promoearn: When COVID-19 just won't quit

Monday, September 13

Aug 18, 2021; Southern Pines, NC, USA; Ronald Rushing Sr. closes his eyes in response to the pain he feels from his chronic headaches. He says the pain is a constant burning sensation that never goes away except when he sleeps. Mandatory Credit: Michelle Hanks- USA TODAY [Via MerlinFTP Drop]

Scientists are working to unravel the mysteries of long-haul COVID-19. And Texas braces for rain from Tropical Storm Nicholas. It's Monday's news.

What are the consequences of long-haul COVID-19? There's a lot we don't know. Texas is bracing for as much as 2 feet of rain from Tropical Storm Nicholas. And a huge nest of murder hornets was found in Washington.

👋 Hey! It's Laura. Y'all doing OK? Drinking enough water? Grab a snack and buckle up – it's Monday's news.

But first, this is nuts! 🥜 You might think of a more domestic animal having human-like traits, like a dog or a cat. But there might just be another fluffy animal near your home that acts more like a human — a squirrel! Here's why.

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.

For millions, COVID-19 just won't go away

"Doctors are completely lost," said Ronald Rushing Sr., who has had a slew of tests and been put on "medicine after medicine," all to no avail, more than a year after coming down with COVID-19. Pain shoots through his head from the moment he opens his eyes in the morning until he closes them at night. Scientists say there are no good numbers for how many people have lingering symptoms after a COVID-19 infection, but as many as 30% of those infected are long-haulers. In one survey, more than 90% said they still had symptoms eight months after their bout with COVID-19, recording 203 symptoms ranging from the most common – brain fog, pain, headaches, tiredness, racing heart – to the bizarre, including hallucinations, painfully swollen toes, and full-body convulsions. Treatments are usually directed first at problems that show up on medical tests, and then at the most bothersome symptoms – but there's no standard therapy for tiredness, and lung, brain and cardiac scans often come up clean. Read the rest of the story here.

Changed by COVID-19: This story is part of a USA TODAY Network series exploring long-haul COVID-19, the people who've suffered and the experts trying to help them. To keep up with the series, sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter here.

•	Who'll be able to get a COVID-19 booster shot and when? That's still in limbo.
•	COVID-19 numbers have some snowbirds saying they'll skip Florida this year.
•	Religious exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines may be an option but can be denied.

Prince Andrew's sex abuse lawsuit in court

Process serving was expected to be the main topic of discussion Monday at a virtual hearing involving Prince Andrew, son of Queen Elizabeth II, and Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Giuffre and her celebrity lawyer, David Boies, were expected to tell a federal judge about the trouble they've had serving Andrew with the lawsuit she filed against him last month. An affidavit turned up in New York federal court on Friday in which a process server in London attests that he went to Andrew's residence on Aug. 27 and delivered documents from the shocking sex abuse lawsuit. Giuffre is accusing Andrew of rape and sexual assault, claiming she was sex-trafficked to him at age 17 by Andrew's former friend, the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and that the prince knew it at the time. According to federal rules in civil cases, Andrew has 21 days to respond to Giuffre's lawsuit, but he's not expected to do so. Andrew has vehemently denied all her accusations, and Buckingham Palace has publicly backed him.

•	Prince Andrew has few options for restoring reputation after accuser's lawsuit.

Prince Andrew at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge on the Windsor Castle estate, on April 11, 2021, a few days after his father, Prince Philip, died.

Steve Parsons, AP

What everyone's talking about

•	'I can't (expletive) believe it': Britney Spears got engaged to Sam Asghari!
•	Machine Gun Kelly scuffles with Conor McGregor on VMAs red carpet.
•	Ex-White House press secretary likens Melania Trump to Marie Antoinette.
•	18 gorillas in Atlanta zoo show COVID-19 symptoms, may receive vaccines.
•	Black family's home value jumpe nearly $100,0000 after they hid their race.
•	Embalmers pour fluids down drains, but Texas water officials didn't know.

Texas braces for up to 2 feet of rain from Tropical Storm Nicholas

Schools closed and storm surge watches and warnings raced across the Gulf Coast as Nicholas churned along the Texas coast, a strengthening tropical storm that could reach hurricane status when it slams ashore later Monday. Nicholas, with sustained winds of 60 mph, was forecast to move onshore along the coast of south or central Texas by Monday evening. Strengthening is forecast Monday, and Nicholas could reach the northwest Gulf coast as a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. Weakening was anticipated Tuesday and Wednesday as the storm moves over land, the center said. Louisiana, where more than 100,000 homes and businesses remain without power two weeks after the devastation of Hurricane Ida, was under a state of emergency. In Texas, Houston could be blasted with 8 to 12 inches of rain, and nearby areas could see up to 24 inches, AccuWeather said.

•	As Nicholas nears Texas, NHC is monitoring 3 other systems in Atlantic.
•	Louisiana declares state of emergency as Nicholas targets battered region.

This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Nicholas in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for coastal Texas and the northeast coast of Mexico.

This satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Nicholas in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for coastal Texas and the northeast coast of Mexico.

Biden in California ahead of recall election

President Joe Biden heads on Monday to the state that gave him the most votes last year, making a last-minute appeal to supporters to ensure California keeps its Democratic governor. Polls indicate the attempt by Republicans to recall Newsom is likely to come up short in Tuesday's election — for which many votes have already been cast. So the trip may end up benefiting Biden as much as Newsom. "The trip associates Biden directly with a significant political victory," said Dan Schnur, a political science professor at the University of California, "and he could use one right now." The recall election also gives Democrats a chance — along with Virginia's gubernatorial race in November — to test potential playbooks and to generate momentum going into difficult midterm elections.

•	Voter fraud claims create 'circus-like atmosphere,' stir California recall race.
•	No GOP favorite: Republicans skip endorsement fight in recall election.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom at a rally in Oakland, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2021.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom at a rally in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday.

Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group via AP

Real quick

•	Man arrested carrying machete, bayonet in truck near DNC headquarters.
•	Student's state fair entry triggers a federal spotted lanternfly investigation.
•	Man who stabbed woman with semen-filled needle gets 10 years in prison.
•	Teens accused of plotting 'next Parkland massacre' at Florida middle school.
•	Trial begins for minister accused of sex trafficking his preteen daughter.

More murder hornets found

After officials destroyed the second Asian giant hornet nest of 2021, a third one was found in Washington state. The Washington State Department of Agriculture said it planned to eradicate the nest, which was found 2 miles from a nest found in 2020. Almost 1,500 hornets were found in various developmental stages inside the nest. Asian giant hornets are the largest hornets in the world, up to 2 inches long, and got their "murder hornet" name for being the cause of up to 50 deaths a year in Japan where they are commonly found. Murder hornets will also kill bees and other insects. No murder hornet deaths have been reported in the USA.

•	Photo gallery: Here's what murder hornets look like.
•	Visual guide: What we know about the invasive murder hornets.

In this Oct. 24, 2020, file photo, a Washington state Department of Agriculture worker holds two of the dozens of Asian giant hornets vacuumed from a tree in Blaine, Wash. When scientists destroyed the first nest of so-called murder hornets found in the U.S. recently, they discovered about 500 live specimens inside in various stages of development.

Elaine Thompson, AP

A break from the news

•	🚴‍♀️ More exercise, fewer calories? Weight loss is more complicated than that.
•	🚗 An Uber glitch made my ride jump from $20 to $98. How can I get a refund?
•	📲 iOS 15 is arriving soon. Here's what we know so far.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.