COVID-19 Update

USA

• New Cases:   44,227
• New Deaths:      977

WaPo:
Seven former FDA commissioners accuse Trump administration of undermining the agency

In a rare and extraordinary rebuke, seven former commissioners of the Food and Drug Administration wrote an op-ed accusing the Trump administration of interfering politically with the agency, with potentially catastrophic effects on public trust in a coronavirus vaccine.

The column, which was published online Tuesday afternoon in The Washington Post, detailed a recent pattern of interference, including President Trump’s threat to reject a proposed FDA guidance detailing the criteria the agency will use to judge a coronavirus vaccine, and decisions by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to revoke the FDA’s authority to regulate lab-developed tests and to sign its own rules.

More stuff:

• President Trump heralded new rapid coronavirus tests on Monday as game changers, but his administration’s deployment of the new tests to nursing homes has been plagued by poor communication, false results and a frustrating lack of planning, state leaders say.
• Disney announced Tuesday that it would lay off 28,000 people across its theme-park division in the U.S., demonstrating the devastating toll the coronavirus has taken on its core business.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows both said Tuesday they’re hopeful they can reach a new economic stimulus agreement.
• Covid-19 cases surged nationally among 18- to 22-year-olds between Aug. 2 and Sept. 5, according to a report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• The Tennessee Titans shut down in-person activities Tuesday after a series of positive test results among players and other personnel. It’s the first coronavirus outbreak on an NFL team this season.
• New York City’s daily rate of positive coronavirus tests has seen a significant uptick, officials announced Tuesday The news came at an important juncture for the city, which is welcoming students back for in-person instruction.
• Morale at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is at an all-time low as the agency’s response to the pandemic continues to be blemished by technical blunders, botched messaging and interference from Trump administration appointees.