usatoday--2020-09-19--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's top opinions and dissents, from VMI to Voting Rights Act

WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday at the age of 87 , surrounded by her family .
Only the second woman to serve on the nation 's highest court , she dressed for decisions and dissents .
She had a special collar , or jabot , for announcing majority opinions from the bench and another for her frequent , and more celebrated , dissents .
Throughout her career , Ginsburg ’ s diminutive presence belied her titanic influence on the law , first as the nation ’ s preeminent litigator for women ’ s rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the high court ’ s liberal bloc , where she served as a bulwark against an increasingly conservative majority .
Here 's a look at some of her memorable opinions : United States v. Virginia ( 1996 ) : Struck down Virginia Military Institute 's male-only admissions policy as a violation of the 14th Amendment 's Equal Protection Clause .
The vote was 7-1 , with Associate Justice Antonin Scalia dissenting .
Ginsburg described as `` presumptively invalid ... a law or official policy that denies to women , simply because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , achieve , participate in , and contribute to society , based upon what they can do . ''
Olmstead v. L.C .
( 1999 ) : Ruled 6-3 that individuals with mental disabilities have the right to community-based housing under the Americans with Disabilities Act , provided that states have sufficient resources and treatment professionals say it 's appropriate .
`` Institutional placement of persons who can handle and benefit from community settings perpetuates unwarranted assumptions that persons so isolated are incapable or unworthy of participating in community life . ''
Friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 2000 ) : By a 7-2 vote , gave South Carolina residents standing to seek penalties for industrial pollution without having to prove injury , and even though the factory in question had closed .
`` A would-be polluter may or may not be dissuaded by the existence of a remedy on the books , but a defendant once hit in its pocketbook will surely think twice before polluting again . ''
Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission ( 2015 ) : Ruled 5-4 that states can try to remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political maps by creating commissions that take power away from elected legislators .
`` Arizona voters sought to restore the core principle that voters should choose their representatives , not the other way around .
The elections clause , we affirm , does not hinder that endeavor . ''
Timbs v. Indiana ( 2019 ) : Ruled unanimously that states can not impose excessive fees , fines and forfeitures as criminal penalties .
The decision made clear that the Eighth Amendment 's prohibition against excessive fines applies to states and localities as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection against excessive fines guards against abuses of government ’ s punitive or criminal law-enforcement authority .
This safeguard , we hold , is 'fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty . '
'' Bush v. Gore ( 2000 ) : Ginsburg and her three liberal colleagues each dissented from the court 's 5-4 decision halting the presidential recount ordered by Florida 's Supreme Court .
The majority ruled that no better method of counting votes could be established within the necessary timetable .
`` The court ’ s conclusion that a constitutionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court ’ s own judgment will not allow to be tested .
Such an untested prophecy should not decide the presidency of the United States . ''
Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. ( 2007 ) : Ginsburg wrote the dissent in the 5-4 case , which denied Lilly Ledbetter the right to sue her employer for gender-based pay discrimination because of the length of time that had passed since the violation .
`` Our precedent suggests , and lower courts have overwhelmingly held , that the unlawful practice is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( or race-based ) discrimination – a practice that occurs whenever a paycheck delivers less to a woman than to a similarly situated man . ''
Gonzales v. Carhart ( 2007 ) : Ginsburg wrote the dissent in the 5-4 case , which upheld a 2003 law passed by Congress outlawing a form of late-term abortion .
The majority ruled that it was not an undue burden on abortion rights .
`` The act , and the court ’ s defense of it , can not be understood as anything other than an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declared again and again by this court – and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women ’ s lives . ''
Shelby County v. Holder ( 2013 ) : Perhaps Ginsburg 's most famous dissent criticized Chief Justice John Roberts ' 5-4 ruling that struck down a key section of the Voting Rights Act , freeing mostly southern states from having to clear voting changes with the federal government .
`` Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not getting wet . ''
Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores ( 2014 ) : Ginsburg wrote the dissent in the 5-4 case , which determined that family-owned and other closely held companies can not be forced to offer insurance coverage for certain birth control methods they equate with abortion .
`` Approving some religious claims while deeming others unworthy of accommodation could be perceived as favoring one religion over another , the very risk the Establishment Clause was designed to preclude .
The court , I fear , has ventured into a minefield @ @

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's top opinions and dissents, from VMI to Voting Rights Act
WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday at the age of 87, surrounded by her family.
Only the second woman to serve on the nation's highest court, she dressed for decisions and dissents. She had a special collar, or jabot, for announcing majority opinions from the bench and another for her frequent, and more celebrated, dissents.
Throughout her career, Ginsburg’s diminutive presence belied her titanic influence on the law, first as the nation’s preeminent litigator for women’s rights, and more recently as the leader of the high court’s liberal bloc, where she served as a bulwark against an increasingly conservative majority.
Here's a look at some of her memorable opinions:
Decisions
United States v. Virginia (1996): Struck down Virginia Military Institute's male-only admissions policy as a violation of the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The vote was 7-1, with Associate Justice Antonin Scalia dissenting.
Ginsburg described as "presumptively invalid ... a law or official policy that denies to women, simply because they are women, equal opportunity to aspire, achieve, participate in, and contribute to society, based upon what they can do."
Olmstead v. L.C. (1999): Ruled 6-3 that individuals with mental disabilities have the right to community-based housing under the Americans with Disabilities Act, provided that states have sufficient resources and treatment professionals say it's appropriate.
"Institutional placement of persons who can handle and benefit from community settings perpetuates unwarranted assumptions that persons so isolated are incapable or unworthy of participating in community life."
Friends of the Earth v. Laidlaw Environmental Services (2000): By a 7-2 vote, gave South Carolina residents standing to seek penalties for industrial pollution without having to prove injury, and even though the factory in question had closed.
"A would-be polluter may or may not be dissuaded by the existence of a remedy on the books, but a defendant once hit in its pocketbook will surely think twice before polluting again."
Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (2015): Ruled 5-4 that states can try to remove partisan politics from the process of drawing political maps by creating commissions that take power away from elected legislators.
"Arizona voters sought to restore the core principle that voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around. The elections clause, we affirm, does not hinder that endeavor."
Timbs v. Indiana (2019): Ruled unanimously that states cannot impose excessive fees, fines and forfeitures as criminal penalties. The decision made clear that the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against excessive fines applies to states and localities as well as the federal government.
“The protection against excessive fines guards against abuses of government’s punitive or criminal law-enforcement authority. This safeguard, we hold, is ‘fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty.’”
Dissents
Bush v. Gore (2000): Ginsburg and her three liberal colleagues each dissented from the court's 5-4 decision halting the presidential recount ordered by Florida's Supreme Court. The majority ruled that no better method of counting votes could be established within the necessary timetable.
"The court’s conclusion that a constitutionally adequate recount is impractical is a prophecy the court’s own judgment will not allow to be tested. Such an untested prophecy should not decide the presidency of the United States."
Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2007): Ginsburg wrote the dissent in the 5-4 case, which denied Lilly Ledbetter the right to sue her employer for gender-based pay discrimination because of the length of time that had passed since the violation.
"Our precedent suggests, and lower courts have overwhelmingly held, that the unlawful practice is the current payment of salaries infected by gender-based (or race-based) discrimination – a practice that occurs whenever a paycheck delivers less to a woman than to a similarly situated man."
Gonzales v. Carhart (2007): Ginsburg wrote the dissent in the 5-4 case, which upheld a 2003 law passed by Congress outlawing a form of late-term abortion. The majority ruled that it was not an undue burden on abortion rights.
"The act, and the court’s defense of it, cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this court – and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women’s lives."
Shelby County v. Holder (2013): Perhaps Ginsburg's most famous dissent criticized Chief Justice John Roberts' 5-4 ruling that struck down a key section of the Voting Rights Act, freeing mostly Southern states from having to clear voting changes with the federal government.
"Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet."
Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores (2014): Ginsburg wrote the dissent in the 5-4 case, which determined that family-owned and other closely held companies cannot be forced to offer insurance coverage for certain birth control methods they equate with abortion.
"Approving some religious claims while deeming others unworthy of accommodation could be perceived as favoring one religion over another, the very risk the Establishment Clause was designed to preclude. The court, I fear, has ventured into a minefield."


usatoday--2020-09-19--Donald Trump and Joe Biden stage dueling campaign events in unlikely battleground Minnesota

President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden swooped into the unlikely battleground of Minnesota on Friday for dueling campaign events in which each argued he was the better choice to spur the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump told supporters at a rally in the northern part of the state that tariffs he slapped on foreign steel and other executive actions he took helped save jobs in Minnesota 's iron-ore mining industry .
Biden , he said , spent decades as a senator and vice president sending U.S. jobs overseas .
`` If Biden wins , China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Regional Airport .
A few hours earlier , Biden toured the Jerry Alander Carpenter Training Center in Hermantown , a suburb of Duluth , and called again for a $ 15 per hour minimum wage .
He vowed to strengthen “ buy American ” requirements for federal contracting .
Biden has proposed to spend $ 400 billion during his first term to buy American products .
He proposed to spend $ 2 trillion on infrastructure , and to retrofit 4 million buildings and 2 million homes to make them more energy efficient , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs .
Biden said he would pay for his plan by repealing the Trump tax cut for individuals earning more than $ 400,000 per year and raising the corporate tax rate from 21 % to 28 % .
In contrast , Trump proposed to reduce the capital-gains tax rate on investments to 15 % , which Biden said would be lower than the rate on working wages .
“ It ’ s time to reward hard work in America , not wealth , ” Biden said .
The candidates ' visits coincided with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting period – either in person or absentee – for the Nov. 3 election .
Trump is vying to win a state Democrats have carried reliably since 1972 and therefore is n't routinely mentioned among crucial swing states like neighboring Wisconsin , Michigan or Florida .
Trump has won support across the northeast region of the state , despite the Iron Range being a traditional Democratic stronghold of unions for mining , steelworkers and shipping .
Polls suggest a comfortable Biden lead in Minnesota , by an average of 8.8 percentage points through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FiveThirtyEight.com .
While Trump won support in the Iron Range in 2016 , the bulk of the state 's population is more urban and favors Democrats .
But the Trump campaign says its internal polling portrays a tighter race .
At his rally in Bemidji , Trump cast doubts on the polls showing him behind .
`` I do n't think so , '' he said .
`` There 's no way I 'm 9 points down . ''
In a play for urban voters , the Trump campaign unveiled a local television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticizes Biden for proposing to raise the number of refugees welcomed to the country from Syria , Somalia and Yemen .
Minnesota had about 43,000 residents who were born in Somalia by 2018 , according to census estimates , which occasionally sparks tensions in the Twin Cities .
Trump warned supporters at his rally that Biden would flood Minnesota and the rest of the country with refugees from “ some of the most dangerous places in the world , including Yemen , Syria and Somalia.
” '' I 'm your wall between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Another urban issue for the Twin Cities deals with racial-justice protests .
Minnesota has been the epicenter of nationwide racial justice protests , after the death May 25 of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
But political experts said the issue has n't appeared to influence presidential politics in the state .
Cynthia Rugeley , an associate professor of political science at the University of Minnesota Duluth , said she sees no evidence that Floyd 's death or the protests are shifting the presidential race in the state .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed any minds , '' she said .
`` It does seem to have hardened people ’ s opinions on the issues.
” Trump has called himself the law-and-order candidate , supporting police amid concerns about public safety .
But Biden has accused Trump of stoking racial division rather than seeking to heal wounds from protests ranging from Portland , Oregon , to Atlanta , Georgia .
During Trump 's previous visits to Minnesota , the president promoted his tariffs on Chinese steel to bolster local mining , his renegotiation of the trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding for the Soo Locks shipping channel that is critical to trade on the Great Lakes .
When Vice President Mike Pence campaigned in Duluth on Aug. 28 , six mayors from traditional Democratic strongholds endorsed the GOP ticket and said `` lifelong politicians like Joe Biden are out of touch with the working class . ''
Three more Iron Range mayors endorsed the ticket Friday , saying the Obama administration when Biden was vice president was soft on China as mines shut down .
Biden has focused on his support among steelworkers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spur domestic manufacturing through federal spending .
He released a statement Wednesday supporting the Iron Range and promoting endorsements by unions including the United Steelworkers and AFL-CIO .
He said steel shipments were down 25 % last year under Trump 's administration , idling mining operations and putting thousands of people out of work , while China produced the largest monthly volume of crude steel on record in July .
Biden acknowledged a chip on his shoulder at having the affluent look down him without an Ivy League degree .
But he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who built things with their hands rather than deriving income from investing in the stock market .
“ I believe this campaign is between Scranton and Park Avenue , ” Biden said , repeated a theme from his town hall Thursday on CNN .
“ Like a lot of you , I spent a lot of my life with guys like Donald Trump looking down on me.
” Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , a former Democratic primary rival of Biden , said her grandfather was a miner whose job was made safer by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tired hearing Trump say he is making the country safer while she has to visit her 92-year-old father in assisted living through glass because he ’ s suffering from COVID-19 .
“ I don ’ t know if I ’ m ever going to see him again , ” Klobuchar said .
“ That ’ s not safe.
” But she said Biden would work to curb the virus and revive the economy .
“ We need someone to have our back , ” Klobuchar said .
Biden lamented the job losses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death total nears 200,000 and is projected to double by the end of the year .
“ I can ’ t think of any president who has ever acted , in my view , so selfishly for his own reelection instead of his sworn obligation to protect and defend the American people , ” Biden said .

Bart Jansen and Michael Collins, USA TODAY

Donald Trump and Joe Biden stage dueling campaign events in unlikely battleground Minnesota
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
President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden swooped into the unlikely battleground of Minnesota on Friday for dueling campaign events in which each argued he was the better choice to spur the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump told supporters at a rally in the northern part of the state that tariffs he slapped on foreign steel and other executive actions he took helped save jobs in Minnesota's iron-ore mining industry. Biden, he said, spent decades as a senator and vice president sending U.S. jobs overseas.
"If Biden wins, China wins," Trump said at Bemidji Regional Airport.
A few hours earlier, Biden toured the Jerry Alander Carpenter Training Center in Hermantown, a suburb of Duluth, and called again for a $15 per hour minimum wage. He vowed to strengthen “buy American” requirements for federal contracting.
Biden has proposed to spend $400 billion during his first term to buy American products. He proposed to spend $2 trillion on infrastructure, and to retrofit 4 million buildings and 2 million homes to make them more energy efficient, which he said would create millions of jobs.
Biden said he would pay for his plan by repealing the Trump tax cut for individuals earning more than $400,000 per year and raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%. In contrast, Trump proposed to reduce the capital-gains tax rate on investments to 15%, which Biden said would be lower than the rate on working wages.
“It’s time to reward hard work in America, not wealth,” Biden said.
The candidates' visits coincided with the first day of Minnesota's early voting period – either in person or absentee – for the Nov. 3 election. Trump is vying to win a state Democrats have carried reliably since 1972 and therefore isn't routinely mentioned among crucial swing states like neighboring Wisconsin, Michigan or Florida.
Trump has won support across the northeast region of the state, despite the Iron Range being a traditional Democratic stronghold of unions for mining, steelworkers and shipping.
Polls suggest a comfortable Biden lead in Minnesota, by an average of 8.8 percentage points through Sept. 18, according to tracking site FiveThirtyEight.com. While Trump won support in the Iron Range in 2016, the bulk of the state's population is more urban and favors Democrats. But the Trump campaign says its internal polling portrays a tighter race.
At his rally in Bemidji, Trump cast doubts on the polls showing him behind.
"I don't think so," he said. "There's no way I'm 9 points down."
In a play for urban voters, the Trump campaign unveiled a local television ad Friday for Minnesota and Michigan that criticizes Biden for proposing to raise the number of refugees welcomed to the country from Syria, Somalia and Yemen. Minnesota had about 43,000 residents who were born in Somalia by 2018, according to census estimates, which occasionally sparks tensions in the Twin Cities.
Trump warned supporters at his rally that Biden would flood Minnesota and the rest of the country with refugees from “some of the most dangerous places in the world, including Yemen, Syria and Somalia.”
"I'm your wall between the American dream and chaos," he said.
Another urban issue for the Twin Cities deals with racial-justice protests. Minnesota has been the epicenter of nationwide racial justice protests, after the death May 25 of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. But political experts said the issue hasn't appeared to influence presidential politics in the state.
Cynthia Rugeley, an associate professor of political science at the University of Minnesota Duluth, said she sees no evidence that Floyd's death or the protests are shifting the presidential race in the state.
"I’m not sure it has changed any minds," she said. "It does seem to have hardened people’s opinions on the issues.”
Trump has called himself the law-and-order candidate, supporting police amid concerns about public safety. But Biden has accused Trump of stoking racial division rather than seeking to heal wounds from protests ranging from Portland, Oregon, to Atlanta, Georgia.
During Trump's previous visits to Minnesota, the president promoted his tariffs on Chinese steel to bolster local mining, his renegotiation of the trade deal with Canada for dairy farmers and funding for the Soo Locks shipping channel that is critical to trade on the Great Lakes.
When Vice President Mike Pence campaigned in Duluth on Aug. 28, six mayors from traditional Democratic strongholds endorsed the GOP ticket and said "lifelong politicians like Joe Biden are out of touch with the working class." Three more Iron Range mayors endorsed the ticket Friday, saying the Obama administration when Biden was vice president was soft on China as mines shut down.
Biden has focused on his support among steelworkers and other unions, with a proposal to spur domestic manufacturing through federal spending. He released a statement Wednesday supporting the Iron Range and promoting endorsements by unions including the United Steelworkers and AFL-CIO.
He said steel shipments were down 25% last year under Trump's administration, idling mining operations and putting thousands of people out of work, while China produced the largest monthly volume of crude steel on record in July.
Biden acknowledged a chip on his shoulder at having the affluent look down him without an Ivy League degree. But he promoted the region’s union workers who built things with their hands rather than deriving income from investing in the stock market.
“I believe this campaign is between Scranton and Park Avenue,” Biden said, repeated a theme from his town hall Thursday on CNN. “Like a lot of you, I spent a lot of my life with guys like Donald Trump looking down on me.”
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a former Democratic primary rival of Biden, said her grandfather was a miner whose job was made safer by miners. She said she is sick and tired hearing Trump say he is making the country safer while she has to visit her 92-year-old father in assisted living through glass because he’s suffering from COVID-19.
“I don’t know if I’m ever going to see him again,” Klobuchar said. “That’s not safe.”
But she said Biden would work to curb the virus and revive the economy.
“We need someone to have our back,” Klobuchar said.
Biden lamented the job losses under the pandemic, as the American death total nears 200,000 and is projected to double by the end of the year.
“I can’t think of any president who has ever acted, in my view, so selfishly for his own reelection instead of his sworn obligation to protect and defend the American people,” Biden said.


usatoday--2020-09-18--Trump says all Americans will have coronavirus vaccine by April, at odds with CDC timeline

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Friday that every American will have access to a coronavirus vaccine by April , the latest in a series of ever more optimistic predictions about a vaccination program that has yet to secure FDA approval .
Several of Trump 's critics expressed skepticism about that timeline .
As he faces reelection in November , Trump has often offered rosy – and incorrect – assessments about the speed for defeating the virus .
In March , he said he wanted to see `` packed '' churches and businesses reopened by Easter .
He also repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation would have access to a test .
Yet Trump nevertheless set a marker Friday for the vaccination , a hard deadline – even if the target comes six months after the election .
To hit the goal , White House aides said the government would need to have 100 million doses produced by year 's end .
`` Hundreds of millions of doses will be available every month , and we expect to have enough vaccines for every American by April , '' Trump told reporters at the White House on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go even quicker than most people think . ''
Trump 's critics expressed skepticism about the speed of delivery , citing logistical challenges as well as concerns that Trump will promise virtually anything in the weeks before the election and as the nation wrestles with a pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 Americans .
Though several vaccine trials are underway , none have been approved and public health experts have noted the process takes months at best .
Jonathan Reiner , professor of Medicine and Surgery at George Washington University , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country has never vaccinated more than about 160 million people in a single year for the flu , '' he said .
`` Now we need to vaccinate 330 million people with 2 doses ( 660 million injections ) of vaccines that have not yet been shown to be safe and effective and have unique transport and storage requirements necessitating ultra cold transport . ''
Reiner added : `` To vaccinate the entire country by April would require more than 4 million inoculations per day .
I don ’ t see it happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine , noted that there currently is n't a vaccine known to be effective and safe .
`` And we probably won ’ t have that information until end of the year at earliest , '' he said .
`` At that point how quickly the vaccine can be rolled out depends on which one works , and these have different degrees of storage complexity . ''
`` Anybody who believes anything he says about vaccines is an idiot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Illinois , who briefly challenged Trump for the GOP presidential nomination .
Trump 's assessment was more optimistic than the one offered recently by Dr. Robert Redfield , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Redfield told lawmakers this week that a vaccine could be available by late spring or next summer .
`` If you are asking me when is it going to be generally available to the American public so we can begin to take advantage of ( a ) vaccine to get back to our regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at third – late second quarter , third quarter 2021 , '' Redfield said .
The testimony drew a sharp rebuke from Trump , who said he believed Redfield was `` confused ” by lawmakers ' questioning .
Scott Atlas , one of Trump ’ s coronavirus advisers , told reporters Friday the U.S. will have more than 100 million vaccine doses available by the end of this year .
Doses will first go to first responders and individuals with high risks .
Those priority recipients will be able to take the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` By April , every single American who wants to be vaccinated will have the ability to be vaccinated , ” Atlas said .

John Fritze, Michael Collins and David Jackson, USA TODAY

Trump says all Americans will have coronavirus vaccine by April, at odds with CDC timeline
Show Caption Hide Caption COVID-19: How Herd Immunity works, why you still need to wear a mask Without masks and a vaccine, we could reach Herd Immunity from COVID-19, but deaths would skyrocket. We break down the science of it. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Friday that every American will have access to a coronavirus vaccine by April, the latest in a series of ever more optimistic predictions about a vaccination program that has yet to secure FDA approval.
Several of Trump's critics expressed skepticism about that timeline.
As he faces reelection in November, Trump has often offered rosy – and incorrect – assessments about the speed for defeating the virus. In March, he said he wanted to see "packed" churches and businesses reopened by Easter. He also repeatedly set unrealistic deadlines for when everyone in the nation would have access to a test.
Yet Trump nevertheless set a marker Friday for the vaccination, a hard deadline – even if the target comes six months after the election. To hit the goal, White House aides said the government would need to have 100 million doses produced by year's end.
"Hundreds of millions of doses will be available every month, and we expect to have enough vaccines for every American by April," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. "I think distribution will go even quicker than most people think."
Trump's critics expressed skepticism about the speed of delivery, citing logistical challenges as well as concerns that Trump will promise virtually anything in the weeks before the election and as the nation wrestles with a pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 Americans. Though several vaccine trials are underway, none have been approved and public health experts have noted the process takes months at best.
Jonathan Reiner, professor of Medicine and Surgery at George Washington University, said the logistical challenges are daunting.
"This country has never vaccinated more than about 160 million people in a single year for the flu," he said. "Now we need to vaccinate 330 million people with 2 doses (660 million injections) of vaccines that have not yet been shown to be safe and effective and have unique transport and storage requirements necessitating ultra cold transport."
Reiner added: "To vaccinate the entire country by April would require more than 4 million inoculations per day. I don’t see it happening that quickly."
Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, noted that there currently isn't a vaccine known to be effective and safe.
"And we probably won’t have that information until end of the year at earliest," he said. "At that point how quickly the vaccine can be rolled out depends on which one works, and these have different degrees of storage complexity."
More: Trump says CDC Director Robert Redfield 'confused' about coronavirus vaccine, mask efficacy. Redfield responded.
Trump's political foes were more blunt.
"Anybody who believes anything he says about vaccines is an idiot," said former Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois, who briefly challenged Trump for the GOP presidential nomination.
Trump's assessment was more optimistic than the one offered recently by Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Redfield told lawmakers this week that a vaccine could be available by late spring or next summer.
"If you are asking me when is it going to be generally available to the American public so we can begin to take advantage of (a) vaccine to get back to our regular life I think we are probably looking at third – late second quarter, third quarter 2021," Redfield said.
The testimony drew a sharp rebuke from Trump, who said he believed Redfield was "confused” by lawmakers' questioning.
Scott Atlas, one of Trump’s coronavirus advisers, told reporters Friday the U.S. will have more than 100 million vaccine doses available by the end of this year. Doses will first go to first responders and individuals with high risks. Those priority recipients will be able to take the vaccine by January at the latest, he said.
"By April, every single American who wants to be vaccinated will have the ability to be vaccinated,” Atlas said.
Contributing: Nicholas Wu


usatoday--2020-09-18--Florida deputy uses resident's boat to save about 120 people trapped in Sally floodwaters

PENSACOLA , Fla. – At the height of the flooding from Sally Wednesday , an Escambia County Sheriff ’ s Office deputy took a 21-foot boat off a trailer that belonged to a resident of the Bristol Park neighborhood in Cantonment , Florida , cranked the motor and ferried about 120 people safely to dry land .
Capt .
Jeremy Small drove the vessel over asphalt , dodging staples of domesticity like mailboxes and minivans , through suburban streets .
“ I asked the guy whose boat it was if he wanted to do the driving , ” recalled Capt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ No , sir.
’ So , I cranked the engine and backed her off the trailer.
” Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan told the News Journal , part of the USA TODAY Network , that Small ’ s heroism was symbolic of all the men and woman of the ECSO .
Watch : At least 1 dead after Hurricane Sally causes 'catastrophic flooding ' in Alabama , Florida Storms Wilfred then Alpha form : Hurricane season 2020 has been so busy , we have to use Greek letters “ The actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescue of Escambia County citizens trapped in the floodwaters are just indicative of all the men and woman of the Escambia County Sheriff 's Office who are prepared to give their lives if necessary to save others , whether responding to a terrorist attack or a flood-ravaged county , ” Morgan said .
“ Every day they are prepared to serve.
” Around 6 a.m. Wednesday , Small was in the ECSO ’ s vehicle garage in Pensacola when a call came in from the county ’ s emergency operations center requesting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or HRV , in Cantonment .
The dispatcher told Small at least one family had already fled to the elevated safety of their home ’ s attic in Bristol Park .
It wasn ’ t expected that a civilian or even standard-police SUV could ford the floods — and the water was rising .
No other sworn deputies were around .
The only other person in the ECSO garage at the time who could possibly help him on the long journey over the water-locked country roads to Cantonment was a mechanic , Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I felt was right , ” Leverett said , about his decision to aid the deputy .
“ Trying to get people to safety was the right thing to do .
“ Put yourself in their shoes .
I just didn ’ t think twice , ” he continued .
“ I just did it.
” The ECSO ’ s HRV is a hulking vehicle with enormous tires .
There is a large cab with an extended bed in the back that ’ s ceilinged by canvas .
A tan paint-job makes it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Small rode in the passenger seat as they set out for the floodwaters in Cantonment shortly after 6 a.m. as Hurricane Sally squalled outside , all around them .
On Pine Forrest Road near the Silver Lake mobile home park , the road was flooded , and the water ripped around a stuck van .
“ There was a guy in the van , ” Small said .
“ So , we checked on him , and he was like ‘ Nah .
I ’ m good .
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t real-swift water .
We were like ‘ All right , we got an emergency , ’ and we head on.
” The men turned on Highway 97 , which took them all the way to the Bristol Park subdivision , and they found the situation much worse than merely a single family trapped in an attic .
“ There was water already up to all the doors of the homes that were there , ” Small said .
“ About two streets into the neighborhood and the water , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of brick mailboxes.
” People started pouring out of their homes , trying to make it to the HRV .
“ We ’ re filling the truck up as we went along the street , ” Small said .
“ We hit the second cul-de-sac that was flooded .
Got some more people there .
There was a car , a Camaro , that was flooded with people in it .
We loaded them up.
” Going street to street , Small and Leverett would make short stops .
Parking the HRV in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and used a runaway kayak they found in a yard as a makeshift stretcher to float those who were not strong enough to stand in the strong current over to their big truck .
On one street , Leverett spotted a family waiting for rescue in its boat parked in their driveway .
The HRV drove their way .
The family got in , but after driving about 20 more feet , Leverett told Small they had a problem .
The HRV was stuck .
The water had risen high enough that even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — full of refugees and now they had no way to escape the neighborhood .
“ It was a pretty bad situation , ” Small remembered .
“ Then , a guy in the back said , ‘ You can use my boat.
’ '' The water had risen .
It was chest deep with a strong current , and Small did not want to risk being swept under .
The ECSO captain used the roofs of cars parked along the street to leapfrog back to the boat until he reached the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The boat was too far away to make a clean jump .
He ’ d have to swim several feet .
“ Like I said , there was strong current .
I was a little concerned about if I could make it or whether it would suck me under .
I probably spent about a minute debating what I was going to do , ” Small said .
“ I kind of took a leap of faith and dove over there and made it right to the boat.
” Small has some experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's not an expert , and driving the relatively large vessel in a strong current through tight spaces proved challenging .
“ I probably dinged a couple of mailboxes and things , ” he said .
Regardless , Small operated the boat back to the stuck HRV , loaded up with refugees and ferried them to the mouth of the Bristol Park neighborhood where the land rose , and the waters receded .
Then , he went back in .
“ Chris and I made about 10 to 12 trips with an average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Small said of his and Leverett ’ s adventure .
“ When we took them out of there — I mean , I was driving on asphalt — the road sloped up , ” he said , “ and I definitely was banging the bottom of the boat on the road near the opening of the neighborhood where the people were getting off .
“ That man probably is insured , ” Small continued .
“ I hope he has insurance , but I have no doubt that he ’ ll get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m glad he let us use the boat .
Otherwise , I don ’ t know how those people would have been saved.
” Small returned to Bristol Park after the flood had passed and saw the boat back in place , sitting perfectly on top of its trailer .
“ I don ’ t know how he managed it , ” Small added .

Colin Warren-Hicks, Pensacola News Journal

Florida deputy uses resident's boat to save about 120 people trapped in Sally floodwaters
Show Caption Hide Caption Hurricane Sally in Pensacola: Tour damage drone tour In drone footage courtesy of Sam Perry, the extent of damage done to locations done in and around Pensacola can be seen from the air. Nate Chute, Wochit
PENSACOLA, Fla. – At the height of the flooding from Sally Wednesday, an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy took a 21-foot boat off a trailer that belonged to a resident of the Bristol Park neighborhood in Cantonment, Florida, cranked the motor and ferried about 120 people safely to dry land.
Capt. Jeremy Small drove the vessel over asphalt, dodging staples of domesticity like mailboxes and minivans, through suburban streets.
“I asked the guy whose boat it was if he wanted to do the driving,” recalled Capt. Jeremy Small. “He said, ‘No, sir.’ So, I cranked the engine and backed her off the trailer.”
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan told the News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, that Small’s heroism was symbolic of all the men and woman of the ECSO.
Watch: At least 1 dead after Hurricane Sally causes 'catastrophic flooding' in Alabama, Florida
Storms Wilfred then Alpha form: Hurricane season 2020 has been so busy, we have to use Greek letters
“The actions of Capt. Jeremy Small in the rescue of Escambia County citizens trapped in the floodwaters are just indicative of all the men and woman of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office who are prepared to give their lives if necessary to save others, whether responding to a terrorist attack or a flood-ravaged county,” Morgan said. “Every day they are prepared to serve.”
A call for help
Around 6 a.m. Wednesday, Small was in the ECSO’s vehicle garage in Pensacola when a call came in from the county’s emergency operations center requesting the help of a high-water rescue vehicle, or HRV, in Cantonment.
The dispatcher told Small at least one family had already fled to the elevated safety of their home’s attic in Bristol Park. It wasn’t expected that a civilian or even standard-police SUV could ford the floods — and the water was rising.
No other sworn deputies were around. The only other person in the ECSO garage at the time who could possibly help him on the long journey over the water-locked country roads to Cantonment was a mechanic, Chris Leverett.
“It was just what I felt was right,” Leverett said, about his decision to aid the deputy. “Trying to get people to safety was the right thing to do.
“Put yourself in their shoes. I just didn’t think twice,” he continued. “I just did it.”
The ECSO’s HRV is a hulking vehicle with enormous tires. There is a large cab with an extended bed in the back that’s ceilinged by canvas. A tan paint-job makes it resemble an Army transport.
Leverett drove. Small rode in the passenger seat as they set out for the floodwaters in Cantonment shortly after 6 a.m. as Hurricane Sally squalled outside, all around them.
On Pine Forrest Road near the Silver Lake mobile home park, the road was flooded, and the water ripped around a stuck van.
“There was a guy in the van,” Small said. “So, we checked on him, and he was like ‘Nah. I’m good. I don’t want to leave my vehicle.’ It wasn’t real-swift water. We were like ‘All right, we got an emergency,’ and we head on.”
The men turned on Highway 97, which took them all the way to the Bristol Park subdivision, and they found the situation much worse than merely a single family trapped in an attic.
“There was water already up to all the doors of the homes that were there,” Small said. “About two streets into the neighborhood and the water, it was getting close to touching the tops of brick mailboxes.”
People started pouring out of their homes, trying to make it to the HRV.
“We’re filling the truck up as we went along the street,” Small said. “We hit the second cul-de-sac that was flooded. Got some more people there. There was a car, a Camaro, that was flooded with people in it. We loaded them up.”
Going street to street, Small and Leverett would make short stops. Parking the HRV in waist-deep water, they exited the vehicle and used a runaway kayak they found in a yard as a makeshift stretcher to float those who were not strong enough to stand in the strong current over to their big truck.
Rising waters and a leap of faith
On one street, Leverett spotted a family waiting for rescue in its boat parked in their driveway. The HRV drove their way. The family got in, but after driving about 20 more feet, Leverett told Small they had a problem.
The HRV was stuck. The water had risen high enough that even the hulking HRV could no longer move — full of refugees and now they had no way to escape the neighborhood.
“It was a pretty bad situation,” Small remembered. “Then, a guy in the back said, ‘You can use my boat.’"
The water had risen. It was chest deep with a strong current, and Small did not want to risk being swept under.
The ECSO captain used the roofs of cars parked along the street to leapfrog back to the boat until he reached the last vehicle between himself and the vessel. The boat was too far away to make a clean jump. He’d have to swim several feet.
“Like I said, there was strong current. I was a little concerned about if I could make it or whether it would suck me under. I probably spent about a minute debating what I was going to do,” Small said. “I kind of took a leap of faith and dove over there and made it right to the boat.”
Small has some experience with boating. But he said he's not an expert, and driving the relatively large vessel in a strong current through tight spaces proved challenging.
“I probably dinged a couple of mailboxes and things,” he said.
Regardless, Small operated the boat back to the stuck HRV, loaded up with refugees and ferried them to the mouth of the Bristol Park neighborhood where the land rose, and the waters receded.
Then, he went back in.
“Chris and I made about 10 to 12 trips with an average of 10 people on each ride,” Small said of his and Leverett’s adventure.
“When we took them out of there — I mean, I was driving on asphalt — the road sloped up,” he said, “and I definitely was banging the bottom of the boat on the road near the opening of the neighborhood where the people were getting off.
“That man probably is insured,” Small continued. “I hope he has insurance, but I have no doubt that he’ll get it paid for somehow, and I’m glad he let us use the boat. Otherwise, I don’t know how those people would have been saved.”
Small returned to Bristol Park after the flood had passed and saw the boat back in place, sitting perfectly on top of its trailer.
“I don’t know how he managed it,” Small added.


usatoday--2020-09-18--Suspects open fire on home of New Jersey police officers and newborn baby; reward offered

CAMDEN , N.J. - Assailants opened fire on the home of two Camden County Police officers Tuesday night , with two bullets piercing the front door of the couple 's East Camden residence , authorities disclosed Thursday .
The officers and their 10-day-old baby escaped injury during the late-night attack , said Camden County Police Chief Joseph Wysocki .
`` It shocks the conscience that this occurred , '' Wysocki said at a press conference .
`` I do n't know why they were targeted , '' he added , describing the unnamed couple as `` two really good officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` They 're constantly interacting with members of the community , '' he said .
`` We 're looking into every arrest that they have had .
We 're not going to leave a rock unturned . ''
The male officer is a four-year veteran of the county department ; the woman joined the force two years ago .
Both are on leave following their child 's Sept. 5 birth , Wysocki said .
Investigators believe two suspects stepped from a car driven by a third person and opened fire on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' vehicle , a 1998 Honda Odyssey with a temporary paper tag , was found early Thursday .
Wysocki said investigators have not determined a reason for the attack .
He said police have not ruled out the home could have been targeted by accident .
But Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli vowed punishment would be severe for anyone found guilty of shooting at the officers ' home .
`` I want to send a very clear message to the scumbag thugs behind this senseless act , '' said Cappelli .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 'll be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law . ''
`` If you think you can get away with these crimes under the cover of some unfortunate acts that may have taken part in other parts of the nation or under cover of some national movement , you are wrong , '' the freeholder said .
Wysocki noted county police officers are facing additional stress due to unrest in many communities .
`` It 's been a trying summer .
It seems like cops right now are Public Enemy No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` You see what 's going on around the country , '' said the chief , who earlier this year marched in a Black Lives Matter protest .
`` We keep saying that it 's not Camden .
Now it is , '' said Wysocki , noting his hope that `` this is an isolated incident . ''
Rewards of $ 40,000 were being offered for the arrest and conviction of those who took part in the attack .
Wysocki noted rewards of $ 20,000 at Thursday 's press conference .
An additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NJ State PBA , which represents law enforcement officers across New Jersey .
Federal investigators are taking part in the search for the assailants , said Michael Driscoll , Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Philadelphia .
`` Obviously anyone who opens fire on a private home is a threat , '' said Driscoll , whose agency is contributing $ 10,000 toward the reward offers .
`` Add to that the possibility that someone may have targeted law enforcement , it poses a true threat to the citizens of Camden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally quiet road lined by largely identical brick row homes .
`` It 's quite disturbing , '' said a neighbor , Farrah Adams , who expressed appreciation for two uniformed officers in a patrol car parked on the street Thursday afternoon .
`` The baby was in there , '' she exclaimed of the shooting .
`` People can just be so cruel . ''
Wysocki , who said public disclosure of the shooting was delayed for investigative reasons , appealed for information from anyone with knowledge of the attack or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical for us to speak with the owners , occupants or friends of anybody that operates this vehicle , '' he said .
`` We have had some help , '' said Wysocki , who described the officers ' neighborhood as `` a very tight-knit community . ''
`` We appreciate the support that we have , but we need more help , '' the chief said .
Anyone with information is asked to the police department 's tip line at ( 856 ) 757-7042 , the Citizen ’ s Crime Commission at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Jim Walsh and Phaedra Trethan, Cherry Hill Courier-Post

Suspects open fire on home of New Jersey police officers and newborn baby; reward offered
Show Caption Hide Caption Watch: Shooting attack on police officers' Camden home Camden County and federal law enforcement agencies investigate shooting attack on home of two police officers and their newborn Jim Walsh, @jimwalsh_cp
CAMDEN, N.J. - Assailants opened fire on the home of two Camden County Police officers Tuesday night, with two bullets piercing the front door of the couple's East Camden residence, authorities disclosed Thursday.
The officers and their 10-day-old baby escaped injury during the late-night attack, said Camden County Police Chief Joseph Wysocki.
"It shocks the conscience that this occurred," Wysocki said at a press conference.
"I don't know why they were targeted," he added, describing the unnamed couple as "two really good officers assigned to our Neighborhood Response Team."
"They're constantly interacting with members of the community," he said. "We're looking into every arrest that they have had. We're not going to leave a rock unturned."
The male officer is a four-year veteran of the county department; the woman joined the force two years ago.
Both are on leave following their child's Sept. 5 birth, Wysocki said.
Investigators believe two suspects stepped from a car driven by a third person and opened fire on the house around 11:45 p.m. The suspects' vehicle, a 1998 Honda Odyssey with a temporary paper tag, was found early Thursday.
Wysocki said investigators have not determined a reason for the attack. He said police have not ruled out the home could have been targeted by accident.
But Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli vowed punishment would be severe for anyone found guilty of shooting at the officers' home.
"I want to send a very clear message to the scumbag thugs behind this senseless act," said Cappelli. "We are coming to get you and you'll be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
"If you think you can get away with these crimes under the cover of some unfortunate acts that may have taken part in other parts of the nation or under cover of some national movement, you are wrong," the freeholder said.
Wysocki noted county police officers are facing additional stress due to unrest in many communities.
"It's been a trying summer. It seems like cops right now are Public Enemy No. 1," he said.
"You see what's going on around the country," said the chief, who earlier this year marched in a Black Lives Matter protest.
"We keep saying that it's not Camden. Now it is," said Wysocki, noting his hope that "this is an isolated incident."
Rewards of $40,000 were being offered for the arrest and conviction of those who took part in the attack.
Wysocki noted rewards of $20,000 at Thursday's press conference. An additional $20,000 was offered Friday by the NJ State PBA, which represents law enforcement officers across New Jersey.
Federal investigators are taking part in the search for the assailants, said Michael Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Philadelphia.
"Obviously anyone who opens fire on a private home is a threat," said Driscoll, whose agency is contributing $10,000 toward the reward offers. "Add to that the possibility that someone may have targeted law enforcement, it poses a true threat to the citizens of Camden.'
The gunfire shocked neighbors on the normally quiet road lined by largely identical brick row homes.
"It's quite disturbing," said a neighbor, Farrah Adams, who expressed appreciation for two uniformed officers in a patrol car parked on the street Thursday afternoon.
"The baby was in there," she exclaimed of the shooting. "People can just be so cruel."
Wysocki, who said public disclosure of the shooting was delayed for investigative reasons, appealed for information from anyone with knowledge of the attack or the suspects' vehicle.
"It's critical for us to speak with the owners, occupants or friends of anybody that operates this vehicle," he said.
"We have had some help," said Wysocki, who described the officers' neighborhood as "a very tight-knit community."
"We appreciate the support that we have, but we need more help," the chief said.
Anyone with information is asked to the police department's tip line at (856) 757-7042, the Citizen’s Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS, or use the STOPit app.
Follow Jim Walsh on Twitter: @jimwalsh_cp


usatoday--2020-09-18--Jackson State expected to hire Deion Sanders as football coach

Former NFL star Deion Sanders is expected to be named the next football coach at Jackson State , a person familiar with the situation told the Clarion Ledger on Friday .
The person spoke on a condition of anonymity because the deal has n't been finalized .
Sanders , 53 , played in the NFL for 14 seasons and in the MLB for nine seasons .
Nicknamed `` Prime Time , '' Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 .
Jackson State is n't playing football in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game is Feb. 27 at home against Mississippi Valley State .
Sanders has never been a head coach before and has not been an assistant on a college or pro staff .
Sanders is the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian in Cedar Hill , Texas .
The program has won three consecutive state championships and is led by senior quarterback Shedeur Sanders , Deion 's son .
Shedeur , rated a four-star prospect by ESPN and 247Sports , committed to Florida Atlantic in July .
Trinity Christian opened its 2020 schedule in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders has also been an on-air personality and analyst since retiring .
He was formerly with the NFL Network before signing a deal with Barstool Sports earlier this year .
Sanders , along with Ed Reed , coached the 2020 Under Armour All-American Game .
Sanders expressed his desire to coach a college football program this upcoming season earlier this year at the Super Bowl on `` The Dan Patrick Show . ''
In a video interview posted Monday , Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said he knows Sanders has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would take .
Jackson State dismissed John Hendrick on Aug. 31 .
He was named interim head coach in 2018 and retained the job full time in 2019 .
Jackson State was 6-9 overall and 5-5 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference his first season .
The Tigers went 4-8 in 2019 .
Assistant coaches T.C .
Taylor and Otis Riddley have served as interim coaches .
Contact Rashad Milligan at 601-862-6198 or Jmilligan @ gannett.com .
Follow @ RashadMilligan on Twitter .

Rashad Milligan, Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Jackson State expected to hire Deion Sanders as football coach
Show Caption Hide Caption Five things to know about Deion Sanders Here are five quick facts about NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Ayrika L Whitney, The Tennessean
Former NFL star Deion Sanders is expected to be named the next football coach at Jackson State, a person familiar with the situation told the Clarion Ledger on Friday.
The person spoke on a condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized.
Sanders, 53, played in the NFL for 14 seasons and in the MLB for nine seasons. Nicknamed "Prime Time," Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Jackson State isn't playing football in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and has announced a spring schedule. The first game is Feb. 27 at home against Mississippi Valley State.
Sanders has never been a head coach before and has not been an assistant on a college or pro staff.
Sanders is the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian in Cedar Hill, Texas. The program has won three consecutive state championships and is led by senior quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion's son. Shedeur, rated a four-star prospect by ESPN and 247Sports, committed to Florida Atlantic in July.
Trinity Christian opened its 2020 schedule in the metro Jackson area at Madison-Ridgeland Academy.
Sanders has also been an on-air personality and analyst since retiring. He was formerly with the NFL Network before signing a deal with Barstool Sports earlier this year.
Sanders, along with Ed Reed, coached the 2020 Under Armour All-American Game.
Sanders expressed his desire to coach a college football program this upcoming season earlier this year at the Super Bowl on "The Dan Patrick Show."
In a video interview posted Monday, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said he knows Sanders has a staff assembled for whatever job he would take.
Jackson State dismissed John Hendrick on Aug. 31. He was named interim head coach in 2018 and retained the job full time in 2019. Jackson State was 6-9 overall and 5-5 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference his first season. The Tigers went 4-8 in 2019.
Assistant coaches T.C. Taylor and Otis Riddley have served as interim coaches.
Contact Rashad Milligan at 601-862-6198 or Jmilligan@gannett.com. Follow @RashadMilligan on Twitter.


usatoday--2020-09-18--Coronavirus updates: CDC reverses controversial testing guidance; public still split on COVID-19 vac

With the U.S. approaching 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and worldwide infections topping 30 million , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that all people who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should get tested , even if they are n't showing symptoms .
The recommendation Friday reverses controversial guidance the agency issued at the end of August , which said that someone who was in close contact ( within 6 feet ) of an infected person for at least 15 minutes but doesn ’ t have symptoms does not `` necessarily need a test .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus vaccine , President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. will have manufactured more than 100,000,000 doses of vaccine before the end of the year , with `` enough vaccines for every American by April . ''
But CDC Director Robert Redfield told a Senate panel this week that a vaccine may not be available to the American public until summer or fall 2021 .
Meanwhile , Texas and Nevada are set to ease restrictions for some businesses beginning this weekend , and four more states began-in person voting Friday .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , lines at voting locations in Fairfax County were already out the door .
A photo shared by the county on Twitter showed a long line of people wearing masks , standing 6 feet apart on sidewalks or camped out on benches and curbs .
• The U.S. public is still divided over whether to get COVID-19 vaccine one it becomes available , with nearly half saying they would n't get vaccinated in a Pew Research Center survey .
• A drafted announcement that was never sent illustrates how the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million masks to Americans during the early parts of the pandemic , according to a document obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act .
• Moderna , one of the companies leading the effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine , announced it could have enough clinical trial results as soon as November to confirm the effectiveness of its candidate vaccine .
📈 Today 's numbers : The U.S. has reported more than 6.6 million cases and 198,000 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
Globally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million cases and 947,000 fatalities .
New case records were set in six states : Arkansas , Montana , North Dakota , West Virginia , Wisconsin and Wyoming , according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data .
Record numbers of deaths were reported in Kansas , North Dakota and Puerto Rico .
📰 What we 're reading : Did n't hear from contact tracers about that guy coughing on your flight ?
You might not – even if he had COVID-19 .
🗺 Mapping coronavirus : Track the U.S. outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be updated throughout the day .
For updates in your inbox , subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter .
Parents knowingly sent child to school with COVID-19 Twenty-nine high school students in Massachusetts were told to quarantine after parents sent their child to in-person class despite having tested positive for the coronavirus days earlier , reports say .
According to NBC News , the student tested Sept. 9 and got positive results back on Sept. 11 .
They went for their first day of class at Attleboro High School , located about 39 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 .
Parents learned the next day that a student who attended the public school had tested positive for COVID-19 , according to a letter sent to parents obtained by USA TODAY .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed controversial guidance on coronavirus testing Friday , now recommending that people who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should get tested , even if they 're not symptomatic .
The recommendation departs from guidance the agency issued at the end of August , which said that someone who was in close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an infected person for at least 15 minutes but doesn ’ t have symptoms does not `` necessarily need a test . ''
Infectious disease experts were confused and troubled by the change , as people who are not showing symptoms can still have and spread COVID-19 .
The CDC estimates that 40 % of infections are asymptomatic and 50 % of transmissions occur before symptoms appear .
Experts worry that failing to test asymptomatic carriers could not only result in more infections but also hinder contact tracing efforts .
CDC director called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get COVID-19 test A USA TODAY investigation found that Dr. Robert Redfield , the director of the CDC , called Nevada ’ s chief medical officer in early March to request a COVID-19 test for a Nevada GOP leader who could not get one .
Adam Laxalt , the former attorney general of Nevada until 2019 and booster for President Donald Trump , believed he was exposed to the coronavirus while attending the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland .
But Laxalt was not showing symptoms and could not get approved for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On the phone call , Redfield asked the medical officer , Dr. Ihsan Azzam , to get it done , according to interviews and internal communications USA TODAY received through records requests .
The special treatment is a stark example of how political influence has penetrated the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic , creating challenges for local health authorities .
It came at a time when his agency knew thousands of Americans needed testing but could not get it due to supply shortages .
Amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions .
• England : A ban on social gatherings of more than six people , including children , went into effect this week , and fresh nationwide lockdown restrictions appear to be in the cards soon .
• Denmark : Officials announced a nationwide order lowering the size of approved gatherings from 100 to 50 and telling cafes , bars and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. instead of midnight .
• Spain : A line of tents has been installed at the gates of a Madrid military hospital four months after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
Spain ’ s Defense Ministry said the tents are empty , installed protectively ahead of the second wave taking hold on the Spanish capital .
• Italy : The Sicilian town of Corleone , made famous by the fictional Mafia clan in `` The Godfather , '' has ordered schools closed and a limited lockdown because of a coronavirus spike .
Meanwhile , Israel has returned to a full lockdown to contain a worsening coronavirus outbreak .
270 million are 'marching toward the brink of starvation ' amid pandemic U.N. World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 270 million people are `` marching toward the brink of starvation '' because of the toxic combination of conflict , climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic .
Beasley on Thursday urged donor nations and billionaires to contribute $ 4.9 billion to feed the 30 million he said will die without U.N. assistance .
He reminded the U.N. Security Council of his warning five months ago that `` the world stood on the brink of a hunger pandemic , '' and welcomed the response then , which averted famine and led countries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of world 's population have purchased majority of promised vaccines Wealthy nations representing 13 % of the world ’ s population have already purchased approximately 51 % of the promised doses of leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates , nonprofit group Oxfam warned Thursday .
Oxfam analyzed the deals that pharmaceutical corporations and vaccine producers made with nations around the world for the five leading vaccine candidates in phase 3 clinical trials .
Even in the event that all five vaccines succeed , nearly two-thirds of the world ’ s population will not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oxfam estimates .
Earlier this week , researchers at Northeastern University warned that more people will die if wealthy nations hoard vaccines .
The models found 61 % of deaths could be averted if the vaccine was distributed to all countries proportional to population , while only 33 % of deaths would be averted if high-income countries got the vaccines first .
Nearly half of school employees in high risk group for COVID-19 , study says While students may be in the group that poses the least risk for COVID-19 infection , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potentially have the highest risk .
According to a pre-print study to be published in Health Affairs , between 42 % to about 51 % of all school employees meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s definition for being at increased risk for COVID-19 .
The CDC says that underlying health conditions , such as obesity , diabetes and heart disease , and older age put people into the highest risk groups .
The results align closely with a recent survey by the Education Week Research Center that said 43 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical condition that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19 .
A plan by the United States Postal Service to send 650 million masks to Americans at the start of the pandemic was scrapped , according to a document obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act .
The announcement , which was first reported by the Washington Post on Friday , was drafted but never sent .
USPS said in the plan that first shipments of masks were expected to reach U.S. households at an unspecified date in April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service ’ s role in the pandemic response may have been more involved than initially reported this spring .
Nearly half of US public say they wouldn ’ t get a COVID-19 vaccine : Pew study Even after government agencies and pharmaceutical companies pledged their independence in the race to find a vaccine for the coronavirus , Americans are still divided over whether they would get vaccinated .
According to a Pew Research Center survey , nearly half of U.S. adults ( 49 % ) say they definitely or probably would not get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a COVID-19 vaccine has fallen by 21 % since May .
While intent to get a vaccinated has declined across all major political and demographic groups , some differences remain .
Just 32 % of Black adults say they would definitely get a vaccine compared with 52 % of white adults , 56 % of Hispanics and 72 % of Asian Americans .
The national survey was conducted Sept. 8-13 among more than 10,000 U.S. adults .
Las Vegas bars , taprooms , breweries will be allowed to reopen on Sunday After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nevada officials announced bars , taprooms and breweries can reopen Sunday night in Clark County , where Las Vegas is located .
Nevada 's COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Task Force on Thursday unanimously approved the county 's plan to reopen drinking businesses throughout the Las Vegas Valley .
Clark County Commission Chairwoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick told the task force that bar owners are committed to following health and safety protocols .
State biostatistician Kyra Morgan revealed the COVID-19 positivity rate dropped from 8.6 % to 7.8 % between Monday and Thursday .
The World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be no higher than 5 % .
Meanwhile , one resort , Wynn Las Vegas has logged almost 500 positive COVID-19 cases among employees since it reopened in June .
Utah Gov .
Gary Herbert said Thursday he is considering a statewide mask mandate and planning expanded coronavirus testing in response to what he called an alarming spike of infections in the state .
The state counted 911 new confirmed cases on Thursday , a new record for any single day .
The rolling average of daily new cases has increased by about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to state data , and has jumped to 661 per day this week compared to 381 per day last week .
`` We are taking this spike and the magnitude of it very seriously , '' Herbert told reporters .
Herbert , a Republican , has urged residents to wear masks for months but has stopped short of implementing a statewide mandate .
He has instead allowed counties to decide if they needed bans .
India 's coronavirus cases jumped by another 96,424 infections in the past 24 hours , showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ministry on Friday raised the nation ’ s total past 5.21 million , or about 0.37 % of its nearly 1.4 billion people .
It said 1,174 more people died in the past 24 hours , for a total of 84,372 fatalities , but experts say India 's death toll may be a significant undercount .
India ’ s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on Thursday made a fresh appeal to people to wear masks and maintain social distance as his government chalked out plans to handle big congregations expected during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott said Thursday that he would allow businesses to expand pandemic limits on capacity in most of the state , citing a decline in coronavirus hospitalizations .
The order allows businesses operating at 50 % capacity to move to 75 % starting Monday .
That includes restaurants , retail , office buildings , manufacturing , gyms , libraries and museums .
Bars remain closed under the order , although some have been able to reopen by selling more food than alcohol .
`` Without vaccines available , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texans have already shown that they are up to that challenge , '' Abbott said at a Capitol news conference .
`` As we go about the process to continue to contain COVID , we will also continue to work to open up Texas . ''
And Abbott is allowing hospitals in much of the state to resume elective surgeries , effective immediately .
Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities may resume visitations next Thursday , as long as there are no outbreaks at those facilities .
Survey : 751 Arizona teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are fewer teachers than ever in Arizona classrooms , according to a new survey from the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association .
Just a few weeks into the school year , about 28 % of teacher positions in the state remained vacant compared with 21 % vacant last year , the data shows , which means about 3 in 10 classrooms are not led by a qualified teacher .
Schools have had to fill those open positions with long-term substitute teachers or others without teaching qualifications .
Teachers across the state have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quit , especially when faced with the threat of returning to the classroom amid the pandemic .
Some medically vulnerable teachers are particularly worried about contracting the virus while around students .
Arizona school districts had about 6,145 open positions this year — 1,728 remain vacant , compared with 1,443 in 2019 .
Moderna says vaccine trial results could come in November Moderna , one of the companies leading the effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine , announced Thursday it could have enough clinical trial results as soon as November to confirm the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the vaccine ’ s effectiveness will be presented to an independent review committee after 53 people in the trial contract COVID-19 , and again after 106 and 151 infections .
Half the participants are getting a placebo and half the active vaccine , called mRNA-1273 .
Statistically , if the vaccine is effective 75 % of the time , it should take only 106 infections in both groups to prove its effectiveness , Dr. Jacqueline Miller , Moderna ’ s senior vice president of infectious disease development , told company investors on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will likely come in November , Moderna could apply for an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin distributing the vaccine .
The FDA has said a vaccine must be at least 50 % effective to win federal approval , but the companies developing vaccines have said they are aiming for at least 60 % and hopefully even higher effectiveness .
Moderna had originally predicted that it might take until May 2021 to prove its vaccine ’ s effectiveness , but pushed up that timeline because participants joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high around trial sites and the company was able to start the trial earlier than originally expected .
• On Facebook : A lot is still 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • 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 .

Jessica Flores, Adrianna Rodriguez and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY

Coronavirus updates: CDC reverses controversial testing guidance; public still split on COVID-19 vaccine; Las Vegas bars to reopen
Show Caption Hide Caption COVID-19: How Herd Immunity works, why you still need to wear a mask Without masks and a vaccine, we could reach Herd Immunity from COVID-19, but deaths would skyrocket. We break down the science of it. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
With the U.S. approaching 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and worldwide infections topping 30 million, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that all people who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should get tested, even if they aren't showing symptoms.
The recommendation Friday reverses controversial guidance the agency issued at the end of August, which said that someone who was in close contact (within 6 feet) of an infected person for at least 15 minutes but doesn’t have symptoms does not "necessarily need a test."
Asked about the timeline for a coronavirus vaccine, President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. will have manufactured more than 100,000,000 doses of vaccine before the end of the year, with "enough vaccines for every American by April." But CDC Director Robert Redfield told a Senate panel this week that a vaccine may not be available to the American public until summer or fall 2021.
Meanwhile, Texas and Nevada are set to ease restrictions for some businesses beginning this weekend, and four more states began-in person voting Friday.
Some significant developments:
As in-person voting began in Virginia on Friday, lines at voting locations in Fairfax County were already out the door. A photo shared by the county on Twitter showed a long line of people wearing masks, standing 6 feet apart on sidewalks or camped out on benches and curbs.
The U.S. public is still divided over whether to get COVID-19 vaccine one it becomes available, with nearly half saying they wouldn't get vaccinated in a Pew Research Center survey.
A drafted announcement that was never sent illustrates how the United States Postal Service had planned to send 650 million masks to Americans during the early parts of the pandemic, according to a document obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act.
Moderna, one of the companies leading the effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, announced it could have enough clinical trial results as soon as November to confirm the effectiveness of its candidate vaccine.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 6.6 million cases and 198,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Globally, there have been more than 30 million cases and 947,000 fatalities. New case records were set in six states: Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Kansas, North Dakota and Puerto Rico.
📰 What we're reading: Didn't hear from contact tracers about that guy coughing on your flight? You might not – even if he had COVID-19.
🗺 Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak, state by state
This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter.
Twenty-nine high school students in Massachusetts were told to quarantine after parents sent their child to in-person class despite having tested positive for the coronavirus days earlier, reports say.
According to NBC News, the student tested Sept. 9 and got positive results back on Sept. 11. They went for their first day of class at Attleboro High School, located about 39 miles southwest of Boston, on Sept. 14.
Parents learned the next day that a student who attended the public school had tested positive for COVID-19, according to a letter sent to parents obtained by USA TODAY.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed controversial guidance on coronavirus testing Friday, now recommending that people who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should get tested, even if they're not symptomatic.
The recommendation departs from guidance the agency issued at the end of August, which said that someone who was in close contact (within 6 feet) of an infected person for at least 15 minutes but doesn’t have symptoms does not "necessarily need a test."
Infectious disease experts were confused and troubled by the change, as people who are not showing symptoms can still have and spread COVID-19.
The CDC estimates that 40% of infections are asymptomatic and 50% of transmissions occur before symptoms appear. Experts worry that failing to test asymptomatic carriers could not only result in more infections but also hinder contact tracing efforts.
A USA TODAY investigation found that Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC, called Nevada’s chief medical officer in early March to request a COVID-19 test for a Nevada GOP leader who could not get one.
Adam Laxalt, the former attorney general of Nevada until 2019 and booster for President Donald Trump, believed he was exposed to the coronavirus while attending the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. But Laxalt was not showing symptoms and could not get approved for a test through a local hospital back home.
On the phone call, Redfield asked the medical officer, Dr. Ihsan Azzam, to get it done, according to interviews and internal communications USA TODAY received through records requests.
The special treatment is a stark example of how political influence has penetrated the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating challenges for local health authorities. It came at a time when his agency knew thousands of Americans needed testing but could not get it due to supply shortages.
– Brett Murphy and Letitia Stein
Amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases in Europe, several nations are implementing new restrictions.
England : A ban on social gatherings of more than six people, including children, went into effect this week, and fresh nationwide lockdown restrictions appear to be in the cards soon.
: A ban on social gatherings of more than six people, including children, went into effect this week, and fresh nationwide lockdown restrictions appear to be in the cards soon. Denmark : Officials announced a nationwide order lowering the size of approved gatherings from 100 to 50 and telling cafes, bars and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. instead of midnight.
: Officials announced a nationwide order lowering the size of approved gatherings from 100 to 50 and telling cafes, bars and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. instead of midnight. Spain : A line of tents has been installed at the gates of a Madrid military hospital four months after similar structures for triaging patients were taken down. Spain’s Defense Ministry said the tents are empty, installed protectively ahead of the second wave taking hold on the Spanish capital.
: A line of tents has been installed at the gates of a Madrid military hospital four months after similar structures for triaging patients were taken down. Spain’s Defense Ministry said the tents are empty, installed protectively ahead of the second wave taking hold on the Spanish capital. Italy: The Sicilian town of Corleone, made famous by the fictional Mafia clan in "The Godfather," has ordered schools closed and a limited lockdown because of a coronavirus spike.
Meanwhile, Israel has returned to a full lockdown to contain a worsening coronavirus outbreak.
– The Associated Press
U.N. World Food Program chief David Beasley is warning that 270 million people are "marching toward the brink of starvation" because of the toxic combination of conflict, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beasley on Thursday urged donor nations and billionaires to contribute $4.9 billion to feed the 30 million he said will die without U.N. assistance. He reminded the U.N. Security Council of his warning five months ago that "the world stood on the brink of a hunger pandemic," and welcomed the response then, which averted famine and led countries to fight back against the coronavirus.
– The Associated Press
Wealthy nations representing 13% of the world’s population have already purchased approximately 51% of the promised doses of leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates, nonprofit group Oxfam warned Thursday.
Oxfam analyzed the deals that pharmaceutical corporations and vaccine producers made with nations around the world for the five leading vaccine candidates in phase 3 clinical trials. Even in the event that all five vaccines succeed, nearly two-thirds of the world’s population will not have a vaccine until at least 2022, Oxfam estimates.
Earlier this week, researchers at Northeastern University warned that more people will die if wealthy nations hoard vaccines. The models found 61% of deaths could be averted if the vaccine was distributed to all countries proportional to population, while only 33% of deaths would be averted if high-income countries got the vaccines first.
While students may be in the group that poses the least risk for COVID-19 infection, a study says nearly half of school employees potentially have the highest risk.
According to a pre-print study to be published in Health Affairs, between 42% to about 51% of all school employees meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition for being at increased risk for COVID-19.
The CDC says that underlying health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, and older age put people into the highest risk groups.
The results align closely with a recent survey by the Education Week Research Center that said 43% of teachers have reported having a physical condition that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19.
A plan by the United States Postal Service to send 650 million masks to Americans at the start of the pandemic was scrapped, according to a document obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act.
The announcement, which was first reported by the Washington Post on Friday, was drafted but never sent. USPS said in the plan that first shipments of masks were expected to reach U.S. households at an unspecified date in April.
The document demonstrates how the Postal Service’s role in the pandemic response may have been more involved than initially reported this spring.
Even after government agencies and pharmaceutical companies pledged their independence in the race to find a vaccine for the coronavirus, Americans are still divided over whether they would get vaccinated.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, nearly half of U.S. adults (49%) say they definitely or probably would not get vaccinated at this time. Intent to get a COVID-19 vaccine has fallen by 21% since May.
While intent to get a vaccinated has declined across all major political and demographic groups, some differences remain. Just 32% of Black adults say they would definitely get a vaccine compared with 52% of white adults, 56% of Hispanics and 72% of Asian Americans.
The national survey was conducted Sept. 8-13 among more than 10,000 U.S. adults.
After a six-month shutdown due to COVID-19, Nevada officials announced bars, taprooms and breweries can reopen Sunday night in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located. Nevada's COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Task Force on Thursday unanimously approved the county's plan to reopen drinking businesses throughout the Las Vegas Valley.
Clark County Commission Chairwoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick told the task force that bar owners are committed to following health and safety protocols. State biostatistician Kyra Morgan revealed the COVID-19 positivity rate dropped from 8.6% to 7.8% between Monday and Thursday. The World Health Organization's recommends that rate should be no higher than 5%.
Meanwhile, one resort, Wynn Las Vegas has logged almost 500 positive COVID-19 cases among employees since it reopened in June.
– Ed Komenda, Reno Gazette Journal
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said Thursday he is considering a statewide mask mandate and planning expanded coronavirus testing in response to what he called an alarming spike of infections in the state.
The state counted 911 new confirmed cases on Thursday, a new record for any single day. The rolling average of daily new cases has increased by about 54% over the past two weeks, according to state data, and has jumped to 661 per day this week compared to 381 per day last week.
"We are taking this spike and the magnitude of it very seriously," Herbert told reporters.
Herbert, a Republican, has urged residents to wear masks for months but has stopped short of implementing a statewide mandate. He has instead allowed counties to decide if they needed bans.
– Kaitlyn Bancroft, The Spectrum & Daily News (St. George, Utah)
India's coronavirus cases jumped by another 96,424 infections in the past 24 hours, showing little sign of leveling.
The Health Ministry on Friday raised the nation’s total past 5.21 million, or about 0.37% of its nearly 1.4 billion people. It said 1,174 more people died in the past 24 hours, for a total of 84,372 fatalities, but experts say India's death toll may be a significant undercount.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on Thursday made a fresh appeal to people to wear masks and maintain social distance as his government chalked out plans to handle big congregations expected during a major Hindu festival season beginning next month.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that he would allow businesses to expand pandemic limits on capacity in most of the state, citing a decline in coronavirus hospitalizations.
The order allows businesses operating at 50% capacity to move to 75% starting Monday. That includes restaurants, retail, office buildings, manufacturing, gyms, libraries and museums. Bars remain closed under the order, although some have been able to reopen by selling more food than alcohol.
"Without vaccines available, containing COVID is a challenge, but Texans have already shown that they are up to that challenge," Abbott said at a Capitol news conference. "As we go about the process to continue to contain COVID, we will also continue to work to open up Texas."
And Abbott is allowing hospitals in much of the state to resume elective surgeries, effective immediately. Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities may resume visitations next Thursday, as long as there are no outbreaks at those facilities.
– Nicole Cobler, Austin-American Statesman
There are fewer teachers than ever in Arizona classrooms, according to a new survey from the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association.
Just a few weeks into the school year, about 28% of teacher positions in the state remained vacant compared with 21% vacant last year, the data shows, which means about 3 in 10 classrooms are not led by a qualified teacher. Schools have had to fill those open positions with long-term substitute teachers or others without teaching qualifications.
Teachers across the state have said COVID-19 adds to the pressure to quit, especially when faced with the threat of returning to the classroom amid the pandemic. Some medically vulnerable teachers are particularly worried about contracting the virus while around students. Arizona school districts had about 6,145 open positions this year — 1,728 remain vacant, compared with 1,443 in 2019.
– Lily Altavena, Arizona Republic
Moderna, one of the companies leading the effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, announced Thursday it could have enough clinical trial results as soon as November to confirm the effectiveness of its candidate vaccine.
Results of the vaccine’s effectiveness will be presented to an independent review committee after 53 people in the trial contract COVID-19, and again after 106 and 151 infections. Half the participants are getting a placebo and half the active vaccine, called mRNA-1273.
Statistically, if the vaccine is effective 75% of the time, it should take only 106 infections in both groups to prove its effectiveness, Dr. Jacqueline Miller, Moderna’s senior vice president of infectious disease development, told company investors on Thursday. At that point, which will likely come in November, Moderna could apply for an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin distributing the vaccine.
The FDA has said a vaccine must be at least 50% effective to win federal approval, but the companies developing vaccines have said they are aiming for at least 60% and hopefully even higher effectiveness. Moderna had originally predicted that it might take until May 2021 to prove its vaccine’s effectiveness, but pushed up that timeline because participants joined quickly, the COVID-19 infection rate remained high around trial sites and the company was able to start the trial earlier than originally expected.
– Karen Weintraub
On Facebook: A lot is still 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.
A lot is still unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. , 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 .
Stay up to date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network. . 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.
Contributing: The Associated Press