Dr. Fauci's testimony, Trump's finances, three states' elections: 5 things to know Tuesday

Editors, USA TODAY
·5 min read

Fauci to testify in Senate hearing on reopening amid coronavirus

Dr. Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, is set to testify remotely on Tuesday at a Senate hearing on the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The White House previously barred Fauci from appearing at a similar hearing in the House, saying "it is counterproductive to have the very individuals involved in those efforts appearing at congressional hearings." Fauci and three other coronavirus task force members scheduled to testify will appear by video conference instead of in-person “in an abundance of caution” after three of them came in contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus. The Senate health committee’s GOP chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander, will preside over the hearing by video conference. Alexander is in self-quarantine for 14 days in Tennessee after one of his staffers tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday.

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Supreme Court to hear case over Donald Trump's finances

President Donald Trump's effort to keep his personal and corporate financial records away from congressional and law enforcement investigators comes before the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The dramatic oral arguments, to be conducted by telephone amid the coronavirus pandemic and broadcast live, could result in historic rulings on a president's immunity from investigation while in office and Congress' oversight powers. The legal battles pit Trump against three House committees, controlled by Democrats, that have issued subpoenas for eight years of financial documents. A separate fight involves Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance's subpoena for similar documents as well as the tax returns that Trump, unlike recent predecessors, has not released voluntarily.

Three states to hold in-person elections

A swing House district north of Los Angeles is up for grabs Tuesday in a special election that has garnered attention. Republican Mike Garcia and Democrat Christy Smith will face off in California's 25th District for the seat vacated by Katie Hill when she resigned late last year before completing her first term. Virtually all voters were expected to mail in ballots due to the coronavirus outbreak, though some polling places are available for those who wish to vote in-person. In Nebraska, despite Democrats' pleas that the state shift to an all-mail election or delay Tuesday's vote, Republican leaders insisted the state proceed even as they encouraged people to request absentee ballots. One notable race is in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District as Kara Eastman and Ann Ashford vie for the Democratic nomination and the chance to face incumbent Republican Don Bacon. Finally, Wisconsin's conservative 7th District will hold a special election to replace Republican Sean Duffy, who also resigned in late 2019.

Nurses gather online in a solidarity vigil

National Nurses Week ends on Tuesday with an online vigil where nearly 1,000 nurses are expected to sign on and show their solidarity. Nurses find themselves "in more danger than ever before" as they fight COVID-19 with limited personal protective equipment, says National Nurses United's executive director and nurse Bonnie Castillo. Last week, nurses laid 88 pairs of shoes in front of the White House honoring 88 nurses who died of COVID-19 and demanding better protective equipment for frontline workers.

MLB owners propose historic revenue split, but will players go for it?

Major League Baseball officials are slated to make a presentation to the MLB Players Association on Tuesday as the league aims to start its coronavirus-delayed season. On Monday, MLB owners approved a proposal requiring teams to share 50% of their revenue with the players, who are expected to reject the proposal. If the two parties are able to come to an agreement, MLB could be the first U.S. team sport to return to competition. Just 0.7% of 6,237 completed surveys from employees of 26 MLB clubs tested positive for antibodies to COVID-19. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford, one of the study's leaders, called the results "both good and bad news" because they showed the virus has not spread widely in MLB but still has many baseballers left to target.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fauci's testimony, Trump's finances: 5 things to know Tuesday