Joe Biden made health care the overwhelming focus of his remarks from Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday, stressing that the Senate confirmation battle over Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court is about preserving the Affordable Care Act in the midst of a pandemic.
Why it matters: Democrats are aggressively pushing the message that Barrett, who has previously criticized Chief Justice John Roberts for his 2012 ruling salvaging the ACA, will seek to invalidate the law when the Supreme Court hears a Trump administration-backed lawsuit against it on Nov. 10.
President Trump on Sunday tweeted that the Supreme Court invalidating the Affordable Care Act would be "a big WIN for the USA!"
Why it matters: Democrats have argued that confirming a Trump-appointed justice to the Supreme Court would put the Affordable Care Act, which protects pre-existing conditions, in jeopardy. Trump's Supreme Court pick, Amy Coney Barrett, has written that she disagreed with Chief Justice John Roberts when he ruled to uphold the law.
New York on Friday reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the first since June.
Why it matters: The New York City metropolitan area was seen as the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the spring. But strict social distancing and mask mandates helped quell the virus' spread, allowing the state to gradually reopen.
Why it matters: It was the highest single-day increase since August 14, when the country reported 64,350 new cases over a 24-hour span, and suggests that the U.S. has yet to contain the spread of the virus.
New data shows the mortality rate for children under 5 is continuing to fall, as improvements in nutrition and health reduce the earliest and most tragic deaths.
Why it matters: The continued decline in the youngest deaths is one of humanity's greatest victories, but the COVID-19 pandemic puts some of that progress in danger.
Less than 10% of the United States population has coronavirus antibodies, a study published in The Lancet on Friday found.
Why it matters: The findings suggest that the U.S. is far from herd immunity without a vaccine. Herd immunity — wherein widespread outbreaks are prevented because enough people in a community are immune to a disease — is one tactic public health experts are hoping could help squash the virus for good.
A less visible but still massive trauma caused by the coronavirus is becoming clear: our mental health is suffering with potentially long-lasting consequences.
Why it matters: Mental health disorders that range from schizophrenia to depression and anxiety exert a severe cost on personal health and the economy. Addressing that challenge may require out-of-the-box solutions.
Japan's newly elected Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says he is committed to hosting the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo come summer 2021, per the AP.
Catch up quick: The Games were postponed due the coronavirus pandemic, but the competitions are rescheduled for next summer. Officials have not shared plans nor procedures to protect athletes, staff and guests from the virus and it remains to be seen whether a vaccine will be widely available by then.
