usatoday--2020-07-24--Who should Joe Biden pick as his vice president? Duckworth? Demings? Harris? Rice?

Even if Biden hadn ’ t said he ’ d pick a woman , I ’ d advise him to pick Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth anyway .
Policywise , she checks the usual boxes such as stricter gun laws and protection of abortion rights .
But this election goes beyond mere policy positions .
It is about putting men and women in the White House who possess fundamental American values like honesty and decency — values from which good policy is more likely than not to result .
Finally , and in contrast to our draft-dodging president , and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only volunteered , but sacrificed both her legs and partial mobility in her right arm in Iraq for our country .
She is the embodiment of “ duty , honor , country , ” and Americans need to be reminded what these things truly mean .
Paul Brandus is White House bureau chief of West Wing Reports .
Follow him on Twitter : @ WestWingReport Best prepared to be president The person best prepared to step into the job of president if the occasion arose would be former National Security Council Director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and knows her way around the White House .
Her principal shortcoming is her somewhat steely demeanor .
But with Biden at the head of ticket there would be more than enough high affect .
Her credentials are impeccable and would put to rest the argument that Biden is merely pandering to minority voters .
Value added : She would eat Pence alive in a debate .
Ross K. Baker is a distinguished professor of political science at Rutgers University .
Follow him on Twitter : @ Rosbake1 Florida Rep. Val Demings seized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a House impeachment manager earlier this year .
While some would shy away from a law enforcement official , Biden would be wise to choose this former Orlando Police chief .
Far from following a traditional path to politics or police work , Demings grew up as one of seven children of a maid and a janitor , and worked as a social worker .
That background informed her work in policing , where she focused on improving relations with the community , just what America needs at this moment in history .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Florida , runs marathons and rides a Harley , a combination of attributes that make her appealing to almost every demographic .
Barbara McQuade , a former U.S. attorney , is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School .
Follow her on Twitter : @ BarbMcQuade In selecting his running mate , Joe Biden should seize a unique opportunity to heal the present painful breach between law enforcement and the Black community .
Rep. Val Demings grew up as the daughter of a janitor and a house maid before graduating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Orlando Police Department .
She rose to the rank of chief , then won election to Congress in 2016 , earning appreciation from both the cops she led and the community she served .
Her husband of 32 years , Jerry Demings , also worked as a cop , police chief and county sheriff , and currently serves as Mayor of Orange County , Florida — the most crucial electoral battleground in the most crucial of all swing states .
When President Trump attacks Biden as anti-police ( and he will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be perfectly positioned to respond .
The congresswoman not only can help Biden win , but would help him govern , with her demonstrated bridge-building skills and tough but warm-hearted charisma .
Joe Biden has a wealth of amazing women to choose as his running mate next month , but I think his best choice is Florida Rep. Val Demings .
Sen. Kamala Harris is everybody ’ s favorite , including mine , and Sen. Tammy Duckworth is a decorated combat veteran who lost her legs in Iraq .
But Demings is from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win if he wants to break Trump ’ s 2016 electoral path to victory .
Demings is a mother of three sons , narried to the mayor of a Florida city .
She was a former police chief .
And most recently she was a House Impeachment manager against Trump earlier this year .
Her grit , grace , smarts and deep southern roots are exactly what Biden needs to help him win in November .
Sophia A. Nelson is a CNN commentator .
Follow her on Twitter : @ IAmSophiaNelson Given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea of a sharp , hard-working prosecutor on the Democratic ticket has undeniable appeal .
Who better than California Sen. Kamala Harris , a former district attorney who has shown a prosecutorial tenacity at Senate hearings , to join Joe Biden in making the “ case ” to voters that Trump has failed as president and must be ousted ?
The marshaling of evidence and argument are the prosecutor ’ s way .
So is competitive instinct .
Harris has demonstrated plenty , never more so than in her well-executed jab at Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate .
Don ’ t hold that against her , Joe .
Pick her as your running mate .
Whether it ’ s the courtroom , the Senate hearing room , or the race for the White House , she ’ s in to win , and rarely if ever has winning been so important .
Tom Krattenmaker writes on religion and values in American public life .
Follow him on Twitter at @ tkrattenmaker For his vice president , Joe Biden should go with the most strategic choice : Sen. Kamala Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has already earned her a national profile .
This matters in an election that may feature a virtual convention and few rallies .
Harris hails from a state with significant Latinx , Black , and Asian-American populations , so she can appeal to diverse groups of voters .
The historic nature of her nomination will likely drive turnout among people of color in battleground states , especially Black women ; Harris would also bring a sense of excitement and enthusiasm to the Biden campaign .
Her questioning of William Barr and Brett Kavanaugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence and sharp intellect .
At a time when the country is grappling with systemic racism , Harris — who co-authored a Democratic bill on police reform — is uniquely qualified to serve as vice president .
Raul Reyes is a New York attorney .
Follow him on Twitter : @ RaulAReyes Joe Biden should pick Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer to be his running mate because she can help flip a Trump state that Democrats need to retake the White House .
With the large , liberal coastal states of California and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic ticket can focus on key Rust Belt battlegrounds like Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania , which swung the last election to the GOP .
The Great Lakes State , which had not gone Republican for president in 28 years until 2016 , is ripe for the picking .
Donald Trump won it by only 0.2 % , his smallest margin in the country , but two years later , Whitmer won statewide by almost 10 points .
This summer , the governor ’ s approval rating rose to 60 % , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 59 % among Michiganders .
The `` Big Gretch ’ s '' lockdown policies during the pandemic sparked conservative protests at the statehouse , but they have been popular with independents , who gave the governor 65 % support for her handling of the coronavirus .
Like elsewhere , polls wrongly showed Hillary Clinton winning Michigan in 2016 and very well could be skewed again this cycle .
That is why Biden should not take anything for granted and tap Gov .
Whitmer for his veep pick to lock up this vital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author of “ The Conservative Case for Trump.
” Follow him on Twitter : @ BrettMDecker Joe Biden ’ s best choice for running mate is obvious .
She has a national organization , instant name recognition , a strong fundraising network , top-drawer credentials and a track record of igniting the liberal base of the Democratic Party .
She is not known for reaching across the aisle , but Biden has spent decades staking out a position in the middle of the road .
The Democratic ticket doesn ’ t need another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stands up for her principles on issues ranging from income inequality to civil rights to a defense of labor unions .
Democrats need a fighter , preferably one with a well-chronicled knack for getting under President Trump ’ s skin .
Frankly , when she left the Democratic primary in March — leaving behind two white men in their seventies — much of the excitement left with her .
It ’ s time to bring that excitement back .
Best of all , she is ready to be president on day one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ job is Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts .
Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a syndicated columnist and host of the podcast , “ Navarrette Nation.
” Follow him on Twitter : @ RubenNavarrette Joe Biden doesn ’ t need the demographically optimal , most perfectly poll-tested vice president to win .
So I say forget all considerations except this one : Who would be the best governing partner and the best president , not someday but now , should anything happen to Biden ?
America , meet Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth , a no-nonsense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Disabilities Act .
In many ways , her strengths are the same as Biden ’ s .
Duckworth , who lost both legs and partial use of one arm when the Blackhawk helicopter she was piloting was shot down by Iraqi insurgents , has been through a lot and yet retained both a sense of joy and of purpose .
Every morning , she told The New York Times , she wakes up grateful to Dan Milberg , the Army co-pilot who pulled her from the wreckage outside Baghdad : “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am never going to make Dan regret saving my life.
’ ” The first woman to bring a baby , her newborn daughter , on the floor of the Senate with her to cast a vote a couple of years ago , she was also the first to call the president “ Cadet Bone Spurs , ” in response to what she saw as his bullying .
I ’ m guessing that when you ’ ve fainted from hunger in class as a kid , and pushed to become a pilot because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat roles open to women , Donald Trump does not scare you .
Duckworth is what her fellow Midwesterners would admiringly call “ a normal person ” — easy to be around , hard to dislike .
It was never true that Trump would find it hard to disparage her ; that ’ s his best event .
But the now former Sen. Mark Kirk could tell him how that will work out .
Duckworth was born in Thailand , to a Thai mother and an American father , and when Duckworth was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 , he answered her debate comment about her pride in her two ancestors who ’ d fought alongside George Washington with the crack that he wasn ’ t aware anyone had come over from Thailand to do that .
He ended up having to apologize , and she ended up being sworn in .
Biden and Duckworth would be a good team , and I don ’ t see the former vice president ever having to apologize for choosing her as his running mate .
Melinda Henneberger is an editorial writer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Follow her on Twitter : @ MelindaKCMO Of the candidates Joe Biden has under consideration , Sen. Kamala Harris makes the most sense by far .
Given Biden ’ s age , he needs to choose someone who is significantly younger than he is but who also comes with serious credibility .
Her impressive resume makes Harris an ideal apprentice for president .
While her background in law enforcement will work against her in some circles , she will be running against a team that favors pardoning friends and replacing police officers with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During the primaries , Harris took the fight to Biden ; she is equally capable of taking it to Trump and Pence Ellis Cose is the author of `` Democracy , If We Can Keep It : The ACLU ’ s 100-Year Fight for Rights in America . ''
Follow him on Twitter : @ EllisCose As plenty of thought pieces have pointed out , vice presidential picks don ’ t really swing elections .
So if , as historical data suggest , a presidential candidate ’ s VP choice doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other , the VP pick is really just a way for the presidential candidate to show something about her or his character .
That ’ s why I was so horrified when Hillary Clinton picked Tim Kaine , who was a very bland , safe , centrist middle finger to the progressive Democratic base and stoked our fears that Clinton was , indeed , deep down a bland , safe centrist or at least would govern in that mold .
So Biden has an opportunity to show who he intends to be as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis , a leader “ who can be most effectively pressured into allowing more space for the evolving anti-racist movement.
” That means , in no uncertain terms , picking a progressive women of color as his running mate — not just for symbolic reasons , but to show that he ’ s really listening and learning and different from Democrats of the past , not just paying lip service to Black voters and young progressives but actually building a new kind of party and new models of leadership for the future .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders not just for the photo ops but for their ideas and vision — and showing it by sharing power with a Black woman .
Personally , my pick would be Rep. Karen Bass of California — an amazing community organizer and powerful progressive visionary with experience at every level of government .
But I ’ ll be happy with almost any pick… except Tim Kaine .
Sally Kohn is author of `` The Opposite Of Hate : A Field Guide To Repairing Our Humanity . ''
Follow her on Twitter : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden should pick as a running mate , my immediate thirst is to find someone who will stand on a debate stage or a debate Zoom and shred Mike Pence into eggshell-colored bits .
So anybody but Tim Kaine .
Further reflection requires me to think about which politician who fits Biden ’ s stated goal of picking a woman and also shows the former vice president understands the vast challenges we face .
On a policy level , one woman has a plan for everything .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren was the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 that even grazed the scope of the problem .
And her plans touch every and all of the interconnected crises Biden will have to face .
Yet our greatest crisis , the one that makes all our other escalating inequalities so daunting , is the assault on democracy and voting that squealed into overdrive in 2010 with a mélange of restrictions on ballot access that all have the aim of preserving minority power for the GOP .
No mainstream politician understands better the need to center voting rights , organizing and voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our system and keep the spirit of the streets alive , as Republicans turn to blame them for all of Trump ’ s failings , better than Stacey Abrams .
She will show Biden ’ s commitment to fighting for every vote , in every possible swing state .
And we ’ ll still have Warren in the Senate leading the charge on policy , ideally without a filibuster strangling the relief and reform America so desperately needs .
Jason Sattler , a writer based in Ann Arbor , Michigan , is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ podcast .
Follow him on Twitter : @ LOLGOP The median age of people who die from COVID-19 is 78 .
Should Joe Biden win the election , he will be 78 when he ’ s sworn in as president .
He needs a vice president who is ready to be president .
Rather than picking a Dan Quayle or a Sarah Palin — someone exciting and unqualified — Biden should pick someone who can govern immediately , someone with experience in the executive branch and knowledge of government and world affairs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduated from Stanford University , was a Rhodes scholar and got a Ph.D. in international relations at Oxford University before serving as ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser under President Obama .
She can spell “ potato ” and knows not only where Russia is but also what it is : an enemy of the United States .
Windsor Mann is the editor of The Quotable Hitchens : From Alcohol to Zionism .
Follow him on Twitter : @ WindsorMann Sen. Tammy Duckworth ’ s story embodies the very best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful contrast to “ Private Bone Spurs , ” Donald Trump .
Her mother is Thai Chinese , which would make Duckworth the highest-serving member of the Asian American Pacific Islander community in our nation ’ s history .
Oftentimes designated as the “ model minority ” and flagrantly subjected to racist epithets from Trump and his ilk , the APPI community is actually the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the U.S. electorate .
Moreover , for all of Trump ’ s anti-immigrant rhetoric , Duckworth also happens to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” whose father served in both World War II and Vietnam .
Following in her family ’ s footsteps , she joined the Army Reserves and flew combat missions in Iraq , where she was shot down by Iraqi insurgents and lost both of her legs .
Trump pretends to be tough , Duckworth actually is .
The last time Biden was on the ticket with someone from Illinois , it worked out pretty well , why not let history repeat itself ?
Kurt Bardella is a senior adviser for the Lincoln Project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kurtbardella Progressive Democrats will get very annoyed at me if I presume to tell Democrats who to pick so I will tell them how to pick instead : Dance with the one that brung ya .
Joe Biden got where he is today by calming the fears of people in the political middle so make sure those people are happy with the VP choice , especially the ones in the “ new ” swing states like Arizona , North Carolina and Ohio .
Biden has already given progressives a seat at the table @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and that was fodder for attack ads before the ink was dry .
The Trump campaign dreams of Biden picking a vice-president they can claim is a progressive Rasputin who would really be calling all the shots in a Biden administration .
Remember what you guys used to say about Dick Cheney ?
Don ’ t give them the opportunity .
Chris Truax is an appellate lawyer in San Diego .

Who should Joe Biden pick as his vice president? Duckworth? Demings? Harris? Rice? USA TODAY asked opinion contributors to name Joe Biden's best pick for vice president.
Show Caption Hide Caption Joe Biden's vice presidential candidate: 6 possibilities The former vice president will soon begin the process of selecting a running mate as the Democratic primary nears its end. USA TODAY
About fundamental American values
Even if presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden hadn’t said he’d pick a woman, I’d advise him to pick Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth anyway. Policywise, she checks the usual boxes such as stricter gun laws and protection of abortion rights. But this election goes beyond mere policy positions. It is about putting men and women in the White House who possess fundamental American values like honesty and decency — values from which good policy is more likely than not to result. Finally, and in contrast to our draft-dodging president, and our couldn’t-be-bothered-to-serve vice president, Duckworth not only volunteered but sacrificed both her legs and partial mobility in her right arm in Iraq for our country. The 52-year-old senator is the embodiment of “duty, honor, country,” and Americans need to be reminded what these things truly mean.
Paul Brandus is White House bureau chief of West Wing Reports. Follow him on Twitter: @WestWingReport
Best prepared to be president
The person best prepared to step into the job of president if the occasion arose would be former National Security Council leader Susan Rice, 55. She is very smart and knows her way around the White House. Her principal shortcoming is her somewhat steely demeanor. But with Biden at the head of ticket, there would be more than enough high affect. Her credentials are impeccable and would put to rest the argument that Biden is merely pandering to minority voters. Value added: She would eat Vice President Mike Pence alive in a debate.
Ross K. Baker is a distinguished professor of political science at Rutgers University. Follow him on Twitter: @Rosbake1
Seized her national moment
Florida Rep. Val Demings, 63, seized her moment on the national stage as a House impeachment manager this year. While some would shy away from a former law enforcement official, Biden would be wise to choose this former Orlando police chief. Far from following a traditional path to politics or police work, Demings grew up as one of seven children of a maid and a janitor, and worked as a social worker. That background informed her work in policing, where she focused on improving relations with the community, just what America needs at this moment in history. She comes from the electorally important state of Florida, runs marathons and rides a Harley, a combination of attributes that make her appealing to almost every demographic.
Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney, is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School. Follow her on Twitter: @BarbMcQuade
Tough, warm-hearted charisma
In selecting his running mate, Biden should seize a unique opportunity to heal the present painful breach between law enforcement and the Black community. Rep. Val Demings grew up as the daughter of a janitor and a house maid before graduating from Florida State University and spending 27 years with the Orlando Police Department. She rose to the rank of chief then won election to Congress in 2016, earning appreciation from both the cops she led and the community she served. Her husband of 32 years, Jerry Demings, also worked as a cop, police chief and county sheriff, and is serving as the mayor of Orange County, Florida — the most crucial electoral battleground in the most crucial of all swing states. When President Donald Trump attacks Biden as anti-police (and he will), Val and Jerry Demings will be perfectly positioned to respond. The congresswoman not only can help Biden win but also will help him govern, with her demonstrated bridge-building skills and tough but warm-hearted charisma.
Michael Medved is syndicated talk radio host. Follow him on Twitter: @MedvedSHOW
Southern, Florida roots
Biden has a wealth of amazing women to choose as his running mate next month, but I think his best choice is Rep. Val Demings. California Sen. Kamala Harris is everybody’s favorite, including mine, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth is a decorated combat veteran who lost her legs in Iraq. But Demings is from Florida, a state that Biden must win if he wants to break Trump’s 2016 electoral path to victory. Demings is a mother of three sons and is married to a mayor. She was a former police chief. And most recently she was a House impeachment manager against Trump. Her grit, grace, smarts and deep Southern roots are exactly what Biden needs to help him win in November.
Sophia A. Nelson is a CNN commentator. Follow her on Twitter: @IAmSophiaNelson
Answer to Trump's lawlessness
Given the lawlessness of the current administration, the idea of a sharp, hardworking prosecutor on the Democratic ticket has undeniable appeal. Who better than Sen. Kamala Harris, 55, a former district attorney who has shown a prosecutorial tenacity at Senate hearings, to join Biden in making the case to voters that Trump has failed as president and must be ousted? The marshaling of evidence and argument are the prosecutor’s way. So is competitive instinct. Harris has demonstrated plenty, never more so than in her well-executed jab at Biden himself at the June 2019 candidates’ debate. Don’t hold that against her, Joe. Pick her as your running mate. Whether it’s the courtroom, the Senate hearing room or the race for the White House, she’s in to win — and rarely if ever has winning been so important.
Tom Krattenmaker writes on religion and values in American public life. Follow him on Twitter: @TKrattenmaker
Appeals to diverse voters
For his vice president, Biden should go with the most strategic choice: Sen. Kamala Harris of California. Her own run for the nomination has already earned her a national profile. This matters in an election that may feature a virtual convention and few rallies. Harris hails from a state with significant Latinx, Black and Asian American populations, so she can appeal to diverse groups of voters. The historic nature of her nomination will likely drive turnout among people of color in battleground states, especially Black women; Harris would also bring a sense of excitement and enthusiasm to the Biden campaign. Her questioning of William Barr and Brett Kavanaugh in Senate hearings has demonstrated her compelling presence and sharp intellect. At a time when the country is grappling with systemic racism, Harris — who co-authored a Democratic bill on police reform — is uniquely qualified to serve as vice president.
Raul Reyes is a New York attorney. Follow him on Twitter: @RaulAReyes
Flip Michigan in 2020
Biden should pick Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, 48, to be his running mate because she can help flip a Trump state that Democrats need to retake the White House. With the large, liberal coastal states of California and New York in the bag, a Democratic ticket can focus on key Rust Belt battlegrounds like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which swung the last election to the GOP. The Great Lakes State, which had not gone Republican for president in 28 years until 2016, is ripe for the picking. Trump won it by only 0.2 of a percentage point, his smallest margin in the country. Two years later, however, Whitmer won statewide by almost 10 points. This spring, the governor’s approval rating rose to nearly 60%, while 50% of Michiganders disapproved of President Trump’s handling of COVID-19. The "Big Gretch’s" lockdown policies during the pandemic sparked conservative protests at the statehouse, but they have been popular with independents, who last month gave the governor 65% support for her handling of the coronavirus. Like elsewhere, polls wrongly showed Hillary Clinton winning Michigan in 2016 and very well could be skewed again this cycle. That is why Biden should not take anything for granted and tap Gov. Whitmer for his veep pick to lock up this vital Midwestern state.
Brett M. Decker is co-author of “The Conservative Case for Trump.” Follow him on Twitter: @BrettMDecker
Democrats need a brawler
Biden’s best choice for running mate is obvious. She has a national organization, instant name recognition, a strong fundraising network, top-drawer credentials and a track record of igniting the liberal base of the Democratic Party. She is not known for reaching across the aisle, but Biden has spent decades staking out a position in the middle of the road. The Democratic ticket doesn’t need another conciliator; it needs a brawler who stands up for her principles on issues ranging from income inequality to civil rights to a defense of labor unions. Democrats need a fighter, preferably one with a well-chronicled knack for getting under Trump’s skin. Frankly, when she left the Democratic primary in March — leaving behind two white men in their 70s — much of the excitement left with her. It’s time to bring that excitement back. Best of all, she is ready to be president on Day One. Of course the woman for the job is Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a syndicated columnist and host of the podcast “Navarrette Nation.” Follow him on Twitter: @RubenNavarrette
How the DNC changed its rules since Sanders, Clinton in 2016 The primaries are here! How does one get elected in the first place and what is in store for the Democratic National Convention in 2020? We explain. Just the FAQs
No-nonsense combat vet
Biden doesn’t need the demographically optimal, most perfectly poll-tested vice president to win. I say forget all considerations except this one: Who would be the best governing partner and the best president, not someday but now, should anything happen to Biden? America, meet Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a no-nonsense combat veteran who helped save the Americans with Disabilities Act. In many ways, her strengths are the same as Biden’s. Duckworth, who lost both legs and partial use of one arm when the Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting was shot down by Iraqi insurgents, has been through a lot and yet retained both a sense of joy and of purpose. Every morning, she told The New York Times, she wakes up grateful to Dan Milberg, the Army co-pilot who pulled her from the wreckage outside Baghdad: “I wake up every day thinking I am never going to make Dan regret saving my life.” The first woman to bring a baby, her newborn daughter, on the floor of the Senate with her to cast a vote a couple of years ago, she was also the first to call the president “Cadet Bone Spurs,” in response to what she saw as his bullying. I’m guessing that when you’ve fainted from hunger in class as a kid and pushed to become a pilot because that was one of the only Army combat roles open to women, Trump does not scare you. Duckworth is what her fellow Midwesterners would admiringly call “a normal person” — easy to be around, hard to dislike. It was never true that Trump would find it hard to disparage her; that’s his best event. But the now former Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois could tell him how that will work out. Duckworth was born in Thailand, to a Thai mother and an American father, and when Duckworth was running for Kirk’s seat in 2016, he answered her debate comment about her pride in her two ancestors who had fought alongside George Washington with the crack that he wasn’t aware anyone had come over from Thailand to do that. He ended up having to apologize, and she ended up being sworn in. Biden and Duckworth would be a good team, and I don’t see the former vice president ever having to apologize for choosing her as his running mate.
Melinda Henneberger is an editorial writer and columnist for The Kansas City Star. Follow her on Twitter: @MelindaKCMO
Younger, credible, impressive
Of the candidates Biden has under consideration, Sen. Kamala Harris makes the most sense by far. Given Biden’s age, he needs to choose someone who is significantly younger than he is but who also comes with serious credibility. Her impressive résumé makes Harris an ideal apprentice for president. While her background in law enforcement will work against her in some circles, she will be running against a team that favors pardoning friends and replacing police officers with federal storm troopers — which somewhat nullifies that disadvantage. During the primaries, Harris took the fight to Biden; she is equally capable of taking it to Trump and Pence.
Ellis Cose is the author of "Democracy, If We Can Keep It: The ACLU’s 100-Year Fight for Rights in America." Follow him on Twitter: @EllisCose
Powerful progressive visionary
As plenty of thought pieces have pointed out, vice presidential picks don’t really swing elections. If, as historical data suggests, a presidential candidate’s VP choice doesn’t impact voting decisively one way or the other, the pick is really just a way for the presidential candidate to show something about her or his character. That’s why I was so horrified when Hillary Clinton picked Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who was a very bland, safe, centrist middle finger to the progressive Democratic base and stoked our fears that Clinton was, indeed, deep down a bland, safe centrist or at least would govern in that mold. Biden has an opportunity to show who he intends to be as president — in the words of activist Angela Davis, a leader “who can be most effectively pressured into allowing more space for the evolving anti-racist movement.” That means, in no uncertain terms, picking a progressive woman of color as his running mate, not just for symbolic reasons but to show that he’s really listening and learning and is different from Democrats of the past, not just paying lip service to Black voters and young progressives but actually building a new kind of party and new models of leadership for the future. It means valuing Black voters and Black leaders not just for the photo ops but for their ideas and vision — and showing it by sharing power with a Black woman. Personally, my pick would be California Rep. Karen Bass, 66, an amazing community organizer and powerful progressive visionary with experience at every level of government. But I’ll be happy with almost any pick … except Tim Kaine.
Sally Kohn is author of "The Opposite Of Hate: A Field Guide To Repairing Our Humanity." Follow her on Twitter: @sallykohn
A focus on voting rights
When I think about who Biden should pick as a running mate, my immediate thirst is to find someone who will stand on a debate stage or a debate Zoom and shred Pence into eggshell-colored bits. So anybody but Tim Kaine. Further reflection requires me to think about which politician who fits Biden’s stated goal of picking a woman and also shows that the former vice president understands the vast challenges we face. On a policy level, one woman has a plan for everything. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was the first candidate to issue a plan to confront COVID-19 that even grazed the scope of the problem. And her plans touch every and all of the interconnected crises Biden will have to face. Yet our greatest crisis, the one that makes all our other escalating inequalities so daunting, is the assault on democracy and voting that squealed into overdrive in 2010 with a mélange of restrictions on ballot access that all have the aim of preserving minority power for the GOP. No mainstream politician understands better the need to center voting rights, organizing and voter activation that can correct the ails in our system and keep the spirit of the streets alive, as Republicans turn to blame them for all of Trump’s failings, better than Stacey Abrams, 46. She will show Biden’s commitment to fighting for every vote, in every possible swing state. And we’ll still have Warren in the Senate leading the charge on policy, ideally without a filibuster strangling the relief and reform America so desperately needs.
Jason Sattler, a writer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a host of "The GOTMFV Show" podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @LOLGOP
Knowledge and experience
The median age of people who die from COVID-19 is 78. Should Biden win the election, he will be 78 when he’s sworn in as president. He needs a vice president who is ready to be president. Rather than picking a Dan Quayle or a Sarah Palin — someone exciting and unqualified — Biden should pick someone who can govern immediately, someone with experience in the executive branch and knowledge of government and world affairs. He should pick Susan Rice. She graduated from Stanford University, was a Rhodes scholar and got a Ph.D. in international relations at Oxford University before serving as ambassador to the United Nations and as national security adviser under President Barack Obama. She can spell “potato” and knows not only where Russia is but also what it is: an enemy of the United States.
Windsor Mann is the editor of "The Quotable Hitchens: From Alcohol to Zionism." Follow him on Twitter: @WindsorMann
Daughter of the American Revolution
Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s story embodies the very best of the American spirit and is a powerful contrast to “Candidate Bone Spurs,” Donald Trump. Her mother is Thai Chinese, which would make Duckworth the highest-serving member of the Asian American Pacific Islander community in our nation’s history. Oftentimes designated as the “model minority” and flagrantly subjected to racist epithets from Trump and his ilk, the AAPI community is actually the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the U.S. electorate. Moreover, for all of Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, Duckworth also happens to be a “Daughter of the American Revolution,” and her father served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Following in her family’s footsteps, she joined the Army Reserve and flew combat missions in Iraq, where she was shot down by Iraqi insurgents and lost both of her legs. Trump pretends to be tough, Duckworth actually is. The last time Biden was on the ticket with someone from Illinois, it worked out pretty well, why not let history repeat itself?
Kurt Bardella is a senior adviser for the Lincoln Project. Follow him on Twitter: @kurtbardella
Not a progressive Rasputin
Progressive Democrats will get very annoyed at me if I presume to tell Democrats who to pick, so I will tell them how to pick instead: Dance with the one that brung ya. Biden got where he is today by calming the fears of people in the political middle, so make sure those people are happy with the vice president choice, especially the ones in the “new” swing states like Arizona, North Carolina and Ohio. Biden has already given progressives a seat at the table with his joint manifesto with Sen. Bernie Sanders — and that was fodder for attack ads before the ink was dry. The Trump campaign dreams of Biden picking a vice president it can claim is a progressive Rasputin who would really be calling all the shots in a Biden administration. Remember what you guys used to say about Vice President Dick Cheney? Don’t give them the opportunity.
Chris Truax is an appellate lawyer in San Diego.


usatoday--2020-07-24--What might have been: Olympic stars were set to take center stage in Tokyo before COVID-19 postponem

We were supposed to be gathered around our TVs Friday night , watching as athletes marched into the stadium and the Olympic flame was lit in Tokyo .
The coronavirus , of course , had other ideas .
Instead , we 're left reminiscing on what could have been and who might have made history .
Although the majority of athletes had not yet qualified when the Games were postponed on March 24 , there were several safe bets for the U.S. team .
Here are some of the athletes and teams we 'll miss watching the most in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 'll just have to wait until 2021 ... hopefully .
We all remember how Biles took the world by storm during Rio 2016 , leading the U.S. women 's gymnastics team to gold while also winning three individual golds and a bronze .
But in the leadup to 2020 , she took her gymnastics — already at the highest difficulty level in the world — up a notch .
Biles has had three skills named for her — meaning no other woman has done them in international competition — in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a signature vault , a triple-twisting double somersault on floor exercise and a double-double dismount off the beam .
We do n't know which of those Biles might have competed in Tokyo or if she would have pulled out even more surprises , but we do know she would 've wowed us .
BILES : Can now see upside to Tokyo postponement The 23-year-old distance swimmer has already been to two Olympics ( London and Rio ) and won five gold medals and a silver .
But what she 's most known for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As if that were n't enough , the women 's 1500-meter freestyle — an event in which Ledecky has three world titles — was set to be added to the program in 2020 .
LEDECKY : Focuses on Stanford studies with Tokyo Games on hold Beach volleyball legend Kerri Walsh Jennings competed in her first Olympics in 2000 — when she was a member of the U.S. indoor volleyball team .
There were athletes who competed in the 2016 Rio Games who were born in 2000 .
But even after five Olympics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consecutive gold ) , three children and the retirement of her longtime partner Misty May-Treanor in 2012 , Walsh Jennings was still training for Tokyo .
She is n't the top-ranked beach volleyball player in the world anymore .
She 's not even the top player in the USA .
But at this point , how could you count the 41-year-old out for a sixth Olympics ?
The 2016 Olympics ended in a shock for the U.S. women 's team when it lost in the quarterfinals to Sweden and finished an astonishing fifth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 World Cup in France and looked to carry that momentum into Tokyo for a chance at an unprecedented fifth gold medal .
The new kids in town Among the sports being added to Tokyo were skateboarding and surfing , which would have given the games a fun , more extreme flavor .
The top American skateboarder is Nyjah Huston , who has been on the pro scene since 2008 and has medalled in every X Games since 2009 .
He has also won three consecutive golds in the street event at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would 've had his first shot at an Olympic gold .
Meanwhile , Carissa Moore has won four World Tour titles in surfing , including one in 2019 .
At just 27 , Moore is already a member of the Surfers ' Hall of Fame .
One of the few athletes who had already qualified for Tokyo when the Games were postponed , Moore seems set to go in 2021 .
Baseball and softball were taken out of the Olympics after the 2008 Games , but both were set to return for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan .
But they wo n't be on the program for the 2024 Games in Paris .
The U.S. has traditionally dominated in softball , winning the gold every year the event was on the program except 2008 , when it won silver .
That 's less true in baseball , where Major League players ca n't compete , but the U.S. did medal in 1996 , 2000 and 2008 .
In the baseball tournament , we were likely to see some top college and Minor League prospects — among 2008 's squad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen Strasburg and Jake Arrieta — as well as some former big leaguers playing both for the U.S. and for international squads .
Meanwhile the U.S. softball team had welcomed back two of the star pitchers from the 2008 silver-medal winning team , Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman to an impressive young squad .
Perhaps the best opening ceremony moment ever , Muhammad Ali lighting the torch at the 1996 Olympics while suffering from Parkinson 's disease is hard to forget .
SIMONE MANUEL : Gold medalist swimmer wants to do more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The expansion NHL team revealed its new name and logo .
WASHINGTON FT ?
: In 2020 , Washington 's football team will be called ... the Washington Football Team .
NFL : Owners , players at impasse over over pandemic 's financial blow .
Baseball ( live ) : It 's opening day for the other 26 teams !
Nationally televised games include Braves vs. Mets at 4:10 p.m .
ET on ESPN , Tigers vs. Reds at 6:10 on MLB Network , Brewers vs. Cubs at 7:10 on ESPN and Angels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Golf ( live ) : Coverage of the 3M Open continues at 2:30 p.m .
ET on the Golf Channel .
Olympics ( classic ) : Several past Opening Ceremonies will be aired on the Olympic Channel , including 1992 at 1:31 p.m .
ET , 2004 at 6:01 p.m. and 2008 at 9:02 a.m .

What might have been: Olympic stars were set to take center stage in Tokyo before COVID-19 postponement
Show Caption Hide Caption Olympic athlete Lily Zhang explains what it takes to be a pro at table tennis Sports Pulse: Lily Zhang walks us through the dedication needed to become a profession table tennis athlete SportsPulse, USA TODAY
We were supposed to be gathered around our TVs Friday night, watching as athletes marched into the stadium and the Olympic flame was lit in Tokyo.
The coronavirus, of course, had other ideas.
Instead, we're left reminiscing on what could have been and who might have made history.
Although the majority of athletes had not yet qualified when the Games were postponed on March 24, there were several safe bets for the U.S. team.
Here are some of the athletes and teams we'll miss watching the most in our summer without the Olympics.
Now, we'll just have to wait until 2021 ... hopefully.
Simone Biles
Duh.
We all remember how Biles took the world by storm during Rio 2016, leading the U.S. women's gymnastics team to gold while also winning three individual golds and a bronze.
But in the leadup to 2020, she took her gymnastics — already at the highest difficulty level in the world — up a notch. Biles has had three skills named for her — meaning no other woman has done them in international competition — in the past three years alone. Among those are a signature vault, a triple-twisting double somersault on floor exercise and a double-double dismount off the beam.
We don't know which of those Biles might have competed in Tokyo or if she would have pulled out even more surprises, but we do know she would've wowed us.
BILES: Can now see upside to Tokyo postponement
VOGUE: Simone Biles graces magazine cover, opens up in interview
Katie Ledecky
The 23-year-old distance swimmer has already been to two Olympics (London and Rio) and won five gold medals and a silver. But what she's most known for is leaving her competitors in the dust.
As if that weren't enough, the women's 1500-meter freestyle — an event in which Ledecky has three world titles — was set to be added to the program in 2020.
LEDECKY: Focuses on Stanford studies with Tokyo Games on hold
Here's another quick message from Katie Ledecky about social distancing... pic.twitter.com/fOnP3nwoX3 — Kyle Sockwell (@kylesockwell) April 14, 2020
Kerri Walsh Jennings
Beach volleyball legend Kerri Walsh Jennings competed in her first Olympics in 2000 — when she was a member of the U.S. indoor volleyball team. There were athletes who competed in the 2016 Rio Games who were born in 2000.
But even after five Olympics, four total medals (including three consecutive gold), three children and the retirement of her longtime partner Misty May-Treanor in 2012, Walsh Jennings was still training for Tokyo.
She isn't the top-ranked beach volleyball player in the world anymore. She's not even the top player in the USA. But at this point, how could you count the 41-year-old out for a sixth Olympics?
The U.S. Women's National Team
The 2016 Olympics ended in a shock for the U.S. women's team when it lost in the quarterfinals to Sweden and finished an astonishing fifth. The team rebounded by winning the 2019 World Cup in France and looked to carry that momentum into Tokyo for a chance at an unprecedented fifth gold medal.
The new kids in town
Among the sports being added to Tokyo were skateboarding and surfing, which would have given the games a fun, more extreme flavor.
The top American skateboarder is Nyjah Huston, who has been on the pro scene since 2008 and has medalled in every X Games since 2009. He has also won three consecutive golds in the street event at the World Skateboarding Championships. In Tokyo, he would've had his first shot at an Olympic gold.
Meanwhile, Carissa Moore has won four World Tour titles in surfing, including one in 2019. At just 27, Moore is already a member of the Surfers' Hall of Fame.
One of the few athletes who had already qualified for Tokyo when the Games were postponed, Moore seems set to go in 2021.
One last ride
Baseball and softball were taken out of the Olympics after the 2008 Games, but both were set to return for Tokyo given the sports' popularity in Japan. But they won't be on the program for the 2024 Games in Paris.
The U.S. has traditionally dominated in softball, winning the gold every year the event was on the program except 2008, when it won silver. That's less true in baseball, where Major League players can't compete, but the U.S. did medal in 1996, 2000 and 2008.
In the baseball tournament, we were likely to see some top college and Minor League prospects — among 2008's squad were future Major Leaguers Dexter Fowler, Stephen Strasburg and Jake Arrieta — as well as some former big leaguers playing both for the U.S. and for international squads.
Meanwhile the U.S. softball team had welcomed back two of the star pitchers from the 2008 silver-medal winning team, Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman to an impressive young squad.
SHUT DOWN: COVID concerns force out Olympic softball stars in Florida
Sports video of the day
Perhaps the best opening ceremony moment ever, Muhammad Ali lighting the torch at the 1996 Olympics while suffering from Parkinson's disease is hard to forget.
What we're reading
SIMONE MANUEL: Gold medalist swimmer wants to do more than talk about racisim.
SANDI MORRIS: Pole vaulter clears top height of 2020 on homeade runway.
MLB OPENING DAY: Dr. Fauci throws wild first pitch before Nationals host Yankees.
MLB OPENING DAY II: Dodgers star, Giants manager kneel during national anthem
SEATTLE KRACKEN: The expansion NHL team revealed its new name and logo.
WASHINGTON FT?: In 2020, Washington's football team will be called...the Washington Football Team.
NFL: Owners, players at impasse over over pandemic's financial blow.
MIKE TYSON: The boxer announced his comeback Thursday.
Sports on TV
Baseball (live): It's opening day for the other 26 teams! Nationally televised games include Braves vs. Mets at 4:10 p.m. ET on ESPN, Tigers vs. Reds at 6:10 on MLB Network, Brewers vs. Cubs at 7:10 on ESPN and Angels vs. A's at 10:10 on ESPN.
Golf (live): Coverage of the 3M Open continues at 2:30 p.m. ET on the Golf Channel.
Olympics (classic): Several past Opening Ceremonies will be aired on the Olympic Channel, including 1992 at 1:31 p.m. ET, 2004 at 6:01 p.m. and 2008 at 9:02 a.m.


usatoday--2020-07-23--'Frequent' excessive force against inmates found in 12 of 13 Alabama prisons, DOJ reports

MONTGOMERY , Ala. – Federal investigators found `` frequent uses of excessive force '' on prisoners in 12 of the 13 state prisons under review , according to a report released Thursday , which cited `` systemic unconstitutional conditions '' throughout the prison system .
The U.S. Department of Justice wrote Gov .
Kay Ivey , Department of Corrections leaders and prison wardens about the report , the second the state has received in 15 months .
The Montgomery Advertiser , part of the USA TODAY Network , could not reach Ivey or ADOC leaders for comment .
`` There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correctional officers within the Alabama Department of Corrections ( ADOC ) frequently use excessive force on prisoners housed throughout Alabama ’ s prisons for men , '' the Department of Justice wrote to Ivey .
Among the 13 prisons under review by the Department of Justice , all but one were flagged for `` frequent uses of excessive force . ''
`` Given the identified pervasiveness of the uses of excessive force and the statewide application of ADOC ’ s use of force policies and procedures , we have reasonable cause to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within Alabama ’ s prisons give rise to systemic unconstitutional conditions , '' the letter read .
In its report , the DOJ said prison officials were aware of excessive force , including incidents in which prisoners were killed , but failed to address the issue .
`` We also found that ADOC failed to make and maintain proper records of excessive force incidents and that ADOC was unwilling to produce records that it did maintain .
...
Throughout the investigation , ADOC also prohibited us from interviewing non-supervisory correctional officers and severely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison health care units , '' the report said .
'American horror story ' : The prison voices you do n't hear from have the most to tell us In an investigation in November , the Montgomery Advertiser found prison administrators flout the department ’ s rules and regulations in an attempt to exert control and discipline prisoners .
The newspaper interviewed dozens of men incarcerated across the state .
`` There are no meaningful checks and balances within the system , no substantial means of accountability on the part of certain correction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the upper echelon levels , '' prisoner James Taylor said in a letter about conditions in 2019 .
`` [ Lack of accountability ] is blatant .
Inmates see it , know it , recognize it , and have grown tired of it , and this is why many inmates are resistant to entertain attempts at true change [ or ] reform . ''
Portland mayor tear-gassed by federal officers : Warns 'somebody 's going to die ' during chaotic protests

'Frequent' excessive force against inmates found in 12 of 13 Alabama prisons, DOJ reports
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Federal investigators found "frequent uses of excessive force" on prisoners in 12 of the 13 state prisons under review, according to a report released Thursday, which cited "systemic unconstitutional conditions" throughout the prison system.
The U.S. Department of Justice wrote Gov. Kay Ivey, Department of Corrections leaders and prison wardens about the report, the second the state has received in 15 months.
The Montgomery Advertiser, part of the USA TODAY Network, could not reach Ivey or ADOC leaders for comment.
"There is reasonable cause to believe that the correctional officers within the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) frequently use excessive force on prisoners housed throughout Alabama’s prisons for men," the Department of Justice wrote to Ivey.
'Systemic unconstitutional conditions'
Among the 13 prisons under review by the Department of Justice, all but one were flagged for "frequent uses of excessive force."
"Given the identified pervasiveness of the uses of excessive force and the statewide application of ADOC’s use of force policies and procedures, we have reasonable cause to believe that the uses of excessive force occurring within Alabama’s prisons give rise to systemic unconstitutional conditions," the letter read.
In its report, the DOJ said prison officials were aware of excessive force, including incidents in which prisoners were killed, but failed to address the issue.
"We also found that ADOC failed to make and maintain proper records of excessive force incidents and that ADOC was unwilling to produce records that it did maintain. ... Throughout the investigation, ADOC also prohibited us from interviewing non-supervisory correctional officers and severely restricted our access to individuals working in prison health care units," the report said.
'American horror story': The prison voices you don't hear from have the most to tell us
In an investigation in November, the Montgomery Advertiser found prison administrators flout the department’s rules and regulations in an attempt to exert control and discipline prisoners. The newspaper interviewed dozens of men incarcerated across the state.
"There are no meaningful checks and balances within the system, no substantial means of accountability on the part of certain correction officials; lower level as well as at the upper echelon levels," prisoner James Taylor said in a letter about conditions in 2019. "[Lack of accountability] is blatant. Inmates see it, know it, recognize it, and have grown tired of it, and this is why many inmates are resistant to entertain attempts at true change [or] reform."
Follow Montgomery Advertiser reporter Melissa Brown on Twitter: @itsmelissabrown
Portland mayor tear-gassed by federal officers: Warns 'somebody's going to die' during chaotic protests
Investigations: Rookie middlemen muddle the government’s effort to buy coronavirus supplies


usatoday--2020-07-24--Severe storms brought lightning strikes near the Statue of Liberty

As severe storms swept over NYC , lightning lit up the sky and appeared to nearly strike the Statue of @ @ @ @ @ storyful .

Massive lightning strike occurs near Statue of Liberty
As severe storms swept over NYC, lightning lit up the sky and appeared to nearly strike the Statue of Liberty. Nyclarity/Michael Calabrese via storyful.
USA TODAY, Wochit


usatoday--2020-07-24--Marine makes bride cry on her wedding day

Daniel sent his sister a letter saying he could n't make it to her wedding .
But with last-second leave @ @ @ @ @ special day even better .

Marine makes bride cry on her wedding day
Daniel sent his sister a letter saying he couldn't make it to her wedding. But with last-second leave, he's made her special day even better.
Militarykind, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-07-24--Veteran civil rights activists and congressional colleagues remember Rep. John Lewis

Activists who started the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and members of Congress discuss John Lewis 's impact on civil and @ @ @

John Lewis remembered be fellow civil rights activists and colleagues
Activists who started the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and members of Congress discuss John Lewis's impact on civil and voting rights.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-07-24--Coronavirus updates: CDC finds 'prolonged illness' is common; experts call for shut down; daily glob

It 's time to hit the reset button : Shut it down and restart .
That 's what more than 150 health professionals are urging government leaders in an open letter published earlier this week .
`` Tell the American people the truth about the virus , even when it ’ s hard .
Take bold action to save lives — even when it means shutting down again , '' the letter , spearheaded by the nonprofit U.S. Public Interest Research Group , says .
Public health leaders argue in the letter that the U.S. reopened too quickly , nonessential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly stay home , and government officials need to invest more in testing , contact tracing , and personal protective equipment capacities .
`` If you don ’ t take these actions , the consequences will be measured in widespread suffering and death , '' according to the letter addressed to President Donald Trump , federal officials and governors .
Here are some significant developments today : • The World Health Organization says a record number of virus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours .
Friday 's situation report lists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the higher than the previous record set six days ago .
A quarter of the new cases come from the U.S. • Republicans promised another round of $ 1,200 bonus checks and money for schools Thursday , while Democrats dug in to protect the $ 600 weekly unemployment benefit bonus .
• The CDC unveiled new guidelines Thursday for schools planning to reopen this fall as well as for people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 .
They now need to isolate for only 10 days after their symptoms begin .
• After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of Americans filing new unemployment claims pushed higher last week with 1.4 million new claims .
📈 Today 's stats : The U.S. has surpassed 4 million confirmed cases and has more than 144,000 deaths , according to John Hopkins University data .
Worldwide cases have surpassed 15 million with more than 633,000 deaths .
📰 What we 're reading : When will a vaccine be available to the general public ?
To understand when pre-COVID-19 life in the U.S. can resume , USA TODAY created a panel of experts who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available vaccine .
Our live blog is being updated throughout the day .
Refresh for the latest news , and get updates in your inbox with The Daily Briefing .
COVID-19 patients face a significant likelihood of lingering symptoms , even if they were n't sick enough to go to the hospital , according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Friday .
The report found about a third of 274 respondents who were symptomatic when tested `` had not returned to their usual state of health when interviewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report follows widespread reports from `` long-haulers '' who report life-altering symptoms for weeks or months after first getting sick .
Common lingering symptoms include fatigue , cough , and headache , the report says .
It found that young adults and people with no underlying conditions were among those who reported long-term illness .
A staff member for Rep. Vern Buchanan , R-Fla. , died of COVID-19 in a Florida hospital , the congressman announced in a statement released Friday .
Buchanan expressed his condolences and hailed Gary Tibbetts , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a `` consummate professional and true public servant in every sense of the word . ''
Tibbetts is the first congressional aide known to have died from COVID-19 .
Despite President Donald Trump 's pleas for schools to reopen , his son 's private school in the Maryland suburbs will not be welcoming students back fully onto its campus in the fall .
St. Andrew ’ s Episcopal School said it was considering whether to take a hybrid model approach , allowing some students back to campus some days , or be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` As we prepare to make a decision the week of August 10 about how to best begin the school year , we will continue to follow guidance of appropriate health officials and refine both our hybrid and distance learning plans , '' the school said in a letter to parents .
Under its hybrid model , students in grades 7 to 12 would rotate weekly between on-campus and remote learning .
According to the New York Times , Barron , 14 , Trump 's youngest child , has attended the school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ require customers wear masks at all US restaurants McDonald 's will require customers to wear masks or face coverings when entering its 14,000 restaurants nationwide starting Aug. 1 .
The fast food giant is the latest business to announce it will mandate masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19 as cases spike .
`` While nearly 82 % of our restaurants are in states or localities that require facial coverings for both crew and customers today , it ’ s important we protect the safety of all employees and customers , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No space for bodies : Mississippi county to bring in refrigerated cooler Authorities faced with limited space to store bodies awaiting autopsies are now bringing in a refrigerated cooler to help as the coronavirus pandemic surges in a Mississippi county .
Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said Thursday that without a morgue space is running out to store victims of homicides , car crashes and other fatalities that require autopsies .
The surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in the county is also having an impact as bodies can no longer be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Private facilities are also at capacity , the coroner said .
Washington , D.C. , will require travelers coming to the city to self-quarantine for 14 days if they are arriving from a high-risk area on nonessential travel .
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday that the self-quarantine requirement would take effect next week .
Maryland and Virginia , which border D.C. , are exempt from the order , but other states that see a seven-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases at 10 or more per 100,000 people will be affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Connecticut jointly announced self-quarantine requirements last month for travelers arriving from states with high numbers of positive cases .
Their hot-spot list has grown to 31 states .
Many other states have quarantine requirement .
Read the full list here if you 're planning travel .
Fauci says he has security after threats to him , family Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation 's top infectious disease expert , recently talked about heightened threats to him and his family and his security detail .
Fauci made the comments on CNN 's `` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of the threats come from people who are angry and believe , `` I 'm interfering with their life because I 'm pushing a public health agenda . ''
In April , media outlets reported that the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S .
Marshals Service had stationed agents at HHS to protect Fauci .
The longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said he has been a target since the early days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic as the first government official speaking out about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hate mail then but could largely ignore it .
The backlash he 's received during the COVID-19 pandemic , however , is of a different magnitude , he said .
`` The kind of not only hate mail but actual , serious threats against me are not good , '' Fauci said .
`` It 's tough .
Serious threats against me , against my family , my daughters , my wife .
I mean , really ?
Is this the United States of America ?
But it 's real .
It really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We are all trying to open up American again in a way that is safe , that we can do it in a measured fashion .
But the hostility against public health issues is difficult to not only understand but difficult to even process . ''
In a recent interview with the business news outlet MarketWatch , Fauci also said he would not eat inside a restaurant or get on a flight given the current state of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. Read this : Straight-talking Anthony Fauci has been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who is he ?
Days from the end of enhanced unemployment benefits and a federal eviction moratorium , 24 million Americans say they have little to no chance of being able to pay next month ’ s rent , a U.S. Census Bureau survey shows .
A disproportionate share of those in danger come from Black and Hispanic households , two groups who have borne the brunt of negative health and economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic .
While Congress works to negotiate a new stimulus , experts warn the time to ward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost run out .
“ We 're about to fall off a massive cliff and see a major spike in evictions , ” said Alanna McCargo , vice president of housing finance policy at the Urban Institute .
A look atAmericans ' confidence in being able to pay August rent : An overwhelming 3 out of 4 Americans support requiring people to wear masks in public , a new poll found .
Almost 90 % of Democrats as well as nearly 60 % of Republicans support requiring masks outside of people 's homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Affairs Research poll was conducted before President Donald Trump , who had been dismissive of wearing masks despite public health officials ' support , tweeted earlier this week that wearing a face covering is patriotic .
Although partisan rhetoric around masks has undermined what public health officials say is a simple step that can save lives , 95 % of Democrats and 75 % of Republicans say they ’ re wearing face coverings when leaving the house .
The poll also found about two-thirds of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities – and it may get worse The coronavirus ’ continued rampage through the southern and western United States is almost certain to leave an especially deadly trail among Latinos , who not only represent a significant percentage of the population in those regions but often face structural conditions that make them more vulnerable .
A new study published Thursday , the first nationwide analysis of COVID-19 cases and deaths among Latinos , concludes that crowded housing arrangements and high-risk jobs in industries like meatpacking , poultry and hospitality are among the major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
As the virus extracts a heavy toll on California , Texas and Florida — the three states with the largest Latino populations — the death count among the country ’ s biggest minority group could be staggering .
“ My prediction is that it ’ s very likely because the policies and practices that are needed to prevent infections and deaths are not in place , ’ ’ said Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz , the study 's lead author .
Parent check-list for back-to-school : Label your child 's face mask with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on and taking off their mask without touching the cloth .
Make a labeled , resealable plastic bag to store their mask during lunch time .
Those are among the suggestions the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has for school administrators and parents as families prepare for school to resume in the fall .
Students should wear masks , wash their hands frequently and socially distance to protect against COVID-19 as schools reopen this fall , CDC urged in new guidance documents for administrators published Thursday .
“ It is critically important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this fall , ” said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield in a release .
CDC , the nation 's top public health agency , has faced considerable political pressure from President Donald Trump and others to get schools reopened .
A key consideration for school administrators , CDC said , was COVID-19 transmission rates in their communities .
But the CDC guidance offered no specific metrics for what transmission rates would require specific actions .
GOP backs more stimulus checks , funds for schools in new aid package Senate Republicans were scrambling Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief package that will include another round of $ 1,200 stimulus checks and additional funding to help schools recover from the pandemic .
GOP leaders and the White House said late Wednesday that they had agreed on key parts of the legislation , which will serve as a starting point for negotiations with Democrats , who have already passed their own bill in the House .
But Republicans are still struggling to put the finishing touches on the package .
Congress and the White House are under pressure to clinch a deal on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal program of expanded unemployment benefits is set to run out within days .
One item that will be missing from the GOP plan is Trump ’ s demand for a payroll tax cut .
Republicans abandoned that proposal even though Trump had suggested he might not sign any bill that doesn ’ t include it .
New CDC guidelines : People with mild to moderate COVID-19 only need to isolate 10 days People who have had mild to moderate COVID-19 can come out of isolation after 10 days and do n't need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , new CDC guidelines say .
Symptoms , not testing , are the guide .
If patients had a fever , it needs to have been gone for at least 24 hours .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document , published Wednesday , says symptoms are a better gauge of how infectious someone is so they are `` not kept unnecessarily isolated and excluded from work or other responsibilities . ''
The document acknowledges that SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 , is so new that doctors are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As more data becomes available , the medical community is gaining a better understanding of how people who are infected can avoiding passing on the disease .
The new guidelines reflect the latest thinking .
President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is canceling the Jacksonville portion of the Republican National Convention because of the coronavirus pandemic , a major setback in his effort to energize his struggling bid for reelection .
`` The timing for this event is not right , '' Trump told reporters at the White House .
`` There 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping our people safe . ''
Trump said that he would deliver remarks to formally accept his party 's nomination for president but offered no detail on where or when that will happen .
The abrupt decision was not only a significant blow to his campaign but also raised questions about the president 's narrative that the country is ready to reopen for business .
Trump said convention delegates will still gather in North Carolina , where the official business of the convention was set to take place , and formally nominate him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Committee Chair Tom Perez reaffirmed that his party will hold its national convention next month in Milwaukee , with a mostly virtual event .
Delegates will vote remotely .
Joe Biden has said he intends to accept the nomination in Milwaukee A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Wednesday shows 12 states set records for new cases over a seven-day period while six states had a record number of deaths over the period .
New case records were set in Alaska , California , Indiana , Kansas , Kentucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Dakota , Oklahoma , Utah and Wyoming .
Record numbers of deaths were reported in Florida , Idaho , Nevada , South Carolina , Tennessee and Texas .
In Florida , the week 's death toll was 824 , more than twice the number of any week during the spring COVID-19 surge .
Still , Gov .
Ron DeSantis continued to press for in-classroom learning when schools open , some in less than three weeks .
DeSantis stressed that young people face the least risk from the virus .
`` It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burden of the controlled measures instituted to protect against the virus , ” DeSantis said Wednesday .
On Facebook : There 's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus .
But what we do know , we 're sharing with you .
Join our Facebook group , `` Coronavirus Watch , '' to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19 .
In your inbox : Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network .
Sign up for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for coping : Every Saturday and Tuesday we 'll be in your inbox , offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times .
Sign up for Staying Apart , Together here .

Jessica Flores, Ryan W. Miller and Joel Shannon, USA TODAY

Coronavirus updates: CDC finds 'prolonged illness' is common; experts call for shut down; daily global cases break another record
Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump announces cancellation of convention rally in Florida During his briefing on COVID-19 response, USA TODAY
It's time to hit the reset button: Shut it down and restart. That's what more than 150 health professionals are urging government leaders in an open letter published earlier this week.
"Tell the American people the truth about the virus, even when it’s hard. Take bold action to save lives — even when it means shutting down again," the letter, spearheaded by the nonprofit U.S. Public Interest Research Group, says.
Public health leaders argue in the letter that the U.S. reopened too quickly, nonessential businesses should close again, Americans should mostly stay home, and government officials need to invest more in testing, contact tracing, and personal protective equipment capacities.
"If you don’t take these actions, the consequences will be measured in widespread suffering and death," according to the letter addressed to President Donald Trump, federal officials and governors.
Here are some significant developments today:
The World Health Organization says a record number of virus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours. Friday's situation report lists 284,196 new cases across the globe, the higher than the previous record set six days ago. A quarter of the new cases come from the U.S.
Republicans promised another round of $1,200 bonus checks and money for schools Thursday, while Democrats dug in to protect the $600 weekly unemployment benefit bonus.
The CDC unveiled new guidelines Thursday for schools planning to reopen this fall as well as for people who have mild to moderate COVID-19. They now need to isolate for only 10 days after their symptoms begin.
After slowly dropping for over four months, the number of Americans filing new unemployment claims pushed higher last week with 1.4 million new claims.
📈 Today's stats: The U.S. has surpassed 4 million confirmed cases and has more than 144,000 deaths, according to John Hopkins University data. Worldwide cases have surpassed 15 million with more than 633,000 deaths.
📰 What we're reading: When will a vaccine be available to the general public? To understand when pre-COVID-19 life in the U.S. can resume, USA TODAY created a panel of experts who estimate we're almost halfway to an available vaccine.
Our live blog is being updated throughout the day. Refresh for the latest news, and get updates in your inbox with The Daily Briefing.
CDC report finds 'prolonged illness' is common
COVID-19 patients face a significant likelihood of lingering symptoms, even if they weren't sick enough to go to the hospital, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Friday.
The report found about a third of 274 respondents who were symptomatic when tested "had not returned to their usual state of health when interviewed 2–3 weeks after testing."
The report follows widespread reports from "long-haulers" who report life-altering symptoms for weeks or months after first getting sick.
Common lingering symptoms include fatigue, cough, and headache, the report says. It found that young adults and people with no underlying conditions were among those who reported long-term illness.
Congressional staff member dies of COVID-19
A staff member for Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., died of COVID-19 in a Florida hospital, the congressman announced in a statement released Friday.
Buchanan expressed his condolences and hailed Gary Tibbetts, who had worked for the congressman since 2011, as a "consummate professional and true public servant in every sense of the word." Tibbetts is the first congressional aide known to have died from COVID-19.
– Nicholas Wu
Barron Trump's school isn't fully reopening in the fall
Despite President Donald Trump's pleas for schools to reopen, his son's private school in the Maryland suburbs will not be welcoming students back fully onto its campus in the fall.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School said it was considering whether to take a hybrid model approach, allowing some students back to campus some days, or be fully remote to start the school year.
"As we prepare to make a decision the week of August 10 about how to best begin the school year, we will continue to follow guidance of appropriate health officials and refine both our hybrid and distance learning plans," the school said in a letter to parents.
Under its hybrid model, students in grades 7 to 12 would rotate weekly between on-campus and remote learning. According to the New York Times, Barron, 14, Trump's youngest child, has attended the school for three years.
McDonald's to require customers wear masks at all US restaurants
McDonald's will require customers to wear masks or face coverings when entering its 14,000 restaurants nationwide starting Aug. 1. The fast food giant is the latest business to announce it will mandate masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19 as cases spike.
"While nearly 82% of our restaurants are in states or localities that require facial coverings for both crew and customers today, it’s important we protect the safety of all employees and customers," McDonald's said in its statement Friday.
– Kelly Tyko
No space for bodies: Mississippi county to bring in refrigerated cooler
Authorities faced with limited space to store bodies awaiting autopsies are now bringing in a refrigerated cooler to help as the coronavirus pandemic surges in a Mississippi county.
Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said Thursday that without a morgue space is running out to store victims of homicides, car crashes and other fatalities that require autopsies.
The surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in the county is also having an impact as bodies can no longer be sent to hospital morgues for temporary storage. Private facilities are also at capacity, the coroner said.
– Justin Vicory, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
DC adds quarantine requirement for nonessential travelers from hot spots
Washington, D.C., will require travelers coming to the city to self-quarantine for 14 days if they are arriving from a high-risk area on nonessential travel.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday that the self-quarantine requirement would take effect next week. Maryland and Virginia, which border D.C., are exempt from the order, but other states that see a seven-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases at 10 or more per 100,000 people will be affected.
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut jointly announced self-quarantine requirements last month for travelers arriving from states with high numbers of positive cases. Their hot-spot list has grown to 31 states. Many other states have quarantine requirement. Read the full list here if you're planning travel.
Fauci says he has security after threats to him, family
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, recently talked about heightened threats to him and his family and his security detail. Fauci made the comments on CNN's "The Axe Files" podcast and said that many of the threats come from people who are angry and believe, "I'm interfering with their life because I'm pushing a public health agenda."
In April, media outlets reported that the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Marshals Service had stationed agents at HHS to protect Fauci.
The longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said he has been a target since the early days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic as the first government official speaking out about the virus. He said he received hate mail then but could largely ignore it. The backlash he's received during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, is of a different magnitude, he said.
"The kind of not only hate mail but actual, serious threats against me are not good," Fauci said. "It's tough. Serious threats against me, against my family, my daughters, my wife. I mean, really? Is this the United States of America? But it's real. It really is real."
Fauci added: "We are all trying to open up American again in a way that is safe, that we can do it in a measured fashion. But the hostility against public health issues is difficult to not only understand but difficult to even process."
In a recent interview with the business news outlet MarketWatch, Fauci also said he would not eat inside a restaurant or get on a flight given the current state of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.
Read this: Straight-talking Anthony Fauci has been the nation's voice on the coronavirus. Who is he?
24 million Americans fear missing next rent payment
Days from the end of enhanced unemployment benefits and a federal eviction moratorium, 24 million Americans say they have little to no chance of being able to pay next month’s rent, a U.S. Census Bureau survey shows.
A disproportionate share of those in danger come from Black and Hispanic households, two groups who have borne the brunt of negative health and economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Congress works to negotiate a new stimulus, experts warn the time to ward off an eviction and foreclosure crisis has almost run out.
“We're about to fall off a massive cliff and see a major spike in evictions,” said Alanna McCargo, vice president of housing finance policy at the Urban Institute.
A look atAmericans' confidence in being able to pay August rent:
– Kevin Crowe, Theresa Diffendal and Carlie Procell
Poll: 3 in 4 Americans want mask wearing required
An overwhelming 3 out of 4 Americans support requiring people to wear masks in public, a new poll found.
Almost 90% of Democrats as well as nearly 60% of Republicans support requiring masks outside of people's homes. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll was conducted before President Donald Trump, who had been dismissive of wearing masks despite public health officials' support, tweeted earlier this week that wearing a face covering is patriotic.
Although partisan rhetoric around masks has undermined what public health officials say is a simple step that can save lives, 95% of Democrats and 75% of Republicans say they’re wearing face coverings when leaving the house.
The poll also found about two-thirds of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the pandemic.
Coronavirus is tearing through Latino communities – and it may get worse
The coronavirus’ continued rampage through the southern and western United States is almost certain to leave an especially deadly trail among Latinos, who not only represent a significant percentage of the population in those regions but often face structural conditions that make them more vulnerable.
A new study published Thursday, the first nationwide analysis of COVID-19 cases and deaths among Latinos, concludes that crowded housing arrangements and high-risk jobs in industries like meatpacking, poultry and hospitality are among the major reasons Latinos have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
As the virus extracts a heavy toll on California, Texas and Florida — the three states with the largest Latino populations — the death count among the country’s biggest minority group could be staggering.
“My prediction is that it’s very likely because the policies and practices that are needed to prevent infections and deaths are not in place,’’ said Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz, the study's lead author.
– Jorge L. Ortiz
Coronavirus: How R-0 can be used to fight COVID-19 R-0 may be the most important scientific term you’ve never heard of when it comes to stopping the coronavirus pandemic. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
CDC guidelines for schools: Wear masks, wash hands, don't touch
Parent check-list for back-to-school: Label your child's face mask with permanent marker. Have them practice putting on and taking off their mask without touching the cloth. Make a labeled, resealable plastic bag to store their mask during lunch time. Those are among the suggestions the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has for school administrators and parents as families prepare for school to resume in the fall.
Students should wear masks, wash their hands frequently and socially distance to protect against COVID-19 as schools reopen this fall, CDC urged in new guidance documents for administrators published Thursday. “It is critically important for our public health to open schools this fall,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield in a release.
CDC, the nation's top public health agency, has faced considerable political pressure from President Donald Trump and others to get schools reopened.
A key consideration for school administrators, CDC said, was COVID-19 transmission rates in their communities. But the CDC guidance offered no specific metrics for what transmission rates would require specific actions.
– Elizabeth Weise
GOP backs more stimulus checks, funds for schools in new aid package
Senate Republicans were scrambling Thursday to finalize a $1 trillion coronavirus relief package that will include another round of $1,200 stimulus checks and additional funding to help schools recover from the pandemic.
GOP leaders and the White House said late Wednesday that they had agreed on key parts of the legislation, which will serve as a starting point for negotiations with Democrats, who have already passed their own bill in the House.
But Republicans are still struggling to put the finishing touches on the package. Congress and the White House are under pressure to clinch a deal on a fresh pandemic aid package; a federal program of expanded unemployment benefits is set to run out within days.
One item that will be missing from the GOP plan is Trump’s demand for a payroll tax cut. Republicans abandoned that proposal even though Trump had suggested he might not sign any bill that doesn’t include it.
New CDC guidelines: People with mild to moderate COVID-19 only need to isolate 10 days
People who have had mild to moderate COVID-19 can come out of isolation after 10 days and don't need to be retested before going back to work, new CDC guidelines say. Symptoms, not testing, are the guide. If patients had a fever, it needs to have been gone for at least 24 hours.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document, published Wednesday, says symptoms are a better gauge of how infectious someone is so they are "not kept unnecessarily isolated and excluded from work or other responsibilities."
The document acknowledges that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is so new that doctors are still gathering evidence for how it works. As more data becomes available, the medical community is gaining a better understanding of how people who are infected can avoiding passing on the disease. The new guidelines reflect the latest thinking.
– Elizabeth Weise
Trump cancels Jacksonville portion of RNC due to COVID-19
President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is canceling the Jacksonville portion of the Republican National Convention because of the coronavirus pandemic, a major setback in his effort to energize his struggling bid for reelection. "The timing for this event is not right," Trump told reporters at the White House. "There's nothing more important in our country than keeping our people safe."
Trump said that he would deliver remarks to formally accept his party's nomination for president but offered no detail on where or when that will happen. The abrupt decision was not only a significant blow to his campaign but also raised questions about the president's narrative that the country is ready to reopen for business.
Trump said convention delegates will still gather in North Carolina, where the official business of the convention was set to take place, and formally nominate him for reelection.
Late Thursday, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez reaffirmed that his party will hold its national convention next month in Milwaukee, with a mostly virtual event. Delegates will vote remotely. Joe Biden has said he intends to accept the nomination in Milwaukee
– John Fritze, Courtney Subramanian, Michael Collins and Bill Glauber
Florida, Texas among states with deadliest weeks
A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Wednesday shows 12 states set records for new cases over a seven-day period while six states had a record number of deaths over the period. New case records were set in Alaska, California, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Florida, Idaho, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
In Florida, the week's death toll was 824, more than twice the number of any week during the spring COVID-19 surge. Still, Gov. Ron DeSantis continued to press for in-classroom learning when schools open, some in less than three weeks. DeSantis stressed that young people face the least risk from the virus.
"It is our kids who have borne the harshest burden of the controlled measures instituted to protect against the virus,” DeSantis said Wednesday.
– Michael Stucka
More COVID-19 resources from USA TODAY
On Facebook: There's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. Join our Facebook group, "Coronavirus Watch," to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19.
In your inbox: Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network. Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter here.
Tips for coping: Every Saturday and Tuesday we'll be in your inbox, offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times. Sign up for Staying Apart, Together here.
Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-07-24--CDC: 'Rapidly growing' Salmonella outbreak has hit nearly 2 dozen states, source unknown

Nearly two dozen states have been hit by a rapidly growing Salmonella outbreak that has already sickened hundreds of people .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday announced an additional 87 illnesses have been reported and 8 new states have been affected by the outbreak since Tuesday .
The agency has not yet identified the source of the bacteria .
Though outbreaks of the bacteria can usually be traced back to a food source , no specific food , grocery store , or restaurant has yet been linked to the outbreak .
Health officials are interviewing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the foods they ate .
As of Friday 's update , there are 212 reported cases spread over 23 states .
While 31 people have been hospitalized , no deaths have yet been reported .
Reported cases span the nation , from California to Maine .
Oregon and Utah are the hardest hit states , according to a CDC map .
If you have symptoms , the CDC advises you to contact your healthcare provider , write down what you ate the week before you became sick and contact the local health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Salmonella infection include diarrhea , fever and abdominal cramps .
People sickened by the bacteria typically have symptoms in 6 hours to six days after being exposed .
Salmonella may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body , but most people most people recover without treatment .
The illness typically lasts four to seven days .
In rare cases , salmonella infection can cause death .
People with weakened immune systems , children younger than 5 years and adults older than 65 years are @ @ @ @ @ @ @

CDC: 'Rapidly growing' Salmonella outbreak has hit nearly 2 dozen states, source unknown
Show Caption Hide Caption Which foods are most likely to harbor salmonella? Most people take precautions to avoid contracting salmonella poisoning from raw chicken, but there are other foods that are surprisingly more likely to harbor the harmful bacteria. Wochit
Nearly two dozen states have been hit by a rapidly growing Salmonella outbreak that has already sickened hundreds of people.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday announced an additional 87 illnesses have been reported and 8 new states have been affected by the outbreak since Tuesday. The agency has not yet identified the source of the bacteria.
Though outbreaks of the bacteria can usually be traced back to a food source, no specific food, grocery store, or restaurant has yet been linked to the outbreak. Health officials are interviewing and asking those who have become ill about the foods they ate.
As of Friday's update, there are 212 reported cases spread over 23 states. While 31 people have been hospitalized, no deaths have yet been reported.
Reported cases span the nation, from California to Maine. Oregon and Utah are the hardest hit states, according to a CDC map.
If you have symptoms, the CDC advises you to contact your healthcare provider, write down what you ate the week before you became sick and contact the local health department.
The CDC says symptoms of a Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. People sickened by the bacteria typically have symptoms in 6 hours to six days after being exposed.
Salmonella may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body, but most people most people recover without treatment. The illness typically lasts four to seven days.
In rare cases, salmonella infection can cause death.
People with weakened immune systems, children younger than 5 years and adults older than 65 years are more likely to have severe illness.
Contributing: Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press