usatoday--2020-09-01--Coronavirus live updates: Fauci implores Americans ahead of Labor Day; Iowa State football all-in; A

Coronavirus live updates: Fauci implores Americans ahead of Labor Day; Iowa State football all-in; August was California's deadliest month

Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards said he is wary of a COVID-19 spike as displaced Hurricane Laura victims scatter across the state and first-responders and volunteers flow into the most damaged areas to help .
Edwards ' concern comes as the state 's case numbers drop below the red line .
Louisiana reported its lowest single-day number of new COVID-19 cases – 326 – since June 8 and the White House Coronavirus Task Force reduced the state from red to yellow in new infections .
That 's not the case in Iowa : Despite the state being coronavirus hot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have around 25,000 fans at its home opener Sept. 12 .
White House coronavirus experts warned Iowa leaders Sunday that the state has the country 's steepest outbreak , and the state should close bars in 61 counties and test all returning college students .
Nationally , Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Americans to keep a lid on group parties this Labor Day weekend .
And globally , the vast majority of China 's student population has returned to classrooms – including the city of Wuhan , the pandemic 's fist epicenter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 1 million youths .
• Just three weeks after surpassing 5 million confirmed coronavirus infections , the U.S. on Monday quietly rolled past 6 million cases .
• Detroit held its own Memorial Day on Monday to honor the 1,500-pus city residents who have died due to COVID-19 .
• AstraZeneca will begin a Phase 3 clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. with plans to enroll 30,000 adult volunteers .
📈 Today 's numbers : The U.S. has 6 million confirmed cases and over 183,000 deaths .
Globally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 851,000 people have died , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
A USA TODAY analysis of the data through late Monday shows Iowa , Montana and South Dakota set records for new cases over a seven-day period .
Arkansas and Hawaii had a record number of deaths over seven days .
– Michael Stucka 📰 What we 're reading : An online class by any other name ?
College students pay rent , enroll – then find courses are n't being offered in-person .
It 's very frustrating .
This file @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For updates in your inbox , subscribe to the Daily Briefing .
August was the deadliest month of the COVID-19 pandemic in California despite the state 's progress in reducing infections , hospitalizations and deaths , a Los Angeles Times analysis found .
California reported 3,707 deaths connected to COVID-19 in August , up 18 % over July .
California has experienced more than 700,000 cases , the most in the U.S .
However , Florida , Louisiana and Mississippi are among numerous states with more infections per capita , according to federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates have fallen steadily for more than a month , and the average number of daily deaths is also in decline , the Times notes .
Do n't be fooled by promises of in-person classes Almost all colleges are offering some online instruction even if they ’ re publicly saying their classes are in-person , said Katie Felten , of the Davidson College Crisis Initiative , a group tracking colleges ’ responses to coronavirus .
The fine print may be buried on colleges ' websites , and some students say they were blindsided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or moved into campus housing .
Some schools have been changing course on the fly .
North Carolina State canceled in-person classes but initially told students they could stay on campus .
Then , last week , Chancellor Randy Woodson told students they would have to vacate campus housing .
“ The rapid spread and increasing rate of positive cases have made our current situation untenable , ” Woodson said .
Fauci : Americans need to avoid superspreader events over Labor Day Dr. Anthony Fauci said Labor Day weekend will be key in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running start ” at containing the coronavirus this fall .
Fauci said Monday that he has a “ great deal of faith in the American people ” to wash their hands , practice social distancing , wear masks , avoid crowds and congregate outside during the weekend celebrations .
He said it ’ s important to avoid a surge in coronavirus cases like those seen after the Memorial Day and July 4th holidays .
He made the comments on a White House conference call with governors , the audio of which was obtained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows children far from immune , can spread virus A South Korean study of 91 children who tested positive for the coronavirus found that 22 % did not show any symptoms .
And one-fifth of the children who showed no symptoms – and about half of those who did show symptoms – were still shedding virus three weeks after they were infected , according to the study , which appeared with an editorial in the journal JAMA Pediatrics .
Shedding virus means that virus can be detected in a person , though that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infect others .
`` If there is anyone on the planet who believes children are immune to the ( new ) coronavirus , this should lay that to rest , '' said Roberta DeBiasi , a co-author of the editorial and division chief for infectious diseases at Children 's National Hospital in Washington , D.C. `` Yes , children can get infected .
Yes , children can get sick .
Yes , children can spread the virus . ''
China is all in : Wuhan students return to school Children returned to school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan , where the world 's initial coronavirus epidemic forced months of lockdowns .
The city , however , has not seen new cases of local transmission for weeks .
State media reported 1.4 million children in the city reported to 2,842 kindergartens , primary and secondary schools as part of a nationwide return to classes .
Almost all students across the nation of 1.4 billion people have now returned to in-person classes .
Hawaii visitors must fill out online 'Safe Travels ' form before travel Hawaii 's government is requiring all travelers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Travels '' application beginning Tuesday .
The forms collect health and contact information to assist in public health monitoring .
It 's part of a screening process that includes temperature checks and secondary screening for travelers with symptoms or temperatures of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher .
`` I am pleased to launch this digital app , which will allow our travelers to provide their required health and travel information before they arrive at the airport , ” Gov .
David Ige said in a news release .
`` It will also help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are required to be in quarantine .
This is an important step in preparing to reopen our economy . ''
Here 's how it works .
Moratorium on foreclosures in Oregon extended to Dec. 31 Gov .
Kate Brown issued an executive order Monday preventing foreclosures for homeowners and businesses through Dec. 31 .
The previous moratorium was set to expire Monday .
The Oregon Legislature ’ s Emergency Board allocated $ 55 million for rent assistance through December and $ 20 million for affordable housing .
The U.S. Congress also has passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including rent and utility assistance .
“ Every Oregonian deserves a warm , dry , safe , affordable and accessible place to call home , ” Brown said .
“ That ’ s especially true during a pandemic , when physical distancing and limiting trips away from home are critical to stopping the spread of COVID-19 .
Extending the moratorium on foreclosures will ensure that more Oregonians do not lose their homes this year , and that businesses can continue to provide vital goods and services to our communities.
” Iowa State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opener Iowa State plans to allow some fans to attend its season opener at Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 12 .
The Cyclones are expecting about 25,000 fans and social distancing and mitigation strategies will be in place .
“ If our mitigation actions are successful , we will allow all season ticket purchasers to attend the Oklahoma game Oct. 3 , ” Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said in a letter to fans Monday .
“ However , if we determine that mitigation measures were not followed adequately at the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at future games ( beginning with Oklahoma ) .
” The announcement comes the day Ames was identified as the country ’ s worst coronavirus “ hot spot ” city by the New York Times .
Iowa City , home to the University of Iowa , was second while the state of Iowa was tabbed as the worst “ hot spot ” state .
Walt Disney World is postponing the reopening of its Polynesian Village Resort until next summer as the coronavirus pandemic continues to hammer hotel occupancy in central Florida .
Disney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Village multiple times .
As of late June , it was supposed to reopen on Aug. 12 ; as of July , it was supposed to reopen on Oct. 4 .
Two other Disney World Resorts , the Beach Club Resort and BoardWalk Inn , will remain closed indefinitely .
Disney 's resorts had closed along with Disney World in mid-March .
Disney World 's theme parks reopened in mid-July .
Hotel occupancy in Orlando continues to be among the lowest in the country , according to STR , which tracks hotel occupancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 22 , occupancy in the Orlando market was 29.3 % , well below the national average of 48.8 % .
Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp on Monday extended the state 's coronavirus restrictions , including a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people unless they can maintain six feet apart , until Sept. 15 .
The governor also extended Georgia 's state of emergency to Oct. 10 .
`` COVID-19 hospitalizations in Georgia are at their lowest since July 6 .
Cases reported yesterday were at their lowest point since June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
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 .

John Bacon and Jessica Flores, USA TODAY

Coronavirus live updates: US to shun world effort to develop vaccine; Here's who should get first vaccinations; Fauci debunks COVID theories
Show Caption Hide Caption 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
A Trump administration official said Tuesday that the U.S. will go it alone in developing a coronavirus vaccine, shunning the worldwide cooperative effort.
And the reopening efforts in the U.S. continue. California's latest plan drew scrutiny, Florida's governor vowed no more lockdowns, and New York City delayed in-school learning Tuesday, one day after the nation reached 6 million confirmed cases of coronavirus.
A new month could bring new hope to Californians who suffered through their deadliest COVID-19 month in August. The state reported 3,707 deaths connected to COVID-19 in the last month, up 18% over July. But infection and hospitalization rates have been in decline in recent weeks, and average daily deaths also began dropping, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis.
In Iowa, the nation's latest hot spot, Iowa State University is planning to have around 25,000 fans at its home opener Sept. 12. White House coronavirus experts have warned Iowa leaders that the state has the country's steepest outbreak and suggested the state should close bars in 61 counties and test all returning college students.
Nationally, Dr. Anthony Fauci debunked theories that some COVID deaths aren't real and warned Americans to keep a lid on group parties this Labor Day weekend.
And globally, the vast majority of China's student population has returned to classrooms – including the city of Wuhan, the pandemic's fist epicenter, where schools opened Tuesday for more than 1 million youths.
Some significant developments:
Just three weeks after surpassing 5 million confirmed coronavirus infections, the U.S. on Monday quietly rolled past 6 million cases.
Detroit held its own Memorial Day on Monday to honor the 1,500-pus city residents who have died from COVID-19.
AstraZeneca will begin a Phase 3 clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. with plans to enroll 30,000 adult volunteers.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has 6 million confirmed cases and over 183,000 deaths. Globally, there are 25 million cases and more than 851,000 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University data. A USA TODAY analysis of the data through late Monday shows Iowa, Montana and South Dakota set records for new cases over a seven-day period. Arkansas and Hawaii had a record number of deaths over seven days. – Michael Stucka
📰 What we're reading: An online class by any other name? College students pay rent, enroll – then find courses aren't being offered in-person. It's very frustrating.
This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to the Daily Briefing.
Pelosi defends salon visit that may have violated rules
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is under fire for having visited a hair salon in San Francisco on Monday despite local rules requiring hair cutting to take place outdoors.
San Francisco's coronavirus guidelines allowed personal service providers including hair salons to reopen their businesses for outdoor services starting Tuesday, with clients seen one at a time. Haircuts are permitted, according to the guidance, but shampooing and hair coloring services are not.
Pelosi's spokesperson Drew Hammill said in a statement that Pelosi, D-Calif., was following guidelines as given to her by the salon itself. “This business offered for the Speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business. The Speaker complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment," Hammill said.
--Jeanine Santucci
Hawaii has taken an interesting approach to try to test as many people as possible for the coronavirus: shut down a freeway and turn it into a testing center.
Both sides of the H-3 freeway in Honolulu were closed early Tuesday for "surge" testing, an effort to get samples from as many as 90,000 people, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. Testing stations were set up on either side of the freeway.
"Since we’re shutting down the freeway, we want to have an overwhelming response," Honolulu Fire spokesman Capt. Jeffrey Roache told the Star-Advertiser. The freeway was expected to reopen about 6 p.m. local time.
Coronavirus: How vaccines are developed and tested Pressure to create a coronavirus vaccine is increasing by the day, but for a safe vaccine to enter the market, it takes time. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Philly mayor apologizes after photo showing him dining indoors
Philadelphia's mayor has apologized after a photo of him eating inside a Maryland restaurant circulated on social media this weekend while his city's bans on indoor restaurant dining continue.
A spokesperson for Mayor Jim Kenney confirmed that he dined at a friend's restaurant in Maryland, reported WPVI-TV in Philadelphia and NBC News, but it remains unclear where exactly the restaurant is located.
Kenney apologized in a tweet Monday, justifying the decision by saying that he felt "the risk was low because the county he visited had fewer than 800 COVID-19 cases." Indoor dining — with 25 percent capacity and no more than four people per group — will restart in the city Sept. 8 after being banned since March.
– Joshua Bote
Trump administration said Tuesday it is implementing a national four-month moratorium on residential evictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Relying on a 1944 Public Health Service Act that gives the administration broad quarantine powers, the moratorium will run through Dec. 31. It applies to individuals earning less than $99,000 a year and who are unable to make rent or housing payments.
“President Trump is committed to helping hard-working Americans stay in their homes and combating the spread of the coronavirus,” White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern told reporters Tuesday.
–John Fritze and Nicholas Wu
Antibodies produced after infection by the coronavirus last for at least four months after diagnosis, longer than previously believed, a new study finds.
Among those testing positive for the coronavirus in a study of 30,576 Icelanders, antibodies were found to have risen for two months after infection was diagnosed. Then they plateaued and remained stable for four months.
The new study was done by Reykjavik-based deCODE Genetics, a subsidiary of the U.S. biotech company Amgen, with several hospitals, universities and health officials in Iceland. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
It is considered one of the most thorough on the antibody issue yet. Iceland has tested 15% of its population since late February.
The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will not work with an international cooperative effort to develop and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine because it does not want to be constrained by multilateral groups like the World Health Organization.
“The United States will continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China,” said White House spokesman Judd Deere
The decision to go it alone, first reported by The Washington Post, follows the White House’s decision in early July to pull the United States out of the WHO. Trump claims the WHO is in need of reform and is heavily influenced by China.
Some nations have worked directly to secure supplies of vaccine, but others are pooling efforts to ensure success against a disease that has no geographical boundaries. More than 150 countries are setting up the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, or COVAX.
When a coronavirus vaccine is finally approved, the first batches are likely to provide doses for no more than 4% of the population. So who should get it first?
The "jump-start" group should include front-line health care workers, paramedics, firefighters and police, all of whom are at higher risk of contracting the virus, says a report from the National Academies of Science, Medicine and Engineering.
After those groups, the next highest priority should be people of all ages with underlying conditions that make them more susceptible to becoming severely ill or dying from COVID-19, the report says.
--Elizabeth Weise
The moves to reopen the country are going to cut close to home for President Donald Trump.
Public tours of the White House will start again Sept. 12, but with new health and safety policies, it was announced. The tours were stopped six months ago as the coronavirus pandemic took hold.
Tours will be limited, however, two days a week instead of five and there will be limited hours. All guests older than age 2 will be required to wear masks and to social distance. And hand sanitizer dispensers will be plentiful.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter Tuesday to urge The Big Ten Conference to reverse its decision to cancel college football games this fall.
“Had a very productive conversation with Kevin Warren, Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, about immediately starting up Big Ten football,” the tweet said. “Would be good (great!) for everyone – Players, Fans, Country. On the one yard line!”
The Big Ten announced last month it would move its football season to the spring. The Pac-12 followed suit, joining the Mid-American Conference and the Mountain West. The Big Ten, however, is a conference that includes teams in several states that could prove critical to Trump in the Nov. 3 election.
--Erick Smith
The coronavirus has taken a heavy toll in federal prisons, but the system is preparing to allow inmate visitations again.
The prison system, largest in the country, will resume inmate visitation in October, seven months after the privilege was suspended, officials announced Tuesday.
COVID-19 has led to the deaths of 118 prisoners and two staff members. Some 1,643 inmates and 661 staff members have been infected. More than 11,000 inmates and staffers have recovered, the agency reported.
--Kevin Johnson
The Sun Belt is finally getting a break when it comes to the coronavirus.
Seven of the nine states in the South and West are seeing drops in deaths attributed to COVID-19, new cases and the percentage of tests coming back positive for the virus. The Sun Belt includes Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
Alabama is the only state in the region to see all three numbers rising. Alabama deaths attributed to the virus are down from their late July peak, but are trending upward again, running at an average of about 23 a day. Mississippi’s deaths are up, but positive rates and cases are dropping.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his voice cracking with emotion, announced Tuesday that he will lift the state’s ban on family visits to nursing homes.
DeSantis at one point had to take a long pause to gather himself as he wondered aloud whether imposing a ban on visits of loved ones to seniors in nursing homes might have contributed to the agony that the state has incurred over the coronavirus.
DeSantis vowed never to have another lockdown in Florida. “I hear people say they’ll shut down the country, and, honestly, I cringe,” he said.
He also says he’s looking at reopening bars and nightclubs.
White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday rejected online theories retweeted by President Donald Trump claiming that only 6% of COVID-19 fatalities are actually because of the virus. Fauci explained on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that a recent CDC guidance indicates that was the percentage of victims who had no underlying health issues.
“That does not mean that someone who has hypertension or diabetes who dies of COVID didn’t die of COVID-19. They did,” Fauci said. More than 180,000 Americans really have died from the virus – there should "not be any confusion about that," Fauci said.
New York City's schools will delay the start of in-person classes until Sept. 21, averting the threat of a teacher strike and putting the nation's largest school district on track to be the nation's only major urban district to start fall term with kids in classrooms.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the deal Tuesday, saying that the start of school would be pushed back to make sure teachers had enough time to plan and prepare for managing a blended learning model. Some children will learn at home full-time, and others will learn at home and also come to school buildings a couple days a week. Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said independent medical experts had signed off on the latest reopening plan.
“We can now say that New York City’s public school system has the most aggressive policies and greatest safeguards of any school system in the United States of America,” Mulgrew said.
– Erin Richards
California has embarked on a new, tiered plan for reopening businesses that has some crying foul. Critics say the system doesn't take into account that some businesses can operate safely even in counties with relatively high numbers of COVID-cases. And it hits some businesses harder than others even when it appears they perform similar services. Gyms remain closed and Legoland, classified as a theme park, must stay shut. SeaWorld San Diego, classified under zoos and museums, is a go.
"While certain businesses are allowed to open ... many others continue to be greatly limited, hampered or even closed," San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said. "The state continues to change the targets and move the goalposts."
– Chris Woodyard
Almost all colleges are offering some online instruction even if they’re publicly saying their classes are in-person, said Katie Felten, of the Davidson College Crisis Initiative, a group tracking colleges’ responses to coronavirus. The fine print may be buried on colleges' websites, and some students say they were blindsided with the details after they signed leases or moved into campus housing.
Some schools have been changing course on the fly. North Carolina State canceled in-person classes but initially told students they could stay on campus. Then, last week, Chancellor Randy Woodson told students they would have to vacate campus housing.
“The rapid spread and increasing rate of positive cases have made our current situation untenable,” Woodson said.
– Chris Quintana
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Labor Day weekend will be key in determining whether the U.S. gets a “running start” at containing the coronavirus this fall. Fauci said Monday that he has a “great deal of faith in the American people” to wash their hands, practice social distancing, wear masks, avoid crowds and congregate outside during the weekend celebrations. He said it’s important to avoid a surge in coronavirus cases like those seen after the Memorial Day and July 4th holidays.
He made the comments on a White House conference call with governors, the audio of which was obtained by The Associated Press.
Party-hosting tips: How to safely celebrate while social distancing There are ways to host and attend a party and still maintain social distancing. ProblemSolved, USA TODAY
A South Korean study of 91 children who tested positive for the coronavirus found that 22% did not show any symptoms. And one-fifth of the children who showed no symptoms – and about half of those who did show symptoms – were still shedding virus three weeks after they were infected, according to the study, which appeared with an editorial in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. Shedding virus means that virus can be detected in a person, though that person may not necessarily be able to infect others.
"If there is anyone on the planet who believes children are immune to the (new) coronavirus, this should lay that to rest," said Roberta DeBiasi, a co-author of the editorial and division chief for infectious diseases at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. "Yes, children can get infected. Yes, children can get sick. Yes, children can spread the virus."
– Mark Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Children returned to school Tuesday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the world's initial coronavirus epidemic forced months of lockdowns. The city, however, has not seen new cases of local transmission for weeks. State media reported 1.4 million children in the city reported to 2,842 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools as part of a nationwide return to classes. Almost all students across the nation of 1.4 billion people have now returned to in-person classes.
Hawaii's government is requiring all travelers to fill out its online "Safe Travels" application beginning Tuesday. The forms collect health and contact information to assist in public health monitoring. It's part of a screening process that includes temperature checks and secondary screening for travelers with symptoms or temperatures of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
"I am pleased to launch this digital app, which will allow our travelers to provide their required health and travel information before they arrive at the airport,” Gov. David Ige said in a news release. "It will also help us keep in contact with those who are required to be in quarantine. This is an important step in preparing to reopen our economy." Here's how it works.
– David Oliver
Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order Monday preventing foreclosures for homeowners and businesses through Dec. 31. The previous moratorium was set to expire Monday. The Oregon Legislature’s Emergency Board allocated $55 million for rent assistance through December and $20 million for affordable housing. The U.S. Congress also has passed about $82 million in housing-related services, including rent and utility assistance.
“Every Oregonian deserves a warm, dry, safe, affordable and accessible place to call home,” Brown said. “That’s especially true during a pandemic, when physical distancing and limiting trips away from home are critical to stopping the spread of COVID-19. Extending the moratorium on foreclosures will ensure that more Oregonians do not lose their homes this year, and that businesses can continue to provide vital goods and services to our communities.”
– Bill Poehler, Statesman Journal
Iowa State plans to allow some fans to attend its season opener at Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 12. The Cyclones are expecting about 25,000 fans and social distancing and mitigation strategies will be in place.
“If our mitigation actions are successful, we will allow all season ticket purchasers to attend the Oklahoma game Oct. 3,” Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said in a letter to fans Monday. “However, if we determine that mitigation measures were not followed adequately at the first game, we will have no fans at future games (beginning with Oklahoma).”
The announcement comes the day Ames was identified as the country’s worst coronavirus “hot spot” city by the New York Times. Iowa City, home to the University of Iowa, was second while the state of Iowa was tabbed as the worst “hot spot” state.
– Travis Hines, Des Moines Register
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 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--2020-09-01--Walmart's new membership program to launch Sept. 15 with same-day delivery, fuel discount

Walmart 's new and highly-anticipated membership program will soon be available to all shoppers .
The retail giant announced early Tuesday that Walmart+ will launch Sept. 15 for $ 98 a year or $ 12.95 per month with unlimited free delivery from stores ( on orders $ 35 or more ) , fuel discounts and a new Scan & Go feature for in-store shopping .
Janey Whiteside , the retailer 's chief customer officer , called the program , which will have a 15-day free trial period , as the `` ultimate life hack '' for customers .
`` Walmart+ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits where we see the greatest needs from our customers and where our scale can bring solutions at an unprecedented value , '' Whiteside said .
Save better , spend better : Money advice delivered right to your inbox .
Sign up here The delivery will be as fast as same-day on more than 160,000 items from groceries , household essentials to tech and toys .
The program is considered competition for Amazon , who set the standard for grocery delivery with Prime Now in 2014 .
The service is part of Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-day shipping on millions of items and other benefits including streaming of television shows and movies for $ 119 per year or $ 12.99 per month .
Instacart and Target-owned Shipt both offer annual memberships of $ 99 and access to items from multiple stores .
DoorDash also is rolling out a new grocery delivery service at stores including Wegmans , Hy-Vee , Gelson ’ s and others .
Americans have turned to online shopping more since the start of the coronavirus pandemic with digital sales growing 97 % at Walmart and 195 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
CEO Doug McMillon said during the Aug. 18 earnings call with analysts that the company had been testing membership with Delivery Unlimited subscriptions since late last year .
The program , which also cost $ 98 annually , was initially limited to groceries and consumables but expanded to categories throughout its Supercenter stores .
Current Delivery Unlimited subscribers will automatically become Walmart+ members .
“ We think that assortment breadth and our ability to deliver with speed nationally , combined with a few other benefits for customers , will result in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , Biden tout contrasting economic plans : Which will restore jobs lost in the pandemic faster ?
According to Walmart , more benefits will be added but here are the program 's inital benefits : • Unlimited free delivery : For orders $ 35 or more , get in-store prices `` as fast as same-day on more than 160,000 items from tech and toys to household essentials and groceries . ''
• Scan & Go : In the Walmart app , unlock the new Scan & Go feature to scan items as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pay `` for a quick , easy , touch-free payment experience . ''
• Fuel discounts : Save up to 5 cents a gallon at nearly 2,000 Walmart , Murphy USA and Murphy Express fuel stations .
Walmart says Sam ’ s Club fuel stations will soon be added to its lineup .

Walmart's new membership program to launch Sept. 15 with same-day delivery, fuel discount
Show Caption Hide Caption Walmart unveils annual subscription service On Tuesday, Walmart announced a $98-a-year membership plan to rival Amazon Prime. Wibbitz, Wibbitz
Walmart's new and highly anticipated membership program will soon be available to all shoppers.
The retailer announced early Tuesday that Walmart+ will launch Sept. 15 for $98 a year, or $12.95 per month, with unlimited free delivery from stores (on orders $35 or more), fuel discounts and a new Scan & Go feature for in-store shopping.
Janey Whiteside, the retailer's chief customer officer, called the program, which will have a 15-day free trial period, the "ultimate life hack" for customers.
"Walmart+ will bring together a comprehensive set of benefits where we see the greatest needs from our customers and where our scale can bring solutions at an unprecedented value," Whiteside said.
Save better, spend better: Money advice delivered right to your inbox. Sign up here
The delivery will be as fast as same-day on more than 160,000 items from groceries and household essentials to tech and toys.
The program is considered competition for Amazon, which set the standard for grocery delivery with Prime Now in 2014. The service is part of Amazon's broader Prime membership that offers free two-day shipping on millions of items and other benefits including streaming of television shows and movies for $119 per year, or $12.99 per month.
Tips for ordering online groceries from sites like Peapod, AmazonFresh If you're unable to get to the grocery store, online ordering can be a great option. But you may run into these issues. ProblemSolved, USA TODAY
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New Amazon store: Whole Foods Market opens first permanent online-only store for delivery orders
Instacart and Target-owned Shipt both offer annual memberships of $99 and access to items from multiple stores. DoorDash also is rolling out a new grocery delivery service at stores including Wegmans, Hy-Vee, Gelson’s and others.
Americans have increasingly turned to online shopping since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with digital sales growing 97% at Walmart and 195% at Target in the second quarter.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said during the Aug. 18 earnings call with analysts that the company had been testing membership with Delivery Unlimited subscriptions since late last year.
The program, which also cost $98 annually, was initially limited to groceries and consumables but expanded to categories throughout its Supercenter stores. Current Delivery Unlimited subscribers will automatically become Walmart+ members.
“We think that assortment breadth and our ability to deliver with speed nationally, combined with a few other benefits for customers, will result in a compelling proposition,” McMillon said.
Walmart+ benefits
According to Walmart, more benefits will be added, but here are the program's initial benefits:
Unlimited free delivery: For orders $35 or more, get in-store prices "as fast as same-day on more than 160,000 items from tech and toys to household essentials and groceries."
Scan & Go: In the Walmart app, unlock the new Scan & Go feature to scan items as you shop and then pay using Walmart Pay "for a quick, easy, touch-free payment experience."
Fuel discounts: Save up to 5 cents a gallon at nearly 2,000 Walmart, Murphy USA and Murphy Express fuel stations. Walmart says Sam’s Club fuel stations will soon be added to its lineup.
JCPenney store closings: JCPenney bankruptcy sale talks hit 'stalemate,' raising threat of liquidation
Trump, Biden tout contrasting economic plans: Which will restore jobs lost in the pandemic faster?
Contributing: Dalvin Brown, USA TODAY; Associated Press
Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko


usatoday--2020-09-01--'It's Trump vs. not-Trump:' After conventions, Biden looks to excite his base while Trump tries to e

WASHINGTON – Hours before Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination in front of 1,500 supporters on the South Lawn of the White House , Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden told Illinois trial lawyers at a virtual fundraiser that he 's going to start campaigning in person again .
Trump as impresario of a glitzy spectacle and Biden as participant of an online discussion served not only to highlight a contrast in styles but also provided a window into their differing strategies to win the Nov. 3 election .
The president 's speech capped a four-day convention that touched on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say he will need to emphasize over the next nine weeks : a heightened response to the COVID-19 pandemic , tightening law and order amid growing unrest across the nation and portraying Biden as beholden to the `` radical left . ''
In announcing campaign road trips that began Monday with a visit to Pittsburgh , Biden is hoping he can motivate more supporters while reaching out to swing voters who want to hear directly from a candidate whom Trump has derided as `` hiding '' in his Delaware home .
Now that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two candidates do – or not do – to win on Nov. 3 ?
For Biden it 's exciting supporters , for Trump it 's expanding his base .
Larry Sabato , director of the University of Virginia 's Center for Politics , said he does n't think the former vice president has to worry about enthusiasm as much as other political prognosticators think .
More : Polls show Trump is losing to Joe Biden .
They said the same thing 4 years ago against Hillary Clinton '' It 's Trump vs. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump to break up the current reality , which is that Biden is well ahead , '' he said , referring to national polls and those in battleground states showing the former vice president ahead but not as much as he once was .
`` But the president 's actually in the place he likes to be , which is n't the frontrunner but the underdog , '' Sabato added .
`` Most people understand he 's got an uphill battle and all things considered you 'd rather be Biden than Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likes to be in . ''
The Election Day sprint comes after another tumultuous week in America .
Violence erupted on the streets of Kenosha , Wisconsin , following the police shooting of Jacob Blake , a Black man who was shot seven times in the back as he walked toward the front of his car .
Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. surged past 180,000 – by far the highest toll on the planet .
And Category 4 Hurricane Laura slammed into Louisiana as wildfires in California continue to force mass evacuations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP and Democratic allies say the candidate likeliest to win is the one who can convince the majority of voters that they 're the better choice to bring a sense of `` normalcy '' to a politically fractured , pandemic-battered , racially divided nation exhausted by continuous strife .
That will be a hard sell for the president , said Steve Schale , the director of United The Country , a pro-Biden super PAC targeting voters in upper Midwest states which propelled Trump to victory in 2016 .
More : Biden hits back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters ? '
“ For Trump to get to a win , he has to convince a lot of groups of voters that have basically decided he ’ s not a good president , starting with seniors , suburban women , non- college educated women , and African American voters , '' he said .
Schale said his group 's job is to explain to the voters why change is better for everybody , adding that Trump must `` convince people after three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be re-elected after crashing the economy and leading a virus response that let 180,000 people die.
” A recent Biden ad , which accused Trump of failing to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and leaving `` America on the sidelines , '' shows empty football stadiums in Wisconsin and Michigan – key battleground states – that would have been full on autumn Saturdays had the Big Ten college football season not been canceled .
GOP strategist Ford O'Connell , however , said he believes an increasing number of key voters , such as seniors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump as the candidate best suited to restore normalcy , especially as civil unrest continues to spark violence in places such as Kenosha where he plans to visit Tuesday .
“ The arc that he ’ s on , I think he ’ s going to win , '' O'Connell said .
`` But he has to continue driving this ( message ) home that : 'you have a lot to lose .
I ’ m front and center on ( COVID ) .
It ’ s about safety and security .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a figurehead for the far left and he ’ s promising to bring back the sun except he ’ s been in Washington for nearly 50 years and hasn ’ t done it yet , '' he said .
Trump and the Republicans are targeting the suburbs as they try to expand their vote by warning how a Democratic win this November will bring unrest to all American 's doorsteps .
A new political ad released on Friday the Republican National Committee stitches footage of protesters aggressively confronting lawmakers , such as GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the streets with sound effects from `` The Purge '' a 2013 film about an America where lawlessness is allowed one day a year .
The digital spot warns viewers of how `` violent radicals '' have overtaken U.S. cities and want to `` purge the police '' from the streets .
`` This is the America Democrats are fighting for , '' the Aug. 28 tweet said , `` violence , chaos , and no rule of law . ''
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise , R-La.
, who was shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baseball practice in 2017 , is among those promoting the president 's narrative .
`` These are the images the left , the media , and Joe Biden do n't want you to see , '' Scalise said in an Aug. 30 tweet .
`` They want to silence anyone who exposes the violence and destruction they 've been labeling as 'peaceful protests ' for months . ''
Underneath the message was a more than one-minute long video mixing footage of different protests , acts of violence and Democratic officials , including House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP `` domestic enemies '' of the country .
Pelosi was referring to efforts to suppress the vote and criticizing mail-in voting .
More : Joe Biden : Trump 'makes things worse ' by fomenting violence rather than halting it Trump 's outreach to suburban white women , in particular , comes less than two years after Democrats took back the House by flipping more than 40 seats , many representing cities and counties surrounding big cities .
But if the president wanted to reach out to political moderates in the suburbs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Terry Madonna , director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster , Pennsylvania .
More : How QAnon and other dark forces are radicalizing Americans as the COVID-19 pandemic rages and election looms '' Well , we saw the Trump convention .
Advocates against gun control .
What else did we see ?
Climate change and the environment ( being minimized ) , '' Madonna said .
`` That raises a serious problem with college-educated suburban women who do want gun control , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who , on cultural issues , are liberal.
” A Washington Post/ABC poll conducted Aug. 12-15 found Biden ahead of Trump among registered suburban voters , 51 % to 43 % , with an even greater lead among suburban women , 54 % to 41 % .
Biden 's appearance Monday in Pittsburgh was in keeping with his call for socially distant and medically cautious conduct during the pandemic .
He spoke for roughly 24 minutes , reading from a teleprompter but ad-libbing at times .
There was no cheering crowd that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a group of reporters seated with social distancing guidelines in place .
Further campaign stops are likely to mimic the format , particularly because Biden has made Trump 's failure to control the virus the central plank of his argument .
Sarah Audelo , executive director for Alliance for Youth Action , said Democrats are going to have a harder task navigating traditional campaigning during the coronavirus crisis because they take the virus more seriously .
She said for political candidates and nonpartisan groups the work is better done in the field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precedent .
`` How the vice president is getting out there is something we all need to watch very closely , '' Audelo said .
The Pew Research Center found in July that 85 % Democrats and those who lean toward the party view the coronavirus as a major threat .
Schale , the Biden super PAC leader , said the former vice president is `` respecting the ( federal ) guidelines on this freaking virus . ''
`` I don ’ t think you 're going to see Joe Biden holding super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , '' he added .
During Thursday 's acceptance speech by Trump at the White House , hundreds of attendees sat on the South Lawn nearly shoulder to shoulder without wearing masks .
On the Republican side , Pew Research found in July , 45 % of the GOP and its leaners said they see the contagion as a major public health threat .
That is about even with the 46 % of Republicans who said they see COVID-10 as a minor threat .
Trump is already resuming campaign stops , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robust schedule for this fall .
O'Connell , the GOP pollster , said that 's a key for his re-election because rallies help the enthusiasm of his base .
`` What people don ’ t realize is , yes , ( rallies ) energize him , but they also energize his supporters and his supporters in key places , whether its New Hampshire or the I-4 corridor in Florida , '' he said .
`` They become like evangelists for him .
”

Ledyard King and Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY

'It's Trump vs. not-Trump:' After conventions, Biden looks to excite his base while Trump tries to expand his
Show Caption Hide Caption Biden hits back at Trump, calls on him to stop 'fomenting' violence Joe Biden accused President Trump of playing a role in the unrest by refusing to acknowledge racial injustice during a speech delivered in Pittsburgh. USA TODAY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Hours before Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination in front of 1,500 supporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden told Illinois trial lawyers at a virtual fundraiser that he's going to start campaigning in person again.
Trump as impresario of a glitzy spectacle and Biden as participant of an online discussion served not only to highlight a contrast in styles but also provided a window into their differing strategies to win the Nov. 3 election.
The president's speech capped a four-day convention that touched on the themes independent analysts and political allies say he will need to emphasize over the next nine weeks: a heightened response to the COVID-19 pandemic, tightening law and order amid growing unrest across the nation and portraying Biden as beholden to the "radical left."
In announcing campaign road trips that began Monday with a visit to Pittsburgh, Biden is hoping he can motivate more supporters while reaching out to swing voters who want to hear directly from a candidate whom Trump has derided as "hiding" in his Delaware home.
Now that the conventions are over, what must the two candidates do – or not do – to win on Nov. 3? For Biden it's exciting supporters, for Trump it's expanding his base.
A set of polls from Morning Consult released Tuesday showed the Democratic and Republican conventions did little to move the needle in a number of battleground states, with Biden gaining slightly in Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin and Trump climbing a little in Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Colorado and Texas stayed essentially the same.
The exception was Arizona, which had supported Trump 47% to 45% before the conventions, but now backs Biden 52% to 42%, mostly due to increasing support among men and suburban voters, according to the poll which has a margin of error of up to four percentage points. Trump won Arizona in 2016.
Nationally, the Morning Consult poll found that the eight-point lead Biden held before the conventions has remained the same. The survey, conducted Aug. 28-30 among 12,966 likely voters, found Biden winning among women (53% to 41%), among independents (48% to 37%) and and suburban voters (52% to 41%). It has a margin of error of up to two percentage points.
Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said he doesn't think the former vice president has to worry about enthusiasm as much as other political prognosticators think.
More: Polls show Trump is losing to Joe Biden. They said the same thing 4 years ago against Hillary Clinton
"It's Trump vs. not-Trump, and the onus is on Trump to break up the current reality, which is that Biden is well ahead," he said, referring to national polls and those in battleground states showing the former vice president ahead but not as much as he once was.
"But the president's actually in the place he likes to be, which isn't the frontrunner but the underdog," Sabato added. "Most people understand he's got an uphill battle and all things considered you'd rather be Biden than Trump, but Trump is in the position he likes to be in."
Return to 'normalcy'
The Election Day sprint comes after another tumultuous week in America.
Violence erupted on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot seven times in the back as he walked toward the front of his car.
More: Competing parties, clashing realities: Campaign's final sprint opens as conventions end
Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. surged past 180,000 – by far the highest toll on the planet.
And Category 4 Hurricane Laura slammed into Louisiana as wildfires in California continue to force mass evacuations, prompting more alarms about climate change.
GOP and Democratic allies say the candidate likeliest to win is the one who can convince the majority of voters that they're the better choice to bring a sense of "normalcy" to a politically fractured, pandemic-battered, racially divided nation exhausted by continuous strife.
That will be a hard sell for the president, said Steve Schale, the director of United The Country, a pro-Biden super PAC targeting voters in upper Midwest states which propelled Trump to victory in 2016.
How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
More: Biden hits back on Trump's attacks: 'Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters?'
“For Trump to get to a win, he has to convince a lot of groups of voters that have basically decided he’s not a good president, starting with seniors, suburban women, non- college educated women, and African American voters," he said.
Schale said his group's job is to explain to the voters why change is better for everybody, adding that Trump must "convince people after three and a half years why he should be re-elected after crashing the economy and leading a virus response that let 180,000 people die.”
A recent Biden ad, which accused Trump of failing to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and leaving "America on the sidelines," shows empty football stadiums in Wisconsin and Michigan – key battleground states – that would have been full on autumn Saturdays had the Big Ten college football season not been canceled.
GOP strategist Ford O'Connell, however, said he believes an increasing number of key voters, such as seniors and suburbanites, are beginning to view Trump as the candidate best suited to restore normalcy, especially as civil unrest continues to spark violence in places such as Kenosha where he plans to visit Tuesday.
“The arc that he’s on, I think he’s going to win," O'Connell said.
"But he has to continue driving this (message) home that: 'you have a lot to lose. I’m front and center on (COVID). It’s about safety and security. And, by the way, Biden's a figurehead for the far left and he’s promising to bring back the sun except he’s been in Washington for nearly 50 years and hasn’t done it yet," he said.
Trump targets suburbs
Trump and the Republicans are targeting the suburbs as they try to expand their vote by warning how a Democratic win this November will bring unrest to all American's doorsteps.
A new political ad released on Friday the Republican National Committee stitches footage of protesters aggressively confronting lawmakers, such as GOP Sen. Rand Paul, of Kentucky, on the streets with sound effects from "The Purge" a 2013 film about an America where lawlessness is allowed one day a year.
The digital spot warns viewers of how "violent radicals" have overtaken U.S. cities and want to "purge the police" from the streets.
"This is the America Democrats are fighting for," the Aug. 28 tweet said, "violence, chaos, and no rule of law."
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., who was shot by a left-wing gunman during a congressional baseball practice in 2017, is among those promoting the president's narrative.
"These are the images the left, the media, and Joe Biden don't want you to see," Scalise said in an Aug. 30 tweet. "They want to silence anyone who exposes the violence and destruction they've been labeling as 'peaceful protests' for months."
Underneath the message was a more than one-minute long video mixing footage of different protests, acts of violence and Democratic officials, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling Trump and the GOP "domestic enemies" of the country.
Pelosi was referring to efforts to suppress the vote and criticizing mail-in voting.
More: Joe Biden: Trump 'makes things worse' by fomenting violence rather than halting it
Trump's outreach to suburban white women, in particular, comes less than two years after Democrats took back the House by flipping more than 40 seats, many representing cities and counties surrounding big cities.
But if the president wanted to reach out to political moderates in the suburbs, his convention made that job tougher, said Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
More: How QAnon and other dark forces are radicalizing Americans as the COVID-19 pandemic rages and election looms
"Well, we saw the Trump convention. Advocates against gun control. What else did we see? Climate change and the environment (being minimized)," Madonna said. "That raises a serious problem with college-educated suburban women who do want gun control, who are concerned about climate change, and who, on cultural issues, are liberal.”
A Washington Post/ABC poll conducted Aug. 12-15 found Biden ahead of Trump among registered suburban voters, 51% to 43%, with an even greater lead among suburban women, 54% to 41%.
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and an unconventional DNC meeting The Democratic Party holds a virtual political convention and selects a woman as vice presidential candidate who makes history and inspires criticism. USA TODAY
Biden walks COVID campaign tightrope
Biden's appearance Monday in Pittsburgh was in keeping with his call for socially distant and medically cautious conduct during the pandemic.
He spoke for roughly 24 minutes, reading from a teleprompter but ad-libbing at times. There was no cheering crowd that could elevate the moment or convey excitement – just a group of reporters seated with social distancing guidelines in place.
Further campaign stops are likely to mimic the format, particularly because Biden has made Trump's failure to control the virus the central plank of his argument.
Sarah Audelo, executive director for Alliance for Youth Action, said Democrats are going to have a harder task navigating traditional campaigning during the coronavirus crisis because they take the virus more seriously. She said for political candidates and nonpartisan groups the work is better done in the field, but that keeping people safe takes precedent.
"How the vice president is getting out there is something we all need to watch very closely," Audelo said.
The Pew Research Center found in July that 85% Democrats and those who lean toward the party view the coronavirus as a major threat.
Schale, the Biden super PAC leader, said the former vice president is "respecting the (federal) guidelines on this freaking virus."
"I don’t think you're going to see Joe Biden holding super spreader events around the country like the president," he added.
During Thursday's acceptance speech by Trump at the White House, hundreds of attendees sat on the South Lawn nearly shoulder to shoulder without wearing masks.
On the Republican side, Pew Research found in July, 45% of the GOP and its leaners said they see the contagion as a major public health threat. That is about even with the 46% of Republicans who said they see COVID-10 as a minor threat.
Trump is already resuming campaign stops, having visited New Hampshire Friday and planning a robust schedule for this fall.
O'Connell, the GOP pollster, said that's a key for his re-election because rallies help the enthusiasm of his base.
"What people don’t realize is, yes, (rallies) energize him, but they also energize his supporters and his supporters in key places, whether its New Hampshire or the I-4 corridor in Florida," he said. "They become like evangelists for him.”


usatoday--2020-09-01--Opinion: Racist name, sexist workplace. Washington NFL team has problem with bullies

Two stories emerged this summer concerning the Washington Football Team .
First , the NFL franchise jettisoned its longtime team name .
Then it stood accused of countenancing a culture of sexual harassment .
Those seem like separate matters — racist name , sexist workplace .
But Suzan Shown Harjo sees it differently .
“ They are the same story , ” she says .
“ Of course they are .
They ’ re both about the same thing — power.
” Harjo , who is Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee , fought against the former Washington team name for decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the allegations of women who once worked for the Washington team and who say they were leered at and marginalized by men in management : men who for years could not see what was wrong with the team name — and who , as it turns out , could see team-shot video of partially unclothed cheerleaders .
FOURNETTE 'S NEXT NFL TEAM ?
Patriots , Buccaneers could be sensible fits for ex-Jaguars RB WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM : NFL taking over investigation into allegations within team “ The people who are the perpetrators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Harjo says .
“ Call them what you will — perpetrators , predators , bullies , harassers , racists , sexists .
If you scratch one , you find another.
” Daniel Snyder is the owner of the Washington Football Team .
And ownership , Harjo believes , is at the crux of both stories .
“ He owned a team with a racist name , and he thought he owned us , ” she says , meaning Native Americans and their images and imagery .
Similarly , she thinks the team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the women who worked for him .
“ Because he employs them , ” she says .
“ He pays for them.
” The Washington Post published a pair of deeply reported articles — one last month , one last week — that taken together suggest a pattern of sexual harassment and misconduct .
The number of women who spoke to the Post , most of whom once worked for the team , stands at 42 .
They described a culture of harassment so pervasive that some of them set up their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , in reaction to the latest Post story , that failed to mention the women except to question the validity of their claims .
Post columnist Barry Svrluga took Snyder to task for that and said he should learn to apologize : “ Start with the victims who worked and suffered under you because , at a minimum , they need to be acknowledged.
” Likewise , no acknowledgement of harm done came when the team announced that it would at last discard its name and go with a placeholder for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve been calling them that for years , ” Harjo says , laughing .
“ Maybe I should get royalties . ''
Harjo , 75 , was the architect of a pair of petitions in federal trademark-registration cases that twice proved the team ’ s former team name is disparaging .
She lost those cases in court — on technicalities , not on the merits , she is quick to point out — but now , at long last , has won the war .
Harjo was the lead petitioner in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social worker , Amanda Blackhorse , was lead petitioner in the second one .
“ We were Native and we were women , ” Harjo says .
“ To Snyder , that ’ s a double whammy .
He doesn ’ t like women who speak publicly , and certainly not about him.
” Harjo ’ s career is defined by far more than her steadfast opposition to the former Washington team name .
She is an activist for treaty , land , and water rights for Native Americans .
She is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poet and a grandmother — and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom .
Yet , for all of that , she believes she was treated shabbily by a succession of owners of the Washington Football team — from Jack Kent Cooke to John Kent Cooke to Snyder — during the 25-year run of the two trademark cases .
“ I was treated disrespectfully , and with a kind of dripping disdain and sarcasm , like I was a despicable piece of trash sitting in a room , ” Harjo says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You could see it from the sneers of the owners , from a distance .
They would never even meet with us.
” All of that , she says , is of a piece with being seen more as a mascot than as a person — and of seeing female employees as objects more than people .
“ Dehumanization is what disrespect is , ” she says .
“ When you don ’ t regard someone ’ s humanity or personhood , they can be a cartoon , a mascot , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the two-syllable slur of the former team name .
She fills in the blank instead with this : “ a despised , vile word.
” That word is gone now .
Snyder once told USA TODAY Sports that he would NEVER change it .
The question that elicited such dismissiveness concerned the trademark-registration cases launched by Harjo .
Now she is here to say that the two big stories of the team ’ s terrible summer are really two sides of the same coin .
And coin is the right word .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
“ That ’ s what all of this is about .
And always has been .
”

Opinion: Racist name, sexist workplace. Washington NFL team has problem with bullies
Show Caption Hide Caption Brennan: Time for NFL to get rid of Washington 'cesspool' and dispose of Dan Snyder SportsPulse: The Washington Post revelations of rampant sexual harassment is more than enough to justify the removal of Dan Snyder as owner of the NFL's Washington franchise, says Christine Brennan. USA TODAY
Two stories emerged this summer concerning the Washington Football Team. First, the NFL franchise jettisoned its longtime team name. Then it stood accused of countenancing a culture of sexual harassment.
Those seem like separate matters — racist name, sexist workplace. But Suzan Shown Harjo sees it differently.
“They are the same story,” she says. “Of course they are. They’re both about the same thing — power.”
Harjo, who is Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee, fought against the former Washington team name for decades. And now she is unsurprised by the allegations of women who once worked for the Washington team and who say they were leered at and marginalized by men in management: men who for years could not see what was wrong with the team name — and who, as it turns out, could see team-shot video of partially unclothed cheerleaders.
FOURNETTE'S NEXT NFL TEAM? Patriots, Buccaneers could be sensible fits for ex-Jaguars RB
WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM: NFL taking over investigation into allegations within team
“The people who are the perpetrators, in both cases, are bullies,” Harjo says. “Call them what you will — perpetrators, predators, bullies, harassers, racists, sexists. If you scratch one, you find another.”
Daniel Snyder is the owner of the Washington Football Team. And ownership, Harjo believes, is at the crux of both stories.
“He owned a team with a racist name, and he thought he owned us,” she says, meaning Native Americans and their images and imagery.
Similarly, she thinks the team owner felt a sense of ownership over the women who worked for him.
“Because he employs them,” she says. “He pays for them.”
The Washington Post published a pair of deeply reported articles — one last month, one last week — that taken together suggest a pattern of sexual harassment and misconduct. The number of women who spoke to the Post, most of whom once worked for the team, stands at 42. They described a culture of harassment so pervasive that some of them set up their own secret support group.
Snyder issued a statement, in reaction to the latest Post story, that failed to mention the women except to question the validity of their claims. Post columnist Barry Svrluga took Snyder to task for that and said he should learn to apologize: “Start with the victims who worked and suffered under you because, at a minimum, they need to be acknowledged.”
Likewise, no acknowledgement of harm done came when the team announced that it would at last discard its name and go with a placeholder for this season: Washington Football Team.
“I’ve been calling them that for years,” Harjo says, laughing. “Maybe I should get royalties."
Harjo, 75, was the architect of a pair of petitions in federal trademark-registration cases that twice proved the team’s former team name is disparaging. She lost those cases in court — on technicalities, not on the merits, she is quick to point out — but now, at long last, has won the war. Harjo was the lead petitioner in the first trademark case. A Navajo social worker, Amanda Blackhorse, was lead petitioner in the second one.
“We were Native and we were women,” Harjo says. “To Snyder, that’s a double whammy. He doesn’t like women who speak publicly, and certainly not about him.”
Harjo’s career is defined by far more than her steadfast opposition to the former Washington team name. She is an activist for treaty, land, and water rights for Native Americans. She is a writer and a museum curator, a poet and a grandmother — and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Yet, for all of that, she believes she was treated shabbily by a succession of owners of the Washington Football team — from Jack Kent Cooke to John Kent Cooke to Snyder — during the 25-year run of the two trademark cases.
“I was treated disrespectfully, and with a kind of dripping disdain and sarcasm, like I was a despicable piece of trash sitting in a room,” Harjo says. “And that was just the lawyers. You could see it from the sneers of the owners, from a distance. They would never even meet with us.”
All of that, she says, is of a piece with being seen more as a mascot than as a person — and of seeing female employees as objects more than people.
“Dehumanization is what disrespect is,” she says. “When you don’t regard someone’s humanity or personhood, they can be a cartoon, a mascot, a ...”
She pauses, unwilling to say the two-syllable slur of the former team name. She fills in the blank instead with this: “a despised, vile word.”
That word is gone now. Snyder once told USA TODAY Sports that he would NEVER change it. The question that elicited such dismissiveness concerned the trademark-registration cases launched by Harjo.
Now she is here to say that the two big stories of the team’s terrible summer are really two sides of the same coin.
And coin is the right word.
“Power and money,” Harjo says. “That’s what all of this is about. And always has been.”


usatoday--2020-09-01--Alaska joins Delta, American and United in ditching change fee on US flights

Delta Air Lines , American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have all joined rival United Airlines in ditching onerous change fees for U.S. flights .
As with United , Delta and American 's policies eliminate the $ 200 change fee on domestic tickets except for the airlines ' basic economy tickets , no-frills fares with a pile of restrictions including no changes or cancellations .
However , change fees are waived on even those tickets on both airlines through the end of the year due to its more flexible COVID-19 travel policies .
“ We ’ ve said before that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry has in the past , and today ’ s announcement builds on that promise to ensure we ’ re offering industry-leading flexibility , space and care to our customers , ” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement .
“ We want our customers to book and travel with peace of mind , knowing that we ’ ll continue evaluating our policies to maintain the high standard of flexibility they expect.
” Before the coronavirus pandemic , Bastian and other Delta executives were dropping hints that the airline was going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never charged a change fee .
American Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja said the elimination of change fees , along with the new option to standby for another flight on the day of your flight for free , is designed to help travelers in a changing travel environment .
`` American is offering more flexibility and ease than ever before , should travel plans change , '' he said in a statement .
Unlike United , American said travelers who change a flight will receive a credit for any fare difference if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original .
On Tuesday , Alaska Airlines followed suit , though it went a step further , dropping its change fees on international flights as well .
( The Seattle-based carrier also flies to Canada , Mexico and Costa Rica . )
The new policy applies to all tickets except Saver fares .
Up until Tuesday , Alaska charged $ 125 to change a reservation , except for guests traveling on refundable tickets and Mileage Plan top elite status members .
`` COVID has taught us that flexibility in travel is key , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president and chief commercial officer for Alaska Airlines .
`` As we evolve our approach to travel to include more than 100 safety actions , it 's important to give our guests flexibility when they book by eliminating change fees . ''
At the same time , Alaska announced it 's extending its flexible travel policy on all new ticket purchases – including Saver fares – through Dec. 31 .
Delta , American and United will be leaving a lot of money on the table when travel rebounds .
Delta collected $ 830.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than any U.S. carrier , followed by American at $ 818.7 million and United at $ 625 million , according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics .
The industry 's total take was $ 2.8 billion .
The beginning of the end of airline change fees ?
United is ditching them for good – with a major catch Airlines regularly match each others ' fares and fees in the ultra-competitive industry .
When United raised change fees by $ 50 , to $ 200 , in 2013 , its major competitors matched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of investment firm Stifel said in a report Monday that he expected United 's rivals to match for competitive reasons .
`` On a scale of competitive actions with 1 being benign and 10 being nuclear , we view United 's announcement as somewhere north of a 5 given that it 's likely to result in escalation , '' he said .
DeNardi said he thinks one of United 's motives in being the first airline to eliminate the $ 200 fee was to put pressure on financially weaker American .

Hawaiian joins Delta, American, United and Alaska in ditching change fees on US flights
Show Caption Hide Caption Multiple major US airlines drop change fees on domestic tickets Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have all joined United Airlines in ditching change fees for flights within the U.S. USA TODAY
Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and now Hawaiian Airlines have all joined rival United Airlines in ditching onerous change fees for U.S. flights.
As with United, Delta and American's policies eliminate the $200 change fee on domestic tickets, except for the airlines' basic economy tickets, no-frills fares with a pile of restrictions including no changes or cancellations. But change fees are waived on even those tickets on both airlines through the end of the year due to its more flexible COVID-19 travel policies.
“We’ve said before that we need to approach flexibility differently than this industry has in the past, and today’s announcement builds on that promise to ensure we’re offering industry-leading flexibility, space and care to our customers,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. “We want our customers to book and travel with peace of mind, knowing that we’ll continue evaluating our policies to maintain the high standard of flexibility they expect.”
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Bastian and other Delta executives were dropping hints that the airline was going to change its change policy.
Southwest has never charged a change fee.
American Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja said the elimination of change fees, along with the new option to stand by for free for another flight on the day of your flight, is designed to help travelers in a changing travel environment.
"American is offering more flexibility and ease than ever before, should travel plans change,'' he said in a statement.
Unlike United, American is eliminating change fees on some international flights, including flights to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
American also said travelers who change a flight will receive a credit for any fare difference if the new flight is less expensive than the original. Under United's policy, travelers forfeit any fare difference if the new flight is cheaper.
On Tuesday, Alaska Airlines followed suit, and, like American, also dropped its change fees on international flights as well. (The Seattle-based carrier flies to Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.) The new policy applies to all tickets except Saver fares, Alaska's version of basic economy.
Until Tuesday, Alaska charged $125 to change a reservation, except for guests traveling on refundable tickets and Mileage Plan top elite status members.
"COVID has taught us that flexibility in travel is key," said Andrew Harrison, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Alaska Airlines. "As we evolve our approach to travel to include more than 100 safety actions, it's important to give our guests flexibility when they book by eliminating change fees."
At the same time, Alaska announced it's extending its flexible travel policy on all new ticket purchases – including Saver fares – through Dec. 31.
On Thursday, Hawaiian Airlines said aloha to all change fees on domestic and international flights, including Main Cabin Basic reservations, the airline's lowest fares.
“We know our guests’ plans change for a variety of reasons, and we want them to book a flight with confidence and the flexibility to travel when they are ready to take that special Hawai‘i vacation, visit friends and relatives or do business on our neighbor islands,” said Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram in a statement.
Until Thursday, Hawaiian charged $150 to change reservations for international destinations and for flights between Hawaii and North America. For reservations within Hawaii, there was previously a $30 change fee.
The airlines will be leaving a lot of money on the table when travel rebounds. Delta collected $830.2 million in change fees in 2019, more than any U.S. carrier, followed by American at $818.7 million and United at $625 million, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The industry's total take was $2.8 billion.
The beginning of the end of airline change fees? United is ditching them for good – with a major catch
Airlines regularly match each others' fares and fees in the ultracompetitive industry. When United raised change fees by $50, to $200, in 2013, its major competitors matched within weeks.
Airline analyst Joseph DeNardi of investment firm Stifel said in a report Monday that he expected United's rivals to match for competitive reasons.
"On a scale of competitive actions with 1 being benign and 10 being nuclear, we view United's announcement as somewhere north of a 5 given that it's likely to result in escalation,'' he said.
DeNardi said he thinks one of United's motives in being the first airline to eliminate the $200 fee was to put pressure on financially weaker American.
Contributing: Cydney Henderson, Jayme Deerwester