usatoday--2020-09-07--Coronavirus live updates: US governors urge Labor Day vigilance, safety; Florida case count falls to

Labor Day is typically summer 's final hurrah .
It could be the difference between life and death this year , warned governors from across the U.S. as the nation 's coronavirus death toll approached 190,000 , about 62,000 more than any other country .
“ We ’ re facing the challenge of our lifetimes and we must do better , ” Kentucky 's Democratic Gov .
Andy Beshear said Sunday while announcing that The Bluegrass State had set a record for the second straight week for most positive cases with 4,742 , up from 4,503 the previous week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican , expressed similar worry as The Peach State surpassed 6,000 deaths : “ This # LaborDayWeekend , I am urging all Georgians to wear a mask , practice social distancing , wash their hands ... By staying vigilant in the fight against COVID-19 , we can continue to protect people & paychecks in GA !
, ” he said on Twitter .
Mapping coronavirus : Tracking the U.S. outbreak , state by state • A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Saturday shows three states had a record number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentucky , Missouri and North Dakota .
• Ahead of the Jewish New Year , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered overnight curfews in many cities beginning Monday amid a surge in COVID-19 cases .
• At least 7,000 health care workers worldwide have died from the coronavirus , according to Amnesty International .
That total includes more than 1,000 deaths in the U.S. 📈 Today 's numbers : The U.S. has almost 6.3 million confirmed cases and nearly 189,000 deaths .
Globally , there are more than 27 million cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're reading : Do you need a COVID-19 test if you plan to travel ?
It 's confusing .
That 's in part because states have different views on COVID-19 risks , the role of testing and the need for quarantine .
This file will be updated throughout the day .
For updates in your inbox , subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter .
Florida reported 1,838 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday , the lowest single-day number of new infections since June 15 .
That 's according to the latest state data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The report also reflected 22 new deaths , pushing down the average number of deaths over the past week to 99 a day — the lowest since July 16 .
But health officials across the state are waiting to see if the Labor Day weekend might produce an uptick in the number of coronavirus cases , as most of the state ’ s beaches remain open through the Labor Day holiday .
To date , the state has recorded more than 648,200 cases of COVID-19 .
In all , the state has tallied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak began .
A double lung transplant COVID-19 patient is feeling fine and will be going home Tuesday from a Polish hospital , physicians said .
Grzegorz Lipinski , 45 , needed the transplant after the virus almost totally destroyed his lungs , Marian Zembala said .
Lipinski is head of the medical instruments sterilization room at a hospital in Tychy , southern Poland , that only treats COVID-19 patients .
He was initially treated there but had the double transplant in July at the Silesia Center of Heart Diseases in Zabrze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Research suggests Black patients have better outcomes when treated by Black doctors and nurses .
Yet , only 5 % of doctors nationwide are Black , and only 2 % are Black women , according to the Association of American Medical Colleges .
Kay McField , a 51-year-old single mother in Jackson , Mississippi , is a patient at the Central Mississippi Health Services clinic on the campus of historically Black Tougaloo College .
“ It ’ s meaningful to be taken care of by someone who looks like you , who understands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a patient in Jackson , Mississippi .
“ Other doctors go into the exam room , and they don ’ t ask your name .
And me , when I go there and be treated that way , I ’ m not going back no more.
” Workplace of tomorrow may look like home As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic drags on , there have been many questions about what – or even where – the workplace will be in the future .
Video-based conference calls on platforms such as Zoom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay .
It ’ s an approach that literally overnight went from something unusual to completely mainstream , and the remote workplace has created habits that we ’ re not going to be able to walk away from .
Further down the road , we may well fall back into some of our old work habits and environments .
For the next year or so , however , and especially as we enter into a more uncertain cold weather , indoor-focused fall and winter season , it seems likely that work is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve been experiencing .
Home is where the work is .
Many child care centers and preschools that survived COVID-19 shutdowns are reopening their doors this fall , but the first day of class looks a little different this year , leaving some kids and guardians feeling anxious.To keep kids , families and staff safe , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that child care programs implement an array of new safety measures , such as reducing class sizes , requiring kids and staff to wear face masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nap mats out six feet apart , ending family-style mealtimes and more .
Many states and counties have additional guidance .
`` Kids are really resilient , and they follow their parents ' and teachers ' cues , '' said Dr. Erica Lee , a psychiatrist at Boston Children ’ s Hospital .
`` The more calm and predictability we can create for them at home and at school , the better kids will do . ''
Donald Trump , Gavin Newsom agree on one thing : Wear masks on Labor Day While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degrees and higher flocked to the beaches , creating the potential for further spread of the virus in the state with the most reported cases , New Orleans was warning against `` unacceptable '' gatherings that `` could have serious consequences that show up in the data two weeks from now , '' city officials said .
There were 36 calls about large gatherings and 46 calls for businesses not following the rules on Friday and Saturday in New Orleans , according to the city .
President Donald Trump urged safety ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing , wearing a mask whenever the distancing is not possible . ''
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom , a Democrat who has many times sparred with Trump , did the same : `` Wear a mask .
BE SMART .
I know we ’ re tired of # COVID19 but literal lives are at stake , '' he said on Twitter .
With new infections at record levels less than two weeks before the Jewish New Year , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered overnight curfews in about 40 cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m .
It 's unknown how long the curfews will remain in place .
People will not be allowed to venture more than 500 yards from their homes , and nonessential businesses must close .
Netanyahu , however , resisted reported recommendations for full lockdowns after an uproar by politically powerful religious politicians following hours of consultations on Sunday .
When a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available , there 's a plan in place for its distribution from manufacturers to the American public .
The process will be run by the CDC , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States and ran the last national vaccination effort during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic .
Still , Tinglong Dai , a professor of operations management who studies health care analytics at the Johns Hopkins University , told USA TODAY he expects the vaccine supply chain to be `` mind-bogglingly complex . ''
• Who will get it first ?
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still finalizing plans , front-line medical workers , first-responders and people at high risk for severe disease are likely to get first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ?
All the vaccine supplied in the initial phases will be purchased by the U.S. government and no one will be charged for the actual dose .
• What about availability ?
The vaccine is expected to be in short supply , at least in the beginning , though CDC planning documents say significantly more will be available by January 2021 .
At least 7,000 health workers worldwide have died after contracting COVID-19 , human rights organization Amnesty International said last week .
`` For over seven thousand people to die while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a staggering scale .
Every health worker has the right to be safe at work , and it is a scandal that so many are paying the ultimate price , '' Steve Cockburn , Head of Economic and Social Justice at Amnesty International , said in a statement .
At least 1,320 health workers are confirmed to have died in Mexico alone , the highest known figure for any country , the group said .
The U.S. has seen the second-highest number of health care worker deaths , Amnesty International said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Facebook : There 's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus .
But what we do know , we 're sharing with you .
Join our Facebook group , Coronavirus Watch , to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19 .
• In your inbox : Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network .
Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter .
• Tips for coping : Every Saturday and Tuesday we 'll be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times .
Sign up for Staying Apart , Together .

Coronavirus live updates: US governors urge Labor Day vigilance, safety; Florida case count falls to lowest since June; 189K US deaths
Show Caption Hide Caption COVID-19 testing: Positivity rates and why they are so important COVID-19 widespread testing is crucial to fighting the pandemic, but is there enough testing? The answer is in the positivity rates. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Labor Day is typically summer's final hurrah. It could be the difference between life and death this year, warned governors from across the U.S. as the nation's coronavirus death toll approached 190,000, about 62,000 more than any other country.
“We’re facing the challenge of our lifetimes and we must do better,” Kentucky's Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday while announcing that The Bluegrass State had set a record for the second straight week for most positive cases with 4,742, up from 4,503 the previous week.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, expressed similar worry as The Peach State surpassed 6,000 deaths: “This #LaborDayWeekend, I am urging all Georgians to wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash their hands ... By staying vigilant in the fight against COVID-19, we can continue to protect people & paychecks in GA!,” he said on Twitter.
Mapping coronavirus: Tracking the U.S. outbreak, state by state
Some significant developments:
A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Saturday shows three states had a record number of deaths in the last week: Kentucky, Missouri and North Dakota.
Ahead of the Jewish New Year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered overnight curfews in many cities beginning Monday amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
At least 7,000 health care workers worldwide have died from the coronavirus, according to Amnesty International. That total includes more than 1,000 deaths in the U.S.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has almost 6.3 million confirmed cases and nearly 189,000 deaths. Globally, there are more than 27 million cases and almost 900,000 fatalities.
📰 What we're reading: Do you need a COVID-19 test if you plan to travel? It's confusing. That's in part because states have different views on COVID-19 risks, the role of testing and the need for quarantine.
This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter.
Florida reported 1,838 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, the lowest single-day number of new infections since June 15.
That's according to the latest state data released by the Florida Health Department. The report also reflected 22 new deaths, pushing down the average number of deaths over the past week to 99 a day — the lowest since July 16.
But health officials across the state are waiting to see if the Labor Day weekend might produce an uptick in the number of coronavirus cases, as most of the state’s beaches remain open through the Labor Day holiday.
To date, the state has recorded more than 648,200 cases of COVID-19. In all, the state has tallied 12,023 deaths linked to the virus since the outbreak began.
A double lung transplant COVID-19 patient is feeling fine and will be going home Tuesday from a Polish hospital, physicians said. Grzegorz Lipinski, 45, needed the transplant after the virus almost totally destroyed his lungs, Marian Zembala said. Lipinski is head of the medical instruments sterilization room at a hospital in Tychy, southern Poland, that only treats COVID-19 patients. He was initially treated there but had the double transplant in July at the Silesia Center of Heart Diseases in Zabrze, where Zembala serves as director.
Research suggests Black patients have better outcomes when treated by Black doctors and nurses. Yet, only 5% of doctors nationwide are Black, and only 2% are Black women, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Kay McField, a 51-year-old single mother in Jackson, Mississippi, is a patient at the Central Mississippi Health Services clinic on the campus of historically Black Tougaloo College.
“It’s meaningful to be taken care of by someone who looks like you, who understands you,” said Kay McField, a patient in Jackson, Mississippi. “Other doctors go into the exam room, and they don’t ask your name. And me, when I go there and be treated that way, I’m not going back no more.”
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, there have been many questions about what – or even where – the workplace will be in the future.
Video-based conference calls on platforms such as Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams are with us to stay. It’s an approach that literally overnight went from something unusual to completely mainstream, and the remote workplace has created habits that we’re not going to be able to walk away from. Further down the road, we may well fall back into some of our old work habits and environments.
For the next year or so, however, and especially as we enter into a more uncertain cold weather, indoor-focused fall and winter season, it seems likely that work is going to be pretty similar to what we’ve been experiencing. Home is where the work is.
– Bob O'Donnell
Many child care centers and preschools that survived COVID-19 shutdowns are reopening their doors this fall, but the first day of class looks a little different this year, leaving some kids and guardians feeling anxious.To keep kids, families and staff safe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that child care programs implement an array of new safety measures, such as reducing class sizes, requiring kids and staff to wear face masks, staggering drop-off and pick-up times, spreading nap mats out six feet apart, ending family-style mealtimes and more. Many states and counties have additional guidance.
"Kids are really resilient, and they follow their parents' and teachers' cues," said Dr. Erica Lee, a psychiatrist at Boston Children’s Hospital. "The more calm and predictability we can create for them at home and at school, the better kids will do."
– Grace Hauck
While Californians contending with record-breaking temperatures of 110 degrees and higher flocked to the beaches, creating the potential for further spread of the virus in the state with the most reported cases, New Orleans was warning against "unacceptable" gatherings that "could have serious consequences that show up in the data two weeks from now," city officials said. There were 36 calls about large gatherings and 46 calls for businesses not following the rules on Friday and Saturday in New Orleans, according to the city.
President Donald Trump urged safety ahead of the holiday weekend, pushing for "social distancing, wearing a mask whenever the distancing is not possible."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has many times sparred with Trump, did the same: "Wear a mask. BE SMART. I know we’re tired of #COVID19 but literal lives are at stake," he said on Twitter.
With new infections at record levels less than two weeks before the Jewish New Year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered overnight curfews in about 40 cities and towns, beginning Monday at 7 p.m. It's unknown how long the curfews will remain in place. People will not be allowed to venture more than 500 yards from their homes, and nonessential businesses must close.
Netanyahu, however, resisted reported recommendations for full lockdowns after an uproar by politically powerful religious politicians following hours of consultations on Sunday.
When a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, there's a plan in place for its distribution from manufacturers to the American public. The process will be run by the CDC, which for decades has overseen vaccine distribution in the United States and ran the last national vaccination effort during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
Still, Tinglong Dai, a professor of operations management who studies health care analytics at the Johns Hopkins University, told USA TODAY he expects the vaccine supply chain to be "mind-bogglingly complex."
Who will get it first? While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still finalizing plans, front-line medical workers, first-responders and people at high risk for severe disease are likely to get first dibs.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still finalizing plans, front-line medical workers, first-responders and people at high risk for severe disease are likely to get first dibs. Who will pay for it? All the vaccine supplied in the initial phases will be purchased by the U.S. government and no one will be charged for the actual dose.
All the vaccine supplied in the initial phases will be purchased by the U.S. government and no one will be charged for the actual dose. What about availability? The vaccine is expected to be in short supply, at least in the beginning, though CDC planning documents say significantly more will be available by January 2021.
– Elizabeth Weise
At least 7,000 health workers worldwide have died after contracting COVID-19, human rights organization Amnesty International said last week.
"For over seven thousand people to die while trying to save others is a crisis on a staggering scale. Every health worker has the right to be safe at work, and it is a scandal that so many are paying the ultimate price," Steve Cockburn, Head of Economic and Social Justice at Amnesty International, said in a statement.
At least 1,320 health workers are confirmed to have died in Mexico alone, the highest known figure for any country, the group said. The U.S. has seen the second-highest number of health care worker deaths, Amnesty International said, with more than 1,000 deaths.
COVID-19 resources from USA TODAY
On Facebook: There's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. Join our Facebook group, Coronavirus Watch, to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19.
There's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. 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


usatoday--2020-09-08--Celtics ratchet up defense, crush Raptors in Game 5 to move one win from East finals

LAKE BUENA VISTA , Fla. — Brad Stevens ’ Boston Celtics had a 2-0 series lead against Toronto evaporate into a 2-2 series .
But he had proper perspective headed into Game 5 on Monday .
`` There ’ s a lot bigger adversities in the world right now than losing a couple game in a row , '' he said .
`` We have a chance to hoop tonight and we ’ re going to go out there and give it our best shot .
That ’ s what we ’ re going to do .
Our guys are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
Perspective is good . ''
The Celtics did some serious hooping , especially defensively , and clobbered the Raptors 111-89 for a 3-2 series lead .
Boston forward Jaylen Brown led six Celtics in double figures scoring with 27 points , six rebounds and three steals .
Guard Kemba Walker had 21 points and seven assists , and forward Jayson Tatum had 18 points and 10 rebounds .
While the Celtics didn ’ t have a great 3-point shooting game , those three difficult-to-defend perimeter players were a combined 23-for-48 from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 6:30 p.m .
ET , ESPN ) , and Celtics are now one victory from reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the third time in the past four seasons .
That won ’ t be easy .
Not only are the Raptors talented , the defending champions have pride .
But Toronto needs to play much better than it did in Game 5 .
The Raptors fell behind 25-9 late in the first quarter and trailed 60-32 late in the second quarter .
Through three quarters , six Celtics accounted for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopping the Celtics was a problem , scoring on them was an issue , too .
Boston cranked up the defensive pressure .
Not only were points hard to get , just getting an open look was difficult .
Toronto missed 13 of its first 15 attempts , shot 30.2 % from the field and 22.2 % on 3-pointers and trailed 62-35 at halftime .
So stumped with finding a lineup that could score and defend , Toronto coach Nick Nurse had a lineup of Chris Boucher , Matt Thomas , Normal Powell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lowry ( 10 points ) was 3-for-8 from the field , Marc Gasol didn ’ t score , OG Anunoby ( seven points ) was 3-for-11 and Siakam had a quiet 10 points .
Siakam and Anunoby didn ’ t play in the fourth quarter , and Nurse waved the white flag with 6:52 left in the game with Boston ahead 92-73 .
No Raptors starter played the rest of the game .
Nurse knows what kind of defense he is facing — the Celtics have the top-ranked defense in the playoffs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re a very good defensive team and I think most people around the league would agree with that , '' he said before the game .
`` They ’ ve got some guys playing it .
They ’ ve got some great schemes , they ’ ve got some length .
They ’ ve got some effort .
The numbers bear out – it two really good defensive teams and it ’ s physical and it makes it hard to score .
I don ’ t know if the offensive will improve or @ @ @

Celtics ratchet up defense, crush Raptors in Game 5 to move one win from East finals
Show Caption Hide Caption NBA players reunite with their families Families are reuniting inside the NBA bubble. Watch these sweet moments unfold. Sportskind, USA TODAY
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Brad Stevens’ Boston Celtics had a 2-0 series lead against Toronto evaporate into a 2-2 series. But he had proper perspective headed into Game 5 on Monday.
"There’s a lot bigger adversities in the world right now than losing a couple game in a row," he said. "We have a chance to hoop tonight and we’re going to go out there and give it our best shot. That’s what we’re going to do. Our guys are excited about that, excited to be here. Perspective is good."
The Celtics did some serious hooping, especially defensively, and clobbered the Raptors 111-89 for a 3-2 series lead.
3-2 lead for the @celtics.. G6 is Wed. (9/9) at 6:30pm/et on ESPN!@FCHWPO: 27 PTS, 3 STL@KembaWalker: 21 PTS, 7 AST pic.twitter.com/oCmkMzSXjc — NBA (@NBA) September 8, 2020
Boston forward Jaylen Brown led six Celtics in double figures scoring with 27 points, six rebounds and three steals. Guard Kemba Walker had 21 points and seven assists, and forward Jayson Tatum had 18 points and 10 rebounds. While the Celtics didn’t have a great 3-point shooting game, those three difficult-to-defend perimeter players were a combined 23-for-48 from the field.
Game 5 is Wednesday (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), and Celtics are now one victory from reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the third time in the past four seasons.
That won’t be easy. Not only are the Raptors talented, the defending champions have pride.
But Toronto needs to play much better than it did in Game 5. The Raptors fell behind 25-9 late in the first quarter and trailed 60-32 late in the second quarter.
Through three quarters, six Celtics accounted for their 87 points, and as much as stopping the Celtics was a problem, scoring on them was an issue, too.
Boston cranked up the defensive pressure. Not only were points hard to get, just getting an open look was difficult. Toronto missed 13 of its first 15 attempts, shot 30.2% from the field and 22.2% on 3-pointers and trailed 62-35 at halftime.
So stumped with finding a lineup that could score and defend, Toronto coach Nick Nurse had a lineup of Chris Boucher, Matt Thomas, Normal Powell, Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry.
Lowry (10 points) was 3-for-8 from the field, Marc Gasol didn’t score, OG Anunoby (seven points) was 3-for-11 and Siakam had a quiet 10 points. Siakam and Anunoby didn’t play in the fourth quarter, and Nurse waved the white flag with 6:52 left in the game with Boston ahead 92-73. No Raptors starter played the rest of the game.
Nurse knows what kind of defense he is facing — the Celtics have the top-ranked defense in the playoffs.
"From what I see they’re a very good defensive team and I think most people around the league would agree with that," he said before the game. "They’ve got some guys playing it. They’ve got some great schemes, they’ve got some length. They’ve got some effort. The numbers bear out – it two really good defensive teams and it’s physical and it makes it hard to score. I don’t know if the offensive will improve or not."
Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.


usatoday--2020-09-08--Ashleigh Barty, 2019 French Open champion, opts out of tournament due to COVID-19 concerns

Ashleigh Barty will not defend her French Open title .
The WTA 's No .
1-ranked player has opted out of the tournament , which is scheduled to start on Sept. 27 .
In the announcement posted to her Instagram account , the 24-year-old from Australia cited the ongoing global pandemic and her lack of proper preparation for her decision to not go to Roland Garros .
`` It has been a difficult decision to make but unfortunately I will not be competing in Europe this year , '' Barty wrote .
`` Last year ’ s French Open was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so this is not a decision I have made lightly .
`` I wish the players and the French Federation all the best for a successful tournament . ''
OPINION : Novak Djokovic 's moment of boneheadedness will ripple across tennis , U.S. Open history US OPEN 2020 : Serena Williams fights off Maria Sakkari , advances to quarterfinals USA TODAY SPORTS NEWSLETTER : Get sports new delivered to you inbox every day .
Sign up now .
In July , Barty withdrew from the U.S. Open , citing travel risks .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barty defeated Marketa Vondrousova to win her first Grand Slam title .
On Monday , French Open organizers said that spectators will be allowed at the tournament .
This announcement comes as coronavirus cases are growing in the country .

Ashleigh Barty, 2019 French Open champion, opts out of tournament due to COVID-19 concerns
Ashleigh Barty will not defend her French Open title.
The WTA's No. 1-ranked player has opted out of the tournament, which is scheduled to start on Sept. 27.
In the announcement posted to her Instagram account, the 24-year-old from Australia cited the ongoing global pandemic and her lack of proper preparation for her decision to not go to Roland Garros.
"It has been a difficult decision to make but unfortunately I will not be competing in Europe this year," Barty wrote. "Last year’s French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made lightly.
"I wish the players and the French Federation all the best for a successful tournament."
OPINION: Novak Djokovic's moment of boneheadedness will ripple across tennis, U.S. Open history
US OPEN 2020: Serena Williams fights off Maria Sakkari, advances to quarterfinals
USA TODAY SPORTS NEWSLETTER: Get sports new delivered to you inbox every day. Sign up now.
In July, Barty withdrew from the U.S. Open, citing travel risks.
In last year's French Open final, Barty defeated Marketa Vondrousova to win her first Grand Slam title.
On Monday, French Open organizers said that spectators will be allowed at the tournament. This announcement comes as coronavirus cases are growing in the country.


usatoday--2020-08-10--How to pair that beer with the right food

How to pair that beer with the right food You could be enjoying a better meal by pairing the right @ @ @ @ @ .
This is your guide to matching food with the perfect brew .

Beer pairing: What to eat with IPAs, Pilsners, Stouts and Pale Ales
You could be enjoying a better meal by pairing the right beer with the right food. This is your guide to matching food with the perfect brew.
ProblemSolved, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-09-07--Goat climbs into deputy's car, head-butts officer to ground

This goat has no respect for authority .

Cop stopped by goat playing in her squad car
This goat has no respect for authority.
USA TODAY, Storyful


usatoday--2020-09-07--Diver captures epic moment as seal plays with him

Diver captures epic moment as seal plays with him Ben Burville has studied behavior of seals for over 20 years @ @ @ @ @ rarely interact like this . ''

You won't believe how close this super friendly seal gets to a diver
Ben Burville has studied behavior of seals for over 20 years and he says they "rarely interact like this."
USA TODAY, Storyful


usatoday--2020-09-07--Joshua Powell, NRA's former second-in-command, says fear was a tool after mass shootings

Joshua Powell , NRA 's former second-in-command , says fear was a tool after mass shootings Joshua Powell , NRA @ @ @ @ @ says his boss used mass shootings to sell guns , and that 's just `` @ @ @ @ @ . ''

Joshua Powell, NRA's former no. 2, claims fraud, corruption at org.
Joshua Powell, NRA former second-in-command to Wayne LaPierre says his boss used mass shootings to sell guns, and that's just "the tip of the iceberg."
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-09-08--The classroom and COVID: Teachers say they want to be 'treated like real people'

This story was published in partnership with The 19th , a nonprofit , nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender , politics and policy .
At a school board meeting in Phoenix earlier this month , parent after parent got up to speak , letting the tensions of a year of uncertainty spill out inside a musty auditorium at the Queen Creek Unified School District .
At issue was the upcoming school year , which was set to start August 17 almost entirely in-person .
The end of the previous term had challenged their children , many parents argued , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classroom .
Why , asked one dad and a physical education teacher at a local high school , if a registered nurse he knew who is a cancer survivor had not missed a day of work , were other teachers saying they wouldn ’ t be willing to return ?
“ You can make that choice to come into work and say that …you love your profession , ” he said , “ then I ’ ll see you on the 17th , brother.
” Children went up to speak , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to normal school in person , ” said one kindergartener .
Another pleaded with the district through sobs : “ Please , let us go back.
” But some teachers told another story : In the week before the start of school , they felt they had few options .
Resignations had started at Queen Creek — eight teachers gone between the end of July and early August .
Unlike other districts across the country that were adopting a hybrid model allowing teachers to move online if they prefer , online learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the district .
Many teachers feel trapped .
The tension in Arizona and around the nation is dredging up a conversation on teaching contracts that in a typical year ensure educators don ’ t renege too close to the start of the school year — thus leaving the district scrambling to find a replacement — by imposing fines , or threatening a temporary suspension or revocation of a teaching license .
But , as special education teacher Karen Oliver stressed when she spoke at the August school board meeting , this isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had already resigned in July , knowing she , at 61 , could not risk returning to in-person learning , particularly with an 87-year-old sick mother in Michigan who she planned to visit .
Still , the district was holding her to her teaching contract and fining her the customary penalty — 3 percent of her salary , or nearly $ 2,000 .
“ I am being held under my contract , ” Oliver told the board , asking the district to waive the resignation fees .
“ I need to take care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students , I have worked hard to make sure my responsibilities are taken care of .
This has been a hard decision.
” This year has exposed so much of what already made the teaching profession challenging for educators .
It ’ s often devalued work for little pay , and the question of school security was already looming .
But coronavirus has further complicated that picture , leaving districts around the country to decide how to deal with the valid concerns of parents , who want their kids ’ education to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are worried about their own health .
On top of that is the worry , held by both parents and teachers , about students ’ mental health without the structure of in-person school , but also their wellbeing if coronavirus cases spread in classrooms .
Already , there have been hundreds of outbreaks .
States have laid out guidelines for returning to school , but it ’ s up to the districts to decide how it looks in practice .
So though most have been flexible , experts said , particularly with teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , others , like Queen Creek , have not .
A day after the school board meeting where Oliver spoke , she received an email telling her the district would be garnishing her wages until she met her full fee .
For Oliver , that moment at the end of a decades-long teaching career captured the disregard she ’ s felt leaders have had toward her profession most of her life .
“ Women are mostly the workers in public education , and we historically are not treated as though we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ m listening to these people , they ’ re talking about , ‘ We have the right to send our kids to school .
We should have that choice for face-to-face.
’ Nobody was considering the fact that teachers were people.
” Across the country , educators are worried .
In Mississippi , some feel at risk of losing their licenses .
In Kansas , the fees can be as high as $ 10,000 for teachers who cut their contracts short .
And in Arizona , at least 109 staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Creek called in sick before the start of classes on August 17 , protesting what they said were insufficient safety measures .
The mass absences forced the district , J. O. Combs in Arizona , to cancel classes .
Of the 145 largest school districts that the National Council on Teacher Quality ( NCTQ ) tracks , nearly 60 percent have a date by which teachers need to resign to avoid a penalty .
All of those dates have passed .
Nine large school districts specify a monetary penalty , and 45 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or refusal to hire the teacher in the future , according to data from NCTQ , which is an education think tank .
In 15 large school districts , teachers face potentially losing their licenses .
The question is how willing are districts to help teachers who want flexibility to teach from home , said Mark Paige , associate professor of public policy and education law at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a former fifth grade teacher .
Paige , who has previously represented school districts in contract negotiations , said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs of enforcing contract rules during the pandemic .
“ Just because they have a hammer doesn ’ t mean everything ’ s a nail , ” Paige said .
“ There ’ s litigation costs , there ’ s PR costs.
” All of it is almost ironic , he said , considering that in the early months of the pandemic , teachers were heroes .
Students lined up in car parades with signs to thank them .
Parents started to truly appreciate how difficult it was to educate their children .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Paige said .
“ All of a sudden we have this appreciation of teachers .
Well , how times have changed in a matter of like 60 days.
” In Wichita , Kansas , substitute teacher Kimberly Howard and English teacher Gabriel Costilla are looking at the new teachers starting this year and wondering how the decisions around coronavirus will impact them in the long run .
There ’ s already a substitute teacher shortage where they live , Howard said .
Around the country , a teacher shortage has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district is offering teachers options such as retiring early with no penalty , they ’ re concerned about what the next few months will bring .
“ It ’ s not that teachers are lining up to resign , ” Costilla said .
“ That ’ s not what they want to do , they want to teach .
But they just want to have that choice to do it safely.
” At his high school , a new teacher moved in a few doors down .
“ I ’ m really afraid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to get into this year and realize how hard all this is going to be — trying to do it virtually or even trying to do it on-site , ” he said .
“ I ’ m afraid we ’ re gon na see some new teachers drop off in numbers that we haven ’ t seen in the past.
” The teacher shortage is estimated to be well beyond the 100,000 mark , according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute .
Annual pay for teachers has been falling since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salary now at about $ 60,000 , plus benefits .
Overall , teacher ’ s weekly wages are 17 percent lower than the compensation for comparable workers , according to an analysis of 2015 data from EPI ( compared to 1994 , when they were just 1.8 percent lower ) .
The issue drew protests in 2018 and 2019 that framed the problems as a result of cutbacks on public education that will ultimately be detrimental to students , too .
Teaching is also the profession that employs the most women in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We kept seeing less people are going into education , ” said Todd DeMitchell , professor emeritus of education law and labor at the University of New Hampshire , and a former educator , principal and superintendent .
“ It ’ s a hard job , pay isn ’ t very good and actually the thing that drives teachers out isn ’ t so much the pay , it ’ s the working conditions : ‘ How am I treated ?
’ ” What ’ s emerged this year with coronavirus is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at times , has turned to broader social justice themes .
A coalition of teachers unions around the country have been pushing not just for safety in the return to school , but for police-free schools and support covering rents and mortgages .
It ’ s a delicate dance , said Brad Marianno , an assistant professor at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas and an expert on education policy and teacher contracts .
“ Teachers unions have to be careful not to overplay their hand here , ” Marianno said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the longer that schools remain in a distance learning option , parental support for that message is going to wane .
And that ’ s going to maybe tip the balance toward the reopening , but right now teachers unions kind of have the strength and the voice to make sure that schools are closed.
” At risk , if parents and districts remain rigid in their demands , is a further exodus of educators from the profession , one that will ultimately hurt students of color the most .
“ Your Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas , your large urban centers , will have difficulty with staffing , and so it ’ s likely that those students will bear the brunt of the teacher shortage , ” Marianno said .
“ And in ways that they ’ ve already borne the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis in the same locations that have trouble with internet access and computer access.
” Keri Rodrigues , a Latina mother of three small boys , is worried about just that .
She is the president of the National Parents Union , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For families like hers , whose children are already at a disadvantage due to systemic racism , it ’ s difficult to come down on either side of the teacher/parent debate .
About 80 percent of teachers are White .
“ The White district was never coming to save us in the first place .
We don ’ t have high hopes that they ’ re going to sweep in and save them now , ” Rodrigues said.
“ The consequences for families like ours if we ’ re not reading at grade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s poverty , it ’ s incarceration and death.
” On the issue of safety , the group largely sides with teachers .
Low-income families tend to live intergenerationally , with grandparents in the home .
They understand concerns about bringing home the virus , Rodrigues said .
But some teachers have pushed back against virtual learning too , saying it isn ’ t effective , and unions have been criticized for offering limited plans on how to improve at-home learning .
“ A large majority of us understand — we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into unsafe buildings , ” Rodrigues said .
“ The alternative is not doing nothing.
” That ’ s going to put a lot of the onus on parents to ensure their children are getting adequate support .
In the earlier months of the pandemic , parents already got a better understanding of the kind of virtual learning their kids had access to .
For some , it was not enough .
“ We as parents are also going to be checking on the truancy of educators to see what we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many hours are educators spending actually engaged with students ?
” Rodrigues said .
“ Placing all of the responsibility on parents and families in this moment of anxiety , in the middle of a pandemic , where some of us are trying to hold on to housing , to our jobs , and the fabric of our families — and then on top of it you ’ re also supposed to be your child ’ s educator ?
You ’ re seeing the awakening of a beast that is going to transform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , it doesn ’ t seem like much help is on the way .
The first coronavirus stimulus bill , the CARES Act , included some funding for public education that covered some of the existing deficits , said Marianno , the Nevada professor .
But it ’ s dried up alongside talks of another round of stimulus as members of Congress have reached an impasse .
Senate Republicans have suggested including $ 70 billion for K-12 schools — two-thirds of that money going to schools that reopen in-person to some degree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for higher education , $ 5 billion for other state education needs and $ 1 billion for the Bureau of Indian Education and outlying areas .
In the House , Democrats passed the HEROES Act in the summer that called for $ 90 billion for education , including $ 58 billion for K-12 schools and $ 27 billion to public universities and colleges .
The bill also provides $ 915 billion in emergency funding for state and local governments , which could help protect public teaching positions .
But neither of the proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears additional help will be unlikely this year , said Shannon Holston , director of teacher policy at the National Council on Teacher Quality .
“ With the election in November , it ’ s really uncertain if anything will be done federally , ” Holston said .
“ People aren ’ t relying on that.
” Many are waiting to see how these first months of the new school year play out , she said .
That ’ s frustrating for teachers like Maxie Hollingsworth , an elementary school math lab specialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership in her district , her state and in Congress .
“ We should not be a nation of shooting stars that you never see , ” Hollingswoth said .
“ That ’ s what we sort of have in Congress right now.
” She understands the debates this school year probably better than most .
One of her daughters is asthmatic — “ she winds up in the ER every single year from a cold ” — so remote learning is critical for her .
Hollingsworth ’ s district is 100 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before they reassess later in the year , so she ’ ll be able to stay home with her daughter .
Hollingsworth also works with low-income families and understands deeply the challenges of an in-person return .
These are families whose kids ride the bus , whose little ones can ’ t stick to mask mandates and whose schools can ’ t afford to put plexiglass around each desk .
But they ’ re also the kids of many essential workers , who can ’ t stay home if the teaching is remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic has exposed so much about the United States , ” Hollingsworth said .
“ It exposes a lot of the weaknesses in our infrastructure , a lot of the weaknesses related to school funding , a lot of weaknesses related to equity.
” To reach parity , there needs to be a consideration of everyone ’ s unique situations .
And most of all , there needs to be choice , she said .
It reminds Hollingsworth of her school custodian whose 5-year-old is recovering from leukemia .
Teachers and educational support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ re also used to those concerns being ignored .
“ The lack of respect for teachers , the lack of standards across the board in terms of pay , expectations — it ’ s very hard to recruit teachers , and now because of this , I think it ’ s going to be even harder .
This is gon na sort of blow up the system , ” Hollingsworth said .
“ And then people will recognize that we got to do things differently .
”

The classroom and COVID-19: Teachers say they want to be ‘treated like real people’
Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump believes these CDC school guidelines are too strict President Donald Trump criticizes the CDC guidelines for the upcoming school year. Which includes children, teachers, and staff getting regularly tested. USA TODAY
This story was published in partnership with The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.
At a school board meeting in Phoenix this month, parent after parent got up to speak, letting the tensions of a year of uncertainty spill out inside a musty auditorium at the Queen Creek Unified School District.
At issue was the coming school year, which was set to start Aug. 17 almost entirely in-person. The end of the previous term had challenged their children, many parents argued, and it was time that they return to the classroom.
Why, asked one dad and a physical education teacher at a local high school, if a registered nurse he knew who is a cancer survivor had not missed a day of work, were other teachers saying they wouldn’t be willing to return?
“You can make that choice to come into work and say that …you love your profession,” he said, “then I’ll see you on the 17th, brother.”
The audience exploded in raucous applause.
Children went up to speak, too.
“I hope they let me go back to normal school in person,” said one kindergartner. Another pleaded with the district through sobs: “Please, let us go back.”
But some teachers told another story: In the week before the start of school, they felt they had few options.
Resignations had started at Queen Creek – eight teachers gone between the end of July and early August. Unlike other districts across the country that were adopting a hybrid model allowing teachers to move online if they prefer, online learning in Queen Creek will come from teachers outside the district.
Many teachers feel trapped. The tension in Arizona and around the nation is dredging up a conversation on teaching contracts that in a typical year ensure educators don’t renege too close to the start of the school year – thus leaving the district scrambling to find a replacement – by imposing fines, or threatening a temporary suspension or revocation of a teaching license.
But as special education teacher Karen Oliver stressed when she spoke at the August school board meeting, this isn’t a typical year.
Oliver had already resigned in July, knowing she, at 61, could not risk returning to in-person learning, particularly with an 87-year-old sick mother in Michigan who she planned to visit.
Still, the district was holding her to her teaching contract and fining her the customary penalty – 3% of her salary, or nearly $2,000.
“I am being held under my contract,” Oliver told the board, asking the district to waive the resignation fees. “I need to take care of my mother. I love my students, I have worked hard to make sure my responsibilities are taken care of. This has been a hard decision.”
This year has exposed so much of what already made the teaching profession challenging for educators. It’s often devalued work for little pay, and the question of school security was already looming. But coronavirus has further complicated that picture, leaving districts around the country to decide how to deal with the valid concerns of parents, who want their kids’ education to continue, and those of teachers, who are worried about their own health.
On top of that is the worry, held by both parents and teachers, about students’ mental health without the structure of in-person school, but also their well-being if coronavirus cases spread in classrooms. Already, there have been hundreds of outbreaks.
What to know about sending kids to school in flu season amid COVID-19 Is it a cold or COVID-19? The top doctor at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta explains what parents need to know this flu season. USA TODAY
States have laid out guidelines for returning to school, but it’s up to the districts to decide how it looks in practice. So though most have been flexible, experts said, particularly with teachers who have raised red flags about safety, others, like Queen Creek, have not.
A day after the school board meeting where Oliver spoke, she received an email telling her the district would be garnisheeing her wages until she met her full fee.
For Oliver, that moment at the end of a decadeslong teaching career captured the disregard she’s felt leaders have had toward her profession most of her life.
“Women are mostly the workers in public education, and we historically are not treated as though we’re real people,” Oliver said. “I’m listening to these people, they’re talking about, ‘We have the right to send our kids to school. We should have that choice for face-to-face.’ Nobody was considering the fact that teachers were people.”
Across the country, educators are worried. In Mississippi, some feel at risk of losing their licenses. In Kansas, the fees can be as high as $10,000 for teachers who cut their contracts short. And in Arizona, at least 109 staff members of the neighboring district to Queen Creek called in sick before the start of classes Aug. 17, protesting what they said were insufficient safety measures. The mass absences forced the district, J. O. Combs in Arizona, to cancel classes.
Of the 145 largest school districts that the National Council on Teacher Quality tracks, nearly 60% have a date by which teachers need to resign to avoid a penalty. All of those dates have passed. Nine large school districts specify a monetary penalty, and 45% impose other penalties like a potential suspension or refusal to hire the teacher in the future, according to data from NCTQ, which is an education think tank. In 15 large school districts, teachers face potentially losing their licenses.
The question is how willing districts are to help teachers who want the flexibility to teach from home, said Mark Paige, an associate professor of public policy and education law at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a former fifth grade teacher.
Paige, who has previously represented school districts in contract negotiations, said he’d advise them to consider the costs of enforcing contract rules during the pandemic.
“Just because they have a hammer doesn’t mean everything’s a nail,” Paige said. “There’s litigation costs, there’s PR costs.”
All of it is almost ironic, he said, considering that in the early months of the pandemic, teachers were heroes. Students lined up in car parades with signs to thank them. Parents started to truly appreciate how difficult it was to educate their children.
“It’s a sad commentary,” Paige said. “All of a sudden, we have this appreciation of teachers. Well, how times have changed in a matter of like 60 days.”
In Wichita, Kansas, substitute teacher Kimberly Howard and English teacher Gabriel Costilla are looking at the new teachers starting this year and wondering how the decisions around coronavirus will impact them in the long run.
There’s already a substitute teacher shortage where they live, Howard said. Around the country, a teacher shortage has been raging for years. So though their district is offering teachers options such as retiring early with no penalty, they’re concerned about what the next few months will bring.
Coronavirus: How access to the internet is not created equal As schools debate about returning to online learning, the lack of internet access for many Americans is a big sticking point. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
“It’s not that teachers are lining up to resign,” Costilla said. “That’s not what they want to do, they want to teach. But they just want to have that choice to do it safely.”
At his high school, a new teacher moved in a few doors down.
“I’m really afraid that some of these new teachers are going to get into this year and realize how hard all this is going to be – trying to do it virtually or even trying to do it on-site,” he said. “I’m afraid we’re gonna see some new teachers drop off in numbers that we haven’t seen in the past.”
The teacher shortage is estimated to be well beyond the 100,000 mark, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute.
Annual pay for teachers has been falling since the mid-1990s, with the median teacher salary now at about $60,000, plus benefits. Overall, teacher’s weekly wages are 17 percent lower than the compensation for comparable workers, according to an analysis of 2015 data from EPI (compared to 1994, when they were just 1.8 percent lower). The issue drew protests in 2018 and 2019 that framed the problems as a result of cutbacks on public education that will ultimately be detrimental to students, too.
Teaching is also the profession that employs the most women in the United States: 4.2 million.
“We kept seeing less people are going into education,” said Todd DeMitchell, professor emeritus of education law and labor at the University of New Hampshire, and a former educator, principal and superintendent. “It’s a hard job, pay isn’t very good and actually the thing that drives teachers out isn’t so much the pay, it’s the working conditions: ‘How am I treated?’”
What’s emerged this year with coronavirus is a fight to improve those conditions that, at times, have turned to broader social justice themes. A coalition of teachers unions around the country have been pushing not just for safety in the return to school, but for police-free schools and support covering rents and mortgages.
It’s a delicate dance, said Brad Marianno, an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and an expert on education policy and teacher contracts.
“Teachers unions have to be careful not to overplay their hand here,” Marianno said. “The longer this drags on and the longer that schools remain in a distance learning option, parental support for that message is going to wane. And that’s going to maybe tip the balance toward the reopening, but right now teachers unions kind of have the strength and the voice to make sure that schools are closed.”
At risk, if parents and districts remain rigid in their demands, is a further exodus of educators from the profession, one that will ultimately hurt students of color the most.
“Your Black and Brown students in your high poverty areas, your large urban centers, will have difficulty with staffing, and so it’s likely that those students will bear the brunt of the teacher shortage,” Marianno said. “And in ways that they’ve already borne the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis in the same locations that have trouble with internet access and computer access.”
Keri Rodrigues, a Latina mother of three small boys, is worried about just that. She is the president of the National Parents Union, a network of about 200 parent organizations.
For families like hers, whose children are already at a disadvantage due to systemic racism, it’s difficult to come down on either side of the teacher/parent debate. About 80% of teachers are white.
“The white district was never coming to save us in the first place. We don’t have high hopes that they’re going to sweep in and save them now,” Rodrigues said. “The consequences for families like ours if we’re not reading at grade level is the school-to-prison pipeline, it’s poverty, it’s incarceration and death.”
On the issue of safety, the group largely sides with teachers. Low-income families tend to live intergenerationally, with grandparents in the home. They understand concerns about bringing home the virus, Rodrigues said.
But some teachers have pushed back against virtual learning too, saying it isn’t effective, and unions have been criticized for offering limited plans on how to improve at-home learning.
“A large majority of us understand – we don’t want to send our kids into unsafe buildings,” Rodrigues said. “The alternative is not doing nothing.”
That’s going to put a lot of the onus on parents to ensure their children are getting adequate support. In the earlier months of the pandemic, parents already got a better understanding of the kind of virtual learning their kids had access to. For some, it was not enough.
“We as parents are also going to be checking on the truancy of educators to see what we’re actually getting for our money. How many hours are educators spending actually engaged with students?” Rodrigues said. “Placing all of the responsibility on parents and families in this moment of anxiety, in the middle of a pandemic, where some of us are trying to hold on to housing, to our jobs, and the fabric of our families – and then on top of it, you’re also supposed to be your child’s educator? You’re seeing the awakening of a beast that is going to transform education as we know it.”
For now, it doesn’t seem like much help is on the way.
The first coronavirus stimulus bill, the CARES Act, included some funding for public education that covered some of the existing deficits, said Marianno, the Nevada professor. But it’s dried up alongside talks of another round of stimulus as members of Congress have reached an impasse.
Senate Republicans have suggested including $70 billion for K-12 schools – two-thirds of that money going to schools that reopen in-person to some degree in the fall – $29 billion for higher education, $5 billion for other state education needs and $1 billion for the Bureau of Indian Education and outlying areas.
In the House, Democrats passed the HEROES Act in the summer that called for $90 billion for education, including $58 billion for K-12 schools and $27 billion to public universities and colleges. The bill also provides $915 billion in emergency funding for state and local governments, which could help protect public teaching positions.
But neither of the proposals has obtained bipartisan support, and it appears additional help will be unlikely this year, said Shannon Holston, director of teacher policy at the National Council on Teacher Quality.
“With the election in November, it’s really uncertain if anything will be done federally,” Holston said. “People aren’t relying on that.”
Many are waiting to see how these first months of the new school year play out, she said.
That’s frustrating for teachers like Maxie Hollingsworth, an elementary school math lab specialist in Houston. Hollingsworth said she craves leadership in her district, her state and in Congress.
“We should not be a nation of shooting stars that you never see,” Hollingsworth said. “That’s what we sort of have in Congress right now.”
She understands the debates this school year probably better than most. One of her daughters is asthmatic – “she winds up in the ER every single year from a cold” – so remote learning is critical for her. Hollingsworth’s district is 100 percent remote for the first weeks of school before they reassess later in the year, so she’ll be able to stay home with her daughter.
Hollingsworth also works with low-income families and understands deeply the challenges of an in-person return. These are families whose kids ride the bus, whose little ones can’t stick to mask mandates and whose schools can’t afford to put plexiglass around each desk. But they’re also the kids of many essential workers, who can’t stay home if the teaching is remote.
“To me, this whole pandemic has exposed so much about the United States,” Hollingsworth said. “It exposes a lot of the weaknesses in our infrastructure, a lot of the weaknesses related to school funding, a lot of weaknesses related to equity.”
To reach parity, there needs to be a consideration of everyone’s unique situations. And most of all, there needs to be choice, she said.
It reminds Hollingsworth of her school custodian whose 5-year-old is recovering from leukemia. Teachers and educational support staff have legitimate concerns, she said.
They’re also used to those concerns being ignored.
“The lack of respect for teachers, the lack of standards across the board in terms of pay, expectations – it’s very hard to recruit teachers, and now because of this, I think it’s going to be even harder. This is gonna sort of blow up the system,” Hollingsworth said. “And then people will recognize that we got to do things differently.”


usatoday--2020-09-08--Coronavirus updates: West Virginia University suspends in-person classes; Trump asks reporter to rem

Coronavirus updates: West Virginia University suspends in-person classes; Trump asks reporter to remove mask; US nears 190K deaths

After U.S. health officials warned Americans to continue social distancing and wearing masks on Labor Day weekend , the United States may report its 190,000th death from the new coronavirus on Tuesday or Wednesday .
In sports news , the American men are out at the U.S. Open after Frances Tiafoe , who had tested positive for COVID-19 in July , lost Monday to No .
4 Daniil Medvedev of Russia .
The next Grand Slam event , the French Open , which begins later this month , will allow spectators , organizers announced Monday .
Meanwhile , we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will arrive , but we ’ re starting to know how it will be distributed .
The swift —and so far positive — effort to create vaccines to fight COVID-19 has been remarkable , but it ’ s only half of the work , said Tinglong Dai , a professor of operations management who studies health care analytics at the Johns Hopkins University .
Dai expects the vaccine supply chain to be `` mind-bogglingly complex . ''
Mapping coronavirus : Tracking the U.S. outbreak , state by state • A USA TODAY analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows two states set records for new cases in a week : North Dakota and West Virginia .
• President Trump asked a Reuters journalist to remove his face mask while asking a question during a news conference Monday at the White House .
• Spectators will be allowed at the French Open this month despite the growing number of coronavirus cases in the country , organizers said on Monday .
• India ’ s increasing coronavirus caseload made the Asian giant the world ’ s second-worst-hit country behind the United States on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off economic disaster from the pandemic gain urgency .
📈 Today 's numbers : The U.S. has 6.3 million confirmed cases and more than 189,200 deaths .
Globally , there are more than 27.3 million cases and more than 893,000 fatalities .
📰 What we 're reading : As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic drags on , there have been many questions about what – or even where – the workplace will be in the future .
For the next year or so , however , it seems likely that work is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve been experiencing .
This file will be updated throughout the day .
For updates in your inbox , subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter .
Retiree in Austria gets coronavirus stimulus check from United States An Austrian man who last worked in the United States in the 1960s received a $ 1,200 coronavirus relief check from the U.S. government , the country 's public broadcaster reported .
The man from Linz , who worked as a waiter in the U.S. for just two years , was able to cash the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lived or worked in the U.S. , also got a check , and the broadcaster ORF reports that banks in the country have cashed dozens of checks from Austrian residents .
Eligible families were to receive up to $ 1,200 for each adult as a part the CARES Act , passed in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic , but there were issues with the roll out as many families reported they never received a check and more than a million dead people did .
After a fraternity member at West Virginia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected with COVID-19 , the university has suspended in-person classes for two weeks as positive cases among students continue to climb .
The university said its in-person classes will be held online through Sept. 25 `` in direct response to a recent increase in positive COVID-19 cases in students on the Morgantown campus , as well as concern for the probability of increased cases that may arise following several reports of parties held this holiday weekend where groups should have been in quarantine . ''
The university said in a news release that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive and was notified to isolate but attended a party at the fraternity house on Friday .
The entire fraternity house had also been told to quarantine or isolate .
`` We know that these parties act as super spreaders , '' Dean of Students Corey Farris said in announcing the suspensions of 29 fraternity members .
Almost 150 students on campus tested positive for the virus last week .
More news on COVID-19 at colleges and universities : • Salisbury University in Maryland has temporarily suspended 21 students for possible violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep politics out of vaccine science The heads of nine biopharmaceutical companies issued a letter early Tuesday pledging to fully vet their COVID-19 candidate vaccines before asking for federal approval to market them .
The statement comes amid increasing concern among public health officials , scientists and doctors that the White House might bring significant political pressure to bear on the Food and Drug Administration to get a vaccine before the Nov. 3 presidential election .
All nine companies are individually or jointly developing a candidate COVID-19 vaccine supported at least in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far amounts to more than $ 10 billion .
They are : AstraZeneca , Johnson & Johnson , Moderna Inc. , Novavax Inc. , Merck , Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline , and Pfizer Inc , which is developing a vaccine with BioNTech , another signatory .
As hospitals filled with COVID-19 patients , state medical boards took a hands-off approach to doctor discipline : Emergency actions against doctors ' licenses dropped 59 % from April through June of this year compared with the same period last year .
In April alone , emergency license @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to federal data .
The drop in emergency license suspensions worries patient safety advocates because many hospitals still have compromised and vulnerable patients .
That makes errors and complications more likely and dangerous .
`` It 's a perfect storm : A doctor shortage , doctors are strained by the stress of the pandemic , and sicker patients , '' said Dr. David Sherer , a retired anesthesiologist and author of the book `` Hospital Survival Guide . ''
Read more here .
President Trump asked a Reuters journalist to remove his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news conference Monday at the White House .
Trump told Reuters correspondent Jeff Mason `` you 're going to have to take that off , '' after he asked a question the president could n't hear clearly .
`` If you do n't take it off , you are very muffled , '' Trump said .
`` So , if you would take it off , it would be a lot easier . ''
Mason said he would speak louder instead of removing the mask , and after Trump said he sounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Montana meth use up 34 % in first months of COVID-19 pandemic Laboratory results and law enforcement reports indicate methamphetamine use increased in Montana during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic .
The Missoulian reported Monday that Millennium Health found a 34 % increase in urine samples testing positive for methamphetamine after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency March 13 .
The company compared results from Jan. 1 through March 12 with results from March 13 through May 31 .
French Open , unlike US Open , will allow spectators Spectators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month despite the growing number of coronavirus cases in the country , organizers said on Monday .
They unveiled the health protocols for the clay-court grand slam , which will take place at Roland Garros in western Paris from Sept. 27 after being postponed from its May start due to the pandemic .
Hours after the FTF announced , top-ranked Ash Barty said she will not defend her French Open title because of concerns over traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ Last year ’ s French Open was the most special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a decision I have made lightly , ” Barty , who won her first major title on the clay courts of Roland Garros , said in a statement Tuesday .
“ I wish the players and the French Federation all the best for a successful tournament.
” Pandemic preschool : How to navigate sending your kid into an unfamiliar building with masked strangers Many child care centers and preschools that survived COVID-19 shutdowns are reopening their doors this fall , but the first day of class looks a little different this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anxious .
Minors account for about 8 % of all cases in the U.S. , and most have mild symptoms and fully recover within one to two weeks – quicker than most adults .
However , a small percentage of children have been reported to have more severe illness , and researchers are still learning more about the role children play in asymptomatic spread of the disease .
To keep kids , families and staff safe , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that child care programs implement an array of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as reducing class sizes , intensifying cleaning protocols , taking children ’ s temperatures each morning , requiring kids and staff to wear face masks , staggering drop-off and pick-up times , spreading nap mats out six feet apart , ending family-style mealtimes and more .
Many states and counties have additional guidance .
Research suggests Black patients have better outcomes when treated by Black doctors and nurses .
Yet , only 5 % of doctors nationwide are Black , and only 2 % are Black women , according to the Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a 51-year-old single mother in Jackson , Mississippi , is a patient at the Central Mississippi Health Services clinic on the campus of historically Black Tougaloo College .
“ It ’ s meaningful to be taken care of by someone who looks like you , who understands you , ” said Kay McField , a patient in Jackson , Mississippi .
“ Other doctors go into the exam room , and they don ’ t ask your name .
And me , when I go there and be treated that way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more.
” When a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available , there 's a plan in place for its distribution from manufacturers to the American public .
The process will be run by the CDC , which for decades has overseen vaccine distribution in the United States and ran the last national vaccination effort during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic .
Still , Tinglong Dai , a professor of operations management who studies health care analytics at the Johns Hopkins University , told USA TODAY he expects the vaccine supply chain to be `` mind-bogglingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it first ?
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still finalizing plans , front-line medical workers , first-responders and people at high risk for severe disease are likely to get first dibs .
• Who will pay for it ?
All the vaccine supplied in the initial phases will be purchased by the U.S. government and no one will be charged for the actual dose .
• What about availability ?
The vaccine is expected to be in short supply , at least in the beginning , though CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available by January 2021 .
• On Facebook : There 's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus .
But what we do know , we 're sharing with you .
Join our Facebook group , Coronavirus Watch , to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19 .
• In your inbox : Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network .
Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter .
• Tips for coping : Every Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inbox , offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times .
Sign up for Staying Apart , Together .

Elinor Aspegren and Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY

Coronavirus updates: AstraZeneca halts vaccine trials after 'unexplained illness'; study links 260K cases to Sturgis motorcycle rally
Show Caption Hide Caption COVID-19 testing: Positivity rates and why they are so important COVID-19 widespread testing is crucial to fighting the pandemic, but is there enough testing? The answer is in the positivity rates. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
After U.S. health officials warned Americans to continue social distancing and wearing masks on Labor Day weekend, the United States may report its 190,000th death from the new coronavirus on Tuesday or Wednesday.
In sports news, the American men are out at the U.S. Open after Frances Tiafoe, who had tested positive for COVID-19 in July, lost Monday to No. 4 Daniil Medvedev of Russia. The next Grand Slam event, the French Open, which begins later this month, will allow spectators, organizers announced Monday.
Meanwhile, we don’t know when a COVID-19 vaccine will arrive, but we’re starting to know how it will be distributed.
The swift — and so far positive — effort to create vaccines to fight COVID-19 has been remarkable, but it’s only half of the work, said Tinglong Dai, a professor of operations management who studies health care analytics at the Johns Hopkins University. Dai expects the vaccine supply chain to be "mind-bogglingly complex."
Mapping coronavirus: Tracking the U.S. outbreak, state by state
Some significant developments:
Nine companies developing COVID-19 vaccines issued a letter Tuesday pledging to fully vet their candidate vaccines before asking for FDA approval to market them. Industry officials are worried that the political climate is tarnishing the process and will make people more hesitant to get a vaccine when there is one.
AstraZeneca hit a stumbling block in the development of its COVID-19 vaccine, halting its clinical trials worldwide to investigate an adverse reaction in a trial participant in the United Kingdom.
Senate Republicans introduced a new coronavirus relief bill Tuesday and a procedural vote could come as early as this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Monday shows two states set records for new cases in a week: North Dakota and West Virginia. Yesterday Indiana reported its 100,000th case.
Theme park operators who spent months installing hand sanitizing stations, figuring out how to disinfect roller coasters seats and checking the temperatures of guests at their gates so they’d come back in the midst of the pandemic are finding many reluctant to return.
A study found that the Sturgis motorcycle rally led to more than 260,000 coronavirus cases in the month following the event. But that number differs significantly from what was reported by the South Dakota Department of Health.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has 6.3 million confirmed cases and more than 189,300 deaths. Globally, there are more than 27.4 million cases and more than 893,000 fatalities.
📰 What we're reading: As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, there have been many questions about what – or even where – the workplace will be in the future. For the next year or so, however, it seems likely that work is going to be pretty similar to what we’ve been experiencing.
This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter.
AstraZeneca, one of the companies racing to make a vaccine against the coronavirus, put a hold on its COVID-19 clinical trials worldwide, while it investigated an adverse reaction in a trial participant in the United Kingdom.
The company, which is currently working with the University of Oxford on Phase 3 of testing its vaccine, said the pause was "a routine action which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials." .
The interruption represents the first major hiccup in what has been a remarkably smooth path in the historically rapid vaccine effort spanning the globe. That said, large scale, make-or-break Phase 3 clinical trials are where real issues are most likely to occur.
It remains unclear what the reaction is, or when it took place. Stat News reported that the individual is expected to recover.
– Elizabeth Weise and Karen Weintraub
Places of worship, restaurants with indoor dining and movie theaters in five California counties will soon be allowed to reopen at one-quarter capacity, as the state slowly moves forward with its reopening process.
The counties allowed to move from the state's purple tier — the lowest tier — into the red tier, per California Gov. Gavin Newsom's new state reopening guidelines, are Orange, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Amador and Placer.
Under the state's red tier for reopening, shopping centers in these counties will also be able to expand to half capacity.
The announcement comes after Orange County reported no new deaths and 113 new cases over the weekend, per KABC-TV and KNBC-TV in Los Angeles, while meeting state requirements for case rate per 100,000 residents for at least two weeks.
The Sturgis motorcycle rally may have led to more than 260,000 coronavirus cases in the month following the event, according to a study released Saturday by the Center for Health Economics and Policy Studies at San Diego State University. The study has not been peer reviewed.
But that number differs significantly from what the South Dakota Department of Health has reported, which has confirmed 124 cases among South Dakota residents who got sick after attending the rally.
That discrepancy is because the state is identifying specific cases through contact tracing. The study takes a different approach: Instead of trying to identify people who had the disease and passed it on to others, the San Diego researchers looked at the areas that sent the most people to the rally and how case trends changed after the event.
"We're never going to be able to contact trace every single person from Sturgis," Andrew Friedson, one of four authors of the study, said. "So if we want a good-faith estimate using, at the moment, the accepted statistical techniques ... this is the best number we're going to get in my opinion."
– Megan Raposa, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
A church leader in Ukraine whose linked coronavirus to same-sex marriage has tested positive for COVID-19.
Patriarch Filaret, who helms the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, is currently hospitalized and in stable condition, per the Kyiv Post in Ukraine. He is 91.
In March, he said in a televised interview in March that same-sex marriage was "the cause of the coronavirus," comments that were condemned by LGBT rights groups worldwide.
He was later sued by the Ukrainian LGBT rights organization Insight. That organization's head, Olena Shevchenko, told Reuters in March that the group wanted to show "there is no longer place for such statements."
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, many people cleaned grocery-store purchases with disinfecting wipes before putting them away at home.
Now, however, a lot more is known about how COVID-19 spreads, and experts say that the risk of getting it from surfaces, including grocery packaging, is “exceedingly small,” said Melissa Bronstein, senior director of infection prevention for Rochester Regional Health and a registered nurse.
The most up-to-date information on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that no cases of COVID-19 have been linked to people touching food or food packaging and then touching their faces.
– Marcia Greenwood, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Senate Republicans on Tuesday introduced a COVID-19 relief package they say targets urgent needs for the American people, but the proposal faces an uncertain path with members of both parties in opposition.
Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on another stimulus bill in July and August. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., spent weeks negotiating with the White House, but talks dissolved with both sides blaming the other.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday a procedural vote on the measure could come as early as this week, though he did acknowledge the bill is not perfect and doesn't contain polices sought by members of both parties.
– Christal Hayes
Researchers at Children’s National Hospital found while COVID-19 may not be worse for children than the flu, it’s not better either.
A study published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open looked at the course of illness in 315 children who had COVID-19 between March and May, and more than 1,400 children with seasonal influenza between October and June.Scientists found no difference in rates of hospitalization, admission to the intensive care unit or mechanical ventilator use between the two groups.
“I didn’t see this coming when I was thinking about doing the study,” said Dr. Xiaoyan Song, director of Infection Control and Epidemiology at Children’s National. “It took several rounds of thinking and combing through the data to convince myself that this was the conclusion.”
– Adrianna Rodriguez
After a fraternity member at West Virginia University went to a party while knowingly infected with COVID-19, the university has suspended in-person classes for two weeks as positive cases among students continue to climb.
The university said its in-person classes will be held online through Sept. 25 "in direct response to a recent increase in positive COVID-19 cases in students on the Morgantown campus, as well as concern for the probability of increased cases that may arise following several reports of parties held this holiday weekend where groups should have been in quarantine."
The university said in a news release that a member of the Theta Chi fraternity tested positive and was notified to isolate but attended a party at the fraternity house on Friday. The entire fraternity house had also been told to quarantine or isolate.
"We know that these parties act as super spreaders," Dean of Students Corey Farris said in announcing the suspensions of 29 fraternity members. Almost 150 students on campus tested positive for the virus last week.
More news on COVID-19 at colleges and universities:
Salisbury University in Maryland has temporarily suspended 21 students for possible violations of COVID-19 policies.
An Austrian man who last worked in the United States in the 1960s received a $1,200 coronavirus relief check from the U.S. government, the country's public broadcaster reported.
The man from Linz, who worked as a waiter in the U.S. for just two years, was able to cash the check. His wife, who never lived or worked in the U.S., also got a check, and the broadcaster ORF reports that banks in the country have cashed dozens of checks from Austrian residents.
Eligible families were to receive up to $1,200 for each adult as a part the CARES Act, passed in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there were issues with the roll out as many families reported they never received a check and more than a million dead people did.
The heads of nine biopharmaceutical companies issued a letter early Tuesday pledging to fully vet their COVID-19 candidate vaccines before asking for federal approval to market them.
The statement comes amid increasing concern among public health officials, scientists and doctors that the White House might bring significant political pressure to bear on the Food and Drug Administration to get a vaccine before the Nov. 3 presidential election.
All nine companies are individually or jointly developing a candidate COVID-19 vaccine supported at least in part with federal dollars, which so far amounts to more than $10 billion. They are: AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna Inc., Novavax Inc., Merck, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer Inc, which is developing a vaccine with BioNTech, another signatory.
– Karen Weintraub and Elizabeth Weise
As hospitals filled with COVID-19 patients, state medical boards took a hands-off approach to doctor discipline: Emergency actions against doctors' licenses dropped 59% from April through June of this year compared with the same period last year. In April alone, emergency license suspensions and restrictions dropped 85%, according to federal data.
The drop in emergency license suspensions worries patient safety advocates because many hospitals still have compromised and vulnerable patients. That makes errors and complications more likely and dangerous.
"It's a perfect storm: A doctor shortage, doctors are strained by the stress of the pandemic, and sicker patients," said Dr. David Sherer, a retired anesthesiologist and author of the book "Hospital Survival Guide." Read more here.
– Jayne O'Donnell
President Trump asked a Reuters journalist to remove his face mask while asking a question during a news conference Monday at the White House. Trump told Reuters correspondent Jeff Mason "you're going to have to take that off," after he asked a question the president couldn't hear clearly.
"If you don't take it off, you are very muffled," Trump said. "So, if you would take it off, it would be a lot easier."
Mason said he would speak louder instead of removing the mask, and after Trump said he sounded better, he repeated his question.
President Trump asks reporter to take off face mask during question President Trump asked a Reuters journalist to remove his face mask while asking a question during a news conference at the White House. USA TODAY
Laboratory results and law enforcement reports indicate methamphetamine use increased in Montana during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Missoulian reported Monday that Millennium Health found a 34% increase in urine samples testing positive for methamphetamine after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency March 13. The company compared results from Jan. 1 through March 12 with results from March 13 through May 31.
Spectators will be allowed at the French Open this month despite the growing number of coronavirus cases in the country, organizers said on Monday.
They unveiled the health protocols for the clay-court grand slam, which will take place at Roland Garros in western Paris from Sept. 27 after being postponed from its May start due to the pandemic.
Hours after the FTF announced, top-ranked Ash Barty said she will not defend her French Open title because of concerns over traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Last year’s French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made lightly,” Barty, who won her first major title on the clay courts of Roland Garros, said in a statement Tuesday. “I wish the players and the French Federation all the best for a successful tournament.”
Many child care centers and preschools that survived COVID-19 shutdowns are reopening their doors this fall, but the first day of class looks a little different this year, leaving some kids and guardians feeling anxious.
Minors account for about 8% of all cases in the U.S., and most have mild symptoms and fully recover within one to two weeks – quicker than most adults. However, a small percentage of children have been reported to have more severe illness, and researchers are still learning more about the role children play in asymptomatic spread of the disease.
To keep kids, families and staff safe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that child care programs implement an array of new safety measures amid the pandemic, such as reducing class sizes, intensifying cleaning protocols, taking children’s temperatures each morning, requiring kids and staff to wear face masks, staggering drop-off and pick-up times, spreading nap mats out six feet apart, ending family-style mealtimes and more. Many states and counties have additional guidance.
– Grace Hauck
Research suggests Black patients have better outcomes when treated by Black doctors and nurses. Yet, only 5% of doctors nationwide are Black, and only 2% are Black women, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Kay McField, a 51-year-old single mother in Jackson, Mississippi, is a patient at the Central Mississippi Health Services clinic on the campus of historically Black Tougaloo College.
“It’s meaningful to be taken care of by someone who looks like you, who understands you,” said Kay McField, a patient in Jackson, Mississippi. “Other doctors go into the exam room, and they don’t ask your name. And me, when I go there and be treated that way, I’m not going back no more.”
When a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, there's a plan in place for its distribution from manufacturers to the American public. The process will be run by the CDC, which for decades has overseen vaccine distribution in the United States and ran the last national vaccination effort during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
Still, Tinglong Dai, a professor of operations management who studies health care analytics at the Johns Hopkins University, told USA TODAY he expects the vaccine supply chain to be "mind-bogglingly complex."
Who will get it first? While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still finalizing plans, front-line medical workers, first-responders and people at high risk for severe disease are likely to get first dibs.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still finalizing plans, front-line medical workers, first-responders and people at high risk for severe disease are likely to get first dibs. Who will pay for it? All the vaccine supplied in the initial phases will be purchased by the U.S. government and no one will be charged for the actual dose.
All the vaccine supplied in the initial phases will be purchased by the U.S. government and no one will be charged for the actual dose. What about availability? The vaccine is expected to be in short supply, at least in the beginning, though CDC planning documents say significantly more will be available by January 2021.
– Elizabeth Weise
COVID-19 resources from USA TODAY
On Facebook: There's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. Join our Facebook group, Coronavirus Watch, to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19.
There's still a lot 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.