promoearn: Fauci to testify on coronavirus amid new restrictions on reopening, travel

Tuesday, June 30

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci watches as Vice President Mike Pence speaks after leading a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday's Daily Briefing: Fauci to testify, Arizona closings

Dr. Anthony Fauci will testify before Congress on the state of the pandemic, a swath of closings in Arizona begin and more news you need to know Tuesday.

Good morning, Daily Briefing readers. Today's biggest news is all about coronavirus, but a lot happened yesterday that had nothing to do with the global pandemic we're living through. Here's a quick recap:

•	Former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo affirmed he is the man long sought as the Golden State Killer as he pleaded guilty to 26 charges — 13 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of kidnapping.
•	A narrowly divided Supreme Court struck down state restrictions on abortion clinics for the second time in four years, ruling 5-4 that a Louisiana law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals would unduly burden women.
•	A White House spokeswoman said President Donald Trump had not been briefed on reports that Russia was behind bounty payments to Taliban-linked militants over successful attacks on coalition troops. The Associated Press however reported the assessment was included in at least one of Trump's written daily intelligence briefings in early 2019, citing U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence.

It's N'dea and here's the news you need to know Tuesday.

Fauci to testify before Congress on state of coronavirus pandemic

Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health officials will testify before Congress on Tuesday on the state of the coronavirus pandemic. Fauci, the top infectious disease expert at the National Institutes of Health, has repeatedly urged states to follow the "carefully thought out" CDC guidelines for reopening, warning in May that failure to do so would lead to "some suffering and death" that could be avoided. Testifying before a House panel last week, Fauci said these two weeks are "critical" in how the country addresses the surge in states like Florida, Texas and Arizona.

•	Trump administration considering 'pool testing' for coronavirus, Fauci says: What that means
•	White House Task Force update: Fauci, others urge adults under 40 to act more responsibly to help slow spread of COVID-19
•	✔️ Fact check: The US government did not engineer COVID-19

States respond to surging COVID-19 cases as treatment gets a new price tag

As COVID-19 cases surge across the nation, more states are moving to combat the spread of the virus: Oregon and Kansas are the latest states that will begin to require face masks in public.

Gilead Sciences, the maker of remdesivir that is shown to shorten recovery time for severely ill patients, said Monday it will charge $2,340 for a typical treatment course for people covered by government health programs in the U.S. and other developed countries.

Here are the latest headlines on coronavirus:

•	Coronavirus updates: New Jersey bans smoking, drinking at casinos; Oregon, Kansas to require face masks
•	We looked at coronavirus in 8,500 ZIP codes across America. Here's what we found.
•	San Quentin State Prison is 'deep area of focus and concern' in California: Nearly one-third of inmates have coronavirus
•	'A scary reality': Students react to colleges' reopening plans with mix of optimism, fear
•	Broadway suspends performances through 2020 amid coronavirus, extends ticket refunds to 2021
•	With bankruptcies surging, 2020 may become one of the busiest years for Chapter 11 filings since the Great Recession
•	Are you touching your face right now? NASA invented a wearable that reminds you not to

Arizona bars, gyms and theaters closed again as COVID-19 numbers jump

Arizona residents will wake up Tuesday morning and have to adjust to the new temporary reality that some businesses that reopened after the state ended its stay-at-home order will be closed again. Arizona's explosive increase in coronavirus cases prompted Gov. Doug Ducey to order bars, gyms, movie theaters and water parks to close Monday night and stay shut down for at least 30 days, until July 27. Hotel, motel and municipal pools are also closing. Ducey also said public schools won't be able to open any earlier than Aug. 17, thwarting many districts' plans to start the school year later this summer. Ducey added the order's July 27 expiration date was an "aspirational goal" and would depend on how the state's COVID-19 numbers evolved, calling the recent numbers "brutal." Arizona has confirmed more than 74,000 cases, with 3,000-plus new cases reported on five of the past seven days.

•	'An abundance of caution': Pence cancels campaign events in Florida and Arizona as coronavirus cases spike
•	'We will err on the side of freedom': Arizona mayor says he won't cancel events, nor require masks
•	Don't dock here: Havasu falls are off limits to river rafters during COVID lockdown, Havasupai Tribe says

Updates in the case of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and more on race in America

•	Investigation to be launched into Louisville mayor's handling of Breonna Taylor case
•	Judge in George Floyd murder case threatens gag order and venue change if public comments continue
•	Missouri couple point guns at protesters calling for St. Louis mayor to resign
•	Hampton Inn employee fired for calling cops on Black guests at the pool; Hilton apologizes
•	Walmart will stop selling 'All Lives Matter' merchandise

Mnuchin, Powell to brief key House committee on pandemic response efforts 💰

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell are set to testify Tuesday before House lawmakers to report on the efficacy of the federal response amid the coronavirus pandemic . Mnuchin will likely be asked about a couple of missteps with the massive economic stimulus program. This may include how hundreds of publicly traded companies received Paycheck Protection Program loans meant for small businesses and how more than 1 million dead people got stimulus checks from the federal government. In addition, Mnuchin and Powell could be pressed about further stimulus actions that Democrats have embraced. In the testimony released Monday by the Fed, Powell repeats a pledge that the central bank will keep interest rates at their current ultra-low levels until it is sure the economy has weathered the pandemic crisis.

•	Paycheck Protection Program: Kudlow backs Mnuchin call not to disclose recipients of business loans from stimulus
•	IRS is not extending tax deadline: 2019 returns must be filed by July 15
•	Plan now: Think that extra $600 in unemployment benefits will last until the end of July? Think again

More news to know:

•	IRS is not extending tax deadline: 2019 returns must be filed by July 15
•	'A threatened bison may charge': California woman gored at Yellowstone National Park while trying to get a photo
•	Missing hiker's body found at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington; 2 others still missing
•	China approves contentious Hong Kong national security law
•	Hazy skies, reduced visibility and colorful sunsets: Another dust storm from the Sahara to hit US this week
•	Researchers discover record warming at the South Pole over the past 3 decades

EU likely to extend the travel ban for US residents 🌍

European Union countries are likely to extend the travel ban on U.S. citizens for at least two weeks, according to a resolution due to be formalized on Tuesday seen by Bloomberg. Travel between EU nations is expected to resume Wednesday, but European Commission recommendations state that travel restrictions should be upheld in countries where the situation is worse than the average in the 27 EU member countries plus Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. This would exclude the United States, where COVID-19 infections have surged to their highest level in two months. The bloc aims to revise the list of countries allowed to enter every two weeks.

•	Is international travel allowed yet? See when Singapore, Jamaica, other countries plan to reopen borders
•	Key tips: How to stay safe when flying during the coronavirus pandemic

Quarantine travel order could apply to nearly half of US population ✈️

Travelers from eight states, including California, could be added to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut's quarantine order – a restriction that would then apply to 48% of the U.S. population . New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office said it intended to analyze each state's COVID-19 data Monday night and Tuesday morning to determine which states will join the original eight subject to the travel order. The order currently requires travelers from places with high infection rates to isolate for 14 days upon arrival in New York or the two neighboring states. A data analysis by the USA TODAY Network shows that California, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and Tennessee may be added to the list.

•	Travel restrictions: The states where visitors must still quarantine
•	Alternative for travelers: Hawaii will let visitors skip quarantine if they present a negative COVID-19 test
•	📍 US coronavirus map: Tracking the outbreak

In better news: There's plenty to do while you're stuck inside 🏠

As states like Arizona, California and Texas roll back their reopening plans due to spiking COVID-19 infections, many of us will be staying inside once again.

What's there to do while stuck indoors? We've compiled 100 suggestions to help make your time quarantined as interesting – and perhaps even as productive – as possible.

You could try growing edible plants (here's which ones are actually worth it). And here are some ideas for couples to have romantic summer dates that don't involve endless Netflix nights.