the verge of winning presidency with leads in battlegrounds. Georgia will have a recount.
North Carolina is still counting its late-arriving absentee ballots. But the new inroads for Democrats elsewhere mean Biden, just like Trump in 2016, could have lost two out of three Rust Belt states and still reached 270 electoral votes.
Biden wins as other Democrats struggle
After his win four years ago, Trump regularly bragged about a "massive landslide victory." But Trump's win looks like a squeaker compared to Biden's when considering the popular vote.
Biden holds a popular vote lead of 74.5 million (50.5%) to 70.3 million (47.7%) as of Saturday morning. But his lead is expected to expand considerably as more mail-in ballots, particularly in Democrat-heavy California and New York, are tabulated in the days ahead. Leading by more than 4.3 million votes, Biden has already topped Democrat Hillary Clinton's popular vote margin, 2.9 million, from 2016.
Biden's comfortable electoral win undercuts Trump's attempts to fight the results. Trump has sought to delegitimize the election with baseless claims about absentee ballots in states he lost.
More: Democrats' path to control Senate narrows as Republicans fend off key challenges
Still, the razor-thin margin in a half-dozen states – and losses of Democrats elsewhere – underscores that this wasn't a blue wave. Yes, Americans rejected Trump. But falling short of the lopsided victory some polls predicted, Biden and Democrats failed to deliver clear repudiation of Trump's politics. To the dismay of Democrats, Republicans in the Senate did not pay a price for their loyalty to Trump.
Democrats, heavily favored to take control of the U.S. Senate, fell short for now, although they could still reach 50 Senate seats by winning two Georgia special elections on Jan. 5. House Republicans, meanwhile, picked up seats that Democrats turned blue two years ago, but not enough to overcome the Democratic majority.
'Blue shift' puts Biden over the edge
Stoking division further is how Biden crossed the finish-line Saturday: by dominating absentee ballots, many that were counted after Election Day.
Heading into Tuesday, election experts warned that, because mail-in ballots would heavily favor Biden, late-counted absentee ballots would provide a "blue shift" with the vote tally skewing his way. While Trump's yearlong rhetoric against mail-voting turned away his supporters, who instead were more likely to vote in person on Election Day, Democrats embraced the absentee method.
More: Some Democrats warn Trump may use 'red mirage' to prematurely declare victory while absentee ballots are being counted
Accelerating the "blue shift" in three battleground states, Republican-controlled state legislatures in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, refused to change their state laws to allow election officials to begin processing absentee ballots weeks in advance. As expected, Trump jumped out to early leads in all three states.
Trump seized on the unusual situation, baselessly claiming ballots popped up out of nowhere while trying to to convince his supporters the election was stolen from them. As evidenced by protests outside election offices in Phoenix and Philadelphia, his diehards believe him.
More: We fact-checked President Trump's speech about the election. Here's what we found.
Rust Belt 2020 vs. 2016
For Biden, the clearest path to victory was always through the Rust Belt with wins in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. He did so with a close victory, replicating the tight wins Trump pulled off in 2016.
Biden unofficially won Wisconsin by 20,524 votes, slightly tighter than Trump's 2016 win the state by 22,748 votes
Biden unofficially won Michigan by 146,896 votes, considerably more than Trump's victory by 10,704 votes
Biden is up in Pennsylvania by fewer than 34,000 votes, but it could exceed more than 100,000 as more mail-in and provisionall ballots are counted. Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 by 44,292 votes.
More: Biden rebuilds 'blue wall' in Wisconsin, Michigan, narrowing Trump's path to victory
In almost every state, rural areas remained as committed to Trump as ever, a testament to the rural-urban divide that dominates modern American politics.
Biden secured his victory by getting the turnout he needed in cities. It comes four years after Clinton struggled with turnout in cities in the Midwest that have large Black populations
But he especially ran up the score in what's become another Democratic stronghold: the metro areas and suburbs around cities. Trump warned Biden would "destroy the beautiful suburbs," but voters in those communities seemed to reject that message.
Big wins in suburbs propels Biden
To pull off the upset in Georgia, Biden got a massive boost from the suburbs around Atlanta. Het topped Trump by around 130,000 votes in Gwinnett and Cobb counties around Atlanta, two counties that Clinton won by only a combined 26,000 votes.
More: 'The place where we put this country back on track': How Joe Biden turned Georgia purple
In Wisconsin, Biden got higher turnout than Clinton in the state's biggest county, Milwaukee (317,251 total votes to 288,822 for Clinton), beating Trump by 20,000 more votes than Clinton did. In Madison (Dane County), Biden received 260,157 votes compared to 217,687 for Clinton, topping Trump by nearly 35,000 more votes.
In Michigan and Pennsylvania, Biden outperformed Clinton across the state. In Wayne County, home of Detroit and other suburbs, Biden received 67,630 more votes than Clinton, topping Trump by 332,000 more votes there. In Oakland County, outside of Detroit, Biden won by a margin of 110,000 votes, while Clinton won by only 54,000.
More: Will the Supreme Court ride to Donald Trump's rescue? Don't count on it.
Biden pummeled Trump in the suburbs near Philadelphia, winning Chester County by more than 50,000 votes while Clinton won it by 25,000. Biden won Delaware County over Trump by more than 81,000 votes, compared to 66,700 for Clinton. And in Montgomery County, Biden topped Trump by more than 130,00 votes; Clinton won it by 93,000 votes. The outlook in Philadelphia is not clear as thousands of mail-in ballots are still being counted.
Biden made inroads across working-class northeast Pennsylvania, maintaining some counties, flipping at least one and narrowing the margins in counties Trump won.
And he got some hometown love.
Among the counties where he outperformed Clinton was Lackawanna County, home to Scranton, where Biden was raised. Biden won Lackawanna by more than 8 percentage points. Clinton won it by less than 3 percentage points.
Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.


usatoday--2020-11-10--FDA gives emergency authorization to drug that can keep COVID-19 patients out of the hospital

In more good news for the fight against COVID-19 , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration late Monday authorized use of a drug that appears to protect infected people at high risk from getting very sick .
The FDA issued an emergency use authorization to drug-maker Lilly for bamlanivimab , a monoclonal antibody that mimics the immune system ’ s response to infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 .
`` The data is very solid , '' said Dr. Daniel Griffin , head of Infectious Disease at ProHEALTH , an independent , physician-led healthcare organization The drug is similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Regeneron that President Donald Trump has said “ cured ” him of COVID-19 .
Regeneron has also applied for FDA authorization for its drug , REGN-COV2 .
FDA ’ s emergency authorization was based on data from a study of the drug in 465 people who had COVID-19 but weren ’ t hospitalized .
Some patients got the drug , some got a placebo .
Most patients in both groups had cleared the virus from their system within 11 days .
However , in people who were at high risk of severe COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who got the drug went to the emergency room or were hospitalized .
Among people who got the placebo , 10 % ended up hospitalized or visiting the ER .
A clinical trial of the same drug in COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized was stopped because the drug did n't help those patients recover from a more advanced stage of their disease .
“ If you ’ re a hospital administration , you look at the number of hospital bed and ventilators and you think that 3 % hospitalization versus 10 % hospitalization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Scott , a professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle .
As case numbers rise around the country , “ Everything is going to help at the right point in time , ” he said .
“ But it ’ s not going to help nearly as much as people wearing masks and socially distancing.
” The federal government has already agreed to spend $ 375 million to provide 300,000 doses of bamlanivimab for high-risk patients , who will not have to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to FDA ’ s authorization , bamlanivimab is allowed to be used to treat recently diagnosed , mild to moderate COVID-19 in high-risk patients .
Delivered via a single dose infusion , the medication should be given as soon as possible after diagnosis and within 10 days of symptom onset , according to the company .
FDA did not license the drug but instead granted it an Emergency Use Authorization .
This is a fast-tracked approval process that differs from a regular drug license application in several ways , though the company still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe and effective .

Elizabeth Weise and Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY

FDA gives emergency authorization to drug that can keep COVID-19 patients out of the hospital
Show Caption Hide Caption Companies test antibody drugs to treat COVID-19 With a coronavirus vaccine still many months off, companies are rushing to test what may be the next best thing: antibody drugs that fight the virus right away, without having to train the immune system to do the job. (Aug. 12) AP
In more good news for the fight against COVID-19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration late Monday authorized use of a drug that appears to protect infected people at high risk from getting very sick.
The FDA issued an emergency use authorization to drug-maker Lilly for bamlanivimab, a monoclonal antibody that mimics the immune system’s response to infection with the virus that causes COVID-19.
"The data is very solid," said Dr. Daniel Griffin, head of Infectious Disease at ProHEALTH, an independent, physician-led health care organization
The drug is similar to a pair of antibodies made by Regeneron that President Donald Trump has said “cured” him of COVID-19.
Regeneron has also applied for FDA authorization for its drug, REGN-COV2.
The FDA’s emergency authorization was based on data from a study of the drug in 465 people who had COVID-19 but weren’t hospitalized. Some patients got the drug, some got a placebo.
Most patients in both groups had cleared the virus from their system within 11 days.
However, in people who were at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease, only 3% of those who got the drug went to the emergency room or were hospitalized. Among people who got the placebo, 10% ended up hospitalized or visiting the ER.
A clinical trial of the same drug in COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized was stopped because the drug didn't help those patients recover from a more advanced stage of their disease.
“If you’re a hospital administration, you look at the number of hospital bed and ventilators and you think that 3% hospitalization versus 10% hospitalization could make a difference,” said John Scott, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
As case numbers rise around the country, “Everything is going to help at the right point in time,” he said. “But it’s not going to help nearly as much as people wearing masks and socially distancing.”
COVID-19 NEWS: US surpasses 10 million cases; President-elect Joe Biden announces task force
EARLY FINDINGS: Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine candidate found to be 90% effective
The federal government has already agreed to spend $375 million to provide 300,000 doses of bamlanivimab for high-risk patients, who will not have to pay out-of-pocket costs for the medication.
According to the FDA’s authorization, bamlanivimab is allowed to be used to treat recently diagnosed, mild to moderate COVID-19 in high-risk patients.
Delivered via a single dose infusion, the medication should be given as soon as possible after diagnosis and within 10 days of symptom onset, according to the company.
The FDA did not license the drug but instead granted it an emergency use authorization. This is a fast-tracked approval process that differs from a regular drug license application in several ways, though the company still must prove to the FDA the drug is safe and effective.