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Trump says he's seen evidence coronavirus came from Chinese lab. US intelligence agencies say it was not man-made - USA TODAY

Trump says he's seen evidence coronavirus came from Chinese lab. US intelligence agencies say it was not man-made - USA TODAY


Trump says he's seen evidence coronavirus came from Chinese lab. US intelligence agencies say it was not man-made - USA TODAY

Posted: 30 Apr 2020 03:54 PM PDT

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The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to continue to find, isolate, test and treat all cases of COVID-19 as lockdowns across Europe started to ease with declining numbers of new cases. (April 27) AP Domestic

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Thursday he has seen evidence suggesting the novel coronavirus originated in a virology lab in Wuhan, China.

Trump did not provide any evidence to support that assertion, and he seemed to hedge a bit by saying there were many "theories" about the origin of the virus. He has repeatedly called for an investigation into the origin of the virus, part of what critics say is an effort to shift blame to China amid growing criticism of Trump's missteps in response to the crisis.  

The president's comment on Thursday came just hours after his director of national intelligence, Richard Grenell, issued a statement on behalf of the U.S. intelligence community stating there was broad agreement the virus was not man-made or genetically modified.

But that statement left open the question of whether the virus was accidentally released by a laboratory in China, where the virus first emerged before spreading across the globe, or whether it came from animals and then jumped to humans, as the Chinese government has stated.

The intelligence community "will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan," the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, led by Richard Grenell, said in a statement

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has suggested, without citing evidence, that the virus may have escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology – a theory that many scientists have disputed.

Trump seemed to lend credence to that theory on Thursday, even though the national intelligence director's statement said that question was unresolved. 

Asked if he had seen "anything at this point that gives you a high degree of confidence that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the origin of this virus," Trump responded: "Yes I have. Yes I have."

The president said he could not divulge what gave him that high degree of confidence. And he seemed to hedge on his assertion later, saying "there's a lot of theories" about the origin of the virus. "We're going to see where it is, we're going to see where it comes from," Trump said.  

'A near impossibility': Experts doubt North Korea's claim of zero coronavirus cases

The New York Times reported Thursday morning that Trump administration officials were pushing US intelligence agencies to search for evidence supporting the theory it escaped the lab in Wuhan. Pompeo has been one of the administration's most public China critics amid the pandemic, and he has repeatedly raised questions about the security at Chinese labs that study potentially dangerous viruses.

"We don't know precisely where this virus originated from," Pompeo said Wednesday during a State Department press briefing. He complained that the Chinese government had not allowed U.S. scientists to access the Wuhan virology lab, a high-security biomedical facility. Pompeo said it's unclear if the lab has adequate safety precautions.

In a March 17 paper published by Nature Medicine, five scientists from the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia, said the scientific evidence shows the virus was not purposefully manipulated and that it most likely came from an animal.

"We do not believe that any type of laboratory-based scenario is plausible," they wrote, although they also said "it is currently impossible to prove or disprove" other theories. 

Critics say the White House is trying to deflect attention from Trump's own missteps in responding to the pandemic and point the finger at at China as he faces a tough reelection campaign.

"This is all about manipulating intelligence for political ends," Ned Price, a former CIA analyst who worked in the Obama administration, wrote in a tweet Thursday. "Whether the virus originated in a market or accidentally escaped a lab would have had no bearing on the warnings Trump received – and ignored – nor on the preparatory steps he chose not to take."

WHO chief: Public health 'superstar' or pro-China propagandist? WHO chief lands in US political crosshairs

Theories about a possible leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology have circulated since January, largely among right-wing bloggers, some conservative media pundits and pro-Trump China hawks. 

The theory that it came from the Wuhan lab is based on circumstantial evidence, such as the Wuhan Institute of Virology's history of studying coronaviruses in bats, the lab's proximity to where some of the infections were first diagnosed and China's lax safety record in its labs. 

The World Health Organization has concluded that the virus was not manipulated or produced in a laboratory and said it probably came from an animal, as Chinese officials have asserted.   

"It is probable, likely, that the virus is of animal origin," WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said April 22.

Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, David Jackson

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President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis discussed the re-opening of Florida's businesses during a White House meeting. Wochit

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Will an 'unprecedented decline' in carbon emissions help limit climate change? - USA TODAY

Posted: 30 Apr 2020 09:51 AM PDT

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China's efforts to control the spread of coronavirus have shuttered factories, emptied airports and resulted in a steep drop in carbon emissions and other pollutants. However analysts caution that the dip in pollution is likely temporary. (March 3) AP Domestic

The coronavirus pandemic has led to an "unprecedented decline" in global carbon emissions, a new report says.

Worldwide emissions of carbon dioxide – the greenhouse gas most responsible for global warming – are forecast to drop about 8% in 2020, a record annual decline that's due to COVID-19 lockdowns. The restrictions have caused a massive plunge in fossil fuel use, according to a report released Thursday by the International Energy Agency.

"This is a historic shock to the entire energy world," said Fatih Birol, the IEA executive director, in a statement. "Amid today's unparalleled health and economic crises, the plunge in demand for nearly all major fuels is staggering, especially for coal, oil and gas. Only renewables are holding up during the previously unheard of slump in electricity use." 

"It is still too early to determine the longer-term impacts, but the energy industry that emerges from this crisis will be significantly different from the one that came before," Birol added.

Climate change: Could the coronavirus actually be saving lives in some parts of the world because of reduced pollution?

The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas releases "greenhouse" gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane into Earth's atmosphere and oceans. The emissions have caused the planet's temperatures to rise to levels that cannot be explained by natural factors, scientists report. 

In the past 20 years, the world's temperature has risen about two-thirds of a degree Fahrenheit, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

Will the drop in emissions help limit climate change?

An 8% cut in emissions is roughly equivalent to the annual emissions reductions needed to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures, according to Carbon Brief. However, the target laid out in the Paris Agreement would require similar reductions every year this decade, not just for one year.

"A lockdown is just a one-off event, it can't get you all the way there," Glen Peters, research director at the Center for International Climate Research in Norway, told the New York Times

Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the Breakthrough Institute, tweeted Thursday that "despite the largest drop in global CO2 emissions ever recorded, the crisis will have minimal effects on CO2 concentrations and warming, which are based much more on the total (cumulative) emissions that have ever occurred than our emissions in a single year.

"The fact that the biggest global economic contraction since the Great Depression will not make a dent in future warming should be sobering," he added.

2019 report: Global carbon dioxide emissions stayed flat, despite growing economy

More: Carbon dioxide reaches record high in Earth's atmosphere, scientists report

So far this year, coal use has been especially hard hit during the lockdowns, as has natural gas use, the report said. Only renewable energy such as solar and wind is seeing a boom.

"Renewables are set to be the only energy source that will grow in 2020, with their share of global electricity generation projected to jump thanks to their priority access to grids and low operating costs," according to the IEA.

Birol said that "this crisis has underlined the deep reliance of modern societies on reliable electricity supplies for supporting health care systems, businesses and the basic amenities of daily life. But nobody should take any of this for granted – greater investments and smarter policies are needed to keep electricity supplies secure."

As for demand, the report projects that energy demand will fall 6% in 2020 – seven times the decline after the 2008 global financial crisis. In absolute terms, the decline is unprecedented – the equivalent of losing the entire energy demand of India, the world's third-largest energy consumer, the IEA said. 

Advanced economies are expected to see the biggest declines, with demand set to fall by 9% in the United States.

Overall, however, the IEA said that the drop in emissions is nothing to celebrate.

"Resulting from premature deaths and economic trauma around the world, the historic decline in global emissions is absolutely nothing to cheer," said Birol. "And if the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis is anything to go by, we are likely to soon see a sharp rebound in emissions as economic conditions improve."

50 years after the first Earth Day: In the midst of a pandemic, we need science more than ever.

What does COVID-19 mean for the environment? New NASA data sheds light into virus' impact

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Coronavirus pandemic, unemployment claims, 'Parks and Recreation' returns: 5 things to know Thursday - USA TODAY

Posted: 30 Apr 2020 04:04 AM PDT

Editors, USA TODAY Published 3:51 a.m. ET April 30, 2020 | Updated 8:21 a.m. ET April 30, 2020

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US Navy hospital ship Comfort to depart New York City

After a month of supporting New York City and New Jersey residents during the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort will leave Thursday for its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia. The U.S. Northern Command said the ship will return to prepare for any future COVID-19 assignments. The ship served 182 patients during its stay, discharging its final patient Sunday, according to a spokesman for Northwell Health, which assisted with service on the ship. It arrived in New York City on March 30 to help non-COVID patients, but began helping coronavirus patients six days later. 

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The USNS Comfort travels to Pier 90 in Manhattan on Monday March 30, 2020 to ease the pressure on New York hospitals due to the coronavirus. NorthJersey.com

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Millions of jobless claims expected, again 

Economists estimate the government will report Thursday that 3.5 million Americans filed initial applications for unemployment insurance amid the continuing coronavirus emergency. That's a huge number, though down from the roughly 4.4 million claims the week before and the all-time high of 6.86 million in late March. If the estimate holds, 30 million will have applied for unemployment in just six weeks, more than all the jobs created since the Great Recession.

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Here's why there's a backlog of claims for unemployment and why it's only getting worse. USA TODAY

Coronavirus: Gov. Murphy meeting with Trump to talk funding

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy plans to meet with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office Thursday to discuss the response to the coronavirus pandemic. The discussion between the Democratic governor and Republican president is likely to focus on federal funding for states as they deal with widespread job losses and how to deal with the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19. It's one of the few publicly known meetings between Trump and governors — a lot of the president's public time lately has been focused on attacking state leaders on social media. But Murphy, unlike other Democratic governors, such as New York's Andrew Cuomo or Washington's Jay Inslee, has adhered to the diplomatic style he honed as U.S. Ambassador to Germany. 

States' stay-at-home orders to expire with new plans taking over

Some states have announced plans to relax social distancing restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus and jump-starting the economy. Others still haven't taken that step. Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Louisiana, North Dakota, Texas and Wyoming had stay-at-home orders that were set to expire Thursday. Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona and Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana extended their states' stay-at-home orders through May 15. Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he will let his stay-at-home order expire and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said it's unlikely he will extend his state's order.

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'Parks and Recreation' returns for a one-time benefit special 

Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Rashida Jones, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari and other original cast members of NBC's "Parks and Recreation" are returning for a one-time special Thursday night (8:30 ET/PT). The beloved comedy that was set in the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana, will return five years after its series finale and will be the first broadcast scripted show to address today's world of social distancing and other coronavirus restrictions. SPOILER ALERT: Fans will remember the series ended with a finale that followed Leslie Knope (Poehler) and husband Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) into the future, ending in 2048. Thursday's show will benefit Feeding America's COVID-19 Response Fund, which provides food and funds to U.S. food banks.

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Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza and more attend "Parks and Recreation" 10 year reunion in Los Angeles. AP Domestic

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Coronavirus live updates: Remdesivir sees positive trial results; US economy shrinks; Los Angeles offers free testing for all residents - USA TODAY

Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:27 PM PDT

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These individuals, from six to 95-year-old, fought the coronavirus and won. USA TODAY

The U.S. economy suffered its worst decline in more than a decade and economists fear the worst may be yet to come, while Los Angeles emerged Wednesday as the nation's first major city to offer free coronavirus testing for all residents.

Meanwhile, a global study brought hope after a trial of the antiviral drug remdesivir showed promising results and nationwide decontamination sites are starting to recycle millions of much-needed N95 masks daily.

As states continue to charge toward gradual phases of reopening, with Florida entering its first phase May 1, experts warn of risks: "They're playing Russian roulette."

There was a warning from New York City doctors, too, who published a letter on Wednesday detailing an alarming trend: The coronavirus is triggering a surge in strokes in younger patients.

With more than 60,900 deaths in the U.S., more Americans have died from the virus than were killed during the Vietnam War, from 1955 to 1975, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Worldwide, there are over 3.1 million confirmed cases  including 1.03 million in the U.S. – and more than 227,600 deaths.

Our live blog is being updated throughout the day. Refresh for the latest news, and get updates in your inbox with The Daily BriefingMore headlines:

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announces free testing for all residents

Hours after Los Angeles County reported its greatest surge in new coronavirus cases, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced free testing would be available for all residents in the city and county.

"While priority will still be given to those with symptoms, individuals without symptoms can also be tested," Garcetti said on Twitter, directing people to sign up at http://Coronavirus.LACity.org/Testing. He touted Los Angeles as the "first major city in America" to open free COVID-19 testing to all residents.

There were 1,541 new confirmed cases on Wednesday in Los Angeles County, nearly 1,000 more than on Tuesday, the county's public health department announced. Los Angeles' death toll of 1,056 as of Wednesday night is the highest of any city in the western United States.

– Steve Kiggins

Memo: California Gov. Gavin Newsom set to close all beaches, state parks

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will order all beaches and state parks closed Friday after tens of thousands of people flocked to the seashore last weekend during a heat wave despite his stay-at-home order, according to a memo sent Wednesday evening to police chiefs around the state.

Eric Nuñez, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said it was sent to give chiefs time to plan ahead of Newsom's expected announcement Thursday.

A message to the governor's office seeking comment wasn't immediately returned on Wednesday night.

Newsom this week targeted beachgoers in Orange and Ventura counties, calling them an example of "what not to do" if the state wants to continue its progress fighting the coronavirus.

Remdesivir sees positive trial results as possible coronavirus treatment

The first possible scientifically proven treatment for COVID-19 emerged Wednesday with early data from a global study finding patients given the experimental drug remdesivir recovered faster and may be less likely to die.

Early results released from the global study conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases found patients who received remdesivir had a 31% faster recovery time than those who received a placebo.

While not a "knock out," NIAID director Anthony Fauci said at an Oval Office meeting Wednesday, the study results were "a very important proof of concept."

Earlier Wednesday, pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences said remdesivir produced "similar improvement" in patients over a 10-day treatment plan compared with a five-day treatment plan.

– Elizabeth Weise and Nathan Bomey

Jared Kushner: Government's response to coronavirus 'great success story'

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner called the federal government's response to the coronavirus outbreak "a great success story" on Wednesday as cases topped 1 million and the death toll passed 60,000 in the United States. 

Kushner, the president's son-in-law who has been serving on the White House coronavirus task force, doesn't often make public appearances. During an interview on Fox News on Wednesday, Kushner said, "I think that we've achieved all the different milestones that are needed. So the government, federal government, rose to the challenge and this is a great success story. I think that's really what needs to be told." He also claimed that by June "a lot of the country should be back to normal," and that by July, "the country's really rocking again."

Researchers at Harvard University recently concluded the U.S. would need to conduct 500,000 to 700,000 coronavirus tests a day to begin reopening safely. Last week the country averaged 210,000 daily tests, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

 Savannah Behrmann

Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will gradually begin to reopen May 4

Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined the first phase of his plan to reopen segments of Florida's economy, saying Wednesday the first obstacle was to overcome "fear of the unknown, fear of the doom-and-gloom hysteria."

Schools will remain in distance learning, elective surgeries can resume, restaurants can offer outdoor seating with six feet of social distance and indoor seating must be at 25% of normal capacity. Indoor retail businesses can operate at 25% indoor capacity. Visits to senior living facilities will remain prohibited and bars, gyms and personal service providers such as hair salons will remain closed.

The first phase will go into effect May 4, DeSantis said, but will exclude Miami-Dade, Broward and West Palm Beach counties. He urged everyone to continue observing social distancing, avoiding gatherings of 10 or more people and wearing face masks in situations when physical distance is difficult to achieve.

 Lorenzo Reyes

GDP fell 4.8% in first quarter as consumer spending tumbled

The U.S. economy, largely shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, turned in its worst performance in more than a decade early this year, but the dismal showing reflects just a sliver of the damage to come.

The nation's gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced in the U.S., contracted at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.8% in the January-March period as both consumer and business spending fell sharply, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. It marked the first drop in output since early 2014 and the steepest since late 2008 during the depths of the Great Recession.

The first-quarter contraction likely reflects only part of the actual slide because initial estimates typically miss some data and such gaps are accentuated during big economic shifts, Goldman Sachs says. Also, the firm says, many businesses were closed and couldn't be surveyed.

– Paul Davidson

NYC docs see strokes in young people who had mild coronavirus symptoms

New York City doctors say the coronavirus is triggering a surge in strokes in younger patients, causing alarm among medical experts. Over a two-week period, Mount Sinai doctors reported five patients under the age of 50 who suffered large vessel strokes, according to a letter they published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

All five patients tested positive for COVID-19 but had very mild to no symptoms. Dr. J Mocco, director of the Cerebrovascular Center at Mount Sinai and one of the letter's authors, said these stroke patients in New York were 15 years younger than the normal stroke population, had no risk factors and were statistically more likely to be male.

"That creates a big alarm," Mocco said. "Our spider sense goes up to say that there's something not right here."

– Adrianna Rodriguez

CDC data show virus deaths may be far higher than reported

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that the number of deaths in the United States from the new coronavirus may be far higher than what states are reporting. Looking at the CDC data, the New York Times found that deaths surged 50% higher than normal in seven states from March 8 through April 11. However, the official number of COVID-19 deaths did not account for all those deaths in the surge.

A USA TODAY investigation found that in New York, deaths attributed to pneumonia are up 651% for March 22 through April 11. Those counts are up 670% in New Jersey and 172% in Michigan. The three states reported 7,430 pneumonia deaths above the typical 1,419. 

A USA TODAY analysis of weekly mortality data since the fall of 2013 reinforces the possibility that COVID-19 deaths are being missed in official tallies because they were instead recorded as pneumonia. In a typical year, about 11,300 people have died from pneumonia in the last week of March and first two weeks of April. This year, more than 22,200 Americans have died from the condition from March 22 to April 11.

However, public health officials have warned that the number of deaths and total coronavirus cases may be undercounted as testing capacity still lags in many states and some people sickened with the new virus die outside of a hospital.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo: Elective surgeries in lower-risk areas to resume

In the latest sign New York State is gradually easing restrictions, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday he will sign an executive order to allow elective surgeries to resume only in counties where a coronavirus surge is unlikely.

Elective surgeries were canceled to increase hospital capacity during the peak of the outbreak. No New York City counties were eligible to resume elective surgeries nor were Erie County – where Buffalo is located – or Albany County.

And after increased media attention regarding the state of subway cars in New York City, Cuomo also said he is going to ask the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for "a full plan of how we disinfect every train, every night, period." Cuomo cited concerns that the virus could spread without efficient sanitation amid reports of unhygienic conditions and many homeless people sheltering in the cars.

– Lorenzo Reyes

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposes free college for front-line workers

Essential workers in Michigan would be eligible for free college under a new plan being proposed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The plan, modeled on the GI Bill, would pay for college for those front-line workers who don't have a college degree, Whitmer said in announcing it Wednesday. Those eligible would be workers "like the ones staffing our hospitals and nursing homes, stocking the shelves at grocery stores, providing child care to critical infrastructure workers, manufacturing PPE, protecting public safety, picking up trash or delivering supplies," the state said in the announcement.

The plan is being called Futures for Frontliners. It is being billed as the first-such program in the nation. Details about the program, how people would apply for it and how much it would cost were not immediately released. Whitmer said the state would use federal grant money to pay the costs.

 David Jesse, Detroit Free Press

More coronavirus news and information from USA TODAY

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Navy orders deeper dive into Brett Crozier firing, USS Theodore Roosevelt

The acting Navy secretary on Wednesday ordered a deeper investigation into the events surrounding the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt and the firing of its skipper for seeking aid. Acting Navy Secretary James McPherson said he ordered the more comprehensive investigation after receiving the findings of a preliminary inquiry conducted by Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of naval operations. Gilday's recommendation was to reinstate Capt. Brett Crozier, the ship's commander.

Outrage over Crozier's ouster for advocating on behalf of the 4,800-member crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt prompted the resignation of acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly and sparked an investigation. The coronavirus outbreak aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has consumed the Pentagon and caught the attention of President Donald Trump who has both criticized and sympathized with Crozier.

– Tom Vanden Brook

Maryland chicken plants see 262 confirmed coronavirus cases

Gov. Larry Hogan said there have now been 262 confirmed COVID-19 cases associated with Maryland poultry workers, a day after President Donald Trump ordered all meat packing plants to remain open.

The Delmarva Peninsula is home to several poultry processing plants, including Perdue Farms, Tyson Foods and Mountaire Farms. Hogan called the outbreaks "a serious public health concern" and "a potential threat to Maryland's leading agricultural industry and to our nation's essential food supply chain." 

State epidemiologists have told the affected areas to focus on testing support, contact tracing, occupational health communications and outreach. The executive director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency is spearheading the state's "intensive effort."

– Rose Velazquez

Nancy Pelosi names Dem lawmakers to stimulus money committee

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named seven Democratic lawmakers Wednesday to a panel overseeing trillions of dollars in stimulus funds intended to offset the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The rollout of the stimulus program and the accompanying federal response have already faced problems and some criticism. Publicly traded companies have been able to access loans meant for small businesses. Stimulus checks have been sent to dead people. And the distribution of medical supplies has been uneven as states have had to outbid each other for life-saving equipment.

Republicans have not yet announced their nominees for the panel, which allows spots for five Republicans. A spokesperson for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told USA TODAY the committee was "another partisan pursuit" and was redundant because of other existing oversight bodies.  

– Nicholas Wu and Ledyard King

'They're playing Russian roulette': As states reopen, experts warn of risks

Dozens of states have decided to reopen businesses and have established a number of conditions for restarting, but public health experts question their ability to monitor and handle the inevitable increase in cases that will follow. If the surge is strong enough, some may have to reimpose the social distancing restrictions that devastated their economies, making for a herky-jerky approach to recovery.

"I think they're playing Russian roulette. They're hoping obviously that reopening the states is not going to lead to increased cases," said Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus at the University of California-Berkeley. "They have no way of monitoring the answer to that question until it explodes."

– Jorge L. Ortiz

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When will it hit and what will it look like? Those are just a few unanswered questions about a possible second wave of COVID-19. USA TODAY

More coronavirus headlines from USA TODAY

Contributing: The Associated Press

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