July 31, 2020 • No Comments • National News

narvikk/iStockBy MORGAN WINSOR and ELLA TORRES, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 673,000 people worldwide.

Over 17.3 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding the scope of their nations’ outbreaks.

Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the United States has become the worst-affected country, with nearly 4.5 million diagnosed cases and at least 152,075 deaths.

Here is how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.

10:36 a.m.: Florida reports 4th day of record deaths, DeSantis announces new initiative to fight COVID

The Florida Department of Health recorded 257 deaths in the last 24 hours, marking a new, grim record for the state for the fourth day in a row.

There are now 6,966 total deaths and the number of confirmed cases has reached 470,386, with an increase of 9,007 in the last 24 hours, according to the health agency.

The rise in deaths and cases comes on the same day that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a new initiative to stop the virus’s spread.

DeSantis’ initiative — called One Goal One Florida — encourages the public to follow four guidelines: Protect the vulnerable, practice proper hygiene, practice social distancing and wear a mask if in close contact with another person.

“COVID-19 has been a significant challenge for all Floridians but I’m 100% confident we can, and will, overcome this challenge,” DeSantis said in a statement. “To that end, I’m asking all Floridians to join me in this important effort.”

DeSantis has previously encouraged people to wear masks when they cannot maintain social distancing; however, the initiative is believed to be the first formal plan put forth by the state.

10:13 a.m.: Cardinals v. Brewers game postponed

The St. Louis Cardinals have postponed their game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday after two positive coronavirus tests were reported within the Cardinals organization.

The league said the game has been rescheduled as part of a traditional doubleheader on Sunday, Aug. 2 at 1:10 p.m. (CT).

The two teams were expected to play Friday in Milwaukee at 2:10 p.m. local time.

Six of the Major League Baseball’s 30 teams will not be playing Friday because of coronavirus cases. That is 20% of the league.

7:25 a.m.: 45 fraternity members at University of Southern California test positive

At least 45 fraternity members at the University of Southern California have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed the cases while investigating a coronavirus outbreak at three fraternities associated with the private university in Los Angeles. The names of the fraternities involved were not released.

“The outbreak may be linked to a large social gathering on July 4,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement Thursday night. “As a reminder, gatherings of people from different households are prohibited under the Health Officer Order in place. These are high-risk situations where COVID-19 can spread quickly to many people. Those people, even if they are asymptomatic, can then spread it to their household, which may include someone who becomes seriously ill or who may die.”

ABC News has reached out to the University of Southern California for comment.

6:32 a.m.: Hong Kong government delays elections, citing coronavirus

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced Friday that the highly anticipated legislative elections planned for September have been postponed, citing the coronavirus outbreak in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

Lam told a press conference that her government has China’s support in making the decision to delay local elections — a move that will surely infuriate pro-democracy lawmakers and supporters.

Hong Kong has seen a spike in coronavirus infections in recent weeks. The total number of diagnosed cases stands at 3,273, including at least 27 deaths, according to the latest data from Hong Kong’s Department of Health.

6:14 a.m.: Dr. Anthony Fauci to testify on Capitol Hill

Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation’s top medical experts on the coronavirus pandemic, is set to testify Friday on Capitol Hill.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health and a key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, last testified before Congress on June 30. His latest appearance comes amid rising COVID-19 cases across the United States and mounting scrutiny into his strained relationship with President Donald Trump.

Fauci will be joined during a hybrid in-person/remote hearing by two other leading officials from the task force: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s director, Dr. Robert Redfield, and the assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, Adm. Brett Giroir.

5:39 a.m.: South Africa reports more than 11,000 new cases overnight

South Africa’s health ministry said there were 11,046 new cases of COVID-19 reported across the country on Thursday.

That brings the national total to 482,169, including 7,812 deaths, according to data released early Friday morning by the South Africa’s National Department of Health.

The latest daily caseload is just under the country’s record set on July 9, when nearly 13,500 new cases were identified in a 24-hour reporting period.

South Africa has the fifth-highest number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases in the world, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University. The country also accounts for well over half the total number of cases in Africa.

4:27 a.m.: US records over 67,000 new cases in a single day

More than 67,600 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in the United States on Thursday, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

The latest daily caseload is under the country’s record set on July 16, when more than 77,000 new cases were identified in a 24-hour reporting period.

A total of 4,494,601 people in the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and at least 152,055 of them have died, according to Johns Hopkins. The cases include people from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and other U.S. territories as well as repatriated citizens.

By May 20, all U.S. states had begun lifting stay-at-home orders and other restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The day-to-day increase in the country’s cases then hovered around 20,000 for a couple of weeks before shooting back up and crossing 70,000 for the first time in mid-July.

Many states have seen a rise in infections in recent weeks, with some — including Arizona, California and Florida — reporting daily records.
 
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July 31, 2020 • No Comments • National News

ABC NewsBy IVAN PEREIRA, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — The storm has already caused catastrophic flash flooding and mudslides in Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Isaias, which strengthened into a Category 1 storm overnight, will hit the Bahamas Friday with torrential rains and high winds before taking aim at eastern Florida, according to forecasters.

The National Hurricane Center said in its 11 a.m. update that the islands will experience wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour and heavy squalls throughout the day. Four to eight inches of rain is expected to fall in the Bahamas, according to the NHC.

“These rainfall amounts will lead to life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, as well as river flooding,” the NHC said in an earlier report.

Forecasters predict the storm will travel northwest and arrive in southeast Florida on Saturday and Sunday. The east coast of Florida is under hurricane watch from Deerfield Beach to the Volusia-Brevard County line, according to the NHC.

Parts of the state could see two to four inches of rain with isolated maximum totals of six inches, according to the current forecast.

“These rainfall amounts could result in isolated flash and urban flooding, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas,” the NHC said.

The NHC added that its current models show Isaias strengthening, but the forecast of a possible Category 2 storm was removed. The NHC forecast cone has shifted slightly west, indicating the storm could affect parts of the Carolinas Sunday night into Monday.

The latest forecast track also accounts for some type of transition into a post-tropical or extra-tropical low as it travels up the East Coast.

Florida officials are on high alert and watching the storm closely. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday that he has declared a state of emergency in every coastal county on the east side of the state from Miami-Dade to Nassau Counties.

The governor said the state is preparing to create shelters and will activate them depending on the storm’s path. COVID-19 testing sites that are in those counties would be closed, but the governor noted that the ones located on the west side of the state will remain open.

NASA and SpaceX said Friday they decided to move forward with plans to bring astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley home to Earth with a splashdown on Sunday.

Officials in Miami-Dade County announced Thursday that parks and beaches would close in anticipation of the storm.

Isaias already caused tremendous damage to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Mudslides left people and cars stranded in the streets and the storm knocked out power to 400,000 customers across Puerto Rico, according to authorities.

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July 31, 2020 • No Comments • National News

NASAby CATHERINE THORBECKE, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Two months after a history-making launch, the first NASA-SpaceX astronauts finally have a return flight scheduled.

Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, who left Earth on May 30, are slated to undock from the International Space Station at 7:34 p.m. ET on Saturday and splash down off the coast of Florida at 2:42 p.m. ET on Sunday. Their journey will be broadcast live by NASA.

Their return would mark the first time a commercially built American spacecraft returned from space. It’s also NASA’s first crewed water landing since 1975.

Stakes are high as once the Crew Dragon spacecraft undocks from the ISS, the astronauts will only have 48 hours of oxygen in their capsule.

Weather remains a top concern as Tropical Storm Isaias moves through the area, but the astronauts expressed confidence about the splashdown during a news conference from the ISS on Friday.

“I still don’t feel nervous about it — we’re focused on the things we need to do to be as safe as possible,” Behnken said. “We won’t leave the Space Station without good landing opportunities in front of us. We don’t control the weather, we know we can stay up here longer, there’s more chow.”

Teams from @NASA & @SpaceX continue to monitor weather, but we’re still on track for departure this weekend. Looking forward to climbing back into Endeavour for our trip home. #LandAmerica https://t.co/7IcG3WC4D6 pic.twitter.com/L93VCaIan2

— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) July 31, 2020

Hurley said every spaceflight is a “once-in-a-lifetime experience” for astronauts, but “this one probably is a great topper, at least for me, personally.”

“The water-landing portion of it is pretty challenging from a physiological standpoint,” he noted, especially after being in a microgravity environment for months. He said they have exercised “very hard” to help prepare.

In addition, Hurley said if they get physically ill during their return they will have the “appropriate hardware.”

“Just like an airliner, there are bags if you need them, and we’ll have those ready,” he added. “If that needs to happen, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened in a space vehicle.”

Splashdown expectations

There are seven possible splashdown sites near coastal cities — Pensacola, Tampa, Tallahassee, Panama City, Cape Canaveral, Daytona, and Jacksonville — and NASA said it will make a final selection based on several factors, primarily weather. As of Friday, near Panama City was considered the primary site, with Tampa the backup.

Once the spacecraft enters Earth’s atmosphere, it will deploy two sets of parachutes at about 18,000 feet in altitude and then four more at about 6,000 feet in altitude, according to NASA.

After the splashdown, SpaceX will send two boats to first check the capsule and make sure the area around it is free of hypergolic propellant vapors. The second boat will recover the parachutes.

The first boat then will hoist the capsule with Hurley and Behnken in it and move it to a stable location for the hatch to be opened as medical professionals look on. After a medical check, Behnken and Hurley will board a NASA plane to Houston.

Behnken said Friday he is most excited to see his family and his 6-year-old son upon returning to Earth, saying, “He’s changed a lot in the couple of months that we’ve been up here.”

Behnken added that he already has some tips for his wife, fellow astronaut Megan McArthur, who will be on a NASA-SpaceX mission scheduled to launch next spring.

“A lot of them will be about how life on Space Station goes,” he said. “I’ll definitely have some advice about living inside of Dragon and where best to pack all your personal items so you can get to them conveniently.”

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July 31, 2020 • No Comments • National News

Nick J./iStockBy LUIS MARTINEZ, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) — At least one Marine is dead and eight others are missing after a “mishap” involving an amphibious assault vehicle off the California coast, officials said.

Eight other Marines, including the one who died, were recovered off San Clemente Island after the amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) they were on sank Thursday night.

Multiple ships and helicopters from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard are combing the waters off of San Clemente Island for the missing Marines.

Fifteen Marines and a sailor were aboard the AAV after it launched from a Navy amphibious ship.

“Two Marines were transported to local hospitals, where one was listed in critical condition and the other in stable condition,” the Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement.

Amphibious assault vehicles are used to carry out beach landings.

The accident occurred as the 5th MEU and Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group conducted routine training exercise in the vicinity of San Clemente Island.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident. I ask that you keep our Marines, sailors, and their families in your prayers as we continue our search,” Col. Christopher Bronzi said in a statement.

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July 31, 2020 • No Comments • National News

Kelvin Sterling Scott/iStockBy KIARA BRANTLEY-JONES, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Six historically Black colleges and universities received eight-figure donations all thanks to philanthropist Mackenzie Scott.

Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, granted millions of dollars to several HBCUs. Howard University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Hampton University, Morehouse College, Spelman College and Tuskegee University are all recipients of the generous donation.

Last year, Scott pledged to give the majority of her wealth back to society and on Tuesday, she kept that promise by publishing a list of 116 organizations that she selected for transformative work. To date, she has collectively donated a massive $1.7 billion.

“Like many, I watched the first half of 2020 with a mixture of heartbreak and horror,” wrote Scott in a Medium post on Tuesday. “Life will never stop finding fresh ways to expose inequities in our systems; or waking us up to the fact that a civilization this imbalanced is not only unjust, but also unstable. What fills me with hope is the thought of what will come if each of us reflects on what we can offer.”

On Tuesday, four HBCUs announced that the generous donations they received were given by Scott. According to each respective university’s released statement, Howard University received $40 million, Hampton University, $30 million, Tuskegee University, $20 million and Spelman College, an undisclosed amount.

Morehouse College also revealed in a statement on Wednesday that they received an “eight-figure gift” from Scott.

Xavier University released a statement on Tuesday revealing that they received a massive $20 million gift from a donor who wished to remain anonymous. However, the university is listed as one of the 116 organizations in a published list on medium.com that received a donation from Scott.

The executive board members from each university shared their excitement and gratitude for the record-breaking donations.

Howard’s statement revealed that Scott, a former pupil of alumna Toni Morrison, gave “the largest gift from a single donor in school history.”

“I would like to thank Ms. Mackenzie Scott for her investment into Howard University and our 153-year mission of serving a diverse community of dynamic scholars who come here for an education and leave here with purpose to serve the world,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA in a statement on Tuesday. “We plan to immediately put this eight-figure gift to good use to support components of our 5-year strategic plan to help students graduate on time, retain our talented faculty, enhance our campus infrastructure and support academic innovation and entrepreneurship.”

“This pure act of benevolence is clearly a game changer and it could not have come at a better time,” said Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey in a statement Tuesday. “I speak for the entire Hampton University community when I say we are grateful to Ms. MacKenzie Scott, who has chosen to support us during this unprecedented period of uncertainty.”

Lily D. McNair, president of Tuskegee University, said in a statement Tuesday that Scott’s donation is “the largest single gift in the university’s history,” and it will be allocated to “focus on student scholarships, faculty and curriculum development, interdisciplinary programs and campus infrastructure improvements.”

“The gift will allow us to become the Tuskegee of the 21st century: a university that integrates knowledge, leadership and service to solve the problems of a global, modern society,” said McNair.

Spelman College officials described Scott’s donation as a “magnanimous gift” that will bolster their educational plans for students.

“These significant new resources will enable Spelman to continue to graduate Black women with a competitive edge to become successful global leaders and social justice change agents in whatever they choose as their life’s work. We are so very grateful,” said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman.

“MacKenzie Scott’s beneficent gift to Morehouse and several of our companion institutions in the HBCU network is an investment into the future of Black excellence,” said David A. Thomas, the president of Morehouse College, in a statement on Wednesday.

“This gift will help Morehouse to lay the foundation for the campus of the 21st century and continue the important work we do to produce graduates who effect positive change in their communities, the nation, and the world,” Thomas stated.

Xavier University released a statement on Tuesday saying that the gift is “the largest donation in its 95 years of excellence.”

“This gift is a pivotal development, ensuring that students have access to the exceptional education offered at Xavier,” university officials said.

In addition to the six HBCUs, Scott also donated to various organizations including the Jackie Robinson Foundation, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Black Girls CODE and the Obama Foundation.

According to Scott’s blog post on Medium, she pledges to continue her philanthropic efforts and says doing so offers “an opportunity to invest our good fortune in change, no matter what form our good fortune has taken.”

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