Knox County's coronavirus benchmarks show two red warnings after 'concerning' surge - Knoxville News Sentinel

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Knox County's coronavirus benchmarks - which are visual cues representing the community's response to the coronavirus pandemic - are unchanged from last week with two reds, two yellows and one green. 

New COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to be red. Regional hospital capacity and testing continue to be yellow. Only contact tracing capability remained green.

"This (case growth) is a concerning trend and further reiterates that the virus is still present in Knox County and is increasing at a high rate," Charity Menefee, director of emergency preparedness for the Knox County Health Department, said Wednesday.

The update comes after a month of worsening COVID-19 trends, both locally and statewide. In the past week, 1,018 residents of Knox County were confirmed to have COVID-19 bringing the total cases to 3,533. This means that almost one third of all cases that have ever been detected were detected over the past week. It is the largest weekly increase so far during the pandemic. 

In the past month, 22 people have died of COVID-19, bringing the total to 27. This means that within the past month Knox County has seen a 440% increase in the number of deaths when compared to the rest of the pandemic. 

"The trend has not started to go back down or even level off. So we are concerned about that, absolutely," said Menefee.

She stressed that full community buy-in is needed now to slow the surge, in public spaces and private ones.

"We can't policy our way out of what people are doing in their backyards and with their friends and families at birthday parties." she said. She said masks should be used even in homes when friends and family members get together. 

To bolster its green benchmark on contact tracing, the Knox County Health Department announced it has added 39 people to its contact tracing team after the department brought in newly trained employees and volunteers. 

Knox County Health Department gathers the data and determines the benchmarks with input from community partners like hospital administrators. The county uses a traffic light rating system — green for good, yellow for caution and red for worrisome — to measure new cases, testing, contact tracing capability, regional hospital capacity and deaths. 

The Knox County Board of Health will meet tonight to discuss the local situation and recommendations of federal officials. The Board so far has opted only to issue an indoor mask mandate but may issue other orders to regulate the local COVID-19 response. 

Earlier this month, the county was visited by federal officials who were concerned by Knox's worsening COVID-19 case counts. The Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan watchdog organization, leaked White House documents that put Tennessee on a "red list" for COVID-19. Knox, Sevier, Davidson and Shelby counties were identified as among the top counties for case growth in the state.

On Monday, Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force visited Tennessee to urge the state to close bars and limit restaurant capacity. Birx said she traveled to Tennessee because the state teeters on a precipice from which other Southern states had already fallen. 

Moments later Gov. Bill Lee said he had no plans to follow Dr. Brix's advice. Lee maintains authority over the health departments in 89 of the state’s 95 counties, and only mayors in a few metropolitan areas have the power to shutter businesses without his support. Knox County is among the six counties allowed to make its own rules, and its authority overrides that of Knoxville city officials.

State officials are encouraging Tennessee's school districts to reopen with in-person classes — including calling for quarantine periods for those with coronavirus symptoms, health and safety supplies for teachers, and millions in grant money to help fund technology.

"Make no mistake, extended time away from the classroom is harmful for children," Gov. Bill Lee said at a Tuesday news conference. "We fully support reopening our schools with in-person learning as the best option. Planned delays should be reserved for the most extreme situations."

Read or Share this story: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/health/2020/07/29/knox-county-coronavirus-benchmarks-unchanged-2-red-warnings/5534436002/

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July 30, 2020 at 12:19AM
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/health/2020/07/29/knox-county-coronavirus-benchmarks-unchanged-2-red-warnings/5534436002/

Knox County's coronavirus benchmarks show two red warnings after 'concerning' surge - Knoxville News Sentinel

https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

Europe Travel: Coronavirus Reawakens, Air-Bridges Collapse, ‘Red Countries’ Swell As Second Lockdown Looms - Forbes

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Civic agents checking that people follow Covid-19 rules on Lloret de Mar beach in Spain. Summer ... [+] season in Lloret de Mar is suffering based on advice from various countries to their citizens not to visit Catalonia. Photo Adrià Salido Zarco.

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Warnings of a “second wave of coronavirus in Europe,” which fill the European news media right now, aren’t only catastrophic for the tourism industry, a backlash against governments in process of reopening their borders and economies and dangerous for travelers anxious to escape months of confinement, but a scary sign that a second lockdown could be inevitable at least for some regions.

The situation, changing day by day and country by country makes it difficult to predict what’s coming. The most recent scientific discussions raise the notion that the feared “second wave” might not exist at all and that, rather, the continent and the world are suffering ‘one big wave.’

With no evidence of seasonal variations, as with common flus and other corona viruses, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the initial coronavirus pandemic is simply continuing — and accelerating.

Newly-arrived passengers from California and Turkey wait to be tested for coronavirus (COVID-19) at ... [+] Tegel (TXL) airport on July 29, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. Photo by Adam Berry.

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Different Seasons, Same Severe Transmission

Confronted by a resurgence or ‘seasonal return’ of the disease, the WHO recommends not thinking of seasons but, rather, of continued measures aimed at slowing transmission that appears to be accelerated by mass gatherings, according to spokesperson Margaret Harris.

“What we all need to get our heads around is this is a new virus, and even though it is a respiratory virus and even though respiratory viruses in the past did tend to do these different seasonal waves, this one is behaving differently,” she warned.

Telling examples are the United States and Brazil, each in different seasons yet among the countries with the most severe contagion.

“It’s going to be one big wave,” Harris explained. “It’s going to go up and down a bit. The best thing is to flatten it and turn it into just something lapping at your feet.”

The WHO had warned that countries were facing an “immediate second peak” if they keep hastily abandoning lockdown measures.

MORE FROM FORBESThe U.S On Travel 'Red List' Of 16 Countries Issued By FranceBy Cecilia Rodriguez

The End Of Travel Bridges?

Governments around Europe as well as the WHO and European Union health officials closely monitoring spikes in the number of cases are unveiling new travel restrictions literally every day, adding to the list of countries marked “red” and practically putting an end to travel arrangements known as ‘air bridges’ agreed among countries deemed to have the virus under control, to allow their travelers to go and return without quarantine.

Quarantines of 14 days are being reimposed on tourists returning from countries that are suffering serious relapses including Spain and Belgium as governments closely monitor spikes in the number of cases in others such as Luxembourg and Croatia, where the contagion has been rising.

Netherlands, France, Great Britain, Germany and Belgium have advised their citizens not to travel to Spain’s Catalonia because of the high number of coronavirus cases over recent weeks. 

Country By Country

Germany, which has fared better than many of its neighbors, has seen a rise of new cases. The head of the country’s disease-prevention agency blamed residents failing to follow guidelines and take the necessary precautions, while the foreign ministry advised people not to travel to hard-hit Spanish regions that are grappling with renewed outbreaks, including Aragon, Catalonia and Navarre.

Airports in the country are now offering coronavirus tests to travelers. 

The United Kingdom also has warned against non-essential travel to Spain, including the Canary and Balearic islands, and is imposing quarantine on those returning tourists, while considering adding countries to its red list.

Spain, meanwhile, which has recorded 280,610 cases of the virus and 28,436 deaths, has imposed new controls in areas most affected, limiting gatherings inside and outside restaurants and cafes, and even at home, to 10 people.

In Madrid, bars and nightclubs – which have been the sources of many new infections – now must close by 1.30 a.m., while patrons must show their ID number before entering in order to facilitate tracing eventually. The regional government is asking for the central government to administer PCR tests to people arriving at Madrid’s Barajas airport.

In Belgium, where the Covid-19 rate almost tripled this month from 5.3 to 15.1 per 100,000 people and the number of cases rose from 615 to 1,751, the government also reinforced restrictions such as the numbers of people allowed to socialize, social distancing and the obligatory use of masks.

In France, officials warning people to be vigilant are worried about the risks of a “second wave” but aren’t suggesting similar measures.

According to figures published earlier this week, the number of cases has dropped almost to half the 1,000 registered last Thursday and Friday. France saw almost 5,000 cases a day at the height of the pandemic.

In the United States, which continues to dwell among the EU-red-listed countries, the State Department advises Americans “to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. In countries where commercial travel options remain available, U.S. citizens should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite length of time.”

Bringing The Virus From The Vacation

The prevailing fear: citizens bringing the virus back with them from their summer vacation.

On the other hand, spokesmen from the travel and tourism industry have been lobbying for governments to find new ways involving testing to save the industries and allow people to travel safely.

“We need to find a way of getting ‘red countries’ opened up again,” John Holland-Kaye, chief executive of Heathrow Airport, told The Telegraph. “Testing is the only viable way of doing that in the absence of a vaccine. A lot of countries which are red-listed have millions of people who don’t have the disease and can’t travel. That’s holding back economic recovery.”

Protesters at a demonstration in Amsterdam against violence toward blacks, gay and transgender ... [+] people -- this year's coronavirus edition of the Gay Pride. Parade. Photo by Robin Utrecht.

SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The Virus, Here To Stay

The consensus among scientists is that the virus is widespread among the world’s population and has extended to 188 countries so far. What we’re seeing is “essentially localized spikes or a localized return of a large number of cases,” according to Edinburgh University Public Health professor Linda Bauld, in The Guardian.

From the WHO’s global point of view, the pandemic is a single, large and still-accelerating outbreak, with worldwide numbers doubling over the past six weeks.

The U.S, for example, generally is not experience a second wave, according to that analysis, because the first wave never really stopped. “The virus is simply spreading into new populations or reappearing in places that let down their guard too soon,” The Guardian reports. “The WHO is looking at world figures and these are still increasing. So as a pandemic, we are in the first wave.”

The organization says the Covid-19 pandemic is the most severe global health emergency it has ever declared.

There have been five other global health emergencies: Two outbreaks of Ebola, Zika, polio and swine flu, BBC reports.

Around the world, more than 16 million cases of Covid-19 have been reported since January, and more than 650,000 deaths.

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July 30, 2020 at 01:50AM
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ceciliarodriguez/2020/07/29/europe-travel-coronavirus-reawakens-air-bridges-second-lockdown-/

Europe Travel: Coronavirus Reawakens, Air-Bridges Collapse, ‘Red Countries’ Swell As Second Lockdown Looms - Forbes

https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

ALEA identifies red substance splattered on Alabama Capitol steps - WBRC

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[unable to retrieve full-text content]ALEA identifies red substance splattered on Alabama Capitol steps  WBRC The Link Lonk


July 30, 2020 at 05:43AM
https://www.wbrc.com/2020/07/29/unknown-red-substance-spattered-alabama-capitol-steps/

ALEA identifies red substance splattered on Alabama Capitol steps - WBRC

https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

US coronavirus deaths near 150,000 as 21 states declared 'red zones' - The Guardian

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US deaths from the coronavirus were approaching 150,000 on Wednesday, the highest level in the world and rising by about 10,000 in just 11 days, as 21 states enter what the federal government considers the “red zone” of rising infection rates.

'The hotspot of a hotspot of a hotspot': coronavirus takes heavy toll in south Texas

The nation recorded the deadliest day of the summer in the last 24 hours, with more than 1,200 confirmed coronavirus deaths, the highest daily toll reported by the country since May, according to a tally by Reuters.

Covid-19 deaths have risen in the US for three weeks in a row while the number of new cases week-over-week recently fell for the first time since June.

The White House coronavirus taskforce coordinator, Deborah Birx, on Tuesday said hotspots threaten regions where cases are controlled.

Birx warned: “We can see the virus moving north. What we’re seeing across the south right now is both rural infections, as well as small metros and major metros, simultaneously.”

A surge in infections in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas this month has overwhelmed hospitals.

Texas has recorded nearly 4,000 deaths so far this month, followed by Florida with 2,690 and California, the most populous state, with 2,500. The Texas figure includes a backlog of hundreds of deaths after the state changed the way it counted Covid-19 deaths.

Emily Cayer and Brad Hardy walk their dogs across a quiet Main Street in Bisbee, Arizona. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump plans to travel to Odessa in west Texas on Wednesday, but not to visit hospitals, bolster health workers or discuss the virus with local leaders, but rather to meet donors and tour an oil production facility.

The trip comes a day after he walked out of his White House coronavirus briefing on Tuesday night while in the middle of being challenged about describing as “very impressive” a doctor who claims face masks do not combat the spread of Covid-19 and that the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine is a cure, when federal public health experts have repeatedly said it is proven ineffective for the virus. The same doctor, Stella Immanuel, also publicizes her religious preachings that DNA from aliens is being used in medical treatments and sex dreams about demons cause some gynaecological problems.

It became clear as the event descended into the president touting medical misinformation that Trump’s somewhat more serious approach to the pandemic, on display at briefings last week, had not lasted.

Earlier in the week, social media companies took down an online video featuring the doctor and other supposed experts recommending hydroxychloroquine, but not before the clip was shared millions of times, by the president on Twitter and touted as a “must-watch” by his son, Donald Trump Jr.

The Texas governor, Greg Abbott, announced on Tuesday that the McAllen convention center on the south-eastern border with Mexico would be converted into a temporary medical facility for coronavirus patients.

Abbott visited the Rio Grande Valley, a virus hotspot, to see damage caused by Hurricane Hanna at the weekend. Local officials are grappling with hurricane damage and the further threat of more tropical storms and hurricanes that the season might bring, while simultaneously dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

“If there’s one thing that I want to emphasize to everyone in the Rio Grande Valley it is this: this hurricane has not eliminated Covid-19,” Abbott said.

New York and New Jersey lead the US in total deaths and deaths per capita, according to Reuters.

Seaside Heights beach boardwalk is packed despite the novel coronavirus pandemic in New Jersey. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

In Illinois, 73 people are among a Covid-19 outbreak in Lake Zurich which has been traced back to several Fourth of July gatherings.

“We have identified multiple smaller gatherings where Covid-19 infections occurred,” said Hannah Goering, of the Lake county health department.

Of the 20 countries with the biggest outbreak, the United States ranks sixth for deaths per capita, at 4.5 deaths per 10,000 people. It is exceeded by the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Peru and Chile.

An internal Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) memo obtained by ABC News reports that nationwide new cases are going down but deaths are increasing.

In the seven days ending Monday, new cases nationwide have decreased 0.6% from the previous week, but that time period also saw a 30% increase in deaths from the disease, and deaths have been increasing steadily in recent days, the TV network reported on Wednesday.

The states in the “red zone” – Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin – each had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people in the past week, the New York Times reported, according to internal federal figures.

A crowded Miami Beach in Florida on Tuesday. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Republicans in the White House and Congress were in disarray over their own plan for providing $1tn in new coronavirus aid on Tuesday, as negotiations aimed at reaching a compromise bill with Democrats also sputtered.

The Democratic party House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said she would meet the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, on Wednesday for an “airing of our differences”, after Democrats called the latest GOP rescue plan now caught up in fraught negotiations and infighting among conservatives “totally inadequate” on Monday.

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July 29, 2020 at 11:37PM
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/29/us-covid-19-coronavirus-deaths-states-red-zone-infection-spikes

US coronavirus deaths near 150,000 as 21 states declared 'red zones' - The Guardian

https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

Sensex, Nifty end deep in red as RIL shares tank; focus now on US Federal Reserve meet - The Financial Express

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Tata Steel, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Finance, and Ultra Cement were the other top gainers on Sensex today.

Sensex, Nifty were revisited by the bears on Wednesday as they ended deep in red and at one point even looked to give up Tuesday’s gains. The 30-share index Sensex was down 422 points or 1.10 per cent to trade at 38,071, while the broader Nifty 50 settled at 11,202. Volatility, after falling 5% on Tuesday was back to revisit stocks as it surged 2%. Analysts say the fall in indices could be attributed to profit booking after as markets reached a 5-month high in the previous trading session.

Reliance Industries drags: Oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries fell out of favour with two domestic brokerages that warned of the rally in the stock cooling down now. Today RIL shares slipped 3.75% to end the day at Rs 2,095 per share. Although some brokerages are now cautious on the stock, many still think that the RIL may still beat expectations.

Related News

Top losers: ICICI Securities dived 5.2% on Wednesday, followed by Hathway, AU Small Finance Bank, and GMR Infrastructure. Some other big names on the losers board were, Maruti Suzuki, TCS, Titan, Tech Mahindra, and HDFC Bank.

Top gainers: IndusInd Bank was up 4.5% on Wednesday defying the market trend. Tata Steel, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Finance, and Ultra Cement were the other top gainers. Tata Coffee was up 12.13% while Maharashtra Bank gained 8%.

Stock specific moves: Analysts have been warning to make stock specific moves in the current market condition. “Stock specific action was also visible, post earnings results, and this trend is expected to continue. Adequate liquidity in the market should ensure that these corrections are bought into,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.

Broader markets outperform: While Nifty 50 ended in the red, Nifty Next 50, Nifty Midcap 50, Midcap 100, and Midcap 150 gained during Wednesday’s trade.

Eyes on Fed: Focus now moves to the moves that the US Fed will make and that is expected to reflect in early trade on Thursday. “Indian markets continue to give mixed signs with alternate days of gain and loss. The indecision period could soon end with a lot of macro data including US Fed decision expected soon,” said Deepak Jasani, Head Retail Research, HDFC Securities.

SEBI extends deadline: In what can be seen as a breather for listed companies that are struggling to compile their financial results in the wake of the pandemic and the resultant lockdowns, SEBI today extended the deadline for submitting April-June quarter results. Companies, as per the regulations, have to submit their quarterly results for the first quarter of every fiscal year by August 14, this has been extended to September 15 by SEBI.

Get live Stock Prices from BSE, NSE, US Market and latest NAV, portfolio of Mutual Funds, calculate your tax by Income Tax Calculator, know market’s Top Gainers, Top Losers & Best Equity Funds. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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July 29, 2020 at 05:29PM
https://www.financialexpress.com/market/sensex-nifty-end-deep-in-red-as-ril-shares-tank-focus-now-on-us-federal-reserve-meet/2038834/

Sensex, Nifty end deep in red as RIL shares tank; focus now on US Federal Reserve meet - The Financial Express

https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

Federal coronavirus "red zone" of severe outbreaks expands to 21 total states - CBS News

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Florida on Tuesday hit a new statewide record high for number of coronavirus deaths reported in a single day since the pandemic began — 186 residents. And while there are signs hospitalizations may be leveling off, the virus continues to upend life there and across the country. 

Nearly half of all states are now part of the government's so-called "red zone" due to rising cases, including Missouri, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

Dr. Deborah Birx on Tuesday said hot spots threaten regions where cases are controlled.

"We can see the virus moving North," she warned.

"What we're seeing across the South right now is both rural infections, as well as small metros and major metros, simultaneously." Birx said.

This week, Dr. Birx was in five states where cases are on the rise and recommended that some states close bars and limit capacity. Kentucky ordered all bars to close at 5 p.m., but the governor of Tennessee refused to close bars. Birx also recommended that multi-generational families that live together where masks inside their homes.

The outbreak among the Miami Marlins has reportedly grown to as many as 17 players and staff — putting their season on hold until at least Sunday.

NFL players reporting to camp this week will be subjected to a slew of testing just to get practices going.

CBS Sports writer R.J. Anderson wonders how either league can function without creating a true safety bubble. "So, if baseball can't pull this off without a bubble, I'm not really sure how football is going to pull it off," said Anderson.

MLB scrambles to contain COVID-19 outbreak 04:50

The race for a vaccine got another boost Tuesday, as Pfizer announced it moved into phase three of testing a vaccine candidate on humans. Barry Colvin of New York is part of the trial.

"I'm not a healthcare worker but this is one way I can help," Colvin explained.

A vaccine can't come soon enough. Outside Miami, there is a grim sign of the pandemic: An overwhelmed funeral home in Hialeah is using a refrigerated container to store bodies.

It's a sign of how hard-hit the working-class community is. The funeral home won't confirm whether COVID-19 victims are stored there, but people here say there's no other explanation.

In New York, there was outrage after video surfaced of a concert from over the weekend where there was no social distancing.

"It was a gross violation of common sense," Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

Cuomo added three more states to the quarantine list, which is now up to 34.

The virus' painful march continues, claiming the life of Dr. Joseph Costa of Baltimore — the head of Mercy Medical Center's critical care division.

Now, Texas has changed the way it tracks deaths, revealing more than 600 additional victims there. One official with the state's emergency management team echoed Dr. Birx, recommending residents wear masks, even at home.

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July 29, 2020 at 05:46AM
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-coronavirus-red-zone-of-severe-outbreaks-expands-to-21-total-states/

Federal coronavirus "red zone" of severe outbreaks expands to 21 total states - CBS News

https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

William Barr, ‘Red Zones,’ the Emmys: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing - The New York Times

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(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

Image

Credit...Pool photo by Matt McClain

1. Attorney General William Barr forcefully defended the federal response to long-running protests in Portland, Ore., telling lawmakers that city streets were under attack by violent groups.

The federal intervention has been condemned by state and city officials, but in a combative congressional hearing, Mr. Barr told the House Judiciary Committee it was necessary to prevent violence from spreading to other American cities. We fact-checked his claims.

Democrats immediately accused Mr. Barr of making political decisions to help President Trump. “You have aided and abetted the worst failings of the president,” said Representative Jerrold Nadler, the committee chairman.

Mr. Barr accused Democrats of demonizing him because he believed the Trump-Russia investigation was misguided.

From the start, federal agents demanded a role in suppressing anti-racist protests, resulting in an aggressive response that continues to escalate. The Times obtained a memo from the F.B.I., dated June 2, that called for immediate mobilization to confront protests gathering in the wake of George Floyd’s killing a week earlier.

Credit...Eve Edelheit for The New York Times

2. President Trump called on states to reopen even as a federal report urged 21 “red zone” states to impose more restrictions.

The 21 states now in the “red zone” — from Alabama to Florida to Wisconsin — were placed there because they had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people in the past week. Above, a testing site in Orlando, Fla. The findings in the report, dated July 26 and containing profiles of each state, were sent to state officials by the White House coronavirus task force. Read the entire report.

Meanwhile, the second-largest teachers’ union in the U.S. said it would support strikes by its 1.7 million members to ensure their schools reopen safely. The union, the American Federation of Teachers, said strikes should be a “last resort.”

And in sports, the Miami Marlins now have 17 confirmed coronavirus cases on the team. The infections have upended the M.L.B. schedule.

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Credit...Michael Dalder/Reuters

3. Germany, an early model for containing the virus, is confronting a surge.

Its top health experts urged Germans for the first time to wear masks outdoors if a distance of 1.5 meters, or about 5 feet, cannot be maintained. There have been more than 3,000 new cases reported over the past week. Above, relaxing on the embankment of the river Isar in Munich.

Researchers have long known that masks can prevent people from spreading airway germs to others, but now, experts are pointing to an array of evidence that suggests masks also protect the people wearing them. A face covering, they say, can lessen the severity of symptoms, or in some instances prevent infection entirely.

From lockdowns to testing, our Opinion team showed people from around the world the facts and figures on how America handled the virus. They were stunned.

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Credit...Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

4. Joe Biden unveiled the capstone to his comprehensive economic recovery plan with a focus on racial equity.

The final piece of his four-part economic agenda outlines his vision to fight systemic racism, from housing to infrastructure to supporting small businesses.

The moment offered Mr. Biden a chance to cut a sharp contrast with President Trump, who has repeatedly taken incendiary actions at a moment of national reckoning over racism and police violence. “Every instinct Trump has is to add fuel to the fire,” the former vice president said.

Mr. Biden also said he would “have a choice” on his running mate by next week.

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Credit...Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

5. The Trump administration and Senate Republicans appear to be signaling that they want the census finished well ahead of schedule — as early as the end of September — pandemic or not.

Almost 40 percent of the nation’s households are still uncounted. In a surprise move, the administration last week asked the Senate Appropriations Committee to set aside $448 million in the next coronavirus relief package for a “timely” completion of the census. Experts fear political meddling.

U.S. lawmakers will have to bridge a significant policy gap to reach an agreement on a pandemic relief bill. We took a look at the differences between the House and Senate bills.

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Credit...Clockwise from top left: Erik Tanner for The New York Times; Kyle Johnson for The New York Times; Jim Wilson/The New York Times; Jessica Chou for The New York Times

6. Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google will face their “big tobacco moment.”

The captains of the New Gilded Age — Sundar Pichai of Google, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Tim Cook of Apple and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook — will testify before Congress on Wednesday that their companies do not stifle competition. The four men run companies worth a total of around $4.85 trillion.

The hearing, which will be held virtually, has been compared to the 1994 congressional appearance of top executives of the seven largest American tobacco companies, who said they did not believe that cigarettes were addictive.

Our DealBook team is expecting lawmakers to hammer the four C.E.O.s. But some observers think the tech moguls already have the upper hand.

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Credit...Zephyr/Science Source

7. A long-awaited blood test for Alzheimer’s may be within reach.

Scientists say such tests could be available in a few years, speeding research for treatments and providing a diagnosis for dementia patients who want to know if they have Alzheimer’s disease. The tests identified signs of the degenerative disease 20 years before memory and thinking problems were expected in people with a genetic mutation that causes Alzheimer’s.

Scientists said the blood tests were as accurate as methods that are far more expensive and invasive, like PET scans of the brain, above.

“It’s not a cure, it’s not a treatment, but you can’t treat the disease without being able to diagnose it,” one expert said. “And accurate, low-cost diagnosis is really exciting, so it’s a breakthrough.”

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Credit...Mark Hill/HBO

Credit...Van Gogh Museum

9. Vincent van Gogh died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound 130 years ago. A discovery in France could shed light on how the artist spent his final days.

Wouter van der Veen, a researcher, may have uncovered the precise location where van Gogh painted “Tree Roots,” above, thought to be the last piece he worked on. Scholars have long struggled to understand the events surrounding the gunshot wound in July 1890 that led to the artist’s death two days later.

“Tree Roots” was painted on a main road in Auvers-sur-Oise, a village north of Paris, Mr. van der Veen found, below. The tangled, gnarled tree roots and stumps can still be seen in the slope of a hill there today. The painting, he said, “is a farewell note in colors.”

Credit...Arthénon

Credit...IODP/JRSO

10. And finally, after 100 million years — it’s alive!

Scientists have revived a small population of microbes that may have spent the past 101.5 million years in a slumber under sediment — only to be roused awake in the lab. If confirmed, these microbes could be among the oldest living organisms ever found.

The microbes were discovered 20,000 feet under the South Pacific Gyre, an area known as “the deadest spot in the ocean.” To avoid disrupting the fragile cells too much, researchers replicated their home environment as best they could. That meant spending up to 10 hours a day working in a room chilled to below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Above, core samples.

“No theoretical microbiology can explain it,” one researcher said. “But we found it.”

Have an enlivening evening.

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July 29, 2020 at 05:25AM
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/briefing/william-barr-red-zones-the-emmys.html

William Barr, ‘Red Zones,’ the Emmys: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing - The New York Times

https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en