usatoday--2020-08-20--Coronavirus live updates: Children may be 'silent spreaders'; Airbnb bans parties; 1.1M file for une

Coronavirus live updates: Children may be 'silent spreaders'; Airbnb bans parties; 1.1M file for unemployment

As COVID-19 outbreaks at schools continue to pop up causing students and staff in some states to quarantine , a new study suggests that children may play a larger role in community spread of the new virus than previously thought .
Researchers in Massachusetts found that some children who tested positive for COVID-19 had significantly higher levels of virus in their airways than hospitalized adults in intensive care units , according to the study published Thursday .
“ Kids are not immune from this infection , and their symptoms don ’ t correlate with exposure and infection , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior author .
Meanwhile , two days after the University of North Carolina announced it would pivot to online classes , university officials announced Wednesday that it would temporarily suspend all athletic activities until Thursday afternoon .
The announcement comes after the athletics department said campus ' outbreak would not affect the football season .
• About 1.1 million Americans filed for unemployment last week .
• Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp defended his administration ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday after a report from the White House coronavirus task force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in new cases per capita .
• Florida , one of the hardest-hit states from the coronavirus , surpassed 10,000 deaths from COVID-19 .
📈 Today 's numbers : The U.S. has 5.5 million confirmed infections and more than 173,000 deaths .
Worldwide , there have been more than 788,000 deaths and 22.2 million cases , according to John Hopkins University data .
📰 What we 're reading : How did the stock market hit a record while the U.S. economy is in one of the sharpest economic downturns since the Great Depression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rebound .
This file will be updated throughout the day .
For updates in your inbox , subscribe to the Daily Briefing .
The end of the house party ?
Airbnb bans parties and events worldwide Airbnb announced a global ban on parties and events at Airbnb listings , with an occupancy cap of 16 people worldwide .
`` This party ban applies to all future bookings on Airbnb and it will remain in effect indefinitely until further notice , '' according to a company statement provided by Airbnb spokesperson Ben Breit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem for the short-term rental company for some time , both before and during the coronavirus pandemic .
One party at a New Jersey Airbnb in July attracted more than 700 people .
A gauge of U.S. layoffs rose back above 1 million last week , signaling the recovery from COVID-19-induced recession will continue to be volatile as recent infection surges ease in some states but persist in others .
About 1.1 million Americans filed first-time applications for unemployment insurance , the Labor Department said Thursday , up from 971,000 the prior week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 920,000 workers sought jobless benefits .
A mind-boggling 57.2 million workers now have filed for unemployment over the past 22 weeks .
Before the pandemic , the previous all-time high for weekly claims were 695,000 during a recession in 1982. WHO checking up on Russia 's vaccine claim World Health Organization officials in Europe said they have begun discussions with Russia concerning the potential COVID-19 vaccine the country recently approved .
Russia claimed last week it had developed the world 's first successful vaccine , despite less than two months of human testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , WHO officials say they are in “ direct discussions ” with Russia about what will be needed for the agency to assess the potential vaccine .
President Vladimir Putin claimed the vaccine was safe and effective , saying even one of his daughters had been vaccinated .
But Catherine Smallwood , a senior emergency official at WHO Europe , said her organization wants `` to take our time to really understand where the vaccine ’ s at and to get as full information as possible on the steps that have already been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director , Dr. Hans Kluge , said the agency welcomed all advances in vaccine development but that every vaccine must submit to the same clinical trials .
Doctors and public health officials are calling on COVID-19 vaccine trials to include a large number of people of color to ensure their safety and effectiveness .
The first two large-scale vaccine trials began nationwide in late July , and at least three more will start before early fall .
Each one will need 30,000 volunteers , half of whom will get an active vaccine and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have n't been diverse .
`` We must make sure there is appropriate diversity in the clinical trials , '' FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said in an recent interview with the editor of the scientific journal JAMA .
Even if everyone 's immune system reacts the same way to the virus , differences in care and underlying health may mean people of color respond differently to infection , Hahn said .
In addition to racial and ethnic diversity , most of the trials also are looking for people over 65 .
Older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they used to , and older people have been disproportionately sickened and killed by the virus that causes COVID-19 .
Pelosi : USPS head has no plans to replace sorting machines or reverse other changes The head of the U.S .
Postal Service has no plans to reverse changes to infrastructure that lawmakers feared could disrupt mail-in voting in November , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said .
Pelosi said she spoke with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Wednesday and told him `` his announcement is not a solution and is misleading .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in changes until after the election , but his statement did not address whether changes already in place would be reversed .
Democrats fear changes made under DeJoy 's tenure at the Postal Service have slowed the delivery of mail and could threaten the agency 's ability to handle a surge of mail-in ballots in the November election .
Many states have expanded voting by mail to provide an alternative to in-person voting amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
'Silent spreaders ' of COVID-19 : Kids who seem healthy may be more contagious than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study adds to growing evidence that children are not immune to COVID-19 and may even play a larger role in community spread than previously thought .
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Hospital for Children found that among 192 children , 49 tested positive for the coronavirus and had significantly higher levels of virus in their airways than hospitalized adults in intensive care units , according to the study published Thursday in the Journal of Pediatrics .
Study author Dr. Alessio Fasano said some children exhibited symptoms , but others showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had been in contact with an infected person or lived in what was considered a high-risk area .
“ Kids are a possible source of spreading this virus , ” Fasano said .
“ And this should be taken into account in the planning stages for reopening schools.
” Los Angeles mayor shuts off power at Hollywood Hills home that hosted large parties Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti authorized city officials to shut off utility services at a home in Hollywood Hills that hosted large parties in `` flagrant violation '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coroanvirus pandemic .
`` This house has turned into a nightclub in the hills , hosting large gatherings in flagrant violation of our public health orders , '' Garcetti said Wednesday .
The city has not identified the home 's address or the owner , but New York Times technology reporter Taylor Lorenz on Wednesday tweeted that the home was rented by TikTok personalities Bryce Hall , Noah Beck and Blake Gray .
Garcetti 's order comes days after hundreds attended a party at a mansion without masks or social distancing .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman and wounded two other people .
Dozens of Arizona bars , gyms cleared by state to reopen The Arizona Department of Health Services has given the OK for dozens of gyms , bars and theaters to reopen after reviewing their plans to limit the spread of COVID-19 at their businesses .
The green light was given to two movie theaters , 31 fitness centers and five bars , though some of the businesses , like EoS Fitness , run multiple locations .
Last week , Gov .
Doug Ducey and DHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses can reopen based on the rate coronavirus is spreading in a given county .
Arizona reported 105 new known deaths Wednesday as trends of fewer daily cases and improving hospital numbers continued .
Inpatient hospitalizations , ICU beds in use , ventilators in use and ER visits for COVID-19 have all been on general downward trends over about the past five weeks , according to hospital data reported to the state .
Michigan has applied for federal funding to provide an additional $ 300 a week in unemployment benefits amid the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boost that expired last month but still more than the maximum $ 362 weekly payment the state dispenses .
`` This program will provide some much needed support for families that are struggling to put food on the table or pay their bills , but it 's a short term Band-Aid that falls short of what 's needed , '' Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat , said in a statement Tuesday .
President Donald Trump this month signed an order extending the added weekly benefit after he and Congress were unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief plan .
States can choose a $ 300- or $ 400-a-week option , though they would have to chip in $ 100 toward the higher amount .
The state Unemployment Insurance Agency estimated that about 910,000 residents will get the extra $ 300 .
They will be paid retroactively to Aug. 1 .
It was unclear when the payments will begin or how many weeks they will cover .
Tourists visiting The Strip could be fueling the pandemic , according to a ProPublica investigation .
An analysis of smartphone data during four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-July , revealed how most of the U.S. is connected to Las Vegas – a likely hot spot of COVID-19 spread .
During that time frame , about 26,000 devices were identified on The Strip , according to data mined by the companies X-Mode and Tectonix .
Some of those smartphones then traveled to every state on the mainland except Maine .
Here ’ s a look at where those devices ended up during those same four days , according to Propublica : • About 3,700 of the devices were spotted in Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with 740 in Phoenix .
• More than 800 in Milwaukee , Detroit , Chicago and Cleveland .
• More than 100 in the New York area .
The cellphone analysis highlights a reason the virus keeps spreading and shows how travel to Las Vegas could be fueling the pandemic , according to health officials .
Just 48 hours after saying a COVID-19 outbreak on campus would n't affect plans to play football this fall , the University of North Carolina has suspended all athletic activities through at least Thursday afternoon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chapel Hill campus will be closed to students , coaches and staff .
`` After consulting with our health experts and University leadership , we are taking this action to protect our students , coaches and staff , '' UNC athletics director Bubba Cunningham said .
`` We want to make sure we continue to do everything we can to ensure that that our teams , campus and community remain healthy . ''
The school welcomed students back to campus for in-person classes last week , but after at least four clusters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course and moved all classes online .
Northeast states – hard-hit by COVID-19 – prepare for a surge in cases After all the death and suffering , the Northeast has the lowest infection rates in the country , but it is bracing for a second surge of COVID-19 .
Record-high COVID-19 infection rates in other parts of the country renewed reports of medical supply shortages , spanning from personal protective equipment ( PPE ) and testing supplies to disinfectant wipes and drugs .
Some health care workers and experts asserted all levels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical supply and distribution chains heading into the fall , complicating debates over reopening schools .
“ We have not done enough , and I am deeply concerned that we will have ongoing COVID with influenza as well , ” said Dr. Lewis Kaplan , president of the Society of Critical Care Medicine .
“ I am very concerned that we will reach that same place … where we will perhaps not have enough PPE again , and we will not have enough ventilators , ” he said .
On Facebook : There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
But what we do know , we 're sharing with you .
Join our Facebook group , Coronavirus Watch , to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19 .
In your inbox : Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network .
Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter here .
Tips for coping : Every Saturday and Tuesday we 'll be in your inbox , offering you a virtual hug and a little bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sign up for Staying Apart , Together here .

Jessica Flores and Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY

Coronavirus live updates: CDC director says tide is turning in the South; 10th MLB team postpones game; Another US senator tests positive
Show Caption Hide Caption Flu shot: When to get the vaccine during coronavirus pandemic Public health experts say this year everyone should get a flu shot, if possible. USA TODAY
As COVID-19 outbreaks at schools continue to pop up causing students and staff in some states to quarantine, a new study suggests that children may play a larger role in community spread of the new virus than previously thought.
Researchers in Massachusetts found that some children who tested positive for COVID-19 had significantly higher levels of virus in their airways than hospitalized adults in intensive care units, according to the study published Thursday.
The study comes as new federal guidance lists teachers as "critical infrastructure workers," meaning they could be exempt from quarantine requirements after potential exposure to the virus if they show no symptoms.
Elsewhere, Massachusetts will now require all of its students to get a flu shot in order to ease the potential impact the flu season could have on hospitals.
Some significant developments:
About 1.1 million Americans filed for unemployment last week.
Dr. Anthony Fauci underwent surgery on his vocal cord Thursday morning to remove a polyp that had been causing hoarseness, media reports said.
Florida, one of the hardest-hit states from the coronavirus, surpassed 10,000 deaths from COVID-19.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has 5.5 million confirmed infections and more than 173,000 deaths. Worldwide, there have been more than 789,000 deaths and 22.4 million cases, according to John Hopkins University data.
📰 What we're reading: How did the stock market hit a record while the U.S. economy is in one of the sharpest economic downturns since the Great Depression? Here's what experts say about the rebound.
This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to the Daily Briefing.
CDC Director Robert Redfield said Thursday he thinks the outbreak in the South is coming under control.
“We are beginning to turn the tide on what I call the Southern outbreak in the nation,” he told the editor of the journal JAMA during a public interview late Thursday.
He credited face masks, social distancing, hand-washing, closing bars and limiting indoor dining in restaurants for the shift. Though it's not in the South, he cited Arizona as an example.
“Arizona put that into play. Two to four weeks later, you really see that we can get control of this pandemic,” he said, noting that stores didn’t have to close, or people lock themselves in their homes. “Be smart about crowds, and we can get this outbreak under control.”
It does take time, though, he noted, adding he expects to see the number of deaths – which have been as high as 1,000 a day in recent weeks -- falling as soon as next week, a month or more after the state introduced those public health measures.
– Karen Weintraub
Why people of color are dying at higher rates from COVID-19 Communities of color are dying at higher rates from the novel coronavirus than white Americans. Here's how structural inequities play a role. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
In-person classes begin at Arizona State University this week
Thousands of students returned to Arizona State University on Thursday for the first day of the fall semester despite concerns from faculty and students and a shaky track record for universities in other states that have gone back to campus during the pandemic.
Officials at ASU say the campus has been fully stocked with hand sanitizer and many other precautions. Thursday was relatively quiet on campus.
– Rachel Leingang and Emily Wilder, Arizona Republic
The Thursday evening game between the New York Met and Miami Marlins was postponed after two Mets players tested positive for the coronavirus, Major League Baseball announced.
The Mets become the 10th team with a postponement related to COVID-19, meaning one-third of MLB teams have had a game pushed back.
The Mets’ Friday game against the Yankees at Citi Field was also postponed, MLB said.
The Mets said they will fly back to New York on Thursday night "with recommended safety precautions in place," with all members of the traveling party receiving testing.
The team said the two members of the organization who tested positive will remain in Miami, as will those who were determined to be in close contact with them.
– Gabe Lacques
A group of Southern California hospital workers filed a lawsuit Thursday saying they were given inadequate protective equipment and ordered to return to work while still recovering from the coronavirus, potentially spreading the illness to others.
Three workers, the daughter of a fourth who died from COVID-19 and a hospital workers’ union filed the lawsuit against Nashville, Tennessee-based HCA Healthcare, which owns Riverside Community Hospital.
The lawsuit alleges the hospital 55 miles east of Los Angeles didn’t provide workers proper equipment in a timely manner and called them back to work after they had the virus even though they still had symptoms.
Phlebotomist Gladys Reyes said she was urged to skip sanitation measures aimed at preventing virus-contaminated materials from leaving patients’ rooms to keep up the pace of blood draws. She tested positive for the virus in June.
– Associated Press
North Carolina State University on Thursday became the third major university to transition its undergraduate classes to remote learning after starting classes in-person last week.
Chancellor Randy Woodson blamed unsanctioned parties in off-campus spaces and a lack of “personal responsibility” among students.
“Battling the spread of COVID-19 is a challenging endeavor even when everyone is practicing safety measures,” Woodson said. “Unfortunately, the actions of a few are jeopardizing the health and safety of the larger community.”
The university had started in-person classes on August 10. The shift to online learning for undergrads starts Monday. Students who want to move out of the dorms can do so without penalty, Woodson said. They will receive a prorated refund based on the number of days they spent on campus. On-campus housing, though, will remain open.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Notre Dame both announced this week they would pause their plans for in-person learning after coronavirus spread quickly on campus once students returned.
-- Chris Quintana
Teachers are considered essential workers, Tennessee has said in issuing guidance for school districts, meaning they can be required to come to work even if they have been exposed to the coronavirus.
On their own, several school districts recently approved policies that allow superintendents to designate certain employees as part of “critical infrastructure.” This week, Gov. Bill Lee said during a news briefing that he supports school districts that adopt such policies.
Under the policies, teachers can be required to come to school and instruct even if they have been exposed to the virus or are even living with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. They can't have any symptoms, however, and must wear a mask.
-- Meghan Mangrum, The Tennessean
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday after being exposed to an individual with the coronavirus, his office said. Cassidy, a gastroenterologist, said he would quarantine for 14 days and notify everyone who may have come into contact with him.
“I am strictly following the direction of our medical experts and strongly encourage others to do the same,” Cassidy said in a statement.
Thirteen members of Congress have tested positive for COVID-19 or been diagnosed with the coronavirus
– Nicholas Wu
Two recent incidents involving young children who refused to wear face masks show how airlines are struggling to balance safety with compassionate treatment of all their customers during a pandemic.
JetBlue Airways forced a woman and her six children off a plane this week when her 2-year-old daughter wouldn’t keep her mask on.
“It was horrible, the whole experience was traumatizing,” the mother, Chaya Bruck, told the New York Daily News from the airport in Orlando, Florida, where the Brooklyn family was stranded.
Last week, a Texas woman said Southwest Airlines booted her family off a plane after one of the children, a 3-year-old with autism, refused to wear a mask. Alyssa Sadler said her son became upset because he does not like to have his face touched.
All major U.S. airlines have mask rules and have banned at least a couple hundred passengers who have refused to comply. Typically, the violators are adults who argue that there is no government requirement to wear a mask – there isn’t; the Federal Aviation Administration has declined to impose one, leaving it up to the airlines.
– Associated Press
The University of Notre Dame thought it had a workable plan to bring students back to classes this fall.
But it apparently couldn't control student behavior -- the parties and non-compliance with safety protocols.
Now, the university is hoping it can contain the spread of the virus in the next two weeks to avoid sending everyone back home. The challenges and missteps could serve as a cautionary tale for other universities preparing to re-open their campuses.
It wasn't just the parties. Calls to the university’s COVID hotline went unanswered, some students said. When they were able to get tests, results could take days. Some professors were outraged they weren’t notified that students in their classes had tested positive.
The university acknowledged mistakes this week. It did not “respond to all student calls in the personal way we pride ourselves on at Notre Dame,” it said in a letter to students.
-- Allie Kirkman, South Bend Tribune
New guidance from the Trump administration could send teachers back into their classrooms after potentially being exposed to the new coronavirus, bypassing quarantine rules as "critical infrastructure workers."
The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency issued a revised guidance on who qualifies as a critical infrastructure worker, listing teachers for the first time earlier this week. The document says it is advisory in nature, not a federal directive or standard.
If one of those workers remains asymptomatic and additional precautions are put in place, they can continue to work in person, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
Some school districts in Tennessee and Georgia have already said they may employ this new guidance, drawing sharp criticism among some teachers who say they worry the practice could spread the virus to their students or colleagues.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert who has provided Americans guidance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, underwent surgery Thursday to removed a polyp from his vocal cord, CNN and CNBC reported.
CNBC reported that Fauci is recovering at home, while CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta tweeted that Fauci texted him that we was doing OK and doctors told him "to curtail his talking for a while to allow his vocal cords to recover."
Vocal cord polyps can cause hoarseness, which Fauci has said he's struggled with in the past few months.
Six weeks after the Ivy League decided not to play fall sports, and one and a half weeks after the Big Ten and Pac-12 made the same call, a group of parents are planning to protest at Big Ten headquarters in the Chicago suburbs on Friday.
Ohio State football dad Randy Wade plans to lead a group of what he hopes will be dozens of other Big Ten football parents in a demonstration against the conference’s decision to postpone football to the winter or spring, presuming it’s safe to play then.
Wade, whose son Shaun is a highly regarded cornerback for the Buckeyes, said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon that he had heard from “70-100 people” in the past few days from six of the conference’s 14 schools: Ohio State, Penn State, Indiana, Purdue, Iowa and Nebraska. How many will show up, he has no idea. He’s flying in from Jacksonville, Florida.
– Christine Brennan
State public health officials announced Wednesday that the flu vaccine will be required for all students 6 months or older who are attending Massachusetts child care, pre-school, kindergarten, grade school and colleges or universities.
The new vaccine requirement is an important step to reduce flu-related illness and the overall impact of respiratory illness during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Massachusetts Department of Health said. Students have until Dec. 31 to get the vaccine, unless they can provide a medical or religious exemption.
"It is more important now than ever to get a flu vaccine because flu symptoms are very similar to those of COVID-19 and preventing the flu will save lives and preserve health care resources," said Dr. Larry Madoff, medical director for the state’s bureau of infectious disease and laboratory sciences.
– The Patriot Ledger staff
Doctors at Mount Sinai's hospitals in New York may have uncovered a new clue as to why some COVID-19 patients can't get enough oxygen despite being on ventilators — all thanks to the sound of tiny bubbles.
A transcranial Doppler tracks blood flow in the brain, and Dr. Alexandra Reynolds at Mount Sinai created a robotic version so doctors could perform the test safely with COVID-19 patients. A bubble study, during which saline containing tiny air bubbles is injected into a vein and tracked as it circulates, it is often used to test for stroke risk.
Normally, capillaries in healthy lungs will filter the bubbles out, but Reynolds noticed them reaching the brains of her COVID patients. COVID-19 can cause dangerous blood clots, so Dr. Hooman Poor, also at Mount Sinai, hypothesized that maybe the bubbles were bypassing the clogged blood vessels and passing through wide ones, flowing too quickly to absorb oxygen.
While more research is needed, Poor said the bubbles mystery might be “essentially the missing link” on why COVID patients aren't getting oxygen.
Airbnb announced a global ban on parties and events at Airbnb listings, with an occupancy cap of 16 people worldwide.
"This party ban applies to all future bookings on Airbnb and it will remain in effect indefinitely until further notice," according to a company statement provided by Airbnb spokesperson Ben Breit on Thursday.
Parties have been a problem for the short-term rental company for some time, both before and during the coronavirus pandemic. One party at a New Jersey Airbnb in July attracted more than 700 people.
– David Oliver
A gauge of U.S. layoffs rose back above 1 million last week, signaling the recovery from COVID-19-induced recession will continue to be volatile as recent infection surges ease in some states but persist in others.
About 1.1 million Americans filed first-time applications for unemployment insurance, the Labor Department said Thursday, up from 971,000 the prior week. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg estimated that 920,000 workers sought jobless benefits.
A mind-boggling 57.2 million workers now have filed for unemployment over the past 22 weeks. Before the pandemic, the previous all-time high for weekly claims were 695,000 during a recession in 1982.
– Paul Davidson
World Health Organization officials in Europe said they have begun discussions with Russia concerning the potential COVID-19 vaccine the country recently approved.
Russia claimed last week it had developed the world's first successful vaccine, despite less than two months of human testing and not completing final trials. Now, WHO officials say they are in “direct discussions” with Russia about what will be needed for the agency to assess the potential vaccine.
President Vladimir Putin claimed the vaccine was safe and effective, saying even one of his daughters had been vaccinated. But Catherine Smallwood, a senior emergency official at WHO Europe, said her organization wants "to take our time to really understand where the vaccine’s at and to get as full information as possible on the steps that have already been taken."
WHO’s Europe director, Dr. Hans Kluge, said the agency welcomed all advances in vaccine development but that every vaccine must submit to the same clinical trials.
Doctors and public health officials are calling on COVID-19 vaccine trials to include a large number of people of color to ensure their safety and effectiveness.
The first two large-scale vaccine trials began nationwide in late July, and at least three more will start before early fall. Each one will need 30,000 volunteers, half of whom will get an active vaccine and half a placebo. But early trials haven't been diverse.
"We must make sure there is appropriate diversity in the clinical trials," FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said in an recent interview with the editor of the scientific journal JAMA.
Even if everyone's immune system reacts the same way to the virus, differences in care and underlying health may mean people of color respond differently to infection, Hahn said.
In addition to racial and ethnic diversity, most of the trials also are looking for people over 65. Older immune systems don't work as well as they used to, and older people have been disproportionately sickened and killed by the virus that causes COVID-19.
– Karen Weintraub
The head of the U.S. Postal Service has no plans to reverse changes to infrastructure that lawmakers feared could disrupt mail-in voting in November, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
Pelosi said she spoke with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Wednesday and told him "his announcement is not a solution and is misleading." DeJoy on Tuesday announced a pause in changes until after the election, but his statement did not address whether changes already in place would be reversed.
Democrats fear changes made under DeJoy's tenure at the Postal Service have slowed the delivery of mail and could threaten the agency's ability to handle a surge of mail-in ballots in the November election. Many states have expanded voting by mail to provide an alternative to in-person voting amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Nicholas Wu
A new study adds to growing evidence that children are not immune to COVID-19 and may even play a larger role in community spread than previously thought.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Hospital for Children found that among 192 children, 49 tested positive for the coronavirus and had significantly higher levels of virus in their airways than hospitalized adults in intensive care units, according to the study published Thursday in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Study author Dr. Alessio Fasano said some children exhibited symptoms, but others showed no symptoms and were brought in because they had been in contact with an infected person or lived in what was considered a high-risk area.
“Kids are a possible source of spreading this virus,” Fasano said. “And this should be taken into account in the planning stages for reopening schools.”
– Adrianna Rodriguez
COVID-19: 4 back-to-school items to keep kids safe While some students will continue online learning this year, others will go back to school. Here are a few items to help protect kids during a pandemic. ProblemSolved, USA TODAY
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti authorized city officials to shut off utility services at a home in Hollywood Hills that hosted large parties in "flagrant violation" of a ban on large gatherings amid the coroanvirus pandemic.
"This house has turned into a nightclub in the hills, hosting large gatherings in flagrant violation of our public health orders," Garcetti said Wednesday.
The city has not identified the home's address or the owner, but New York Times technology reporter Taylor Lorenz on Wednesday tweeted that the home was rented by TikTok personalities Bryce Hall, Noah Beck and Blake Gray.
Garcetti's order comes days after hundreds attended a party at a mansion without masks or social distancing. That party ended in a shooting that killed a woman and wounded two other people.


usatoday--2020-08-20--Cristina Jiménez Moreta helped get DACA, now she helps young immigrants find their voice

Cristina Jiménez Moreta is one of USA TODAY 's Women of the Century .
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment , we 've assembled a list of 100 women who 've made a substantial impact on our country or our lives over the past 100 years .
Read about them all at usatoday.com/WomenoftheCentury .
Cristina Jiménez Moreta was in 11th grade in New York City 's Queens borough and , like many of her classmates , was worried about her SAT scores , honors classes and applying to college .
Then a college counselor told her : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undocumented .
Her parents had brought her to New York from Ecuador when she was 13 .
`` My heart just shattered , '' she said .
`` I had done all the work that I needed to do to become a strong college candidate . ''
Jiménez Moreta 's mom told her to go back to school and ask again — and if she did n't go , her mom would go herself .
`` The idea of my mother going to my high school was terrifying , which is why I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's OK .
I 'm going to go and seek out help . '
`` A different counselor told her she could apply but would have to pay international student tuition , which `` could be triple or quadruple the amount '' of what other state residents would pay .
`` So it totally becomes unaffordable , even if you could apply , '' Jiménez Moreta said .
Fortunately for Jiménez Moreta , in 2002 New York began to offer in-state tuition to certain undocumented immigrants .
She says paying it became a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked at a car wash in Queens , did construction work and cleaned .
Her mom babysat and cleaned homes .
Jiménez Moreta sold Avon , babysat and cleaned houses , as well .
She graduated with a bachelor 's degree in political science and business from Queens College , CUNY .
She also earned a master 's degree in public administration from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College , CUNY .
Based on her experiences growing up undocumented — sometimes unsure , sometimes shattered — she wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice .
She co-founded United We Dream , which became the country 's largest immigrant-youth-led network with 400,000 members across 100 local groups and 28 states .
The group pressured then-President Barack Obama to protect young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children .
In 2012 , his administration created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals , or DACA , which allowed these young immigrants to obtain work permits , get driver 's licenses — and yes — go to college .
The organization helped change public perception of undocumented youth .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MacArthur Fellowship , called a `` genius grant , '' for her work .
Fights continue over DACA .
In July , President Donald Trump 's administration said it would continue to reject new DACA applications , but would allow current `` Dreamers '' to renew protections .
This came after the Supreme Court blocked the president from ending DACA , calling the administration `` arbitrary and capricious '' for how it sought to dismantle the program .
The protections are not solidified into law .
There are currently about 650,000 DACA recipients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be eligible .
Question : You were 13 when you came to the United States .
I assume you knew what was going on .
What did you think when your parents said we 're going to the U.S. ?
Cristina Jiménez Moreta : I had a lot of hope .
I truly believed , like my parents , in the values of this country .
So I thought we were coming to a place where they could find work , where we can live with dignity , where we can finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to school .
At the same time , I was really scared of a new place , of a place where I did n't know the language , I did n't know how school worked .
I remember being a 13-year-old exploring high school here in the United States for the first time without knowing the language and just being completely terrified about what will people say about my accent , or will they make fun of me because I did n't speak English .
I did experience , like many immigrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I always thought about the sacrifice of my parents .
They sacrificed so much , leaving all of the people that they knew , their families behind , not knowing if we will be able to see them again .
And , unfortunately , both of my grandparents , my mom 's side and my dad 's side , passed away while we were here and we could n't even tell them a proper goodbye .
Can you talk about your life in Ecuador and your parents ' hopes for you and your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to work , to be able to provide for their kids , and unfortunately the situation in Ecuador and military coup , the economic instability led my parents to be unemployed for many months .
Sometimes we did n't have money for food .
And that 's when it became really clear to them that if they wanted to have a better life for their kids , they needed to do the unthinkable , which was to leave the country .
Does your organization , or do you , have a thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solved ?
For the people that we have here in this country , who have lived here with their families , who are here regardless of immigration status , we need to have policies that allow for them to get on a pathway to get immigration status , to have citizenship , to become part of our democracy and to unleash the full contributions that they bring to our country .
The reality is that you have many people right now , regardless of immigration status , who are essential workers , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of this pandemic .
The second thing is that we need to think about our immigration policy in ways that are informed by globalization , by climate change , which is continuing to push people out of their home countries .
What do you say to people who say everyone should take the legal path , everyone should wait their turn ?
I think that the best way that I 've always thought about answering that question , it 's just by reminding people of the history of our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remember that at one point , our country , our constitution and our democracy did not recognize women , did not recognize Black people .
And as we look at our history , we know that we ’ ve come from a history of Native American people that were also excluded from our democracy , or Black people that were enslaved for many years and also excluded from our democracy .
So we have been in this journey as a country to really live up to the best of the ideals that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of equity for everyone .
And I think of immigrants in that same place .
Through the history of this country , we 've had immigrants that have shaped our democracy , that have improved our country , that have also been exploited in this country for many , many years .
So when I think about the best way to answer that question is to just ground us in that history of inequality and exclusion .
But how also wonderful and powerful it has been to see people that have not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and discrimination , but also who have put a vision forward of a multiracial democracy that includes all of us , regardless of our gender , our race or our immigration status .
Part of the young immigrant movement is to share personal stories to humanize the issue .
Were you afraid ?
How did you overcome it ?
The first time that I shared my story as an undocumented person ( at 19 ) , I was really afraid .
I used a fake name .
I told people my name was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reporters , too .
But at that time I was really afraid that I will put my family and myself at danger of deportation .
I overcame that moment because I saw the courage of other young women from across the country that were sharing their stories and chanting that they were undocumented and that they were unafraid .
Are you covered by DACA ?
I am not covered by DACA .
My partner was unfortunately assaulted and that led us to qualifying for a U visa which put us on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ status .
And after a journey of more than 10 years , we were able to apply for citizenship .
I became a citizen last fall , and I will be voting for the first time for president this year in my mid-30s .
Where do you find courage ?
I remember learning about the civil rights movement and learning about people like Rosa Parks , who righteously refused to go to the back of the bus .
I remember learning about the Freedom Riders and the Montgomery Bus Boycott and all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that inspire me to imagine that , regardless of my immigration status , I could fight for justice .
I could fight for dignity for immigrant communities .
And at the same time beyond history , I found courage in looking at how courageous my parents were in leaving everything behind .
Do you have a guiding principle or a mantra , something you tell yourself when you 're looking for strength ?
My mantra is something that one of my mentors — who is an amazing Mexican American writer , Sandra Cisneros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me that when we do things with love without thinking or wanting any personal gain , but just purely love , that they come out beautifully .
For me , ultimately one of the fundamental values that guides my work is love — love for people and love for this country .
When you think about that 13-year-old Cristina who 's been told she 's going to the United States and how scared she was , what advice would you have for her now ?
What I will tell my younger self is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love of your family , honor your ancestors , honor who you are and where you come from , and shed that shame of not knowing the language , the shame of being brown , the shame of coming from a working-class family and be proud of who you are and where you come from , and know where you 're going .
My mom always advised me to treat others the same way that I want to be treated and that all of us as children of God should all be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tell that Cristina who was 13 and very afraid and with a lot of shame to not be ashamed of who she is and to fight for that vision that my mom shaped for me .
Nicole Carroll is the editor in chief of USA TODAY .
This interview has been edited for length and clarity .
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Cristina Jiménez Moreta is one of USA TODAY's Women of the Century. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we've assembled a list of 100 women who've made a substantial impact on our country or our lives over the past 100 years. Read about them all at usatoday.com/WomenoftheCentury.
Cristina Jiménez Moreta was in 11th grade in New York City's Queens borough and, like many of her classmates, was worried about her SAT scores, honors classes and applying to college.
Then a college counselor told her: You can't go.
She was undocumented. Her parents had brought her to New York from Ecuador when she was 13. "My heart just shattered," she said. "I had done all the work that I needed to do to become a strong college candidate."
Jiménez Moreta's mom told her to go back to school and ask again — and if she didn't go, her mom would go herself. "The idea of my mother going to my high school was terrifying, which is why I said, 'No, Mom, it's OK. I'm going to go and seek out help.' "
A different counselor told her she could apply but would have to pay international student tuition, which "could be triple or quadruple the amount" of what other state residents would pay. "So it totally becomes unaffordable, even if you could apply," Jiménez Moreta said.
Fortunately for Jiménez Moreta, in 2002 New York began to offer in-state tuition to certain undocumented immigrants.
She says paying it became a "family affair."
Her dad worked at a car wash in Queens, did construction work and cleaned. Her mom babysat and cleaned homes. Jiménez Moreta sold Avon, babysat and cleaned houses, as well.
She graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science and business from Queens College, CUNY. She also earned a master's degree in public administration from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College, CUNY.
Based on her experiences growing up undocumented — sometimes unsure, sometimes shattered — she wanted to help other young people find their voice. She co-founded United We Dream, which became the country's largest immigrant-youth-led network with 400,000 members across 100 local groups and 28 states.
The group pressured then-President Barack Obama to protect young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. In 2012, his administration created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which allowed these young immigrants to obtain work permits, get driver's licenses — and yes — go to college. The organization helped change public perception of undocumented youth.
Women of the Century: Cristina Jiménez Moreta learned to live "undocumented and unafraid" USA TODAY
In 2017, Jiménez Moreta was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, called a "genius grant," for her work.
Fights continue over DACA. In July, President Donald Trump's administration said it would continue to reject new DACA applications, but would allow current "Dreamers" to renew protections. This came after the Supreme Court blocked the president from ending DACA, calling the administration "arbitrary and capricious" for how it sought to dismantle the program.
The protections are not solidified into law. There are currently about 650,000 DACA recipients, and an estimated 1.3 million more may be eligible.
Question: You were 13 when you came to the United States. I assume you knew what was going on. What did you think when your parents said we're going to the U.S.?
Cristina Jiménez Moreta: I had a lot of hope. I truly believed, like my parents, in the values of this country. So I thought we were coming to a place where they could find work, where we can live with dignity, where we can finally have access to accomplish our dreams and go to school. At the same time, I was really scared of a new place, of a place where I didn't know the language, I didn't know how school worked.
I remember being a 13-year-old exploring high school here in the United States for the first time without knowing the language and just being completely terrified about what will people say about my accent, or will they make fun of me because I didn't speak English. I did experience, like many immigrant kids, bullying in school, but I always thought about the sacrifice of my parents.
They sacrificed so much, leaving all of the people that they knew, their families behind, not knowing if we will be able to see them again. And, unfortunately, both of my grandparents, my mom's side and my dad's side, passed away while we were here and we couldn't even tell them a proper goodbye.
Can you talk about your life in Ecuador and your parents' hopes for you and your brother?
I remember them trying so hard to work, to be able to provide for their kids, and unfortunately the situation in Ecuador and military coup, the economic instability led my parents to be unemployed for many months. Sometimes we didn't have money for food. And that's when it became really clear to them that if they wanted to have a better life for their kids, they needed to do the unthinkable, which was to leave the country.
Cristina Jiménez Moreta calls on Democrats to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, during a rally outside the office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., in Los Angeles in 2018. Reed Saxon, AP
Does your organization, or do you, have a thought on how the immigration situation should be solved?
For the people that we have here in this country, who have lived here with their families, who are here regardless of immigration status, we need to have policies that allow for them to get on a pathway to get immigration status, to have citizenship, to become part of our democracy and to unleash the full contributions that they bring to our country.
The reality is that you have many people right now, regardless of immigration status, who are essential workers, who are people that are keeping America fed in the middle of this pandemic.
The second thing is that we need to think about our immigration policy in ways that are informed by globalization, by climate change, which is continuing to push people out of their home countries.
What do you say to people who say everyone should take the legal path, everyone should wait their turn?
I think that the best way that I've always thought about answering that question, it's just by reminding people of the history of our country. I think it's so important to remember that at one point, our country, our constitution and our democracy did not recognize women, did not recognize Black people.
And as we look at our history, we know that we’ve come from a history of Native American people that were also excluded from our democracy, or Black people that were enslaved for many years and also excluded from our democracy.
Tweet Facebook Email Email this story Share Share this story Cristina Jiménez Moreta Through the history of this country, we’ve had immigrants that have shaped our democracy , that have improved our country, that have also been exploited in this country for many, many years. Quote icon
So we have been in this journey as a country to really live up to the best of the ideals that founded this country: of justice, of equity for everyone. And I think of immigrants in that same place. Through the history of this country, we've had immigrants that have shaped our democracy, that have improved our country, that have also been exploited in this country for many, many years.
So when I think about the best way to answer that question is to just ground us in that history of inequality and exclusion. But how also wonderful and powerful it has been to see people that have not only pushed back against inequality or against exclusion and discrimination, but also who have put a vision forward of a multiracial democracy that includes all of us, regardless of our gender, our race or our immigration status.
Cristina Jiménez Moreta as a baby with her mother, Ligia Moreta Mancero. Jiménez Moreta celebrates becoming a U.S. citizen last fall with her mother. She says her parents sacrificed a lot to make a better life for their family. Cristina Jiménez Moreta as a baby with her mother, Ligia Moreta Mancero. Jiménez Moreta celebrates becoming a U.S. citizen last fall with her mother. She says her parents sacrificed a lot to make a better life for their family. Cristina Jiménez Moreta as a baby with her mother, Ligia Moreta Mancero. Jiménez Moreta celebrates becoming a U.S. citizen last fall with her mother. She says her parents sacrificed a lot to make a better life for their family. Cristina Jiménez Moreta
Part of the young immigrant movement is to share personal stories to humanize the issue. Were you afraid? How did you overcome it?
The first time that I shared my story as an undocumented person (at 19), I was really afraid. I used a fake name. I told people my name was Sandra. I used to tell that to reporters, too. But at that time I was really afraid that I will put my family and myself at danger of deportation. I overcame that moment because I saw the courage of other young women from across the country that were sharing their stories and chanting that they were undocumented and that they were unafraid.
Are you covered by DACA?
I am not covered by DACA. My partner was unfortunately assaulted and that led us to qualifying for a U visa which put us on a path to being able to get immigration status. And after a journey of more than 10 years, we were able to apply for citizenship. I became a citizen last fall, and I will be voting for the first time for president this year in my mid-30s.
Are you registered to vote? Find out
Cristina Jiménez Moreta, left, and Ady Barkan, in wheelchair, lead a small delegation to the office of California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, urging the Democrats to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in Los Angeles, Jan. 3, 2018. Reed Saxon, AP
Where do you find courage?
I remember learning about the civil rights movement and learning about people like Rosa Parks, who righteously refused to go to the back of the bus. I remember learning about the Freedom Riders and the Montgomery Bus Boycott and all of those were moments of learning for me that inspire me to imagine that, regardless of my immigration status, I could fight for justice. I could fight for dignity for immigrant communities.
And at the same time beyond history, I found courage in looking at how courageous my parents were in leaving everything behind.
12 of America’s most remarkable women Photo gallery
Do you have a guiding principle or a mantra, something you tell yourself when you're looking for strength?
My mantra is something that one of my mentors — who is an amazing Mexican American writer, Sandra Cisneros — always tells me. She reminds me that when we do things with love without thinking or wanting any personal gain, but just purely love, that they come out beautifully. For me, ultimately one of the fundamental values that guides my work is love — love for people and love for this country.
When you think about that 13-year-old Cristina who's been told she's going to the United States and how scared she was, what advice would you have for her now?
What I will tell my younger self is to believe in yourself, honor the love of your family, honor your ancestors, honor who you are and where you come from, and shed that shame of not knowing the language, the shame of being brown, the shame of coming from a working-class family and be proud of who you are and where you come from, and know where you're going.
My mom always advised me to treat others the same way that I want to be treated and that all of us as children of God should all be able to live with dignity. I want to tell that Cristina who was 13 and very afraid and with a lot of shame to not be ashamed of who she is and to fight for that vision that my mom shaped for me.
Nicole Carroll is the editor in chief of USA TODAY. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Help support journalism about women’s rights. $1 for 6 months. Subscribe Get news and insights sent to your inbox. Sign up for email newsletters. Sign up


usatoday--2020-08-20--Thom Brennaman suspended for using homophobic slur during Reds-Royals broadcast

Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman used a homophobic slur during the first game of a Reds-Royals doubleheader on Fox Sports Ohio Wednesday night .
He apologized on-air more than two hours after the incident and removed himself from the broadcast .
Late Wednesday night , the Reds announced that Brennaman had been suspended .
`` The Cincinnati Reds organization is devastated by the horrific , homophobic remark made this evening by broadcaster Thom Brennaman .
He was pulled off the air , and effective immediately was suspended from doing Reds broadcasts , '' the Reds wrote in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ team in the coming days .
In no way does this incident represent our players , coaches , organization , or our fans .
We share our sincerest apologies to the LGBTQ+ community in Cincinnati , Kansas City , all across this country , and beyond .
The Reds embrace a zero-tolerance policy for bias or discrimination of any kind , and we are truly sorry to anyone who has been offended . ''
Fox Sports Ohio also released a statement Wednesday night : `` The language that Thom Brennaman used this evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no way reflects the values of FOX Sports Ohio .
We agree with the Reds decision to suspend him until further notice . ''
A video circulating Wednesday night on social media caught the hot mic clip of Brennaman using the homophobic slur .
In a video posted to Twitter by ESPN writer Jeff Passan , Brennaman can be heard in what sounds to be the tail end of a sentence : `` the ( homophobic slur ) capitals of the world . ''
Seconds later , Brennaman continues with `` Reds live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not appear to realize his mic had picked up the homophobic slur and continued broadcasting for the second game .
Later Wednesday evening , Brennaman apologized while live on the air .
He then left the rest of the broadcast to Jim Day .
`` Jim Day 's gon na be taking us the rest of the way through this game ...
I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of , '' Brennaman said .
`` If I have hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart I 'm so very , very sorry .
I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith — as there 's a drive into deep left field by ( Nicholas ) Castellanos that will be a home run .
And so that will make it a 4-0 ballgame .
`` I do n't know if I 'm gon na be putting on this headset again .
I do n't know if it 's gon na be for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's gon na be for my bosses at Fox .
I want to apologize for the people who sign my paycheck — for the Reds , for Fox Sports Ohio , for the people I work with , for anybody that I 've offended here tonight .
`` I ca n't begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am .
That is not who I am .
It never has been .
And I 'd like to think maybe I could have some people ... that could back that up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I beg for your forgiveness .
Jim Day will take you the rest of the way home . ''
OPINION : You ca n't say what Thom Brennaman said and not pay a steep price A new hashtag , # FireThom , is now trending on Twitter .
Cincinnati Councilman Chris Seelbach made the following statement on Twitter about the video Wednesday night : `` The Brennaman family are Cincinnati sports icons with a powerful voice in our community , which makes it even more disgusting and totally unprofessional to hear such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proud supporters of their LGBTQ+ fans , and this language can not be tolerated .
Period .
Cincinnati is leading the way for LGBTQ+ equality .
We are on the right side of history and it ’ s incredibly disappointing to hear Mr. Brennaman use such language of hate when our country is begging for unity . ''

Thom Brennaman suspended for using homophobic slur during Reds-Royals broadcast
Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman used a homophobic slur during the first game of a Reds-Royals doubleheader on Fox Sports Ohio Wednesday night.
He apologized on-air more than two hours after the incident and removed himself from the broadcast.
Late Wednesday night, the Reds announced that Brennaman had been suspended.
"The Cincinnati Reds organization is devastated by the horrific, homophobic remark made this evening by broadcaster Thom Brennaman. He was pulled off the air, and effective immediately was suspended from doing Reds broadcasts," the Reds wrote in a statement. "We will be addressing our broadcasting team in the coming days. In no way does this incident represent our players, coaches, organization, or our fans. We share our sincerest apologies to the LGBTQ+ community in Cincinnati, Kansas City, all across this country, and beyond. The Reds embrace a zero-tolerance policy for bias or discrimination of any kind, and we are truly sorry to anyone who has been offended."
Fox Sports Ohio also released a statement Wednesday night: "The language that Thom Brennaman used this evening is hateful, offensive, and in no way reflects the values of FOX Sports Ohio. We agree with the Reds decision to suspend him until further notice."
A video circulating Wednesday night on social media caught the hot mic clip of Brennaman using the homophobic slur.
In a video posted to Twitter by ESPN writer Jeff Passan, Brennaman can be heard in what sounds to be the tail end of a sentence: "the (homophobic slur) capitals of the world."
Seconds later, Brennaman continues with "Reds live, the pregame show."
He did not appear to realize his mic had picked up the homophobic slur and continued broadcasting for the second game.
Later Wednesday evening, Brennaman apologized while live on the air. He then left the rest of the broadcast to Jim Day.
"Jim Day's gonna be taking us the rest of the way through this game ... I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of," Brennaman said. "If I have hurt anyone out there, I can't tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart I'm so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith — as there's a drive into deep left field by (Nicholas) Castellanos that will be a home run. And so that will make it a 4-0 ballgame.
"I don't know if I'm gonna be putting on this headset again. I don't know if it's gonna be for the Reds. I don't know if it's gonna be for my bosses at Fox. I want to apologize for the people who sign my paycheck — for the Reds, for Fox Sports Ohio, for the people I work with, for anybody that I've offended here tonight.
"I can't begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am. That is not who I am. It never has been. And I'd like to think maybe I could have some people ... that could back that up. I am very, very sorry, and I beg for your forgiveness. Jim Day will take you the rest of the way home."
OPINION: You can't say what Thom Brennaman said and not pay a steep price
WATCH: Thom Brennaman makes an on-air apology after making homophobic slur
A new hashtag, #FireThom, is now trending on Twitter.
Cincinnati Councilman Chris Seelbach made the following statement on Twitter about the video Wednesday night: "The Brennaman family are Cincinnati sports icons with a powerful voice in our community, which makes it even more disgusting and totally unprofessional to hear such language used. The Reds have been proud supporters of their LGBTQ+ fans, and this language cannot be tolerated. Period. Cincinnati is leading the way for LGBTQ+ equality. We are on the right side of history and it’s incredibly disappointing to hear Mr. Brennaman use such language of hate when our country is begging for unity."
Seelbach is Cincinnati's first openly gay councilman.


usatoday--2020-08-20--Florida in path of potential high-end tropical storm, which could form into named storm Laura

PALM BEACH , Fla. – Tropical Depression 13 formed overnight with the National Hurricane Center forecasting a ramp up to a powerful tropical storm with 70 mph winds by early next week .
The current path includes South Florida with the center of the cone of uncertainty cutting through the Keys Monday into Tuesday before making its way into the warm Gulf of Mexico .
As of 5 a.m. Thursday , the depression was about 905 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph .
It was moving west-northwest at 21 mph .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its winds reach 39 mph .
The next names on the 2020 hurricane list are Laura , Marco and Nana .
A tropical storm watch is in effect for Saba and St. Eustatius .
The National Weather Service in Miami said it ’ s too early to say , what , if any , impacts the system will have on South Florida , but asked that residents keep up with reports as the system closes in .
'Hyperactive ' : Atlantic hurricane season is set to explode with activity by end of August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until late Wednesday - a disturbance the NHC has been watching since Sunday when it first came off the coast of Africa as a tropical wave .
The system will be steered by the Bermuda High as it slides along underneath the massive clockwise swirl of winds in the Atlantic .
“ Overall , the environment looks generally favorable for strengthening , with the cyclone expected to encounter light to moderate shear during the forecast period , ” said NHC senior hurricane specialist Jack Beven in a 5 a.m. forecast .
“ However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a wide range of solutions.
” While the U.S. forecast model , or GFS , and the reliable Euro model show the system dissolving into an open wave at the end of the 5-day forecast period , the HWRF/HMON forecast the cyclone to intensify into a major hurricane .
Beven noted that the intensity forecast is “ more uncertain than usual.
” Its ultimate strength is also dependent on what islands it thrashes along the way .
With towering ranges in Puerto Rico and Hispaniola in its potential path , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to dissipate into a wave as forecast by the GFS and Euro .
And TD 13 isn ’ t the only thing the NHC is watching .
Invest 97L , which is over the central Caribbean Sea , has an 90 percent chance of developing over the next two days .
It ’ s moving west toward the Yucatan Peninsula .
A bustle of disorganized showers and thunderstorms over the very west coast of Africa has been identified as a potential system with a 40 percent chance of formation over 5 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it closed in on the southern end of Mexico ’ s Baja California Peninsula , though it is still lashed the tourist region with heavy rains and strong winds in what was likely to be a close pass keeping the storm just offshore .
Genevieve had a been a powerful Category 4 hurricane Tuesday , it had weakened to Category strength by late Wednesday , the U.S. National Hurricane Center said .
The center said the hurricane was expected to stay out in the Pacific as it moved northwestward along the Baja coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shore with tropical storm-forces winds and hard rains that carried the potential for dangerous flooding .
But the center warned that only a slight shift to the east could bring hurricane-force winds onshore .
That storm was expected to drop as much as 4 to 8 inches ( 10 to 20 centimeters ) of rain over parts of Baja California Sur state as it advanced , bringing the possibility of flash floods and mudslides .
Up to 12 inches ( 30 centimeters ) was possible in isolated areas , the hurricane center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day Colorado State University issued its two-week forecast through the end of August calling for above normal activity .
If Laura forms in the next few days , it would likely break another record for the 2020 hurricane season .
The current record holder is major Hurricane Luis , which formed on Aug. 29 , 1995 .
If Laura beats out Luis , it would be the ninth-storm this season to break a record for earliest formation .
AccuWeather senior forecaster Dan Kottlowski said he expects TD 13 to move across the Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is still a 20 percent chance of the feature turning northward just east of Florida and correspondingly making a run along the Atlantic coast of the United States , the much more likely path at this point is into the Gulf of Mexico next week , ” Kottlowski said .
And while the official forecast calls for a 70-mph tropical storm , Kottlowski said a hurricane can ’ t be ruled out if it finds fuel in the bath-warm waters of the Florida Straits and Gulf of Mexico .
Another atmospheric player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go is the jet stream , which is expected to make a deep dip into the south and Gulf of Mexico Thursday and Friday .
Depending on how fast TD 13 makes its journey west , the jet stream could pick it up and pull it north .

Double trouble: Pair of tropical systems could near US as powerful storms early next week
Show Caption Hide Caption How to prepare for hurricane season It's important to take these steps before hurricane season. ProblemSolved, USA TODAY
PALM BEACH, Fla. – A pair of tropical depressions were forecast to approach U.S. shores as more potent systems by early next week, the National Hurricane Center said Thursday.
"We could actually have Laura AND Marco sharing the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, and both making U.S. landfalls on Monday," University of Miami meteorologist Brian McNoldy said.
One system, now dubbed Tropical Depression 13, was forecast to menace Florida as a hurricane by Monday. The current path for the system includes South Florida; the center of the cone of uncertainty cuts through the Keys on Monday into Tuesday before making its way into the warm Gulf of Mexico.
The other system, Tropical Depression 14, now in the Caribbean, was forecast to approach the Texas Gulf Coast on Monday or Tuesday as a strong tropical storm, though the track and force that far out remained highly uncertain.
Tropical Depression 13 formed overnight with the National Hurricane Center forecasting a ramp-up to a hurricane with 75 mph winds by early next week.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the depression was about 615 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. It was moving west-northwest at 21 mph.
Tropical Depression 13 will become a tropical storm when its winds reach 39 mph. The next names on the 2020 hurricane list are Laura, Marco and Nana.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and several other Caribbean islands. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.
'Hyperactive': Atlantic hurricane season is set to explode with activity by end of August
The system will be steered by a Bermuda High as it slides along underneath the massive clockwise swirl of winds in the Atlantic.
While the U.S. forecast model, or GFS, and the reliable Euro model show the system dissolving into an open wave at the end of the five-day forecast period, the HWRF/HMON forecast the cyclone to intensify into a major hurricane.
NHC senior hurricane specialist Jack Beven noted that the intensity forecast is “more uncertain than usual.”
Its ultimate strength is also dependent on what islands it thrashes along the way. With towering ranges in Puerto Rico and Hispaniola in its potential path, as well as Cuba, it could be disrupted enough to dissipate into a wave as forecast by the GFS and Euro.
As for Tropical Depression 14, the system was forecast to graze the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua and Honduras, then curve across Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula over the weekend, the Hurricane Center said.
As of Thursday, it was centered about 155 miles east of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Honduras-Nicaragua border, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. It was headed west at 18 mph.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for portions of the coasts of Honduras and Nicaragua. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the
next 12 hours, the Hurricane Center said.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Genevieve lost punch as it closed in on the southern end of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, though it is still lashed the tourist region with heavy rains and strong winds in what was likely to be a close pass keeping the storm just offshore.
Genevieve had a been a powerful Category 4 hurricane Tuesday but had weakened to tropical storm strength by Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Tropical Depression 13 continues strengthening in the Atlantic The budding system is set to develop better organization on its way to likely becoming the earliest L-named storm ever. Accuweather
Tropical Depression 13 formed the same day Colorado State University issued its two-week forecast through the end of August calling for above normal activity.
If Laura forms in the next few days, it would likely break another record for the 2020 hurricane season.
The current record holder is major Hurricane Luis, which formed on Aug. 29, 1995. If Laura beats out Luis, it would be the ninth storm this season to break a record for earliest formation.
Had to share this because I've never seen a fcst like this. The Canadian model is predicted 2 active tropical cyclones o/the Gulf of Mexico at the same time! Both landfall into the U.S.
In a side convo with @EricBlake12, we haven't seen 2 active GOMEX TCs in the satellite era. pic.twitter.com/0gvJ2kp59Q — MJVentrice (@MJVentrice) August 19, 2020
Contributing: Associated Press. Miller reported from Palm Beach, Florida; Rice from Bethesda, Maryland. Follow Kimberly Miller: @Kmillerweather


usatoday--2020-08-20--Kamala Harris accepts Democratic Party nomination for VP

An excerpt from Kamala Harris 's speech accepting the Democratic Party nomination to be Vice President .

Kamala Harris accepts Democratic Party nomination for VP
An excerpt from Kamala Harris's speech accepting the Democratic Party nomination to be Vice President.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-20--Democratic Convention speaker: Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton offers a rebuke of President Donald Trump before warning about the consequences to America 's democracy in her @ @ @ @ @

Hillary Clinton addresses the 2020 Democratic National Convention
Hillary Clinton offers a rebuke of President Donald Trump before warning about the consequences to America's democracy in her address to the DNC.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-20--Democratic Convention speaker: New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham

Michelle Lujan Grisham , whose name had been floated as a possible VP pick for Joe Biden , addresses the @ @ @ @

DNC speaker: New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
Michelle Lujan Grisham, whose name had been floated as a possible VP pick for Joe Biden, addresses the Democratic National Convention.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-20--Democratic Convention speaker: Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers

Tony Evers , the Governor of Wisconsin , opens the third day of the Democratic National Convention with remarks from @ @ @ @

Democratic Convention speaker: Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers
Tony Evers, the Governor of Wisconsin, opens the third day of the Democratic National Convention with remarks from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-20--Pres. Obama criticizes Pres. Trump, calls on Americans to vote in DNC remarks

DNC 2020 : Pres .
Obama calls on all Americans to vote in DNC speech President Obama calls out President @ @ @ @ @ leadership and called on Americans to vote in his DNC remarks .

DNC 2020: Pres. Obama calls on all Americans to vote in DNC speech
President Obama calls out President Trump for his lack of leadership and called on Americans to vote in his DNC remarks.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-20--DNC: Hillary Clinton wishes 'Donald Trump knew how to be a president'

DNC : Hillary wishes 'Trump knew how to be a president' Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says she wishes President @ @ @ @ @ a president in her remarks at the 2020 DNC .

DNC: Hillary wishes 'Trump knew how to be a president'
Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says she wishes President Trump knew how to be a president in her remarks at the 2020 DNC.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-21--Julia Louis-Dreyfus' comedy as Democratic National Convention host stirs debate

Comedy and politics are sometimes a difficult mix .
Julia Louis-Dreyfus , the Emmy-award winning star of “ Veep , ” opened a spirited debate on social media Thursday during the final night of the Democratic National Convention with a series of jokes that stung and at times seemed inconsistent with the emotion party organizers were hoping to convey .
“ Moving moment on Biden 's faith blown , ” tweeted Patrick Murray , director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute .
“ Shtick will play fine with the most partisan Dems .
But purpose of the show is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now JLD is reinforcing Dems ' condescending elite image.
” “ Cringe ” was a word that came up frequently on social media .
Read our live coverage : Joe Biden to accept nomination at Democratic National Convention Louis-Dreyfus , at one point , joked that Joe Biden `` goes to church so regularly that he does n't even need tear gas and a bunch of federalized troops to get him get there , '' a reference to President Donald Trump ’ s photo-op at a church near the White House in June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Introducing the evening , Louis-Dreyfus said she can ’ t wait to see Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris debate current Vice President Mike Pence – except she pretended she didn ’ t know how to pronounce his name .
“ Meeka Pints ?
Or is it Paints ?
” she asked former presidential candidate Andrew Yang .
“ Yeah , not very American sounding , ” Louis-Dreyfus said , before using a phrase liked by Trump .
“ That 's what people are saying , strongly.
” The back-and-forth was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' first name , as Trump sometimes does .
Fox News host Tucker Carlson came under fire for mispronouncing her name and saying `` So what ? ''
when corrected .
The convention also featured a segment from Sarah Cooper , a comedian known for lip syncs of Trump .
Others admonished the Twitter critics to lighten up .
“ Anyone complaining about Julia Louis-Dreyfus ’ jokes is wrong , ” tweeted journalist Ben Adler .
“ Mockery and humor are great weapons in politics , especially against Trump .
”

John Fritze and Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY

Julia Louis-Dreyfus' comedy as Democratic National Convention host stirs debate
Show Caption Hide Caption Julia Louis-Dreyfus takes jabs at Trump during DNC Julia Louis-Dreyfus hosted the final night of the Democratic National Convention. USA TODAY
Comedy and politics are sometimes a difficult mix.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the Emmy-award winning star of “Veep,” opened a spirited debate on social media Thursday during the final night of the Democratic National Convention with a series of jokes that stung and at times seemed inconsistent with the emotion party organizers were hoping to convey.
“Moving moment on Biden's faith blown,” tweeted Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. “Shtick will play fine with the most partisan Dems. But purpose of the show is to establish narrative for the ticket. Right now JLD is reinforcing Dems' condescending elite image.”
“Cringe” was a word that came up frequently on social media.
Read our live coverage: Joe Biden to accept nomination at Democratic National Convention
Louis-Dreyfus, at one point, joked that Joe Biden "goes to church so regularly that he doesn't even need tear gas and a bunch of federalized troops to get him get there," a reference to President Donald Trump’s photo-op at a church near the White House in June that had been cleared of peaceful protesters.
Introducing the evening, Louis-Dreyfus said she can’t wait to see Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris debate current Vice President Mike Pence – except she pretended she didn’t know how to pronounce his name.
“Meeka Pints? Or is it Paints?” she asked former presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
“It's pronounced 'Pahnce,’ I believe,” Yang responded. “Or some kind of weird foreign name.”
“Yeah, not very American sounding,” Louis-Dreyfus said, before using a phrase liked by Trump. “That's what people are saying, strongly.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: "I cannot wait to see her debate our current VP, Mika Pince. Or is it Pance?"
Yang: "It's pronounced Ponce I believe."
JLD: "Oh some kind of weird foreign name?"
Yang: "Yeah not very American-sounding."
JLD: "Yeah that's what people are saying. Strongly." pic.twitter.com/eg0cBsl6pO — The Hill (@thehill) August 21, 2020
The back-and-forth was an apparent jab at those who mispronounce Harris' first name, as Trump sometimes does. Fox News host Tucker Carlson came under fire for mispronouncing her name and saying "So what?" when corrected.
The convention also featured a segment from Sarah Cooper, a comedian known for lip syncs of Trump.
Kamala Harris: 5 things to know about Joe Biden's running mate Joe Biden made history when he chose Kamala Harris as his running mate. USA TODAY
Others admonished the Twitter critics to lighten up.
“Anyone complaining about Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ jokes is wrong,” tweeted journalist Ben Adler. “Mockery and humor are great weapons in politics, especially against Trump.”


usatoday--2020-08-21--LSU football coach Ed Orgeron responds to Derrius Guice rape allegations; says victims must be heard

LSU football coach Ed Orgeron issued a statement Thursday night denying that he ’ d made light of a sexual assault allegation against Derrius Guice .
The statement comes one day after a USA TODAY investigation found that LSU apparently failed to investigate allegations by two then-students that Guice raped them in 2016 , when he was a rising star freshman .
“ The sexual assault allegations made against Derrius Guice should be taken very seriously and the alleged victims must be heard and supported , ” Orgeron ’ s statement said .
“ I will always stand up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have complied — and I will continue to comply — with all university Title IX protocols and procedures.
” According to the women and six friends and family members interviewed by USA TODAY , school officials at the time didn ’ t believe the women and provided questionable explanations as to why their alleged assaults wouldn ’ t be investigated .
The women said no one from the university interviewed them or potential witnesses about the allegations .
Read the full investigation : Two women say ex-Washington RB Derrius Guice raped them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orgeron and other LSU officials did not respond to numerous detailed questions from USA TODAY on Tuesday , before the article was published .
Guice , through his attorney , has denied the women ’ s allegations .
Guice was playing in the NFL for the Washington Football Team until Aug. 7 when he was arrested on unrelated domestic violence charges .
The team cut ties with him hours later .
Orgeron ’ s statement comes the same day that LSU Interim President Thomas Galligan told WAFB , a local TV station , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter “ since we heard the story , ” which was published online Wednesday morning .
It ’ s not clear who is conducting LSU ’ s investigation and what specifically is being investigated .
Three LSU spokesmen did not answer questions from USA TODAY on Thursday , instead sending a link to a video of Galligan ’ s interview with WAFB .
WAFB reported that Galligan said LSU is investigating both the allegations against Guice and “ how the university initially handled the situation.
” “ I can ’ t say too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can say , given my time at LSU , that I would be surprised if we did not follow our procedures and our policies , ” Galligan told WAFB .
“ Of course , I would also be concerned if we did not follow our procedures and our policies.
” USA TODAY ’ s investigation found that LSU does not appear to have investigated either woman ’ s complaint , despite federal Title IX policies in place at the time .
Universities were required to “ promptly investigate ” sexual assault allegations to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps to resolve the situation .
In addition , LSU ’ s own Title IX policy said , “ Any supervisor , or other responsible party who witnesses or receives a report or complaint , shall notify the Campus Title IX Coordinator.
” The Title IX coordinator is then required to conduct an initial review to determine if a full investigation should be conducted .
Orgeron was a defensive assistant under then-head coach Les Miles when the alleged assaults occurred .
He was named interim head coach after Miles was fired a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as head coach on Nov. 26 , 2016 .
One of the women said Guice raped her in early 2016 after she had passed out in her bedroom during a party he ’ d shown up to uninvited .
The other woman said Guice raped her in late June 2016 when she allowed him into her house after a night of drinking at a bar , where they ’ d met for the first time .
The first woman was dating an LSU football recruit at the time of the alleged assault and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The recruit told USA TODAY that in the spring of 2017 , Orgeron brought up subject of Guice and his then-girlfriend and told him , “ Everybody ’ s girlfriend sleeps with other people.
’ ” The former player said he doesn ’ t know how Orgeron knew what happened , but he believes the coach knew it was not consensual .
“ I lost all respect for him , ” the player said of Orgeron .
Orgeron disputed having said this .
He said he would not reveal full details of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s recollection is inaccurate .
Rather , Orgeron said the player came to his office discussing a transfer and that they “ discussed the player ’ s relationship challenges with his girlfriend.
” “ I told him what I would tell my own sons : ‘ We all experience heartbreak growing up .
Do not throw away a promising academic and football career at LSU because of a personal obstacle , ’ ” Orgeron said .
“ Any insinuation that I had knowledge of his girlfriend and Derrius Guice is completely false.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orgeron issued his statement , the former LSU player said , `` Everyone knows the truth . ''
If you have a tip or sensitive information you want to share , reach out to USA TODAY Sports at SportsTip @ usatoday.com .
You can also contact the reporters directly , narmour @ usatoday.com for Nancy Armour or kjacoby @ gatehousemedia.com for Kenny Jacoby .

Kenny Jacoby and Nancy Armour, USA TODAY

LSU football coach Ed Orgeron responds to Derrius Guice rape allegations; says victims must be heard
LSU football coach Ed Orgeron issued a statement Thursday night denying that he’d made light of a sexual assault allegation against Derrius Guice.
The statement comes one day after a USA TODAY investigation found that LSU apparently failed to investigate allegations by two then-students that Guice raped them in 2016, when he was a rising star freshman.
“The sexual assault allegations made against Derrius Guice should be taken very seriously and the alleged victims must be heard and supported,” Orgeron’s statement said. “I will always stand up for what is right and without question, I have complied — and I will continue to comply — with all university Title IX protocols and procedures.”
According to the women and six friends and family members interviewed by USA TODAY, school officials at the time didn’t believe the women and provided questionable explanations as to why their alleged assaults wouldn’t be investigated. The women said no one from the university interviewed them or potential witnesses about the allegations.
Read the full investigation: Two women say ex-Washington RB Derrius Guice raped them at LSU when he was a freshman
Orgeron and other LSU officials did not respond to numerous detailed questions from USA TODAY on Tuesday, before the article was published. Guice, through his attorney, has denied the women’s allegations.
Guice was playing in the NFL for the Washington Football Team until Aug. 7 when he was arrested on unrelated domestic violence charges. The team cut ties with him hours later.
Orgeron’s statement comes the same day that LSU Interim President Thomas Galligan told WAFB, a local TV station, that the university has been investigating the matter “since we heard the story,” which was published online Wednesday morning.
It’s not clear who is conducting LSU’s investigation and what specifically is being investigated. Three LSU spokesmen did not answer questions from USA TODAY on Thursday, instead sending a link to a video of Galligan’s interview with WAFB.
WAFB reported that Galligan said LSU is investigating both the allegations against Guice and “how the university initially handled the situation.”
“I can’t say too much about the details, but I can say, given my time at LSU, that I would be surprised if we did not follow our procedures and our policies,” Galligan told WAFB. “Of course, I would also be concerned if we did not follow our procedures and our policies.”
USA TODAY’s investigation found that LSU does not appear to have investigated either woman’s complaint, despite federal Title IX policies in place at the time. Universities were required to “promptly investigate” sexual assault allegations to determine what occurred and then take appropriate steps to resolve the situation.
In addition, LSU’s own Title IX policy said, “Any supervisor, or other responsible party who witnesses or receives a report or complaint, shall notify the Campus Title IX Coordinator.” The Title IX coordinator is then required to conduct an initial review to determine if a full investigation should be conducted.
‘I lost all respect for him’
Orgeron was a defensive assistant under then-head coach Les Miles when the alleged assaults occurred. He was named interim head coach after Miles was fired a month into the 2016 season, and announced as head coach on Nov. 26, 2016.
One of the women said Guice raped her in early 2016 after she had passed out in her bedroom during a party he’d shown up to uninvited. The other woman said Guice raped her in late June 2016 when she allowed him into her house after a night of drinking at a bar, where they’d met for the first time.
The first woman was dating an LSU football recruit at the time of the alleged assault and told her then-boyfriend about the incident afterward. The recruit told USA TODAY that in the spring of 2017, Orgeron brought up subject of Guice and his then-girlfriend and told him, “Everybody’s girlfriend sleeps with other people.’”
The former player said he doesn’t know how Orgeron knew what happened, but he believes the coach knew it was not consensual.
“I lost all respect for him,” the player said of Orgeron.
Orgeron disputed having said this. He said he would not reveal full details of the conversation, but that the athlete’s recollection is inaccurate. Rather, Orgeron said the player came to his office discussing a transfer and that they “discussed the player’s relationship challenges with his girlfriend.”
“I told him what I would tell my own sons: ‘We all experience heartbreak growing up. Do not throw away a promising academic and football career at LSU because of a personal obstacle,’” Orgeron said.
“Any insinuation that I had knowledge of his girlfriend and Derrius Guice is completely false.”
When contacted by USA TODAY after Orgeron issued his statement, the former LSU player said, "Everyone knows the truth."
If you have a tip or sensitive information you want to share, reach out to USA TODAY Sports at SportsTip@usatoday.com. You can also contact the reporters directly, narmour@usatoday.com for Nancy Armour or kjacoby@gatehousemedia.com for Kenny Jacoby.