usatoday--2020-07-14--Racist acts aren't an aberration: Here is what's wrong with small-town Iowa values

I grew up in a town of 700-ish people in eastern Iowa .
This is true , and is also a thing you say to establish your bona fides to talk about something related to Iowa and small towns and to do so critically .
I could share anecdotal tales of an idyllic youth in a Rockwellian Everytown to cement this , to show I know a good side to small-town America , but in this moment in American history , we need to talk about those decent , kindly , small-town Americans shouting racist epithets at a Black kid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not mince words that small-town America is the cauldron that brews this behavior and that it is unconscionable , vile and inhuman and that it needs to end .
Most Iowans have read by now how 17-year-old Jeremiah Chapman of Charles City went to play for his high school at Waverly-Shell Rock and , as he manned center field , received a cascade of racist bile from WSR fans .
The local racists shouted that Chapman should have been George Floyd , a man prosecutors say was killed by Minneapolis police on suspicion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even worse , that he should `` go back to the fields . ''
Really try to get that .
The assailants not only wished death on a kid for the crime of nothing , but also blithely suggested that how he was born meant he , and all who looked similar to him , should be reduced to the state of slavery .
A teenager , a four-sport athlete who studies hard and has his whole life ahead of him , stands out there with his town 's name on his uniform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and some yahoos decide this is a crime worthy of Klan-esque terrorism .
They also shouted , for some strange reason , `` Trump 2020 , '' Chapman reported .
I 'd say this makes me ashamed of where I 'm from , but this is not about me , it 's about something endemic to where I come from .
We write these off as `` bad apples '' every time they happen — Creston , Forest City , Dallas Center .
All towns in Iowa .
It was just `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids , '' but it 's never us .
Small-town America is its own bubble The red/blue divide of cities and more rural communities is no secret , but we too often leave it at that ; that 's just how `` conservative '' and `` liberal '' stack up , `` heartland values '' versus `` cosmopolitan modernism '' or whatever .
In Iowa , like everywhere in the country , small-town denizens look at their nearby municipal hubs as unclean , tainted with `` diversity '' and `` liberalism '' — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reinforced .
Cities are not bubbles .
They 're America .
They 're where you actually meet people who did n't grow up exactly like you , who do n't look like you , who bring different cultural backgrounds and stories and politics , some of those shaped by dealing with racism .
Of course no city is perfect , and they have their share of bigots and charlatans , but they 're where you become less `` bubbled '' and less racist because , in learning other people 's stories firsthand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They have things to do and families to raise and dreams to pursue like anyone else .
You learn to love people as people , whatever they look like or where they worship , by living with them , daily , and realizing the things you have in common and then actually empathizing with the things that make their lives harder through no fault of their own .
Those things exist .
And if you have n't noticed , a lot of people are pretty pissed off about them .
You 'd have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual bubble to not understand that .
Of course , white small-town conservatives inevitably say `` I 'm not racist , '' and maybe cite a Black or Latinx person they are nice to , thinking this sidesteps the broader dynamic involved , which is that they act politically to support sweeping racist violence .
Having been a young small-town conservative , I will tell you that people who fear Muslims or Jews or people of color , people who specifically vote their fear of an America that looks like the cities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most part do n't know any Muslims or Jews or people of color .
That insularity is the catalyst of bigotry .
Let people different from you just live The contemporary conservative inclination is to compartmentalize , to cling white-knuckled to abstract bromides like `` America is great , '' so that every outcrop of horror , like the Waverly-Shell Rock racists , has to be an aberration , just a rogue variable .
But it 's not .
It 's the yield of a particular worldview , which is why it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correlation here .
There is a correlation between people who raise people who shout `` go back to the fields '' and people who called Colin Kaepernick a traitor and dismissed his cause out of hand and voted for the battery of racist garbage that is Trumpism .
There is a correlation between targeting of DACA kids who grew up American just because they happened to have been born elsewhere , and never actually knowing Latinx people or bothering to empathize with their stories .
There is a correlation between living only among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grievances of the Black community when yet another pointless death sets the country aflame .
It helps in absolving you of responsibility to fix problems in your society — the essence of `` conservatism , '' such as it is in America now .
It 's easier to believe that , after all , when you do n't know any Black people and can remain blissfully in your bubble , where other people 's problems are far away , off in the scary cities .
There is , at last , an absolute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and demonizing people for pointing out hard realities that it 's not .
Which is the crux of the problem .
Are all citizens of small towns racists ?
Of course not .
But this defensive posture incubates and insulates a distinct , homogeneous tribalism , a sense that horrible liberals — or , by some twisted logic , a 17-year-old kid — are coming to take their idyllic Rockwellian values from them .
This predisposition is wrong in one regard , which is that no one is coming for anything .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to live with the same freedoms and rights you do and not in perpetual fear of their neighbors , much less people who swore an oath to keep them safe .
But I will state categorically that , yes , people who do n't shout `` go back to the fields , '' and people who do n't abide or enable that poisonous bile in their communities , are definitely better than people who do .
That 's an actual , hard metric of whether someone is `` good '' or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Iowa , a musician and former journalist who now lives in Madison , Wisconsin .
This column originally appeared in the Des Moines Register .

Racist acts aren't an aberration: Here is what's wrong with small-town Iowa values There is an absolute correlation between insisting you live in utopia and demonizing people for pointing out hard realities that it's not.
Show Caption Hide Caption 'I thought these guys were my friends,' Creston's black quarterback says after cross burning photo Creston's quarterback and coach reflect on teammates' racist social post. Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register
I grew up in a town of 700-ish people in eastern Iowa. This is true, and is also a thing you say to establish your bona fides to talk about something related to Iowa and small towns and to do so critically.
I could share anecdotal tales of an idyllic youth in a Rockwellian Everytown to cement this, to show I know a good side to small-town America, but in this moment in American history, we need to talk about those decent, kindly, small-town Americans shouting racist epithets at a Black kid playing baseball. And we need to not mince words that small-town America is the cauldron that brews this behavior and that it is unconscionable, vile and inhuman and that it needs to end.
Most Iowans have read by now how 17-year-old Jeremiah Chapman of Charles City went to play for his high school at Waverly-Shell Rock and, as he manned center field, received a cascade of racist bile from WSR fans. The local racists shouted that Chapman should have been George Floyd, a man prosecutors say was killed by Minneapolis police on suspicion of a misdemeanor crime, and, even worse, that he should "go back to the fields."
Really try to get that. The assailants not only wished death on a kid for the crime of nothing, but also blithely suggested that how he was born meant he, and all who looked similar to him, should be reduced to the state of slavery. A teenager, a four-sport athlete who studies hard and has his whole life ahead of him, stands out there with his town's name on his uniform, playing a game for his school, and some yahoos decide this is a crime worthy of Klan-esque terrorism.
They also shouted, for some strange reason, "Trump 2020," Chapman reported.
I'd say this makes me ashamed of where I'm from, but this is not about me, it's about something endemic to where I come from. We write these off as "bad apples" every time they happen — Creston, Forest City, Dallas Center. All towns in Iowa. It was just "that guy," or "those kids," but it's never us.
Small-town America is its own bubble
The red/blue divide of cities and more rural communities is no secret, but we too often leave it at that; that's just how "conservative" and "liberal" stack up, "heartland values" versus "cosmopolitan modernism" or whatever. In Iowa, like everywhere in the country, small-town denizens look at their nearby municipal hubs as unclean, tainted with "diversity" and "liberalism" — so-called bubbles where heresy and unAmericanness were reinforced.
Cities are not bubbles. They're America. They're where you actually meet people who didn't grow up exactly like you, who don't look like you, who bring different cultural backgrounds and stories and politics, some of those shaped by dealing with racism.
Of course no city is perfect, and they have their share of bigots and charlatans, but they're where you become less "bubbled" and less racist because, in learning other people's stories firsthand, you get that they're people. They have things to do and families to raise and dreams to pursue like anyone else. You learn to love people as people, whatever they look like or where they worship, by living with them, daily, and realizing the things you have in common and then actually empathizing with the things that make their lives harder through no fault of their own. Those things exist. And if you haven't noticed, a lot of people are pretty pissed off about them.
Could Black Americans get reparations for centuries of slavery? Lawmakers have been trying to pass reparation bills for descendants of slaves. Here's why it's taken so long - and how it might work. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
You'd have to be in, say, an actual bubble to not understand that.
Of course, white small-town conservatives inevitably say "I'm not racist," and maybe cite a Black or Latinx person they are nice to, thinking this sidesteps the broader dynamic involved, which is that they act politically to support sweeping racist violence. Having been a young small-town conservative, I will tell you that people who fear Muslims or Jews or people of color, people who specifically vote their fear of an America that looks like the cities and for Trumpian prescriptions to that, for the most part don't know any Muslims or Jews or people of color.
That insularity is the catalyst of bigotry.
Let people different from you just live
The contemporary conservative inclination is to compartmentalize, to cling white-knuckled to abstract bromides like "America is great," so that every outcrop of horror, like the Waverly-Shell Rock racists, has to be an aberration, just a rogue variable. But it's not. It's the yield of a particular worldview, which is why it keeps happening. There is absolutely a correlation here.
There is a correlation between people who raise people who shout "go back to the fields" and people who called Colin Kaepernick a traitor and dismissed his cause out of hand and voted for the battery of racist garbage that is Trumpism. There is a correlation between targeting of DACA kids who grew up American just because they happened to have been born elsewhere, and never actually knowing Latinx people or bothering to empathize with their stories. There is a correlation between living only among white people and blindly dismissing the genuine grievances of the Black community when yet another pointless death sets the country aflame.
It helps in absolving you of responsibility to fix problems in your society — the essence of "conservatism," such as it is in America now. It's easier to believe that, after all, when you don't know any Black people and can remain blissfully in your bubble, where other people's problems are far away, off in the scary cities. There is, at last, an absolute correlation between insisting you live in utopia and demonizing people for pointing out hard realities that it's not.
Which is the crux of the problem. Are all citizens of small towns racists? Of course not. But this defensive posture incubates and insulates a distinct, homogeneous tribalism, a sense that horrible liberals — or, by some twisted logic, a 17-year-old kid — are coming to take their idyllic Rockwellian values from them. This predisposition is wrong in one regard, which is that no one is coming for anything. People who don't look like you just want to live with the same freedoms and rights you do and not in perpetual fear of their neighbors, much less people who swore an oath to keep them safe.
But I will state categorically that, yes, people who don't shout "go back to the fields," and people who don't abide or enable that poisonous bile in their communities, are definitely better than people who do.
That's an actual, hard metric of whether someone is "good" or not.
Matthew Grimm is native of Stanwood, Iowa, a musician and former journalist who now lives in Madison, Wisconsin. This column originally appeared in the Des Moines Register.


usatoday--2020-07-14--Former foster dog becomes foster dad to kittens

Former foster dog becomes foster dad to kittens Raylan the dog has fostered more than 75 homeless cats and kittens @ @ @ @ @ it without the help of his mom Laura who once upon a time saved his @ @

Former foster dog becomes foster dad to kittens
Raylan the dog has fostered more than 75 homeless cats and kittens. He couldn't do it without the help of his mom Laura who once upon a time saved his life.
Animalkind, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-07-14--COVID has made living with Parkinson's more difficult, increased symptoms, survey finds

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder to live with Parkinson 's Disease , according to a survey of more than 7,000 people who have the disease or care for someone with it .
This spring , people with Parkinson 's had more trouble moving , and more mood swings , anxiety and depression – all typical symptoms of the chronic illness .
Most also reported difficulties attending medical appointments , receiving in-home care , getting adequate exercise , obtaining their medications and participating in social activities , according to the survey , conducted by the Michael J .
Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Everything worsened , '' said Dr. Carlie Tanner , a professor of neurology at the University of California , San Francisco , who helped lead the study .
About 1 million Americans have the progressive disease , which is characterized by tremors , slow movement , stiffness and loss of balance .
The survey included 51 Parkinson 's patients who said they caught COVID-19 .
Just over half of them reported worsening of their symptoms , including tremors , loss of balance , mood issues , digestive problems , pain and fatigue .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be former or current cigarette smokers and to have lung disease , Tanner said .
`` There wasn ’ t really a suggestion that people with Parkinson ’ s were more likely to have other bad outcomes . ''
Not much information exists about the two diseases in combination , although the risk of Parkinson 's increases with age , so most people with the condition are also at higher risk for a serious case of COVID-19 , she noted .
Tanner said she was surprised at the toll that living through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took on people with Parkinson 's , `` because of social isolation , and a change in access to many services . ''
People of color and those with low incomes suffered the most disruption of services including medical care , exercise classes and access to food , the survey found .
While acknowledging the difficulties , Tanner said people with Parkinson 's should make a particular effort during the pandemic to be in touch with others `` in whatever ways are possible '' – via phone , internet and socially distant visits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Respondents completed the survey between April 23 and May 23 , although the foundation plans to keep it open indefinitely to continue collecting information from people with the disease and their families .
The survey is part of the Fox Insight online clinical study , a three-year-old research project that explores the lived experience , genetics and variability of Parkinson 's .
It includes more than 50,000 volunteers , and de-identified data from the study is made available to qualified researchers .
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Masimo Foundation for Ethics , Innovation and Competition in Healthcare .
The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input .

COVID has made living with Parkinson's more difficult, increased symptoms, survey finds
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder to live with Parkinson's disease, according to a survey of more than 7,000 people who have the disease or care for someone with it.
This spring, people with Parkinson's had more trouble moving, and more mood swings, anxiety and depression – all typical symptoms of the chronic illness. Most also reported difficulties attending medical appointments, receiving in-home care, getting adequate exercise, obtaining their medications and participating in social activities, according to the survey conducted by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
"Everything worsened," said Dr. Carlie Tanner, a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, who helped lead the study.
About 1 million Americans have the progressive disease, which is characterized by tremors, slow movement, stiffness and loss of balance.
The survey included 51 Parkinson's patients who said they caught COVID-19. Just over half of them reported worsening of their symptoms, including tremors, loss of balance, mood issues, digestive problems, pain and fatigue.
Those with both diseases were more likely to be former or current cigarette smokers and to have lung disease, Tanner said.
"There wasn’t really a suggestion that people with Parkinson’s were more likely to have other bad outcomes," she said.
Not much information exists about the two diseases in combination, although the risk of Parkinson's increases with age, so most people with the condition are also at higher risk for a serious case of COVID-19, she noted.
Tanner said she was surprised at the toll that living through pandemic – even without catching COVID-19 – took on people with Parkinson's, "because of social isolation, and a change in access to many services."
People of color and those with low incomes suffered the most disruption of services including medical care, exercise classes and access to food, the survey found.
While acknowledging the difficulties, Tanner said people with Parkinson's should make a particular effort during the pandemic to be in touch with others "in whatever ways are possible" – via phone, internet and socially distant visits – to maintain their social connections.
Respondents completed the survey between April 23 and May 23, although the foundation plans to keep it open indefinitely to continue collecting information from people with the disease and their families.
The survey is part of the Fox Insight online clinical study, a 3-year-old research project that explores the lived experience, genetics and variability of Parkinson's. It includes more than 50,000 volunteers, and de-identified data from the study is made available to qualified researchers.
Contact Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.


No summer camp?

We are headed into possibly the weirdest summer ever .
We are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic .
School ended early .
Kids are bored .
Parents are about to lose their ever-loving minds .
And to top it all off , summer camp is probably canceled , too , or at least it 's going to look very , very different .
Last week , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated considerations for camps amid the COVID-10 outbreak , including a `` decision tree '' for directors to use to determine whether their programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association followed up with a field guide .
Camps must also follow regulations set by state and local authorities .
USA TODAY spoke with three camp counselors across the nation about the status of their summer camps and how parents can bring those experiences home if camps are canceled .
Of their programs , one was going completely virtual ; one was still figuring out what to do ; and one was doing a mix of online and on-site programming with new restrictions like temperature checks , masks on staff , limited group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Together : A newsletter about how to cope with the coronavirus pandemic But they all agreed on one thing : Summer camps provide critical development opportunities for kids , different than school , with different end goals .
`` Camp is about the connection .
It 's about exploring , '' says Penn Henthorn , director of programs and camps for Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma .
`` Our outcomes are based on critical skills you need to work with other people : communication , collaboration , critical thinking , creativity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fun and those things are part of the process . ''
While social distancing is making all of those things a challenge , there are ways to keep the important experiences of camp going while families stay home .
Here are four ideas from the camp counselors themselves .
1 .
Take it outside Camp is outdoors , so whatever it is that you are doing , `` take it outside , '' says Sarah Kotko , a longtime teacher who is serving as a camp director this summer in West Sacramento , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Go outside .
Doing a science activity ?
Go outside .
I tell parents it 's OK to use electronics , but can they take that tablet outside under a tree ?
It changes the feeling of whatever you 're doing , '' she says .
Being outside is also critical for children 's health and well-being , says Nikki Murray , day camp and youth and teen director at the YMCA of Youngstown in Ohio .
`` Lack of physical activity and contact with the sun is a huge , huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depressed , '' she says , urging families to get outside as much as possible .
Swimming during the COVID-19 pandemic : What the CDC wants you to know before you hit the pool Summer sips:7 delicious , easy cocktails you can make at home this Memorial Day 2 .
Make new friends , but keep the distance You know the old camp song : `` Make new friends , but keep the old . ''
Those `` outside relationships '' are a huge part of the camp experience and allow for self-discovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty hard to meet new people from the confines of your home , there are ways to socialize virtually .
Camp Fire Heart and YMCA of Youngstown are both offering `` camp in a box '' programs , which allow small groups to meet up online and work on activities as a team .
Aside from virtual programs , Kotko just recommends getting back to writing letters , like kids would do from their bunks at night .
`` Write a letter to someone in your family and mail it with your kid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a friendship , even with the kid down the street .
They can write letters to each other and actually mail them , '' Kotko says .
Stay busy:100 things to do while stuck inside due to a pandemic Perk up your video calls : The best games to play on Zoom during quarantine if you 're bored by making chit-chat 3 .
Keep groups small , even on Zoom If you do decide to use technology to connect your kids with their friends , Murray recommends `` small group formatting . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ organize virtual calls with their kids ' entire classrooms , which can become `` cumbersome '' and not allow for a lot of interaction .
She encourages groups of only two or three kids and 10 at the maximum .
`` You want your kids to have an opportunity to get to know each other , connect with someone new and have a chance to talk to them and ask them questions and be silly with them , '' she says .
4 .
Use what you already have Finally , while there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs online , you may already have what you need in your cabinets or junk drawer .
`` Make it about it being fun and let them explore .
At camp , that 's what we do , we give them things and say , 'OK , go be free and create your own , ' `` Kotko says .
Here are some easy ideas : • Mix plain old markers with water and watch them turn into watercolors for painting .
• Use baking soda and vinegar to build a volcano in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tent in your living room and make s'mores in your oven .
• Have a `` color of the rainbow '' week : Monday is red , Tuesday is orange and so on .
For each day , wear that color and eat something that color .
• Have a pajama week and make pillow forts together .
• Make a scavenger hunt with a list of things you know you have in your house , like `` something yellow that you can write with . ''
• Give them a storyline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and have them paint a picture of whatever they imagine .
• Just sit in the backyard and look around .
Talk about what you see .
5 .
'Just keep them busy' At the end of the day , Murray 's biggest advice is for parents and caregivers to stop stressing out over the content of what the kids are doing , but to just keep them busy .
`` The simplest things , like simple arts and crafts projects and going on walks , are super-beneficial to their development , '' @ @ @

No summer camp? No problem. Here are 5 ways to re-create the experience for kids stuck at home
Show Caption Hide Caption Summer camps wonder what "new normal" will look like Todd Rothman's family-owned Deerkill Day Camp hasn't missed a season in over 60 years, but he's hopeful they'll open this summer. USA TODAY
We are headed into possibly the weirdest summer ever.
We are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. School ended early. Kids are bored. Parents are about to lose their ever-loving minds. And to top it all off, summer camp is probably canceled, too, or at least it's going to look very, very different.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated considerations for camps amid the COVID-10 outbreak, including a "decision tree" for directors to use to determine whether their programs should go on. The American Camp Association followed up with a field guide. Camps must also follow regulations set by state and local authorities.
USA TODAY spoke with three camp counselors across the nation about the status of their summer camps and how parents can bring those experiences home if camps are canceled. Of their programs, one was going completely virtual; one was still figuring out what to do; and one was doing a mix of online and on-site programming with new restrictions like temperature checks, masks on staff, limited group sizes and enhanced sanitization.
Staying Apart, Together: A newsletter about how to cope with the coronavirus pandemic
But they all agreed on one thing: Summer camps provide critical development opportunities for kids, different than school, with different end goals.
"Camp is about the connection. It's about exploring," says Penn Henthorn, director of programs and camps for Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma.
"Our outcomes are based on critical skills you need to work with other people: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity. We just get to let kids have fun and those things are part of the process."
While social distancing is making all of those things a challenge, there are ways to keep the important experiences of camp going while families stay home.
Here are four ideas from the camp counselors themselves.
Ways to keep your kids active and involved with your at-home exercise routine Sports Pulse: Here are a few ways to do cardio exercises and have your kids join you to help them stay active amid social distancing. SportsPulse, USA TODAY
1. Take it outside
Camp is outdoors, so whatever it is that you are doing, "take it outside," says Sarah Kotko, a longtime teacher who is serving as a camp director this summer in West Sacramento, California.
"Doing an art project? Go outside. Doing a science activity? Go outside. I tell parents it's OK to use electronics, but can they take that tablet outside under a tree? It changes the feeling of whatever you're doing," she says.
Being outside is also critical for children's health and well-being, says Nikki Murray, day camp and youth and teen director at the YMCA of Youngstown in Ohio.
"Lack of physical activity and contact with the sun is a huge, huge factor in kids feeling lethargic or getting depressed," she says, urging families to get outside as much as possible.
Swimming during the COVID-19 pandemic: What the CDC wants you to know before you hit the pool
Summer sips: 7 delicious, easy cocktails you can make at home this Memorial Day
2. Make new friends, but keep the distance
You know the old camp song: "Make new friends, but keep the old." Those "outside relationships" are a huge part of the camp experience and allow for self-discovery, Henthorn says.
While it's pretty hard to meet new people from the confines of your home, there are ways to socialize virtually. Camp Fire Heart and YMCA of Youngstown are both offering "camp in a box" programs, which allow small groups to meet up online and work on activities as a team.
Aside from virtual programs, Kotko just recommends getting back to writing letters, like kids would do from their bunks at night.
"Write a letter to someone in your family and mail it with your kid. Have them write letters to build a friendship, even with the kid down the street. They can write letters to each other and actually mail them," Kotko says.
Stay busy: 100 things to do while stuck inside due to a pandemic
Perk up your video calls: The best games to play on Zoom during quarantine if you're bored by making chit-chat
3. Keep groups small, even on Zoom
If you do decide to use technology to connect your kids with their friends, Murray recommends "small group formatting."
She has noticed many caregivers trying to organize virtual calls with their kids' entire classrooms, which can become "cumbersome" and not allow for a lot of interaction. She encourages groups of only two or three kids and 10 at the maximum.
"You want your kids to have an opportunity to get to know each other, connect with someone new and have a chance to talk to them and ask them questions and be silly with them," she says.
4. Use what you already have
Finally, while there are plenty of options for virtual camp programs online, you may already have what you need in your cabinets or junk drawer.
"Make it about it being fun and let them explore. At camp, that's what we do, we give them things and say, 'OK, go be free and create your own,' " Kotko says.
Here are some easy ideas:
Mix plain old markers with water and watch them turn into watercolors for painting.
Use baking soda and vinegar to build a volcano in the mud outside.
Set up a tent in your living room and make s'mores in your oven.
Have a "color of the rainbow" week: Monday is red, Tuesday is orange and so on. For each day, wear that color and eat something that color.
Have a pajama week and make pillow forts together.
Make a scavenger hunt with a list of things you know you have in your house, like "something yellow that you can write with."
Work on math using Skittles.
Give them a storyline (say, they're pirates) and have them paint a picture of whatever they imagine.
Just sit in the backyard and look around. Talk about what you see.
5. 'Just keep them busy'
At the end of the day, Murray's biggest advice is for parents and caregivers to stop stressing out over the content of what the kids are doing, but to just keep them busy.
"The simplest things, like simple arts and crafts projects and going on walks, are super-beneficial to their development," she says.


usatoday--2020-07-14--COVID-19 surges in the South

COVID-19 surges in the South

America ’ s coronavirus epidemic is less a single war than a series of local or regional battles that have shifted across the country .
A USA TODAY analysis shows early northern hot spots like New York City , Seattle and Chicago tempering their epidemics since April , while an intense set of outbreaks began to surge across America ’ s Sunbelt starting in May .
Although the recent rapid growth in the South and Southwest has been well documented , new mapping by the news network provides an unusually vivid portrait of the stark shift in the pandemic ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big flareups have hit nearly all parts of the country throughout the crisis .
America hasn ’ t been facing one coronavirus outbreak ; it ’ s been facing hundreds , spread across time and communities .
Those patterns pop out on maps that visualize COVID-19 hot spots .
At the beginning of the pandemic , COVID-19 outbreaks were surging in the Northeast .
That 's changed in recent weeks .
While Americans were talking about outbreaks in Seattle and New Orleans in late March , intense outbreaks were bursting through communities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of April , intense outbreaks were sweeping communities in Mississippi , Georgia , Iowa and eastern North Carolina .
Communities in a swath from Amarillo , Texas , to St .
Cloud , Minn. , unconnected by a major highway , were hit hard .
But some of the biggest numbers of people affected by the coronavirus were in major northern populations centers .
That ’ s changed in roughly the past six weeks .
Early in the pandemic , President Donald J. Trump repeatedly suggested the coronavirus would not fare well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer temperatures .
Instead , the virus is blasting through some of America ’ s hottest locations .
The coronavirus began rampaging through Sunbelt states soon after they opened in late May and early June .
In about a month , Florida ’ s case positivity rate quadrupled , daily new cases increased from about 1,000 to about 8,000 , hospitalizations more than doubled and deaths began trending upward , data from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project show .
In Arizona , busy bars may have helped fuel an intense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new cases in Arizona , with about 7.3 million people , now rival those of the European Union , with about 450 million people .
And the Arizona numbers are likely undercounts .
About 26 % of the state ’ s test results come back positive , a strong indication that testing is not widespread .
The World Health Organization recommends a level of testing where positives make up only 5 % of the results .
Some of the biggest new health threats are in America ’ s most populous states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ per day to 7,500 in four weeks .
California leaped from 2,900 to 7,700 new daily case reports .
Texas is now closing bars and stopping other reopenings as its hospital beds fill .
In California , patients from overwhelmed hospitals in southern California are now sending patients to be treated near San Francisco .
The Northeast , and particularly New York City , was hit hard by COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic .
By mid-June , the number of new coronavirus cases per capita had begun to surge in southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of epidemiology and global health at Boston University School of Public Health , said it ’ s too early to tell how some of the Southern states may fare .
Many of the new cases are among younger people less likely to have serious effects from COVID-19 .
But some of them will pass that on to more vulnerable people .
If the Southern states can protect those in the most danger , especially those 80 or older , they can limit the death toll .
`` If the Sunbelt states can manage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact really wo n't be as bad even as the case counts go up , ” said Fox .
Fox said the Northeast got a better handle on the coronavirus with fairly strong lockdowns , people getting concerned enough to become cautious , contact tracing and other efforts .
“ Any infection that you can prevent is going to prevent further infections , ” he said .
Share of daily new cases reported by each US region The share of cases reported by northern states has declined as the share of cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunbelt states already trying to deal with fast-growing coronavirus counts are also among those scheduled to open schools soon .
`` If effective plans are not in place then transmission is going to start to reoccur , ” Fox said .
And while serious effects are relatively rare among children , they can bring coronavirus infections home from school .
`` Everything that we do now is really about keeping everything open as we move into the fall and minimizing the impact .
Everything is going to change when schools start to reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the best possible position to sustain those reopenings . ''

America’s coronavirus epidemic is less a single war than a series of local or regional battles that have shifted across the country.
A USA TODAY analysis shows early northern hot spots like New York City, Seattle and Chicago tempering their epidemics since April, while an intense set of outbreaks began to surge across America’s Sunbelt starting in May.
Although the recent rapid growth in the South and Southwest has been well documented, new mapping by the news network provides an unusually vivid portrait of the stark shift in the pandemic’s hottest spots.
Of course, big flareups have hit nearly all parts of the country throughout the crisis.
America hasn’t been facing one coronavirus outbreak; it’s been facing hundreds, spread across time and communities.
Those patterns pop out on maps that visualize COVID-19 hot spots.
At the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 outbreaks were surging in the Northeast. That's changed in recent weeks.
While Americans were talking about outbreaks in Seattle and New Orleans in late March, intense outbreaks were bursting through communities in Colorado and southwest Georgia.
By the end of April, intense outbreaks were sweeping communities in Mississippi, Georgia, Iowa and eastern North Carolina. Communities in a swath from Amarillo, Texas, to St. Cloud, Minn., unconnected by a major highway, were hit hard.
But some of the biggest numbers of people affected by the coronavirus were in major northern populations centers. That’s changed in roughly the past six weeks.
Early in the pandemic, President Donald J. Trump repeatedly suggested the coronavirus would not fare well with heat and would go away with summer temperatures. Instead, the virus is blasting through some of America’s hottest locations.
The coronavirus began rampaging through Sunbelt states soon after they opened in late May and early June. In about a month, Florida’s case positivity rate quadrupled, daily new cases increased from about 1,000 to about 8,000, hospitalizations more than doubled and deaths began trending upward, data from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project show.
In Arizona, busy bars may have helped fuel an intense spread of coronavirus. The daily counts of new cases in Arizona, with about 7.3 million people, now rival those of the European Union, with about 450 million people.
And the Arizona numbers are likely undercounts. About 26% of the state’s test results come back positive, a strong indication that testing is not widespread. The World Health Organization recommends a level of testing where positives make up only 5% of the results.
Some of the biggest new health threats are in America’s most populous states. Texas went from 1,700 newly reported cases per day to 7,500 in four weeks. California leaped from 2,900 to 7,700 new daily case reports.
Texas is now closing bars and stopping other reopenings as its hospital beds fill.
In California, patients from overwhelmed hospitals in southern California are now sending patients to be treated near San Francisco.
Watch coronavirus hot spots shift south
The Northeast, and particularly New York City, was hit hard by COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic. By mid-June, the number of new coronavirus cases per capita had begun to surge in southern states.
Matthew Fox, a professor of epidemiology and global health at Boston University School of Public Health, said it’s too early to tell how some of the Southern states may fare. Many of the new cases are among younger people less likely to have serious effects from COVID-19. But some of them will pass that on to more vulnerable people. If the Southern states can protect those in the most danger, especially those 80 or older, they can limit the death toll.
"If the Sunbelt states can manage to really protect the nursing homes the impact really won't be as bad even as the case counts go up,” said Fox.
Fox said the Northeast got a better handle on the coronavirus with fairly strong lockdowns, people getting concerned enough to become cautious, contact tracing and other efforts.
“Any infection that you can prevent is going to prevent further infections,” he said.
Share of daily new cases reported by each US region
The share of cases reported by northern states has declined as the share of cases in the South and West has increased.
Sunbelt states already trying to deal with fast-growing coronavirus counts are also among those scheduled to open schools soon.
"If effective plans are not in place then transmission is going to start to reoccur,” Fox said.
And while serious effects are relatively rare among children, they can bring coronavirus infections home from school.
"Everything that we do now is really about keeping everything open as we move into the fall and minimizing the impact. Everything is going to change when schools start to reopen, and so we want to be in the best possible position to sustain those reopenings."


usatoday--2020-07-15--Tommy Tuberville defeats Jeff Sessions in Alabama Republican Senate runoff

MONTGOMERY – Alabama Republicans Tuesday night decided to send former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville to face U.S. Sen Doug Jones in November .
Tuberville , a first-time political candidate who had the backing of President Donald Trump , defeated former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions , who was seeking to return to the seat he held for 20 years .
Tuberville ’ s victory showed Trump ’ s continued grip on Alabama ’ s GOP electorate even as his standing has taken a hit nationwide amid the COVID-19 outbreak .
Sessions was the first U.S. senator to endorse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became an important surrogate for him during the campaign .
Trump nominated Sessions to be U.S. attorney general , where he served from February 2017 to November 2018 .
But the relationship curdled after Sessions recused himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election in 2017 .
During his Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. attorney general , Sessions failed to disclose contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak .
Sessions has repeatedly said he was following ethical and legal guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice at the time .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sessions before and after he forced him out as U.S. attorney general in November 2018.
“ Jeff , you had your chance & you blew it , ” Trump wrote in a tweet on May 23 .
“ Recused yourself ON DAY ONE ( you never told me of a problem ) , and ran for the hills .
You had no courage , & ruined many lived.
” Trump tweeted after the race was called that Tuberville `` WON big against '' Sessions and will `` be a GREAT Senator for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones `` a terrible Senator who is just a Super Liberal puppet for Schumer & Pelosi . ''
Tuberville , enjoying Trump ’ s support , ran a very low-profile campaign between March and July .
The former head coach rarely announced campaign appearances in advance and mostly shunned press conferences , echoing a similar approach used by Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey during her successful 2018 election campaign .
Outside of professing loyalty to Trump , Tuberville ’ s campaign platform was hazy .
He told the Montgomery Advertiser , part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he supported Trump ’ s efforts to build a border wall with Mexico , and wanted to reduce the national debt through cuts to social programs ( though he said he opposed cutting Social Security , Medicare , or Medicaid ) .
The former coach also expressed a desire to target Common Core-derived educational standards .
Catherine Crawford , a retired teacher from Montgomery , voted for Tuberville , in part because of Trump 's criticism of Sessions .
`` I hated that , because I think Jeff Sessions is a pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If he had n't done that one thing , people would have voted for him . ''
Denied Trump ’ s endorsement , Sessions turned to the issues he emphasized in his last years in the U.S. Senate , calling for immigration restrictions and expressing skepticism about free trade agreements .
He also attacked Tuberville over two issues .
While coaching Auburn in 1999 , Tuberville suspended a wideout initially arrested on a statutory rape charge for a single game .
Tuberville did so after the player , Clifton Robinson , pleaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the delinquency of a minor .
Sessions accused Tuberville of putting “ winning football games ahead of teaching life lessons to young men on your football team , ” though Tuberville suspended Robinson for about five months prior to the guilty plea .
More : Tuberville campaign responds to report on former coach 's handling of charges against player Sessions also attacked Tuberville for his role in a hedge fund in which his partner went to prison on fraud charges .
Tuberville , who was not charged , reached a private settlement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Times reported earlier this month that Tuberville may have lost upwards of $ 2 million , and Tuberville ’ s campaign has said he was a victim of the fraud .
Laura Kellum , who voted for Jeff Sessions Tuesday , said Sessions was `` a fine senator , '' adding that `` no self-respecting Alabama fan will vote for Tommy Tuberville . ''
Jane McDaniel , who accompanied Kellum to the polls , also voted for Sessions , citing his experience .
`` What 's a football coach know about politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the fall campaign as the favorite in a state expected to give Trump a big margin of victory in November , and where 65 % of voters in 2018 voted straight ticket .
Sixty percent of those ballots went to Republicans .
Nationwide : Here 's what to watch in Tuesday 's elections But Jones won ’ t go away quietly .
The U.S. senator had a war chest of $ 8.2 million as of March 31 ( Tuberville had $ 448,000 in the bank on June 24 ) and has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak in Alabama , which has spiked in June and July .
Jones , who has been campaigning on a message of One Alabama , plans to make health care a central issue in the fall .

Tommy Tuberville defeats Jeff Sessions in Alabama Republican Senate runoff
MONTGOMERY – Alabama Republicans Tuesday night decided to send former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville to face U.S. Sen Doug Jones in November.
Tuberville, a first-time political candidate who had the backing of President Donald Trump, defeated former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was seeking to return to the seat he held for 20 years.
Alabama primary runoff election: See the results
Tuberville’s victory showed Trump’s continued grip on Alabama’s GOP electorate even as his standing has taken a hit nationwide amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Sessions was the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump for president in 2016, and became an important surrogate for him during the campaign. Trump nominated Sessions to be U.S. attorney general, where he served from February 2017 to November 2018.
But the relationship curdled after Sessions recused himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election in 2017. During his Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. attorney general, Sessions failed to disclose contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Sessions has repeatedly said he was following ethical and legal guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice at the time. But the move enraged Trump, who attacked Sessions before and after he forced him out as U.S. attorney general in November 2018.“Jeff, you had your chance & you blew it,” Trump wrote in a tweet on May 23. “Recused yourself ON DAY ONE (you never told me of a problem), and ran for the hills. You had no courage, & ruined many lived.”
Trump tweeted after the race was called that Tuberville "WON big against" Sessions and will "be a GREAT Senator for the incredible people of Alabama" while calling Jones "a terrible Senator who is just a Super Liberal puppet for Schumer & Pelosi."
Wow, just called! @TTuberville - Tommy Tuberville WON big against Jeff Sessions. Will be a GREAT Senator for the incredible people of Alabama. @DougJones is a terrible Senator who is just a Super Liberal puppet for Schumer & Pelosi. Represents Alabama poorly. On to November 3rd. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2020
Tuberville, enjoying Trump’s support, ran a very low-profile campaign between March and July. The former head coach rarely announced campaign appearances in advance and mostly shunned press conferences, echoing a similar approach used by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey during her successful 2018 election campaign.
More: Tommy Tuberville leads Jeff Sessions in spring fundraising
Outside of professing loyalty to Trump, Tuberville’s campaign platform was hazy. He told the Montgomery Advertiser, part of the USA TODAY Network, in March that he supported Trump’s efforts to build a border wall with Mexico, and wanted to reduce the national debt through cuts to social programs (though he said he opposed cutting Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid). The former coach also expressed a desire to target Common Core-derived educational standards.
Catherine Crawford, a retired teacher from Montgomery, voted for Tuberville, in part because of Trump's criticism of Sessions.
"I hated that, because I think Jeff Sessions is a pretty good fellow," she said. "If he hadn't done that one thing, people would have voted for him."
Denied Trump’s endorsement, Sessions turned to the issues he emphasized in his last years in the U.S. Senate, calling for immigration restrictions and expressing skepticism about free trade agreements. He also attacked Tuberville over two issues. While coaching Auburn in 1999, Tuberville suspended a wideout initially arrested on a statutory rape charge for a single game.
Tuberville did so after the player, Clifton Robinson, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Sessions accused Tuberville of putting “winning football games ahead of teaching life lessons to young men on your football team,” though Tuberville suspended Robinson for about five months prior to the guilty plea.
More: Tuberville campaign responds to report on former coach's handling of charges against player
Sessions also attacked Tuberville for his role in a hedge fund in which his partner went to prison on fraud charges. Tuberville, who was not charged, reached a private settlement with investors in 2013. The New York Times reported earlier this month that Tuberville may have lost upwards of $2 million, and Tuberville’s campaign has said he was a victim of the fraud.
Laura Kellum, who voted for Jeff Sessions Tuesday, said Sessions was "a fine senator," adding that "no self-respecting Alabama fan will vote for Tommy Tuberville."
Jane McDaniel, who accompanied Kellum to the polls, also voted for Sessions, citing his experience.
"What's a football coach know about politics?" she asked.
Tuberville goes into the fall campaign as the favorite in a state expected to give Trump a big margin of victory in November, and where 65% of voters in 2018 voted straight ticket. Sixty percent of those ballots went to Republicans.
Nationwide: Here's what to watch in Tuesday's elections
But Jones won’t go away quietly. The U.S. senator had a war chest of $8.2 million as of March 31 (Tuberville had $448,000 in the bank on June 24) and has taken a public role in addressing the COVID-19 outbreak in Alabama, which has spiked in June and July. Jones, who has been campaigning on a message of One Alabama, plans to make health care a central issue in the fall.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Brian Lyman at 334-240-0185 or blyman@gannett.com.


usatoday--2020-07-15--99 years after Tulsa race massacre, the search for a mass grave is underway

A search for a mass grave in Tulsa is ongoing this week , nearly 100 years after a white mob killed an unknown number of Black victims and destroyed the city 's 35-block `` Black Wall Street '' — a thriving business district .
The excavation is a test attempting to determine whether human remains are present at the site : Oaklawn Cemetery , a location research suggests could hold an unmarked mass grave .
The excavation could be an important step toward closure for victims ' families and may help experts better understand the scope of the tragedy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet been found with several days remaining in the project .
Archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck said the search so far has turned up only common household items such as broken bottles , in addition to a shell casing that is likely not related to the massacre .
“ As a city , we are committed to exploring what happened in 1921 through a collective and transparent process - filling gaps in our city ’ s history and providing healing and justice to our community , ” a release quotes Tulsa Mayor G.T .
Bynum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three dozen to 300 or more .
Survivors were forced to live in internment camps overseen by National Guard members for a time .
`` A conspiracy of silence '' surrounds the massacre Danney Goble — a regional historian and University of Oklahoma professor — said in an overview of Oklahoma 's 2001 official report .
'Black Wall Street ' : Trump 's plan for rally in Tulsa calls attention to 1921 race massacre Opinion : Trump 's Tulsa rally evokes a tragic 1921 example of the systemic racism he wo n't face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of martial law following the violence , Scott Hammerstedt — a researcher at the Oklahoma Archeological Survey , University of Oklahoma — told USA TODAY in December .
With few official records , researchers must rely on oral history and witnesses to help identify locations where victims may be buried .
“ Travesty ” is n't a strong enough word to describe the carnage , he said .
In December Hammerstedt co-authored a report that said a `` number of unmarked burials '' were likely present at Oaklawn Cemetery and suggested further excavation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official report in 2001 , no one has ever been prosecuted or punished by the government at any level — municipal , county , state or federal — over criminal acts linked to the massacre , the historical society notes .

99 years after Tulsa race massacre, the search for a mass grave is underway
Show Caption Hide Caption Tulsa race massacre: The painful past of 'Black Wall Street' The Tulsa race massacre of 1921 is believed to be one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American history. USA TODAY
A search for a mass grave in Tulsa is ongoing this week, nearly 100 years after a white mob killed an unknown number of Black victims and destroyed the city's 35-block "Black Wall Street" – a thriving business district.
The excavation is a test attempting to determine whether human remains are present at the site: Oaklawn Cemetery, a location research suggests could hold an unmarked mass grave. The excavation could be an important step toward closure for victims' families and may help experts better understand the scope of the tragedy.
As of Wednesday, no remains had yet been found, although the excavation was ongoing. The project has expanded its initial scope in an attempt to locate any grave shafts in the area, according to statements at a Wednesday briefing.
Geophysical survey work previously indicated that the location had an underground anomaly, which signaled the possibility of a grave shaft. As of Wednesday, the excavation suggests the anomaly may have been unrelated ground fill and debris taken from another location, according to the briefing.
“As a city, we are committed to exploring what happened in 1921 through a collective and transparent process – filling gaps in our city’s history and providing healing and justice to our community,” a release quotes Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum.
Death toll estimates vary from about three dozen to 300 or more. Survivors were forced to live in internment camps overseen by National Guard members for a time.
"A conspiracy of silence" surrounds the massacre, Danney Goble, a regional historian and University of Oklahoma professor, said in an overview of Oklahoma's 2001 official report.
'Black Wall Street': Trump's plan for rally in Tulsa calls attention to 1921 race massacre
Opinion: Trump's Tulsa rally evokes a tragic 1921 example of the systemic racism he won't face
Most victims were buried during a period of martial law following the violence, Scott Hammerstedt, a researcher at the Oklahoma Archeological Survey, University of Oklahoma, told USA TODAY in December. With few official records, researchers must rely on oral history and witnesses to help identify locations where victims may be buried.
“Travesty” isn't a strong enough word to describe the carnage, he said.
In December, Hammerstedt co-authored a report that said a "number of unmarked burials" were likely present at Oaklawn Cemetery and suggested further excavation.
While the state produced an official report in 2001, no one has ever been prosecuted or punished by the government at any level – municipal, county, state or federal – over criminal acts linked to the massacre, the historical society said.
Contributing: Doug Stanglin; The Associated Press.


usatoday--2020-07-15--Freed from gag order, Mary Trump has one word of advice for her uncle, President Trump: 'Resign'

In an interview on the day her much-anticipated book excoriating President Donald Trump was released , Mary Trump had one word of advice for her uncle : `` Resign . ''
Mary Trump , speaking about `` Too Much and Never Enough '' one day after a judge lifted a gag order , offered a simple message about President Trump , her uncle , in response to a question by ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos .
`` He is utterly incapable of leading this country .
And it ’ s dangerous to allow him to do so , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on ABC 's `` World News Tonight with David Muir , '' adding that her conclusion is based on what she 's seen of Donald Trump over `` my entire adult life . ''
In an ABC News story highlighting other parts of the interview , Trump , whose book already is on best-seller lists , offered an assessment of how dangerous behaviors cultivated before her uncle became president have flowered during his time in the White House .
“ I saw first-hand what focusing on the wrong things , elevating the wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage that can be created by allowing somebody to live their lives without accountability , ” Trump told Stephanopoulos .
“ And it is striking to see that continuing now on a much grander scale.
” Trump analysis : Mary L. Trump 's new book almost turns The Donald into a sympathetic figure The highlights released on `` World News Tonight , '' in an ABC News clip and in the ABC News story largely reflect earlier discussion of the book , whose unflattering descriptions of the Trump family and the president have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists who received advance copies .
In the Stephanopoulos interview , which also will be featured Wednesday on ABC 's `` Good Morning America , '' Trump described an Oval Office encounter with her uncle just months after the start of his presidential term .
`` He already seemed very strained by the pressures .
He 'd never been in a situation before where he was n't entirely protected from criticism or accountability , '' said Trump , whose father , Fred Trump Jr. , died in 1981 .
`` And I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He seems like this is not what he signed up for , if he even knows what he signed up for . ''
She also remembers President Trump saying , `` They wo n't get me , '' during that April 2017 visit .
`` And , so far , it looks like he 's right , '' she added .
The author relies on her memories , first-hand observations and various documents for the book , which survived a legal effort by Robert Trump , her uncle and President Trump 's younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released .
In the interview , Trump , a psychologist , also discussed Fred Trump , Donald Trump 's father and a huge influence , calling him `` a sociopath . '
“ He was incredibly driven in a way that turned other people , including his children ( and ) wife , into pawns to be used to his own ends , ” Trump said .
“ It ’ s impossible to know who Donald might have been under different circumstances and with different parents .
But clearly he learned the lesson.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . '
Book by Trump 's niece paints him as habitual liar , inept businessman The White House on Tuesday referred ABC News to its previous statements about the book .
The White House previously said : `` Mary Trump and her book ’ s publisher may claim to be acting in the public interest , but this book is clearly in the author ’ s own financial self-interest . ''
`` President Trump has been in office for over three years working on behalf of the American people – why speak out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had with his father as warm and said his father was very good to him .
He said his father was loving and not at all hard on him as a child , '' the statement continued .
As of Monday , publisher Simon & Schuster had shipped more than 600,000 copies of the book , subtitled `` How My Family Created the World 's Most Dangerous Man , '' to bookstores across the country .

Bill Keveney and Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

Freed from gag order, Mary Trump has one word of advice for her uncle, President Trump: 'Resign'
Show Caption Hide Caption 4 things to know about Trump's niece's tell-all-book President Trump's niece, Mary Trump, will release her tell-all-book on July 14. Here are some of the most notable excerpts. USA TODAY, Wochit
In an interview on the day her much-anticipated book excoriating President Donald Trump was released, Mary Trump had one word of advice for her uncle: "Resign."
Mary Trump, speaking about "Too Much and Never Enough" one day after a judge lifted a gag order, offered a simple message about President Trump, her uncle, in response to a question by ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos.
"He is utterly incapable of leading this country. And it’s dangerous to allow him to do so," she said during a clip broadcast Tuesday on ABC's "World News Tonight with David Muir," adding that her conclusion is based on what she's seen of Donald Trump over "my entire adult life."
In the interview that aired Wednesday morning on "Good Morning America," Mary Trump reflected on the process of writing the book, during which she realized there were "so many parallels between the circumstances in which my family operated and the circumstances in which this country is now operating."
"I saw firsthand what focusing on the wrong things, elevating the wrong people can do, the collateral damage that can be done by allowing someone to live their lives without accountability," she said.
Mary Trump has faced backlash from the decision to publish her book from the public, the Trump administration and other members of her family. She said she thought about saying something about her uncle in the past, but worried about being painted as a "disgruntled, disinherited niece who just wanted her 15 minutes" of fame.
"If I can do anything to change the narrative and to tell the truth, I need to do that, because I don't believe the American people had the entire truth 4 years ago," she said. "If I had wanted money or revenge, I would have done this 10 years ago when it was infinitely safer, but neither one of those things interested me."
Is Trump's book an extension of how dysfunctional her family is? "Probably," she said with a laugh.
"I didn't write it as a form of therapy or anything like that," Trump added. "I would have preferred not to write it. It was quite difficult and I sometimes think I would have been better off not knowing some of the things I now know."
ABC will air more of Trump's interview Thursday morning, Stephanopoulous said.
In an ABC News story highlighting other parts of the interview, Trump, whose book already is on best-seller lists, offered an assessment of how dangerous behaviors cultivated before her uncle became president have flowered during his time in the White House.
Trump analysis: Mary L. Trump's new book almost turns The Donald into a sympathetic figure
The highlights released on "World News Tonight," in an ABC News clip and in the ABC News story largely reflect earlier discussion of the book, whose unflattering descriptions of the Trump family and the president have been the subject of many stories by journalists who received advance copies.
In the Stephanopoulos interview, which also will be featured Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Trump described an Oval Office encounter with her uncle just months after the start of his presidential term.
"He already seemed very strained by the pressures. He'd never been in a situation before where he wasn't entirely protected from criticism or accountability," said Trump, whose father, Fred Trump Jr., died in 1981. "And I just remember thinking, 'He seems tired. He seems like this is not what he signed up for, if he even knows what he signed up for."
She also remembers President Trump saying, "They won't get me," during that April 2017 visit. "And, so far, it looks like he's right," she added.
The author relies on her memories, first-hand observations and various documents for the book, which survived a legal effort by Robert Trump, her uncle and President Trump's younger brother, to keep it from being released.
In the interview, Trump, a psychologist, also discussed Fred Trump, Donald Trump's father and a huge influence, calling him "a sociopath.'
“He was incredibly driven in a way that turned other people, including his children (and) wife, into pawns to be used to his own ends,” Trump said. “It’s impossible to know who Donald might have been under different circumstances and with different parents. But clearly he learned the lesson.”
More: 'Far beyond garden-variety narcissism.' Book by Trump's niece paints him as habitual liar, inept businessman
The White House on Tuesday referred ABC News to its previous statements about the book. The White House previously said: "Mary Trump and her book’s publisher may claim to be acting in the public interest, but this book is clearly in the author’s own financial self-interest."
"President Trump has been in office for over three years working on behalf of the American people – why speak out now? The President describes the relationship he had with his father as warm and said his father was very good to him. He said his father was loving and not at all hard on him as a child," the statement continued.
As of Monday, publisher Simon & Schuster had shipped more than 600,000 copies of the book, subtitled "How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man," to bookstores across the country.


usatoday--2020-07-14--Moderna's COVID vaccine candidate appears to be safe and provide some immunity, new data from early

Moderna's COVID vaccine candidate appears to be safe and provide some immunity, new data from early trial shows

CAMBRIDGE , Mass .
– A candidate vaccine against COVID-19 developed by the federal government and Moderna , Inc. , appears to be safe and to trigger an immune response , according to data released Tuesday from an early phase trial .
But whether that immune response is enough to protect someone from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 remains unclear , according to several experts who reviewed the results .
Moderna 's chief medical officer Dr. Tal Zaks said although the protective effect of their vaccine ca n't technically be known yet , all indications are that mRNA-1273 will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's a good day for us , '' Zaks said .
Zaks said the levels of protective antibodies produced by the trial participants were similar to those found in patients who had recovered from COVID-19 , suggesting that the candidate vaccine provides the same protection as an infection .
Animal studies also show that mRNA-1273 can protect mice against infection , he said , and trials in primates and Syrian hamsters are underway .
Additionally , the mRNA-1273 candidate did not generate a kind of immune cell that with other diseases has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The clinical trial was led by Dr. Anthony Fauci ’ s Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health .
The experimental vaccine is being created at lightning speed .
On March 16 , just two months after Chinese scientists revealed the virus ’ s genetic sequence , a volunteer in Seattle was injected .
That set a record for getting a new candidate vaccine into human trials .
In the trial , 45 participants were divided in three groups , with one receiving a high dose , one a medium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Each got two shots , a month apart .
All the reactions in the two lower dose groups were mild , with more than half suffering minor fatigue , chills , headache or muscle pain , as is typical with vaccines .
Three of those who received the highest dose had a severe reaction after the second shot , according to the study , including one participant who spiked a fever of 103 .
The highest dose , 250-micrograms , has been dropped from later stage trials , and only the 100-microgram dose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All the participants showed evidence of an immune reaction , which is the goal of immunization .
But COVID-19 is so new it 's not clear how much of an immune reaction will be needed to protect against infection .
`` It looks like their vaccine was able to induce virus neutralizing antibody , which is positive , '' said Dr. Peter Hotez , dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston .
`` But it 's hard to know if the level of virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective immunity , or if it compares favorably with other ( vaccine ) candidates . ''
`` These are good results , '' said Dr. Nadine Rouphael , who helped lead the trial at Emory University School of Medicine .
But she agreed with Hotez that it 's too early to know whether the vaccine will be protective .
Neutralizing antibodies are known to be key for fighting other infections , she said , but there are still a lot of open questions about COVID-19 .
`` How long will they stay , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains to be determined , '' she said on a Tuesday call with media .
Learning whether the vaccine is protective will require a much larger study .
A so-called Phase 3 trial with 30,000 participants is slated to begin on July 27 , Zak confirmed .
One challenge , Rouphael said , will be to find trial participants who naturally catch COVID-19 .
With trials for a Zika vaccine , for instance , the disease was brought under control and it was very difficult to determine if the vaccine was protective , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
Thousands of people volunteered for the small Phase 1 trial , Rouphael said , adding that she hopes people will continue to sign up for the research .
The novel coronavirus works by invading human cells and then forcing them to reproduce the virus in high volumes .
One way to stop the disease could be to get the body to produce antibodies in advance that would prevent the virus from penetrating cells .
While the results so far show people injected are producing antibodies , it ’ s still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting sick .
Moderna relies on a technology that the company has compared to digitizing vaccines .
Rather than injecting someone with a weakened or dead virus , Moderna uses genetic material to trick the body into producing the critical antibodies before a person gets infected .
Moderna was founded in 2011 , but so far it has not successfully produced a vaccine .
The company , which went public in 2018 , will join the NASDAQ-100 , which includes the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market , based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
Dr. Paul Offit , a pediatrician and vaccine specialist at the University of Pennsylvania , said it is n't easy to understand what 's going on in the immune system after vaccinations .
Offit helped develop a vaccine against rotavirus , testing it in 35,000 infants and getting blood samples from all of them .
The vaccine ended up working in most babies , he said , but even with so many blood samples , researchers never could figure out what was different about the immune systems of those babies who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd think we 'd be able to say here 's why they were n't protected , '' he said , but `` we could n't find an immune correlate . ''
The goal is to have a vaccine ready in limited batches by January , or at a minimum as late as next summer .
There is no way to tell at this point whether either of those timetables are feasible .
Historically , vaccines often take many years to develop .
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Masimo Foundation for Ethics , Innovation and Competition in Healthcare .
The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input .

Karen Weintraub and David Heath, USA TODAY

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine candidate appears to be safe and provide some immunity, new data from early trial shows
Show Caption Hide Caption 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
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A candidate vaccine against COVID-19 developed by the federal government and Moderna appears to be safe and to trigger an immune response, according to data released Tuesday from an early phase trial.
Whether that immune response is enough to protect someone from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 remains unclear, according to several experts who reviewed the results.
Moderna's chief medical officer Tal Zaks said although the protective effect of the vaccine can't technically be known yet, all indications are that mRNA-1273 will be safe and effective.
"It's a good day for us," Zaks said.
Zaks said the levels of protective antibodies produced by the trial participants were similar to those found in patients who had recovered from COVID-19, suggesting that the candidate vaccine provides the same protection as an infection. Animal studies show mRNA-1273 can protect mice against infection, he said, and trials in primates and Syrian hamsters are underway.
The mRNA-1273 candidate did not generate a kind of immune cell that in other diseases made vaccinated people worse off, Zaks said.
The clinical trial was led by Anthony Fauci’s Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health. The experimental vaccine is being created quickly. On March 16, two months after Chinese scientists revealed the virus’s genetic sequence, a volunteer in Seattle was injected. That set a record for getting a candidate vaccine into human trials.
In the trial, 45 participants were divided in three groups – one that received a high dose, one a medium dose and one a low dose. Each person got two shots, a month apart.
All the reactions in the two lower dose groups were mild: More than half suffered minor fatigue, chills, headache or muscle pain, as is typical with vaccines. Three of those who received the highest dose had a severe reaction after the second shot, according to the study, including one participant whose fever spiked to 103.
The highest dose, 250 micrograms, was dropped from later stage trials, and only the 100-microgram dose will be proposed for use in people.
All the participants showed evidence of an immune reaction, which is the goal of immunization. COVID-19 is so new it's not clear how much of an immune reaction will be needed to protect against infection.
"It looks like their vaccine was able to induce a virus neutralizing antibody, which is positive," said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "But it's hard to know if the level of virus neutralizing antibody will be sufficient to induce protective immunity, or if it compares favorably with other (vaccine) candidates."
"These are good results," said Dr. Nadine Rouphael, who helped lead the trial at Emory University School of Medicine.
She agreed with Hotez that it's too early to know whether the vaccine will be protective. Neutralizing antibodies are key for fighting other infections, she said, but there are a lot of questions about COVID-19.
"How long will they stay, what's the right level of protection remains to be determined," she said Tuesday.
Learning whether the vaccine is protective will require a much larger study. A so-called Phase 3 trial with 30,000 participants is slated to begin July 27, Zak confirmed.
One challenge, Rouphael said, will be to find trial participants who naturally catch COVID-19. In trials for a Zika vaccine, the disease was brought under control, and it was very difficult to determine whether the vaccine was protective, because no one was catching it, she said.
Thousands of people volunteered for the small Phase 1 trial, Rouphael said, and she hopes people will continue to sign up for the research.
The novel coronavirus works by invading human cells, then forcing them to reproduce the virus in high volumes. One way to stop the disease could be to get the body to produce antibodies in advance that would prevent the virus from penetrating cells. Though the results show people injected produce antibodies, it’s not known whether that protects them from getting sick.
Moderna relies on a technology the company compared to digitizing vaccines. Rather than injecting someone with a weakened or dead virus, Moderna uses genetic material to trick the body into producing the critical antibodies before a person gets infected. Moderna was founded in 2011, but it has not successfully produced a vaccine.
The company, which went public in 2018, will join the NASDAQ-100, which includes the 100 largest nonfinancial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization, the company announced Tuesday.
Paul Offit, a pediatrician and vaccine specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, said it isn't easy to understand what's going on in the immune system after vaccinations. Offit helped develop a vaccine against rotavirus, testing it in 35,000 infants and getting blood samples from all of them.
The vaccine worked in most babies, he said, but even with so many blood samples, researchers never figured out what was different about the immune systems of the babies who didn't get protection. "You'd think we'd be able to say here's why they weren't protected," he said, but "we couldn't find an immune correlate."
The goal is to have a vaccine ready in limited batches by January, or at the latest next summer. There is no way to tell whether either of those timetables are feasible. Historically, vaccines take many years to develop.
Contact Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.


usatoday--2020-07-14--Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized with infection

WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was admitted to a hospital Tuesday for treatment of a possible infection , marking the latest medical issue for the four-time cancer survivor .
Ginsburg , 87 , the court 's oldest justice , experienced fever and chills Monday night and was treated at Sibley Memorial Hospital in the nation 's capital .
On Tuesday , she underwent an endoscopic procedure at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to clean out a bile duct stent that was inserted last August , the court announced .
The announcement said Ginsburg would remain at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intravenous antibiotic treatment but was `` resting comfortably . ''
Ginsburg 's health has been the subject of consternation among court-watchers for years , and more so as President Donald Trump 's first term draws to a close .
If she was forced to leave the court during his administration , the Republican-controlled Senate could try to replace her quickly and solidify the court 's conservative majority , perhaps for decades to come .
At a late afternoon press conference , Trump said , `` I wish her the best .
She ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Ginsburg has had several health scares dating back to 1999 , including colorectal , pancreatic and lung cancer .
Her lung cancer was diagnosed in December 2018 , and she had a second bout of pancreatic cancer last August .
Hitting the road : After cancer , Supreme Court 's Ruth Bader Ginsburg hits the road to prove her vitality -- and longevity Still , she has kept up with the court 's work , including during May 's telephonic oral arguments held remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospital , where she was recovering from acute cholecystitis , a benign gallbladder condition .
After that hospitalization , the court announced that she would return for follow-up outpatient visits and eventually have the gallstone removed .
Ginsburg was nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and is now second in length of service among the current justices , behind Associate Justice Clarence Thomas .
The court has a 5-4 conservative majority that could be expanded if she were to be replaced by a Republican president and Senate .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate in November , that would change the equation .

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized with infection
Show Caption Hide Caption Ruth Bader Ginsburg is tougher than she looks Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hasn't let anything stop her while serving, including several bouts with cancer. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was admitted to a hospital Tuesday for treatment of a possible infection, marking the latest medical issue for the four-time cancer survivor.
Ginsburg, 87, the court's oldest justice, experienced fever and chills Monday night and was treated at Sibley Memorial Hospital in the nation's capital. On Tuesday, she underwent an endoscopic procedure at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to clean out a bile duct stent that was inserted last August, the court announced.
The announcement said Ginsburg would remain at Johns Hopkins for a few days for intravenous antibiotic treatment but was "resting comfortably."
Ginsburg's health has been the subject of consternation among court-watchers for years, and more so as President Donald Trump's first term draws to a close. If she was forced to leave the court during his administration, the Republican-controlled Senate could try to replace her quickly and solidify the court's conservative majority, perhaps for decades to come.
At a late afternoon press conference, Trump said, "I wish her the best. She’s actually giving me some good rulings."
More: Year of surprise Supreme Court rulings shows influence of Chief Justice John Roberts
Ginsburg has had several health scares dating back to 1999, including colorectal, pancreatic and lung cancer. Her lung cancer was diagnosed in December 2018, and she had a second bout of pancreatic cancer last August.
Hitting the road: After cancer, Supreme Court's Ruth Bader Ginsburg hits the road to prove her vitality -- and longevity
Still, she has kept up with the court's work, including during May's telephonic oral arguments held remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. She joined one such debate from Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was recovering from acute cholecystitis, a benign gallbladder condition.
After that hospitalization, the court announced that she would return for follow-up outpatient visits and eventually have the gallstone removed.
Ginsburg was nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and is now second in length of service among the current justices, behind Associate Justice Clarence Thomas.
The court has a 5-4 conservative majority that could be expanded if she were to be replaced by a Republican president and Senate. If Democrats win the White House or the Senate in November, that would change the equation.


usatoday--2020-07-15--Trump swings at Biden at official event announcing he signed Hong Kong sanctions bill

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Tuesday he signed legislation that would slap sanctions on Chinese officials who undermine the autonomy of Hong Kong , the latest step in the administration 's increasingly confrontational posture toward Beijing .
But the president 's official remarks in the Rose Garden quickly turned political as he offered an extended critique of Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , and the Obama administration 's trade policies .
`` If we listened to Joe Biden , hundreds of thousands of additional lives would have been lost '' to the coronavirus , Trump claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which focused far more on Biden than on Hong Kong , came as the president has slid in national polling and has seen slipping support in battleground states he won in 2016 , such as Michigan and Pennsylvania .
The president , who made trade with China a centerpiece of his 2016 campaign , argued that the Obama administration `` freely allowed China to pillage our factories . ''
Biden campaign spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said taxpayers should be reimbursed for the `` abuse of funds '' from the event .
“ Today ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be about China , but there was one topic that President Trump couldn ’ t seem to get off his mind : Joe Biden , whose name the president invoked nearly 30 times , '' she said .
`` The whole sad affair says more about Donald Trump than he said about any particular topic . ''
Trump 's remarks was only the latest instance in which the president has veered heavily into presidential politics during an official event .
`` I can ’ t believe this , '' political analyst Stuart Rothenberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a campaign event from the White House . ''
U.S. relations with China have deteriorated as the president has hammered at Beijing 's response to the coronavirus , repeatedly asserting the country failed to warn the world about the severity of the disease that expert say originated in Wuhan .
The virus has added a new layer of tensions on top of the trade war that erupted in 2018 .
`` We hold China fully responsible for concealing the virus and unleashing it on the world , '' Trump said during remarks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president 's remarks on the sanctions bill quickly turned political , with Trump offering an extended critique of Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee .
Trump has claimed his `` phase one '' trade agreement with China announced in January remains in place , though the country is falling short of its goals to purchase U.S. goods and Washington has left in place sanctions on billions of dollars in Chinese goods .
The president said he also signed an executive order ending preferential trade treatment for Hong Kong .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's claims in South China Sea China slapped sanctions on four U.S. officials this week in response to penalties the Trump administration imposed on Chinese officials it says are responsible for the persecution of Muslim Uighur minorities in China 's Xinjiang province .
Hours later , the Trump administration rejected nearly all of China 's maritime claims in the South China Sea and accused Beijing of `` bullying '' its neighbors .
But even as his administration has taken an increasingly aggressive tone with China , Trump has been reluctant to weigh in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last month , he announced he would `` begin the process '' of ending Washington 's special relationship with Hong Kong , which grants the region sweeping trade advantages .
China began imposing its national security law this month , dismissing international pressure to preserve Hong Kong 's semi-autonomous status and its separate legal , political and economic framework , in place since 1997 when the United Kingdom turned over the administration of the city to China .
That policy had enshrined freedoms of speech , press , assembly and an independent judiciary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have defended the new law as necessary to preserve national security and protect Hong Kong 's prosperity , but critics say it is aimed at snuffing out pro-democracy protests that have roiled Hong Kong for months .
Lawmakers , meanwhile , advanced bipartisan legislation to slap stiff penalties on China for undermining Hong Kong 's autonomy .
The measure imposes sanctions on Chinese officials that help implement the national security law , which criminalizes subversion and other forms of dissent and allows Hong Kong residents to be extradited to China for trial @

John Fritze and David Jackson, USA TODAY

Trump swings at Biden at official event announcing he signed Hong Kong sanctions bill
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump signs order rebuking China over Hong Kong In Rose Garden remarks, President Donald Trump says he's signed an executive order that will hold China accountable for its oppressive actions against Hong Kong. He also said Democratic rival Joe Biden's entire career has been a “gift" to China. (July 14) AP
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Tuesday he signed legislation that would slap sanctions on Chinese officials who undermine the autonomy of Hong Kong, the latest step in the administration's increasingly confrontational posture toward Beijing.
But the president's official remarks in the Rose Garden quickly turned political as he offered an extended critique of Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and the Obama administration's trade policies.
"If we listened to Joe Biden, hundreds of thousands of additional lives would have been lost" to the coronavirus, Trump claimed without evidence.
Trump's remarks, which focused far more on Biden than on Hong Kong, came as the president has slid in national polling and has seen slipping support in battleground states he won in 2016, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania.
The president, who made trade with China a centerpiece of his 2016 campaign, argued that the Obama administration "freely allowed China to pillage our factories."
Biden campaign spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said taxpayers should be reimbursed for the "abuse of funds" from the event.
“Today’s statement that was ostensibly supposed to be about China, but there was one topic that President Trump couldn’t seem to get off his mind: Joe Biden, whose name the president invoked nearly 30 times," she said. "The whole sad affair says more about Donald Trump than he said about any particular topic."
Trump's remarks was only the latest instance in which the president has veered heavily into presidential politics during an official event.
"I can’t believe this," political analyst Stuart Rothenberg posted on Twitter. "This is a campaign event from the White House."
U.S. relations with China have deteriorated as the president has hammered at Beijing's response to the coronavirus, repeatedly asserting the country failed to warn the world about the severity of the disease that expert say originated in Wuhan. The virus has added a new layer of tensions on top of the trade war that erupted in 2018.
"We hold China fully responsible for concealing the virus and unleashing it on the world," Trump said during remarks in the Rose Garden announcing the decision.
The president's remarks on the sanctions bill quickly turned political, with Trump offering an extended critique of Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Trump has claimed his "phase one" trade agreement with China announced in January remains in place, though the country is falling short of its goals to purchase U.S. goods and Washington has left in place sanctions on billions of dollars in Chinese goods.
The president said he also signed an executive order ending preferential trade treatment for Hong Kong.
More: Trump administration rejects nearly all Beijing's claims in South China Sea
China slapped sanctions on four U.S. officials this week in response to penalties the Trump administration imposed on Chinese officials it says are responsible for the persecution of Muslim Uighur minorities in China's Xinjiang province.
Hours later, the Trump administration rejected nearly all of China's maritime claims in the South China Sea and accused Beijing of "bullying" its neighbors.
But even as his administration has taken an increasingly aggressive tone with China, Trump has been reluctant to weigh in on the crackdown of Hong Kong. Last month, he announced he would "begin the process" of ending Washington's special relationship with Hong Kong, which grants the region sweeping trade advantages.
China began imposing its national security law this month, dismissing international pressure to preserve Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status and its separate legal, political and economic framework, in place since 1997 when the United Kingdom turned over the administration of the city to China. That policy had enshrined freedoms of speech, press, assembly and an independent judiciary for residents of Hong Kong.
Chinese officials have defended the new law as necessary to preserve national security and protect Hong Kong's prosperity, but critics say it is aimed at snuffing out pro-democracy protests that have roiled Hong Kong for months.
Lawmakers, meanwhile, advanced bipartisan legislation to slap stiff penalties on China for undermining Hong Kong's autonomy. The measure imposes sanctions on Chinese officials that help implement the national security law, which criminalizes subversion and other forms of dissent and allows Hong Kong residents to be extradited to China for trial.
Contributing: Nicholas Wu, Deirdre Shesgreen